cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Secondary dementia caregiving and its consequences.

The purpose of this study was to ascertain variations between primary and “secondary” caregivers (those who play a more supplemental role in the care of a relative). Survey data were collected from a sample of dementia caregivers recruited from the University of Kentucky Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (N = 1,016). Bivariate analyses found that primary and secondary caregivers varied on a number of background characteristics, and regression models indicated that primary caregivers provided a wider range of assistance with instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), but not help with activities of daily living (ADLs). Primary and secondary caregivers did not differ significantly in reports of subjective health. The findings suggest that future research and interventions should be inclusive of primary and secondary caregivers.
Equine herpesvirus-1 strain KyA, a candidate vaccine strain, reduces viral titers in mice challenged with a pathogenic strain, RacL.

Abstract The equine herpesvirus type-1 (EHV-1) strain Kentucky A (KyA) has a long history of repeated passage either in vivo in the Syrian hamster or in vitro in mouse L-M fibroblast tissue culture. This repeated passage in cells other than those of the natural host has caused genomic alterations of the KyA chromosome resulting in deletion of several genes or portions of open reading frames (ORFs). This report presents in vivo data from a mouse model of EHV-1 infection demonstrating the attenuated nature of EHV-1 strain KyA and that intranasal infection with KyA protects animals from subsequent challenge with a pathogenic strain, RacL, by reducing RacL viral titers in the lungs of the challenged animals. Mice infected with KyA exhibit no clinical manifestations of EHV-1 disease and do not experience the wasting that occurs with RacL infection. KyA-infected mice clear virus from the lung by day 5 post-infection (p.i.), whereas RacL infected mice have substantial virus titers (5 × 10 5 pfu/lung) at this time point. Intranasal infection with KyA followed by a challenge with RacL 4 weeks post-KyA infection results in a significant ( P = 0.0079) reduction in the lung titers of the RacL virus. RacL was identified as the virus present in the lungs of the challenged mice by a PCR assay employing primers to amplify the EUS4 gene which differs in size by 1.2 kilobase pairs (kbp) in the two strains. Importantly, the protection afforded by KyA is long lasting in that challenge with RacL 15 months after KyA infection, results in reduced virus titers and viral clearance by day 5 post-challenge. These results support the further consideration of EHV-1 KyA as a live virus vaccine.
Pulsed field ionization of Rydberg atoms

Fully quantum and classical trajectory Monte Carlo calculations are performed for a Rydberg alkali-metal atom that is kicked by a pulsed electric field. The two calculations are compared to recent experimental results through the ionization probability versus peak field strength. The energy distributions of the final electrons are compared between the two calculations. There is a qualitative difference between the classical and quantum momentum distributions which is measurable in principle. An experiment to detect the time-dependent precession of the orbital angular momentum in Cs is also proposed. @S1050-2947~97!51211-X#
Summer Migrant Students Learn Healthy Choices Through Videography

The purpose of this single-group pre- and posttest intervention pilot study was to teach middle school migrant farmworker children the benefits of healthy eating and activity using a multimedia and...
A simple and powerful test for autocorrelated errors in OLS intervention models.

The important assumption of independent errors should be evaluated routinely in the application of interrupted time-series regression models. The two most frequently recommended tests of this assum...
Achalasia associated with hiatal hernia : prevalence and potential implications

Although hiatal hernia is reported with a 40–50% frequency in the general population, its occurrence and potential implications in achalasia are less well known. We reviewed the medical records and radiographic examinations of 120 patients with achalasia to assess the prevalence of hiatal hernia and its importance in evaluation and management of this motility disorder. Hiatal hernia was present in only 10 (8.3%) patients. Age, sex distribution, prevalence of dysphagia and regurgitation, and lower esophageal sphincter pressure measured manometrically were not significantly different in patients having hiatal hernia compared to those without hernia. Most patients (88%) underwent pneumatic dilatation and five esophageal perforations occurred, but all in patients without hiatal hernia. In conclusion, hiatal hernia is uncommon in patients with achalasia for reasons not known. Age, sex, symptoms, and results of esophageal manometry were not significantly different in those with hiatal hernia. Finally, the presence of hiatal hernia is not a contraindication to treatment of achalasia by pneumatic dilatation.
Coherent structure in a turbulent jet via a vector implementation of the proper orthogonal decomposition

