cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Video Quality-Based Spectral and Energy Efficient Mobile Association in Heterogeneous Wireless Networks

The staggering mobile growth is shaping to be the biggest shift in technology since the advent of the Internet, paving the way for unprecedented and yet to be thought of video services and applications. The proliferation of these mobile devices and applications, however, requires new paradigms to satisfy the increasing demands for capacity and energy, and achieve a good video quality. In this paper, we propose a video quality-based framework for spectrum and energy efficient mobile association and resource allocation in heterogeneous wireless networks. The basic tenets of the framework are (1) two novel performance metrics, namely QSE and QEE, to capture spectrum usage and energy consumption from video quality’s perspective; and (2) a computationally efficient optimization model to derive mobile association and resource allocation for video connections in heterogeneous wireless networks. To this end, we first study the fundamental tradeoff between QSE and QEE in a PtP Rayleigh fading wireless channel. We then study QSE and QEE at the system level and develop a mobile association and resource allocation scheme that aims to jointly optimize system level QSE and QEE. The problem is formulated as a mixed-integer nonlinear optimization problem. Nonlinear fractional programming approach and dual decomposition method are applied to search the optimal solutions in a computationally efficient way. The simulation results evaluate the performance tradeoff between QSE and QEE, and show that the system performance, including PSNR distribution and maximum QSE/QEE values, greatly depends on bandwidth and power decaying factors.
Codependence and the politics of inner resistance

This essay traces the evolution of the term “codependence” from its context in alcohol treatment discourse to its current popular use as a nonspecific “character disorder.” Rhetorically, the term provides viable solutions to women's perceived problems that feminism apparently does not.
Fertility after two doses of PGF2α concurrently or at 6-hour interval on the day of CIDR removal in 5-day CO-Synch progesterone-based synchronization protocols in beef heifers

Timed artificial insemination protocols in beef cattle are designed to synchronize ovulation in a greater proportion of females while simultaneously achieving acceptable pregnancy rates and a concise calving season. Protocols achieving such goals reduce time and labor associated with estrus detection and make advanced reproductive technologies implementable for beef producers. The objective of the study was to determine the effect of three different PGF2α (PGF) dosage schemes on artificial insemination (AI) pregnancy rates in beef heifers. We hypothesized that two doses of PGF administered concurrently at the time of controlled internal drug release (CIDR) removal would attain similar pregnancy rates compared with two doses given 6-hours apart-one at CIDR removal and the next 6 hours later in the 5-day CO-Synch progesterone-based synchronization protocol. Angus heifers (n = 875) at six locations in Washington, Idaho, and Oregon states were included in this study. Heifers within locations were assigned a body condition score (BCS). All heifers received a CIDR (1.38 g of progesterone) and 100 μg IM of GnRH on Day 0. The CIDRs were removed on Day 5, heifers were randomly allocated to one of three protocol groups: 1PGF (n = 291), received 25 mg IM of dinoprost (PGF); 2CO-PGF (n = 291), received 50 mg IM of dinoprost at CIDR removal, 2PGF (n = 293), received 25 mg IM of dinoprost at CIDR removal, and an additional 25 mg IM of dinoprost 6 hours later. Each heifer was given GnRH (100 μg, IM) and artificially inseminated at 56 hours after CIDR removal. Heifers were examined for pregnancy status between 50 and 70 days after AI to determine time of conception. A mixed-model procedure (PROC GLIMMIX of SAS) was used to evaluate the effect of treatments (1PGF, 2CO-PGF, and 2PGF) on AI pregnancy rates. Models included were treatments, BCS categories (≤5 and >5), and treatment by BCS category interaction. Location (state), handling facilities, handlers, inseminators, and AI sires were included as a random effect in the model. The 2PGF group had greater AI pregnancy rate of 63.6% (185/291), compared with the 2CO-PGF group at 51.9% (151/291) and 1PGF group at 54.9% (161/293; P 0.1). In conclusion, beef heifers received two 25-mg doses of PGF at 6-hour interval on Day 5 at CIDR insert removal in a 5-day CO-Synch + CIDR synchronization protocols achieved greater pregnancy compared with heifers received 50 mg of PGF concurrently at CIDR removal.
Temporal trends in genetic data and effective population size support efficacy of management practices in critically endangered dusky gopher frogs (Lithobates sevosus)

