cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Incorporating biological information in sparse principal component analysis with application to genomic data

Sparse principal component analysis (PCA) is a popular tool for dimensionality reduction, pattern recognition, and visualization of high dimensional data. It has been recognized that complex biological mechanisms occur through concerted relationships of multiple genes working in networks that are often represented by graphs. Recent work has shown that incorporating such biological information improves feature selection and prediction performance in regression analysis, but there has been limited work on extending this approach to PCA. In this article, we propose two new sparse PCA methods called Fused and Grouped sparse PCA that enable incorporation of prior biological information in variable selection. Our simulation studies suggest that, compared to existing sparse PCA methods, the proposed methods achieve higher sensitivity and specificity when the graph structure is correctly specified, and are fairly robust to misspecified graph structures. Application to a glioblastoma gene expression dataset identified pathways that are suggested in the literature to be related with glioblastoma. The proposed sparse PCA methods Fused and Grouped sparse PCA can effectively incorporate prior biological information in variable selection, leading to improved feature selection and more interpretable principal component loadings and potentially providing insights on molecular underpinnings of complex diseases.
Oral Rehydration Solutions for the Treatment of Acute Watery Diarrhea.

Oral rehydration solutions are distinguished by high or low osmolarity and by whether they are made with complex (i.e., polymer) or simple (i.e., glucose) carbohydrates. When oral rehydration solutions with high osmolarity (310 mOsm per L or greater) are compared, polymer-based solutions may result in lower stool output in the first 24 hours and shorter duration of diarrhea than glucose-based solutions.
Utility of sagittal MR imaging of the whole spine in cases of known or suspected single-level spinal infection: Overkill or good clinical practice?

Abstract Objective Multi-sequence sagittal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the entire spine is performed in patients with known single level spondylodiscitis. Our objective is to determine the frequency of multifocal infection. Methods After IRB approval, a retrospective five-year review of all patients with spondylodiscitis was performed. Results MRI identified 82 patients with single-level infection. All 82 had entire spine imaging performed within 72 h of admission, showing additional non-continuous sites of infection in 19 patients (23%). Remote levels of spondylodiscitis were present in 11 patients (13%). Conclusion Multi-sequence sagittal MRI of the entire spine may be helpful in patients with known single-level spine infection.
Practical laboratory-based clinical decision tools and associations with short-term bleeding and mortality outcomes.

Abstract Background The red cell distribution width (RDW) predicts mortality in numerous populations. The Intermountain Risk Scores (IMRS) predict patient outcomes using laboratory measurements including RDW. Whether the RDW or IMRS predicts in-hospital outcomes is unknown. Methods The predictive abilities of RDW and two IMRS formulations (the complete blood count [CBC] risk score [CBC-RS] or full IMRS using CBC plus the basic metabolic profile) were studied among percutaneous coronary intervention patients at Intermountain (males: N = 6007, females: N = 2165). Primary endpoints were a composite bleeding outcome and in-hospital mortality. Results IMRS predicted the composite bleeding endpoint (females: χ2 = 47.1, odds ratio [OR] = 1.13 per +1 score, p Conclusions The IMRS, the CBC-RS, and RDW predict in-hospital outcomes. Risk score-directed personalization of in-hospital clinical care should be studied.
On the number of required response history analyses

This study investigates the number of real ground motions (GMs) required to accurately capture the structural responses when using code-, intensity-, and risk-based seismic assessment frameworks. A key consideration is the use of as-recorded hazard consistent GMs, which appropriately characterize the seismic hazard of the site, for performing response history analysis. A comparison of the structural responses of 3 steel moment resisting buildings using different sets of GMs is made with results obtained using a large set of GMs. The empirical results demonstrate that, in most cases, a risk-based assessment needs a larger number of response history analyses than an intensity-based assessment method to accurately capture the seismic demand on the structural systems. Also, given the same number of GMs, the structural responses from a risk-based assessment are more reliable and stable than those for an intensity-based method. Moreover, the results help to quantify the uncertainty in the structural responses due to using different sample sets of GMs given the applied number of GMs. In addition, the results indicate that a significant bias in structural responses is likely when following the recommendations from several seismic design codes, which suggest utilizing the maximum structural responses if 3 GM pairs are used for response history analysis. A detailed statistical analyses show that the application of 7 GM pairs are sufficient to accurately and reliably estimate structural responses.
Quantitative Visualization of Sex Steroid Receptor Functions: AR and ERα