The coherent structure in the near-field of an axisymmetric turbulent jet at a Reynolds number of 3.8 × 10 5 and Mach number of 0.3 is experimentally characterized by a vector implementation of the proper orthogonal decomposition (POD). The POD eigenfunctions and associated eigenvalues are extracted at several selected streamwise locations in the initial region. The focus on the near-field is motivated by its importance in numerous technical applications. Results show a rapid energy convergence with POD mode number. Examination of the relative energy contained in the combined azimuthal and radial components of the POD modes reveals that it is comparable to that in the streamwise component. The streamwise evolution of the eigenvalue spectra is characterized by a remarkable variation in the azimuthal mode number energy distribution, leading to the dominance of azimuthal mode m = 1 beyond the end of the jet core. In contrast, a scalar implementation using only the streamwise component shows the dominance of mode m = 2 which is consistent with previous scalar implementations of the POD. For a given azimuthal mode number, the eigenvalue spectra exhibit a broad peak which occurs at a constant value of Strouhal number based on local shear layer momentum thickness and local jet maximum velocity. The phase information required for a local reconstruction of the jet structure is obtained by projecting the POD eigenmodes onto instantaneous realizations of the flow at fixed streamwise locations. The instantaneous realizations are obtained by utilizing cross-stream arrays of multi-sensor probes in conjunction with linear stochastic estimation (LSE). Results clearly show the local dynamic behaviour of each component of the jet structure.
Video Based Person Authentication via Audio/Visual Association

Multi-modal person authentication systems can achieve higher performance and robustness by combining different modalities. The current fusion strategies of different modalities are mainly based on the output of individual modalities. However, there are detail structures between facial movement and speech signal. In this paper, Audio/Visual association, a lower level fusion, is proposed to fuse the information between lip movement and speech signal. The experimental results indicate that this type of fusion strategy improve the performance of multi-modal person authentication system.
Focus Groups as a Tool for Policy Analysis

Focus groups were formerly associated with market research but have recently gained some measure of social scientific respectability. In this article, I briefly recapitulate the history of focus groups and then examine their role in 4 (2 Dutch, 2 American) policy research projects. In each case, the focus groups provided an understanding of the interests and values of different stakeholder groups and per-mitted the analysts to predict the groups’ reactions to policy alternatives. This served to link the focus groups to the underlying policy problem, to set the policy issues in their appropriate context, to take due account of the technical complexities of the situation, and to orient toward integrating the results of the focus groups with the other tools used in the policy analysis. The four cases shared a “spiral” model approach to focus groups, in which the discussion moves from generic to specific toward the object of focus rather than tackling it directly. This permits both a breadth and depth of perspective and helps avoid posturing. I conclude that focus groups provide a value for policy analysis because they enable participant stakeholders to become part of the process, help uncover misunderstandings that conceal underlying agreements among stakeholders, and uncover potential problems of implementation.
Medical ICU Admissions During Weekday Rounds Are Not Associated With Mortality A Single-Center Analysis

This study investigated whether intensive care unit (ICU) admissions to the research team’s tertiary care academic hospital during morning rounds was associated with increased mortality. Discharge data were analyzed on 1912 patients admitted to the ICUs between July 2007 and June 2011. Measures included discharge disposition, time of admission to the ICU, source of admission, and expected mortality score. Descriptive statistics were generated to examine the proportion of subjects who died based on admission time to the ICU, and Pearson’s χ2 test was used to test the null hypothesis that mortality rates for admissions during rounds and those at other times of the day would be similar. No difference in mortality was detected between admissions during rounds and all other times, whether analyzed using a bivariate (P = .55) or multivariable (P = .78) analysis. In this study, mortality was associated with severity of illness and not associated with admission during morning rounds.
Metamaterials for microwave frequencies

In this paper, the current state of metamaterials is discussed with reference to fields of interest, research efforts, advantages and limitations, and applications. While the range of frequencies at which metamaterials work extends past the visible light range, the scope of this paper will be the electromagnetic spectrum from GHz to THz.
Plasmon-enhanced reverse water gas shift reaction over oxide supported Au catalysts

We show that localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) can enhance the catalytic activities of different oxide-supported Au catalysts for the reverse water gas shift (RWGS) reaction. Oxide-supported Au catalysts showed 30 to 1300% higher activity for RWGS under visible light compared to dark conditions. Au/TiO2 catalyst prepared by the deposition–precipitation (DP) method with 3.5 nm average Au particle size showed the highest activity for the RWGS reaction. Visible light is converted into chemical energy for this reaction with up to a 5% overall efficiency. A shift in the apparent activation energy (from 47 kJ mol−1 in dark to 35 kJ mol−1 in light) and apparent reaction order with respect to CO2 (from 0.5 in dark to 1.0 in light) occurs due to the LSPR. Our kinetic results indicate that the LSPR increases the rate of either the hydroxyl hydrogenation or carboxyl decomposition more than any other steps in the reaction network.
Testing vs. code inspection vs. what else?: male and female end users' debugging strategies

Little is known about the strategies end-user programmers use in debugging their programs, and even less is known about gender differences that may exist in these strategies. Without this type of information, designers of end-user programming systems cannot know the "target" at which to aim, if they are to support male and female end-user programmers. We present a study investigating this issue. We asked end-user programmers to debug spreadsheets and to describe their debugging strategies. Using mixed methods, we analyzed their strategies and looked for relationships among participants' strategy choices, gender, and debugging success. Our results indicate that males and females debug in quite different ways, that opportunities for improving support for end-user debugging strategies for both genders are abundant, and that tools currently available to end-user debuggers may be especially deficient in supporting debugging strategies used by females.
Performing Visibility: Freaknic and the Spatial Politics of Sexuality, Race, and Class in Atlanta

