cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Attachment of the Yeast Rhodosporidium toruloides Is Mediated by Adhesives Localized at Sites of Bud Cell Development

The basidiomycetous yeast Rhodosporidium toruloides (anamorph, Rhodotorula glutinis) is a common phylloplane epiphyte with biocontrol potential. To understand how R. toruloides adheres to plant surfaces, we obtained nonadherent fungal mutants after chemical mutagenesis with methane-sulfonic acid ethyl ester. Sixteen attachment-minus (Att-) mutants were identified by three methods: (i) screening capsule-minus colonies for loss of adhesive ability; (ii) enrichment for mutants unable to attach to polystyrene; and (iii) selection for reduced fluorescence of fluorescein isothiocyanate-concanavalin A (Con A)-stained cells by fluorescence-activated cell sorting. None of the 16 mutants attached to polystyrene or barley leaves. The lectin Con A eliminated adhesion in all of the wild-type isolates tested. Hapten competition assays indicated that Con A bound to mannose residues on the cell surface. Adhesion of wild-type R. toruloides was transient; nonadhesive cells subsequently became adhesive, with bud development. All Att- mutants and nonattaching wild-type cells lacked polar regions that stained intensely with fluorescein isothiocyanate-Con A and India ink. Lectin, enzyme, and chemical treatments showed that the polar regions consisted of alkali-soluble materials, including mannose residues. Tunicamycin treatment reduced wild-type adhesion, indicating that the mannose residues could be associated with glycoproteins. We concluded that compounds, including mannose residues, that are localized at sites of bud development mediate adhesion of R. toruloides to both polystyrene and barley leaf surfaces.
A “User's Guide” for Participating (and Studying Participation) in the Criminal Justice System

I found Amanda Konradi’s work on the lived experience of rape survivors negotiating prosecution processes when I was in graduate school. I immediately realized that her articles in Law & Social Inquiry and in this journal (Konradi 1997, 1999) illuminated facets of rape prosecution and survivors’ interactions with people in the courtroom no other scholar had explored. She showed me what it was like for survivors and articulated this with an interactionist perspective that made her observations a model for my own thinking and writing about victim-witnesses in the criminal justice system. These articles also became vivid and accessible exemplars for my course Victims of Crime, and an impetus toward rethinking how the justice system responds to gender violence. This new work informs and enriches our understandings of this topic (and symbolic interaction) on many different levels. Konradi includes chapters drawing on the important articles I mention above, but most of the book is previously unpublished material. When taken as a whole, it significantly extends her overarching theses and completes the story she began telling back when I first discovered her. Taking the Stand is a “user’s guide” for rape survivors (p. 2) and a richly detailed and wide-ranging description of processes of rape prosecution and their meanings from the perspective of survivors. It is also an introduction to the legal, cultural, and social context for this challenging experience, and an incisive and illuminating sociological analysis of these activities, interpretations, and settings. Konradi does a remarkable job of integration to show how the insights she gleans from research and analysis contribute to guidelines for shaping a more humane and effective public policy. I will say a little about each of these dimensions of the work, concluding with some
Molecular Beam Epitaxial Growth and Characterization of III-V/III-V and IV/III-V Heterostructures

Semiconductor heterostructures, both single interfaces and superlattices, have been made by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) for many different materials. In this paper we describe the MBE growth of a variety of III-V/III-V systems including GaAs-Ga1-xA1xAs, InAs-GaAs, In1-xGaxAs-In1-yGayAs, GaSb-GaAs, InAs-GaSb, In1-xGaxAs-GaSb1-yAsy, A1Sb-GaAs, A1Sb-GaSb and A1Sb-InAs, and two IV/III-V systems of Ge-GaAs and Si-GaP. The various properties of these systems are also described including metallurgical, structural, optical and electrical characteristics.
Evaluation of a visual sampling method used to estimate northern fowl mite, Ornithonyssus sylviarum (Acari: Macronyssidae), populations on caged laying hens.

A sampling technique of parting feathers in the vent area of chickens and visually estimating Ornithonyssus sylviarum (Canestrini & Fanzago) populations using a predetermined index was evaluated in two different studies by 14 and 13 individuals. Visual estimates were compared to actual mite populations on the bird. Estimated populations for each hen, as determined by the mean mite indices, were much lower than the actual mite density. Estimates of mite populations by an individual, however, are generally consistent. Job status and previous experience of individuals counting mites did not affect the mean mite indices obtained by each individual.
Abstract B68: Pomegranate extract inhibits growth and viability of human pancreatic cancer cells in vitro