Monitoring temporal changes in population genetic diversity and effective population size can provide vital information on future viability. The dusky gopher frog, Lithobates sevosus, is a critically endangered species found only in coastal Mississippi, with low genetic variability as a consequence of isolation and population size reduction. Conservation management practices have been implemented, but their efficacy has not been addressed. We genotyped individuals collected 1997-2014 to determine temporal trends in population genetic variation, structure, and effective size. Observed and expected heterozygosity and allelic richness revealed temporally stable, but low, levels of genetic variation. Positive levels of inbreeding were found in each year. There was weak genetic structure among years, which can be attributed to increased effects of genetic drift and inbreeding in small populations. L. sevosus exhibited an increase in effective population size, and currently has an estimated effective size of 33.0-58.6 individuals, which is approximately half the census size. This large ratio could possibly be explained by genetic compensation. We found that management practices have been effective at maintaining and improving effective size and genetic diversity, but that additional strategies need to be implemented to enhance viability of the species.
Soviet foreign policy and the end of the postwar era

The patterns of international power established in 1945, which pitted the United States and the Soviet Union against one another in a global competition for power and influence, seem to be dissolving. Though the two countries are still the dominant military powers, they no longer dominate the international landscape as they did only a few years ago.' As occurred in the United States more than a decade ago, the Soviet leadership has begun to recognize the objective limitations placed on its ability to control global events (Izyumov and Kortunov, 1988). Evidence of this can be seen in developments in Soviet policy on arms reductions, the Soviet withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, the encouragement given client states to resolve conflicts in Cambodia and Angola, and the apparent permitting (even encouraging) of greater autonomy among subject nationalities in Eastern Europe and the USSR itself. Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev explains this policy shift in terms of "new p6litical thinking" that recognizes the realities of global interdependence and the potentially disastrous implications for the human race of global problems such as nuclear warfare or growing ecological damage (Gorbachev, 1986a, pp. 18-19, 55, 64). Gorbachev and other Soviet political leaders have relegated class warfare, the key concept in Marxist socialism for more than a century, to a secondary position as a determinant of Soviet foreign policy (Zagladin, 1988; Plimak, 1987). More important, they argue, is overcoming the threat to human existence posed by global problems. Expanding on this argument, Soviet analysts have pointed to the counterproductiveness of past Soviet security policy based on building bigger and better weapons which, in turn, encouraged the United States to pursue a similar policy. Soviet military intervention in the Third World in support of weak MarxistLeninist regimes that lack adequate domestic backing is criticized for contradicting both the principles of Marxism-Leninism and historical experience (Dashichev, 1988; Izyumov and Kortunov, 1988, p. 55; Checkel, 1988). What we seem to be observing in Moscow is the gradual process of Soviet leaders adapting to the realities of a world in which they are no more able to dictate developments than is the United States. This reassessment of foreign policy is part of a much broader set of developments, as the new Soviet leadership attempts to set new priorities in domestic and foreign policy and to revitalize a Soviet economic and political structure which, in Gorbachev's view, was stagnating by the beginning of the 1980s. The USSR runs the serious risk, if it does not resolve these problems, of entering the twenty-first century as a country on the decline--contrary to the high expectations of the 1970s when Soviet leaders loudly proclaimed the changing international correlation of forces based on the global successes of "progressive forces." The essential elements of "new thinking" in Soviet foreign policy are based on a recognition that the mere addition of more and more military equipment does not necessarily
Limits of Chaos and Progress in Evolutionary Dynamics

There are a number of standard models for the evolutionary process of mutation and selection as a mathematical dynamical system on a fitness space. We apply basic topology and dynamical systems results to prove that every such evolutionary dynamical system with a finite spatial domain is asymptotic to a recurrent orbit; to an observer the system will appear to repeat a known state infinitely often. In a mathematical evolutionary dynamical system driven by increasing fitness, the system will reach a point after which there is not observable increase in fitness.
Renal arterial 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid levels: regulation by cyclooxygenase.

20-HETE, a potent vasoconstrictor, is generated by cytochrome P-450 ω-hydroxylases and is the principal eicosanoid produced by preglomerular microvessels. It is released from preglomerular microves...
First Record of the Larval Endoparasitoid Tachinaephagus zealandicus (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) From Fly Hosts Developing on Burnt Remains and in Pennsylvania

Adults of the gregarious larval endoparasitoid Tachinaephagus zealandicus Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) were collected from two species of carrion-inhabiting flies, Phormia regina Meigen (Diptera: Calliphoridae) and Hydrotaea aenescens Wiedemann (Muscidae), associated with the burnt remains of a domesticated pig, Sus scrofa L. (Artiodactyla: Suidae), during late summer in south central Pennsylvania. This represents the first reported occurrence of the wasp in the state and only the second in the mid-Atlantic region. Collection from P. regina is a new host record for T. zealandicus and also the first for this parasitoid being attracted to flies on burnt remains.
Protecting Youth from Sexualized Media: Media Literacy

