cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Customer Churn Aware Resource Allocation and Virtual Machine Placement in Cloud

Cloud computing industry is growing by leaps and bounds since businesses are increasingly moving its computing infrastructure to datacenters to take the advantage of economy of scale that cloud computing model offers. Like any other industry, cloud service sellers also face tough competitions from rival cloud service providers. Therefore, cloud service industry is also prone to customer churn where even a small customer churn rate has the potential to threaten a business with wastage of resources, loss of jobs and declining revenue. This paper proposes a novel profit maximizing customer retention framework that integrates user experience with resource allocation and placement on physical machines (PM). Our framework addresses the customer churn problem by identification of dissatisfied users and then allocation of additional resources to improve the level of satisfaction through a viable retention action policy. Furthermore, virtual machine (VM) placement problem accounting for both operation and interference overheads is formulated as integer programming problem to place the allocated resources in the form of VMs on PMs. Simulation results using both real and synthetic data show the effectiveness of proposed work.
Karst Geo-hazards: Causal Factors and Management Issues

Karst terranes exhibit spectacular landforms that are often exploited as natural parks and show caves, and hosts very important natural resources. Further, karst terranes cover 20% of the Earth’s surface and provides 20−25% of high-quality groundwater for drinking water. The fragility of karst environments makes it highly vulnerable to a variety of different geological hazards (or geo-hazards). This is due to its peculiar geological and hydrological features such as sinkholes and caves. In particular, the strict connection between surface and subsurface features emphasizes the fragile nature of karst. The occurrence of geo-hazards in karst terranes greatly differs from other natural settings. Natural and man-induced subsidence and sinkholes, slope movements favored by karst conduits and caves, flash floods related to inability of the system to manage water from heavy rainstorms, and pollution caused directly or indirectly by human actions are the main types of geo-hazards typical of karst terranes. Although mostly related to natural processes, their occurrence and consequent damage to both the natural and anthropogenic environment are often caused or exacerbated by man. As a consequence, management of karst terranes cannot be enacted without taking into account the peculiar features and behavior of karst terranes and aquifers, and the delicate balance with the different types of geo-hazards that may occur. Specific management actions should, therefore, be pursued in this fragile environment, with the intention of safeguarding the natural resources, biota, and population. Naravne nesrece na Krasu: Vzrocni dejavniki in vprasanja upravljanja Kraska obmocja odlikujejo spektakularne reliefne oblike, ki so pogosto povod za ustanovitev naravnih parkov ali turisticnih jam, ter pomembne naravne vire. Kras pokriva okoli 20% kopnega in zagotavlja okoli 20−25 % potreb po pitni vodi. Krhkost kraskih okolij so razlog za njihovo visoko dovzetnost za razlicne geoloske in druge naravne nesrece. Razlogi so v posebnih geoloskih in hidroloskih znacilnostih, kot so vrtace in jame. Krhko naravo krasa zlasti poudarja tesna povezava med povrsinskimi in podzemnimi oblikami. Pojavljanje naravnih nesrec v krasu se mocno razlikuje od tistih v drugih naravnih okoljih. Naravno in s strani cloveka povzroceno pogrezanje, udori in plazenje so pod mocnim vplivom kraskih kanalov in jam. Poplave so povezane z nezmožnostjo sistema prevajati nalivne vode. Onesnaženje, ki ga clovek povzroci posredno ali neposredno s svojimi aktivnostmi, so poglavitne nesrece v krasu. Ceprav so naravne nesrece vecinoma povezane z naravnimi procesi, njihovo pojavljanje in posledicno skodo tako za naravno kot antropogeno okolje pogosto povzroca ali pospesi clovek. Upravljanje kraskih obmocij zato ne more biti nacrtovano brez upostevanja specificnih lastnosti in obnasanja kraskih pokrajin, vodonosnikov in krhkega ravnotežja med razlicnimi vrstami nesrec, ki se lahko pojavijo. Zato bi bilo z namenom varovanja naravnih virov, živih bitij in prebivalstva treba uvesti posebne ukrepe upravljanja v tem obcutljivem okolju.
Effect of Chemical Oxidation on the Sorption Tendency of Dissolved Organic Matter to a Model Hydrophobic Surface

The application of chemical oxidants may alter the sorption properties of dissolved organic matter (DOM), such as humic and fulvic acids, proteins, polysaccharides, and lipids, affecting their fate in water treatment processes, including attachment to other organic components, activated carbon, and membranes (e.g., organic fouling). Similar reactions with chlorine (HOCl) and bromine (HOBr) produced at inflammatory sites in vivo affect the fate of biomolecules (e.g., protein aggregation). In this study, quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) was used to evaluate changes in the noncovalent interactions of proteins, polysaccharides, fatty acids, and humic and fulvic acids with a model hydrophobic surface as a function of increasing doses of HOCl, HOBr, and ozone (O3). All three oxidants enhanced the sorption tendency of proteins to the hydrophobic surface at low doses but reduced their sorption tendency at high doses. All three oxidants reduced the sorption tendency of polysaccharides and fatty acids to the hydrophobic surface. HOCl and HOBr increased the sorption tendency of humic and fulvic acids to the hydrophobic surface with maxima at moderate doses, while O3 decreased their sorption tendency. The behavior observed with two water samples was similar to that observed with humic and fulvic acids, pointing to the importance of these constituents. For chlorination, the highest sorption tendency to the hydrophobic surface was observed within the range of doses typically applied during water treatment. These results suggest that ozone pretreatment would minimize membrane fouling by DOM, while chlorine pretreatment would promote DOM removal by activated carbon.
Habitat separation and arthropod resource use in three lesser Antillean hummingbirds

