cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A vector space approach to direction finding in a coherent multipath environment

The superresolution methods of spatial spectrum estimation heretofore reported are known to break down when arriving signals from different directions are coherent. It is shown here that this deficiency can be overcome by replacing the direction-of-arrival (DOA) search vector ordinarily used with a linear combination of such vectors. Particular attention is here given to extending the multiple signal classification (MUSIC) method to cover such cases. A procedure for determining the proper linear combination is presented so that determination of the separate coherent signal arrival angles involves a multidimensional search in angle only. Such a search is demonstrated for coherent two-ray and three-ray multipath environments.
Design of an integrated sensor for in-vivo simultaneous electrocontractile cardiac mapping

Cardiac mapping has evolved into an important tool in the study, diagnosis, and treatment of cardiac arrhythmias and other heart disorders in both research and clinical settings. Traditionally, cardiac mapping systems have been used to measure the electrical activity of the heart. Although these systems provide valuable information about the activation patterns of the heart, it provides no information about the mechanical activity. The goal of this study is to develop multichannel biomedical sensors that will simultaneously measure mechanical and electrical activity throughout the myocardium. The sensors integrate electronics including instrumentation amplifiers and a microcontroller (PIC12C672) for data sampling and analog-to-digital conversion. The PIC serially, synchronously outputs the digital data to a host system for visualization. Bench-top calibrations and invivo rabbit studies have verified the sensor's operation. This sensor is capable of making high-sensitivity simultaneous measurements of force and electrical activity, allowing the creation of both contractile and activation maps.
Computer-Assisted Instruction With Exceptional Children

This paper examines the literature concerning computer-assisted instruction (CAI) among exceptional children. Two approaches to meta-analysis were used: a vote count and a computation and analysis of effect sizes. Using 22 studies, the effectiveness of CAI with exceptional children was determined to be largely effective on the basis of the vote count, which ascertained whether or not a study reported positive results. Six studies were eliminated from the second analysis—that of calculating effect sizes—because they did not report sufficient statistical information. The median effect size was .52, a moderate positive effect.On the basis of the meta-analyses, CAI appears to be effective with exceptional children, especially those at lower levels of learning. Suggestions for future research regarding CAI use with exceptional children were made.
The Ottoman Empire and the Imperial Turn

As a polity that existed for over six centuries and that ruled on three continents, the Ottoman Empire is perhaps both the easiest and hardest empire to compare in world history. It is somewhat paradoxical then that the Ottoman Empire has only recently become a focus of students of empires as historical phenomena. This approach to the Ottoman Empire as an empire has succeeded in generating an impressive profusion of scholarship. This article critically assesses this literature within the larger context of what we term the Imperial Turn to explain how comparative perspectives have been used to analyze the empire. In doing so, it sheds new light on some older historiographical questions about the dynamics of imperial rule, periodization, and political transformation, while at the same time opening up new avenues of inquiry and analysis about the role of various actors in the empire, the recent emphasis on the empire's early modern history, and the scholarly literature of comparative empires itself. Throughout, the authors speak both to Ottoman specialists and others interested in comparative imperial histories to offer a holistic picture of recent Ottoman historiography and to suggest many possible directions for future scholarship. Instead of accepting comparison for comparison's sake, the article offers a bold new vocabulary for rigorous comparative work on the Ottoman Empire and beyond.
Public Health Detailing: A Strategy to Improve the Delivery of Clinical Preventive Services in New York City

To promote use of essential clinical preventive services, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene developed the Public Health Detailing Program, a primary care provider outreach initiative modeled on pharmaceutical detailing. Department representatives conducted topical campaigns, making unscheduled visits to health care practices and meeting with providers and office staff members. Representatives distributed "action kits" containing practice tools, provider information, and patient education materials; nicotine replacement therapy was distributed during the smoking cessation campaign. More than 2,500 interactions with practice staff members were completed by six health department representatives at approximately 200 sites. Physician visits lasted 10 minutes or longer, and by provider self-report, use of office systems for prevention and adherence to recommended practices increased. Public health detailing is an effective method of reaching providers to deliver key prevention messages, feasible for public health agencies and acceptable to practices. The effectiveness of this intervention in improving clinical prevention services requires further evaluation.
Informant reports: A cheap, fast, and easy method for personality assessment

Abstract Despite widespread agreement that multi-method assessments are optimal in personality research, the literature is dominated by a single method: self-reports. This pattern seems to be based, at least in part, on widely held preconceptions about the costs of non-self-report methods, such as informant methods. Researchers seem to believe that informant methods are: (a) time-consuming, (b) expensive, (c) ineffective (i.e., informants will not cooperate), and (d) particularly vulnerable to faking or invalid responses. This article evaluates the validity of these preconceptions in light of recent advances in Internet technology, and proposes some strategies for making informant methods more effective. Drawing on data from three separate studies, I demonstrate that, using these strategies, informant reports can be collected with minimal effort and few monetary costs. In addition, informants are generally very willing to cooperate (e.g., response rates of 76–95%) and provide valid data (in terms of strong consensus and self-other agreement). Informant reports represent a mostly untapped resource that researchers can use to improve the validity of personality assessments and to address new questions that cannot be examined with self-reports alone.
The promise of a Global Patent: Insights from System Archetypes

