cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dissolution of xylose metabolism in Lactococcus lactis.

Xylose metabolism, a variable phenotype in strains of Lactococcus lactis, was studied and evidence was obtained for the accumulation of mutations that inactivate the xyl operon. The xylose metabolism operon (xylRAB) was sequenced from three strains of lactococci. Fragments of 4.2, 4.2, and 5.4 kb that included the xyl locus were sequenced from L. lactis subsp. lactis B-4449 (formerly Lactobacillus xylosus), L. lactis subsp. lactis IO-1, and L. lactis subsp. lactis 210, respectively. The two environmental isolates, L. lactis B-4449 and L. lactis IO-1, produce active xylose isomerases and xylulokinases and can metabolize xylose. L. lactis 210, a dairy starter culture strain, has neither xylose isomerase nor xylulokinase activity and is Xyl−. Xylose isomerase and xylulokinase activities are induced by xylose and repressed by glucose in the two Xyl+ strains. Sequence comparisons revealed a number of point mutations in the xylA, xylB, and xylR genes in L. lactis 210, IO-1, and B-4449. None of these mutations, with the exception of a premature stop codon in xylB, are obviously lethal, since they lie outside of regions recognized as critical for activity. Nevertheless, either cumulatively or because of indirect affects on the structures of catalytic sites, these mutations render some strains of L. lactis unable to metabolize xylose.
Design of genetic fuzzy parallel parking control systems

Automatic parallel parking is an important capability for autonomous ground vehicles (AGVs) in both commercial and military applications. Fuzzy logic controllers for parallel parking control of skid steering AGVs were developed in previous research, where the membership functions and scaling factors of fuzzy systems were tuned manually by trial and error. The first aim of this study is to adjust the parameters of the membership functions and scaling factors for the previously developed fuzzy parallel parking algorithm by using a genetic algorithm. The GA implementation details, such as the design parameters and choice of fitness function, are described. Also, the previously developed fuzzy parallel parking algorithm for skid steering system is extended to AGVs with front-wheel steering. This study shows that the fuzzy algorithm is valid for front-wheel steering systems; only the membership functions and scaling factors must be modified.
Registration of 3D objects and surfaces

An approach to the problem of comparative analysis of objects and their surfaces that arises in medical imaging is presented and illustrated with an application to postsurgical bone-graft separation. A common requirement in medical imaging applications is the registration of multiple representations of the object prior to mensuration. The modeling of the registration process and the registration system are described. The measurement of change in volume of bone grafts implanted inside the human body in a corrective surgical procedure is discussed, and the results are evaluated. >
Targeted advertising in the online video space

Videology is an online video advertising, optimization, and yield management solutions provider whose business strategy is to purchase online video advertising inventory from content providers and deliver ads to their clients using behavioral and demographic targeting to maximize value. The Capstone team used a diverse set of analytical tools, including Time Series models, Principal Component analysis, Decision Tree Optimization, Generalized Linear Models, K-Means clustering, and linear programming to improve efficiency in the online video advertisement space by connecting consumers with advertisements on which they are most likely to click. Trends, patterns, and anomalies in the data may lead to new targeting opportunities for Videology.
Variable precision representation for efficient VQ codebook storage

In vector quantization (VQ) with fast search techniques, the storage available limits the number of codevectors used in VQ. Variable precision representation (VPR) is a simple codebook compression scheme. VPR for each vector y stores the number e(y), the number of leading bits which are zero in all elements, and avoids storing those leading bits. When storing the difference of codevectors in a binary tree structured VQ codebook, VPR can save from 24% to 44% in storage. Storing the codevector difference removes the redundancy between similar codevectors. Also as the mean square error of the VQ encoder is lowered, on the average, the difference becomes smaller and yields to better compression. To process vectors in VPR format, the operator uses a bit-serial, element-parallel scheme to evaluate the inner product. The operator's throughput can be increased by replicating its core. >
On New Radon-Based Translation, Rotation, and Scaling Invariant Transform for Face Recognition

The Radon transform has some interesting properties concerning the scaling, rotation-in-plane and translation of the input image. In the paper, these properties are a basis for deriving a transformation invariant to the aforementioned spatial image variations, a transformation that uses direct translation, angle representation and 1-D Fourier transform. As the face images often differ in pose and scale of the face, such a transformation can ease the recognition task. Experimental results show that the proposed method can achieve 96% and 89% recognition accuracy for, respectively, uniformly and non-uniformly illuminated images.
CONVECTION TREATMENT AND PRESSURE SPLITTING FOR SEQUENTIAL SOLUTION PROCEDURES, PART I: THEORY AND ONE-DIMENSIONAL TEST CASES