The main processes governing hummingbird guild organization in specific geographical areas appear to be diffuse coevolution between hummingbird and hummingbird pollinated flowers, and interspecific competition for floral nectar resources (Grant and Grant 1968, Stiles 1975, Feinsinger 1976, Kodric-Brown et al. 1984, Brown and Bowers 1984). Hummingbird species in the same geographical area exhibit morphological patterns reflecting evolutionary adaptations for competitive interactions with other hummingbirds and for mutualistic interactions with bird-pollinated flowers (KodricBrown et al. 1984). Mutualistic interactions of hummingbirds with flowers are considered at least as important (Kodric-Brown et al. 1984, Brown and Bowers 1985) or more so in some communities (Snow and Snow 1972, Stiles 1975) than interspecific competition in determining organization of hummingbird communities.
Sex Differences in Career Guidance of Undergraduate Math Students and the Relation to Help-Seeking Behaviors:

Males continue to dominate mathematics-related areas in graduate school and employment, possibly due to the differential guidance that they receive as students. In the present study, 180 undergradu...
Global Approaches to Alternative Splicing and Its Regulation—Recent Advances and Open Questions

Pre-mRNA splicing is an essential RNA processing step in eukaryotes. Alternative splicing generates distinct spliced isoforms of the same gene, thereby dramatically increasing transcriptome diversity. Since most human genes undergo alternative splicing, this process contributes to a wide spectrum of biological functions in healthy and disease states. Splicing is closely regulated by various cis-regulatory elements and trans-factors. With the advent of high-throughput experimental technologies and bioinformatic algorithms, we now have powerful means to study alternative splicing globally and uncover its functional impact and regulatory mechanisms. As more RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) data from normal and disease conditions are becoming available, many studies are underway to dissect global misregulation of splicing in diseases and develop novel splicing-targeted therapeutics. In this chapter, we first discuss the experimental and bioinformatic approaches for identification of alternative splicing, followed by a comprehensive review on the state-of-the-art methodologies to study splicing regulation. In addition, we discuss the current challenges and open questions in the RNA splicing field including gene expression kinetics, co-transcriptional splicing, and therapeutic approaches targeting splicing.
Research of Active Defense Integration Platform for Power Information Security

Since the safety risk assessment and security protection works have evolved over a period of many years, power enterprises have obtained some experiences. According to previous working experience, this paper analyzes the current situation of the information security of power enterprises and the problems that they face. An active defense integration platform for power information security is presented to reduce the cost of operation and maintenance and improve the ability of security protection. The proposed platform has two kinds of components: basic component and advanced application component. Basic component consists of several sub components such as security assessment and security reinforcement. But advanced application component also includes several sub components: security situation analysis and predication, security policy planning and adjustment, solution design and implementation, risk evaluation and monitoring.
Effects of the isomers of N-n-propylnorapomorphine and haloperidol on regional concentrations of neurotensin in rat brain

Rats were treated for 10 days with haloperidol (0.2 or 3 mg/kg/day intraperitoneally [IP]), with either S(+) or R(-) N-n-propylnorapomorphine (NPA; 3 mg/kg IP three times daily) or saline as a placebo control. Brain was microdissected into 11 regions for radioimmunoassay of neurotensin (NT)-like activity under coded ("blind") conditions. Concentrations of NT in rat brain regions ranked central amygdaloid nucleus greater than ventral bed nucleus greater than ventral tegmentum greater than dorsal bed nucleus greater than arcuate nucleus greater than substantia nigra greater than nucleus accumbens septi (accumbens) greater than piriform cortex greater than nucleus caudatus (caudate) greater than mesoprefrontal cortex greater than cingulate cortex, similar to previous observations. Since untreated and placebo-injected control results were indistinguishable, a stress artifact is unlikely to account for the findings. Haloperidol at the lower dose produced no significant changes but, at the higher dose, yielded relatively large (42%-143%) increases of NT concentrations in accumbens, caudate, and substantia nigra. S(+)NPA, which has some properties as a limbic-selective dopamine antagonist, yielded smaller (55%-66%) but significant average increases of NT in accumbens and piriform cortex, and lesser trends toward increases (40%-51%) in caudate, nigra, and mesoprefrontal cortex--all persisting for 5 days after treatment, whereas the R(-) enantiomer, a potent dopaminergic agonist, increased NT only in nigra (by 112%). These observations confirm previous results with haloperidol and add to the impression that S(+)-NPA shares some properties of atypical antipsychotic agents.
The prevalence of urogynecologic disorders.

