cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Structure of the N-terminal domain of human CEACAM1: Binding target of the opacity proteins during invasion of Neisseria meningitidis and N. gonorrhoeae

CEACAM1 is a cellular adhesion molecule whose protein expression is down-regulated in several carcinomas and which also contributes to the pathogenicity of Neisseria by acting as a receptor for Opa proteins. The crystal structure of the N-­terminal (D1) domain of human CEACAM1 has been determined at 2.2 A resolution. The structure shows several differences compared with a lower resolution model of the same domain from mouse solved previously, especially in the functional regions. Mapping of the sites of mutations that lower or abolish the binding of CEACAM1 to Opa proteins shows a distinct clustering of residues on the GFCC′C′′ face of the molecule. Prominent amongst these are residues in the C, C′ and F strands and the CC′ loop. A similar analysis shows that the region responsible for homophilic or heterophilic interactions of CEACAM1 is also on the GFCC′C′′ face and overlaps partially with the Opa-binding region. This higher resolution structure of CEACAM1 will facilitate a more precise dissection of its functional regions in the context of neisserial pathogenesis, cellular adhesion and immune evasion.
Design and optimization of a near-field scanning optical microscope for imaging biological samples in liquid

We describe a near-field scanning optical microscope capable of imaging biological samples in liquid. The microscope uses a straight optical fiber near-field probe and optical shear-force feedback for tip–sample distance regulation. Physical aspects of the design are discussed, and phenomena related to operation in liquid are revealed. Careful calibration of the instrument in air and in liquid is shown, and for the first time to our knowledge, near-field fluorescence images of a biological cell in liquid are presented.
Operants: A Functional Calculus for Non-Commuting Operators

Quantum theory has stimulated the study of functions of non-commuting operators, giving rise in particular to the Weyl calculus for functions of the momentum and position operators and the Feynman calculus of time-ordered integrals. Here we describe a general functional calculus for non-commuting operators on a Banach space and examine the calculus in the simplest cases. For finite matrices the theory has an interesting connection with symmetric hyperbolic systems with constant coefficients.
A growing library of three-dimensional cohesive elements for use in ABAQUS

Abstract In this paper, we present the implementation of a small library of three-dimensional cohesive elements. The elements are formatted as user-defined elements, for compatibility with the commercial finite element software ABAQUS. The PPR, potential-based traction–separation relation is chosen to describe the element’s constitutive model. The intrinsic cohesive formulation is outlined due to its compatibility with the standard, implicit finite element framework present in ABAQUS. The implementation of the cohesive elements is described, along with instructions on how to incorporate the elements into a finite element mesh. Specific areas of the user-defined elements, in which the user may wish to modify the code to meet specific research needs, are highlighted. Numerical examples are provided which display the capabilities of the elements in both small deformation and finite deformation regimes. A sample element source code is provided in an appendix, and the source codes of the elements are supplied through the website of the research group of the authors.
Progress Toward Synthetic Cells

The complexity of even the simplest known life forms makes efforts to synthesize living cells from inanimate components seem like a daunting task. However, recent progress toward the creation of synthetic cells, ranging from simple protocells to artificial cells approaching the complexity of bacteria, suggests that the synthesis of life is now a realistic goal. Protocell research, fueled by advances in the biophysics of primitive membranes and the chemistry of nucleic acid replication, is providing new insights into the origin of cellular life. Parallel efforts to construct more complex artificial cells, incorporating translational machinery and protein enzymes, are providing information about the requirements for protein-based life. We discuss recent advances and remaining challenges in the synthesis of artificial cells, the possibility of creating new forms of life distinct from existing biology, and the promise of this research for gaining a deeper understanding of the nature of living systems.
Identifying Supernova Progenitors and Constraining the Explosion Channels

Connecting the endpoints of massive star evolution with the various types of core-collapse supernovae (SNe) is ultimately the fundamental puzzle to be explored and solved. We can assemble clues indirectly, e.g., from information about the environments in which stars explode and establish constraints on the evolutionary phases of these stars. However, this is best accomplished through direct identification of the actual star that has exploded in pre-supernova imaging, preferably in more than one photometric band, where color and luminosity for the star can be precisely measured. We can then interpret the star's properties in light of expectations from the latest massive stellar evolutionary models, to attempt to assign an initial mass to the progenitor. So far, this has been done most successfully for SNe II-P, for which we now know that red supergiants in a relatively limited initial mass range are responsible. More recently, we have limited examples of the progenitors of SNe II-L, IIn, and IIb. The progenitors of SNe Ib and Ic, however, have been elusive so far; I will discuss the current status of our knowledge of this particular channel.
Tip-over stability analysis of mobile boom cranes with double-pendulum payloads