Pancreatic cancer is highly resistant to chemotherapeutic agents, and therefore new therapeutic and chemopreventive agents are needed. In the present study we examined the effect of pomegranate extract (PE) on human pancreatic cancer cells in vitro. We studied two human pancreatic cell lines, the aggressive AsPC line derived from pancreatic adenocarcinoma, and the slow growing PANC‐1 cell line derived from pancreatic epitheloid cell carcinoma. PE inhibits proliferation in both the cell lines in a concentration‐dependent manner, with an IC50 of 100 (both cell lines) µg per ml of culture medium. PE caused a concentration‐dependent cell cycle arrest in G2/M in AsPC cells. Higher concentrations of PE were cytotoxic to both cell lines, with an IC50 of 250 (AsPC) and 150 (PANC‐1) µg per ml of culture medium. There was a concentration‐dependent increase in caspase‐3 activity in both cell lines, suggesting that PE induces apoptosis. These results are the first demonstration of an inhibitory effect of PE on human pancreatic cancer cells, and suggest that PE holds promise for further development as a chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic agent against pancreatic cancer. Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2010;3(1 Suppl):B68.
Pharmacology of Antisense Therapeutic Agents

Antisense oligonucleotides represent a new paradigm for drug discovery that holds great promise to deliver potent and specific drugs with fewer undesired side effects. The antisense paradigm offers the opportunity to identify rapidly lead compounds based on knowledge of the biology of a disease process, and a relevant target gene sequence. With this information, the practitioner of antisense drug discovery can rapidly design, synthesize, and test a series of compounds in cell culture and determine if the target gene is specifically inhibited. A compound thus identified can then be tested in an animal model, either to determine whether targeted gene expression can be inhibited in various animal tissues or to determine if there is activity in an animal model of a human disease. The length of time and the resources required to identify a lead compound by the antisense paradigm is much less than by any other drug discovery method.
Bone Tissue Engineering

Abstract This chapter explores efforts in Bone Tissue Engineering. It begins with a discussion of fundamental bone biology and moves through the current and historic efforts for strategies to repair or regenerate bone tissue. Finally, this chapter discusses how an understanding of cell biology can advance future strategies for bone tissue engineering applications to generate or regenerate bone tissue.
Introduction: Scriptures, Place, and No Place in the Chicano Movement

A view of Blythe, CA from one of the geoglyphs studied by Alfredo Acosta Figueroa (Photograph by Sourena Parham)
Increased Visual Use in Chronic Ankle Instability: A Meta-analysis

ABSTRACTPurposeThe underlying cause of balance impairments in chronic ankle instability (CAI) patients remains unknown, but an altered use of sensory information has been hypothesized as a potential cause. The purpose of this systematic review with meta-analysis was to determine whether CAI patients
Synthesis of arborane triterpenols by a bacterial oxidosqualene cyclase

Cyclic triterpenoids are a broad class of polycyclic lipids produced by bacteria and eukaryotes. They are biologically relevant for their roles in cellular physiology, including membrane structure and function, and biochemically relevant for their exquisite enzymatic cyclization mechanism. Cyclic triterpenoids are also geobiologically significant as they are readily preserved in sediments and are used as biomarkers for ancient life throughout Earth's history. Isoarborinol is one such triterpenoid whose only known biological sources are certain angiosperms and whose diagenetic derivatives (arboranes) are often used as indicators of terrestrial input into aquatic environments. However, the occurrence of arborane biomarkers in Permian and Triassic sediments, which predates the accepted origin of angiosperms, suggests that microbial sources of these lipids may also exist. In this study, we identify two isoarborinol-like lipids, eudoraenol and adriaticol, produced by the aerobic marine heterotrophic bacterium Eudoraea adriatica Phylogenetic analysis demonstrates that the E. adriatica eudoraenol synthase is an oxidosqualene cyclase homologous to bacterial lanosterol synthases and distinct from plant triterpenoid synthases. Using an Escherichia coli heterologous sterol expression system, we demonstrate that substitution of four amino acid residues in a bacterial lanosterol synthase enabled synthesis of pentacyclic arborinols in addition to tetracyclic sterols. This variant provides valuable mechanistic insight into triterpenoid synthesis and reveals diagnostic amino acid residues to differentiate between sterol and arborinol synthases in genomic and metagenomic datasets. Our data suggest that there may be additional bacterial arborinol producers in marine and freshwater environments that could expand our understanding of these geologically informative lipids.
West Nile virus and its vectors

West Nile virus (WNV Flaviviridae; Flavivrus) is the most geographically widespread arbovirus in the world and the leading cause of arboviral encephalitis globally. Worldwide, WNV is maintained in an enzootic cycle between primarily Culex spp. mosquitoes and birds, with human infection and disease resulting from enzootic spillover. Dynamic and complex intrinsic and extrinsic factors contribute to the temporal and spatial variability in WNV transmission. The most current information on the relative contribution of each of these factors is reviewed and a case to incorporate detailed and localized environmental and genetic data into predictive models is presented.
A matched cohort comparison of cervical disc arthroplasty versus anterior cervical discectomy and fusion: Evaluating perioperative outcomes.