During the late 1990s, participants in Freaknic, the annual black college spring break gathering, were greeted by the Atlanta police in riot gear. Defying the police, women gave impromptu performances, sometimes stripping for participants' cameras. Thompson shows how these performances were a response not only to the city's treatment of Freaknic but also to Atlanta's long history of using force to control race, gender, and class.
Erlotinib in African Americans With Advanced Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Prospective Randomized Study With Genetic and Pharmacokinetic Analyses

Prospective studies focusing on EGFR inhibitors in African Americans with NSCLC have not been previously performed. In this phase II randomized study, 55 African Americans with NSCLC received erlotinib 150mg/day or a body weight adjusted dose with subsequent escalations to the maximum allowable, 200mg/day, to achieve rash. Erlotinib and OSI-420 exposures were lower compared to previous reports, consistent with CYP3A pharmacogenetics implying higher metabolic activity. Tumor genetics revealed only two EGFR mutations, EGFR amplification in 17/47 samples, 8 KRAS mutations and 5 EML4-ALK translocations. Although absence of rash was associated with shorter time to progression (TTP), disease control rate, TTP, and 1-year survival were not different between the two dose groups, indicating the dose-to-rash strategy failed to increase clinical benefit. Observed low incidence of toxicity and low erlotinib exposure suggest standardized and maximum allowable dosing may be suboptimal in African Americans.
Dose-Response of Submandibular Glands to Carcinogen Pellets in Rats and Hamsters

LE RELATION INTER DOSE DE GRANOS DE CARCINOGENOS E LE RESPONSA DEL GLANDULAS SUBMANDIBULAR IN RATTOS E HAMSTERS.-Pro studiar le effecto carcingenic de 5, 10, e 20 pro cento 7:12-dimethylbenz-γ-anthraceno mixte con glycerol polyethylenic, granos continente le mixtura experimental esseva implantate in le glandulas submandibular de rattos e hamsters durante un periodo de 24 septimanas. Un augmento in le dose del carcinogeno resultava in un augmento correspondente in le inducite tumores maligne in ambe species. Tamen, plus carcinomas de cellulas squamose esseva notate in le rattos e plus sarcomas in le hamsters. Iste statisticamente significative differentia in le typo de tumor inducite es attribuite a specificitate de tissu o de specie.
Treatment of glenohumeral arthrosis and inferior shoulder subluxation in an adult with cerebral palsy: a case report.

Spasticity of the shoulder musculature1,2, glenohumeral joint subluxation3,4, or glenohumeral arthrosis5 can contribute to shoulder pain and functional limitation in patients with spasticity. This report describes a patient with chronic upper motor neuron injury from cerebral palsy who underwent shoulder hemiarthroplasty and biceps suspension for treatment of inferior glenohumeral subluxation and arthrosis. The patient was informed that data concerning the case would be submitted for publication, and she provided consent. A fifty-two-year-old right-hand-dominant woman presented with left shoulder pain and deformity. The patient had cerebral palsy characterized by spastic left hemiparesis and athetosis. She noted that the shoulder and elbow deformity became more prominent while she was walking, as is typical of upper motor neuron disorders with spasticity, making balance and walking difficult. She had been diagnosed with severe degenerative osteoarthritis and an inferior glenohumeral subluxation, which had been unresponsive to nonoperative treatment including botulinum toxin injections, intra-articular steroid injections, and a suspension orthosis to reduce the glenohumeral subluxation. On physical examination, the patient had marked spasticity with only minimal volitional movement of the left shoulder. There was no active flexion or extension of the elbow, wrist, or fingers. There were, however, spontaneous athetoid movements of the left upper extremity as well as a positive sulcus sign. Passive shoulder motion was limited by pain caused by underlying arthritis and by increased tone. The resting shoulder posture was 15° of extension, 60° of abduction, and 30° of internal rotation. The left elbow was held in 90° of flexion, although it could be moved passively from 0° to 150°. Radiographs (Fig. 1-A) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (Fig. 1-B) demonstrated advanced degenerative arthritis of the glenohumeral joint and inferior glenohumeral subluxation but no evidence of a rotator cuff tear or other associated intra-articular …
Calreticulin functions as a molecular chaperone for the β-amyloid precursor protein1

Abstract Processing of the β-amyloid precursor protein (APP) in the endoplasmic reticulum and the Golgi apparatus may be critical in generating the β-amyloid molecules linked to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease. Since chaperone molecules such as calreticulin (Crt) have been shown to be important in the maturation of many glycoproteins, we investigated the interaction between Crt and APP. We show that APP binds transiently to Crt in a manner that is pH, divalent cation, and N-linked glycosylation-dependent. Both immature APP (containing only N-linked sugars) and mature APP (containing both N-linked and O-linked sugars) bind to Crt. Both proteins are part of a complex that appears to be large enough to accommodate other proteins as well. However, while most of the immature form is associated with the complexes, very little of the mature form is. The interaction between APP and Crt is likely to be of physiological significance with respect to APP maturation since Crt is involved in quality control of nascent glycoproteins in the secretory pathway.
Incorporation of Biomarkers with the Renal Angina Index for Prediction of Severe AKI in Critically Ill Children