Intellectual property laws explicitly cement the contract between entrepreneur and society. New ideas, goods, and services protected by patent regulation offer inventors an opportunity for wealth, while simultaneously offering society the promise of an improved standard of living. Unfortunately, global flattening threatens both partners in this agreement. Growing populations and economies around the world force entrepreneurs to plan for multiple markets. These forces drive an attendant increase in patent submissions that lead to greater pendency periods and escalating backlogs, in multiple countries. In turn, this leads to increased costs. Thus, the fragmented, multiple patent systems around the world offer ever less protection, while escalating costs and delaying the promise of a better life. Consequently, a key question arises: if a Global Patent System (GPS) were to be implemented, what can stakeholders in the future contracts between entrepreneurs and society learn from a Systems Archetypes perspective? In particular, the Tragedy of the Commons archetype is investigated and highlights not only the promise of a global system, but also the dangers inherent in implementing such a complex change. Implications for a successful global system are discussed. Overall, the ideal GPS will stress the importance of early and continual investment of resources.
The Three-Actor Rule

For those who may have been a little dismayed by my previous questioning of such sacred absolutes of the Greek theatre as (1) the circular shape of the original orchestra, (2) the central placement of the altar, (3) the panoramic siting of Greek theatres, and (4) the dawn beginning of performance, please accept this assurance: the three-actor rule for tragedies is alive and well—and not presently refutable. I shall apply the three-actor rule to the extant tragedies in order to see what effect it had upon acting and production practices during the Classic period.
Mathematically equivalent hydraulic analogue for teaching the pharmcokinetics and pharmacodynamics of atracurium

We evaluated the mathematical equivalence between the two-compartment pharmacokinetic model of the neuromuscular blocking agent atracurium and a hydraulic analogue that includes harmacodynamic principles.
Intraductal oncocytic papillary neoplasm of the pancreas: a case of a second neoplasm in a pancreas cancer survivor

Context Cystic neoplasms, which are less common forms of exocrine pancreatic neoplasms, consist of mainly intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMN) and mucinous cystic neoplasms. Mucinous cystic neoplasms, unlike IPMN, are not associated with ductal growth, are usually multilocular in nature, and have ovarian type stroma. Mucinous cystadenocarcinoma is a type of mucinous cystic neoplasm more commonly found in women. Intraductal oncocytic papillary neoplasms of the pancreas are the least common variant of IPMN. Despite this classification, intraductal oncocytic papillary neoplasms have been compared to mucinous cystic neoplasms in previous studies and the classification is still questioned. Case report We report a rare case of an intraductal oncocytic papillary neoplasm of the pancreas occurring in a 52-year-old male with a prior history of surgically excised mucinous cystadenocarcinoma. This is the first known case of an intraductal oncocytic papillary neoplasm occurring after a prior pancreatic neoplasm. Conclusions As the diagnosis of intraductal oncocytic papillary neoplasms are rare, having only a few case reports and small series on which to understand its disease process, it is imperative to discuss each case and detail possible correlations with other pancreatic cystic neoplasms as well as distinctions from its current association within IPMN. Image: Pathology of intraductal oncocytic papillary neoplasm.
Molecular simulation studies of self-assembled monolayers of alkanethiols on Au(111)

A review is presented of this group's recent molecular simulation studies of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of alkanethiols on Au(111) surfaces. SAMs are very useful for the systematic alteration of the chemical and structural properties of a surface by varying chain length, tail group and composition. The scientific and technological importance of SAMs cannot be overestimated. The present work has been centred on studies of atomic scale surface properties of SAMs. First, configurational-bias Monte Carlo simulations were performed in both semigrand canonical and canonical ensembles to investigate the preferential adsorption and phase behaviour of mixed SAMs on Au(111) surfaces. Second, a novel hybrid molecular simulation technique was developed to simulate atomic force microscopy (AFM) over experimental timescales. The method combines a dynamic element model for the tip-cantilever system in AFM and a molecular dynamics relaxation approach for the sample. The hybrid simulation technique was applied to in...
Patient characteristics, comorbidities, and medication use for children with ADHD with and without a co-occurring reading disorder: A retrospective cohort study