Mobile boom cranes are used throughout the world to perform important and dangerous manipulation tasks. The usefulness of these cranes is greatly improved if they can utilize their mobile base during the lifting and transferring phases of operation. During such operations, the tip-over stability is degraded when the payload swings. This paper presents a stability study of such cranes with payloads that cause double-pendulum dynamics. As a first step, a static stability analysis of a single-pendulum boom crane is conducted to provide basic insights into the effects of the payload weight and crane configuration. Then, a semi-dynamic method is used to take the payload swing into account. Finally, the results of a dynamic stability analysis obtained by using a full dynamic multi-body simulation are compared to the outcomes of the previous approaches. The results of the semi-dynamic method and the full dynamic simulation are verified by experiments. This analysis provides useful guidance for the practical tip-over stability analysis of mobile boom cranes and motivates the need to control payload oscillations.
The pseudopotential-density functional method applied to nanostructures

In this review, I will describe the combination of pseudopotentials and density functional theory to determine the electronic structure of matter. This combination, called the pseudopotential-density functional method (PDFM), represents the most popular technique for examining a wide range of structural and electronic properties. I will illustrate applications of the PDFM to problems of current interest: nanostructures and other complex confined systems.
Meetinghouses of Early New England. By Peter Benes. (Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts Press, 2012. Pp. viii, 447. $49.95.)

Perhaps the most unexpected conclusion of folklorist Peter Benes in this meticulously researched compendium of information on the meetinghouses of New England is that the buildings that served the ...
A nationwide study of discrimination and chronic health conditions among asian americans

Objectives. We examined whether self-reported everyday discrimination was associated with chronic health conditions among a nationally representative sample of Asian Americans.Methods. Data were from the Asian American subsample (n = 2095) of the National Latino and Asian American Study conducted in 2002 and 2003. Regression techniques (negative binomial and logistic) were used to examine the association between discrimination and chronic health conditions. Analyses were conducted for the entire sample and 3 Asian subgroups (Chinese, Vietnamese, and Filipino).Results. Reports of everyday discrimination were associated with many chronic conditions, after we controlled for age, gender, region, per capita income, education, employment, and social desirability bias. Discrimination was also associated with indicators of heart disease, pain, and respiratory illnesses. There were some differences by Asian subgroup.Conclusions. Everyday discrimination may contribute to stress experienced by racial/ethnic minoriti...
Chronic Sidestream Cigarette Smoke Exposure Causes Lung Injury in Rabbits

The effects of sidestream cigarette smoke (SSCS) (a 15-min exposure per day for 20 days) were determined on markers of lung injury in New Zealand white rabbits (n = 9) and a control group (n = 6). The SSCS consisted of air and smoke which were aspirated by syringe from a funnel inverted over a lit ciga rette. The rabbits were placed in an environmental chamber into which 3 liters of SSCS were injected over a 15-min period each day. Chronic SSCS caused an increase (p < 0.05) in pulmonary epithelial clearance (k) of technetium labeled diethylenetriamine pentaacetate (99mTcDTPA); k = 0.83 (±0.07) for the SSCS-exposed group and 0.66 (± 0.02) for the control group. This increase in lung permeability was accompanied by an increase in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) white cell count; SSCS = 83,353 ( ± 11,954) cells/mm3 BAL fluid versus control = 16,450 (± 6,683) cells/mm3 BAL fluid and an increase in BAL leukotriene E4; SSCS = 742 (± 285) pg/ml BAL fluid compared with 76 (± 2) pg/ml BAL fluid for controls. Cultured...
Random sampling of deterministic signals: statistical analysis of Fourier transform estimates

This paper considers the estimation of the Fourier transform of continuous-time deterministic signals from a finite number N of discrete-time nonuniform observations. We first extend the recent results (mean and variance) of Tarczynski and Allay by providing both distributional properties as well as rates of almost sure convergence for the simple random sampling scheme of Tarczynski and Allay. The primary focus is to consider and investigate the properties of a class of stratified random sampling estimates. We establish the statistical properties of the estimates, including precise expressions and rate of convergence of the mean-square errors. We also establish the asymptotic normality of the estimates useful for confidence interval calculations. Further, we optimize over the class of the estimates in order to obtain the best performance. In particular, we show that for functions with a first-order continuous derivative, the mean-square estimation error decays precisely at the fast rate of 1/N/sup 3/. This rate is significantly higher than the rate of 1/N for simple random sampling estimates. The analytical results are illustrated by numerical examples. The effect of observation errors on the performance is also investigated.
Renal apolipoprotein A-I amyloidosis associated with a novel mutant Leu64Pro.