Background and objectives Novel AKI biomarkers carry variable performance for prediction of AKI in patients with heterogeneous illness. Until utility is demonstrated in critically ill patients outside of the cardiopulmonary bypass population, AKI biomarkers are unlikely to gain widespread implementation. Operationalization of an AKI risk stratification methodology, termed renal angina, was recently reported to enhance prediction at the time of intensive care unit admission for persistent severe AKI. The renal angina index (RAI) was developed to provide the clinical context to direct AKI biomarker testing. This study tested the hypothesis that incorporation of AKI biomarkers in patients fulfilling renal angina improves the prediction of persistent severe AKI. Design, setting, participants, & measurements In a multicenter study of 214 patients admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit with sepsis, the discrimination of plasma neutrophil gelatinase–associated lipocalin (NGAL), matrix metalloproteinase-8 (MMP-8), and neutrophil elastase-2 (Ela-2) were determined individually and in combination with the RAI for severe AKI. Net reclassification improvement (NRI) and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) were calculated. Results Individual biomarkers demonstrated marginal discrimination for severe AKI (area under curve [AUC]: NGAL, 0.72; MMP-8, 0.68; Ela-2, 0.72), inferior to prediction by the clinical model of the RAI (AUC=0.80). Incorporation of each biomarker significantly added to the renal angina model AKI prediction (AUC=0.80, increased to 0.84–0.88; P,0.05 for each). The inclusion of each biomarker with the RAI demonstrated NRI (0.512, 0.428, and 0.545 for NGAL, MMP-8, and Ela-2, respectively; all P,0.03) and IDI (0.075 for Ela-2). The inclusion of both Ela-2 and NGAL with RAI demonstrated an NRI of 0.871 (P,0.001) and an IDI of 0.1 (P=0.01). Conclusions This study shows that incorporation of AKI biomarkers into the RAI improves discrimination for severe AKI. The RAI optimizes the utility of AKI biomarkers in a heterogeneous, critically ill patient population. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol 9: 654–662, 2014. doi: 10.2215/CJN.09720913
Common and drug‐specific genetic influences on subjective effects to alcohol, tobacco and marijuana use

Aim To examine variation in positive and negative subjective effects to alcohol, tobacco and marijuana and covariation between these three drugs and each effect. Design Retrospective self‐reports of subjective effects were collected to estimate the genetic and environmental influences and the extent of their specificity across three drugs. Participants Data were drawn from 1299 adolescent and young adult same‐ and opposite sex twin‐ and sibling‐pairs participating in the Colorado Center for Antisocial Drug Dependence (CADD). Setting A large, collaborative, longitudinal study of substance use and antisocial behavior in community and clinical adolescents. Measurement Subjective effects were assessed using a 13‐item questionnaire that included positive and negative responses to alcohol, tobacco and marijuana. Findings Heritable influences contributed moderately (additive genetic effects 16–56%) to positive and negative subjective effects to all three drugs and did not differ for males and females. Genetic and environmental contributions to positive and negative subjective effects are largely non‐overlapping for tobacco and marijuana. Multivariate genetic modeling indicated that subjective effects to alcohol, tobacco and marijuana share a common, heritable etiology and that drug‐specific genetic influences were an important contributor to individual differences in drug response. Conclusions Results from our genetic analyses suggest that subjective effects to these commonly used and misused drugs are heritable and that the genetic and environmental influences on effects to one drug also influence subjective effects to other drugs.
Laboratory Studies of the Rheological Properties of Minerals under Deep-Mantle Conditions

Most large-scale geological processes, such as mantle convection and plate tectonics, involve plastic deformation of rocks. However, quantitative experimental studies of plastic properties under deep-mantle conditions are challenging, and major progress in this area has often been associated with the development of new techniques. Until very recently, reliable studies have been conducted only at pressures less than ∼0.5 GPa (∼15 km depth in Earth). By combining novel techniques of synchrotron-based in situ stress-strain measurements with newly designed high-pressure apparatuses, a new generation of experimental studies of plastic deformation of minerals under deep-mantle conditions is emerging. These studies constrain the pressure dependence of deformation of minerals such as olivine and the slip systems in high-pressure minerals such as wadsleyite and perovskite. These results have important implications for the depth variation of mantle viscosity and the geodynamic interpretation of seismic anisotropy.
Enabling QoS-aware Java applications over ATM networks

We have witnessed the emergence of different types of multimedia applications particularly those involving continuous media such as digital audio and video. Improvements in hardware, software, and networking technologies are enabling wide deployment of these applications each with its own quality of service (QoS) requirements. Along with these technological advances, Java has emerged as a powerful platform for the development of many desktop applications. We first present a review of popular QoS-aware standard networking APIs available to developers on both UNIX and Windows systems. We then discuss by design and implementation extensions we made to the Java architecture to support QoS over native asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) networks. Our implementation offers Java application developers the ability to specify their QoS requirements over ATM networks and simultaneously takes advantage of platform independence provided by Java. In addition, we discuss practical performance experiences obtained with our design in supporting digital video applications running over ATM networks.
Endometriosis in association with pregnancy.