Children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often have a co-occurring reading disorder (RD). The purpose of this research was to assess differences between children with ADHD without RD (ADHD-only) and those with ADHD and co-occurring RD (ADHD+RD). Using data from the U.S. Thomson Reuter Marketscan® Databases for the years 2005 through 2007, this analysis compared the medical records--including patient demographics, comorbidities, and medication use--of children (age < 18) with ADHD-only to those with ADHD+RD. Patients with ADHD+RD were significantly younger, more likely to have received a procedure code associated with formal psychological or non-psychological testing, and more likely to have been diagnosed with comorbid bipolar disorder, conduct disorder, or depression. They were no more likely to have received an antidepressant, anti-manic (bipolar), or antipsychotic, and were significantly less likely to have received a prescription for a stimulant medication. Relying on a claims database, there appear to be differences in the patient characteristics, comorbidities, and medication use when comparing children with ADHD-only to those with ADHD+RD.
Femtosecond Time Domain Techniques for Characterization of Linear and Nonlinear Optical Properties in GaAs Waveguides

Femtosecond time domain measurements can provide a powerful approach for characterizing both the nonlinear as well as linear optical properties of waveguide devices. We describe a new time division interferometry technique to perform direct measurements of the nonresonant nonlinear index of refraction in AIGaAs waveguides. In addition, femtosecond time of flight measurements permit linear properties such as absorption and dispersion to be characterized using time domain techniques. These techniques permit a comprehensive characterization of linear and nonlinear waveguide properties.
Comparing Retrospective Reports to Real-Time/Real-Place Mobile Assessments in Individuals With Schizophrenia and a Nonclinical Comparison Group

Retrospective reports are often used as the primary source of information for important diagnostic decisions, treatment, and clinical research. Whether such reports accurately represent individuals' past experiences in the context of a serious mental illness such as schizophrenia is unclear. In the current study, 24 individuals with schizophrenia and 26 nonclinical participants used a mobile device to complete multiple real-time/real-place assessments daily, over 7 consecutive days. At the end of the week, participants were also asked to provide a retrospective report summarizing the same period. Comparison of the data captured by the 2 methods showed that participants from both groups retrospectively overestimated the intensity of negative and positive daily experiences. In the clinical group, overestimations for affect were greater than for psychotic symptoms, which were relatively comparable to their retrospective reports. In both samples, retrospective reports were more closely associated with the week's average than the most intense or most recent ratings captured with a mobile device. Multilevel modeling revealed that much of the variability in weekly assessments was not explained by between-person differences and could not be captured by a single retrospective estimate. Based on the findings of this study, clinicians and researchers should be aware that while retrospective summary reports of the severity of certain symptoms compare relatively well with average momentary ratings, they are limited in their ability to capture variability in one's affective or psychotic experiences over time.
Decrease in ambient [Cl-] stimulates nitric oxide release from cultured rat mesangial cells

It has been hypothesized that fluctuations of the ionic composition in the interstitium of juxtaglomerular apparatus (JGA) modulate the function of extraglomerular mesangial cells (MC), thereby participating in tubuloglomerular feedback (TGF) signal transmission. We examined the effects of isosmotic reductions in ambient sodium concentration ([Na+]) and [Cl-] on cytosolic calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) in cultured rat MC. Rapid reduction of [Na+] or [Cl-] in the bath induced a concentration-dependent rise in [Ca2+]i. MC are much more sensitive to decreases in ambient [Cl-] than to [Na+]; a decrease in [Cl-] as small as 14 mM was sufficient to elicit a detectable [Ca2]i response. These observations suggest that MC can be readily stimulated by modest perturbations of extracellular [Cl-]. Next, we examined whether activation of MC by lowered ambient [Cl-] influences cellular nitric oxide (NO) production. Using an amperometric NO sensor, we found that a 13 mM decrease in ambient [Cl-] caused a rapid, Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent rise in NO release from MC. This response was not inhibitable by dexamethasone, indicating the involvement of the constitutive rather than the inducible type of NO synthase in MC. In addition, the NO release was blunted by indomethacin pretreatment, suggesting that a metabolite(s) of cyclooxygenase regulates the activation of NO synthase in MC. Our findings that small perturbations in external [Cl-] stimulate MC to release NO, a highly diffusible and rapidly acting vasodilator, provide a possible mechanism to explain the transmission of the signal for the TGF response within the JGA.
Phenylalanine utilization by the gut and liver measured with intravenous and intragastric tracers in pigs.

