cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Challenges, Coping, and Benefits of Being an Asian American Lesbian or Bisexual Woman

Despite the richness of the literature about minority stress and negative psychological outcomes and growing attention to lesbian, gay, bisexual (LGB) people of color, few studies have examined the multiple and intersecting identities of Asian American lesbian and bisexual women (AA LBW), and both the challenges and benefits that can arise in managing these identities. Thus, the purpose of this study was to provide an understanding of the experiences of 50 AA LBW. More specifically, this study explored challenges, coping strategies, and positive aspects of being an AA LBW. Qualitative content analyses revealed 2 overarching domains concerning day-to-day challenges faced by AA LBW: living with multiple minority identities and experiencing sexual orientation-based oppression. In terms of AA LBW’s coping strategies used for dealing with these challenges, 2 overarching domains were identified: identity management and empowerment strategies. Lastly, 2 domains of positive aspects about being an AA LBW were identified: sociocultural sources of strength and insight into and empathy for self and others. Corresponding themes (a total of 18 themes), 1 of which included subthemes, are also described, and interpretation is provided in light of the relevant literature.
Meteor-s web service annotation framework

The World Wide Web is emerging not only as an infrastructure for data, but also for a broader variety of resources that are increasingly being made available as Web services. Relevant current standards like UDDI, WSDL, and SOAP are in their fledgling years and form the basis of making Web services a workable and broadly adopted technology. However, realizing the fuller scope of the promise of Web services and associated service oriented architecture will requite further technological advances in the areas of service interoperation, service discovery, service composition, and process orchestration. Semantics, especially as supported by the use of ontologies, and related Semantic Web technologies, are likely to provide better qualitative and scalable solutions to these requirements. Just as semantic annotation of data in the Semantic Web is the first critical step to better search, integration and analytics over heterogeneous data, semantic annotation of Web services is an equally critical first step to achieving the above promise. Our approach is to work with existing Web services technologies and combine them with ideas from the Semantic Web to create a better framework for Web service discovery and composition. In this paper we present MWSAF (METEOR-S Web Service Annotation Framework), a framework for semi-automatically marking up Web service descriptions with ontologies. We have developed algorithms to match and annotate WSDL files with relevant ontologies. We use domain ontologies to categorize Web services into domains. An empirical study of our approach is presented to help evaluate its performance.
Epidermal growth factor: a potent vasoconstrictor in experimental hypertension

We have tested the hypothesis that growth factor signaling pathways are augmented in hypertension, a disease associated with vascular smooth muscle cell growth. Thoracic aorta was dissected from de...
Velo‐facio‐skeletal syndrome in a mother and daughter

We present a woman and her daughter with an apparently new short stature syndrome associated with facial and skeletal anomalies and hypernasality. Manifestations included hypertelorism with broad and high nasal bridge, epicanthal folds, narrow and high arched palate, mild mesomelic brachymelia, short broad hands, prominent finger pads, hyperextensibility of hand joints, small feet, nasal voice, and normal intelligence. The mother had short stubby thumbs and the daughter had posteriorly angulated ears and delayed bone age. The morphology of the nose and the hypernasality are reminiscent to those in the velo-cardio-facial syndrome. High resolution banding and fluorescent in situ hybridization studies showed no evidence of 22q11 deletions. Differentiation from Aarskog syndrome and Robinow syndrome is discussed.
Differentiating connexin hemichannels and pannexin channels in cellular ATP release

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) plays a fundamental role in cellular communication, with its extracellular accumulation triggering purinergic signaling cascades in a diversity of cell types. While the roles for purinergic signaling in health and disease have been well established, identification and differentiation of the specific mechanisms controlling cellular ATP release is less well understood. Multiple mechanisms have been proposed to regulate ATP release with connexin (Cx) hemichannels and pannexin (Panx) channels receiving major focus. However, segregating the specific roles of Panxs and Cxs in ATP release in a plethora of physiological and pathological contexts has remained enigmatic. This multifaceted problem has arisen from the selectivity of pharmacological inhibitors for Panxs and Cxs, methodological differences in assessing Panx and Cx function and the potential compensation by other isoforms in gene silencing and genetic knockout models. Consequently, there remains a void in the current understanding of specific contributions of Panxs and Cxs in releasing ATP during homeostasis and disease. Differentiating the distinct signaling pathways that regulate these two channels will advance our current knowledge of cellular communication and aid in the development of novel rationally-designed drugs for modulation of Panx and Cx activity, respectively.
Diet, MicroRNAs and Prostate Cancer