Abstract Treatment ofconvective and pressure fluxes in the Euler and Navier-Stokes equations using splitting formulas for convective velocity and pressure, with a view to incorporate them in sequential pressure-based methods, is investigated. Two schemes—a controlled variation scheme (CVS) and an advection upstream splitting method (AUSM)—are explored for their accuracy in resolving sharp gradients. In Part I, basic concepts and the derivation of the CVS, along with its comparison to the AUSM scheme, are presented. To demonstrate the performance of the CVS and AUSM, flows involving moving or reflecting shock waves, as well as a one-dimensional combusting flow with a strong heat release source term, are investigated
A study of MBR-based spatial access methods: how well they perform in high-dimensional spaces

Many spatial applications deal with data characterized by extremely high dimensionality. Unfortunately, other than the fact that contemporary spatial access methods (SAMs) are inadequate to handle large sets of high dimensional data, we know little about the underlying causes of their inadequacy. The paper investigates the performance of spatial access methods that approximate extended objects by minimum bounding rectangles (MBRs). It exposes the conceptual problems of traditional MBR based SAMs resulting in their inability to handle high dimensional data. The paper shows that a new MBR based structure, called the QSF-tree, which avoids the problems of traditional SAMs, gracefully adapts to accommodate the increasing dimensionality of the spatial data. The experimental evidence demonstrates that QSF-trees outperform three popular MBR based SAMs in both low- and high-dimensional spaces. As the number of dimensions grows, the improvements have a tendency to increase.
Sensitivity, Safety, and Closure

It is widely thought that if knowledge requires sensitivity, knowledge is not closed because sensitivity is not closed. This paper argues that there is no valid argument from sensitivity failure to non-closure of knowledge. Sensitivity does not imply non-closure of knowledge. Closure considerations cannot be used to adjudicate between safety and sensitivity accounts of knowledge.
Target amplification for broad spectrum microbial diagnostics and detection.

Microarrays are massively parallel detection platforms that were first used extensively for gene expression studies, but have also been successfully applied to microbial detection in a number of diverse fields requiring broad-range microbial identification. This technology has enabled researchers to gain an insight into the microbial diversity of environmental samples, facilitated discovery of a number of new pathogens and enabled studies of multipathogen infections. In contrast to gene expression studies, the concentrations of targets in analyzed samples for microbial detection are usually much lower, and require the use of nucleic acid amplification techniques. The rapid advancement of manufacturing technologies has increased the content of the microarrays; thus, the required amplification is a challenging problem. The constant parallel improvements in both microarray and sample amplification techniques in the near future may lead to a radical progression in medical diagnostics and systems for efficient...
Activity Recognition using Dynamic Bayesian Networks with Automatic State Selection

Applying advanced video technology to understand activity and intent is becoming increasingly important for intelligent video surveillance. We present a general model of a d-level dynamic Bayesian network to perform complex event recognition. The levels of the network are constrained to enforce state hierarchy while the dth level models the duration of simplest event. Moreover, in this paper we propose to use the deterministic annealing clustering method to automatically discover the states for the observable levels. We used real world data sets to show the effectiveness of our proposed method.
Fast Resampling Weighted v-Statistics

In this paper, a novel and computationally fast algorithm for computing weighted v-statistics in resampling both univariate and multivariate data is proposed. To avoid any real resampling, we have linked this problem with finite group action and converted it into a problem of orbit enumeration. For further computational cost reduction, an efficient method is developed to list all orbits by their symmetry orders and calculate all index function orbit sums and data function orbit sums recursively. The computational complexity analysis shows reduction in the computational cost from n! or nn level to low-order polynomial level.
Multisystemic Therapy: An Overview of Clinical Procedures, Outcomes, and Policy Implications

Multisystemic therapy (MST) is a family- and community-based treatment that has successfully served as a clinical and cost-effective alternative to out-of-home placements (e.g. incarceration, psychiatric hospitalisation) for youths presenting serious clinical problems. MST clinical procedures and findings from MST outcome studies are reviewed. Several key features differentiate MST from prevailing mental health and juvenile justice practices and probably account for its relative success. These features include interventions that comprehensively address the known determinants of clinical problems, the provision of services in home and community settings to promote service access and ecological validity, and a philosophy that emphasises provider accountability for family engagement and outcomes.
Origins of serotonin-like immunoreactivity in the optic tectum of Rana pipiens

We have previously identified a population of serotonin-like immunoreactive (5-HT-ir) retinal ganglion cells in Rana pipiens. In this study, we examined serotonin-like immunoreactivity (5-HTLI) in a probable target of those cells, the optic tectum. We observed both 5-HT-ir fibers and cell bodies in this structure. 5-HT-ir cells were located in the cellular layers of the tectum, layers 2, 4, and 6, and scattered in its superficial layers. 5-HT-ir fibers in the tectum displayed a laminated organization and were located in tectal layers 3, 5, 6, 7, and 9. Retrograde labelling experiments showed that 5-HT-ir retinal ganglion cells projected to the optic tectum. However, these experiments also demonstrated that serotonergic neurons in the midbrain tegmentum, the nucleus isthmi, and the medulla did so as well. 5-HT-ir fibers seen in lamina A of layer 9 were very much reduced in density in animals in which the optic nerve had been lesioned for 3-6 months. Immunoreactive fibers in lamina B of layer 9 were not affected by the lesion. Our results suggest that 5-HT-ir fibers in lamina A of layer 9 are mainly of retinal origin, whereas those in lamina B originate from other brain areas. The 5-HT-ir tectal cells located in the cellular layers probably contribute the 5-HT-ir fibers seen in layers 3, 5, 6, and 7.
Changes in Plasma Testosterone and Aggressive Behavior in Male Green Iguanas (Iguana iguana) Following Orchidectomy