To investigate intestinal and hepatic metabolism of phenylalanine, four conscious pigs (7.5 kg), bearing arterial, venous, and hepatic portal catheters, were fasted for 12 h and infused with [pheny...
Associations of human retinal very long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids with dietary lipid biomarkers

The human retina is well-known to have unique lipid profiles enriched in long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs) and very long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (VLC-PUFAs) that appear to promote normal retinal structure and function, but the influence of diet on retinal lipid profiles in health and disease remains controversial. In this study, we examined two independent cohorts of donor eyes and related their retinal lipid profiles with systemic biomarkers of lipid intake. We found that serum and red blood cell lipids, and to a lesser extent orbital fat, are indeed excellent biomarkers of retinal lipid content and n-3/n-6 ratios in both the LC-PUFA and VLC-PUFA series. Eyes from age-related macular degeneration (AMD) donors have significantly decreased levels of VLC-PUFAs and low n-3/n-6 ratios. These results are consistent with the protective role of dietary n-3 LC-PUFAs against AMD and emphasize the importance of monitoring systemic biomarkers of lipid intake when undertaking clinical trials of lipid supplements for prevention and treatment of retinal disease.
In at the deep end: two days with the Link Up game

Mission possible? Connecting London with Amsterdam using modern telecommunications technology is the objective. Portslade Community College took on the challenge and Jane Davis relates the experience.
A Gynandromorph in the Madagascar Hissing Cockroach, Gromphadorhina portentosa (Blattodea: Blaberidae)

A bilateral gynandromorph is described from a laboratory colony of the Madagascar cockroach, Gromphadorhina portentosa (Schaum). This individual has a remarkable mosaic color pattern on the abdominal tergites. Male characteristics such as the large pronotal hump, stylus, male cercus, and malelike sternites 7-9 are present on the left side, whereas female characteristics are present on the right.
Song Development in Hand-Raised Oregon Juncos

THE song of wild Oregon Juncos, Junco oreganus, is a "loose quavering trill all on the same pitch" (Peterson, 1941). In comparison with many species the song is thus a simple one, which was the reason for selecting it as a subject for this study of song development. As a first step in the analysis we have taken young birds from the nest before they fledged and raised them in varying degrees of isolation. This paper describes the development of song under these conditions and compares the final results with the songs of wild Oregon Juncos.
Periodically forced discrete-time SIS epidemic model with disease induced mortality.

We use a periodically forced SIS epidemic model with disease induced mortality to study the combined effects of seasonal trends and death on the extinction and persistence of discretely reproducing populations. We introduce the epidemic threshold parameter, $R_0$, for predicting disease dynamics in periodic environments. Typically, $R_0<1$ implies disease extinction. However, in the presence of disease induced mortality, we extend the results of Franke and Yakubu to periodic environments and show that a small number of infectives can drive an otherwise persistent population with $R_0>1$ to extinction. Furthermore, we obtain conditions for the persistence of the total population. In addition, we use the Beverton-Holt recruitment function to show that the infective population exhibits period-doubling bifurcations route to chaos where the disease-free susceptible population lives on a 2-cycle (non-chaotic) attractor.
Observation on the immunity effect of hepatitis B vaccine and HBIG(hepatitis B immunoglobulin) in interruption of hepatitis B transmission from mother to infant

Objective:To observe the effect of combined application of hepatitis B vaccine and HBIG in interrupting mother-infant transmission of hepatitis B and find out the best immunity strategy to interrupt hepatitis B mother-infant transmission.Methods: The children′s antibody titer was tested in lmonth and 6months after their inoculation of different doses of HBIG and hepatitis B vaccine within 24hours after their birth.Results: 1.The anti-HBs positive conversion rate of total 463 neonates′ HBsAg and antibody titer was 96.49%.The difference between 7 m neonates and 12 m neonates(10 IU/ml) had no statistic significance(P0.01).2.For the neonates with mother HBsAg + and HBeAg + and the neonates with mother HBsAg +,the anti-HBs titer difference had statistic significance(P0.01).3.For the positive conversion rate of 12 m children inoculated with HBIG 100 IU and 200 IU,the difference had no statistic significance(P0.01).Conclusion: Combined immunity of hepatitis B vaccine and HBIG has good immunity effect,especially for the neonates with mother HBsAg+ and/or HBeAg +,the combination can realize the good mother-infant interruption protection.
Helenê kinêmatographikê; or, Is this the face that launched a thousand films?

Abstract: in ancient Greece and Rome, Helen of Troy was the most beautiful woman among mortals. Her beauty, an almost divine quality, made Helen immortal. its praise was an integral part of Greek and Roman letters. The cinema has eagerly followed in the footsteps of classical and later authors and artists by retelling her story. Beautiful actresses have variously portrayed her as unhappy wife of Menelaus, romantic lover of Paris, and ruinous cause of the Trojan War. This paper pays homage to Helen’s beauty by presenting, in word and image, her most notable screen incarnations from 1911 to 2013. Keywords: Helen of Troy; film/cinema; romance; tragedy; actresses playing Helen. Resumo: Na Grecia e Roma antigas, Helena de Troia era a mulher mais bela entre as mortais. Sua beleza, uma qualidade quase divina, tornou Helena imortal. Seu elogio era uma parte integrante das literaturas grega e romana. O cinema acompanhou avidamente as marcas deixadas por autores e artistas dos periodos classico e posterior, recontando a historia dela. Belas atrizes a representaram de diversas maneiras, como a infeliz esposa de Menelau, a amante romântica de Paris ou a funesta causa da guerra de Troia. Este artigo presta uma homenagem a beleza de Helena, apresentando, em palavras e imagens, suas encarnacoes mais notaveis na tela, de 1911 a 2013. Palavras-chave : Helena de Troia; filme/cinema; romance; tragedia; atrizes encenando Helena.
Wireless Ad Hoc and Sensor Networks: Localization and Location Tracking

