cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Histopathologic features of rejecting orthotopic corneal xenografts

Discordant xenogeneic Hartley guinea pig corneal buttons were transplanted orthotopically to either naive or pre-immune Lewis rats. Recipients were sacrificed serially and grafts were immediately frozen and subsequently examined using standard immunohistologic techniques. Corneal xenografts remained clear in naive recipients for 7 days, at which point they rapidly became opaque and edematous. In pre-immunized recipients, corneal xenografts were rejected much more quickly, becoming opaque and edematous by day 3 post-transplantation. Histologic examination of grafts revealed severe stromal edema and diffuse inflammatory cell infiltrates composed of mononuclear cells and neutrophils. Infiltrates were present as early as day 2 in xenografts from both presensitized and naive recipients. The infiltrates were densest in the posterior half of the grafts with fewer cells penetrating into the epithelium. Immunoperoxidase staining confirmed the presence of OX-19+ T cells as well as a substantial infiltrate of OX-42+...
Community diversity reduces Schistosoma mansoni transmission, host pathology and human infection risk.

manipulating parasite exposure and community diversity, we show that heterospecific communities cause a 25‐50 per cent reduction in infection among snail hosts (Biomphalaria glabrata). Infected snails raised alongside non-host snails (Lymnaea or Helisoma sp.) also produced 60‐80 per cent fewer cercariae, suggesting that diverse communities could reduce human infection risk. Because focal host density was held constant during experiments, decreases in transmission resulted entirely from diversity-mediated pathways. Finally, the decrease in infection in mixed-species communities led to an increase in reproductive output by hosts, representing a novel example of parasite-mediated facilitation. Our results underscore the significance of community structure on transmission of complex life-cycle pathogens, and we emphasize enhanced integration between ecological and parasitological research on the diversity‐ disease relationship.
Economically Viable Support for Internet Mobility

The support for mobility is a major requirement for the next Internet. Although several mobility solutions are proposed, none of them has been largely deployed, due to various impediments, among which, non being economically viable, we believe is the principal one. We propose a business oriented mobility framework - Mobility Support Service (MSS), that will facilitate mobility on the Internet. MSS will be offered as a value-added service to paying mobile customers. In MSS, user identifiers (ID) are separated from network addresses, such as IP addresses. MSS uses IDs to locate the nodes and network addresses as points of attachment for the nodes. MSS is based on a flexible naming structure and a distributed service. MSS is scalable and flexible and business oriented. MSS does not require changes in existing network architecture nor services. The mobility support can be offered by dedicated or traditional service providers. We present two MSS distributing algorithm that enable tradeoff among costs and QoS. We show by simulations the advantages of MSS compared to existing mobility solutions, especially regarding scalability and service delay.
The Core Content of Clinical Ultrasonography Fellowship Training

The purpose of developing a core content for subspecialty training in clinical ultrasonography (US) is to standardize the education and qualifications required to provide oversight of US training, clinical use, and administration to improve patient care. This core content would be mastered by a fellow as a separate and unique postgraduate training, beyond that obtained during an emergency medicine (EM) residency or during medical school. The core content defines the training parameters, resources, and knowledge of clinical US necessary to direct clinical US divisions within medical specialties. Additionally, it is intended to inform fellowship directors and candidates for certification of the full range of content that might appear in future examinations. This article describes the development of the core content and presents the core content in its entirety.
Evaluation of the charge penetration energy between non-orthogonal molecular orbitals using the Spherical Gaussian Overlap approximation

Abstract An overlap dependent formula for evaluating the charge penetration energy between non-orthogonal molecular orbitals is derived using the Spherical Gaussian Overlap approximation. When combined with an accurate multipole representation of the electrostatic energy, such as in the effective fragment potential method, ab initio electrostatic energies are generally reproduced to within 0.2 kcal/mol for a variety of molecular dimers and basis sets. The only larger error is for the DMSO dimer, where the electrostatic energy is overestimated by 0.7 kcal/mol.
Innovation Law and Policy: Preserving the Future of Personalized Medicine