Eighteen green iguanas (Iguana iguana) were randomly assigned to three groups: control group (sham orchidectomy); group I (orchidectomy before the breeding season); and group II (orchidectomy during the breeding season). Circulating testosterone concentrations were determined using a radioimmunoassay and correlated with aggressive behavior scores. Monthly mean (± SD) testosterone concentrations and aggression scores varied with group and season. The highest testosterone concentrations were present in the control group (mean ± SD: 11.6 ± 2.8) during the breeding season (November through January). Likewise, the highest aggression scores were present in the control group (11.6 ± 9.6) and group II animals (4.7 ± 2.2) during the breeding season (November through January). Elevations in testosterone concentration preceded initial increases in aggressive behavior by approximately 1 month. Orchidectomy significantly decreased plasma testosterone concentrations between groups, with significant differences seen between the control group and group I animals and between the control group and group II animals. During the breeding season, significant differences in aggressive behavior were found between all three groups. The control group was the most aggressive, and group II animals were more aggressive than group I animals. Linear regression analysis showed a significant positive relationship between plasma testosterone concentrations and aggressive behavior in the control group (P = 0.008).
Enhancement of Centrifugal Compressor Operating Range by Control of Inlet Recirculation With Inlet Fins

The operating points of a turbocharger compressor tend to approach or cross its surge line while an engine is accelerating, particularly under low-engine speed conditions, hence the need for an acceptable surge margin under low compressor-speed conditions. A method shifting the stability limit on a compressor low-speed line toward a lower flow rate is expected and inlet recirculation is often observed in a centrifugal compressor with a vaneless diffuser near a surge and under a low compressor-speed condition. First, examples of inlet recirculation were introduced in this paper, whereupon the effect of inlet recirculation on compressor characteristic was discussed by 1-D consideration and the potential shown for growth of inlet recirculation to destabilize compressor operations. Accordingly, this study focused on suppressing the effect of inlet recirculation on compressor characteristics using small fins mounted in a compressor-inlet pipe, and examining whether they enhance the compressor operating range under low-speed conditions. Small fins are known as inlet fins in this paper. According to test results, they showed great promise in enhancing the compressor operating range during inlet recirculation. Besides, attempts were also made to investigate the qualitative effect of inlet fins on flow fields using CFD and the disadvantages of inlet fins were also discussed.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Transport Properties of CVI Preforms and Composites

A simple model, based on physical microstructure, that predicts the anisotropic transport properties of cloth lay-up composites is discussed. This anisotropic material is modeled as a layer structure consisting of two, or more, isotropic components. Composite transport coefficients perpendicular and parallel to the layers are given by “series” and “parallel” combining laws involving the isotropic coefficients of these component materials and their volume fractions. These component material properties are determined using microstructural information and fundamental material properties. Model calculations are compared to experimental measurements for gas permeability.
The Role of CFD in Preliminary Aerospace Design (Keynote)

This paper discusses the role that computational fluid dynamics plays in the design of aircraft. An overview of the design process is provided, covering some of the typical decisions that a design team addresses within a multi-disciplinary environment. On a very regular basis trade-offs between disciplines have to be made where a set of conflicting requirements exists. Within an aircraft development project, we focus on the aerodynamic design problem and review how this process has been advanced, first with the improving capabilities of traditional computational fluid dynamics analyses, and then with aerodynamic optimizations based on these increasingly accurate methods.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
A Study on a New Signal Pulse Waveform in Wireless Optical Communication System

In order to improve the dependability and reduce the bit error rate in wireless optical communication system with Gaussian pulse,raised cosine pulse,triangular pulse and several other common pulse waveforms,a new compositive pulse waveform is designed through researching those common pulse waveforms,which has the same time with a single relevant pulse waveform instead of the relevant continuous pulse waveforms and is equal to the original better relevant continuous pulse waveforms between the attribute and energy.Through the theoretical analysis and simulation result,it shows the compositive pulse waveform has a better bit error rate,but only suitable to the pulse width modulation(PWM) signals and pulse position width modulation(PPWM) signals,and the signal peak will be placed only on several fixed positions.
Causes of injury and death among residents in Jinshan District of Shanghai City from 1990-2010