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) constitute an evolutionarily conserved class of small non-coding RNAs that are endogenously expressed with crucial functions in fundamental cellular processes such as cell cycle, apoptosis and differentiation. Disturbance of miRNA expression and function leads to deregulation of basic cellular processes leading to tumorigenesis. A growing body of experimental evidence suggests that human tumors have deregulated expression of microRNAs, which have been proposed as novel oncogenes or tumor suppressors. Recent studies have shown that microRNA expression patterns serve as phenotypic signatures of different cancers and could be used as diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic tools. A few studies have analyzed global microRNA expression profiles or the functional role of microRNAs in prostate cancer. Here we have reviewed the role of microRNAs in prostate carcinogenesis by summarizing the findings from such studies. In addition, recent evidence indicates that dietary factors play an important role in the process of carcinogenesis through modulation of miRNA expression, though such studies are lacking in regards to prostate cancer. It has been proposed that dietary modulation of miRNA expression may contribute to the cancer-protective effects of dietary components. In this review, we have summarized findings from studies on the effect of dietary agents on miRNA expression and function.
Distributional Effects of Monetary and Fiscal Policy: Impacts on Unemployment Rates Disaggregated By Race and Gender

. The use of vectorautoregression techniques provides empirical verification that monetary and fiscal policies do not have equal impacts on unemployment rates disaggregated by race and gender. In general, it was found that white males benefited from macro-policies more than any other category. However, black females were also shown to benefit significantly. Results were reported from both the 1970s and 1980s and indicate that these differential unemployment rate responses became magnified during the 1980s. The results for white males are consistent with a number of theories that have been offered by several writers, but the results for black females might seem, at first, to be difficult to explain. However, a close inspection of educational attainment scotes for black women over recent decades reveals a potential source of this finding.
Insulin-Like Growth Factor System in Different Ethnic Groups and Relationship with Growth and Health

Almost every cell in the human body is affected by IGF-I. IGF-I plays a major role in the regulation of metabolic/physiologic function across the lifespan. In addition to its effects on growth and development, IGF-I has been associated with numerous biological processes including cell cycle regulation, differentiation, proliferation, and apoptosis. Any perturbations during growth and development known to influence the IGF system (e.g., under-/over-nutrition, hyperinsulinemia, perturbed hormonal milieu) may manifest as “programmed” chronic disease risk factors. With the disparate prevalence in disease risk and life expectancy across racial/ethnic groups worldwide, understanding the mechanisms and role of the IGF axis and relative contribution to late disease onset is critical for establishing appropriate prevention and intervention strategies. Given the role of growth and development during childhood and adolescence on energy homeostasis, small changes in development of the IGF axis could have huge repercussions for racial/ethnic differences as well as a wide range of inherent physiological and metabolic functions that influence growth and development and their relationship with health. Metabolic perturbations are associated with changes throughout the IGF axis resulting in reductions of IGF-I activity. Further, inherent individual differences may interact with metabolic perturbations throughout the life course affecting the IGF axis resulting in racial/ethnic disparities in chronic disease outcomes. The extent of genetic heterogeneity among non-Europeans and, therefore, the frequency of etiological relevant genetic contributions may differ and may explain at least in part disparities in chronic disease outcomes. Because the effects of the IGF axis on growth and development represent both immediate and long-term health risk, as well as racial/ethnic disparities in health, strategies for handling health implications are urgently needed.
Coherence and Correspondence Criteria for Rationality: Experts' Estimation of Risks of Sexually Transmitted Infections.

The aim of this study is to examine both coherence and correspondence criteria for rationality in experts' judgments of risk. We investigated biases in risk estimation for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) predicted by fuzzy-trace theory, i.e., that specific errors would occur despite experts' knowledge of correct responses. One hundred twenty professionals with specific knowledge of STI risks in adolescents were administered a survey questionnaire to test predictions concerning: knowledge deficits (producing underestimation of risks); gist-based representation of risk categories (producing overestimation of condom effectiveness); retrieval failure for risk knowledge (producing lower risk estimates); and processing interference in combining risk estimates (producing biases in post-test diagnosis of infection). Retrieval was manipulated by asking estimation questions that “unpacked” the STI category into infection types or did not specify infection types. Other questions differentiated processing biases from knowledge deficits or retrieval failure by directly providing requisite knowledge. Experts' knowledge of STI transmission and infection risks was verified empirically. Nevertheless, under predictable conditions, they misestimated risk, overestimated the effectiveness of condoms, and also suffered from processing biases. When questions provided better retrieval supports (unpacked format), risk estimates improved. Biases were linked to gist representations, retrieval failures, and processing errors, as opposed to knowledge about STIs. Results support fuzzy-trace theory's dual-process assumptions that different types of errors are dissociated from one another, and separate failures of coherence and correspondence among the same sample of experts. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
New properties to alleviate interference in time-frequency representations

Two properties are presented that constrain the cross-terms of Cohen-class time-frequency representations (TFRs) to appear only at signal frequencies, and only when the signal is nonzero. These properties thus guarantee strong finite support, i.e. the TFR is zero everywhere the signal or its spectrum is zero. When combined with cross-term attenuation, one can obtain TFRs with spectrogram-like interference suppression, but without the inherent time-frequency resolution tradeoff of the spectrogram. >
A discussion on the interpretation and characterization of metafilms/metasurfaces: The two-dimensional equivalent of metamaterials