Abstract Objective Cervical disc arthroplasty (CDA) is a recent alternative to anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) in patients suffering cervical disc herniation and degeneration. To date, a systematic analysis of their comparative advantages and risks following elective surgery remains elusive. Methods Adult patients undergoing elective CDA or ACDF were extracted from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) database years 2011–2014. A total of 19,369 patients were matched 1:1 by age, sex, functional status, charlson comorbidity index, ASA classification, BMI classification, and number of vertebral levels operated on during surgery. This matching process led to a final sample of 588 subjects (294 CDA, 294 ACDF). Multivariable regression was performed for five outcome measures: operation time, early complications, reoperation rates, hospital length of stay (HLOS), and discharge destination. Mean differences (B), odds ratios (OR) and associated 95% confidence intervals (CI) are reported. Results Compared to ACDF, CDA was associated with decreased mean operation time (B = −18.78-min, 95% CI [−29.13, −8.42]; p Conclusion In a matched cohort analysis, CDA performs comparably to ACDF and is associated with decreased operation time and HLOS, and increased likelihood of discharge to home, without differences in 30-day complications or reoperation rates. Future prospective studies are warranted.
Beliefs about lung cancer, knowledge, and interest in lung screening among community health center patients.

e13051Background: Lung cancer mortality in high-risk smokers can be decreased by annual computed tomography lung screening. Prior to initiating a lung screening program for community health center (CHC) patients, we surveyed eligible current and former smokers to assess their beliefs about lung cancer and knowledge and interest in screening. Methods: In 2015, we conducted a telephone survey of current and former smokers, aged 50-80, receiving care at five CHCs affiliated with an academic primary care network. We excluded patients who had a history of lung cancer or did not speak English/Spanish. Surveys assessed self-reported risk of developing lung cancer and other smoking related diseases, worry about developing lung cancer, and knowledge about and willingness to have lung screening. We compared responses among former and current smokers using logistic regression adjusting for age, sex, education, and language. Results: Overall, 253 patients completed the survey (68% response rate). Mean age was 62.1 ye...
Robust and Safe Coordination of Multiple Robotic Manipulators: An Approach Using Modified Avoidance Functions

This paper develops a strategy for collision avoidance among a system of robotic manipulators by using joint feedback controllers in the joint space, which have a closed form. The joint positions are directly used in computing the joint torques, without any additional intermediate steps for computing shortest distances or gradients of shortest distances between the links. Furthermore the collision avoidance controller can be augmented to any stable controller with different objectives, such as position tracking, velocity consensus etc. We consider set point stabilization as a control objective in this paper, and a Lyapunov based analysis is used to show convergence of the joints to their desired positions while guaranteeing collision avoidance among the links of the manipulators and avoiding deadlocks (unwanted local minima). The proposed control methodology is illustrated using some simulation and experimental results.
Thromboelastography as a Predictor of Outcomes Following Liver Transplantation

Abstract Background Thromboelastography (TEG) has been used perioperatively during liver transplantation (LT) to provide a real-time global hemostasis assessment for targeted blood product replacement. We aimed to analyze the relationship between post-LT TEG results and outcomes. Methods We retrospectively analyzed patients undergoing LT from November 2008 to December 2014 at Mayo Clinic Florida. All 441 single-organ 1st-time LT patients aged ≥18 years requiring post-LT intensive care unit management were included. TEG parameters including r time, k time, α angle, and maximum amplitude were measured regularly during the first 24 hours after LT. Outcomes included return to the operating room secondary to bleeding, length of hospitalization, survival, and early allograft dysfunction. Results A prolonged and/or lengthening r time, k time, and r+k time were all independently associated with increased length of hospitalization after LT. Increased maximum amplitude on the first post-LT TEG was associated with early allograft dysfunction. No notable associations of TEG parameters with survival or return to operating room were observed. Conclusions The association of absolute and temporal TEG value changes with increased length of hospitalization and early allograft dysfunction suggests that TEG may have a role in identifying patients at high risk for these outcomes.
Removal of interscapular brown adipose tissue increases aortic stiffness despite normal systemic glucose metabolism in mice

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is considered protective against obesity and related cardiometabolic dysfunction. Indeed, activation of BAT improves glucose homeostasis and attenuates cardiovascular dis...
IBM ILOG CP optimizer for scheduling

IBM ILOG CP Optimizer is a generic CP-based system to model and solve scheduling problems. It provides an algebraic language with simple mathematical concepts to capture the temporal dimension of scheduling problems in a combinatorial optimization framework. CP Optimizer implements a model-and-run paradigm that vastly reduces the burden on the user to understand CP or scheduling algorithms: modeling is by far the most important. The automatic search provides good performance out of the box and it is continuously improving. This article gives a detailed overview of CP Optimizer for scheduling: typical applications, modeling concepts, examples, automatic search, tools and performance.
Elements of Two-Phase Flow

This chapter introduces the subject of two-phase flow. Starting with the notation, independent variables and dependent variables are defined including velocities, temperatures, pressures, volume concentrations, mass concentrations, and volume fluxes. Mixture relations are defined and dynamic and thermal quantities introduced. Flow patterns and regimes are discussed for both dispersed and separated flows, and for vertical and horizontal ducts. Typical flow patten maps are mentioned and an objective method of flow pattern definition introduced. Types of modeling are discussed including the homogeneous flow model, the drift-flux model, and the two-fluid model. The concept of averaging a heterogeneous mixture of phases is introduced in preparation for later chapters.
Mechanical Verification of Mutually Recursive Procedures