SUMMARY Although the field of urogynecology spans a wide range of lower urinary tract disorders, urinary incontinence and urinary infections remain the two most common disorders of the urinary tract encountered by the health care provider practicing obstetrics and gynecology. Both problems have a higher prevalence in the older population, and in addition they both have a predilection for recurrence. Together they account for considerable personal and public expense, as well as untold individual emotional and physical distress. Much remains to be learned before significant measures can be initiated to prevent the problems. Urinary incontinence is particularly challenging because it is a manifestation of so many other disorders or their treatment.
Beyond Seed and Soil: Understanding and Targeting Metastatic Prostate Cancer; Report From the 2016 Coffey-Holden Prostate Cancer Academy Meeting.

INTRODUCTION The 2016 Coffey–Holden Prostate Cancer Academy (CHPCA) Meeting, “Beyond Seed and Soil: Understanding and Targeting Metastatic Prostate Cancer,” was held from June 23 to June 26, 2016, in Coronado, California. METHODS For the 4th year in a row, the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) hosted the CHPCA Meeting, a think tank-structured scientific conference, which focuses on a specific topic of critical unmet need on the biology and treatment of advanced prostate cancer. The 2016 CHPCA Meeting was attended by 71 investigators from prostate cancer and other fields, who discussed the biology, study methodologies, treatment strategies, and critical unmet needs concerning metastatic prostate cancer, with the ultimate goal of advancing strategies to treat and eliminate this disease. RESULTS The major topics of discussion included: the molecular landscape and molecular heterogeneity of metastatic prostate cancer, the role of the metastatic microenvironment, optimizing immunotherapy in metastatic prostate cancer, learning from exceptional responders and non-responders, targeting DNA repair deficiency in advanced prostate cancer, developing and applying novel biomarkers and imaging techniques, and potential roles for the microbiome in prostate cancer. DISCUSSION This article reviews the topics presented and discussions held at the CHPCA Meeting, with a focus on the unknowns and next steps needed to advance our understanding of the biology and most effective treatment strategies for metastatic prostate cancer. Prostate © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Client-based measure of the audit office reputation

Following the findings from marketing and management literature on corporate reputation, we develop a new proxy to measure the audit office reputation. We argue that the presence of reputable clients and their tenure with the audit office is an unbiased and strong testimony for audit office reputation. For a sample of 3,233 audit firm clients we find that our measure of audit office reputation is positively associated with audit fees and audit quality. We also show that the earnings of clients from audit offices with higher CBAR are valued higher, suggesting that the market perceives the reputation of such offices to be higher and the earnings of their clients to be more credible. This research is important since CBAR is a new and readily available measure of audit office quality that provides incremental explanatory power for audit fees and audit quality beyond previously available measures.
Maintenance interleukin-2 (IL-2) and sargramostim (GM-CSF) following high-dose IL-2 (HD IL-2) therapy for metastatic melanoma.

e20049 Background: At our institution, patients with metastatic melanoma who achieve partial response (PR) to HD IL-2 therapy undergo monthly maintenance treatment with IL-2 and GM-CSF with the tho...
Universal measurement-based quantum computation in two-dimensional symmetry-protected topological phases

Recent progress in the characterization of gapped quantum phases has also triggered the search for a universal resource for quantum computation in symmetric gapped phases. Prior works in one dimension suggest that it is a feature more common than previously thought, in that nontrivial one-dimensional symmetry-protected topological (SPT) phases provide quantum computational power characterized by the algebraic structure defining these phases. Progress in two and higher dimensions so far has been limited to special fixed points. Here we provide two families of two-dimensional ${Z}_{2}$ symmetric wave functions such that there exists a finite region of the parameter in the SPT phases that supports universal quantum computation. The quantum computational power appears to lose its universality at the boundary between the SPT and the symmetry-breaking phases.
The constitutive differential transcriptome of a brain circuit for vocal learning