ENDOMETRIOSIS has received much attention in the gynecologic literature since it was originally described by RusselP in 1899. Sampson, in 1921, was the first to propose the theory of its etiology from implantation of endometrial fragments regurgitated through the Fallopian tubes during menstruation. The apparent increase in the incidence of endometriosis has been distressing. Holmes found 80 proved cases of external endometriosis in 307 gynecologic laparotomies, an incidence of 26 per eent. Sampson has reported finding endometriosis in 43 per cent of abdominal operations performed on women between the ages of 30 and 50 years. Meigs5 made a gross diagnosis of endometriosis in 36 per cent of 400 consecutive female patients at laparotomy, with pathologic confirmation in 28 per cent. Our experience with patients on the private gynecologic service of the North Carolina Baptist Hospital has closely paralleled that of this last group. The literature has been concerned primarily with the etiology, pathology, diagnosis, and treatment of this disease. Although numerous series of cases have been reported and the gynecologic aspect of the condition has been fully discussed, the only obstetric factors which have received much consideration arc the ineidencc of infertility and sterility, and the complications which may occur when pregnancy and endometriosis are associated. In 1944, however, Scott reviewed the literature on endometriosis in pregnancy. He found only 47 reports of such cases, and added two of his own.
The Dodd-Frank Act: What Community Bankers Need to Know

The passage of the Dodd-Frank Act (“Act”) has left many leaders of community banks wondering how their businesses will be impacted. While much of the Act (and the majority of media coverage) focuses on larger institutions, the Act will directly and indirectly affect the business of community banks in a number of ways, some not necessarily anticipated by lawmakers. It is helpful to remember while reading this that approximately 90 percent of the outstanding banking industry charters are in the possession of institutions that qualify as a “community bank.” Following is a summary of what community bankers can expect from the passage of the Act.
Shortcomings in Current Explanations of National Farm Surpluses

T HE productivity of American agriculture continues to amaze most of us and to perplex those who would control it. During recent years, despite restrictions on major crops, successive all-time production records have been established. This year promises to be a near-record notwithstanding drought through the central part of the country and in spite of additional measures to check output. We are experiencing a condition described as a surplus many years ago by John D. Black: "A volume of production continuing so large over a period that the producers of it have to sell at prices that will not allow them to operate with their accustomed profits, income and scale of living." Dr. Black's definition conforms fairly well to what most people have in mind when they speak of a surplus. I am aware of the fact that the definition is subjective, dependent exclusively upon judgments of producers and hence more prone to discover a surplus than some other definition might be. The size of the surplus is a controversial point. Certainly not all the $8.5 billion worth of farm products owned by and under loan to the government is surplus. Undeniably, a large share of it is. Not only is there an accumulation of surplus stocks for particular crops like wheat, cotton and corn. Current production of these and other products has run ahead of commercial outlets. If we consider the surplus to be that quantity of current production that will not move through the commercial channels at the supported price, but must be stockpiled or moved at home and abroad by extraordinary governmental measures, then the surplus is considerable. During the past three years dispositions of government-owned stocks have totaled about $6 billion, and in spite of this there has been a net accumulation in government hands of about $6 billion more. This makes a yearly average takeover of about $4 billion, or more than 10 per cent of gross farm income. Agricultural surpluses, both as accumulations in the hands of government and as excessive current production, have persisted in recent years. This is in the face of such favorable basic conditions as unexpected population growth, record nonfarm civilian employment, a fairly stable general price level, rising per capita real income, high-level per capita consumption of foods and fibers, improving economic conditions abroad, and vigorous government efforts to restrict production and dispose of sur-
Strongly-interacting color-singlet exchange in $\bar{p}$-p collisions at √s = 1800 GeV

Results are presented from an analysis of the particle multiplicity between high transverse energy jets in {anti p}-p collisions at {radical}s = 1,800 GeV. The data were collected using the D0 Detector at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. The authors observe an excess of events at low multiplicity which is consistent with strongly interacting color-singlet exchange. The fraction of events due to color-singlet exchange is measured as a function of the transverse energy and rapidity separation of the jets and is compared to several theoretical models for color-singlet exchange.
A DNA test for routine prediction in breeding of sweet cherry fruit color, Pav-Rf-SSR

