cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Complete Primary Structure of Two Splice Variants of Collagen XII, and Assignment of α1(XII) Collagen (COL12A1), α1(IX) Collagen (COL9A1), and α1(XIX) Collagen (COL19A1) to Human Chromosome 6q12–q13

Overlapping cDNA clones that encode the full-length human alpha 1(XII) collagen polypeptides were isolated. The long variant molecule cDNA of 9750 nucleotides (nt) contains a 9189-nt open reading frame encoding 3063 amino acid residues. The short variant molecule cDNA of 6258 nt contains a 5697-nt open reading frame encoding 1899 amino acid residues. At the amino terminus of each variant is a 24-residue signal peptide that is followed by the mature polypeptides of 3039 amino acid residues with a calculated molecular mass of 330,759 Da for the long variant and 1875 amino acid residues with a calculated molecular mass of 203,163 Da for the short variant polypeptide. The human collagen XII chains are predicted to have all the structural domains described for the molecules in chicken and mouse, including, fibronectin type III repeats, von Willebrand factor A domains, and two triple-helical domains similar to those of all the other collagen family members. The amino acid residue sequence of human alpha 1(XII) collagen showed 92% identity to the mouse chain and 78% identity to the chicken chain. The sequence of three peptide fragments of collagen XII isolated from human placenta was identical to the sequence predicted from the deduced cDNA sequence and confirms that the cDNA encodes human alpha 1(XII) collagen. An isolated genomic clone was used to map the locus of the COL12A1 gene to chromosome 6q12-q13, very close to the locus of the FACIT collagen genes COL9A1 and COL19A1. RT-PCR on a variety of cDNAs demonstrates that both variant transcripts appear in human amnion, chorion, skeletal muscle, small intestine, and in cell cultures of human dermal fibroblasts, keratinocytes, and endothelial cells. Only the small variant transcript is apparent in human lung, placenta, kidney, and a squamous cell carcinoma cell line. These results confirm the previous observations showing that collagen XII is found in collagen I-containing tissues.
A Polyconvex Integrand; Euler-Lagrange Equations and Uniqueness of Equilibrium

In this manuscript we are interested in stored energy functionals W defined on the set of d × d matrices, which not only fail to be convex but satisfy \({{\rm lim}_{\det \xi \rightarrow 0^+} W(\xi)=\infty.}\) We initiate a study which we hope will lead to a theory for the existence and uniqueness of minimizers of functionals of the form \({E(\mathbf{u})=\int_\Omega (W(\nabla \mathbf{u}) -\mathbf{F} \cdot \mathbf{u}) {\rm d}x}\) , as well as their Euler–Lagrange equations. The techniques developed here can be applied to a class of functionals larger than those considered in this manuscript, although we keep our focus on polyconvex stored energy functionals of the form \({W(\xi)=f(\xi) +h( {\rm det} \xi)}\) – such that \({{\rm lim}_{t \rightarrow 0^+} h(t)=\infty}\) – which appear in the study of Ogden material. We present a collection of perturbed and relaxed problems for which we prove uniqueness results. Then, we characterize these minimizers by their Euler–Lagrange equations.
A new architecture and protocol for high performance integrated local area networks

A novel LAN (local-area-network) architecture and a high-efficiency bit-mapped protocol (HEBMP) are presented. The proposed LAN architecture uses a bidirectional broadcast bus with predefined terminal connection points (TCPs). Using predefined TCPs enables the scheduling of poll responses and transmission of packets at precise instants. This in turn makes it possible to limit the overhead due to signal propagation delay to a maximum of four times the end-to-end propagation delay per frame, irrespective of the number of terminals on the network. Although the connection points are predefined, it is not necessary for a TCP to have a terminal connected to it. The analysis of HEBMP and computer simulation of HEBMP, conventional BMP, and CSMA/CD (carrier-sense multiple access with collision detection) show that HEBMP provides much better throughput and mean packet delay performances compared with conventional BMP and CSMA/CD. Its high performance under low, as well as high, traffic conditions makes it well suited for integrated local-area networks (ILANs) based on the proposed LAN architecture. >
Identification of tri-phosphatase activity in the biogenesis of retroviral microRNAs and RNAP III-generated shRNAs

Transcripts possessing a 5′-triphosphate are a hallmark of viral transcription and can trigger the host antiviral response. 5′-triphosphates are also found on common host transcripts transcribed by RNA polymerase III (RNAP III), yet how these transcripts remain non-immunostimulatory is incompletely understood. Most microRNAs (miRNAs) are 5′-monophosphorylated as a result of sequential endonucleolytic processing by Drosha and Dicer from longer RNA polymerase II (RNAP II)-transcribed primary transcripts. In contrast, bovine leukemia virus (BLV) expresses subgenomic RNAP III transcripts that give rise to miRNAs independent of Drosha processing. Here, we demonstrate that each BLV pre-miRNA is directly transcribed by RNAP III from individual, compact RNAP III type II genes. Thus, similar to manmade RNAP III-generated short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs), the BLV pre-miRNAs are initially 5′-triphosphorylated. Nonetheless, the derivative 5p miRNAs and shRNA-generated 5p small RNAs (sRNAs) possess a 5′-monophosphate. Our enzymatic characterization and small RNA sequencing data demonstrate that BLV 5p miRNAs are co-terminal with 5′-triphosphorylated miRNA precursors (pre-miRNAs). Thus, these results identify a 5′-tri-phosphatase activity that is involved in the biogenesis of BLV miRNAs and shRNA-generated sRNAs. This work advances our understanding of retroviral miRNA and shRNA biogenesis and may have implications regarding the immunostimulatory capacity of RNAP III transcripts.
Intraspecific Differences in Temperature and Salinity Responses in the Coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi

AbstractThe growth responses of two clones of the oceanic coccolithophore, Emiliania huxleyi, isolated from the Sargasso Sea and the Hudson Canyon, were observed under 25 different salinity-temperature regimes. The temperature range studied was from 8 to 27°C; the salinity range was from 20 to 45 ppt. The isolate from the Sargasso Sea grew better at higher salinities than did the Hudson Canyon isolate, although not as well at the highest temperature. Generally, the Sargasso Sea clone had a narrower optimal temperature range (18–23°C) and wider salinity range than did the Hudson Canyon clone. The results suggest that, as with diatoms, physiologically distinct races exist in coccolithophores, as indicated by the intraspecific differences in growth response to temperature and salinity in E. huxleyi. Furthermore, the different growth responses of the two clones are consistent with the prevailing environmental conditions in their sites of isolation.
Avian Communal Roosting: A Test of the “Patch-Sitting” Hypothesis

Major starling roosts (2,000 to 100,000 birds) cannot be fully explained on the basis of information transfer, predation, migration, or limited habitat. Radiotelemetry has revealed that each starling returns daily to feed on its own stable diurnal activity center (DAC), but stops briefly at supplemental feeding areas (SFAs) on its way to and from distant communal roosts. We test and find supported a new hypothesis (Caccamise and Morrison 1986) that DAC-based starlings select roosts that reduce commuting costs to SFAs far from their DACs. As predicted, DAC-based adults used SFAs that were nearer their roosts than their DACs, and used more distant roosts where SFAs were more widely spaced. In starlings, major communal roosts appear to be aggregations containing large numbers of "patchsitting" birds roosting near especially rich sources of food.
NIH Grant Funding: Why Should it Change and How

Copyright: © 2013 Niculescu MD. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. I admit that I had to take a deep breath before starting to write this editorial. When I received the JNDT’s invitation to write it, my first thought was “what would be the best and hot subject in my field? Nutrition, epigenetics, metabolomics?” Then, almost painfully, I realized (again) that, for many of us who dedicate most of our life time to science here in US (but not only), the hottest subject is, oddly enough, not THE SCIENCE. It is rather the MEANS we need to do science. Meaning FUNDING. So I decided that talking about NIH funding is a great topic, albeit extremely controversial. But I do this not only to point out to the mechanisms that, in my opinion, are plainly broken, but also to propose an alternative to a system that became frustrating, discouraging, and maybe partially obsolete for an increasing legion of scientists (both junior and senior).
Shield: A Reliable Network-on-Chip Router Architecture for Chip Multiprocessors

The increasing number of cores on a chip has made the network on chip (NoC) concept the standard communication paradigm for chip multiprocessors. A fault in an NoC leads to undesirable ramifications that can severely impact the performance of a chip. Therefore, it is vital to design fault tolerant NoCs. In this paper, we present Shield , a reliable NoC router architecture that has the unique ability to tolerate both hard and soft errors in the routing pipeline using techniques such as spatial redundancy, exploitation of idle cycles, bypassing of faulty resources and selective hardening. Using Mean Time to Failure and Silicon Protection Factor metrics, we show that Shield is six times more reliable than the baseline-unprotected router and is at least 1.5 times more reliable than existing fault tolerant router architectures. We introduce a new metric called Soft Error Improvement Factor and show that the soft error tolerance of Shield has improved by three times in comparison to the baseline-unprotected router. This reliability improvement is accomplished by incurring an area and power overhead of 34 and 31 percent respectively. Latency analysis using SPLASH-2 and PARSEC reveals that in the presence of faults, latency increases by a modest 13 and 10 percent respectively.
Myocyte Enhancer Factor 2 Transcription Factors in Heart Development and Disease