Personalized medicine is the future of health care, and as such incentives for innovation in personalized technologies have rightly received attention from judges, policymakers, and legal scholars. Yet their attention too often focuses on only one area of law, to the exclusion of other areas that may have an equal or greater effect on real-world conditions. And because patent law, FDA regulation, and health law work together to affect incentives for innovation, they must be considered jointly. This Article will examine these systems together in the area of diagnostic tests, an aspect of personalized medicine which has seen recent developments in all three systems. Over the last five years, the FDA, Congress, Federal Circuit, and Supreme Court have dealt three separate blows to incentives for innovation in diagnostic tests: they have made it more expensive to develop diagnostics, made it more difficult to obtain and enforce patents on them, and reduced the amount innovators can expect to recoup in the market. Each of these changes may have had a marginal effect on its own, but when considered together, the system has likely gone too far in disincentivizing desperately needed innovation in diagnostic technologies. Fortunately, just as each legal system has contributed to the problem, each system can also be used to solve it. This Article suggests specific legal interventions that can be used to restore an appropriate balance in incentives to innovate in diagnostic technologies.
Twenty-five Years of P450cam Research

It has been nearly 25 years since the discovery of the first microbial cytochrome P450 system by the Gunsalus laboratory. Since that initial discovery, seminal breakthroughs have been made in mammalian P450s through work with microsomal fractions1,2 and the astounding tour de force accomplishments in the purification of membrane-bound P450 systems originally initiated by Coon and his colleagues.3,4 However, it was generally realized by the early 1980s that the availability of a purified cytochrome P450 and its redox transfer partners offered an unparalleled opportunity for detailed structure-function studies of this important class of hemoproteins. Through the research efforts of numerous laboratories over the last 25 years we have reached a point where essentially every spectroscopy currently known has been applied to the first of these bacterial P450s, cytochrome P450cam.
Endothelin impairs ATP-sensitive K+ channel function after brain injury

In piglets, pial arteries constrict, ATP-sensitive K+(KATP) channel function is impaired, and cerebrospinal fluid endothelin-1 (ET-1) increases to 10−10 M after brain injury [fluid percussion injur...
Abstract 226: Sex Differences in Cardiac Catheterization Following Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest

Introduction: Cardiac catheterization is recommended for patients resuscitated from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) with a suspected cardiac etiology. Women are less likely than men to receive cardiac catheterization in other presentations of cardiovascular disease, but it remains unknown whether this disparity extends to OHCA. Objective: To determine whether patient sex is associated with undergoing cardiac catheterization after OHCA. Methods: We included all adult cases in the 2011 California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD) database with a present-on-admission diagnosis of cardiac arrest (ICD-9-CM 427.5) or sudden cardiac death (ICD-9-CM 798) who were admitted from the emergency department to an acute care hospital. Data extracted from the OSHPD database included patient demographics, diagnoses, and procedures. ICD-9-CM procedure codes from the OSHPD database were used to identify patients who received cardiac catheterization. To determine factors associated with underg...
Gene Transfer Strategies and Therapeutic Applications for Cardiovascular Ischemic Diseases

Cellular redox stress has been increasingly recognized as a critical component of cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis, cardiac infarct, and cardiac hypertrophy. Oxidative injury can be caused by a number of reactive oxygen species (ROS), including superoxides, hydrogen peroxide, hydroxyl radicals, and nitric oxide, that mediate direct cellular injury and / or act as second messengers to stimulate signal transduction pathways affecting gene expression. These intracellular highways of communication are critical in determining cell fates and whole organ responses following environmental injury. Fundamental to the ability of cells to regulate their redox environment are enzymes capable of detoxifying ROS. These ROS scavengers such as superoxide dismutases, catalase, and glutathione peroxidases control the redox environment of the cell under normal conditions. However, in the setting of injury, many of these pathways can become overwhelmed, leading to alternations in cellular redox metabolism. This review will summarize the theoretical and practical applications of gene therapy for the treatment of cardiovascular ischemic disease by modulating redox activated cellular responses. Several approaches can be utilized to achieve this goal. These include the application of gene targeting to directly modulate the cellular redox environment by expressing recombinant genes capable of degrading reactive oxygen species (ROS) at pathophysiologic important subcellular sites. However, some ROS have been suggested to have beneficial effects on cellular responses following environmental injury. Hence, more sophisticated approaches have attempted to identify specific components of ROS signalling that contribute to damage in the setting of organ injury. These approaches attempt to intervene at the level of specific signal transduction pathways by expressing targeted dominant negative proteins to attenuate apoptosis and / or the expression of genes that are deleterious to organ repair. Development of these targeted approaches to modulate detrimental ROS regulated pathways, while leaving beneficial pathways intact, will only be realized through a comprehensive understanding the relevant pathophysiologic processes.
β-Adrenergic agonists regulate Na-K-ATPase via p70S6k