The verification of programs that contain mutually recursive procedures is a difficult task, and one which has not been satisfactorily addressed in the literature. Published proof rules have been later discovered to be unsound. Verification Condition Generator (VCG) tools have been effective in partially automating the verification of programs, but in the past these VCG tools have in general not themselves been proven, so any proof using and depending on these VCGs might not be sound. In this paper we present a set of proof rules for proving the partial correctness of programs with mutually recursive procedures, together with a VCG that automates the use of the proof rules in program correctness proofs. The soundness of the proof rules and the VCG itself have been mechanically proven within the Higher Order Logic theorem prover, with respect to the underlying structural operational semantics of the programming language. This proof of soundness then forms the core of an implementation of the VCG that significantly eases the verification of individual programs with complete security.
High-density linkage maps and loci for berry color and flower sex in muscadine grape (Vitis rotundifolia).

Linkage maps of muscadine grape generated using genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) provide insight into genome collinearity between Muscadinia and Euvitis subgenera and genetic control of flower sex and berry color. The muscadine grape, Vitis rotundifolia, is a specialty crop native to the southeastern USA. Muscadine vines can be male, female, or perfect-flowered, and berry color ranges from bronze to black. Genetic linkage maps were constructed using genotyping-by-sequencing in two F1 populations segregating for flower sex and berry color. The linkage maps consisted of 1244 and 2069 markers assigned to 20 linkage groups (LG) for the ‘Black Beauty’ × ‘Nesbitt’ and ‘Supreme’ × ‘Nesbitt’ populations, respectively. Data from both populations were used to generate a consensus map with 2346 markers across 20 LGs. A high degree of collinearity was observed between the genetic maps and the Vitis vinifera physical map. The higher chromosome number in muscadine (2n = 40) compared to V. vinifera (2n = 38) was accounted for by the behavior of V. vinifera chromosome 7 as two independently segregating LGs in muscadine. The muscadine sex locus mapped to an interval that aligned to 4.64–5.09 Mb on V. vinifera chromosome 2, a region which includes the previously described V. vinifera subsp. sylvestris sex locus. While the MYB transcription factor genes controlling fruit color in V. vinifera are located on chromosome 2, the muscadine berry color locus mapped to an interval aligning to 11.09–11.88 Mb on V. vinifera chromosome 4, suggesting that a mutation in a different gene in the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway determines berry color in muscadine. These linkage maps lay the groundwork for marker-assisted breeding in muscadine and provide insight into the evolution of Vitis species.
Permanent prostate brachytherapy is safe in men with severe baseline lower urinary tract symptoms.

Abstract Purpose To evaluate the long-term urinary outcomes of men with severe pretreatment lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) treated with permanent prostate brachytherapy (PPB) ± external beam radiation therapy for localized prostate cancer. Methods and materials A total of 105 men with International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) 20–35 before PPB were categorized by IPSS change at last followup: (1) worse = IPSS rise >3; (2) no change = IPSS change within three points of baseline; (3) improved = IPSS fall by >3 points. We then evaluated patients who worsened vs. those who did not (no change or improved) with respect to incontinence outcomes, LUTS medication usage, and predictors of symptom worsening. Results Mean followup was 80.3 ± 55.8 months. Mean age was 66.3 ± 7.1 years; mean pretreatment IPSS was 23.6 ± 3.0. Overall mean improvement in IPSS was 7.6 ± 9.3. Specifically, 14.3% (15/105) worsened, 21.9% (23/105) had no significant change, and 63.8% (67/105) improved. There were no patient- or treatment-related factors significantly associated with long-term worsening of urinary symptoms. No men required anticholinergic therapy at last followup, whereas 7% (8/105) were using an alpha blocker. Only 2.9% (3/105) of men were using at least one pad daily at last followup. Alternatively, only 7.7% (8/105) reported subjective incontinence. Conclusions PPB is an acceptable option in the setting of severe baseline LUTS in appropriately selected and counseled patients when performed by a skilled practitioner.
Strategies for engaging transgender populations in HIV prevention and care.

Purpose of review Transgender (trans) populations are heavily impacted by HIV, yet face structural, social, and individual barriers to engagement in HIV prevention and care. In this review, we summarize the data on barriers and facilitators and discuss evidence-informed strategies to facilitate access to and engagement in HIV prevention and care by trans communities. Recent findings Intersectional stigma and discrimination at structural, community, individual levels present substantial impediments to HIV prevention and optimal care. Access to gender-affirming health care is a priority for trans communities. Where trans communities are highly networked, these networks may provide a strong infrastructure for disseminating HIV innovations and reaching individuals who are not engaged in HIV services. Efforts to engage trans people in HIV prevention and care must address stigma, provide gender-affirming services, and build on community strengths and priorities to ensure trans populations achieve maximum benefit from advances in HIV prevention and care. Summary Combination approaches that respond to the complex drivers of HIV in trans communities represent promising strategies for engaging trans people and their partners in HIV prevention and care.
Using technology, reflection, and noticing to promote intercultural learning during short-term study abroad