The nuclear receptors (NR) are a critical superfamily of gene regulatory proteins involved in all of human physiology. Classic biochemical techniques have provided deep insights into NR function but, due to their nature as single endpoint assays derived from pooled cell populations and tissues, these approaches are intrinsically unable to address important mechanistic considerations linked to cellular heterogeneity. Androgen receptor (AR) and estrogen receptor-α (ER) are members of the Type 1 steroid receptor subfamily of NRs that contribute to sex determination. Numerous recent advances have permitted direct, quantitative visualization of AR and ER functions within a cellular context that can be combined with conventional molecular and biochemical approaches. This new approach, essentially single cell-based systems biology, now enables researchers to follow NR shuttling through subcellular compartments in response to physiologic, pathologic or pharmacologic stimuli, to quantify transcriptional activity, and to identify interacting molecules leading to induction, or repression, of transcription. Here, we discuss recent reports that have applied advanced imaging systems [high throughput microscopy (HTM), high content analysis (HCA), FRET, FRAP] to dissect the biology of ER and AR at the single cell level. First, we discuss the use of HCA to examine AR functions in genital skin fibroblasts derived from normally virilized individuals and patients with androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS), and in prostate cancer cell lines. Second, we highlight how these imaging techniques have been applied to define compound-specific mechanisms of ER gene regulation and coregulator interactions. These methods reveal new findings about the actions of AR and ER that are overlooked by conventional methods.
Starpaths: Adaptation to Oceania

Equipped with a general understanding, now, of how humanity has decoupled behavior from anatomy by using tools - and thus changed the course of its own evolution by inventing invention - we can go on to see two specific cases of proactive human adaptation and niche construction in action. There are plenty of examples we could use, but here we will focus on the example of the Polynesian colonization of Oceania, the Pactfic at large, from Australia to the Hawaiian Islands, New Zealand, and Easter Island. This case provides superb examples of invention and adaptation that can inspire, provide material for creative thought, provide new vocabularies to help reconsider human space colonization, and, overall, energize the project of human space colonization. We will see the construction of great sailing vessels, often as large and complex as those of the European ships of discovery, starpath navigation and an ethos of exploration and discovery, all devised not as ends in themselves, but as adaptations to make human colonization efforts a success.
A HUMAN HEPATOMA CELL LINE CONTAINS HEPATITIS B DNA AND RNA SEQUENCES

ABSTRACT The genome of a human hepatoma cell line, the Alexander cell, contains at least six integrated copies of Hepatitis B viral DNA. Four of these integrated sequences appear to be full length viral genomes. Integration occurs at a specific region of the viral DNA, which is near the nick present in the native Hepatitis B genome. Alexander cells produce a major transcript of 2000 bases which hybridizes specifically to the viral surface antigen gene.
Optimized Service Chain Mapping and reduced flow processing with Application-Awareness

Network Function Virtualization (NFV) brings a new set of challenges when deploying virtualized services on commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware. Network functions can be dynamically managed to provide the necessary services on-demand and further, services can be chained together to form a larger composite. In this paper, we address an important technical problem of mapping service function chains (SFCs) across different data centers with the objective of reducing the flow processing costs. We develop an integer linear programming (ILP) formulation to optimally map service function chains to multiple data centers while adhering to the data center's capacity constraints. We propose a novel application-aware flow reduction (AAFR) algorithm to simplify the SFC-ILP to significantly reduce the number of flows processed by the SFCs. We perform a thorough study of the SFC mapping problem for multiple data centers and evaluate the performance of our proposed approach with respect to three parameters: i) impact of number of SFCs and SFC length on flow processing cost, ii) capacitated/uncapacitated flow processing cost gains, and iii) balancing flow-to-SFC mappings across data centers. Our evaluations show that our proposed AAFR algorithm reduces flow-processing costs by 70% for the capacitated-SFC mapping case over the SFC-ILP. In addition, our uncapacitated AAFR (AAFR-U) algorithm provides a further 4.1% cost-gain over its capacitated counterpart (AAFR-C).
Squishing Circuits: Circuitry Learning with Electronics and Playdough in Early Childhood

While circuitry lessons have traditionally been first introduced in late elementary school, they remain challenging conceptually for undergraduates in physics and engineering courses. Seeking to provide a higher quality and earlier introduction to circuitry learning for young children (ages 3–5), this paper investigates the affordances of utilizing the Squishy Circuits toolkit, a circuitry kit that combines circuit components and playdough, as a first introduction. Our study engaged 45 children across three nursery school classrooms in open-ended play with Squishy Circuits toolkits for seven sessions over a period of 2 weeks. Here, we focus on six children in one focal classroom in order to illustrate the concepts that children are developing during play and open exploration with the kits and a range of crafting materials. Findings indicated that the Squishy Circuits toolkit enabled children to explore concepts important to circuitry learning, including current flow, polarity, and connections. Additionally, analysis of whole class conversations before and after the circuitry explorations indicated significant gains in children’s ability to discuss circuitry concepts over the course of the study. Through individual case studies, we illustrate how children enacted these concepts through their play and how the transparency afforded by the toolkit make the big ideas of circuitry visible. This work serves to illustrate how very young children can successfully begin to engage with science topics commonly introduced in later elementary school when those topics are framed through play and discovery with transparent and malleable materials.
Short Communication: Bioequivalence of Tenofovir Component of Tenofovir/Rilpivirine/Emtricitabine in Digital Pills.