Abstract A metafilm (also referred to as a metasurface) is the surface equivalent of a metamaterial. More precisely, a metafilm is a surface distribution of suitably chosen electrically small scatterers. Metafilms are becoming popular as an alternative to full three-dimensional metamaterials. Unfortunately, many papers in the literature present incorrect interpretations and mischaracterizations of these metafilms. In fact, some of the characterizations presented in the literature result in non-unique parameters for a uniquely defined metafilm. In this paper we discuss an appropriate interpretation and characterization of metafilms and present a correct manner to characterize a metafilm. Additionally, we illustrate the error that results from an incorrect characterization of metafilms. We present various examples to emphasize these points. Finally we present a retrieval approach for determining the uniquely defined quantities (the electric and magnetic susceptibilities of its constituent scatterers) that characterize a metafilm.
Carbon Mineral Evolution

The discovery of the extreme antiquity of specific minerals through radiometric dating (e.g., Strutt 1910), coupled with Norman L. Bowen’s recognition of a deterministic evolutionary sequence of silicate minerals in igneous rocks (Bowen 1915, 1928), implies that Earth’s crustal mineralogy has changed dramatically through more than 4.5 billion years of planetary history. Detailed examination of the mineralogical record has led to a growing realization that varied physical, chemical, and biological processes have resulted in a sequential increase in diversification of the mineral kingdom. This diversification has been accompanied by significant changes in the near-surface distribution, compositional range (including minor and trace elements), size, and morphology of minerals (Ronov et al. 1969; Nash et al. 1981; Zhabin 1981; Meyer 1985; Wenk and Bulakh 2004; Hazen et al. 2008, 2009, 2011). Variation in Earth’s mineralogical character thus reflects the tectonic, geochemical, and biological evolution of Earth’s near-surface environment (Bartley and Kah 2004; Hazen et al. 2009, 2012; Grew and Hazen 2010a,b; McMillan et al. 2010; Krivovichev 2010; Grew et al. 2011; Tkachev 2011). The mineral kingdom’s evolutionary narrative shares many features with the increased complexity inherent within other evolving systems, including the nucleosynthesis of elements and isotopes, the prebiotic synthesis of organic molecules, biological evolution through Dar-winian natural selection, and the evolution of social and material culture (Hazen and Eldredge 2010). In particular, well-known biological phenomena such as diversification, punctuation, and extinction appear to be common traits within a wide range of complex, evolving systems. Perhaps more than any other element, carbon exemplifies these processes of “mineral evolution.” Four episodes outline major events in the mineral evolution of carbon: (1) the synthesis of the first mineral, likely diamond, and perhaps a dozen other “ur-minerals” …
Temperature contrasts in the water column inferred from amplitude-versus-offset analysis of acoustic reflections

[1] We show that seismic amplitude-versus-offset (AVO) analysis can be used to remotely quantify the temperature contrasts responsible for acoustic reflections in the ocean. We inferred the sound speed and density contrasts associated with two reflections in the Norwegian Sea by comparing their AVO response to that predicted by the Zoeppritz equations. Estimates of temperature contrasts were calculated from sound speed contrasts using Wilson's equation and compared with in situ temperature measurements from coincident expendable bathythermographs (XBTs). A strong reflection from Line 9 is best explained by a −6 m/s step in sound speed, corresponding to a temperature decrease of ∼1.5°C. A weaker reflection from Line 11 yielded a sound speed contrast of −1.2 m/s, corresponding to a temperature decrease of ∼0.3°C. The inferred temperature contrasts match those found in XBT data remarkably well. L1-norm misfits between predicted and calculated values indicate that the acoustic impedance contrasts are principally controlled by sound speed contrasts, rather than density contrasts. AVO analysis offers an accurate and robust technique for estimating sound speed (and therefore temperature) contrasts in the water column.
Axion charge decay and wormhole destabilization

Abstract I investigate the (euclidean time) decay of axion charge that occurs in a 3-sphere of constant volume when there is a small charge violating operator perturbing the hamiltonian. I demonstrate that in the limit of large euclidean time T axion charge decays like CT−1, where C depends only logarithmically on the coefficient of the charge violating operator. I apply this result to axionic wormholes, and argue that small wormholes will destabilize large wormholes due to this charge decay.
Chromosome rearrangements via template switching between diverged repeated sequences