Apolipoprotein A-I amyloidosis (Apo A-I) is an inherited systemic disease that results from the pathologic deposition in tissues throughout the body of fibrils composed of Apo A-I–related molecules. This disorder has been linked to mutations occurring within the coding region of the Apo A-I gene and, to date, 11 such substitutions have been documented. In 4 of these cases, the kidney was the target organ of the disease process. The authors report their studies on a patient with renal amyloidosis and a heretofore undescribed alteration in the amyloidogenic precursor protein. Analyses of genomic DNA evidenced a transition in the second base of codon 64 (T→C) in one Apo A-I allele that resulted in the replacement of leucine by proline at position 64 (Leu64Pro). Additionally, fibrils extracted from the kidney and characterized chemically were found to be composed almost exclusively of an approximately 96-residue N-terminal Apo A-I fragment that contained the Leu64Pro substitution. These studies have provided further evidence for Apo A-I amyloidogenicity and the propensity of certain mutants to deposit in renal parenchyma.
Role of a pharmacist on the dialysis unit

In 1994, the medical director of the hemodialysis unit of Hartford Hospital approached the pharmacy department to help implement a program for appropriate dosing of erythropoietin to efficiently control anemia and reduce hospital costs. The rationale for having a pharmacist manage the program was
A Statistical Approach to Volume Data Quality Assessment

Quality assessment plays a crucial role in data analysis. In this paper, we present a reduced-reference approach to volume data quality assessment. Our algorithm extracts important statistical information from the original data in the wavelet domain. Using the extracted information as feature and predefined distance functions, we are able to identify and quantify the quality loss in the reduced or distorted version of data, eliminating the need to access the original data. Our feature representation is naturally organized in the form of multiple scales, which facilitates quality evaluation of data with different resolutions. The feature can be effectively compressed in size. We have experimented with our algorithm on scientific and medical data sets of various sizes and characteristics. Our results show that the size of the feature does not increase in proportion to the size of original data. This ensures the scalability of our algorithm and makes it very applicable for quality assessment of large-scale data sets. Additionally, the feature could be used to repair the reduced or distorted data for quality improvement. Finally, our approach can be treated as a new way to evaluate the uncertainty introduced by different versions of data.
Using respiratory motion to guide planning target volume margins for external beam partial breast irradiation.

Although toxicity associated with external-beam accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) has been reported to be acceptable in some studies, others have shown higher rates of fibrosis and suboptimal cosmesis using the fractionation schedule of 385 cGy twice daily to 3850 cGy. Given that this fractionation schedule may be close to the limits of normal tissue toxicity, any reduction in irradiated normal tissue volume that can be achieved without compromising target coverage may have meaningful clinical significance. Recent studies have explored the use of image guidance to reduce the planning target volume (PTV)margin required to accommodate setup errors. There have also been many recent studies of respiratory motion in patients treated with APBI in the supine position (1–19), and it may be time to reevaluate the PTV margin required to accommodate respiratory motion as well. The 19 studies summarized in the following table report a wide range of target motion that, at its extremes, spans a whole order of magnitude. Harris et al. (19) reported the use of four-dimensional computed tomography (4D-CT) to track gold fiducial markers placed at the periphery of the surgical bed in 15 patients and found that ‘‘the average intrafraction respiration induced fiducial motion was 0.8 mm.’’ By contrast, Yue et al. reported an average CTV motion of 8.5 mm in 4D-CTs of 4 APBI patients (8). Of the 19 studies, the ‘‘take-home’’ motion magnitude was 5 mm in 4 studies. One early study on the larger end of the spectrum is that by Baglan et al. (1). Evaluating surgical clip positions in CTs of 16 patients acquired at normal inspiration and expiration breath-holds, they reported a mean motion of 6 mm (range, 3–9 mm). From this, they suggested that ‘‘a conservative margin of 5 mm around the CTV would completely account for breast motion during quiet respiration in all patients.’’ (Note that if a target is localized to its midventilation posi-
Psychological Safety and Learning Behavior in Work Teams

This paper presents a model of team learning and tests it in a multimethod field study. It introduces the construct of team psychological safety—a shared belief held by members of a team that the team is safe for interpersonal risk taking—and models the effects of team psychological safety and team efficacy together on learning and performance in organizational work teams. Results of a study of 51 work teams in a manufacturing company, measuring antecedent, process, and outcome variables, show that team psychological safety is associated with learning behavior, but team efficacy is not, when controlling for team psychological safety. As predicted, learning behavior mediates between team psychological safety and team performance. The results support an integrative perspective in which both team structures, such as context support and team leader coaching, and shared beliefs shape team outcomes.
Electrical characteristics of high-quality sub-25-/spl Aring/ oxides grown by ultraviolet ozone exposure at low temperature

We have developed a method for controllably and reproducibly growing self-limiting ultrathin oxides with excellent electrical properties in the range /spl sim/10-25 /spl Aring/ thick at temperatures ranging from 25 to 600/spl deg/C, respectively, using an ultraviolet ozone (UVO/sub 3/) oxidation process. The self-limiting thickness depends primarily on the substrate temperature, allowing ultrathin oxide growth with precision and reproducibility using this UVO/sub 3/ process. Oxides grown by this method are comparable in electrical quality to thermal oxides, with similar leakage current densities and breakdown fields E/sub BD/>10 MV/cm. Current-voltage (I-V) analysis shows oxide thickness uniformity to within 1% from center to edge of a 4-in wafer. Capacitance-voltage (C-V) characterization of /spl sim/25 /spl Aring/ oxides shows excellent saturation behaviour, with low midgap interface trap densities and no hysteresis or dispersion.
A ternary mechanism for the facilitated transfer of metal ions into room-temperature ionic liquids (RTILs): implications for the “greenness” of RTILs as extraction solvents