The ability to imitate the vocalizations of other organisms, a trait known as vocal learning, is shared by only a few organisms, including humans, where it subserves the acquisition of speech and language, and 3 groups of birds. In songbirds, vocal learning requires the coordinated activity of a set of specialized brain nuclei referred to as the song control system. Recent efforts have revealed some of the genes that are expressed in these vocal nuclei, however a thorough characterization of the transcriptional specializations of this system is still missing. We conducted a rigorous and comprehensive analysis of microarrays, and conducted a separate analysis of 380 genes by in situ hybridizations in order to identify molecular specializations of the major nuclei of the song system of zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata), a songbird species. Our efforts identified more than 3300 genes that are differentially regulated in one or more vocal nuclei of adult male birds compared to the adjacent brain regions. Bioinformatics analyses provided insights into the possible involvement of these genes in molecular pathways such as cellular morphogenesis, intrinsic cellular excitability, neurotransmission and neuromodulation, axonal guidance and cela-to-cell interactions, and cell survival, which are known to strongly influence the functional properties of the song system. Moreover, an in-depth analysis of specific gene families with known involvement in regulating the development and physiological properties of neuronal circuits provides further insights into possible modulators of the song system. Our study represents one of the most comprehensive molecular characterizations of a brain circuit that evolved to facilitate a learned behavior in a vertebrate. The data provide novel insights into possible molecular determinants of the functional properties of the song control circuitry. It also provides lists of compelling targets for pharmacological and genetic manipulations to elucidate the molecular regulation of song behavior and vocal learning.
Recovery Time Considerations in Real-Time Systems Employing Software Fault Tolerance

Safety-critical real-time systems like modern automobiles with advanced driving-assist features must employ redundancy for crucial software tasks to tolerate permanent crash faults. This redundancy can be achieved by using techniques like active replication or the primary-backup approach. In such systems, the recovery time which is the amount of time it takes for a redundant task to take over execution on the failure of a primary task becomes a very important design parameter. The recovery time for a given task depends on various factors like task allocation, primary and redundant task priorities, system load and the scheduling policy. Each task can also have a different recovery time requirement (RTR). For example, in automobiles with automated driving features, safety-critical tasks like perception and steering control have strict RTRs, whereas such requirements are more relaxed in the case of tasks like heating control and mission planning. In this paper, we analyze the recovery time for software tasks in a real-time system employing Rate-Monotonic Scheduling (RMS). We derive bounds on the recovery times for different redundant task options and propose techniques to determine the redundant-task type for a task to satisfy its RTR. We also address the fault-tolerant task allocation problem, with the additional constraint of satisfying the RTR of each task in the system. Given that the problem of assigning tasks to processors is a well-known NP-hard bin-packing problem we propose computationally-efficient heuristics to find a feasible allocation of tasks and their redundant copies. We also apply the simulated annealing method to the fault-tolerant task allocation problem with RTR constraints and compare against our heuristics.
Neurological Disorders and Publication Abstracts Follow Elements of Social Network Patterns when Indexed Using Ontology Tree-Based Key Term Search

Disorders of the Central Nervous System CNS are worldwide causes of morbidity and mortality. In order to further investigate the nature of the CNS research, we generate from an initial reference a controlled vocabulary of CNS disorder-related terms and ontological tree structure for this vocabulary, and then apply the vocabulary in an analysis of the past ten years of abstracts N = 10,488 from a major neuroscience journal. Using literal search methodology with our terminology tree, we find over 5,200 relationships between abstracts and clinical diagnostic topics. After generating a network graph of these document-topic relationships, we find that this network graph contains characteristics of document-author and other human social networks, including evidence of scale-free and power law-like node distributions. However, we also found qualitative evidence for Z-normal-type albeit logarithmically skewed distributions within disorder popularity. Lastly, we discuss potential consumer-centered as well as clinic-centered uses for our ontology and search methodology.
High-Pressure Torsional Braid Analysis (HP-TBA): A new technique for assessment of thermal transitions and changes in moduli of polymers exposed to supercritical or compressed fluids

Abstract Assessment of thermal transitions and the accompanying changes in the moduli of polymers exposed to supercritical or compressed fluid diluents is of utmost importance in the rational selection of processing temperatures and pressures in polymer modifications. We have developed a new technique to document the Tg and Tm and the relative changes in the rigidity of polymers in supercritical or compressed fluids. It is a supported torsional pendulum in which transitions including melting are traversed without loss of the sample integrity. Transition temperatures or pressures are deduced from analysis of damped sinusoidal oscillations over time (t) described by y = exp(-αt)sin(ωt). The damping coefficient (α), frequency (ω), and the period of the oscillations (2π/ω) are related to storage modulus, loss modulus, and loss tangent. The versatility of the technique is illustrated with amorphous [poly(methyl methacrylate)] and semi-crystalline [poly(e-caprolactone)] polymers as a function of CO2 pressure and temperature.
Pawnshops Regulatory Environment: A Readability Analysis

The pawn industry in the United States grew substantially in recent years; however, there is limited research on the regulatory environment for these predominately small businesses. Our study focuses on the readability of state regulations for pawnshops. We select credit unions as a comparison group since they also service non-bank customers. Our analysis reveals that the majority of states’ pawnbroker regulations are at the college reading level while the regulations for credit unions are at the college graduate reading level. There are also geographical differences in the readability of pawnshop regulations with the regulations in the northeast region being easier to read than in the west region. However, there is no evidence that the regulations readability level corresponds to the number of pawnbrokers in a state or to more broad-based measures of state-level business friendliness.
Reliability for Tests With Items Having Different Numbers of Ordered Categories.