Abstract Digital pills, gelatin capsules with radiofrequency transmitters activated by stomach chloride ions, directly measure antiretroviral therapy adherence. In individuals with substance use di...
Just caring: screening needs limits

This personal narrative tugs at the heart strings. However, personal narratives are not sufficient to justify public funding for any screening policy. We have to take seriously the 'just caring' problem. We have only limited resources to meet virtually unlimited health care needs. No doubt, screening tests often save lives. The author wants public funding for prostate-specific antigen screening for prostate cancer. However, why only prostate cancer? Numerous cancers at various stages can be screened for. Are all of them equally deserving of public funding? What about screening for a very long list of other life-threatening medical disorders? There is nothing ethically special about cancer. Where does the money come from to pay for all these screening tests? Do we reduce expensive life-prolonging care for patients in late-stage diseases? Ultimately, a balance must be struck between saving statistical lives through screening and saving identifiable lives in the intensive care unit. Achieving a just balance requires rational democratic deliberation as justification for these choices, not personal narratives.
Association of Fear and Mistrust with Stress Among Sheltered Homeless Adults and the Moderating Effects of Race and Sex

In shelter settings, homeless individuals often congregate and sleep in proximity to one another, with limited secure places for belongings: a living environment that may engender perceived vulnerability to victimization. Fear of victimization and mistrust of others in the shelter environment may result in greater stress, and racial minority residents and women may be particularly affected. Here, we aimed to examine the associations between fear, mistrust, and fear and mistrust, and stress among sheltered homeless adults, and explore moderation by race and sex. Data were from a convenience sample of adults from a homeless shelter in Dallas, TX (N = 225; 67% black; 27% women). Participants completed the fear and mistrust scale and the urban life stressors scale. Linear regressions were used to measure associations of fear, mistrust, and fear and mistrust with stress, adjusted for age, education, sex, race, history of schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder, and discrimination. Moderation was assessed with interaction terms. Adjusted results indicated that fear, mistrust, fear and mistrust was positively associated with stress (p < 0.001). Race, but not sex, was a significant moderator of associations between fear and stress, whereby black adults with high levels of fear were more likely than white adults to experience high stress levels. Thus, although more research is needed, results suggest that interventions aimed at reducing fear of victimization may reduce stress for black adults. Given the association of stress with myriad undesirable health outcomes that can further exacerbate known health disparities, further work in this area is critical. Future research should investigate environmental sources of fear to provide further direction for interventions.
Replicated state machines without replicated execution

This paper introduces a new approach to reduce end-to-end costs in large-scale replicated systems built under a Byzantine fault model. Specifically, our approach transforms a given replicated state machine (RSM) to another RSM where nodes incur lower costs by delegating state machine execution: an untrusted prover produces succinct cryptographic proofs of correct state transitions along with state changes, which nodes in the transformed RSM verify and apply respectively.To realize our approach, we build Piperine, a system that makes the proof machinery profitable in the context of RSMs. Specifically, Piperine reduces the costs of both proving and verifying the correctness of state machine execution while retaining liveness—a distinctive requirement in the context of RSMs. Our experimental evaluation demonstrates that, for a payment service, employing Piperine is more profitable than naive reexecution of transactions as long as there are > 104 nodes. When we apply Piperine to ERC-20 transactions in Ethereum (a real-world RSM with up to 105 nodes), it reduces per-transaction costs by 5.4× and network costs by 2.7×.
Developmental Prevention Programs Intended to Change Peer Risk and Protective Factors: a Review of the Evaluation Literature

This paper seeks to increase knowledge of the nature and effectiveness of developmental peer prevention programs, defined as interventions that target change in peer risk and protective factors. Three bibliographic databases and the Blueprints for Healthy Youth Development website were searched to identify peer prevention programs. Evaluations of these programs were reviewed to determine if statistical tests were performed to measure change in targeted factors and/or whether changes in targeted factors mediated reductions in antisocial behaviors. The search identified 33 peer prevention programs, 27 that had evidence of effectiveness in reducing substance use and/or delinquency and 6 that appeared to be ineffective. Peer prevention programs included a diverse set of interventions for children and/or caregivers and comprised individual, classroom, community, family, and multi-component interventions. Most (73%) of the programs had at least one evaluation that assessed change in at least one targeted peer risk or protective factor, but only six (18%) had evaluations that tested for mediation of targeted factors on outcomes. The findings suggest the utility of broadly defining peer prevention programs to better capture the full range of interventions that seek to reduce antisocial behaviors by changing peer risk and protective factors. Doing so has practical implications and can provide communities with more options for altering peer risk and protective factors. However, additional evaluation of peer prevention programs, including greater use of mediation analyses, is needed to better understand why and how these programs work and to identify implementation factors that may lead to iatrogenic effects.
Eigenvalues of graphs with threefold symmetry