While intercultural learning is a key goal of study abroad, it is often difficult to assess or even achieve. Recent models, such as linguistic landscapes (which looks at the language of public sign...
Bud23 promotes the progression of the Small Subunit Processome to the pre-40S ribosome in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The first metastable assembly intermediate of the eukaryotic ribosomal small subunit (SSU) is the SSU Processome, a large complex of RNA and protein factors that is thought to represent an early checkpoint in the assembly pathway. Transition of the SSU Processome towards continued maturation requires the removal of the U3 snoRNA and biogenesis factors as well as ribosomal RNA processing. While the factors that drive these events are largely known, how they do so is not well understood. The methyltransferase Bud23 has a role during this transition, but its function, beyond the nonessential methylation of 18S rRNA, is not characterized. Here, we have carried out a comprehensive genetic screen to understand Bud23 function. We identified 67 unique extragenic bud23∆-suppressing mutations that mapped to genes encoding the SSU Processome factors DHR1, IMP4, UTP2 (NOP14), BMS1 and the SSU protein RPS28A. These factors form a physical interaction network that links the binding site of Bud23 to the U3 snoRNA and many of the suppressing mutations weaken protein-protein and protein-RNA interactions. Importantly, this network links Bud23 to the GTPase Bms1 and the RNA helicase Dhr1. Bms1 is thought to drive conformational changes to promote rRNA cleavage, and we previously showed that Dhr1 is required for unwinding the U3 snoRNA. Moreover, particles isolated from cells lacking Bud23 accumulated late SSU Processome factors and pre-rRNAs not cleaved at sites A1 and A2. We propose a model in which Bud23 dissociates factors surrounding its binding site to promote SSU Processome progression.
Modelling and control of a failing heart managed by a left ventricular assist device

Abstract Left ventricular assist device (LVAD) recently has been used in advanced heart failure (HF), which supports a failing heart to meet blood circulation demand of the body. However, the pumping power of LVADs is typically set as a constant and cannot be freely adjusted to incorporate blood need from resting or mild exercise such as walking stairs. To promote the adoption of LVADs in clinical use as a long-term treatment option, a feedback controller is needed to regulate automatically the pumping power to support a time-varying blood demand, according to different physical activities. However, the tuning of pumping power induces suction, which will collapse the heart and cause sudden death. It is essential to consider suction when developing control strategy to adjust the pumping power. Further, hemodynamic of a failing heart exhibits variability, due to patient-to-patient heterogeneity and inherent stochastic nature of the heart. Such variability poses challenges for controller design. In this work, we develop a feedback controller to adjust the pumping power of an LVAD without inducing suction, while incorporating variability in hemodynamic. To efficiently quantify variability, the generalized polynomial chaos (gPC) theory is used to design a robust self-tuning controller. The efficiency of our control algorithm is illustrated with three case scenarios, each representing a specific change in physical activity of HF patients.
Suppression of ovarian cancer by low-intensity ultrasound through depletion of IL-6/STAT3 inflammatory pathway-maintained cancer stemness

Ovarian carcinoma is the key cause of cancer death from gynecological malignancy of women. Chemotherapy-resistance, metastasis and relapse contribute to the high mortality in ovarian cancer patients. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) stand for the root of kinds of cancer types such as ovarian cancer, are the key driver of tumor initiation, cancer metastasis, and resistance to conventional chemotherapy as well as genomic targeted therapy. Thus, the approach to eliminate CSCs and uncovering the mechanism will have substantial impact on cancer therapy. However, targeting CSC remains unfeasible in clinical practice in ovarian cancer therapy. In this study, we first found that Low-intensity ultrasound (LIUS) was capable of reducing the CSC populations in the xenograft model with ovarian cancer, with blocking survival, anti-apoptosis, self-renewal, and downregulating the cancer stemness genes in ovarian CSCs. Moreover, LIUS ameliorated IL-6/STAT3 inflammatory pathway via inhibiting IL-6-induced STAT3 phosphorylation, DNA binding activity and, the expressions of its downstream effectors in ovarian CSCs while no explicit effect was found in the corresponding bulk cancer cells. Additional approaches in molecular studies showed that LIUS disrupts CSC features via inhibiting IL-6/STAT3 inflammatory pathway. Collectively, our data for the first time elucidate IL-6/STAT3 inflammatory loop as the key CSC or cancer stemness pathway in ovarian cancer by LIUS treatment, providing a novel and potential therapy and a promising target in ovarian cancer.
Validity and Reliability of Three Commercially Available Smart Sports Bras during Treadmill Walking and Running