Recent high-resolution genome analyses of cancer and other diseases have revealed the occurrence of microhomology-mediated chromosome rearrangements and copy number changes. Although some of these rearrangements appear to involve nonhomologous end-joining, many must have involved mechanisms requiring new DNA synthesis. Models such as microhomology-mediated break-induced replication (MM-BIR) have been invoked to explain these rearrangements. We examined BIR and template switching between highly diverged sequences in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, induced during repair of a site-specific double-strand break (DSB). Our data show that such template switches are robust mechanisms that give rise to complex rearrangements. Template switches between highly divergent sequences appear to be mechanistically distinct from the initial strand invasions that establish BIR. In particular, such jumps are less constrained by sequence divergence and exhibit a different pattern of microhomology junctions. BIR traversing repeated DNA sequences frequently results in complex translocations analogous to those seen in mammalian cells. These results suggest that template switching among repeated genes is a potent driver of genome instability and evolution.
Relativistic coupled cluster calculations on neutral and highly ionized atoms

Relativistic coupled cluster (CC) calculations are performed for the atomic systems Be, Ne(6+), Ar(14+), and Sn(46+). The CC equations through CCSDT are solved within a space spanned by balanced s1/2 gaussian spinors to obtain the s-correlation contributions. No significant contribution of higher correlation effects beyond MBPT (4) is observed within this s1/2-spinor approximation.
An Association Between Recurrent Otitis Media in Infancy and Later Hyperactivity

An association between the frequency of otitis media in early childhood and later hyperactivity is reported in this study. The subjects were 67 children referred to a child development clinic for evaluation of school failure. Ranging from 6 to 13 years old, all the children demonstrated specific school learning problems, and 27 were also considered hyperactive by two or more raters. Sixteen of the hyperactive children were treated with central nervous system stimulant medication. In retrospect, there was positive correlation between an increasing number of otitis media infections in early childhood and the presence and severity of hyperactive behavior. Ninety-four percent of children medicated for hyperactivity had three or more otitis infections, and 69 percent had greater than 10 infections. In comparison, 50 percent of non-hyperactive school-failure patients had three or more infections and 20 percent had greater than 10 infections. Twenty-two of 28 children (79%) known to have more than 10 infections ...
Using Optogenetics to Interrogate the Dynamic Control of Signal Transmission by the Ras/Erk Module

The complex, interconnected architecture of cell-signaling networks makes it challenging to disentangle how cells process extracellular information to make decisions. We have developed an optogenetic approach to selectively activate isolated intracellular signaling nodes with light and use this method to follow the flow of information from the signaling protein Ras. By measuring dose and frequency responses in single cells, we characterize the precision, timing, and efficiency with which signals are transmitted from Ras to Erk. Moreover, we elucidate how a single pathway can specify distinct physiological outcomes: by combining distinct temporal patterns of stimulation with proteomic profiling, we identify signaling programs that differentially respond to Ras dynamics, including a paracrine circuit that activates STAT3 only after persistent (>1 hr) Ras activation. Optogenetic stimulation provides a powerful tool for analyzing the intrinsic transmission properties of pathway modules and identifying how they dynamically encode distinct outcomes.
Counting Small Cliques in 3-uniform Hypergraphs

Many applications of Szemeredi's Regularity Lemma for graphs are based on the following counting result. If ${\mathcal G}$ is an $s$-partite graph with partition $V({\mathcal G}) =\bigcup_{i=1}^{s} V_i$, $\vert V_i\vert =m$ for all $i\in [s]$, and all pairs $(V_i, V_j)$, $1\leq i < j\leq s$, are $\epsilon$-regular of density $d$, then $\mathcal{G}$ contains $(1\pm f(\epsilon))d^{({s\atop 2})}m^s$ cliques $K_{s}$, provided $\epsilon<\epsilon(d)$, where $f(\epsilon)$ tends to 0 as $\epsilon$ tends to 0.Guided by the regularity lemma for 3-uniform hypergraphs established earlier by Frankl and Rodl, Nagle and Rodl proved a corresponding counting lemma. Their proof is rather technical, mostly due to the fact that the ‘quasi-random’ hypergraph arising after application of Frankl and Rodl's regularity lemma is ‘sparse’, and consequently difficult to handle.When the ‘quasi-random’ hypergraph is ‘dense’ Kohayakawa, Rodl and Skokan (J. Combin. Theory Ser. A 97 307–352) found a simpler proof of the counting lemma. Their result applies even to $k$-uniform hypergraphs for arbitrary $k$. While the Frankl–Rodl regularity lemma will not render the dense case, in this paper, for $k=3$, we are nevertheless able to reduce the harder, sparse case to the dense case.Namely, we prove that a ‘dense substructure’ randomly chosen from the ‘sparse $\delta$-regular structure’ is $\delta$-regular as well. This allows us to count the number of cliques (and other subhypergraphs) using the Kohayakawa–Rodl–Skokan result, and provides an alternative proof of the counting lemma in the sparse case. Since the counting lemma in the dense case applies to $k$-uniform hypergraphs for arbitrary $k$, there is a possibility that the approach of this paper can be adopted to the general case as well.
Schooling: Domestication or Ontological Construction?