Sweet cherry fruit color is a market class-defining trait. The two main market classes in the USA are mahogany, consisting fruit with red skin and flesh, and blush, consisting clear-fleshed fruit with yellow skin and a red overcolor on less than the entire skin surface. Fruit color is a major consideration in sweet cherry breeding as resources and selection thresholds are often differentially applied to each market class. The use of DNA-based information could improve breeding efficiency and accuracy for fruit color, but a predictive DNA test is required. The objective of this study was to develop a reliable, simple DNA test for the prediction of sweet cherry color-based market classes, targeting the major locus, termed here as R f , associated with fruit color variation. Haplotypes were developed based on 14 SNP markers from the RosBREED cherry 6K SNP array v1 that were associated with the two market classes. To convert the multiple SNP markers to a single, simple PCR-based assay, 11 PCR-based assays targeting microsatellite motifs were designed, using the peach reference genome sequence, and used to screen 20 individuals representing the most common SNP haplotypes. One assay, subsequently named Pav-Rf-SSR, was used to screen 221 phenotyped individuals of the RosBREED sweet cherry reference germplasm set and accurately differentiated individuals with mahogany and blush fruits. Pav-Rf-SSR can be used in DNA-informed breeding schemes to efficiently and accurately predict genetic potential for fruit color and is one of the first DNA tests publicly available for a sweet cherry fruit quality trait.
Lymphocytosis-Promoting Factor of Bordetella pertussis: Isolation, Characterization, and Biological Activity

The leukocytosis and lymphocytosis-promoting factor (LPF) of Bordetella pertussis has been isolated in apparently pure form. LPF is a protein essentially free of lipid and carbohydrate with an estimated molecular weight of 67,000-73,600 daltons. Purified LPF induced both histamine sensitization and refractoriness to epinephrine-induced hyperglycemia and was a murine thymus-derived (T-) cell mitogen. Adenyl cyclase activity also appeared to be associated with LPF.
Establishing a Framework — Does Testosterone Supplementation Help Older Men?

Aging is variably but inevitably accompanied by declines in health; concomitantly, in men, circulating sex-steroid levels fall with age.1 To what extent these two processes are causally linked and whether testosterone therapy can prevent or ameliorate important age-related problems have been major issues in men’s health. In 2003, a committee assembled by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) found a paucity of randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials involving older men and noted a lack of definite evidence that testosterone therapy conferred benefits.2 The committee recommended that clinical trials be initiated, first to evaluate the efficacy of testosterone supplementation in older men and . . .
Limitations of Plasma Charging Damage Measurements Using MOS Capacitor Structures

This paper investigates the sensitivity and limitation of capacitor testing for measuring potential charging damage to gate oxides in a given plasma step. While C-V measurements are the most directly related to transistor threshold voltage (Vth) and transconductance (gm), C-V measurements are slow, difficult to automate and not usable for large antenna structures without a fuse link. In contrast, ramp breakdown measurements are quick and easy to automate but lack sensitivity. Charge-to-breakdown offers better sensitivity but with long measurement times. A more promising method is the V-t measurement where the slope dV/dt after initial charging is a measure of the trapping generation rate and is found to be very sensitive to charge damage. The damage sensitivity of this method is high and involves tradeoffs between antenna ratio, testing current and testing time. All of which are critical to damage testing. Leakage measurements are another method which offers short measurement times and high sensitivity. Their limitations are the noise level of the measurement system and the making of good probe contact to the gate material.
Analysis of epidemiological characteristics of hepatitis C in Ningbo from 1998 to 2008

Objective:To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of Hepatitis C in Ningbo to provide scientific bases for prevention and control strategies.Methods:Descriptive epidemiological method was used to analyze the information of hepatitis C in Ningbo.Results:The incidence of hepatitis C ranged from 0.09/100000 to 1.21/100000 with the annual incidence of 0.56/100000 during this period,which decreased in 2001 and ascended gradually afterward,and remained at a relatively high level in recent years.Hepatitis C cases were reported all the eleven counties administrated by Ningbo city.Higher incidence was observed in specific counties or districts.However,there were no statistically significant differences(χ2=0.402,P0.05).People aged from 20 to 39 years were most easily affected,accounted for 50.74% of all cases.There were no significant difference between male cases and female cases(χ2=3.10,P0.05).Farmers and workers accounted for 45.54% of all cases.Conclusion:The incidence of hepatitis C remains in the low level in Ningbo.However,it ascendes gradually in recent years.Attentions should be paid to control viral hepatitis C and comprehensive control measures should be implemented to block the transmission routes.
Information query method and tactic for TPI heterostructure uniform index system

The basic mechanism of heterostructure query,configuration of heterostructure database and tactic of classifying vocabulary used for a whole article index on the platform of Heilongjiang electric power science and technology digital information was introduced.The basic method and the tactic of heterostructure united index were discussed,meanwhile,cautions worth noticing during index were also presented.
Are We Drawing the Correct Conclusions? Regression Analysis in the Nonprofit Literature