Introduction Having location information can be very useful and it has so many applications. It can answer questions such as: Are we almost to the campsite? What lab bench was I standing by when I prepared these tissue samples? How should our search-and-rescue team move to quickly locate all the avalanche victims? Can I automatically display this stock devaluation chart on the large screen I am standing next to? Where is the nearest cardiac defibrillation unit?, and so on. Service providers can also use location information to provide some novel location-aware services. The navigation system based on a GPS is an example. A user can tell the system his destination and the system will guide him there. Phone systems in an enterprise can exploit locations of people to provide follow-me services. Researchers are working to meet these and similar needs by developing systems and technologies that automatically locate people, equipment, and other tangibles. Indeed, many systems over the years have addressed the problem of automatic location sensing. Because each approach solves a slightly different problem or supports different applications, they vary in many parameters, such as the physical phenomena used for location determination, the form factor of the sensing apparatus, power requirements, infrastructure versus portable elements, and resolution in time and space. For outdoor environments, the most well-known positioning system is the global positioning system (GPS) (Peng and Mirsa, 1999), which uses 24 satellites set up by the U.S. Department of Defense to enable global 3D positioning services.
Left-Wing Fascism and Right-Wing Communism: The Fission—Fusion Effect in American Extremist Ideologies

The work of Lewis Feuer provides a kaleidoscopic view of many tendencies and trends within contemporary social science. Above all, he illustrates the fission—fusion trend in intellectual currents as exemplified in the work of Spinoza, Marx, Freud, and Einstein. He not only writes brilliantly on these figures now appended with ‘isms’, but his work is permeated by socialist, physicalist, and psychoanalytical explanations of political events.1 In this sense, Feuer is an old-fashioned thinker in the best sense, someone who combines in his person radical persuasions with democratic practice in a variety of fields. His work is not so much anti-communist, as it is anti-totalitarian. I dare say he has been singled out as a Soviet bete noir precisely because he has so artfully disentangled radical rhetoric from totalitarian reality2 (Feuer, 1979).
Re-Examining the Complexity of Popular Websites

During the past decade, the Web has become increasingly more popular and thus more important for delivery of content and services over the Internet. At the same time, the number of requested objects, their size and delivery mechanisms for popular websites have become more complex. This in turn has various implications including the impact on page loading time that directly affects the experience of visiting users. Therefore, it is important to capture and characterize the complexity of popular web pages. An earlier study by Butkiewicz et al. have characterized the complexity of 1700 popular pages in 2011. In this study, we adopt the methodology proposed by Butkiewicz et al., develop the required tools and conduct a detailed measurement study to re-assess the complexity of 2000 popular web pages and present any observed trends in their complexity characteristics over the past four years. Our results show that the number of requested objects and contacted servers for each website has significantly increased. But a growing number of contacted servers are associated with third parties. Despite these changes, the page loading time remains rather unchanged and it is primarily affected by the same key parameters. Overall, our results sheds a useful light on trends in web site complexity and motivates a range of issues to be explored.
Improving personal self-advocacy skills for individuals with brain injury: A randomized pilot feasibility study.

Objective: To investigate the feasibility of a self-advocacy intervention for individuals with acquired brain injury (ABI).Design: Two-arm, parallel-design, randomized feasibility study.Methods: Tw...
To Live and Dine in Dixie: The Evolution of Urban Food Culture in The Jim Crow South Angela Jill Cooley. University of Georgia Press, 2015.