Partitioning of sodium ions between aqueous nitrate media and 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl]imides (Cnmim+Tf2N−) in the presence of dicyclohexano-18-crown-6 is shown to take place via as many as three pathways: conventional nitrato complex extraction and/or either or both of two ion-exchange processes, the relative importance of which is determined by aqueous acidity and the hydrophobicity of the ionic liquid cation. Contrary to expectations, increasing the alkyl chain length of the IL cation (from C5mim+ to C10mim+) is insufficient to eliminate the possibility of ion exchange as a mode of metal ion partitioning between the two phases, an observation with negative implications for the utility of ILs as environmentally benign extraction solvents.
Probing and repairing damaged surfaces with nanoparticle-containing microcapsules

Oil droplets stabilized with a polymer surfactant can repair cracked polymer surfaces by selectively delivering nanoparticles into the cracks.
The Rate of Phrase Structure Change in the History of Yiddish.

The postion of inflected verbs in early Yiddish varies between second position and positions later in the clause. Standard distributional tests establish that this reflects variation in the underlying position of infl, and that Yiddish phrase structure changed from infl-final to infl-medial. Based on clauses containing the relevant structural diagnostics, we can estimate the rate of this change. We cannot, however, determine the phrase structure of structurally ambiguous clauses (i.e., those superficially consistent with either of the phrase structures) with certainty. Nevertheless, we can use quantitative methods to estimate the likelihood of such clauses being infl-medial, and we can then use these likelihoods to provide an additional estimate of the rate of the change. Comparing both estimates reveals that they do not differ significantly. The implications of this result are briefly examined in conclusion.
Polyp Segmentation on CT Colonography

Abstract Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death in Americans. It is estimated that 50% of people over the age of 60 will have at least one polyp. Computed tomographic colonography (CTC) is a less invasive technique to examine the colon compared to the traditional optical colonoscopy (OC). Large-scale multicenter clinical trials conducted in several countries have demonstrated that CTC is an effective modality for colorectal cancer screening. During the past decade, computer-aided detection and diagnosis (CADe and CADx) for CTC has been an active area of investigation and development in academia and industry. Most CADe and CADx systems for CTC comprise the following modules: colon segmentation, polyp segmentation, and feature calculation. Among these modules, polyp segmentation and characterization are essential for CADe and CADx. This chapter reviews several state-of-the-art polyp segmentation techniques and details an advanced approach based on a combination of knowledge-guided intensity adjustment, fuzzy clustering, and adaptive deformable models. The chapter also presents advanced techniques for polyp feature characterization. The results were validated against manual measurement and segmentation on OC and CTC.
Excited States of Fe 57 Populated in Co 57 Decay

The gamma-ray spectrum emitted in the decay of ${\mathrm{Co}}^{57}$ has been measured with a high-resolution Ge(Li) detector. In addition to the well-known gamma transitions of 136.4, 122.0, and 14.4 keV, the following weak transitions with energies given in keV (intensity per ${10}^{5}$ ${\mathrm{Co}}^{57}$ decays) were observed: 229.8\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.0 (0.5), 339.7\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.4 (4.2), 352.5\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.4 (3.2), 366.8\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.5 (0.6), 570.0\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.4 (13.2), 692.1\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.3 (137), and 706.4\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.4 (5.7). A unique decay scheme is established on the basis of these energy measurements and gamma-gamma coincidence measurements employing NaI(Tl) scintillation detectors. The excited states of ${\mathrm{Fe}}^{57}$ at 366.8 and 706.4 keV have spin and parity $\frac{3}{2}$- and $\frac{5}{2}$-, respectively. The total internal-conversion coefficient for the 14-keV transition was measured by two independent methods: (1) A gamma-gamma coincidence measurement in a calibrated geometry yielded a value of 9.0\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.5. (2) A measurement of the M\"ossbauer absorption cross section of 14-keV gamma rays in iron yielded a value of 8.9\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.6. The good agreement between the results of these two independent methods resolves previously reported discrepancies. A more accurate determination of the half-life of the 14.4-keV first excited state by a gamma-gamma delayed-coincidence measurement gave a result of (9.8\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.1)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}8}$ sec.
SC-04NON-UNIFORM NOTCH SIGNALING UNDERLIES HETEROGENEITY WITHIN THE GLIOBLASTOMA STEM CELL POPULATION

Glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs) have the ability to self-renew, differentiate into tumor lineages, and give rise to tumors in immunodeficient animal models. More importantly, GSCs are resistant to current therapies, leading to tumor recurrence. Glioblastoma (GBM) is highly heterogeneous at the molecular and cellular level. This heterogeneity also exhibits itself within the stem cell compartment, further impairing the development of effective therapies. CD133+ GSCs cells have increased tumorigenicity. However, the facts that CD133- cells also give rise to tumors in animal models and that some tumors do not have a CD133+ cell population suggest that CD133 is not a universal GSC marker. The Notch signaling pathway, previously believed to be activated in CD133+ GSCs, is important for GSC self-renewal and therapy resistance. To study GSC heterogeneity, we used genetic reporters for Notch activation and made the surprising observation that Notch signaling is active in small populations of cells that do not express CD133 (CD133-/Notch + ; n = 3 primary GBM cultures). Our in vitro tumorsphere formation and in vivo tumor formation assays showed that both CD133 + /Notch- and CD133-/Notch+ cells have stem cell properties. Global transcriptome analysis revealed that CD133 + /Notch- and CD133-/Notch+ GSCs utilize differential transcriptional programs, which prime CD133 + /Notch- GSCs to rely on anaerobic glycolysis. Furthermore, CD133/-Notch+ cells are able to give rise to CD133 + /Notch- cells, although the converse does not occur. This finding suggests that the two cell types have distinct differentiation potentials. Finally, preliminary data suggest that these two GSC subtypes behave differentially in response to temozolomide and radiation treatment, which are the standard of care for GBM. We are currently testing the contribution of distinct GSCs to tumor heterogeneity in vivo, using lineage-tracing systems. Understanding the biology of GSCs and the functional importance of heterogeneity within GSC populations is critical for the design of novel therapies.
Displacement-based ELISA: Quantifying Competition between Two Binding Partners for Interaction with a His-tagged Ligand Immobilized on a Ni2+-NTA Plate

[Abstract] The displacement assay was designed to quantify the direct competition between two homologous ribosomal proteins from Mycobacterium tuberculosis, S18-1 and S18-2, for interaction with their cognate binding partner, ribosomal protein S6 (Prisic et al., 2015). The S18 proteins were dialyzed in two physiologically relevant conditions (i.e. in the presence of Zn 2+ or with EDTA to chelate Zn 2+ ) and then allowed to compete for binding to S6 which was maintained in limiting concentration. The result was obtained through an ELISA, where S6-His is first bound to a Ni 2+ -NTA plate, followed by addition of S18-2 in excess to S6, then by addition of increasing concentrations of S18-1. The percentage of S18-2 that remained bound to S6 was quantified with antibodies specific to the S18-2 protein and secondary antibodies, in chemiluminescent ELISA. In this way displacement of S18-2 protein by the S18-1 protein was reported as a percentage of the full strength signal achieved through saturation of S6 with S18-2. At its foundation, this method exploits a native protein-protein interaction and could be applied to other systems where two or more proteins compete for binding to a target ligand as above.
Epidemiological analysis of food poisoning in the canteen of Shenzhen city from 2006 to 2011

Objective To understand the characteristics of food poisoning in the canteen in order to provide basis for the control and prevention of food poisoning.Method Statistical and epidemiological methods were used to analyze the data (2006-2011) of food poisoning in the canteen of Shenzhen.Results A total of 1 134 subjects were involved in 91 cases of food poisoning between 2006 and 2011.76.9% of the events occurred during May to October.78.0% of the food poisoning cases,involving 885 patients,occurred in factory,enterprise and construction site.The major pathogenic factor was infection by microorganism(73.6%),and the major pathogen was Vibrio parahaemolyticus.Conclusion The key point to prevent food poisoning is to strengthen the supervision and inspection of the factory,enterprise and construction site during the epidemical season,and the improvement of the propaganda of food safety knowledge.
Interband absorption strength in long-wave infrared type-II superlattices with small and large superlattice periods compared to bulk materials

The absorption spectra for the antimonide-based type-II superlattices (SLs) for detection in the long-wave infrared (LWIR) are calculated and compared to the measured data for SLs and bulk materials with the same energy gap (HgCdTe and InAsSb). We include the results for the metamorphic InAsSbx/InAsSby SLs with small periods as well as the more conventional strain-balanced InAs/Ga(In)Sb and InAs/InAsSb SLs on GaSb substrates. The absorption strength in small-period metamorphic SLs is similar to the bulk materials, while the SLs with an average lattice constant matched to GaSb have significantly lower absorption. This is because the electron-hole overlap in the strain-balanced type-II LWIR SLs occurs primarily in the hole well, which constitutes a relatively small fraction of the total thickness.
PSEUDOSARCOMA OF THE ESOPHAGUS.