A variety of wearable technology devices report heart rate. Heart rate sensing smart bras are manufactured for females who participate in activity, however accuracy has not been determined. The purpose was to determine the validity of heart rate measures in three commercially available sports bras during walking and running. Twenty-four healthy females completed bouts of treadmill exercise. The Adidas Smart sports bra, Berlei sports bra, and Sensoria Fitness biometric sports bra were tested. Participant perception of each garment was obtained immediately after the participant divested the sports bra. The Adidas Smart sports bra was valid only during rest (Intraclass correlation Coefficient [ICC] = 0.79, mean absolute percentage error [MAPE] = 4.5%, Limits of Agreement [LoA]=−8 to 8). The Berlei sports bra was valid across all conditions (ICC = 0.99, MAPE = 0.66%, LoA = −19 to 19), and the Sensoria biometric bra was valid during rest and walking (ICC = 0.96, MAPE = 1.9%, LoA = −15 to 12). Perception of the smart sports bras was higher for the Adidas Smart sports bra and Sensoria Fitness sports bra, and lower for the Berlei sports bra. Sports bra manufacturers designing wearable technology garments must consider the ability of returning accurate biometric data while providing necessary function and comfort to females engaging in physical activity.
Robust Incipient Fault Detection of Complex Systems Using Data Fusion

An incipient fault refers to the first change point when a system starts to deteriorate. Early detections of incipient faults are crucial to the safety, reliability, and effective predictive maintenance of complex engineering systems. However, it is very difficult to detect incipient faults at the initial stage of the system-degradation processes. To address this issue, an innovative data-fusion method is introduced to detect the incipient faults by integrating data collected from multiple sources instead of a single data source. The data-fusion problem is formulated as a convex optimization problem, aiming at reducing the false-alarm rate and the time to detect incipient faults. We demonstrate the proposed data-fusion method using a data set generated by the degraded aircraft engines. The numerical results have demonstrated that the proposed method can assist in reducing both the false-alarm rate and the time to detect incipient faults.
Usage Patterns of a Web-Based Palliative Care Content Platform (PalliCOVID) During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Abstract Context The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the essential role of palliative care to support the delivery of compassionate, goal-concordant patient care. We created the Web-based application, PalliCOVID ( https://pallicovid.app/ ), in April 2020 to provide all clinicians with convenient access to palliative care resources and support. PalliCOVID features evidence-based clinical guidelines, educational content, and institutional protocols related to palliative care for COVID-19 patients. It is a publicly available resource accessible from any mobile device or desktop computer that provides clinicians with access to palliative care guidance across a variety of care settings, including the emergency department, hospital ward, intensive care unit, and primary care practice. Objective The primary objective of this study was to evaluate usage patterns of PalliCOVID to understand user behavior in relation to this palliative care content platform during the period of the local peak of COVID-19 infection in Massachusetts. Methods We retrospectively analyzed deidentified usage data collected by Google Analytics from the first day of PalliCOVID's launch on April 7, 2020, until May 1, 2020, the time period that encompassed the local peak of the COVID-19 surge in Massachusetts. User access data were collected and summarized by using Google Analytics software that had been integrated into the PalliCOVID Web application. Results A total of 2042 users accessed PalliCOVID and viewed 4637 pages from April 7 to May 1, 2020. Users spent an average of 2 minutes and 6 seconds per session. Eighty-one percent of users were first-time visitors, while the remaining 19% were return visitors. Most users accessed PalliCOVID from the United States (87%), with a large proportion of users coming from Boston and the surrounding cities (32% of overall users). Conclusions PalliCOVID is one example of a scalable digital health solution that can bring palliative care resources to frontline clinicians. Analysis of PalliCOVID usage patterns has the potential to inform the improvement of the platform to better meet the needs of its user base and guide future dissemination strategies. The quantitative data presented here, although informative about user behavior, should be supplemented with future qualitative research to further define the impact of this tool and extend our ability to deliver clinical care that is compassionate, rational, and well-aligned with patients’ values and goals.
Functional Error Correction for Reliable Neural Networks

When deep neural networks (DNNs) are implemented in hardware, their weights need to be stored in memory devices. As noise accumulates in the stored weights, the DNN’s performance will degrade. This paper studies how to use error correcting codes (ECCs) to protect the weights. Different from classic error correction in data storage, the optimization objective is to optimize the DNN’s performance after error correction, instead of minimizing the Uncorrectable Bit Error Rate in the protected bits. That is, by seeing the DNN as a function of its input, the error correction scheme is function-oriented. A main challenge is that a DNN often has millions to hundreds of millions of weights, causing a large redundancy overhead for ECCs, and the relationship between the weights and its DNN’s performance can be highly complex. To address the challenge, we propose a Selective Protection (SP) scheme, which chooses only a subset of important bits for ECC protection. To find such bits and achieve an optimized tradeoff between ECC’s redundancy and DNN’s performance, we present an algorithm based on deep reinforcement learning. Experimental results verify that compared to the natural baseline scheme, the proposed algorithm achieves substantially better performance for the functional error correction task.
High Energy Mechanically Q-switched 2.94 μm Er:YAG Laser

We report the mechanically Q-switched 2.94 µm Er: YAG laser with a record 350 mJ output energy at 3 Hz repetition rate with 160 ns pulse duration and ~10 ns pulse jitter for fine synchronization of pulses.
Disease and demography: a systems-dynamic cohort-component population model to assess the implications of disease-specific mortality targets