[Objective] To understand the death cause and life loss of injury in Jinshan District of Shanghai City from 1990-2010,and provide reference for developing injury prevention strategies and measures.[Methods] Microsoft Excel 2003 was utilized to establish the database based on annual death report from 1990-2010 and the injury specific death rate,age-specific death rate,PYLL and PYLLR were calculated.[Results] The injury-specific death rate was 51.28/ 100 000 from 1990-2010 and the proportion of death of injury was 7.58 % and ranked the 4th death cause in Jinshan District.The first 4 death causes of injury were traffic accident,falls,suicide and accidental drowning and the 4 injury-specific death rates ranged from 6.19 / 100 000 to 22.25/100 000.In male and female the first 4 death cause of injury was similar to the total population and the first 4 death rates of injury in male ranged from 7.28/100 000 to 31.13/100 000 and in female it ranged from 5.11/100 000 to 13.48/100 000.In 0-4 years old group the first 4 death causes of injury were accidental drowning,traffic accident,falls and suicide,in 15-44 years and 45-64 years groups the first 4 death cause of injury were traffic accident,suicide,falls and accidental drowning.In 65 years and above groups the first 4 death causes of injury were falls,traffic accident,accidental drowning,and suicide.Ranked by PYLLR the first 4 death causes of injury were traffic accident,suicide,accidental drowning and falls,PYLLR ranged from 1.16‰ to 7.26‰.[Conclusion] Injury has become a serious public problem which threatened badly to the residents' health and security in Jinshan District.It should determine the severity and order of preventing and control of all kinds of injury according to the actual goal and try to make as significant as possible progress with as less as possible investment.
Three-Dimensional Study of Alzheimer’s Disease Hallmarks Using the iDISCO Clearing Method

Summary Amyloidosis is a major problem in over one hundred diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). Using the iDISCO visualization method involving targeted molecular labeling, tissue clearing, and light-sheet microscopy, we studied plaque formation in the intact AD mouse brain at up to 27 months of age. We visualized amyloid plaques in 3D together with tau, microglia, and vasculature. Volume imaging coupled to automated detection and mapping enables precise and fast quantification of plaques within the entire intact mouse brain. The present methodology is also applicable to analysis of frozen human brain samples without specialized preservation. Remarkably, amyloid plaques in human brain tissues showed greater 3D complexity and surprisingly large three-dimensional amyloid patterns, or TAPs. The ability to visualize amyloid in 3D, especially in the context of their micro-environment, and the discovery of large TAPs may have important scientific and medical implications.
Review: Renaissance Architecture by Christy Anderson

Christy Anderson Renaissance Architecture Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013, 258 pp., 151 color illus. $29.95 (paper), ISBN 9780192842275 We are all familiar with the narrative of Italian Renaissance architecture: Filippo Brunelleschi produced a series of technically and stylistically innovative structures in Florence in the first half of the fifteenth century that are taken as the starting point of a new kind of architecture. This foundation gave way to Leon Battista Alberti’s buildings and writings in the next generation, then in turn to Giuliano da Sangallo, Donato Bramante, Raphael, Michelangelo, Vignola, and Palladio. Other architects are usually included, as are excursions to Urbino, Milan, Mantua, and Venice. This progression has served as the spine of a series of important surveys by Peter Murray, Ludwig Heinrich Heydenreich and Wolfgang Lotz, and Christoph Luitpold Frommel, which has introduced two generations of undergraduate students to Renaissance architecture, forming their view of the material.1 In Anglophone architectural history, this account of Italian Renaissance architecture has often represented the development of building in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries more generally. In Architecture of the Renaissance , published in a series on world architecture, Peter Murray expands this narrative by appending a short closing section on buildings in France, Spain, the Low Countries, Germany, and England.2 A relatively small group of scholars have championed architecture elsewhere, but even these accounts have often been presented as something of an adjunct to the Italian Renaissance. For example, Anthony Blunt’s essential survey of French art and architecture in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries opens with an account of King Charles VIII’s invasion of Italy in 1494, and its cultural effects. Much …
CoCoSpec: A Mode-Aware Contract Language for Reactive Systems

Contract-based software development has long been a leading methodology for the construction of component-based reactive systems, embedded systems in particular. Contracts are an effective way to establish boundaries between components and can be used efficiently to verify global properties by using compositional reasoning techniques. A contract specifies the assumptions a component makes on its context and the guarantees it provides. Requirements in the specification of a component are often case-based, with each case describing what the component should do depending on a specific situation (or mode) the component is in. We introduce CoCoSpec, a mode-aware assume-guarantee-based contract language for embedded systems built as an extension of the Lustre language. CoCoSpec lets users specify mode behavior directly, instead of encoding it as conditional guarantees, thus preventing a loss of mode-specific information. Mode-aware model checkers supporting CoCoSpec can increase the effectiveness of the compositional analysis techniques found in assume-guarantee frameworks and improve scalability. Such tools can also produce much better feedback during the verification process, as well as valuable qualitative information on the contract itself. We presents the CoCoSpec language and illustrate the benefits of mode-aware model-checking on a case study involving a flight-critical avionics system. The evaluation uses Kind \(2\), a collaborative, parallel, SMT-based model checker extended to fully support CoCoSpec.
On the nature of evolution: an explicative model