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the general regulation and function of MEF2 transcription factors, with a focus on their role in the heart. It also discusses many cofactors of MEF2 with a particular attention to the interaction of MEF2 with class II histone deacetylases (HDACs). MEF2-HDAC interactions are highly regulated by signaling cascades that control MEF2's function as a transcriptional switch. This chapter highlights many signaling pathways and kinases that regulate MEF2-HDAC interactions, MEF2 post-translational modification, and how these pathways influence MEF2 activity. The genetic function of Mef2 genes in flies, fish and mice is also discussed. These studies demonstrate the essential function for MEF2 proteins in heart development, as well as the development of numerous other lineages, and reflect the general conservation of MEF2 function throughout much of metazoan evolution. Many genes have been identified as direct transcriptional targets of MEF2 through direct MEF2 binding to their promoter and enhancer elements, summarizing the known direct transcriptional targets of MEF2 in the heart. MEF2 proteins function as a transcriptional switch in many diverse lineages during development and in adulthood. To accomplish this, MEF2 has evolved numerous regulatory interactions. MEF2 interacts with a wide array of cofactors, including both positive and negative regulators of transcription. MEF2 serves as an essential binding platform for enzymes that influence chromatin structure, including histone acetylases and deacetylases. Similarly, MEF2 serves as a platform for potent transcriptional regulators that do not directly contact DNA themselves, such as myocardin and MASTR.
The thorium-copper system

Abstract A binary phase diagram is proposed for the thorium-copper system based on thermal, microscopic and X-ray analyses. Four compounds exist—Th 2 Cu, ThCu 2 , “ThCu 3.6 ” and ThCu 6 —which melt congruently at 1007 °, 1015 °, 1052 ° and 1055 °C, respectively. Five eutectic reactions are found in this system; at 30 at.% Cu and 1000 °C, at 51 at.% Cu and 880 °C, at 74 at.% Cu and 980 °C, at 82 at.% Cu and 1020 °C and at 93 at.% Cu and 935 °C. The terminal solid solubility of thorium in copper is negligible—less than 0.01 at.% Th.
Super-resolved 3-D imaging of live cells’ organelles from bright-field photon transmission micrographs

Abstract Current biological and medical research is aimed at obtaining a detailed spatiotemporal map of a live cell’s interior to describe and predict cell’s physiological state. We present here an algorithm for complete 3-D modelling of cellular structures from a z-stack of images obtained using label-free wide-field bright-field light-transmitted microscopy. The method visualizes 3-D objects with a volume equivalent to the area of a camera pixel multiplied by the z-height. The computation is based on finding pixels of unchanged intensities between two consecutive images of an object spread function. These pixels represent strongly light-diffracting, light-absorbing, or light-emitting objects. To accomplish this, variables derived from Renyi entropy are used to suppress camera noise. Using this algorithm, the detection limit of objects is only limited by the technical specifications of the microscope setup–we achieve the detection of objects of the size of one camera pixel. This method allows us to obtain 3-D reconstructions of cells from bright-field microscopy images that are comparable in quality to those from electron microscopy images.
The Incremental Role of Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Prostate Cancer Staging before Radical Prostatectomy

Abstract In the present report we aimed to analyze the incremental value of preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), in addition to clinical variables and clinically-derived nomograms, in predicting outcomes radical prostatectomy (RP). All Mayo Clinic RP patients who underwent preoperative 1.5-Tesla MRI with endo-rectal coil from 2003 to 2013 were identified. Clinical and histopathological variables were used to calculate Partin estimates and Cancer of the Prostate Risk Assessment (CAPRA) score. MRI results in terms of extracapsular extension (ECE), seminal vesicle invasion (SVI), and lymph-node invasion (N+) were recorded. Using RP pathology as gold standard, we developed multivariate logistic regression models based on clinical variables, Partin Tables, and CAPRA score, and assessed their predictive accuracy before and after the addition of MRI results. Five hundred and one patients were included. MRI + clinical models outperformed clinical-based models alone for all outcomes. Comparing Partin and Partin + MRI predictive models, the areas under the curve were 0.61 versus 0.73 for ECE, 0.75 versus 0.82 for SVI, and 0.82 versus 0.85 for N+. Comparing CAPRA and CAPRA + MRI models, the areas under the curve were 0.69 versus 0.77 for ECE, 0.75 versus 0.83 for SVI, and 0.82 versus 0.85 for N+. Our data show that MRI can improve clinical-based models in prediction of nonorgan confined disease, particularly for ECE and SVI. Patient summary Magnetic resonance imaging, together with clinical information, can be useful in preoperative assessment before radical prostatectomy.
Metalation of Oxazoles and Benzoxazoles

Metalation of oxazoles and benzoxazoles, including synthesis of oxazoles and benzoxazoles, metal-mediated deprotonations, metal-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions, and other miscellaneous reactions are discussed and summarized.
Money in the Bank: Distortive Effects of Accumulated Earnings on Risky Choice.