In many cases, the spectrum of one graph contains the entire spectrum of a second, smaller graph. The larger (composite) graph and the smaller (component) graph are said to be subspectral. Rules are given for constructing two subspectral components of a composite graph which has threefold symmetry such that the eigenvalues of one component and the eigenvalues of the second component taken twice comprise the complete spectrum of the composite graph. The mathematical basis for these rules is shown to be a unitary transformation upon the eigenvalue equation of the adjacency matrix of the composite graph by the matrix which represents threefold rotation.
Foil backlighter development at the OMEGA laser facility for extended x-ray absorption fine structure experiments.

Extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) measurements require a bright and continuous x-ray source and a detection system with high spectral resolution to capture the modulations of the absorption coefficient above the material absorption edge. When performing EXAFS measurements under laser-driven dynamic compression, it is hence critical to optimize the backlighter x-ray emission. A series of experiments has been conducted at the OMEGA laser facility to characterize titanium (Z = 22), iron (Z = 26), germanium (Z = 32), molybdenum (Z = 42), silver (Z = 47), and gold (Z = 79) foil backlighters irradiated with 3 kJ–12 kJ of laser energy. The spectra have been recorded using a dual crystal spectrometer (DCS), a two-channel transmission spectrometer covering 11 keV–45 keV and 19 keV–90 keV energy bands. The DCS has been calibrated so that the spectral intensities can be compared between different campaigns.
Study of pressure dependence on sinterable zirconia nanoparticle tribofilm growth

Abstract Tribological sintering of antiwear films as a function of applied load has been investigated using a novel zirconia nanoparticle antiwear additive. Spherical five nanometer diameter zirconium oxide (ZrO2) nanoparticles are dispersed in polyalphaolefin (PAO) synthetic base oil and tested between AISI 52100 steel counterfaces in a ball-on-disk tribometer with a slide-to-roll ratio of 50%. The apparatus allows tribofilm thickness data to be tracked in-situ at set intervals, and tribofilms reaching a maximum thickness of 160 nm have been measured. A tribofilm formation dependence on load has been found, as higher loads assist initial growth and final thickness. Contrary to the chemical tribofilm formation processes of traditional antiwear additives such as zinc dialkyldithiophosphate (ZDDP), testing suggests the primary mechanism of tribofilm growth for zirconium oxide is nanoparticle adsorption followed by particle accumulation and sintering. A strong correlation between friction force, tribofilm width and Hertzian contact theory has been found. Initial tribofilm growth rate grew exponentially with applied load, whereas isolation of the linear growth phase yielded a linear relationship. Mechanical stylus, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) are employed to investigate the roughness, morphology and chemical nature of the sintered tribofilms, respectively.
An exploration of employee dreams: The dream-based overnight carryover of emotional experiences at work.

Abstract Objective We sought to explore the manner in which daily challenge and hindrance stressors at work may be associated with mood the next day, through the mediating mechanisms of presleep rumination and moods experienced while asleep during dreams. Methods A daily diary study in which 94 adults with full-time jobs completed 2 surveys per day for 2 work weeks. Each morning, participants reported the degree to which they engaged in rumination before sleep the previous night, the affective tone of their dreams, and their mood at that moment. Each evening participants reported their experiences of challenge and hindrance stressors at work that day. Results Hindrance stressors were positively related to next-morning negative affect via the effects of rumination and negative affect in dreams. Challenge stressors negatively related to positive affect in the morning, via rumination and lowered positive affect in dreams. These results occurred above and beyond the effects of sleep quantity, sleep quality, and several other time-based control variables. Conclusions Dreams play an important role in how work stressors which are experienced in a given workday are associated with mood the next morning.
Nuclear Hyperfine Techniques

The interaction of X-rays with electrons is so strong that we can usually ignore nuclear effects, dismissing the nucleus as a point charge too massive and slow to respond to the electromagnetic field of the X-ray. However, the ability to produce bright X-ray beams with narrow linewidths now permits observation of nuclear transitions that are normally observed with radioisotope sources. In this chapter we first describe some very general properties of nuclear transitions and nuclear excited states, and we then describe the conventional way of doing things. We then present the most popular synchrotron nuclear techniques for capturing the same information.
Outcomes of Visual Self-Expression in Virtual Reality on Psychosocial Well-Being With the Inclusion of a Fragrance Stimulus: A Pilot Mixed-Methods Study