Advancing technology has given youth greater access to the media than ever before, allowing media to become pervasive in their lives. Sexual content and inaccurate depictions of gender have become increasingly common in youth’s television shows, magazines, video games, music, and clothing. Research has shown that the sexualization of the media negatively affects youth’s sexual attitudes and beliefs, physical and mental health, and sexual behavior. These effects support the need to protect youth. It would seem that the legal system would be a strong ally given that, under the law, children typically are viewed as in need of protection and of control to avoid negative outcomes. Yet, government agencies tasked with regulating the media have failed to protect children. Legislation that seeks to protect children from harmful media has been largely ruled unconstitutional. These legal limitations require innovative approaches to protect youth. After reviewing the media’s potentially harmful effects and the limitations of legal efforts to address them, this chapter suggests that the most fruitful way to protect youth is to have the government provide greater access to media literacy education that helps youth counter the harmful effects of the media.
The Consolation of Form: the Theoretical and Historical Significance of Frank Kermode’s The Sense of an Ending

The publication of Frank Kermode’s The Sense of an Ending: Studies in the Theory of Fiction in 1967 caused considerable excitement among literary faculties in America. For at a time when the relevance of literary study was being called into question by the Vietnam War, the Anti-War protest movement, and the resulting fissures between university and society, Kermode’s book argued that literary study was central to our lives; or, as Kermode puts it in his first paragraph, to ‘making sense of the ways we try to make sense of our lives’ (p. 3).1 He shows that our imaginative responses to life (including the category of life which we call literature) are shaped by our condition of mortality and by our desperate desire to repress, overcome and ignore that condition by means of sense-making structures provided by our imagination. For, we are ‘in the middest, desiring these moments of significance which harmonize origin and end’ (p. 48).
A Stereolithography-Based Sugar Foaming Method for Porous Strucutre Fabrication

Porous structure has wide application in industry, thanks to some of its special properties such as low density, low thermal conductivity, high surface area and efficient stress transmission. Both templating and foaming agent methods are used to fabricate porous structures. However, these methods can only produce simple geometries. In recent years, many research studies have been done to use additive manufacturing (AM), e.g. stereolithography (SLA), in the fabrication of porous structure, but the porosity that can be achieved is relatively small due to their limited accuracy in building micro-scale features on a large area. This paper presents a projection based SLA process to fabricate porous polymer structures using sugar as the foaming agent. With a solid loading of 50wt% of the sugar in the resin, the method can achieve a porosity over 50%. This method can be used to increase the porosity achieved by current SLA methods by over 100%.Copyright © 2016 by ASME
Diffusive Behavior of Mismatch Repair Protein MSH2 in Cells at Different Stages of Cancer

Cellular interiors present media that are very complex as they encompass a mixture of proteins, organelles, viscoelastic filaments, and chromatin structures in the nuclear interior. The behavior of proteins in such environments reflects the cellular complexity. Here we present the results of studies on the mobility, or diffusion, of free eGFP proteins, and of the important nuclear mismatch repair protein, MSH2. MSH2 was labeled with eGFP and the diffusion of both the free eGFP and MSH2-eGFP was measured using Fluorescence Recovery After Photobleaching (FRAP) on four distinct cell types that act as a model for the neoplastic cancer transformation of human mammary epithelial cells from non-cancerous to metastatic. We obtained several interesting results, such as a significant change in behavior for the first stage of cancer (immortal) compared to other stages. We also observed a significantly lower value for MSH2 diffusion (in both cytoplasm and nucleus) than what would be expected by scaling from the eGFP values (using appropriate size ratios of the two proteins). Diffusion coefficients ranged from 14 to 24 μm2/s for EGFP and from 3 to 7 μm2/s for EGFP-MSH2. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Number 1106105 (KB, KS, and MG). We also thank Glen Marrs, director of the WFU Microscopic Imaging Core Facility, and Anita McCauley, for their help with the confocal microscopy setup.
Identifying Ligand Binding Sites of Proteins using Crystallographic Bfactors and Relative Pocket Sizes