This study describes a structural equation modeling (SEM) approach to reliability for tests with items having different numbers of ordered categories. A simulation study is provided to compare the ...
Effect of Wear Flat Configurations on the Temperature Distribution in Polycrystalline Diamond Compact Cutters During Orthogonal Rock Cutting

Abstract The thermal characteristics of polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) cutters as used in oil well drill bits are one of the important criteria in determining the failure of these cutters during usage. This paper will present the effect of wear flat configurations on the temperature distribution in PDC cutters during orthogonal rock cutting. The results are based on previous experimentally correlated modeling studies [1-3]. Effects of diamond thickness and width, cooling rates and cutting speeds along with the wear flat configurations on the temperature distribution will also be presented.
Counter-propagating solitons in microresonators

Using a single pump laser, we demonstrate simultaneous soliton modelocked frequency combs in a silicon-nitride microresonator in the clockwise and counter-clockwise directions with slightly different repetition comb spacings.
Bin-Picking using Model-Free Visual Heuristics and Grasp-Constrained Imaging

Automation technologies for bin-picking are increasingly sought after in industrial applications related to material handling and order fulfillment. In this paper, we present a model-free approach to robotic bin-picking which is designed to be highly adaptable to varying imaging conditions such as lighting, rotations, scaling, shadows, etc., and highly flexible to large number of items. The proposed object imaging approach is based on visual registration through color over-segmentation with depth imaging correction. Furthermore, we propose a computationally efficient object grasp pose estimation algorithm based on planar constrained geometry on the manipulator and imaging system.We validated the performance of our imaging method using publicly available RGBD data sets, and we measured the timing and grasp repeatability using physical experiments conducted with an industrial manipulator. Results show that our grasp success rates are comparable to recently published methods, but our grasp computation speeds are considerably faster. In particular, measured image processing and grasp calculation times are of the order of 300 fps for 320x240 image size, and will scale linearly with the imaging area.
Pedagogical integration of database visualizations for many majors: conference tutorial

Databases are a tool used in many disciplines for the storage and retrieval of information. This tutorial will cover pedagogy that supports the integration of two animations that use a dynamic presentation to introduce students of many majors to relational database concepts (http://databasesmanymajors.faculty.asu.edu). There is a broad audience for the database animations, including faculty with such diverse interests as computer science fluency education of non-majors, CS Principles courses, CS0 courses, and interdisciplinary database environments, as well as database courses for majors. These animations are the result of collaborative research with Don Goelman at Villanova University to introduce students of many majors to database concepts (NSF DUE-1431848/NSF DUE-1431661 and NSF DUE-0941584/NSF DUE-0941401). The first animation introduces relational databases and how a database differs from a spreadsheet. The second animation covers querying relations, from query design to basic SQL statements. Cooperative and assessment exercises for each animation will be shared. The examples and associated text used in the visualizations are customizable, allowing instructors across disciplines to tailor the example to meet their pedagogical needs. The tutorial will also preview a tool that supports the customization of the animations.
Shaping representations through communication: community size effect in artificial learning systems

Motivated by theories of language and communication that explain why communities with large numbers of speakers have, on average, simpler languages with more regularity, we cast the representation learning problem in terms of learning to communicate. Our starting point sees the traditional autoencoder setup as a single encoder with a fixed decoder partner that must learn to communicate. Generalizing from there, we introduce community-based autoencoders in which multiple encoders and decoders collectively learn representations by being randomly paired up on successive training iterations. We find that increasing community sizes reduce idiosyncrasies in the learned codes, resulting in representations that better encode concept categories and correlate with human feature norms.
The Use of Soft X-Ray Photoemission Spectroscopy to Study the Adsorption of Oxygen on the (110) Surface of Gallium Arsenide and Gallium Antimonide

We discuss the use of synchrotron radiation in the photon energy range between 32 and 300 eV for performing very surface sensitive X-ray photoemission spectroscopy. The usefulness of this technique is illustrated with results for the chemisorption of oxygen on the (110) surface of both gallium arsenide (GaAs) and gallium antimonide (GaSb). Binding energy shifts in the 3d levels of gallium, arsenic, and antimony due to chemisobed oxygen can be seen for oxygen coverages below 5 percent of a monolayer combining the surface sensitivity of Auger electron spectroscopy with the precise chemical information of X-ray photoemission spectroscopy. When oxygen is adsorbed on GaAs, charge is transferred from the surface arsenic atoms to the chemisorbed oxygen with no breaking of back bonds and, consequently, no oxidation of the surface. In GaSb, on the other hand, there is simultaneous charge transfer from both the surface gallium and antimony atoms, indicating that back bonds are broken and oxide formation is taking place. The escape depth for GaAs (110) was also measured for electron kinetic energies between 20 and 200 eV.
37 – Pepsin F