Linear models are the most commonly used analytical tools in the nonprofit literature. Academics and practitioners utilize these models to test different hypotheses in support of their research efforts, seeking to find significant results that substantiate their theories. And yet the authors of this article have discovered a surprisingly large number of insignificant results in articles from established nonprofit journals. Insignificant hypotheses and Type II errors surely account for a number of these results, but the authors believe the majority of these results are due to a different cause, one that is detectable and preventable: multicollinearity. Dans les articles sur les organismes sans but lucratif, les modeles lineaires sont les outils analytiques les plus communement utilises. En effet, academiques et praticiens utilisent tous les deux ces modeles pour evaluer diverses hypotheses relatives a leurs recherches, esperant trouver des resultats significatifs pouvant confirmer leurs theories. Pourtant, les auteurs de cet article ont decouvert un nombre surprenant de resultats non significatifs dans des articles de revues etablies sur les organismes sans but lucratif. Des hypotheses non significatives et des erreurs du type II expliquent surement certains de ces resultats, mais les auteurs croient que la majorite des resultats ont une cause differente qui est detectable et evitable : la multicolinearite.
A Critical Analysis of Emergency Management

This article examines the underlying assumptions, imagery, and ideology of the discourse on emergency management that emerged among politicians, the media, and political appointees following Hurric...
Bearing Capacity for Spread Footings Placed Near c′-ϕ′ Slopes

AbstractMeyerhof analysis of bearing capacity for shallow foundations placed atop the crest of slopes, as standard in the literature, is applied using a set of modified factors based on footing location, soil strength, and footing size. These factors, however, are restricted to soils that are purely cohesionless or cohesive. Accounting for soils with both c′ and ϕ′ is important when constructing foundations in proximity or adjacent to slopes comprised of native soils. This technical note uses an upper-bound limit state plasticity failure discretization scheme, known as Discontinuity Layout Optimization, to present revised bearing capacity coefficients for foundations adjacent to frictional-cohesive slopes by presenting revised factors for footings not adjacent, but in proximity of slopes. A set of reduction coefficients that can be directly applied to the classical bearing capacity formulation is presented for ease of application.
BROWNIAN DYNAMICS SIMULATION OF CATCH TO SLIP TRANSITION OVER A MODEL ENERGY LANDSCAPE

We perform Brownian dynamics simulation (BDS) of catch to slip transition over a model energy landscape. Through our BDS we demonstrate that for forces below the critical force the bond rupture occurs mostly through the catch pathway while for forces above the critical force the bond rupture occurs mostly through the slip pathway. We also demonstrate that the shoulder in the bond rupture force distribution switches to peak as the loading rate increases progressively and the bond lifetime is maximized at the model dependent critical force. The force dependent bond lifetime obtained via transforming the bond rupture force distribution at a given loading rate is in excellent agreement with that obtained from our BDS at constant forces. An alternative to the current mechanism of catch to slip transition is presented and validated through BDS.
A low-complexity sub-optimal decoder for OSTBC-based mobile cooperative systems

In this paper, we consider an amplify-and-forward (AF) wireless cooperative-diversity system with Alamouti-type orthogonal-space-time-block-code (Alamouti-OSTBC) transmission at the source under the influence of the cooperating nodes' mobility. The system's links are characterized by Rayleigh frequency-flat (narrowband) and, due to nodes' mobility, time-selective (i.e., rapidly time-varying) fading channels. We first employ the conventional Alamouti's decoder (ALD) at the system's destination and show that the time-selective fading destroys its orthogonality and optimality as a result of its output's interfering and correlated decision statistics, which causes a severely degraded system symbol error probability (SEP) performance with error floors. In order to overcome with this impact, we propose and design a sub-optimal decoder (SOD) that could be employed instead of the ALD, which is capable of providing non-interfering (but still correlated) decision statistics even though the fading links are time-selective. The SEP performance analysis of this proposed SOD shows considerable improvement over that of the ALD with no error floors and without the need of any additional decoding complexity. Numerical results along with practical linklevel simulations are provided to validate the accuracy of the presented analysis and to demonstrate the system performance.
Miniaturized strongly coupled magnetic resonant systems for wireless power transfer

Compact design on Conformai Strongly Coupled Magnetic Resonant (CSMCR) systems for wireless power transfer (WPT) are proposed and summarized in this paper. Operating frequencies can be tuned to lower frequencies based on the properties of planar CSCMR systems, therefore the system volume will shrink. In addition, methods for miniaturized CSCMR systems based on novel topology and high permeability substrate are proposed. Compared to one traditional CSCMR system, the proposed methods shift the operating frequency from 83 MHz to 33 MHz and 54 MHz, with efficiencies of 67.8% and 84.0%, respectively.
Analysis of US Compassionate and Geriatric Release Laws: Applying a Human Rights Framework to Global Prison Health

The purpose of this paper was to analyze the compassionate and geriatric release laws in the USA and the role of advanced age and/or illness. In order to identify existing state and federal laws, a search of the LexisNexis legal database was conducted. Keyword search terms were used: compassionate release, medical parole, geriatric prison release, elderly (or seriously ill), and prison. A content analysis of 47 identified federal and state laws was conducted using inductive and deductive analysis strategies. Of the possible 52 federal and state corrections systems (50 states, Washington D.C, and Federal Corrections), 47 laws for incarcerated people, or their families, to petition for early release based on advanced age or health were found. Six major categories of these laws were identified: (1) physical/mental health, (2) age, (3) pathway to release decision, (4) post-release support, (5) nature of the crime (personal and criminal justice history), and (6) stage of review. Recommendations are offered, for increasing social work policy and practice expertise, and advancing the rights and needs of this population in the context of promoting human rights, aging, health, and criminal justice reform.
Fluorescence Turn-On Sensing of DNA Duplex Formation by a Tricyclic Cytidine Analogue.