Durante anos se han propuesto vinculos entre entropia e informacion de un sistema, pero sus cambios en tiempo y en sus estados estructurales probabilisticos no han sido probados en un modelo robusto como un proceso unico. Este documento demuestra que incrementos en entropia e informacion de un sistema son las dos sendas para cambios en su estado configuracional. Tambien, la evolucion biologica tiene una tendencia hacia una acumulacion de informacion y complejidad. Con este enfoque, aqui se planteo como objetivo contestar la pregunta: ?Cual es la fuerza motriz de la evolucion biologica? Para esto, se hizo una analogia entre la evolucion de un sistema vivo y la transmision de un mensaje en el tiempo, ambos en medio de ruido y estocasticidad ambiental. Se empleo un modelo matematico, desarrollado inicialmente por Norbert Wiener, para mostrar la dinamica de la cantidad de informacion de un mensaje, usando una serie de tiempo y el movimiento Browniano como estructura estadistica. Se utilizo la definicion matematica de informacion de Leon Brillouin y la ecuacion de la entropia de Claude Shannon, ambas son similares, para conocer los cambios en las dos propiedades fisicas. El modelo propuesto incluye tiempo y probabilidades configuracionales del sistema y se sugiere que la entropia puede ser considerada como perdida de informacion, de acuerdo con Arieh Ben-Naim. Se muestra una grafica donde la acumulacion de informacion puede ser la fuerza motriz de ambos procesos: evolucion (incremento en informacion y complejidad) y aumento en entropia (perdida de informacion y de restricciones). Finalmente, se puede definir a un sistema vivo como la dinamica de un conjunto de informacion codificada en un reservorio de programas geneticos, epigeneticos y ontogenicos, en medio de ruido y estocasticidad ambiental, que tiende a incrementar su adecuacion y funcionalidad.
Divine timelessness and personhood

Pour l'A., l'objection ou la refutation de l'eternite divine ne peut etre consideree que comme erronee. Les detracteurs de l'eternite divine ont echoue a montrer qu'un Dieu eternel ne pouvait pas demontrer de proprietes qui sont une condition necessaire a la personnalite. Au contraire, il existe de bonnes raisons de croire qu'un Dieu eternel peut remplir les conditions necessaires de la personnalite. Une personne divine, intemporelle peut etre un individu conscient de soi et rationnel, dote d'une volonte et engage dans des relations avec d'autres personnes
EELS Study of Differential Diffusion of Fe and Co in Magnetized Silica Nanocomposites

Oxygen vacancies are prevalent in amorphous silica. It is recently recognized that the diffusion of metal cations and hydrolytic weakening at the elevated temperature produced hollow framed silica with interior voids. Electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) reveals more complex behaviors of metals and oxygen underneath this seemingly simple shape evolution. In Fe3O4/SiO2 nanocomposites, polyhedral distortion is severe, and the alteration of Si–O–Si bonding occurs. Ionic character is strengthened, and the oxidation number of Si decreases with increasing annealing temperature. Despite this distortion, ordering of oxygen within amorphous silica is enhanced with the increase of annealing temperature. Reduction of Fe3+ to Fe2+ is also facilitated by the diffusion of Fe3+ into SiO4 tetrahedra. In the presence of Co, however, polyhedral distortion is not severe, and it is supposed that Co not only resides on the surface of mesoporous silica but also inhibits the diffusion of Fe into SiO4 tetrahedra. In addition...
Design of Heterogeneous Chalcogenide Nanostructures with Pressure-Tunable Gaps and without Electronic Trap States.

Heterogeneous nanostructures, such as quantum dots (QDs) embedded in solid matrices or core–shell nanoparticles, are promising platforms for a wide variety of applications, including phosphors with increased quantum yield, photocatalysis, and solar energy conversion. However, characterizing and controlling their interfacial morphology and defects, which greatly influence their electronic properties, have proven difficult in numerous cases. Here we carried out atomistic calculations on chalcogenide nanostructured materials, i.e., PbSe QDs in CdSe matrices and CdSe embedded in PbSe, and we established how interfacial and core structures affect their electronic properties. In particular, we showed that defects present at interfaces of PbSe nanoparticles and CdSe matrices give rise to detrimental intragap states, degrading the performance of photovoltaic devices. Instead, the electronic gaps of the inverted system (CdSe dots in PbSe) are clean, indicating that this material has superior electronic properties ...
True Threats: Wanted Posters, Stalking, and the First Amendment

One controversial tactic of anti-abortion activists has been the public dissemination of “wanted” posters that contain the names, addresses, and pictures of abortion providers, which they argue is protected free speech under the First Amendment of the US Constitution. Abortion rights advocates counter that because the circulation of these posters has been directly linked to violence against providers, including murder, their use is a “true threat,” and not within the ambit of the First Amendment. Drawing on the case study of the stalking conviction of a leading anti-abortion activist for distributing “wanted” posters, Dorosin reviews “true threat” legal doctrine and several abortion protest and related cases to help illuminate how courts consider the context of abortion-related violence in reviewing free speech claims.
The Association Between Childhood Abuse and Elder Abuse Among Chinese Adult Children in the United States