To Live and Dine in Dixie: The Evolution of Urban Food Culture in The Jim Crow South Angela Jill Cooley. University of Georgia Press, 2015.Scholars of the US Civil Rights Movement might profitably consider its direct action as focused on two spatial structures: the public accommodations of buses and streetcars and the faux publics of "private" businesses. It is the latter that still comes under contestation. In 2010, then Kentucky senatorial candidate Rand Paul argued that the Civil Rights Act's regulation of discrimination by "private business owners" constituted a radical government overreach. These putatively free market critiques of civil rights are rendered spectral in the signs one still sometimes sees in restaurants: "we reserve the right to refuse service to anyone." That hotels and restaurant constitute inadequate public spheres, wherein the public capacity to produce crossclass contact attains the cover charge of a meal, a room, or a cup of coffee, they are never entirely private, as access to and security for these businesses rely on the state apparatuses of the road and the police force.In To Live and Dine in Dixie, Cooley explores many of the paradoxes of segregation which are revealed by a critical focus on food: not least of all that food prepared by people of color was often served to whites in segregated dining rooms and that the putatively "private" space of the white middle-class kitchen was often "integrated" by black domestic workers. Cooley crystallizes this paradox by addressing "the privileging of whiteness in the consumer sphere" and by arguing that "few segregated spaces involved a true separation of the races" (4, 108). Instead, she suggests that segregation required "a careful performance of race-specific roles" in moments of cross-racial contact (108). That Cooley focuses on food is neither accidental nor opportunistically timed to the growth of academic food studies: she argues for restaurants as pivotal sites for modernization, urbanization, and suburbanization. But the connection between food and other related discourses, perhaps especially gender, occasionally requires more articulation in her book.Contesting the notion that Southern foodways are especially "traditional," Cooley uses the early sections of the book to demonstrate that Southern cuisine is deeply modern, produced by technological innovation in the middle-class kitchen (20), the standardization of recipes in cookbooks and preparation instructions on consumer labels (20), home economics education in segregated Southern public schools (29), and by home demonstration and agricultural extension agents (39). …
Detection of Correlated Protein Backbone and Side-Chain Angle Fluctuations

NMR methods for the characterization of local protein motions have attained a high level of sophistication. Measurement of the synchronization between those motions, however, poses a serious challenge. Such correlated motions are one of the underlying mechanisms for the propagation of local changes to remote sites and as such for information transfer. Here, we demonstrate the experimental detection of the synchronization of motion over an intermediate range. To that purpose, we designed pulse sequences for the measurement of cross-correlated relaxation between the backbone HN-N and side-chain Hβ-Cβ dipoles in Ile, Thr and Val in the protein GB3. These bonds are related via two and three intervening dihedral angles. We show that the correlated motions inherent in a structural ensemble obtained from a large and diverse array of NMR probes are in excellent agreement with our measurements.
The Clovis Lithic Assemblage from El Fin del Mundo, Sonora, Mexico: Evidence of Upland Campsite Localities

El Fin del Mundo is a Clovis site located in the Sonoran Desert of northwest Mexico. The site has produced one of the largest assemblages of diagnostic Clovis stone tools south of the US-Mexico bor...
Effects of the Artificial Sweetener Neotame on the Gut Microbiome and Fecal Metabolites in Mice

Although artificial sweeteners are widely used in food industry, their effects on human health remain a controversy. It is known that the gut microbiota plays a key role in human metabolism and recent studies indicated that some artificial sweeteners such as saccharin could perturb gut microbiome and further affect host health, such as inducing glucose intolerance. Neotame is a relatively new low-caloric and high-intensity artificial sweetener, approved by FDA in 2002. However, the specific effects of neotame on gut bacteria are still unknown. In this study, we combined high-throughput sequencing and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) metabolomics to investigate the effects of neotame on the gut microbiome and fecal metabolite profiles of CD-1 mice. We found that a four-week neotame consumption reduced the alpha-diversity and altered the beta-diversity of the gut microbiome. Firmicutes was largely decreased while Bacteroidetes was significantly increased. The Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States (PICRUSt) analysis also indicated that the control mice and neotame-treated mice have different metabolic patterns and some key genes such as butyrate synthetic genes were decreased. Moreover, neotame consumption also changed the fecal metabolite profiles. Dramatically, the concentrations of multiple fatty acids, lipids as well as cholesterol in the feces of neotame-treated mice were consistently higher than controls. Other metabolites, such as malic acid and glyceric acid, however, were largely decreased. In conclusion, our study first explored the specific effects of neotame on mouse gut microbiota and the results may improve our understanding of the interaction between gut microbiome and neotame and how this interaction could influence the normal metabolism of host bodies.
Parenting Practices and Gender Roles in the Modern Chinese Family: Interculturalism in Where Are We Going, Dad?:

This article employs textual analysis to identify intercultural tensions in terms of parenting practices and gender roles in the reality TV series Where Are We Going, Dad? (2013–present, season 3)....
Iron Acquisition and Microbial Virulence: Potential Uptake Systems in the Aeromonas Species

Colonization of an animal host by a disease causing bacterial species involves a complex sequence of events that includes bacterial entry and multiplication, sometimes with damage to the host.1 At each step the host has placed barricades that initiate various host vs. microbe conflicts on which the outcome of the invasion is balanced. Competition for iron is a key biofulcrum.2 The winner of the iron battle may not ultimately win the war but the absolute nutritional requirement of the bacteria for iron means that the microbe will never win without capturing the metal from its host. Identifying the iron retention and iron gathering weapons used by the two competitors constitutes a fascinating, and still incomplete, study. The techniques of modern molecular biology enable more precise determination of the bacterial iron related virulence molecules and the genes encoding their synthesis. While some general bacterial iron acquisition modes are evident, the tactics employed by different bacteria have to be defined on a case-by-case basis. With detailed knowledge of the bacterial systems, it may be possible to devise the means for enhancing the host’s iron withholding defenses.
Complete removal of glycogen from tissues by extraction with cold trichloroacetic acid solution.