One of the goals of proteomics is to predict the functions of all proteins. Many protein functions involve interactions with other biological molecules. Some of the most important interactions are those of proteins with small molecule ligands. Several experimental and computational approaches have been proposed previously to predict the locations of ligand binding regions of proteins. The aim of this thesis is to test a new approach to identify the ligand binding regions on the surface of X-ray crystal structures of proteins with unknown functions. The hypothesis that was tested was that X-ray crystallographic B-factors, also known as temperature factors, of atoms located on the surface of a protein X-ray crystal structure, in combination with information about the relative sizes of surface pockets, can help in identifying the functional regions of proteins. We used as our test set of protein structures a non-redundant dataset of 328 proteins for which X-ray crystal structures have been solved for both ligand-bound and unbound forms. The main steps involved identifying the surface pocket that, out of the ten largest surface pockets, contains the largest number of atoms with low B-factor values, and then checking to see if that pocket corresponds to the known ligand-binding pocket. If so, the crystallographic B-factor values could be used as a parameter to aid in predicting the ligand-binding regions of many uncharacterized proteins. For the majority of proteins in our study, that is, for 66% of the proteins in our working dataset, the proposed methodology was able to identify correctly the ligand-binding pockets in the protein crystal structures of the unliganded forms of the proteins.
Stressed out: providing laboratory animals with behavioral control to reduce the physiological effects of stress

Laboratory animals experience a large amount of environmental stress. An animal's environment can include both physiological and social stressors that may require an animal to adapt to maintain allostatic balance. For example, thermal stress can lead to changes in behavior, reproduction and immune function, which has been detrimental to cancer modeling in mice. Chronic uncontrollable stress is widely acknowledged for its negative alterations to physiology. However, there is a lack in the understanding of how the laboratory environment affects animal physiology and behavior, particularly as it relates to characteristics of the human disease being modeled. Given the evidence on how stressors affect physiology, it is clear that efforts to model human physiology in animal models must consider animal stress as a confounding factor. We present evidence illustrating that providing captive animals with control or predictability is the best way to reduce the negative physiological effects of these difficult-to-manage stressors.
The role of the environment in falls among stroke survivors.

Abstract Background Stroke survivors’ risk of falls may be particularly sensitive to the environment due to deficits such as visuospatial neglect or homonymous hemianopia. We sought to identify the prevalence of falls among stroke survivors and investigate the possible role of the environment in falling. Materials and methods Data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS), a nationally representative population of community-dwelling adults over 65, were used. We compared the prevalence of falling in the past month between stroke survivors and demographic and comorbidity matched controls using sequential Poisson regression models. Results The proportion of stroke survivors reporting a fall in the previous month was 18.8% compared to 10.8% among matched controls (PR: 1.74; 95% CI: 1.36–2.25). These differences were attenuated after adjusting for known confounders, mediators and aspects of the environment (PR: 1.17; 95% CI: 0.86–1.60). Indoor tripping hazards were associated with falls (PR: 1.24; 95% CI: 1.01–1.53). The association between stroke and falls was modified by neighborhood social disorder, such that in areas of low social disorder, falls in the previous month were more common in stroke survivors compared to non-stroke controls. Conclusions The difference in falls among stroke survivors and matched controls is largely explained by known risk factors and physical capacity. Indoor tripping hazards were associated with falls among stroke survivors and matched controls. Explanations of why the association between stroke and falls was protective in areas of high social disorder are unclear, but may warrant additional research.
CystoSure™: A Unique Catheter-Based Instrument for Cystoscopy and Bladder Diagnostics in the Operating Room and Office

Despite professional society recommendations and data supporting use, cystoscopy continues to be an underutilized tool by a gynecologist in the operating room and in the office. Traditional cystoscopy may present challenges for use by the gynecologic surgeon. CystoSure™ is a unique catheter-based access sheath which makes cystoscopy safe, simple, and standardized in the operating room, at the office, and by the bedside. Cystoscopy is a cornerstone of urogynecologic office evaluation while also playing a critical role in the intraoperative assessment of the lower urinary tract in gynecologic surgery. Routine cystoscopy after major gynecologic surgery has been advocated by many authorities. Traditional cystoscopy is complicated, costly, and time-consuming and is restrictive in its utility. Adoption is still lagging recommendations. A more user-friendly system that facilitates the performance of this integral procedure may increase adoption of cystoscopy amongst gynecologists in the office and operating room when indicated. CystoSure™ enables clinicians to perform comprehensive bladder evaluation in the office, nurses to perform hands-free post-procedure voiding trials and outreach programs to provide bladder diagnostics in remote locations—all in a simple and cost-effective package with shortened learning curve.
Chaos, spontaneous climatic variations and detection of the greenhouse effect

Abstract We illustrate some of the general properties of chaotic dissipative dynamical systems with a simple model. One frequently observed property is the existence of extended intervals, longer than any built-in time scale, during which the system exhibits one type of behavior, followed by extended intervals when another type predominates. In models designed to simulate a climate system with no external variability, we find that an interval may persist for decades. We note the consequent difficulty in attributing particular real climatic changes to causes that are not purely internal. We conclude that we cannot say at present, on the basis of observations alone, that a greenhouse-gas-induced global warming has already set in, nor can we say that it has not already set in.
Image Guidance for Minimally Invasive Deformity Surgery