Aims: In this pilot mixed methods study, we examined participant experiences of engaging in virtual drawing tasks and the impact of an olfactory stimulus (calming fragrance blend) on outcomes of affect, stress, self-efficacy, anxiety, creative agency, and well-being (satisfaction with life). Methods: This study used a parallel mixed methods, simple block randomization design. Study participants included 24 healthy adults aged 18 to 54 years, including 18 women and 6 men. Participants completed two 1-hour immersive virtual artmaking sessions and were randomly assigned to receive either a fragrance or non-fragrance condition for the first session. Quantitative (standardized self-report measures) and qualitative (open-ended survey responses and virtual artwork) datasets were collected concurrently and integrated during data analysis. Results: Quantitative results indicated that the fragrance condition demonstrated significant reduction in negative affect (e.g., feelings hostile, jittery, upset, distressed etc.), namely, reduced feelings of negativity when compared to the non-fragrance condition. A trend towards improvement in self-efficacy was also seen in the fragrance condition. No significant changes were found for fragrance or non-fragrance conditions for positive affect, anxiety, and creative agency. Qualitative findings included 5 themes related to artmaking experiences in virtual reality in both conditions: fun and joy; novelty of virtual media, experimentation, and play; relaxation and calm; learning curve; physical discomfort and disorientation. Four themes were identified for virtual art content and visual qualities: nature imagery; references to memories and personal symbols; fantasy and play within imagery; depiction of everyday objects. Conclusions: Overall, participants reported positive responses to the novel virtual artmaking experiences which were further heightened by the inclusion of the fragrance stimulus for negative affect. These preliminary findings need to be replicated with larger sample sizes to confirm the outcomes and trends that were seen in this pilot study. Further research is recommended to examine the differences between experiences of virtual and traditional art media, and to examine different olfactory stimuli promoting focus and concentration.
Vulvar Hibernoma: An Unusual Lipomatous Tumor in an Adolescent

Abstract Background Lipomatous tumors of the vulva are exceedingly rare, particularly in adolescents. We describe the work-up and management of an adolescent girl who presented with a large, well-vascularized vulvar mass. Case A 14-year-old girl presented with a large vulvar mass of unclear etiology. Magnetic resonance imaging of this mass revealed an ill-defined, well-vascularized mass with fat signal characteristics suggestive of a lipomatous tumor that was concerning for malignancy. We performed complete resection of the mass, and histologic evaluation revealed a vulvar hibernoma. There have been no signs of recurrence 1 year later. Summary and Conclusion Although rare, a hibernoma of the vulvar region may present in adolescence and may be concerning for malignancy on imaging. Complete resection of these tumors is recommended for definitive diagnosis and treatment.
Increasing Access to Trainer-led Aerobic Exercise for People with Visual Impairments through a Sensor Mat System

People with visual impairments (PVIs) are less likely to participate in physical activity than their sighted peers. One barrier is the lack of accessible group-based aerobic exercise classes, often due to instructors not giving accessible verbal instructions. While there is research in exercise tracking, these tools often require vision or familiarity with the exercise. There are accessible solutions that give personalized verbal feedback in slower-paced exercises, not generalizing to aerobics. In response, we have developed an algorithm that detects shoeprints on a sensor mat using computer vision and a CNN. We can infer whether a person is following along with a step aerobics workout and are designing reactive verbal feedback to guide the person to rejoin the class. Future work will include finishing development and conducting a user study to assess the effectiveness of the reactive verbal feedback.
Emerging Biomarkers for HBV Cure: HBsAg and Beyond

Our purpose was to examine current and emerging biomarkers that are being utilized or under study with current therapies and examine the preliminary data with emerging therapies that will likely be combined moving forward to achieve higher rates of functional cure. Quantitative HBsAg is the most important biomarker to assess response to current and novel therapies that inhibit viral replication and restore the immune response to those with HBV infection with loss of HBsAg reflecting functional cure. Hepatitis B core-related antigen and serum HBV RNA reflect transcription from cccDNA and declines can be used to predict relapse after discontinuation of hepatitis B therapy. Quantitative HBsAg will remain the primary biomarker to assess functional cure. There is need for an assay that measures hepatitis B-specific immune-responses to document restoration of adaptive immunity as we develop novel immunomodulatory therapies to be combined with inhibitors of the hepatitis B viral replication.
Antiplatelet Medications and Biomarkers of Hemostasis May Explain the Association of Hematoma Appearance and Subsequent Hematoma Expansion After Intracerebral Hemorrhage.