Background The previous researchers have postulated that an abused child may abuse his or her abuser parent when the parent is getting old, also known as the intergenerational transmission of violence. However, few studies use data to support this model, and it has yet to be examined in the U.S. Chinese community. This study aims to examine the association between childhood abuse and elder abuse reported by Chinese adult children in the United States. Methods Guided by a community-based participatory research approach, 548 Chinese adult children aged 21 years and older participated in this study. Childhood abuse was assessed by four-item Hurt-Insult-Threaten-Scream (HITS) scale. Elder abuse was assessed by a 10-item instrument derived from the Caregiver Abuse Screen (CASE). Logistic regression analysis was performed. Results Childhood abuse was associated with caregiver abuse screen results (odds ratio = 1.92, 95% confidence interval = 1.24-2.95). Being physically hurt (r = .13, p < .01), insulted (r = .15, p < .001), threatened (r = .12, p < .01), and screamed at (r = .18, p < .001) as a child were significantly correlated with caregiver abuse screen results. Conclusion This study suggests that childhood abuse is associated with increased risk of elder abuse among Chinese adult children in the United States. Longitudinal research should be conducted to explore the mechanisms through which childhood abuse and its subtypes links with elder abuse.
Single-chip dynamically time-frequency multiplexed phase- and self-injection-locked CMOS vital-sign sensor

A single-chip Doppler radar sensor based on a phase- and self-injection-locked oscillator is designed for non-contact vital-sign acquisition. It is fabricated in TSMC 65nm CMOS with a miniaturized core size of 0.31mm × 0.37mm. Dy-manically time-frequency multiplexed operation ensures null point avoidance, electromagnetic interference rejection and RF emission reduction. Vital signs within 1 m range can be successfully identified with single antenna and maximum 10 mW power consumption in continuous mode without any RF amplification.
Reducing the cultural divide among U.S. and Mexican students through application of the contact hypothesis

Mexico and the U.S. are closely associated by commerce, culture and family ties. Despite the geographical proximity and the long-standing socio-political history between the two countries, there is...
Peak and submaximal physiologic responses following electrical stimulation leg cycle ergometer training.

Eight males with spinal cord injury (SCI) participated in an exercise training program using neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) leg cycle ergometry. Each subject completed a minimum of 24 (mean +/- SD = 38.1 +/- 17.2) 30-minute training sessions over a 19-week period. The initial work rate (WR) of 0 watts (W) of unloaded cycling was increased when appropriate with subjects exercising at 11.4 +/- 3.7 W (range = 6.1 W-18.3 W) at the end of the training program. Randomized block repeated measures ANOVA was used to compare pretraining and posttraining peak physiologic responses during graded NMES leg cycle tests and subpeak physiologic responses during 10 minutes of NMES leg cycle exercise at an absolute WR (0 W). A significant (P < or = 0.05) increase was observed for peak VO2; (+10%, 1.29 +/- 0.30 to 1.42 +/- 0.39 1.min-1). No other statistically significant differences were noted for any other peak variable (VCO2, VO2 ml.kg-1 min-1, VE, WR, HR, RER) pre- to posttraining. During submaximal NMES leg cycle testing, a significant decrease was noted for RER (-9.2%, 1.19 +/- 0.14 to 1.08 +/- 0.09). No other submaximal variable (VO2 1.min-1, ml.kg-1.min-1, VCO2, HR, VE) showed significant changes as a result of the training. Although the improvement in peak VO2 was not as dramatic as those reported in previous studies, it appears that NMES leg cycle training performed two times per week can significantly enhance cardiorespiratory fitness.
Monogenic disorders that mimic the phenotype of Rett syndrome.

Rett syndrome (RTT) is caused by mutations in methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MECP2), but defects in a handful of other genes (e.g., CDKL5, FOXG1, MEF2C) can lead to presentations that resemble, but do not completely mirror, classical RTT. In this study, we attempted to identify other monogenic disorders that share features with RTT. We performed a retrospective chart review on n = 319 patients who had undergone clinical whole exome sequencing (WES) for further etiological evaluation of neurodevelopmental diagnoses that remained unexplained despite extensive prior workup. From this group, we characterized those who (1) possessed features that were compatible with RTT based on clinical judgment, (2) subsequently underwent MECP2 sequencing and/or MECP2 deletion/duplication analysis with negative results, and (3) ultimately arrived at a diagnosis other than RTT with WES. n = 7 patients had clinical features overlapping RTT with negative MECP2 analysis but positive WES providing a diagnosis. These seven patients collectively possessed pathogenic variants in six different genes: two in KCNB1 and one each in FOXG1, IQSEC2, MEIS2, TCF4, and WDR45. n = 2 (both with KCNB1 variants) fulfilled criteria for atypical RTT. RTT-associated features included the following: loss of hand or language skills (n = 3; IQSEC2, KCNB1 x 2); disrupted sleep (n = 4; KNCB1, MEIS2, TCF4, WDR45); stereotyped hand movements (n = 5; FOXG1, KNCB1 x 2, MEIS2, TCF4); bruxism (n = 3; KCNB1 x 2; TCF4); and hypotonia (n = 7). Clinically based diagnoses can be misleading, evident by the increasing number of genetic conditions associated with features of RTT with negative MECP2 mutations.
Traumatic Brain Injury-Induced Acute Lung Injury: Evidence for Activation and Inhibition of a Neural-Respiratory-Inflammasome Axis.