There is agreement among surgeons that imaging techniques are essential for most spinal procedures regardless of the complexity of the operation, the anatomical region, and the level of training and comfort level of the individual surgeon. It is essential for localization of pathology, avoidance of wrong-level surgery, and the insertion of implants. Navigation in spine surgery is a rapidly evolving field and we are still at an early stage of the technology. More advanced and user-friendly systems that work, for example, with true intraoperative CT scanners are becoming available. Spinal navigation for MIS procedures is moving away from the use of K-wires which will minimize the need for intraoperative X-rays and greatly facilitates the work flow. The future of CAS will include more widespread access to better software and imaging technologies and the combination of CAS with different imaging modalities and possibly intraoperative functional monitoring, such as electrophysiology. There is little doubt that navigation will in the future become a standard armamentarium for spinal surgeons.
Temperature variation, bacterial diversity and fungal infection dynamics in the amphibian skin

Host-associated bacterial communities on the skin act as the first line of defence against invading pathogens. Yet, for most natural systems, we lack a clear understanding of how temperature variability affects structure and composition of skin bacterial communities and, in turn, promotes or limits the colonization of opportunistic pathogens. Here, we examine how natural temperature fluctuations might be related to changes in skin bacterial diversity over time in three amphibian populations infected by the pathogenic fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). Our focal host species (Eleutherodactylus coqui) is a direct-developing frog that has suffered declines at some populations in the last 20 years, while others have not experienced any changes. We quantified skin bacterial alpha- and beta-diversity at four sampling time points, a period encompassing two seasons and ample variation in natural infections and environmental conditions. Despite the different patterns of infection across populations, we detected an overall increase in bacterial diversity through time, characterized by the replacement of bacterial operational taxonomic units (OTUs). Increased frog body temperatures possibly allowed the colonization of bacteria as well as the recruitment of a subset of indicator OTUs, which could have promoted the observed changes in diversity patterns. Our results suggest that natural environmental fluctuations might be involved in creating opportunities for bacterial replacement, potentially attenuating pathogen transmission and thus contributing to host persistence in E. coqui populations.
Identification of Plasmid-Mediated Quinolone Resistance in Salmonella Isolated from Swine Ceca and Retail Pork Chops in the United States

ABSTRACT Fluoroquinolones are important antimicrobial drugs used to treat human Salmonella infections, and resistance is rare in the United States for isolates from human and animal sources. Recently, a number of Salmonella isolates from swine cecal contents and retail pork products from National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) surveillance exhibited decreased susceptibility to ciprofloxacin. We identified two qnrB19 quinolone resistance plasmids that are predominantly responsible for this phenomenon and found them distributed among several Salmonella serotypes isolated throughout the United States.
Examining the Value of Video Visits to Patients in an Outpatient Urology Clinic

Objective To examine the value that urologic patients place on video visits before the implementation of a telemedicine program at our institution's outpatient urology clinic. Methods We conducted an on-site survey at a tertiary medical center's outpatient urology clinic over a 3-month period. Our survey questions assessed patient access to technology needed for video visits, patients' perceptions about video visits, the amount patients would be willing to pay out-of-pocket for video visits, and total time patients expect to spend during a standard clinic visit. Results We completed 108 surveys of adult patients. Of the patients, 94% owned a device that could be used for a video visit. The median level of patient interest in video visits was reported as 72 out of 100 (interquartile range: 51.25; scale: 0-100,) with a statistically significant difference in interest level across different age groups ( P = .022). The median amount patients reported they were willing to pay out-of-pocket for video visits was $20 (interquartile range: $39.25, max: $174). Conclusion The vast majority of patients in our outpatient urology clinic possess the technology necessary to engage in video visits. Patients are highly interested in video visits and report a willingness to share in the costs of these visits. Given that a portion of patients travel long distances for specialty clinic visits, video visits have the potential to substantially improve the patient experience.
Migration of a Supraclavicular Catheter for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

Complex regional pain syndrome is a multifaceted painful condition whose diagnosis is still vague, whose exact pathogenesis is unknown, and whose characteristics change over time. The mainstay of treatment is restoration of function by physical therapy. Currently aggressive multimodal therapy is recommended to achieve pain remission and improvement in activity. If sympathetic blocks fail to help, continuous somatic block via catheter is used to facilitate with pain control. After catheter placement careful monitoring is required to prevent complications or to treat them promptly. One of the less common complications is migration of the catheter. Management of migration requires recognition of the problem, proper diagnostic tests to rule out other associated complications, and careful removal of the catheter.
Key technology and application of energy measurement data security