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the structural chemistry and the biological aspects of pepsin F. Evolutionarily, the pepsin F group is most closely related to the ungulate Pregnancy-Associated Glycoproteins (PAGs). The PAGs appear to have originated from the more ancient pepsin F lineage. However, despite the genetic relationship between the extensive PAG group and pepsin F, it is not appropriate to call these proteins “PAGs” because they are neither restricted to pregnancy nor do they appear to be extensively glycosylated. The deduced pepsin F protein sequences from rabbits, equids, cats, rats, and mice share all the hallmarks of eukaryotic aspartic proteinases, including the presence of a putative propeptide and the hydrophobic-hydrophobic[Asp-Thr-Gly-Thr/Ser-Thr/Ser] consensus sequences around the two catalytic aspartic acid residues located at positions 32 and 215 (porcine pepsin numbering). The presence of pepsin F in the neonatal stomach and the placenta suggests a common requirement of both tissues for this enzyme. There are functional similarities between the gastrointestinal tract and the placenta. Both tissues are involved in protein uptake and/or digestion.
Data on social and health vulnerability in rural India: A case of covid-19

An attempt was made to understand the gap between health and social vulnerability to Covid-19 pandemic. By using multistage sampling technique, 150 samples were collected during March- April 2020. Data highlight that households are highly exposed to novel Covid-19, and also equally sensitive to inadequate and poor availability and accessibility of clean water, sanitation and health care system. Data suggest a grass root awareness program (ex-ante preventive measures) in the regional languages; increase public health budget to meet the demand and improve the supply chain; establishment of more physical and human infrastructure in long run; comprehensive plan to ensure continuous water supply in the rural areas.
COVID-19 and stroke, a case series and review of literature.

Background Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases continue to increase around the World. Typical symptoms include fever and respiratory illness but a constellation of multisystem involvement including central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS) have been reported with COVID-19. Acute ischemic strokes (AIS) have also been reported as a complication. Methodology We analyzed patient characteristics, clinical outcomes, laboratory results and imaging results of four patients with COVID-19 who had AIS. Results All four patients were =< 60 years, had hypoxemic respiratory failure secondary to pneumonia, elevated D-dimer and inflammatory markers. Conclusion Ischemic strokes are known complications in patients with severe COVID-19.
Comparing diagnostic accuracy of current practice guidelines in predicting choledocholithiasis: outcomes from a large healthcare system comprising both academic and community settings.

Background and Aims The American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) 2010 guidelines for suspected choledocholithiasis were recently updated by proposing more specific criteria for selection of high-risk patients to undergo direct ERCP while advocating the use of additional imaging studies for intermediate- and low-risk individuals. We aim to compare the performance and diagnostic accuracy of 2019 versus 2010 ASGE criteria for suspected choledocholithiasis. Methods We performed a retrospective chart review of a prospectively maintained database (2013-2019) of over 10,000 ERCPs performed by 70 gastroenterologists in our 14-hospital system. We randomly selected 744 ERCPs in which the primary indication was suspected choledocholithiasis. Patients with a history of cholecystectomy or prior sphincterotomy were excluded. The same patient cohort was assigned as low, intermediate, or high risk according to the 2010 and 2019 guideline criteria. Overall accuracy of both guidelines was compared against the presence of stones and/or sludge on ERCP. Results Of 744 patients who underwent ERCP, 544 patients (73.1%) had definite stones during ERCP and 696 patients (93.5%) had stones and/or sludge during ERCP. When classified according to the 2019 guidelines, fewer patients were high risk (274/744, 36.8%) compared with 2010 guidelines (449/744, 60.4%; P Conclusions The 2019 ASGE guidelines are more specific for detection of choledocholithiasis during ERCP when compared with the 2010 guidelines. However, a large number of patients are categorized as intermediate risk per 2019 guidelines and will require an additional confirmatory imaging study.
Investigating factors influencing polymer elution and the mechanism controlling the chemical compatibility of GCLs containing linear polymers

Abstract A study was conducted to investigate (1) physicochemical factors that influence polymer elution from GCLs containing a blend of bentonite and linear (water-soluble) polymer (LPB GCLs) and (2) the mechanism that controls the chemical compatibility of LPB GCLs when polymer elutes. A series of hydraulic conductivity (k), free swell and viscosity tests were performed on a commercial LPB GCL using DI water, varying concentrations of NaCl and CaCl₂. Comparable tests were also performed on a conventional bentonite (CB) GCL containing the same untreated bentonite and the same physical properties as the LPB GCL. The LPB GCL showed improved swelling and hydraulic performance compared to the CB GCL when permeated with salt solutions. Total organic carbon analysis of the effluents showed that polymer eluted from the LPB GCL regardless of the permeant solution. However, the rate at which polymer eluted increased as the concentration and valence of the dominant cation increased. The rate at which polymer eluted also increased with hydraulic gradient. The mass of polymer retained inside the GCL matrix did not correlate with the k of the LPB GCL. Free swell tests coupled with chemical analysis suggest that, the improved chemical compatibility of the LPB GCL was due to the ability of the polymer to scavenge cations from the solution which allows the bentonite to undergo adequate swelling during the initial hydration period. Analogous to water-prehydrated CB GCLs, the dispersed structure of the bentonite fabric and increased adsorbed water molecules attained during initial swelling controls the k of the LPB GCL when polymer elutes.
A Novel Virtual Partnership to Promote Asian American and Asian International Student Mental Health