Introduction The 2015 Sustainable Development Goals include the objective of reducing premature mortality from major non-communicable diseases (NCDs) by one-third by 2030. Accomplishing this objective has demographic implications with relevance for countries’ health systems and costs. However, evidence on the system-wide implications of NCD targets is limited. Methods We developed a cohort-component model to estimate demographic change based on user-defined disease-specific mortality trajectories. The model accounts for ageing over 101 annual age cohorts, disaggregated by sex and projects changes in the size and structure of the population. We applied this model to the context of Bangladesh, using the model to simulate demographic outlooks for Bangladesh for 2015–2030 using three mortality scenarios. The ‘status quo’ scenario entails that the disease-specific mortality profile observed in 2015 applies throughout 2015–2030. The ‘trend’ scenario adopts age-specific, sex-specific and disease-specific mortality rate trajectories projected by WHO for the region. The ‘target’ scenario entails a one-third reduction in the mortality rates of cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases between age 30 and 70 by 2030. Results The status quo, trend and target scenarios projected 178.9, 179.7 and 180.2 million population in 2030, respectively. The cumulative number of deaths during 2015–2030 was estimated at 17.4, 16.2 and 15.6 million for each scenario, respectively. During 2015–2030, the target scenario would avert a cumulative 1.73 million and 584 000 all-cause deaths compared with the status quo and trend scenarios, respectively. Male life expectancy was estimated to increase from 71.10 to 73.47 years in the trend scenario and to 74.38 years in the target scenario; female life expectancy was estimated to increase from 73.68 to 75.34 years and 76.39 years in the trend and target scenarios, respectively. Conclusion The model describes the demographic implications of NCD prevention and control targets, estimating the potential increase in life expectancy associated with achieving key NCD reduction targets. The results can be used to inform future health system needs and to support planning for increased healthcare coverage in countries.
Self-Reported versus observed audit: Measuring CHG bathing compliance.

Abstract Measuring compliance with the appropriate chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) bathing process through direct observation audits can be helpful in sustaining this important practice; however, capturing this data may be difficult. This study reports the differences between observed and self-reported CHG bathing process compliance audits. The difference between mean observed and self-reported compliance was not significant (p = .06), indicating that self-reported compliance may be an accurate, easy to obtain proxy measure for CHG bathing process compliance.
The functional genomics of guanylyl cyclase/natriuretic peptide receptor-A: Perspectives and paradigms

The cardiac hormones atrial natriuretic peptide and B-type natriuretic peptide (brain natriuretic peptide) activate guanylyl cyclase (GC)-A/natriuretic peptide receptor-A (NPRA) and produce the second messenger cGMP. GC-A/NPRA is a member of the growing family of GC receptors. The recent biochemical, molecular and genomic studies on GC-A/NPRA have provided important insights into the regulation and functional activity of this receptor protein, with a particular emphasis on cardiac and renal protective roles in hypertension and cardiovascular disease states. The progress in this field of research has significantly strengthened and advanced our knowledge about the critical roles of Npr1 (coding for GC-A/NPRA) in the control of fluid volume, blood pressure, cardiac remodeling, and other physiological functions and pathological states. Overall, this review attempts to provide insights and to delineate the current concepts in the field of functional genomics and signaling of GC-A/NPRA in hypertension and cardiovascular disease states at the molecular level.
The Implications of Property Rights in Virtual Worlds

The financial success of online communities based on multiplayer game environments has been a bright spot among the many failures in electronic commerce initiatives. While this form of business has existed for less than a decade, it is growing rapidly and has become a mainstream form of entertainment in some areas of the world, such as Korea. Game environments are becoming more immersive and compelling and if this rate of improvement continues, such as through growing broadband penetration, they are likely to become as common as other forms of entertainment. This paper analyzes the issues facing developers of game communities in their goal of establishing viable business models.
The Intersection of Cultures: Multicultural Education in the United States and the Global Economy

PART I: MULTICULTURALISM Chapter 1: What Is the Dominant Culture of the United States? Chapter 2: Dominated Cultures Chapter 3: Immigrant Cultures Chapter 4: Multiculturalism in the Global Economy PART II: CULTURAL FRAMES OF REFERENCE Chapter 5: Cultural Frames of Reference: Monoculturalism, Biculturalism, and Ethnic Identity Chapter 6: Cultural Frames of Reference: History, Gender, and Social Class Chapter 7: The Intersection of School Culture with Dominated and Immigrant Cultures PART III: PERSPECTIVES ON TEACHING MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION Chapter 8: Teaching About Racism Chapter 9: Teaching About Sexism Chapter 10: Teaching and Language Diversity Chapter 11: Teaching Ethnocentrism Chapter 12: Conclusion: Cultural Tolerance, Social Empowerment, and the Intersection of Cultures in the Global Workforce and Classroom
Increased efficiency of retroviral-mediated gene transfer and expression in primate bone marrow progenitors after 5-fluorouracil- induced hematopoietic suppression and recovery