A new study by Juechems et al. (2017) demonstrates that individuals take fewer risks as they accumulate monetary reward. The ventromedial prefrontal cortex plays a key role in the decision process, encoding both momentary reward and the context of the accumulated wealth.
Awareness of the Food–Energy–Water Nexus and Public Policy Support in the United States: Public Attitudes Among the American People:

Most research into the connections between water and energy, water and food, and food and energy has been scientific and technical; little research has examined the public’s understandings of these connections. This article studies these understandings and awareness of nexus issues using a 2015 national public opinion survey on the water–energy–food nexus. Responses from this representative sample of U.S. adults are used to create “awareness measures” for elements of the nexus—water and energy, water and food, and energy and food—which are then used as independent variables to investigate the extent to which awareness is associated with support for public policies designed to address these nexus interconnections. All three measures are significantly correlated to support for policy options. Results suggest that awareness of the water–energy–food nexus may represent conditions necessary for supporting policies and that building such awareness could represent an important pathway for increasing support for ...
FIRST- AND SECOND-ORDER WAVE EFFECTS ON A SUBMERGED SPHEROID

Computations are presented for the linearised force and moment acting on a submerged slender spheroid in regular waves, the resulting pitch and heave motions, and the second-order mean force and moment. These numerical results, which are based on the use of a three-dimensional panel code, are compared with the approximations based on slender-body theory. The accuracy of the slender-body approximation is relatively good for the first-order forces and body motions, but substantial errors are revealed for the second-order mean drift force and pitch moment. Unlike the approximate result, the more correct numerical prediction of the mean pitch moment is non-zero, and generally acts in the bow-down direction in head seas. To explain this result it is shown that the wave elevation directly above the spheroid increases in amplitude from bow to stern, thus causing a greater upward force on the afterbody relative to the forebody.
Light Spread Manipulation in Scintillators Using Laser Induced Optical Barriers

We are using the laser induced optical barriers (LIOBs) technique to fabricate scintillator detectors with combined performance characteristics of the two standard detector types, mechanically pixelated arrays, and monolithic crystals. This is done by incorporation of so-called OBs that have a refractive index (RI) lower than that of the crystal bulk. Such barriers can redirect the scintillation light and allow for control of the light spread in the detector. Previous work has shown that the LIOB technique has the potential to achieve detectors with high-transversal and depth of interaction (DOI) resolution simultaneously in a single-side readout configuration, suitable for high-resolution positron emission tomography imaging. However, all designs studied thus far present edge effect issues similarly as in the standard detector categories. In this paper, we take advantage of the inherent flexibility of the LIOB technique and investigate alternative barrier patterns with the aim to address this problem. Light transport simulations of barrier patterns in cerium-doped lutetium yttrium orthosilicate (LYSO:Ce), with deeper barrier walls moving toward the detector edge show great promise in reducing the edge effect, however, there is a tradeoff in terms of achievable DOI information. Furthermore, fabrication and characterization of a 20-mm-thick LYSO:Ce detector with OBs forming a pattern of $1 \times 1 \times 20$ mm3 pixellike structures show that light channeling in laser-processed detectors in agreement with OBs with RI between 1.2 and 1.4 is achievable.
Availability and Economic Possibilities of Fuels

This paper discusses our present situation with regard to energy supply and demand and indicates the need for a national energy policy to be able to meet future demands as well as possible. The various energy or fuel sources are evaluated and their possible future contributions as well as costs, in dollars and to the environment, considered.Paper published with permission.Compilation Copyright © 2018 ASME
Assessment of abiotic and biotic factors associated with eastern white pine (Pinus strobus L.) dieback in the Southern Appalachian Mountains

Abstract A novel and emerging eastern white pine (Pinus strobus L.) dieback phenomenon is occurring in the Southern Appalachian Mountains in the eastern United States. Symptomatic eastern white pine trees exhibit canopy thinning, branch dieback, and cankers on the branches and bole. These symptoms are often associated with the presence of a scale insect, Matsucoccus macrocicatrices Richards (Hemiptera: Matsucoccidae), and a fungal pathogen, Caliciopsis pinea Peck (Coryneliales: Coryneliaceae). We determined the extent, range, and severity of dieback of 2,061 eastern white pine trees from 40 sites in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. We also evaluated associations between eastern white pine health and abiotic (aspect, elevation, latitude, precipitation, slope, and temperature) and biotic (eastern white pine basal area and density, relative stand density, and presence of C. pinea and M. macrocicatrices) factors. Our results indicate that trees ≥2.54 cm DBH had an average health rating of 3.57 (1 = healthy tree, 5 = dead tree), with 57% being in the 4–5 health rating groups. Eastern white pine dieback was positively associated with presence of C. pinea, and negatively associated with mean annual temperature and tree size. Sawtimber (≥22.86 cm) were healthier than poletimber (12.70–22.61 cm) and sapling sized trees (2.54–12.45 cm). Further, C. pinea incidence was positively correlated with eastern white pine density and M. macrocicatrices. The insect-pathogen complex was present in all six states and 80% of the sites. If eastern white pine dieback continues, effective management practices will be needed to conserve and maintain this economically and ecologically important pine species in the eastern United States.
Timing and Outcomes of Abdominal Surgery in Neutropenic Patients.