Most fluorescent nucleoside analogues are quenched when base stacked and some maintain their brightness, but there has been little progress toward developing nucleoside analogues that markedly increase their fluorescence upon duplex formation. Here, we report on the design and synthesis of a new tricyclic cytidine analogue, 8-diethylamino-tC (8-DEA-tC), that responds to DNA duplex formation with up to a 20-fold increase in fluorescent quantum yield as compared with the free nucleoside, depending on neighboring bases. This turn-on response to duplex formation is the greatest of any reported nucleoside analogue that can participate in Watson–Crick base pairing. Measurements of the quantum yield of 8-DEA-tC mispaired with adenosine and, separately, opposite an abasic site show that there is almost no fluorescence increase without the formation of correct Watson–Crick hydrogen bonds. Kinetic isotope effects from the use of deuterated buffer show that the duplex protects 8-DEA-tC against quenching by excited s...
Improvement science-a curricular imperative.

Medical educators can incorporate improvement science and patient safety training into existing curricula using a variety of methods and models, including the continuous longitudinal integrated clerkship model, in which students follow patients across time and care sites.
Magnetic Nanoantennas Made of Plasmonic Nanoclusters for Photoinduced Magnetic Field Enhancement

At optical frequencies, the magnetic interaction of light and matter is negligible, compared to its electric counterpart. Enhancing the local magnetic field would enable one to see magnetic dipolar transitions in matter, for applications in spectroscopy and microscopy. This comprehensive study of a class of magnetic nanoantennas made of gold nanospheres presents two important figures of merit, and a formula to estimate the natural magnetic-resonance frequency for an arbitrary number of spheres. The results are of significant practical importance for the optical study of weak magnetic transitions in molecules.
Hardware based protection against malwares by PUF based access control mechanism

Malwares are software based destructive payloads that infect and damage computing systems. Malwares like ransomware have become a popular form that encrypts directories and corrupt systems. A more recent ransomware has appeared with the name, Petya. Petya ransomware encrypts the master boot record of the hard disk on which it is installed and sabotages the boot process. The current software based anti-virus programs rely on signature based malware detection, and such compute and resource extensive systems are only available for computers and not primarily designed for IoTs or embedded systems. For these automated malware development toolkits and more sophisticated malwares, the need of hardware based security solutions to prevent such attacks is inevitable. This paper proposes a hardware based architecture for access control and protection of pre-boot process and data against malwares.
Nonprofit Identity Framing: Evidence of Local Variation across United Ways

The United Way is an important resource provider in many local communities and has traditionally garnered the majority of donations made during workplace giving campaigns. Over the past thirty year...
Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators in Patients With a Continuous-Flow Left Ventricular Assist Device: An Analysis of the INTERMACS Registry

Abstract Objectives This study sought to determine if the presence of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICD) provided a mortality benefit during continuous-flow left ventricular assist device (LVAD) support. Background An ICD decreases mortality in selected patients with advanced heart failure and have been associated with reduced mortality in patients with pulsatile LVAD. However, it is unclear whether that benefit extends to patients with a contemporary continuous-flow LVAD. Methods Propensity score matching was used to generate a cohort of patients with similar baseline characteristics. The primary outcome was freedom from death during LVAD support. Secondary endpoints included freedom from unexpected death, likelihood of transplantation and recovery, and adverse events. Results Among 16,384 eligible patients in the Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support registry, 2,209 patients with an ICD and 2,209 patients without one had similar propensity scores and were included. The presence of an ICD was associated with an increased mortality risk (hazard ratio: 1.20; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.04 to 1.39; p = 0.013) and an increased risk of unexpected death during device support (HR: 1.33; 95% CI: 1.03 to 1.71; p = 0.03). Patients with an ICD were more likely to undergo transplantation (HR: 1.16; 95% CI: 0.99 to 1.35; p = 0.06) and less likely to have LVAD explant for recovery (HR: 0.53, 95% CI: 0.29 to 0.98; p = 0.04). Patients with an ICD had a higher rate of treated ventricular arrhythmias (rate ratio: 1.27; 95% CI: 1.10 to 1.48; p = 0.001) and rehospitalization (rate ratio: 1.08; 95% CI: 1.04 to 1.12; p Conclusions Among patients with a continuous flow LVAD, the presence of an ICD was not associated with reduced mortality.