BACKGROUND To test the hypothesis that appearances of intracranial hematomas on diagnostic computed tomography (CT) are not idiosyncratic and reflect a biologically plausible mechanism, we evaluated the association between hematoma appearance on CT, biomarkers of platelet activity, and antiplatelet or anticoagulant medication use prior to admission. METHODS We studied 330 consecutively identified patients from 2006 to 2019. Biomarkers of platelet activity (platelet aspirin assay) and medication history (aspirin, clopidogrel) were prospectively recorded on admission. A blinded interpreter recorded the presence of hematoma appearances from the diagnostic scan. Associations were tested with parametric or nonparametric statistics, as appropriate. RESULTS The black hole sign (101, 30%) was most prevalent, followed by the island sign (57, 17%) and blend sign (32, 10%). There was reduced platelet activity in patients with a black hole sign (511 [430-610] vs. 562 [472-628] aspirin reaction units, P = 0.01) or island sign (505 [434-574] vs. 559 [462-629] aspirin reaction units, P = 0.004). Clopidogrel use prior to admission was associated with the black hole sign (odds ratio 2.25, 95% confidence interval 1.02-4.98, P = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS In patients with acute intracerebral hemorrhage, hematoma appearances on CT are associated with biomarkers of platelet activity and clopidogrel use prior to admission. Appearances of intracranial hematomas on CT may reflect reduced hemostasis from antiplatelet medication use.
Educational Programs and Sexual Counselling for Postmenopausal Sexual Dysfunction: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Abstract Background Female sexual dysfunction has a high prevalence in women in the postmenopausal period. Not only factors like comorbidities and chronic illnesses are responsible for this high prevalence, but also psychological and interpersonal factors play a significant role. Sexual counselling educational programs have shown positive sexual behavioral changes and they should be considered the first line approach to female sexual dysfunction in this group of women. Aim To review the evidence of the efficacy of sexual counselling educational programs for sexual dysfunction in postmenopausal women. Methods A systematic search was performed in February 2021 from electronic databases (MEDLINE, CENTRAL, and Scopus), unpublished studies, ongoing clinical trials, conference abstracts and journal archives, dissertations and theses, gray literature and free search on the Google Scholar search engine. Studies that evaluate the effectiveness of sexual educational programs in postmenopausal women were selected. Study selection and data extraction were performed by 2 independent researchers. Extracted data included author identification, publication date, geographic location, study population and sample size, type of intervention, sexual function evaluation tool and outcome. Studies that evaluate sexual function by using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) were included in the meta-analysis, calculating the mean difference. Outcomes Improvement of sexual function in postmenopausal women. Results We included 8 studies in the systematic review, 6 randomized and 2 nonrandomized controlled trials, with a total sample size of 619 women, aged between 39 and 75 years old, all in menopause for less than 5 years. The studies described sexual education programs, with 4–10 sessions, 45–60 minutes each, including themes like sexual anatomy, physiological sexual response, menopause, methods of stimulation, and common sexual myths. Five studies also included cognitive-behavior therapy and 3 studies assessed mindfulness techniques. Six studies evaluated the effectiveness of sexual educational programs using FSFI. The results showed that sexual counselling educational programs had statistically significant effects on enhancing the total FSFI score (mean difference = +7.14, 95% confidence interval = 3.70–10.6, P Conclusion Our meta-analysis shows that sexual counselling educational programs are effective in improving sexual dysfunction in postmenopausal women when compared to routine care. These are simple approaches, easily administered with minimal resources that help prevent the psychological and social consequences of sexual dysfunction at this age. IMS Silva, MP Pinto, D Goncalves. Educational Programs and Sexual Counselling for Postmenopausal Sexual Dysfunction: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Sex Med 2021;XX:XXX–XXX.
Thermophysics of the Lanthanide Trichlorides—Reanalysis of the Schottky Heat Capacity Contributions

The heat capacity data on the anhydrous lanthanide trichlorides from 5 to 350 K of Sommers and Westrum provide an excellent opportunity to further test the volumetric lattice heat-capacity approximation method. Schottky contributions in PrCl3, SmCl3, and EuCl3 were calorimetrically derived using the volume-weighted interpolation between the lattice heat capacities of the La and Gd homologs. Previously qualitative agreement had been observed upon comparison of these calorimetrically derived Schottky contributions with those calculated from spectroscopic data obtained for Ln(III) doped LaCl3 crystals. Excellent accord between “spectroscopic” and “calorimetric” Schottky contributions is achieved by adjusting the Stark-level energies to represent those of the concentrated salts through extrapolation of the Ln(III) doped LaCl3 energies to stronger crystal fields either empirically or by means of estimated crystal-field parameters. These methods are described and the resulting energy levels are compared with the spectroscopic data that do exist for the concentrated trichlorides.
The Social Cognitive Perspective and the Study of Aging

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the social cognitive perspective and the study of aging. Since 1980, the study of social cognition and aging has witnessed considerable growth in both breadth and scope. The chapter focuses on identifying the advantages of adopting a social cognitive perspective in the study of aging and illustrates this through current work in the field. The basic goal of social cognition can reasonably be characterized as understanding how people make sense of themselves and events in everyday life. The cognitive process and social competence aspects of the social cognitive perspective are linked. On the one hand, the cognitive process underlying the acquisition and use of social knowledge directly influences socially competent behavior. An understanding of such processes can give one some insight into the manner in which social knowledge is organized and accessed in memory, along with factors that limit effective use of this knowledge. At the same time, social competence factors can be viewed as influencing the way in which cognitive processing proceeds. Perhaps the most important factor for understanding aging and social behavior, however, is the important role that the social cognitive perspective assigns to personal and situational factors that influence information processing. The chapter summarizes that the principles of social cognition have greatly affected social cognitive research in aging. However, aging research has also broadened the understanding of social cognitive process.
Progressive Housing Policy in the 21st Century: A Contrarian View