The sociocultural perspective on learning and development has met with some opposition, notably from those who find in it a lack of attention to the child’s active construction in these processes. Since, so the claim goes, this active construction is a central tenet of constructivism – whether that of Piaget or of von Glasersfeld – what is needed is a “synthesis” of constructivism with socioculturalism. Wertsch and Kazan offer such a synthesis, a “socioculturally situated constructivism” in which children learn “within the confines” of adult expertise. In this Chapter I argue that this is not an adequate account of what occurs in the Fast Plants videos. Rather, what can be observed is an ontological construction which is invisible to constructivism. In the course of their interactions together the students actively transform a sheet of paper first into a graph and then into a distribution, a public artifact and a mathematical object, which has now been reproduced in this book. An object of knowledge has been constructed and reconstructed in complex trajectories of collective activity. In at least one group this occurred without expert guidance. Differences in the teachers’ and the students’ preferred forms of representation raise questions about the definition of a single use of an artifact as appropriate, and about the definition of schooling as domestication. Learning, I suggest, is not change in subjective knowledge structures, it is transformation of known objects and of knowing subjects. Although adult authority often plays a part, it would be a mistake to see schooling as merely the socialization of novices by experts.
Shaping public policy.

Abstract Public policy is an area of increasing study. Of concern in this presentation is the consensus-building feature of policymaking in the United States. The role of government in following the procedures established to achieve consensus and the importance of citizen participation in this open process cannot be under-estimated. The five central features of American consensus building are separation of powers, multiple levels of government, citizen participation, policymaker accountability, and individual freedoms. These features frame the efforts of those who shape the public policies that determine the ways laws are made and enforced and public funds are spent.
Coarse to Fine Grained Sense Disambiguation in Wikipedia

Wikipedia articles are annotated by volunteer contributors with numerous links that connect words and phrases to relevant titles. Links to general senses of a word are used concurrently with links to more specific senses, without being distinguished explicitly. We present an approach to training coarse to fine grained sense disambiguation systems in the presence of such annotation inconsistencies. Experimental results show that accounting for annotation ambiguity in Wikipedia links leads to significant improvements in disambiguation.
Statistics and Quality Improvement

Periods of intense practical activity in statistics have traditionally been times for reexamination of old ideas and development of new ones. Familiar examples are the ferment at Rothamsted experimental station in the 1920s and 1930s when, under the leadership of Fisher, the need for improved agriculture field trials resulted not only in the concept of designing experiments but also in the analysis of variance and many other fundamental ideas in statistical inference. Again, during World War II, the need for efficient inspection produced sequential tests. Also the need to screen many variables in small experiments led to the development of fractional designs and other orthogonal arrangements. This catalysis of progress by the practice ⇋ theory iteration runs throughout the history of statistics. The present quality revolution is now providing just such a stimulus for rethinking and re‐evaluating many statistical ideas. Among these, discussed here, are the role of statistics as a catalyst to learning, the dual nature of statistical inference and some issues in experimental design.
Pulmonary arterial hypertension in primary amyloidosis

Amyloidosis involves extravascular deposition of fibrillar proteins within tissues and organs. Primary light chain amyloidosis represents the most common form of systemic amyloidosis involving deposition of monoclonal immunoglobulin light chains. Although pulmonary amyloid deposition is common in primary amyloidosis, clinically significant pulmonary amyloidosis is uncommon, and elevated pulmonary artery pressures are rarely observed in the absence of other underlying etiologies for pulmonary hypertension, such as elevated filling pressures secondary to cardiac amyloid. In this case report, we present a patient with primary light chain amyloidosis and pulmonary arterial hypertension in the setting of pulmonary vascular and right ventricular myocardial amyloid deposition.
Obituary: Edward B. Goldberg

Edward B. Goldberg (Eddie) passed away on 5 February 2015. A most versatile microbiologist, Eddie made many important contributions to bacteriophage genetics, phage morphogenesis, and later in his career to the field of bioengineering of nanoparticles. He studied and worked as a postdoctoral researcher with Alfred Hershey at Cold Spring Harbor, and joined the faculty at the then newly formed Department of Microbiology at Tufts University Medical School in 1965. His scientific interests were wide ranging: DNA recombination, phage structure and assembly, and bio-nanotechnology.
Consolidation cystectomy after induction chemotherapy in node-positive urothelial bladder cancer.

e15520 Background: Induction chemotherapy in urothelial bladder cancer (UC) with node involvement allows for an opportunity to treat metastatic disease followed by consolidation cystectomy. We sought to compare the efficacy of cisplatin (CCC) and non-cisplatin combination chemotherapy (NCCC) induction regimens in patients that underwent consolidation cystectomy. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of UC patients between 1990 - 2013 undergoing consolidation cystectomy after induction chemotherapy for clinical node involvement, with CCC or NCCC (carboplatin). Clinical node involvement was defined as biopsy proven or if >1.5cm on cross-sectional imaging at diagnosis. Pearson chi-square test was used to assess response to regimen, Kaplan-Meier methodology and log rank test for overall survival (OS), and Cox proportional hazards regression to evaluate characteristics associated with mortality. Results: Patient characteristics and clinicopathologic outcomes are shown in the Table below. Median OS for...
International Congresses: American Involvement