In 2018, the Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Cross-Cultural Student Emotional Wellness (CCCSEW) developed the CCCSEW Consortium, a year-long virtual program for secondary schools, colleges, and universities, to support campus staff in promoting the mental health of Asian American and Asian international students. The program shares similarities with the Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes model, including the hub-and-spoke virtual learning environment, development of self-efficacy, and peer learning. The program is in its second year of operation and has been well received by participants. The Consortium, a nonprofit entity, has achieved financial sustainability through support of annual membership fees.
Tidal turbine performance and near-wake characteristics in a sheared turbulent inflow

Abstract Turbulent non-homogenous flow environments at high-energy tidal sites lead to variation in power performance of tidal stream turbines. In addition, non-uniform loading due to combined effects of shear and elevated inflow turbulence affects device survivability. In the current study, an active-grid turbulence generator is used to mimic sheared-turbulent inflow representative of the flood (low shear) and ebb tides (high shear). The performance and near-wake characteristics of a turbine model measured in the sheared-turbulent inflow conditions are compared to conditions where the flow velocity is uniform with low and elevated turbulence intensities (Ti). The sheared-turbulent inflows were observed to result in a 5–15% drop in maximum power coefficient when compared to the low Ti case. An increase of ∼30% in torque- and ∼50% in thrust- fluctuations were observed for sheared inflows. Unlike the near axisymmetric wake profiles observed for homogeneous cases, inflow shear was observed to incite asymmetry in the near-wake with an immediate impact in wake turbulence and a more gradual effect on the velocity deficit and integral length scales. The data sets are deemed valuable in calibrating computational models to better predict turbine response and optimize turbine efficiency and the complementing power take-off system.
Pulsewidth Dependence of the Effective Nonlinear Refractive Index of Air in the Atmosphere

The ultrafast response function of air is used to predict the pulsewidth dependence of n 2,eff from our measurements in the near and mid-infrared. We predict n 2,eff in the atmosphere, showing agreement with multiple literature measurements.
Theoretical assessment of two-dimensional nonlinear structured illumination microscopy based on structured excitation and structured stimulated emission depletion

The performance of nonlinear structured illumination microscopy (NSIM), which has theoretically infinite optical resolution, largely depends on nonlinear phenomena. Unfortunately, nonlinear effects of excitation saturation and photoswitchable fluorophores suffer from photobleaching and slow switching time, respectively. In contrast, stimulated emission depletion (STED) is also a nonlinear phenomenon, having fast switching time and being potentially harmless. We propose NSIM based on STED, which has structured excitation light and structured STED light, and both structured illuminations have the same pitch and orientation in the sample plane. Theoretical analysis shows that two-structured illumination having the same grating vector can efficiently increase nonlinearity caused by the STED effect and improve optical resolution. We also found that nonlinearity depends on the phase difference between two-structured illumination made by excitation and STED light and that opposite phase is the most efficient to increase harmonic strength. The feasibility study shows that our method can theoretically achieve optical resolution of 1/7 of wavelength with commercially available laser over large field of view.
Inter-American Commercial Arbitration Revisited

A new Inter-American Convention on International Commercial Arbitration was approved at the Third Plenary Session of the InterAmerican Specialized Conference on Private International Law, held on January 29, 1975 in Panama City.1 The Convention recognizes the validity of an agreement to submit to arbitration present or future disputes between the parties with respect to a commercial transaction. The appointment of arbitrators may be delegated to a third party and arbitrators may be nationals or foreigners. In the absence of an express agreement between the parties, the arbitration shall be conducted in accordance with the rules of procedure of the Inter-American Commercial Arbitration Commission. An arbitral award is recognized as having the force of a final judicial judgment; its execution may be ordered in the same manner as that of judgments of national or foreign ordinary courts; and such recognition and execution may be refused only if the complaining party is able to prove to the competent authority of the state in which recognition and execution is requested that certain particularized grounds for nullification exist.
Groundwater Quantity and Quality Issues in a Water-Rich Region: Examples from Wisconsin, USA

The State of Wisconsin is located in an unusually water-rich portion of the world in the western part of the Great Lakes region of North America. This article presents an overview of the major groundwater quantity and quality concerns for this region in a geologic context. The water quantity concerns are most prominent in the central sand plain region and portions of a Paleozoic confined sandstone aquifer in eastern Wisconsin. Water quality concerns are more varied, with significant impacts from both naturally occurring inorganic contaminants and anthropogenic sources. Naturally occurring contaminants include radium, arsenic and associated heavy metals, fluoride, strontium, and others. Anthropogenic contaminants include nitrate, bacteria, viruses, as well as endocrine disrupting compounds. Groundwater quality in the region is highly dependent upon local geology and land use, but water bearing geologic units of all ages, Precambrian through Quaternary, are impacted by at least one kind of contaminant.
Water Treatments in Trickle Irrigation System