Energy measurement data are the basic data sources of perceiving smart city and realizing energy conservation and emission reduction. The promotion and application of big data, cloud computing, Internet of things (IoT) and mobile Internet technology drive the rapid development of energy measurement, and it also brings serious challenges for the security of measurement data. The paper introduces the structure of the energy measurement data system and analyzes the current situation and application demands for the system at home and abroad. It focuses on the basic and forward-looking technologies necessary for future energy measurement development, such as the new-generation cryptographic technology, private information protection in energy information network environments, the distribution and application mode of quantum key, secure communication protocol, big data access control, information sharing and fusion, and mass data processing, analyzing and application. The application of all these key technologies in China can provide the basic scientific basis for developing the top-level design and deepening applications of the energy measurement system.
Application of High-speed Super-resolution SPEED Microscopy in Live Primary Cilium

The primary cilium is a microtubule-based protrusion on the surface of many eukaryotic cells and contains a unique complement of proteins that function critically in cell motility and signaling. Since cilia are incapable of synthesizing their own protein, nearly 200 unique ciliary proteins need to be trafficked between the cytosol and primary cilia. However, it is still a technical challenge to map three-dimensional (3D) locations of transport pathways for these proteins in live primary cilia due to the limitations of currently existing techniques. To conquer the challenge, recently we have developed and employed a high-speed virtual 3D super-resolution microscopy, termed single-point edge-excitation sub-diffraction (SPEED) microscopy, to determine the 3D spatial location of transport pathways for both cytosolic and membrane proteins in primary cilia of live cells. In this article, we will demonstrate the detailed setup of SPEED microscopy, the preparation of cells expressing fluorescence-protein-labeled ciliary proteins, the real-time single-molecule tracking of individual proteins in live cilium and the achievement of 3D spatial probability density maps of transport routes for ciliary proteins.
Beyond Standardized Test Scores: The Impact of a Public School Closure on House Prices

Abstract In most studies, standardized test scores are used as a proxy for school quality. Standardized test scores, however, may not fully capture the value of a public school to the households who live in the school’s attendance zone. We use the sudden closure of a well-performing public school in Iowa to estimate this value. Holding other things constant, we find that the school added 6.8% (about $9,000 for the mean house price) to the value of houses in the attendance zone over and above any effect associated with standardized test scores.
A NUMERICAL APPROACH TO CALCULATE CREEP IN ROLLER FOLLOWER VALVE TRAIN BASING ON FRICTION AND LUBRICATION MODELING

A numerical approach basing on friction and lubrication analysis has been developed to determine the creep at cam/roller interface in end pivoted roller finger follower valve train. The kinematic a...
Corporate Social Responsibility in Tourism – Consumer Requests and the Image of Suppliers

The results of the study about the requirements of German tourists towards Corporate Social Responsibility of suppliers offering tourist services are presented in this paper as well the CSR images of these suppliers.
Additive Genetic Variance

The additive genetic variance can be described as that part of the population variation in any character, in particular, fitness, that can be explained by the genes within the individuals in that population. It is typically less than the total variation in that character, since the total variation usually includes components due to dominance and epistasis. It is important in breeding programs and in evolution since an individual passes on only half of his/her genes to an offspring, not his/her entire genome.
TWO-FACTOR ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE

The independent variables are often called factors. A one-factor analysis of variance design is also called a one-way analysis of variance and a two-factor design is called a two-way analysis of variance. A three-factor design is also called a three-way analysis of variance, and a four-factor design is called a four-way analysis of variance. A two-factor design containing two levels of one variable and three of another is often called a two-by-three design. A set of uniform conditions is called a cell. In a two-factor design, the uniform conditions are defined by the levels of both independent variables. All subjects in the same cell are under the same conditions. The test for an interaction is a test of whether the patterns across rows or columns are more varied then would be expected given only random influences. The tests of simple effects are not done unless the test for an interaction is statistically significant; that is, given a nonsignificant test of interaction, only main effects would be tested.
Continued Increase in Prevalence of Coal Workers' Pneumoconiosis in the United States, 1970-2017.