Abstract Approximately 20–25% of traumatic brain injury (TBI) subjects develop acute lung injury (ALI), but the pathomechanisms of TBI-induced ALI remain poorly defined. Our previous work has shown...
An intelligent framework for sentiment analysis of text and emotions - A review

Now day's fast spreading usage of social media, many websites have offer reviews of items like books, cars, mobiles, movies etc. They describe the product in some detail and evaluate them as good/bad, preferred/not preferred, so it is necessary to categorize these reviews in an automated way. Sentiment analysis is one kind of computational technique of Artificial Intelligence. Sentiment analysis is a task of identifying positive and negative opinion, emotion and evaluation in text available over the social networking websites and the World Wide Web. The sentiment analysis has been gained quite popularity in the recent years. The analysis serves as an important feedback for further improvement in the offered services and user experiences. This paper presents a study and analysis of several methods and tools which have been applied in the sentiment analysis process.
Titanium-Zirconium-Niobium Ternary Alloys

The development of Ti-Zr-Nb alloy superconductors in the early 1960’s was motivated by a desire to combine the advantages of Zr-Nb and Ti-Nb alloys and at the same time to avoid their disadvantages. In so doing, the following electrical properties were taken into consideration: (a) the maximum transition temperature in the Zr-Nb system of 10.9 K at about 80 at.% Nb, as compared to the 9.7 K of the Ti-Nb system, at 60–70 at.% Nb; (b) the maximum 4.2-K upper critical field in the Zr-Nb system of 95 k0e, considerably less than the 113 k0e of Ti-Nb. On the mechanical-property side, recognizing that Zr-Nb50, for example, underwent a ductile-brittle transition at about 100°C [Doi68b], it was deemed advantageous to substitute some Ti for Zr in order to lower the transition point, which then dropped to room temperature with 1 at.% Ti and to about -50°C with 10 at.% Ti.
Unsual Case of Methadone Induced Toxic Leukoencephalopathy (P5.406)

Objective: not Applicable Background: Methadone has been widely used in the clinical practice for pain management, leading to overdosing and abusing. Most of the literature support white matter changes in the cerebellum and brain stem. There has been one other case report that defined MRI periventricular white matter changes secondary to methadone ingestion. Here we will present a unique case of leukoencephalopathy resulting from Methadone overdose. Design/Methods: Case Report Results: 50 year old female who initially was found unresponsive at home after methadone overdose and was taken to the outside hospital where she was intubated and had a prolong hospital course and an MRI showed small foci of restricted diffusion near the vertex in the parasagittal regions. She was later discharged home in a stable condition. Three weeks later she came for a follow up where she was found to have headache, confusion, and blurry vision. She was unable to perform simple calculations and her delayed recall was 0/3. She scored a 20/30 on MOCA. All her blood work was negative. Repeat MRI brain showed diffuse and bilaterally symmetric increased T2 signal in the frontal, parietal, and occipital white matter representing toxic leukoencephalopathy. Conclusions: Methadone-induced toxic leukoencephalopathy has been a rare reported entity. No quantitative measures has been identified causing it. Diagnosis is clinical supported by Imaging that is similar to other causes of Toxic leukoencephalopathy. Treatment is supportive. Literature supports cerebellar swelling with subsequent development of acute hydrocephalus in methadone overdosing. All cases were seen in children less than 3. Our case is unique for which only one other case has been described. Disclosure: Dr Panjwani has nothing to disclose. Dr. Karim has nothing to disclose. Dr. Humayun has nothing to disclose. Dr. Tietjen has received personal compensation for consulting, serving on a scientific advisory board, speaking, or other activities with Eli Lilly and Company, Dr. Reddy9s Laboratories.
Using a patient-reported outcomes tool as a gateway to identifying patients who would benefit from palliative care.