Six international meetings on mechanics were held between 1922 and 1946 when the International Union of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics was formally established. Two years later in 1948, the US Committee on Theoretical and Applied Mechanics was established, primarily as a vehicle for participating formally in these international conferences. As has been described previously, the International Congresses were organized and administrated by a group called the International Congress Committee. The history of participation by Americans (and future Americans) who were members of the International Congress Committee during the early years of the congresses are provided in the following list where the year is the year of election to a 4-year term:
Excessive gestational weight gain in the first trimester among women with normal glucose tolerance and resulting neonatal adiposity

Excessive gestational weight gain in the first trimester among women with normal glucose tolerance and resulting neonatal adiposity
Management of the patient with SVR

In the current era of therapy with direct-acting antiviral (DAAs) drugs, achievement of a sustained virological response (SVR) is achievable in ⩾90% of hepatitis C-infected patients. SVR benefits are well-recognized with reductions in rates of liver complications, hepatocellular carcinoma and mortality. Additional benefits include reduced morbidity related to extrahepatic and systemic manifestations of hepatitis C such as renal, dermatologic, and metabolic complications. However, not all patients will derive all of these benefits and monitoring for progression is necessary, especially in those with more advanced fibrosis. To maximize the health benefits of SVR, counseling patients on best means to maintain good liver health and prevent reinfection are also important.
Large data integration in RNA-seq and whole genome sequencing to prioritize disease-related genes in hypoplastic left heart syndrome

A high-throughput next generation sequencing technology RNA-seq and whole genome sequencing (WGS) provides an unprecedented opportunity to investigate the disease-specific transcription profiles linked to potential genetic causes in Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). Bioengineered HLHS patient-specific iPSCs and differentiated cardiac tissues offer a platform to recapitulate the individual developmental process to study the disease molecular causes. In this study, transcriptome profiling using RNA-seq was performed on iPSCs and differentiated cardiomyocytes. The results of RNA-seq data revealed over 4000 and 6000 differential genes between the family members in iPSC and differentiated cells respectively. WGS was done on blood samples of proband and parents to identify millions of variants. Variant filtering according to rarity, predicted damage and mode of inheritance pinpointed 34 genes with uncommon variants potentially involved in the pathogenesis of the disease.Ten of the 34 mutated genes displayed transcriptional differences in iPSCs while 16 of 34 mutated genes showed significantly differential expression in differentiated cells. Expression profiles for genes fulfilling both criteria (9 in total) were further characterized in iPSCs from proband and controls in a guided time-course cardiac differentiation. Two genes, ELF4 and HSPG2, displayed significantly different profiles. Of note, none of these genes had been previously linked to HLHS. In summary, by integrating the data from WGS, RNA-seq, naturally expressed time-course developmental roadmap, we triangulated a list of prioritized candidate genes that may contribute to HLHS and could be a target for future mechanistic studies for disease-specific clinical applications.
A contrastive analysis of dar ‘give’ in English and Brazilian Portuguese: semantic-syntactic relationships and implications for L2 instruction

In recent years, research on multiword lexical units has influenced second language acquisition research, but little work has been done on light verbs, especially comparing the use of light verbs in English and Brazilian Portuguese. This paper presents a comparative analysis of the syntactic and semantic aspects of dar and ‘give’ through the semantic continuum, event type, denominal verbs and incorporation. This study finds that distinct and varied semantic uses of light verbs present a unique challenge to second language learners in terms of both their understanding and their production. Furthermore, this study analyzes the semantic-syntactic interrelationships and suggests implications for teaching English and Portuguese light verbs to second language learners.
High-performance EAM-integrated SGDBR laser for WDM microwave photonic applications

A high-performance widely tuneable optical source is presented for microwave photonic applications. An EAM (electroabsorption waveguide modulator)-integrated SGDBR (sampled grating distributed Bragg reflector) laser is characterised with regards to noise and linearity at 1530 nm, 1545 nm and 1560 nm. By selecting the EAM bias point, 99 dBc/Hz/sup 1/2/ broadband spurious-free dynamic range or a 114 dBc/Hz/sup 2/3/ sub-octave spurious-free dynamic range is demonstrated.
Application of projection-based model reduction to finite-element plate models for two-dimensional traveling waves:

A finite element (FE) model simulates an unconstrained aluminum thin plate to which four macro-fiber composites are bonded. This plate model is experimentally validated for single and multiple inputs. While a single input excitation results in the frequency response functions and operational deflection shapes, two input excitations under prescribed conditions result in tailored traveling waves. The emphasis of this article is the application of projection-based model reduction techniques to scale-down the large-scale FE plate model. Four model reduction techniques are applied and their performances are studied. This article also discusses the stability issues associated with the rigid-body modes. Furthermore, the reduced-order models are utilized to simulate the steady-state frequency and time response of the plate. The results are in agreement with the experimental and the full-scale FE model results.
Patients experience mixed results with respect to sexual quality and frequency after total knee arthroplasty: a systematic review