Much of the experimental work upon the state of glycogen in animal tissues has been interpreted as showing that glycogen exists in tissues in two forms. Early workers (l-4) found that extraction of animal tissues with water or cold trichloroacetic acid solution yielded less glycogen than was obtained by boiling the tissue in an alkaline solution. Various names were used to designate the two fractions. “Easily extractable,” “free,” “lyo-,” and “trichloroacetic acid-extractable” are terms that have been used for the glycogen fraction extracted with water or cold trichloroacetic acid solution; and ‘difficultly extractable,” “fixed,” “bound,” “desmo-,” and “residual” are designations that have been used for the form that required alkaline digestion to extract it from the tissues. Many workers assumed that the difficultly extractable glycogen was bound to protein, but Pfliiger (5) and Meyer (6) found no basis for the assumption of such a binding. Bloom et al. (7) found that in resting, normal, fed rats, the glycogen of the liver extractable with trichloroacetic acid solution comprises 85% of the total glycogen obtained by boiling with 30% KOH solution. The same extraction of the livers of these animals, after they had been fasted for 24 hours, yielded only 7.9% of that obtained by alkaline digestion. These authors found that in the muscle of normal rats the trichloroacetic acidextractable glycogen was 55 y0 of that obtained by alkaline digestion; and 4 hours after subcutaneous epinephrine injection this fraction was 16.4% of the amount obtained by alkaline digestion. Other workers have observed a shifting in the distribution of glycogen between the two fractions as a result of fasting (4, 8lo), epinephrine injection (8, ll-14), insulin administration (12, 14, 15)) thyroxin injection (16)) adrenalectomy (9), hypophysectomy (9), and muscle work (17). In our laboratory it was found that extraction of heart muscle by thorough grinding with 5% trichloroacetic acid solution (Servall Omnimixer once, and the Potter-Elvehjem apparatus three times) yielded an average of 57% of the total glycogen (18). Alkaline digestion of the residue after the four homogenizations with trichloroacetic acid solution, followed by alcoholic precipitation, yielded an additional 43 ‘% of glycogen. The latter was shown to be an essentially pure product by analysis with anthrone reagent and, after hydrolysis, by copper reduction and glucose oxidase techniques (18).
Eye tracking metrics for workload estimation in flight deck operations

Flight decks of the future are being enhanced through improved avionics that adapt to both aircraft and operator state. Eye tracking allows for non-invasive analysis of pilot eye movements, from which a set of metrics can be derived to effectively and reliably characterize workload. This research identifies eye tracking metrics that correlate to aircraft automation conditions, and identifies the correlation of pilot workload to the same automation conditions. Saccade length was used as an indirect index of pilot workload: Pilots in the fully automated condition were observed to have on average, larger saccadic movements in contrast to the guidance and manual flight conditions. The data set itself also provides a general model of human eye movement behavior and so ostensibly visual attention distribution in the cockpit for approach to land tasks with various levels of automation, by means of the same metrics used for workload algorithm development.
Income and Racial Disparity and the Role of the Built Environment in Pedestrian Injuries

This study examined the impacts of built environments on pedestrian-vehicle crashes with different levels of severity and the income and racial disparities related to different crash injuries in Au...
Admission type is a paradoxical predictor of performance in problem-based learning courses.

Abstract Introduction To determine if a difference in problem-based learning (PBL) performance or student attrition exists based on admission type. Methods This retrospective review analyzed admission type and student academic performance in the PBL course series from 2002 to 2009. Student scores were compiled based on admission type: provisional (high school), traditional with degree (bachelor's or higher), and traditional without degree (some college). ANOVA was performed on overall scores amongst the three admission types. Continuous data were analyzed using two-sided unpaired t-tests, and dichotomous data were analyzed using chi-square test. Results 600 students received at least one score in the third-year (P3) PBL course series. 56% of students (n = 333) were admitted traditional without degree, while the remainder were split between provisional (n = 125) and traditional with degree (n = 142) admission. Provisionally admitted students had significantly higher scores than either of the other groups (p Conclusions This study's results suggest that degrees may not be predictive of success during PBL in the P3 year. Further work is needed in order to truly assess predictive nature of this and other factors among prospective pharmacy students.
Modeling India's energy future using a bottom-up approach