To define conditions for improved efficiency of retroviral-mediated gene transfer and expression in primate progenitor cells, four rhesus monkeys were treated with a 200 mg/kg intravenous bolus of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). The kinetics of hematopoietic suppression and recovery were assessed in peripheral blood, bone marrow mononuclear cells, and bone marrow cells fractionated in an albumin density gradient. Bone marrow mononuclear cells were transduced with N2, a retroviral vector carrying the bacterial neomycin phosphotransferase gene (NPT), which confers resistance to the otherwise toxic neomycin analogue, G418. Circulating colony-forming units-granulocyte-macrophage (CFU-GM) disappeared at 2 days. CFU-GM, transducible CFU-GM, CD34+ cells, and the percent of cells in cycle decreased at 3 days in unfractionated bone marrow cells and in a light density population known to be enriched for these progenitors and for stem cells. NPT activity in the light-density fraction, marginally detectable before treatment, disappeared at 3 days as well. At day 7 the CFU-GM plating efficiency, the CD34+ cell content, and the percentage of cells in cell cycle began to increase in the light-density fraction. The NPT assay became faintly positive again but the CFU-GM were not yet transducible, implying that it was an earlier progenitor population that was dividing and differentiating. By day 15, there was a marked rebound in all of the progenitors measured, and transduction efficiency assessed by G418R CFU-GM and NPT assay rebounded to several times pretreatment levels. The data suggest that CFU-GM are optimally transduced at 15 days but that earlier progenitors are more likely cycling and transducible before 5 days, a time when a gene transfer experiment would probably have the best chance to succeed.
Parental Reactions to the Introduction of the Reggio Emilia Approach in Head Start Classrooms.

Early childhood educators are constantly reviewing and improving their curricula to maintain state-of-the-art programs to meet the growing needs of their clientele. In particular, Head Start staff are always searching for the most effective approach to provide quality education to the low income youth of this country whom they serve. A great deal of information is available about various new, as well as time-tested, early childhood teaching techniques and methodologies. Head Start teachers in Iowa recently learned about the progressive Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education after they visited the exhibit "The Hundred Languages of Children" brought to Des Moines by the Director of Drake University Head Start, and are beginning to adapt it to their classrooms. The Reggio Emilia approach was started in the town of Reggio Emilia, Italy in 1945 after the World War II left the community with no appropriate schools for young children (Gandini, 1997b). The approach emphasizes that children are curious and interested in their learning, and need to interact with the environment around them to maximize their learning experience (Gandini, 1993). It also stresses that children have a great deal of potential, and suggests that teachers attempt to bring that out as much as possible (Gandini, 1997a). In addition, parents play a vital role. "Parents' participation is expected and supported...parents are an active part of their children's learning" (p. 17). The belief that children are curious explorers with a great deal of potential is one of the principles of the Reggio Emilia philosophy (Donovan, 1997). Children in a Reggio classroom are given the opportunity study topics based on their own interests. Teachers collaborate
Development of ocular dominance columns in the absence of retinal input

The initial establishment of ocular dominance columns in visual cortex is believed to involve the segregation of overlapping geniculocortical axons into eye-specific patches based on patterns of correlated activity. However, we found that total removal of retinal influence early in visual development did not prevent segregation of geniculocortical axons into alternating stripes with periodicity normal for ocular dominance columns. Because the patterning of geniculocortical afferents resists this dramatic change in the level, source and pattern of spontaneous activity, we propose that formation of ocular dominance columns relies on molecular cues present on thalamic axons, cortical cells or both.
Chapter 15 Crossing the Line: Stochastic Models in the Chemistry Classroom

Publisher Summary The chapter provides a useful pedagogical framework comparing deterministic techniques for modeling chemical kinetic equations to stochastic approaches. Physical chemistry courses typically limit their discussion of chemical kinetics to deterministic methods, even though chemical reactions are inherently stochastic events. The limitations of deterministic methods are well known, particularly when describing processes such as nucleation or explosions and some biological reactions. Deterministic approaches can be algorithmically simpler; the simplest examples can be worked with pencil and paper, though even deterministic models can easily grow sufﬁciently complex to require extensive computational investment. The chapter uses two examples to highlight the differences in the approaches. Matlab is used to implement the algorithms and the code is available at JCEOnline. Genetic algorithms are another class of stochastic methods used frequently by computational chemists, as well as by chemical engineers and process chemists. Cropper's monograph also devotes space to stochastic methods, including Monte Carlo methods and techniques based on random walk algorithms.
Improving cancer knowledge and screening awareness: test of a telephone interviewer intervention.

Background. Appalachian respondents were surveyed about their knowledge of cancer and screening intentions in a pre/post research design. Methods. At baseline, 696 telephone interviews were conducted of randomly selected respondents. Half were randomly assigned to a control group and half were provided correct information to incorrect responses. Four months later, respondents were re-interviewed. Results. Provision of correct information did not produce major differences in the intervention group. Conclusions. Although the intervention was less effective than anticipated, the pilot test provided possible explanations/variables that educators may be able to control or incorporate as features in future studies.