Importance There are limited data describing the impact of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) on postoperative sexual activity. This lack of information may lead to inaccurate preoperative expectations and predispose patients to dissatisfying outcomes with respect to sexual activity. Objective The objective of this systematic review was to determine: (1) How important is sexual activity to patients undergoing TKA? (2) How will TKA impact a patient's postoperative sexual activity? Evidence review We performed a comprehensive search using PubMed, Scopus and Ovid databases to identify literature relevant to sexual activity following TKA. Publications were identified and sorted using our inclusion/exclusion criteria. Data were normalised and segregated for qualitative description. Findings We identified eight studies that met our inclusion/exclusion criteria. Patient populations, study objectives and findings varied greatly between studies. With respect to the importance of sexual activity among patients undergoing TKA, results were highly polar, with some studies indicating that sexual activity was among the most important activities, and others reporting it among the least important. With respect to the ability to return to sexual activity after TKA, patients listed engaging in sex as one of the least difficult activities postoperatively, and fewer patients had to adjust their sexual positions to accommodate their knee. About 50%–77% of patients experienced no change in the quality/frequency of sex as a result of TKA, 6%–44% experienced an increase, 6%–32% reported decreases and 2%–23% experienced a cessation of sexual activity. However, outcomes with respect to sexual activity often failed to meet patients' preoperative expectations. Conclusions and relevance Studies reporting on the US population with representative male/female distributions reported that sexual activity was highly important to patients, although this finding may not be globally generalisable. While data regarding changes in sexual quality/frequency are variable, studies with longer average follow-up time and younger patient populations tended to report better outcomes. These results likely indicate that younger populations will experience more favourable changes in sexual activity as a result of TKA, and that improvements in sexual quality/frequency will continue as follow-up time increases. Furthermore, patients undergoing TKA are likely to return to sexual activity at 2.4months. Level of evidence Level III.
Concave silicon micromirrors for stable hemispherical optical microcavities

A detailed study of the fabrication of silicon concave micromirrors for hemispherical microcavities is presented that includes fabrication yield, surface quality, surface roughness, cavity depth, radius of curvature, and the aspect ratio between the cavity depth and radius of curvature. Most importantly, it is shown that much larger cavity depths are possible than previously reported while achieving desirable aspect ratios and nanometer-level roughness. This should result in greater frequency stability and improved insensitivity to fabrication variations for the mode coupling optics. Spectral results for an assembled hemispherical microcavity are presented, demonstrating that high finesse and quality factor are achieved with these micromirrors, F = 1524 and Q = 3.78 x 105, respectively.
Acceptance Instead of Denial: Pro-Applicant Positions at the PTO

In Medicines Co. v. Hospira, Inc., 827 F.3d 1363 (Fed. Cir. 2016) (en banc), the United States filed an amicus brief, signed by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s (PTO) Solicitor and attorneys in the Department of Justice, in support of the plaintiff-appellant. Among other things, the government argued that secret sales should not trigger the on-sale bar within the meaning of § 102 of the Patent Act applying to patents governed by the regime prior to the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act. While government amicus filings in patent infringement cases are not uncommon, this brief is notable because it explicitly disavowed case law that is both binding on the PTO and unfavorable to patent applicants. In fact, the government acknowledged that the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure “reflects decisions of this Court and other courts concluding that the on-sale bar applies to secret as well as public sales,” but argued that “those decisions are incorrect.” Put simply, the government does not like a controlling rule that makes it easier for PTO examiners to reject patent claims. In this Essay, I ask what should happen if the PTO’s disagreement with binding law that disfavors patent applicants became developed not in an amicus brief filed in a litigated case, but in the course of an appeal of a rejection of an inventor’s desired claims during ex parte patent prosecution. Can the PTO Director join the disappointed applicant in urging the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit to convene en banc to change its precedent, or even support the applicant’s petition for a writ of certiorari in the Supreme Court? I argue that such a move would be neither unreasonable nor unprecedented for an agency, and that the PTO should probably make it more often. To be sure, PTO decisions to take the applicant’s side could generate concerns about capture, effects on third parties, and the preservation of an adversarial presentation of issues for adjudication. Nonetheless, as I show in this Essay, these challenges are not insurmountable. More importantly, the Director’s well-considered conclusion, reached in consultation with other players in the Executive Branch, that a panel of the Federal Circuit decided a case incorrectly might be quite valuable to decision-makers even when the rule in question happens to be contested during an applicant’s appeal of a rejection of his or her claims. Indeed, in addition to its amicus filings, the PTO has repeatedly taken active stances on important questions of patent law as a party challenging the Federal Circuit’s pro-patentee decisions in the Supreme Court. I argue that, given the PTO’s demonstrated willingness and capacity to develop well-articulated positions on legal issues and its role as a steward of the public interest, the government might also consider abandoning anti-applicant positions when challenges to the PTO’s claim rejections reach the highest levels of appeal.
Impacts of Coastal Land Use and Shoreline Armoring on Estuarine Ecosystems: an Introduction to a Special Issue