Surgery in neutropenic patients is challenging due to both atypical manifestations of common conditions and higher perioperative risk. We sought to describe the outcomes of neutropenic patients undergoing abdominal surgery and to identify factors contributing to morbidity and mortality. A retrospective chart review was performed for all patients neutropenic in the 24-hours prior to an abdominal operation at our institution between 1998 and 2017. The primary and secondary outcomes were 30-day mortality and morbidity, respectively. The chi-square test and two-tailed Student’s t test were used for univariable comparisons (non-parametric tests used when appropriate). To determine the optimal threshold of absolute neutrophil count (ANC) to discriminate 30-day mortality, we maximized the Youden index (J). Amongst 237 patients, mortality was 11.8% (28/237) and morbidity 54.5% (130/237). Absolute neutrophil count < 500 cells/μL (50% vs. 20.6%, P < 0.01) and perforated viscus (35.7% vs. 14.8%, P = 0.01) were associated with mortality. Perforated viscus (25.4% vs. 7.5%) was also associated with morbidity. Urgent operations were associated with higher morbidity (63.6% vs 34.7%, P < 0.001) and mortality (16.4% vs 1.4%, P = 0.002) when compared to elective operations. Transfer from an outside hospital (22.3% vs. 11.2%, P = 0.02) and longer median time from admission to operation (2 days (IQR 0–6) vs. 1 day (IQR 0–3), P < 0.01) were associated with morbidity. An ANC threshold of 350 provided the best discrimination for mortality. Elective surgery in the appropriately chosen neutropenic patient is relatively safe. For patients with obvious surgical pathology, we advocate for earlier operation and a lower threshold for surgical consultation in an effort expedite the diagnosis and necessary treatment.
Precision and imprecision in second language pronunciation

Any discipline requires precision in critical issues while tolerating and perhaps even welcoming imprecision in other respects. This editorial discusses areas in second language pronunciation research in which precision is required (the use of terminology such as intelligibility and comprehensibility), where it is not always required to the same extent (the use of phonetic and phonemic symbols), and where it is rarely required (in how L2 learners are given explanations or ways to pronounce more accurately). The article then describes the content of the full-length articles, commentary and reviews.
A Conditioning Model of Alcohol Tolerance

Tolerance to several effects of ethanol can be learned in a classical conditioning paradigm. In the conditioning model of tolerance, a response compensatory in nature to the effect of ethanol develops in association with the cues that signal the presence of ethanol. Tolerance produced by this procedure (environment-dependent tolerance) differs in several respects from tolerance produced in a paradigm in which learning would not be expected to play a significant role (environment-independent tolerance). Depletion of norepinephrine in the brain blocks the development of both types of tolerance, whereas depletion of serotonin enhances the rate of development of environment-dependent tolerance, but inhibits the development of environment-independent tolerance. Cued alterations in the volume of distribution for ethanol are an important factor in the tolerance displayed in the classical conditioning paradigm. It has been suggested that the conditioned compensatory response comprises the physiological response underlying “craving” for ethanol. This implies that an extinction procedure would be an effective treatment for the prevention of relapse.
Construction of Web-Based, Service-Oriented Information Networks: A Data Mining Perspective (Abstract)

Mining directly on the existing networks formed by explicit webpage links on the World-Wide Web may not be so fruitful due to the diversity and semantic heterogeneity of such web-links. However, construction of service-oriented, semi-structured information networks from the Web and mining on such networks may lead to many exciting discoveries of useful information on the Web. This talk will discuss this direction and its associated research opportunities.
Neutron Resonance Transmission Analysis of Reactor Fuel Samples

Neutron resonance transmission analysis (NRTA) was used to measure the isotopic content of fresh and spent nuclear reactor fuel samples. Using the National Bureau of Standards 100-MeV electron Lina...
Detection of practice pattern trends through Natural Language Processing of clinical narratives and biomedical literature.

Clinical knowledge, best evidence, and practice patterns evolve over time. The ability to track these changes and study practice trends may be valuable for performance measurement and quality improvement efforts. The goal of this study was to assess the feasibility and validity of methods to generate and compare trends in biomedical literature and clinical narrative. We focused on the challenge of detecting trends in medication usage over time for two diseases: HIV/AIDS and asthma. Information about disease-specific medications in published randomized control trials and discharge summaries at New York-Presbyterian Hospital over a ten-year period were extracted using Natural Language Processing. This paper reports on the ability of our semi-automated process to discover disease-drug practice pattern trends and interpretation of findings across the biomedical and clinical text sources.
Basic Biomedical Research

Data analyzed in a previous volume of this series1 strongly suggested that investment of federal funds in basic biomedical research results not only in fiscal benefits to American taxpayers, but also in improvements in the quality of health care available to them. By analyzing the dollar savings from fundamental research findings in the past which eventually led to improvements in health care (e.g., new, better, and less costly methods for diagnosis, treatment, prophylaxis, and/or eradication of disease), I estimated that taxpayers are currently saving $20–$30 yearly for each dollar spent 5–20 years ago on basic biomedical research in just one area, immunology.2
International Decision: Tatar c. Roumanie, App. No. 67021/01...European Court of Human Rights, Jan. 27, 2009