Objectives. To update prevalence estimates for coal workers’ pneumoconiosis (CWP) among working underground coal miners in the United States.Methods. We conducted a prevalence study using radiograp...
The Changing Role of Teachers of Students Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing: Consultation as an Increasing Part of the Job

The majority of deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students are educated at least part of the day in general education classrooms taught by teachers who may not have any experience working with this po...
Bivariate Markov Model Based Analysis of ECG for Accurate Identification and Classification of Premature Heartbeats and Irregular Beat-Patterns

This paper describes a novel intelligent analysis technique based upon bivariate Markov model that integrates morphological and temporal features with a rule-based interval analysis of ECG signals to localize and accurately classify the premature beats to four major classes: (1) Premature Atrial Complex (PAC), (2) Blocked PAC (B-PAC), (3) Premature Ventricular Complex (PVC), and (4) Premature Junctional Complex (PJC). The paper also describes a beat-pattern classification algorithm to sub classify premature beat-patterns into bigeminy, trigeminy and quadrigeminy. The approach utilizes two phases: (1) a training phase that builds bivariate Markov model from standardized databases of ECG signals, and (2) a dynamic phase that detects embedded P and R waves in T-waves of premature beats using a combination of area subtraction and clinically significant rule-based analysis of R-R intervals. It detects and classifies premature beats using graph matching based upon the forward-backward algorithm and performs a look ahead pattern analysis for the sub-classification of beat-patterns. The algorithms have been presented. The software has been implemented that uses a combination of MATLAB and C++ libraries. Performance results show that processing time is realistic for real-time detection with 98%–99% sensitivity for the premature beat classification and 95%-98% sensitivity for the beat pattern identification.
Use of simulation to evaluate resource assignment policies in a multidisciplinary outpatient clinic

Advances in facility design and technology are leading to novel uses of healthcare delivery space including flexible and shared clinical space increasing collaboration and communication in multidisciplinary care settings. With new outpatient care delivery facilities and plans emerging, the need to evaluate how flexible and shared resources are assigned arises. We present a discrete-event simulation model based on the daily operations of an outpatient clinic where multiple specialties share resources including support staff, exam rooms, and ancillary providers. Being a new clinical space, the primary objective is to design resource assignment and staffing policies which maximize the use of the new facility. While resource utilization is the primary objective, the simulation model results and analysis incorporate other competing performance criteria including patient waiting, provider idleness, and clinic length of day. Results are presented based on a multidisciplinary clinic at the University of Minnesota.
Genetic structure and the history of chub in the Alvord Basin

Knowledge of the distribution of genetic resources within and among taxa is prerequisite for development of management strategies which facilitate conservation of those resources. We used restriction-site associated DNA (RAD) sequencing to survey genetic variation in Alvord Chub and Borax Lake Chub from the Alvord Basin in southeastern Oregon and northern Nevada, USA. Our specific goals were to gain an understanding of the population genetic structure of Alvord Chub and the relationship between this species and Borax Lake Chub. Despite the fact that our collections were taken from ponds and streams, isolated from one another by kilometers of desert, our results revealed that diversity in Alvord Chub was primarily distributed among two regional groupings, which we hypothesize to be related to habitat changes following the end of the most recent glaciation event, approximately 10 thousand years ago. Our results further revealed that Alvord Chub and Borax Lake Chub shared common ancestors during that glaciation event, and that divergence between the two may have been sympatric. Finally, we observed evidence that the clade containing Alvord Chub and Borax Lake Chub was isolated from its closest extant relative, the Tui chub, during the Miocene Epoch, when volcanic flows were forming the mountains surrounding what became the Alvord Basin. These results will be useful for informing conservation strategies for Alvord Chub, and provide new insights regarding the role of these species in the evolutionary legacy of the region.
Bidirectional effects of priming in speech perception: Social-to-lexical and lexical-to-social

Previous perceptual research demonstrates that providing listeners with a social prime, such as information about a speaker's gender, can affect how listeners categorize an ambiguous speech sound produced by that speaker. We report the results of an experiment testing whether, in turn, providing listeners with a linguistic prime, such as which word they are about to hear, affects categorization of that speaker's gender. In an eye-tracking study testing for these bidirectional effects, participants (i) saw a visual prime (gender or lexical), (ii) heard an auditory stimulus drawn from a matrix of gender (female-to-male) and sibilant frequency (shack-to-sack) continua, and (iii) looked to images of the non-primed category. Social prime results replicate earlier findings that listeners’ /s-ʃ/ boundary can shift via visual gender information. Additionally, lexical prime results indicate that listeners’ judgments of speaker gender can shift with visual linguistic information. These effects are strongest for listeners at category boundaries where linguistic and social information are least prototypical. In regions of high linguistic and social prototypicality, priming effects are weakened or reversed. The results provide evidence of a bidirectional link between social and linguistic categorization in speech perception and its modulation by the stimulus prototypicality. Previous perceptual research demonstrates that providing listeners with a social prime, such as information about a speaker's gender, can affect how listeners categorize an ambiguous speech sound produced by that speaker. We report the results of an experiment testing whether, in turn, providing listeners with a linguistic prime, such as which word they are about to hear, affects categorization of that speaker's gender. In an eye-tracking study testing for these bidirectional effects, participants (i) saw a visual prime (gender or lexical), (ii) heard an auditory stimulus drawn from a matrix of gender (female-to-male) and sibilant frequency (shack-to-sack) continua, and (iii) looked to images of the non-primed category. Social prime results replicate earlier findings that listeners’ /s-ʃ/ boundary can shift via visual gender information. Additionally, lexical prime results indicate that listeners’ judgments of speaker gender can shift with visual linguistic information. These effects are strongest for li...
Finite-field phase transitions and criticality in a generalized kagomé Ising ferromagnet: Exact solutions