After years of cutbacks to housing programs in Canada, there has emerged a consensus that a progressive housing policy requires significant construction of new social housing units to address both the problems of housing affordability and homelessness. This paper argues that large scale social housing should not be the focus of progressive housing policy in the 21st century. We should use the progressive goals of the original welfare state, but we should modify the programs designed to meet these goals. The paper examines the income and personal insecurities faced by low-income households today, contrasting them with the insecurities faced in the early postwar period, and concludes that social housing is poorly suited to the problems of today. To deal with housing affordability problems, the focus should be upon employment programs, education and training, and income support, not upon new social housing. Furthermore, expansion of social housing would do little to help the homeless. The focus of progressive housing policy should be on programs to directly help the homeless. This requires a coordinated combining of housing first with social support programs: a supportive housing strategy.
Nonlinear Sturm-Liouville Theory

In the next chapter, we’ll apply the Krasnoselskii-Rabinowitz bifurcation theorem in a very specific way: to the Euler buckling problem. The buckling problem belongs to an important class of problems in ordinary differential equations called nonlinear Sturm-Liouville problems. To begin this chapter I’ll describe the Euler buckling problem and place it in the more general differential equation context. Then I’ll apply the bifurcation theorem to the general class of nonlinear Sturm-Liouville problems, to obtain a tool that I’ll be able to use in the next chapter for the buckling problem.
Using automated sound recording and analysis to detect bird species‐at‐risk in southwestern Ontario woodlands

We conducted a field study to compare the effectiveness of acoustic recordings coupled with automated sound recognition versus traditional point counts in terms of their relative abilities to detect 3 bird species-at-risk in southwestern Ontario, Canada. The comparison was made in 50 woodlots, each of which contained a standard Forest Bird Monitoring Program plot of 5 point-count stations. An automated recording device was present at one of the point-count stations. We found that the automated recording and analysis system worked at least as well as the more traditional point-count method in identifying woodlots containing acadian flycatcher (Empidonax virescens) and cerulean warbler (Setophaga cerulea), but that both methods combined performed better than either method alone. The automated system also required considerably less effort in the field (a difference of 140 min/woodlot) with very little additional effort identifying vocalizations in the lab (approx. 22.5 min/woodlot, for all 3 species combined). The automated system was not as effective in detecting prothonotary warbler (Protonotaria citrea), possibly because the species is much less common in southern Ontario than the other 2 species. © 2014 The Wildlife Society.
Mitochondrial oxidative stress causes chromosomal instability of mouse embryonic fibroblasts.

Summary Reactive oxygen species are an inevitable by-product of mitochondrial respiration. It has been estimated that between 0.4 and 4% of molecular oxygen is converted to the radical superoxide () and this level is significantly influenced by the functional status of the mitochondria. It is well established that exogenous oxidative stress and high doses of mitochondrial poisons such as paraquat and carbonyl cyanide 4 (trifluoromethoxy) phenylhydrazone (FCCP) can lead to genomic instability. In this report we show for the first time that endogenous mitochondrial oxidative stress in standard cell culture conditions results in nuclear genomic instability in primary mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs). We show that lack of mitochondrial superoxide dismutase in MEFs leads to a severe increase of double strand breaks, end-to-end fusions, chromosomal translocations, and loss of cell viability and proliferative capacity. Our results predict that endogenous mitochondrial oxidative stress can induce genomic instability, and therefore may have a profound effect in cancer and aging.
Signature calculus and discrete logarithm problems

Index calculus has been successful in many cases for treating the discrete logarithm problem for the multiplicative group of a finite field, but less so for elliptic curves over a finite field. In this paper we seek to explain why this might be the case from the perspective of arithmetic duality and propose a unified method for treating both problems which we call signature calculus.
A Privacy Preservation Model for Health-Related Social Networking Sites

The increasing use of social networking sites (SNS) in health care has resulted in a growing number of individuals posting personal health information online. These sites may disclose users' health information to many different individuals and organizations and mine it for a variety of commercial and research purposes, yet the revelation of personal health information to unauthorized individuals or entities brings a concomitant concern of greater risk for loss of privacy among users. Many users join multiple social networks for different purposes and enter personal and other specific information covering social, professional, and health domains into other websites. Integration of multiple online and real social networks makes the users vulnerable to unintentional and intentional security threats and misuse. This paper analyzes the privacy and security characteristics of leading health-related SNS. It presents a threat model and identifies the most important threats to users and SNS providers. Building on threat analysis and modeling, this paper presents a privacy preservation model that incorporates individual self-protection and privacy-by-design approaches and uses the model to develop principles and countermeasures to protect user privacy. This study paves the way for analysis and design of privacy-preserving mechanisms on health-related SNS.
Ankle and Foot