This case note examines Tatar c. Roumanie, App. No. 6702 1/01, European Court of Human Rights, January 27, 2009. In Tatar c. Roumanie, the applicants claimed that the Romanian authorities’ failure to halt the practice of using sodium cyanide constituted a breach of Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. On these facts, the European Court reiterated earlier holdings that pollution can interfere with a person's private and family life by harming his or her well-being. Accordingly, the Court held that the operating conditions laid down by the Romanian authorities had been inadequate to preclude the possibility of serious harm.The present case illustrates that the Court has increasingly relied on international environmental law as a basis for determining the adequacy of measures taken by the government. It is likely that the Court has done so on the basis of its consistently stated principle that the Convention's guarantees must be made “real and effective.” However, despite the findings of violations in this case, the Court awarded no pecuniary or nonpecuniary damages. The court’s decision is reflective of a larger pattern in which the Court, facing a constantly rising caseload, is increasingly restrictive in awarding compensation.
HIV / AIDS prevention-related social skills and knowledge among adolescents in Sierra Leone West Africa.

This study examined the association between HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions among high school students age 14 years and older who attended school in two large urban towns, Bo and Freetown, Sierra Leone, West Africa. All subjects in the survey were Africans in grade two to ten in schools in Sierra Leone (n= 137) .The mean age of the respondents was 18 years; 55 percent were female and 45 percent were male. The AIDS Social Assertiveness Scale (ASAS) was used. There were five factors derived from the ASAS in the study, which are similar to those used in previous studies. The factors derived were: Disclosure-Help Seeking, Contact with Infected People, Sexual Negotiation, Difficult Social Interaction, and Refusal of Risk Behaviours. These data indicate that the sub-scale structure of the ASAS in students from Sierra Leone is almost identical to the sub-scale structure of the ASAS reported by Venier, Akande, and Ross for Kenya, Nigeria and Zimbabwe, and by Ross, Caudle, and Taylor for Australia. Some 52 percent of the subjects who had intercourse reported that they used condoms. Factors related to condom use were age, knowledge about HIV/AIDS, and anxiety about disclosure of HIV/STD problems. Data indicate that intercourse was common and that greater condom use was associated with less anxiety over sexual negotiation and greater anxiety over disclosure of having HIV or an STD. (AfrJReprod Health l997;l(1):37—44) KEYWORDS: HIV/AIDS knowledge, adolescents, factor analysis, AIDS Social Assertiveness Scale, Sierra Leone, Africa
Cyclic Microirrigation in Container-grown Landscape Plants Improves Plant Growth and Water Conservation

Abstract Four tree (Acer rubrum L., Ulmus alata Michx., Quercus virginiana Mill, and Lagerstroemia indica L.) and two landscape shrub species (Rhododendron indicum L. ‘Formosa’ and Elaeagnus pungens Thunb.) were grown in 10-liter (#3) polyethylene containers. Plants were irrigated with overhead impact sprinklers (control) or with individual low volume spray stakes. Microirrigated treatments consisted of same or double volume per day per container as controls applied as one to three cyclic subvolumes. Shrub growth was seldom influenced by irrigation treatment. Xeric tree species (U. alata and Q. virginiana) grew as well with single volumes applied in 2 cycles as double volumes applied in 3 cycles; both produced significantly larger trees than the control. Mesic species (A. rubrum and L. indica) irrigated with double volumes in 3 cycles produced the largest trees that were significantly larger than single volume microirrigated or control trees. Growth of single cycle, single volume trees (overhead and micro...
On computing maximum likelihood estimates for the negative binomial distribution

Abstract This paper proves that starting value for the Newton–Raphson method can be chosen so that the method is guaranteed to find the maximum likelihood estimate of the parameters of a negative binomial distribution when it exists.
Long Term Intravenous Inotropes in Advanced Heart Failure are Associated with Decrease in Hospitalized Days and Improved Functional Class

Background The role of intravenous (IV) inotropes in the treatment of hospitalized acutely decompensated heart failure (HF) patients with end organ hypo-perfusion is well established. However, continuous IV inotropes in ambulatory patients remains controversial. Some studies suggest that long term IV inotrope infusions did not improve functional class or mortality in advanced HF. Overall, the current data on long term IV inotropes is limited. Methods This was a retrospective study of patients diagnosed with low output (cardiac index less than 2.2L/min/m2) advanced HF and treated with long term IV inotrope therapy. Patients on home IV milrinone, who remained on it for at least 6 months, were included. We collected demographic, hemodynamic, biochemical, medical therapy, imaging, device interrogation and hospitalization data of patients with advanced HF from up to 6 months before starting IV inotrope and compared it to up to 6 months after initiating therapy. Results A total of 55 patients on continuous IV milrinone were included. Mean age was 56.8 +/- 12.5 years, 40 (72.7%) were male. 25 (45.5%) had ischemic and 30 (54.5%) had non-ischemic cardiomyopathy. The number of days in hospital per patient decreased from 8.86 to 4.03 in six months before and after IV milrinone, respectively (p Conclusion In advanced HF, long term IV use of milrinone is associated with improvement in hemodynamics and functional class of the patients along with a statistically significant decrease in the number of days in the hospital.
Soft Voting-Based Ensemble Approach to Predict Early Stage DRC Violations