Abstract The standard two-parameter (nearest-neighbor pair-interaction J 2 and magnetic field h ) planar Ising model ferromagnet only has phase transitions in zero field. We generalize a standard kagome Ising model ferromagnet by adding localized triplet Ising interactions J 3 . Exact solutions are obtained for the phase diagrams of the three-parameter model, demonstrating finite-field phase transitions and criticality. Necessary conditions for the latter findings include the pair-interaction parameter being ferromagnetic ( J 2 > 0 ), the applied field parameter competing against the intrinsic triplet-interaction parameter, the ratio of the triplet- and pair-interaction parameters residing within a determined finite symmetrical interval, and the field parameter being properly tuned, viz., tracing the pertinent field vs temperature phase boundary curve. The curvilinear shape of the phase boundary facilitates the relative strength | J 3 | ∕ J 2 of the triplet interaction to be experimentally accessible. Employing generalized fluid–magnet correspondence relations, it is mathematically convenient and informative to affiliate the above magnetic phase diagrams with the corresponding fluid phase diagrams of the associated generalized kagome lattice-gas model.
Modulating DNA by polyamides to regulate transcription factor PU.1-DNA binding interactions

Hairpin polyamides are synthetic small molecules that bind DNA minor groove sequence-selectively and, in many sequences, induce widening of the minor groove and compression of the major groove. The structural distortion of DNA caused by polyamides has enhanced our understanding of the regulation of DNA-binding proteins via polyamides. Polyamides have DNA binding affinities that are comparable to those proteins, therefore, can potentially be used as therapeutic agents to treat diseases caused by aberrant gene expression. In fact, many diseases are characterized by over- or under-expressed genes. PU.1 is a transcription factor that regulates many immune system genes. Aberrant expression of PU.1 has been associated with the development of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). We have, therefore, designed and synthesized ten hairpin polyamides to investigate their capacity in controlling the PU.1-DNA interaction. Our results showed that nine of the polyamides disrupt PU.1-DNA binding and the inhibition capacity strongly correlates with binding affinity. One molecule, FH1024, was observed forming a FH1024-PU.1-DNA ternary complex instead of inhibiting PU.1-DNA binding. This is the first report of a small molecule that is potentially a weak agonist that recruits PU.1 to DNA. This finding sheds light on the design of polyamides that exhibit novel regulatory mechanisms on protein-DNA binding.
Safe, stable, nurturing environments for children

Abstract Safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments are integral to the healthy development of children, and the well-being of families and communities. Failure to provide these essential conditions contributes to increased risk of experiencing adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) that can have broad negative consequences on health and wellbeing across the life course and future generations. Further, ACEs, such as child abuse and neglect, typically precede other violence and victimization types and represent a significant risk factor for exposure to youth violence, sexual violence, partner violence, and self-inflicted violence, which can all increase the cumulative risk of ill-health outcomes. As such, this chapter highlights the impact that positive relationships and environments have on the prevention of ACEs. An overview of two separate compilations of evidence-based strategies aimed at preventing ACEs, namely, child maltreatment, from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Child Abuse and Neglect Technical Package and the World Health Organization’s INSPIRE technical package is provided.
Biotechnological potential of soybean molasses for the production of extracellular polymers by diazotrophic bacteria

Abstract In this work, we evaluated the biotechnological potential of soybean molasses - a byproduct from soybean protein concentrate production - as a carbon source for the cultivation of different diazotrophic bacteria in order to produce extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). EPS production was higher with soybean molasses based-medium than mannitol medium for all studied microorganisms, reaching 4.47 g/L (Rhizobium hautlense SEMIA 6450), 4.12 g/L (Ensifer meliloti SEMIA 135) and 3.76 g/L (Mesorhizobium sp. SEMIA 816). The biopolymers were characterized by infrared spectroscopy, showing typical functional groups found in rhizobial polysaccharides. In addition, EPS aqueous-based suspensions (1.0% w/v) showed a shear-thinning flow behavior, suggesting that these biopolymers can present different technological applications. So, the use of this industrial byproduct for the production of biopolymers showed promising results, with possibilities of use in industrial and environmental applications.