SUMMARY One case of pseudosarcoma of the esophagus, including a review of the literature, is reported. A short discussion of the known biologic characteristics of these tumors is presented, but no attempt is made to argue the nature of these lesions. The important point is that polypoid lesions of the esophagus should alert the surgeon to the possibility of a pseudosarcoma. Therefore, if a lesion appears sarcoma-like (anaplastic with bizarre tumor giant cells and suggests either lipo-sarcoma or rhabdomyosarcoma), a careful search must be made for an associated squamous cell carcinoma in the base of the tumor.
Do Male and Female Views Toward Homosexuality Differ? An Empirical Study of United States Opinion

Homosexuality is generally viewed negatively. That is certainly the case in the Jewish and Christian holy books as well as the Quran, although opinions differ as to interpretation. The practice has been condemned by these religions. An Imam in Orlando, Florida, the site of the mass murder of homosexuals, has gone so far as to say that killing homosexuals would be the compassionate thing to do.It is not the purpose of this paper to review the history of homosexuality, or the pros and cons or moral standing of the practice. Readers can obtain that information by reading the items listed in the reference section of this paper. The goal of this study is more limited, to determine whether men and women in the United States hold different views on homosexuality.The present study is part of a series on homosexuality. Other studies in the series look at trends on the acceptance of homosexuality and examine specific demographic variables such as gender, age, social class, level of education, religion and region to see whether these variables are significant. One study ranks the acceptance of homosexuality for 98 countries. Citations to some of those studies (with links) are listed in the reference section of the present paper.
GROUND WATER COMPUTATIONS IN NEW JERSEY, U.S.A.

In rural areas the 100-year flood of smaller watersheds has a strong dependence on the permeability of the geologic subsurface of the watershed and on the point rainfall intensity. Based on 70 000 well record files in the state of New Jersey, U.S.A. the ground water availability in the rock formations have been estimated.
Black phosphorus photodetector on silicon photonic and plasmonic hybrid platform

Silicon photonics, plasmonic structures and two dimensional material are integrated vertically on SOI (Silicon on Insulator) substrate to produce a short channel photodetector. Its estimated average intrinsic responsivity is 220 mA/W.
On wireless video sensor network deployment for 3D indoor space coverage

Nowadays, wireless video sensor networks (WVSNs) play a prominent role in a wide range of security, industrial, medical and environmental applications. Unlike traditional sensors such as heat or light sensors often considered with omnidirectional sensing range, the sensing range of a video sensor can be deemed as a fan-shape in 2D and pyramid-shape in 3D, rendering the deployment solutions for traditional sensors and 2D sensing fields inapplicable and incapable of solving the WVSN deployment problem for 3D indoor space coverage. In this paper, we take the first attempt to address this by modeling the general problem in a continuous space and strive to minimize the number of required video sensors to cover the given 3D regions. We then convert it into a discrete version by incorporating 3D grids for our discrete model, which can achieve arbitrary approximation precision by adjusting the grid granularity. We propose a greedy heuristic and an enhanced Depth First Search (DFS) algorithm to solve the discrete version problem where the latter, if given enough time can return the optimal solution. We evaluate our solutions with a customized simulator that can emulate the actual WVSN deployment and 3D indoor space coverage. Our preliminary results demonstrate that our greedy heuristic can reduce the required video sensors by up to 50% over a baseline algorithm, and our enhanced DFS can achieve an additional reduction of video sensors by up to 20%.
The NHLBI REVIVE-IT study: Understanding its discontinuation in the context of current left ventricular assist device therapy

The National Institutes of Health National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute convened a working group in March 2008 to discuss how therapies for heart failure (HF) might be best advanced using clinical trials involving left ventricular assist devices (LVAD). This group opined that the field was ready for a trial to assess the use of long-term ventricular assist device therapy in patients who are less ill than patients currently eligible for destination therapy, which resulted in the Randomized Evaluation of VAD InterVEntion before Inotropic Therapy (REVIVE-IT) pilot study. The specific objective of REVIVE-IT was to compare LVAD therapy with optimal medical management in patients with less advanced HF than current LVAD indications to determine if wider application of permanent LVAD use to less ill patients would be associated with improved survival, quality of life, or functional capacity. REVIVE-IT represented an extraordinary effort to provide data from a randomized clinical trial to inform clinicians, scientists, industry, and regulatory agencies about the efficacy and safety of LVAD therapy in a population with less advanced HF. Despite significant support from the medical community, industry, and governmental agencies, REVIVE-IT failed to accomplish its goal. The reasons for its failure are instructive, and the lessons learned from the REVIVE-IT experience are likely to be relevant to any future study of LVAD therapy in a population with less advanced HF.
A multi-level anomaly detection algorithm for time-varying graph data with interactive visualization

This work presents a modeling and analysis framework for graph sequences which addresses the challenge of detecting and contextualizing anomalies in streaming graph data. Our goal is to detect changes at multiple levels of granularity, thereby identifying specific nodes and subgraphs causing a graph to appear anomalously. In particular, the framework detects changes in community membership, density, and node degree in a sequence of graphs where these are relatively stable. In route to this end, we introduce a new graph model, a generalization of the BTER model of Seshadhri et al., by adding flexibility to community structure, and use this model to perform multi-scale graph anomaly detection. This technique provides insight into a graph’s structure and internal context that may shed light on a detected event. Additionally, this multi-scale analysis facilitates intuitive visualizations by allowing users to narrow focus from an anomalous graph to particular subgraphs or nodes causing the anomaly. For evaluation, two hierarchical anomaly detectors are tested against a baseline Gaussian method on a series of sampled graphs. We demonstrate that our graph statistics-based approach outperforms both a distribution-based detector and the baseline in a labeled setting with community structure, and it accurately detects anomalies in synthetic and real-world datasets at the node, subgraph, and graph levels. To illustrate the accessibility of information made possible via this technique, the anomaly detector and an associated interactive visualization tool are tested on NCAA football data, where teams and conferences that moved within the league are identified with perfect recall, and precision >0.786.
Economic Evaluation and HIV Prevention Community Planning