This chapter deals with injuries of the ankle and foot. Various types of fractures and other injuries are presented. MR is discussed where it significantly adds to evaluation of these injuries.
On the realizability of Lewy structures

We prove that a nondegenerate CR structure with signature (p, n p) at 0 E R2n+1 and with n first integrals zi, zn satisfying dzl A di A .A dz, A d, :A ? is realizable if and only if an action of the group 0(2p, 2n 2p) leaves invariant a one-dimensional subbundle of the structure bundle.
Irreversible inhibition of the interaction between elongation factor Tu and phenylalanyl transfer ribonucleic acid by L-1-tosylamido-2-phenylethyl chloromethy ketone.

Abstract We have confirmed earlier reports (Jonak, J., Sedlacek, J., and Rychlik, I. (1971) Fed. Eur. Biochem. Soc. Lett. 18, 6; Sedlacek, J., Jonak, J., and Rychlik, I. (1971) Biochem. Biophys. Acta 254, 478) that l-1-tosylamido-2-phenylethyl chloromethyl ketone (TPCK) inhibits the EF-T-mediated binding of phenylalanyl-tRNA to the ribosome and have extended this observation by demonstrating that TPCK, but not its lysine analogue, irreversibly destroys the ability of EF-Tu·GTP to form the ternary complex with phenylalanyl-tRNA which is a known intermediate in its transfer to the ribosome. The prior formation of this ternary complex protects EF-Tu from TPCK inactivation. The present evidence is consistent with the view that TPCK inactivates EF-Tu by specifically reacting with some portion of the site of phenylalanyl-tRNA binding.
Ideas about management of LISP data bases

The paper advocates the need for systems which support maintenance of LISP-type data bases, and describes an experimental system of this kind, called DABA In this system, a description of the data base's structure is kept in the data base Itself. A number of utility programs use the description for operations on the data base The description must minimally include syntactic information reminiscent of data structure declarations in more conventional programming languages, and can be extended by the user Two reasons for such systems are seen (I) As A.I. programs develop from toy domains using toy data bases, to more realistic exercies. the management of the knowledge base becomes non-trivial and requires program support (2) A powerful way to organize LISP programs is to make them data-driven, whereby pieces of program are distributed throughout a data base A data base management system facilitates the use of this programming style. The paper describes and discusses the basic Ideas in the DABA system as well as the technique of data-driven programs.
Adenosine triphosphate levels of chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) eggs following in vitro maintenance and activation/fertilization.

To further examine the concept of egg quality and the physiology of stored salmonid eggs, we investigated the effects of different oxygen tensions on the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels of unfertilized, activated, and fertilized chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) eggs. The ATP levels of unfertilized chinook salmon eggs were 2.61±0.14 nmol ATP per egg (17.6±0.9 μmol l−1 relative to cell water) and ranged from 1.98 to 3.63 nmol ATP per egg. The ATP content of unfertilized eggs maintained at 10 °C under 100% O2, 21% O2, and 100% N2 remained unaltered throughout a 120 h storage period. Storing eggs under identical conditions at 20 °C (in an effort to speed egg metabolism and ATP turnover) resulted in significant O2-independent decreases in ATP levels. However, ATP levels of unfertilized eggs exposed to 1 mmol l−1 potassium cyanide (a potent inhibitor of oxidative phosphorylation) at 10 °C were significantly decreased after 24 h and continued to decline throughout the 120 h maintenance period to about 30% of time=0 values. Maintenance with exogenous nutrients (5 mmol l−1 acetate plus 5 mmol l−1 pyruvate) over 120 h at 10 °C did not alter the ATP content of unfertilized eggs. Eggs activated by exposing them to 10 °C water for a few minutes showed a rapid decrease in ATP values, regardless of whether the eggs were fertilized or not. Following an initial ∼25% drop after fertilization, the ATP levels remained stable for the remainder (5 d) of the incubation period in eggs maintained in 10 °C water. Therefore, unfertilized chinook salmon egg ATP levels appear to be relatively stable and maintained by a low, cyanide-inhibitable metabolism. The stability of egg ATP levels may be one reason that salmonid eggs can be stored for several days while eggs from other fishes cannot.
The effect of AI on other fields of research

The author suggests that artificial intelligence (AI) has brought about an integration of various, apparently unrelated enterprises and has contributed to the enrichment of a number of fields. Topics of interest to AI include reasoning about knowledge, belief and modalities, temporal reasoning, non-monotonic reasoning, reasoning about vagueness, reasoning about uncertainty, and legal reasoning. These topics are briefly discussed. >