Water treatment requirements of Colorado River water for eight types of trickle emitters were being determined using six kinds of treatments, including screen and sand filtration, and combinations of hypochlorite and acid additions. With the water used, removal of suspended particulate materials by sand filtration maintained emitter performance over the 2-yr study, but sediment buildup had to be controlled for long-term maintenance by flushing the lines and treating with chemicals.
Learning style preferences of surgical residency applicants

Abstract Background The learning style preferences of general surgery residents have been previously reported; there is evidence that residents who prefer read/write learning styles perform better on the American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination (ABSITE). However, little is known regarding the learning style preferences of applicants to general surgery residency and their impact on educational outcomes. In this study, the preferred learning styles of surgical residency applicants were determined. We hypothesized that applicant rank data are associated with specific learning style preferences. Materials and methods The Fleming VARK learning styles inventory was offered to all general surgery residency applicants that were interviewed at a university hospital-based program. The VARK model categorizes learners as visual (V), aural (A), read/write (R), kinesthetic (K), or multimodal (MM). Responses on the inventory were scored to determine the preferred learning style for each applicant. Applicant data, including United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) scores, class rank, interview score, and overall final applicant ranking, were examined for association with preferred learning styles. Results Sixty-seven applicants were interviewed. Five applicants were excluded due to not completing the VARK inventory or having incomplete applicant data. The remaining 62 applicants (92%) were included for analysis. Most applicants (57%) had a multimodal preference. Sixty-nine percent of all applicants had some degree of preference for kinesthetic learning. There were statistically significant differences between applicants of different learning styles in terms of USMLE step 1 scores (P = 0.001) and USMLE step 2 clinical knowledge scores (P = 0.01), but not for class ranks (P = 0.27), interview scores (P = 0.20), or final ranks (P = 0.14). Multiple comparison analysis demonstrated that applicants with aural preferences had higher USMLE 1 scores (233.2) than those with kinesthetic (211.8, P = 0.005) or multimodal (214.5, P = 0.008) preferences, whereas applicants with visual preferences had higher USMLE 1 scores (230.0) than those with kinesthetic preferences (P = 0.047). Applicants with aural preferences also had higher USMLE 2 scores (249.6) than those with kinesthetic (227.6, P = 0.006) or multimodal (230.1, P = 0.008) preferences. Conclusions Most applicants to general surgery residency have a multimodal learning style preference. Learning style preferences are associated with higher USMLE step 1 and step 2 scores, in particular for applicants with aural preferences. Students who performed well in lecture-dominated medical school environments because of their aural preferences could be at a disadvantage in the more independent, reading-focused learning environments of surgical residency.
Thyrotropin-releasing hormone binding to the mouse pituitary receptor does not involve ionic interactions. A model for neutral peptide binding to G protein-coupled receptors.

Abstract Thyrotropin-releasing hormone, TRH (< Glu-His-Proamide), and [N tau-Me-His]TRH (MeTRH) are present as neutral and positively charged forms at physiologic pH, and it was possible that they bind to the TRH receptor (TRH-R) as charged (protonated) species. Binding affinities of TRH and MeTRH to endogenous rat TRH-Rs and to transfected wild type mouse TRH-Rs decreased below pH 7.1. Half-maximal decreases in binding occurred at the approximate pK alpha values of these ligands. Asp to Ala mutations in extracellular loop 1, TM-4, and TM-5 did not decrease binding affinity, but an Asp to Ala mutation in TM-2 caused the affinity to decrease 8-fold. The pH dependences of binding of MeTRH, however, were similar in wild type and all mutant receptors and were consistent with the protonated form of MeTRH binding less well. Thus, the binding of TRH to its receptor does not involve ionic interactions and may be a prototype for binding of neutral peptide ligands to G protein-coupled receptors.
Genetic Differentiation by Nucleic Acid Homology II. Genotypic Variations Within Two Mycoplasma Species

Somerson, Norman L. (National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md.), Paul R. Reich, Barbara E. Walls, Robert M. Chanock, and Sherman M. Weissman. Genetic differentiation by nucleic acid homology. II. Genotypic variations within two Mycoplasma species. J. Bacteriol. 92:311-317. 1966.—A deoxyribonucleic-ribonucleic acid (DNA-RNA) homology technique was used to determine genetic relatedness among the nucleic acids of eight mycoplasmas which were serologically classified as Mycoplasma hominis type 1. The DNA preparations from these organisms were each found to be distinct. No subgrouping of the M. hominis type 1 strains could be demonstrated. In contrast, when the nucleic acids from six serologically related mycoplasmas which were isolated from tissue cultures were studied, the DNA from these species could not be distinguished. The DNA buoyant densities of the tissue culture isolates were similar. These isolates were closely related genetically to a porcine mycoplasma, M. hyorhinis.