In 1994, a new approach to implementing publicly funded HIV prevention programs was introduced. Roughly $190 million in federal funds in fiscal year 1994 allocated to the Centers for Disease Control were in turn reallocated to 65 different planning areas (the 50 states, eight territories, and seven of the U.S. cities hardest hit by AIDS).1 Each of these jurisdictions undertook a community planning process to establish priorities for HIV prevention. The planning groups formed were intended to reflect the local communities affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic, providers of HIV prevention programs and services, and local health officials (and in some cases local AIDS experts). Thus the role of the community planning group was envisioned as one of providing guidance to local health departments with respect to HIV prevention activities. The actual allocation of HIV prevention funds to specific programs and tasks remained within the jurisdiction of the local health department.1–3 The overriding goal of this process is stated clearly: “The purpose of the HIV Prevention Cooperative Agreement Program is to assist State and local health departments in preventing the transmission of HIV...”4 The 1997 budget further underlines this focus: “At the historic White House Conference on HIV and AIDS, the President made his commitment to HIV prevention clear: “We have to reduce the number of new infections each and every year until there are no more infections.’”5
Sulforaphane enhances the anticancer activity of taxanes against triple negative breast cancer by killing cancer stem cells

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) typically exhibits rapid progression, high mortality and faster relapse rates relative to other breast cancer subtypes. In this report we examine the combination of taxanes (paclitaxel or docetaxel) with a breast cancer stem cell (CSC)-targeting agent sulforaphane for use against TNBC. We demonstrate that paclitaxel or docetaxel treatment induces IL-6 secretion and results in expansion of CSCs in TNBC cell lines. Conversely, sulforaphane is capable of preferentially eliminating CSCs, by inhibiting NF-κB p65 subunit translocation, downregulating p52 and consequent downstream transcriptional activity. Sulforaphane also reverses taxane-induced aldehyde dehydrogenase-positive (ALDH+) cell enrichment, and dramatically reduces the size and number of primary and secondary mammospheres formed. In vivo in an advanced treatment orthotopic mouse xenograft model together with extreme limiting dilution analysis (ELDA), the combination of docetaxel and sulforaphane exhibits a greater reduction in primary tumor volume and significantly reduces secondary tumor formation relative to either treatment alone. These results suggest that treatment of TNBCs with cytotoxic chemotherapy would be greatly benefited by the addition of sulforaphane to prevent expansion of and eliminate breast CSCs.
The Benefits of a Person-Centered Social Program for Community-Dwelling People with Dementia: Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

ABSTRACTThis qualitative study aimed to explore the experience and impact of a person-centered social program for community-dwelling people in earlier stages of dementia. Semi-structured interviews with five people with dementia and their spouses were conducted seven to eight months after the program ended to assess persistence of the program’s impact on people with dementia. An interview with each person with dementia went deeper and further, based on each person’s salient experiences, having personally significant meaning and emotion. The present study used interpretative phenomenological analysis to support in-depth analysis of a small number of cases. Three main themes emerged for persons with dementia: (1) Participation in activities supporting self-identity; (2) The value of newly established intergenerational relationships; and (3) Empowerment (choice and control) and the student partner’s attitude. These findings fill a gap in the literature, by demonstrating how a person-centered social program w...
(Aceto-nitrile-κN)aqua-[N,N'-bis-(pyridin-2-yl-methyl)ethane-1,2-di-amine-κ4N,N',N'',N''']zinc(II) perchlorate.

The structure of the title compound, [Zn(C14H18N4)(C2H3N)(H2O)](ClO4)2, contains a six-coordinate cation consisting of the tetra­dentate bis­picen ligand, coordinated water, and coordinated aceto­nitrile, with the latter two ligands adopting a cis configuration. There are two formula units in the asymmetric unit. Both cations show almost identical structural features with the bis­picen ligand adopting the more common cis-β conformation. One of the four perchlorate anions is disordered over two positions, with occupancies of 0.9090 (15) and 0.0910 (15). There is extensive inter-ionic hydrogen bonding between the perchlorate anions and O—H and N—H groups in the cations, including a bifurcated hydrogen bond between an N—H group and two O atoms of one perchlorate anion. As a result of this extended hydrogen-bond network, the ions are linked into a complex three-dimensional array.
Developing the Personnel to Meet the Needs of Persons with Disabilities in Rural Settings Through Online Learning

Similar to other disciplines in human services, rehabilitation counselor education is faced with the demand to produce highly trained graduates who are capable of providing a high level of service to clients with disabilities. Many graduates do not want to work in rural areas. Thus, an alternative approach is to provide training for residents of rural areas who want to continue to live and work in those areas. This chapter provides a model of an online program that is responsive to this need.
Experimentally validated analytical expressions for the thermal resistance of a novel composite fin-foam annular array