306Background: Palliative care provides a wide range of supportive care services that aim to enhance the patient’s quality of life, reduce complications, address supportive care needs earlier, and ...
Guided Hands-On Activities Can Improve Student Learning in a Lecture-Based Qualitative Biomechanics Course

A qualitative biomechanics (functional anatomy) course is a typical course in kinesiology curriculum. Most evidence suggests that biomechanics learning could be improved with the inclusion of laboratory experiences. However, implementing laboratories into biomechanics curriculum is difficult due to cost and time constraints. This study was conducted to evaluate whether hands-on activities in lecture improve qualitative biomechanics learning. A lecture format was compared to the same course with guided and unguided hands-on activities included during lecture. Test performance and student evaluations were compared between lecture formats to determine if hands-on experiences improve learning. The hands-on group performed better on the same test questions and they evaluated their overall course activities as beneficial to their learning. The findings suggest that guided hands-on experiences may improve learning compared to unguided activities. The hands-on experiences seem to provide an embodied cognitive learning experience, facilitating retention of learned material through three-dimensional and tactile mental representations. Findings from this research are currently shaping how biomechanics is taught to students at this university and could at other universities as well.
Prenatal Alcohol Exposure Causes Adverse Cardiac Extracellular Matrix Changes and Dysfunction in Neonatal Mice

Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is the most severe condition of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) and is associated with congenital heart defects. However, more subtle defects such as ventricular wall thinning and cardiac compliance may be overlooked in FASD. Our studies focus on the role of cardiac fibroblasts in the neonatal heart, and how they are affected by prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE). We hypothesize that PAE affects fibroblast function contributing to dysregulated collagen synthesis, which leads to cardiac dysfunction. To investigate these effects, pregnant C57/BL6 mice were intraperitoneally injected with 2.9 g EtOH/kg dose to achieve a blood alcohol content of approximately 0.35 on gestation days 6.75 and 7.25. Pups were sacrificed on neonatal day 5 following echocardiography measurements of left ventricular (LV) chamber dimension and function. Hearts were used for primary cardiac fibroblast isolation or protein expression analysis. PAE animals had thinner ventricular walls than saline exposed animals, which was associated with increased LV wall stress and decreased ejection fraction. In isolated fibroblasts, PAE decreased collagen I/III ratio and increased gene expression of profibrotic markers, including α-smooth muscle actin and lysyl oxidase. Notch1 signaling was assessed as a possible mechanism for fibroblast activation, and indicated that gene expression of Notch1 receptor and downstream Hey1 transcription factor were increased. Cardiac tissue analysis revealed decreased collagen I/III ratio and increased protein expression of α-smooth muscle actin and lysyl oxidase. However, Notch1 signaling components decreased in whole heart tissue. Our study demonstrates that PAE caused adverse changes in the cardiac collagen profile and a decline in cardiac function in the neonatal heart.
La política comparada en la encrucijada: problemas, oportunidades y perspectivas desde el norte y el sur

Politica comparada, teoria, metodos, colaboracion norte-sur, produccion de conocimiento, economia politica de la investigacion, comparative politics, theory, methods, North-South collaboration, knowledge production, political economy of research
The Effect of Hearing-Protection Devices on Auditory Situational Awareness and Listening Effort.

Objectives Hearing-protection devices (HPDs) are made available, and often are required, for industrial use as well as military training exercises and operational duties. However, these devices often are disliked, and consequently not worn, in part because they compromise situational awareness through reduced sound detection and localization performance as well as degraded speech intelligibility. In this study, we carried out a series of tests, involving normal-hearing subjects and multiple background-noise conditions, designed to evaluate the performance of four HPDs in terms of their modifications of auditory-detection thresholds, sound-localization accuracy, and speech intelligibility. In addition, we assessed their impact on listening effort to understand how the additional effort required to perceive and process auditory signals while wearing an HPD reduces available cognitive resources for other tasks. Design Thirteen normal-hearing subjects participated in a protocol, which included auditory tasks designed to measure detection and localization performance, speech intelligibility, and cognitive load. Each participant repeated the battery of tests with unoccluded ears and four hearing protectors, two active (electronic) and two passive. The tasks were performed both in quiet and in background noise. Results Our findings indicate that, in variable degrees, all of the tested HPDs induce performance degradation on most of the conducted tasks as compared to the open ear. Of particular note in this study is the finding of increased cognitive load or listening effort, as measured by visual reaction time, for some hearing protectors during a dual-task, which added working-memory demands to the speech-intelligibility task. Conclusions These results indicate that situational awareness can vary greatly across the spectrum of HPDs, and that listening effort is another aspect of performance that should be considered in future studies. The increased listening effort induced by hearing protectors may lead to earlier cognitive fatigue in noisy environments. Further study is required to characterize how auditory performance is limited by the combination of hearing impairment and the use of HPDs, and how the effects of such limitations can be linked to safe and effective use of hearing protection to maximize job performance.
The Resilient Academic Surgeon

Resilience is defined as the ability to withstand adversity or other challenges. A resilient academic surgeon can navigate through various challenges to stay engaged in patient care, scholarship and teaching. This capacity is currently under considerable threat given the escalating demands that are due to a variety of forces including technical innovations, increasing societal expectations and decreasing funding that are all occurring in the midst of a disruptive reformation of healthcare. The culture of surgery suggests that improvement can occur if we are willing to embrace the idea that there is a need to improve our resilience. There are approaches shown to do this in individuals and the conceptual frameworks that are the basis of these interventions are also what has been shown to be helpful when surgeons face adversity. In order for real change to occur, we must begin the process of teaching resilience to our learners and creating the next generation of academic surgery leaders who are more enlightened about how to create work that is most engaging for academic surgeons.