The nearshore land-water interface is an important ecological zone that faces anthropogenic pressure from development in coastal regions throughout the world. Coastal waters and estuaries like Chesapeake Bay receive and process land discharges loaded with anthropogenic nutrients and other pollutants that cause eutrophication, hypoxia, and other damage to shallow-water ecosystems. In addition, shorelines are increasingly armored with bulkhead (seawall), riprap, and other structures to protect human infrastructure against the threats of sea-level rise, storm surge, and erosion. Armoring can further influence estuarine and nearshore marine ecosystem functions by degrading water quality, spreading invasive species, and destroying ecologically valuable habitat. These detrimental effects on ecosystem function have ramifications for ecologically and economically important flora and fauna. This special issue of Estuaries and Coasts explores the interacting effects of coastal land use and shoreline armoring on estuarine and coastal marine ecosystems. The majority of papers focus on the Chesapeake Bay region, USA, where 50 major tributaries and an extensive watershed (~ 167,000 km2), provide an ideal model to examine the impacts of human activities at scales ranging from the local shoreline to the entire watershed. The papers consider the influence of watershed land use and natural versus armored shorelines on ecosystem properties and processes as well as on key natural resources.
Techniques, Theory, and Biological Applications of Optically Detected Magnetic Resonance (ODMR)

The past dozen years or so have witnessed the application of a new spectroscopic method to the investigation of biological molecules. Optical detection of triplet-state magnetic resonance (ODMR) represents in the broadest sense a combination of optical measurement (phosphorescence, fluorescence, absorption) with electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy. In ODMR, microwave-induced transitions between magnetic sublevels of the lowest triplet state are detected by their effect on some optical property of the sample which is monitored simultaneously. Historically, the field may be traced back to early work on optical detection of magnetic resonance transitions of atoms and ions in the gas phase by Fermi and Rasetti (1925), Breit and Ellet (1925), and by Brossel and Bitter (1952). The first optically detected magnetic resonance experiment in the solid state was reported by Geschwind et al. (1959) on the 2E excited state of Cr3+ in ruby at 1.6 K. This early work has been reviewed by Bernheim (1965). At about the time of Geschwind’s experiment, Hutchinson and Mangum (1958; 1961) made the first ESR measurements on a photoexcited triplet state in the solid state—the phosphorescent (T 1) state of naphthalene substitutionally incorporated in a single crystal of durene.
Why Is Gesture Typing Promising for Older Adults?: Comparing Gesture and Tap Typing Behavior of Older with Young Adults

Gesture typing has been a widely adopted text entry method on touchscreen devices. We have conducted a study to understand whether older adults could gesture type, how they type, what are the strengths and weaknesses of gesture typing, and how to further improve it. By logging stroke-level interaction data and leveraging the existing modeling tools, we compared the gesture and tap typing behavior of older adults with young adults. Our major finding is promising and encouraging. Gesture typing outperformed the typical tap typing for older adults, and was very easy for them to learn. The gesture typing input speed was 15.28% higher than that of tap typing for 14 older adults who had none gesture typing experience in the past. One of the main reasons was that older adults adopted the word-level inputting strategy in gesture typing, while often used the letter-level correction strategy in tap typing. Compared with young adults, older adults exhibited little degradation in gesture accuracy. Our study also led to implications on how to further improve gesture typing for older adults.
Multilevel competing risks model for the performance assessment of highway pavement

Transportation and highway infrastructure maintenance practices, including the use of preservation models and optimal budgeting decisions are being implemented nationwide to ensure overall sustaina...
Evaluation of Dog Walking Programs to Promote Student Nurse Health

Aim: To provide a brief review of health concerns associated with a sedentary lifestyle and summarize some of the benefits of walking, with specific focus on the value of dog-walking programs as a means to improve health and wellness for the student nurse. Methods: A professor within the School of Nursing and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine collaborated to review research on the benefits of dog walking and interventions utilizing dogs to increase and sustain physical activity in their owners and those that enjoy the companionship a dog can provide. Results: Dog walking is an intervention to increase activity among student nurses due to companionship and the sense of obligation dogs provide. Research suggests that dog owners are more physically active with subsequent health benefits for both owners and dogs. Animal assisted therapy programs within the university setting can link students with dogs to improve physical activity. Conclusion: Dog walking has benefits to both people and dogs. Nursing faculty can develop physical activity programs within their institution that incorporate walking a dog to enhance physical activity among student nurses. Further research is needed to empirically evaluate effectiveness of dog walking in the student nurse population.