Abstract Novel expressions are developed for the thermal resistance associated with an array consisting of periodic layers of metal fins and open-cell, high porosity metal foam attached annularly to a base cylinder. Predictions generated with the new expressions are verified by comparison with experimental measurements involving such an array and a cylindrical heat pipe. Parametric simulations are performed to assess the performance of the array over a range of geometric configurations, thermal contact resistances, and air velocities. Analytically predicted heat rates for an annular fin array, a foam-only annular array, and the new combined fin-foam array are compared, illustrating the improved thermal performance made possible by combining metal fins and foam into a composite array.
Discovery of stimulator binding to a conserved pocket in the heme domain of soluble guanylyl cyclase

Soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) is the receptor for nitric oxide and a highly sought-after therapeutic target for the management of cardiovascular diseases. New compounds that stimulate sGC show clinical promise, but where these stimulator compounds bind and how they function remains unknown. Here, using a photolyzable diazirine derivative of a novel stimulator compound, IWP-051, and MS analysis, we localized drug binding to the β1 heme domain of sGC proteins from the hawkmoth Manduca sexta and from human. Covalent attachments to the stimulator were also identified in bacterial homologs of the sGC heme domain, referred to as H-NOX domains, including those from Nostoc sp. PCC 7120, Shewanella oneidensis, Shewanella woodyi, and Clostridium botulinum, indicating that the binding site is highly conserved. The identification of photoaffinity-labeled peptides was aided by a signature MS fragmentation pattern of general applicability for unequivocal identification of covalently attached compounds. Using NMR, we also examined stimulator binding to sGC from M. sexta and bacterial H-NOX homologs. These data indicated that stimulators bind to a conserved cleft between two subdomains in the sGC heme domain. L12W/T48W substitutions within the binding pocket resulted in a 9-fold decrease in drug response, suggesting that the bulkier tryptophan residues directly block stimulator binding. The localization of stimulator binding to the sGC heme domain reported here resolves the longstanding question of where stimulators bind and provides a path forward for drug discovery.
Interactive scene segmentation for efficient human-in-the-loop robot manipulation

While there has been tremendous progress in autonomous robot manipulation, environments with clutter and unknown objects remain challenging particularly for the perception algorithms that support manipulation. This paper adopts a human-aided perception paradigm and investigates alternative interactive segmentation methods to allow users to segment a target object or object part. Through a first user study (N=24) we compare four interactive segmentation methods and characterize the tradeoff between efficiency and accuracy. Next we develop a hybrid segmentation interface and integrate it into an end-to-end human-in-the-loop manipulation system. In a second user study (N=12) we compare the performance of this system to a direct gripper-control system that allows similar manipulation tasks to be performed in challenging scenes. We find that this system enables more efficient manipulation with a lower mental load on the user, while offering a similar task success rate.
Perioperative Effects Associated With the Surgical Treatment of Degenerative Spondylolisthesis: Interbody Versus No Interbody.

STUDY DESIGN This is a retrospective analysis. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical, radiographic, and perioperative complication profiles of performing an interbody and posterior arthrodesis (CAGE) versus posterolateral lumbar fusion (PLF) alone in patients undergoing surgery for degenerative spondylolisthesis (DS). SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA DS is a common disorder that, failing nonoperative treatment, may be managed with surgical decompression and concomitant posterior arthrodesis. At present, the risk/benefit ratio of including an additional interbody arthrodesis has not been clearly delineated in the literature. MATERIALS AND METHODS We reviewed 174 consecutive patients (118 female and 56 male) diagnosed with single-level DS that met the inclusion/exclusion criteria, from January 1, 2000 to August 1, 2011. Clinical outcomes, fusion rates, radiographic outcomes, and complication profiles were recorded. RESULTS We identified 174 patients who received a single-level lumbar interbody fusion with posterolateral fusion (CAGE, n=89) or posterolateral fusion alone (PLF, n=85). No difference in patient-reported outcomes or fusion rate was detected between the 2 groups. We did identify better segmental lordosis increase (4.9±3.2 vs. 0.9±1.9 degrees; P=0.001) and interdiscal height change (2.1±2.4 vs. 0.6±1.6 mm) in the CAGE group. Operative time, 199.8±36.6 versus 142.6±28.5 minutes (P<0.001); blood loss, 355±216.4 versus 269±28.5 mL (P<0.001); and postoperative radiculitis, 28.9% versus 7.0% (P=0.003) were worse in the CAGE group compared with the PLF group. CONCLUSIONS The ideal surgical approach when treating patients with DS remains in question. This study suggests, when comparing PLF with or without additional interbody fusion, that the lack of clinical or fusion-related benefit may not justify the higher risk profile including longer surgery, higher blood loss, and increased risk of postoperative radiculitis. Long-term prospective studies are required to further clarify these findings. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level III.