Reducing human effort and design schedule time is facing a tremendous challenge from the cutting- edge technology node, which hinders profitability from IC manufacturing. Initiatives like DARPA IDEA have addressed this challenge by aiming for a 24-hour design turnaround time, maximum resource utilization, and productivity of ICs. In this paper, we proposed a robust ensemble learning model to predict DRC from the placement stage, which precisely predicts design routability and DRC hotspots of a design. The proposed algorithm uses a soft voting classifier to combine random forest and gradient boosting algorithms. Our approach achieved a maximum precision, recall, and F1 score of 97%, 97%, and 96%, respectively, which are significantly better than the state- of-the-art support-vector machine (SVM)-based prediction scheme.
Acetylation of conserved DVL-1 lysines regulates its nuclear translocation and binding to gene promoters in triple-negative breast cancer

Dishevelled (DVL) proteins are central mediators of the Wnt signalling pathway and are versatile regulators of several cellular processes, yet little is known about their post-translational regulation. Acetylation is a reversible post-translational modification (PTM) which regulates the function of several non-histone proteins involved in tumorigenesis. Since we previously demonstrated that lysine deacetylase, SIRT-1, regulates DVL protein levels and its function, we reasoned that DVL could potentially be a substrate for SIRT-1 mediated deacetylation. To further examine the potential role of multiple families of lysine deacetylases in the post-translational regulation of DVL, we screened for novel acetylation sites using liquid chromatography mass-spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis. Herein, we report 12 DVL-1 lysine residues that show differential acetylation in response to changes in oxygen tension and deacetylase inhibition in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). PTMs are well documented to influence protein activity, and cellular localization. We also identify that acetylation of two key lysine residues, K69 and K285, present on the DIX and PDZ domains respectively, promote nuclear over cytoplasmic localization of DVL-1, and influences its promoter binding and regulation of genes implicated in cancer. Collectively, these findings for the first time, uncover acetylation as a novel layer of regulation of DVL-1 proteins.
Evaluation of selective outcome reporting and trial registration practices among addiction clinical trials.

Background and aims Selective outcome reporting occurs when trialists pre-specify primary and secondary outcomes during trial planning but alter the definitions in the published report. Here, we investigate selective outcome reporting in published addiction randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and evaluate whether particular funding sources are associated with an increased likelihood of selective outcome reporting. Design We conducted a cross-sectional study of published addiction clinical trials. A PubMed search was performed to identify RCTs in addiction journals from 2013 to 2017. Included studies used a randomized design to address one of the following topics: (1) drug, alcohol and tobacco addiction prevention, (2) stabilization following excessive use of a substance, (3) relapse prevention or (4) recovery maintenance. Setting Single-center, medical research institution. Participants Our sample included 162 RCTs that were prospectively registered with a clearly defined primary outcome. Measurement We extracted the following items from addiction RCTs: journal, funding source, trial registry number (if included), sample size, dates of subject enrollment, whether primary and secondary outcomes were denoted, all published outcomes, P-value for all outcomes and whether authors mentioned any deviations from the trial protocol as it related to RCT outcomes. Findings In total, 47 of 162 RCTs (29.0%) had at least one major discrepancy between the trial registry and published RCT. Overall, these 47 RCTs included 54 major discrepancies. The most common major discrepancy was demotion of a primary registered outcome (19/54, 35.2%). The majority of RCTs (132/162, 81.5%) were funded from public sources. Additionally, 166 RCTs were excluded from our sample because registration could not be confirmed. Conclusions There is evidence suggestive of selective outcome reporting in addiction randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The most common major discrepancies pertained to the primary outcome.
ATRP by continuous feeding of activators: Limiting the end-group loss in the polymerizations of methyl methacrylate and styrene

Abstract Atom transfer radical polymerizations (ATRP) of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and styrene (St) were conducted by continuous feeding of Cu(I)/TPMA activators (TPMA: tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine). Though the ATRP equilibrium constants are significantly different, the polymerizations of MMA and St were both well-controlled under similar reaction conditions giving polymers with relatively high monomer conversion, i.e., > 70 % , and narrow molecular weight distributions, i.e., M w ∕ M n 1 . 2 , in most cases. By reducing the total amount of Cu(I) used in these polymerizations, the mole percent of end-group loss ( T mol% ) could be limited since T mol% in ATRP without activator regeneration should not exceed the molar ratio between Cu(I) and the initiator according to the principle of halogen conservation.
Examining the effects of mutual information sharing and relationship empathy: A social penetration theory perspective

Abstract Most studies that explore the role of mutual information sharing in buyer-seller relationships focus on disclosure between parties; however, the literature largely ignores the content of such disclosures. This article investigates the role of disclosure content between buyers and sellers in generating important relationship outcomes. Data from qualitative interviews uncover the presence of both business and personal content in the information shared between a salesperson and their customers. Using matched survey responses from salesperson-customer dyads and secondary performance data, our work demonstrates that both types of disclosure content significantly affect relationship outcomes, with positive effects on customer-felt relationship empathy, trust, and sales performance. Further, we show that customer-felt relationship empathy has a stronger effect on trust in newer relationships, signaling the strength of customer-felt relationship empathy as a relationship-building tool. These findings empirically show that the content of disclosures between buyers and sellers is a critical driver of relationship performance.
Electrostatic Effects on the Speed and Directionality of Electron Transfer in Bacterial Reaction Centers: The Special Role of Tyrosine M-208