Abstract India and China are the world’s most populous nations, but they have experienced a very different pattern of economic development. As a result, India currently contributes less than one-quarter of the amount of China’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. However, India’s forecasted economic growth suggests that those emissions will almost quadruple, with much of this rise coming from the industry sector. Whole-economy scenarios for limiting global warming suggest that direct CO2 emissions should decrease significantly, but leave unanswered the question of how this can be achieved by real-world policies. This study describes a bottom-up model that can be used to assess the impacts of emissions mitigation policies and the linkages between the physical drivers and energy growth of India’s key industries. It focuses on capturing the main physical drivers of this growth, to identify and prioritize the subsectors to address and develop sustainable, low carbon pathways to support economic growth. This analysis shows that India can achieve its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) while achieving substantial economic growth using its currently planned policies. The study describes in detail the methodology and underlying assumptions that are needed by policy makers to inform targeted policy interventions and provide a baseline scenario in the case of no major new technology breakthroughs and no new adopted policies.
Linking Cross Contamination of Domestic Water with Storage Practices at the Point of Use in Urban Areas of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

AbstractIn this study, water samples from 123 households were collected from the point of collection (POC) to the point of use (POU) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The objectives were to assess water ...
Is the report of the death of the construct of usability an exaggeration

Mark Twain was undecided whether to be more amused or annoyed when a Journal representative informed him today of the report in New York that he was dying in poverty in London... The great humorist, while not perhaps very robust, is in the best of health. He said: "I can understand perfectly how the report of my illness got about, I have even heard on good authority that I was dead. James Ross Clemens, a cousin of mine, was seriously ill two or three weeks ago in London, but is well now. The report of my illness grew out of his illness. The report of my death was an exaggeration." New York Journal, 6/2/1897
Optimal design approaches for adaptive structures: self-folding origami and metamaterials (Conference Presentation)

Smart materials and structures are enabling complex shape change in applications from self-folding origami to metamaterials. This presentation will focus on recent work on modeling and design optimization of self-folding origami actuated by electrostrictive terpolymer and magneto active elastomer materials. Since finite element analysis of these soft materials with large deformations due to multi-field actuation can be computationally intensive, the problem is decomposed into two stages. The first stage optimizes a computationally efficient reduced order rigid body model, while the second stage implements the full finite element analysis only to refine the features. Ongoing work in optimal design of metamaterials enabled by functionally graded superelastic NiTi will also be highlighted.
The Natural History of Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy and Ossification of the Posterior Longitudinal Ligament: A Review Article.

Cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) is the chronic and slow deterioration of cervical spinal cord function. The pathophysiology of this condition is multifactorial, including compression, repetitive trauma, and vascular compromise of the spinal cord. Clinically, it presents as a progressive decline in patients’ appendicular neurological function. The natural history of this disease varies but, it is well-known that the duration and degree of compression correlate negatively with prognosis. A mild degree of CSM tends to stabilize with potential improvement over time while more severe CSM tends to progress. Surgical intervention has shown to positively alter the natural history of the disease by halting the progression with some restoration of function. Ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) is a chronic disease that results in progressive ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament of the spine. It commonly affects the cervical spine. The etiology is multifactorial in nature, including genetic and environmental factors. The progressive nature of this condition and the resultant cervical spinal stenosis make it one of the main causes of cervical myelopathy (CM). There is no medical therapy for this disease, and surgery is reserved for patients with CM caused by spinal cord compression. In this article, we review the different aspects of the natural history of both CSM and OPLL.
3D Genome Structure Variation Across Cell Types Captured by Integrating Multi-omics

Abstract Background 3D genome structure contributes to the establishment or maintenance of cell identity in part by organizing genes into spatial active or inactive compartments. Less is known about how compartment switching occurs across different cell types. Rather than analyze individual A/B compartment switches between pairs of cell types, here, we seek to identify coordinated changes in groups of compartment-scale interactions across a spectrum of cell types. Results To characterize the impact of genome folding on cell identity, we integrated 35 Hi-C datasets with 125 DNase-seq, 244 RNA-seq, and 893 ChIP-seq datasets. We first find physical associations with the nuclear lamina inform the most dramatic changes in chromosome structure across cell types. By examining variations in chromosome structure, transcription, and chromatin accessibility, we further observe that certain sets of correlated chromosome structure contacts also co-vary in transcription and chromatin accessibility. Analyzing ChIP-seq signals, we find that sets of chromosome contacts that form and break in sync tend to share active or suppressive histone marks. Finally, we observe that similar principles appear to govern chromosome structure fluctuations across single cells as were found across cell types. Conclusion Our results suggest that cells adapt their chromosome structures, guided by variable associations with the lamina and histone marks, to allocate up-regulatory or down-regulatory resources to certain regions and achieve transcription and chromatin accessibility variation. Our study shows E-PCA can identify the major variable interaction sets within populations of single cells, across broad categories of normal cell types, and between cancer and non-cancerous cell types.