The solution of the crystal structures of purple bacterial reaction centers has raised several puzzling questions: First, considering the symmetry of the crystal structure, why does the special pair of bacteriochlorophylls (P) transfer an electron to the bacteriopheophytin on the “L” side of the complex (HL) so much more rapidly than it does to the bacteriopheophytin on the “M” side (HM)? And what roles do the accessory bacteriochlorophylls (BL and BM) play in the electron-transfer reaction? The answers to these questions are likely to be intertwined. One possibility is that favorable electrostatic interactions with the protein lower the energy of the P+BL- radical-pair so that this state lies close to or below the excited dimer (P*), whereas the corresponding radical-pair on the M side (P+BM-) lies at a significantly higher energy. This would allow BL to act as an intermediate electron carrier betwen P* and HL as suggested by the recent work of Holzapfel et al. [1,2]. The competing route through P+BM- to P+HM- would be blocked by the need for thermal activation, particularly at low temperatures. A difference between the electrostatic interactions of the protein with the two radical-pairs might suffice to explain the directionality even if P+BL- lies above P* and facilitates the reaction only by mixing quantum-mechanically with P* and P+HL- (superexchange) [3–8]. If P+BM- is at a higher energy than P+BL-, its mixing with P* would be weaker.
Designing a Holistic At-Home Learning Aid for Autism.

In recent years, much focus has been put on employing technology to make novel behavioural aids for those with autism. Most of these are digital adaptations of tools used in standard behavioural therapy to enforce normative skills. These digital counterparts are often used outside of both the larger therapeutic context and the real world, in which the learned skills might apply. To address this, we are designing a system of automatic expression recognition on wearable devices that integrates directly into the families daily social interactions, to give children and their caregivers the tools and information they need to design their own holistic therapy. In order to develop a tool that will be truly useful to families, we proactively include children with autism and their families as co-designers in the development process. By providing an app and interface with interchangeable social feedback options, we aim to produce a framework for therapy that folds into their daily lives, tailored to their specific needs.
Immigration Policy as a Defense of White Nationhood

President Trump's vilification and expulsion of undocumented Latino migrants is only the latest episode of the mass expulsion of Latinos. This essay places Trump's border enforcement policies into historical context as a defense of white national identity. Despite many asserted justifications for this mistreatment of migrants and refugees, the only justification that survives scrutiny is the need to reassure anxious whites that their racial status is being defended.
Advanced practice registered nurses' work environment perceptions in hospitals: A cross‐sectional survey

Aim To examine work environment differences between hospital certified nurse practitioners (CNPs) and certified registered nurse anaesthetists (CRNAs). Background Nurse work environments impact patient and nurse outcomes. How differing advanced practice nurse (APRN) roles influence work environments is unknown. Methods Multi-level cross-sectional survey design. APRNs (n = 490) completed the APRN Organizational Climate Questionnaire and Psychological Ownership Questionnaire. Nurse executives (N = 24) reported on Scope of Practice and Institutional Voice. Descriptive, t test, chi-square and linear and mixed-effects regression statistical analyses were employed. Results CNPs reported better organisational climate and job ownership than CRNAs. The largest effects involved relationships with physicians, control over practice and independent practice. Among CNPs, a significant positive relationship was observed between relations with physicians and work engagement. In CRNAs, a similar positive relationship between physician relations and work engagement was only observed for those working in higher scope of practice settings, not for those working in more restrictive settings. Conclusions Significant differences exist in the perceived work environments between CNPs and CRNAs that may be related to differences in job design and historical relations with physician colleagues. Implications for nursing management Efforts to improve APRN work environments in hospital settings should consider differing CRNA and CNP perspectives.
Polls, Politics and Disaster Relief: Evidence from Federal SBA Loan Programs

We study how the popularity of an incumbent president can influence the generosity of the relief effort in response to a natural disaster as reflected in the federal SBA loan program. We document that the loan amounts relative to reported damages are higher when popularity of the incumbent president is lower. This result is consistent with the catering view of disaster relief where the president approves higher amounts when his popularity is at a low point but may hold his ground when his popularity is high. We find that this catering behavior is amplified when public sentiment regarding the disaster is high (as measured by a metric designed from Google search volume).When the public sentiment is very high even a popular president may approve high disaster aid, further supporting our catering view. We also examine the effect of other factors that increase the political importance of the disaster (e.g., swing county, campaign donations, first term, and number of presidential visits) and find evidence of increased catering. Finally, there is some evidence of interaction of catering with credit scoring rules, suggesting discrimination in loan provision in favor of richer counties and against counties with a high percentage of African Americans. Our findings point to a new venue for politics in climate change in the area of disaster relief.