We have recently reported that the β-adrenergic agonist isoproterenol regulates the alveolar epithelial cell Na-K-ATPase via MAPK/extracellular signal-regulated kinase and rapamycin-sensitive pathways. Here we report that isoproterenol phosphorylated the protein S6 kinase (p70S6k) in alveolar epithelial cells, which was inhibited by both rapamycin and the MEK1/2 inhibitor U-0126. In alveolar epithelial cells transfected with a p70S6k dominant negative construct, isoproterenol did not increase Na-K-ATPase total protein expression, whereas in cells transfected with a rapamycin-resistant mutant, the isoproterenol-mediated increase in Na-K-ATPase was not prevented by rapamycin. Accordingly, we provide here first evidence that isoproterenol regulates Na-K-ATPase via p70S6k in alveolar epithelial cells.
Douglas-Fir Tussock Moth: Direct Control with Chemical and Microbial Insecticides

A primary objective of the USDA Expanded Douglas-fir Tussock Moth Research and Development Program is to develop and evaluate short- and long-term forest pest management systems that will effectively prevent or suppress tussock moth infestations. We are aware that long-term management of forest defoliators, such as Douglas-fir tussock moth, is through prevention of outbreaks by stand manipulation and management. In the foreseeable future, however, a significant proportion of the forest type susceptible to this insect will remain as wild, unmanaged stands, subject to periodic outbreaks. Consequently, considerable effort in the program has been dedicated toward development of chemical and microbial insecticides to provide the resource manager with direct alternatives.
Acceleration slip regulation and simulation for electric vehicles under dynamic road conditions

An acceleration slip regulation strategy based on optimal slip ratio dynamic estimation and its simulation study were presented to improve the accelerating ability and stability for electric vehicles under complicated road conditions. Firstly,the mathematical principle of road parameter estimation was analyzed using the vehicle-road system model,through which the judgment condition of optimal slip ratio under a single road condition was proposed.Then the estimation problem of optimal slip ratio under complicated road conditions was analyzed by transforming it into a uniform problem of the switch between high and low ground adhesion coefficients. Furthermore,the dynamic estimation method of optimal slip ratio is acquired by introducing overestimated threshold λmaxand underestimated threshold λmin. Finally,the corresponding acceleration slip regulation strategy is established based on estimating dynamic road parameters. Simulation results indicate that the proposed estimation method and control strategy can improve the accelerating ability of extended range electric vehicles observably and can also prevent the excessive slip of driving wheel effectively and improve vehicle's stability while the road condition changes suddenly.
Depression in heart failure: Can PHQ-9 help?

Abstract Background The Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9) is an effective tool for identification and grading of depression symptoms. Data on PHQ-9 utility for patients with heart failure (HF) are limited. Methods We evaluated the severity of depression by PHQ-9 at baseline and its association with health care resource utilization (HCRU) rates and quality of life (QoL) in 308 outpatients enrolled in a prospective HF cohort study. Depression symptoms were stratified according to PHQ-9 score as minimal (0–4), mild (5–9), or moderate-to-severe (10–27). Results Mean age of patients was 57±11years; 65% were men; 50% were white and 47% black; ejection fraction was 30±15%. Over 24±12months (total: 625person-years), there were 41 (13.3%) major clinical events (34 deaths, 5 transplants, 2 ventricular assist device implantations), 633 all-cause admissions (249 [39.3%] for HF), and 362 emergency department (ED) visits. Moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms were associated with 70% more all-cause admissions compared to patients without depressive symptoms and 2.5 times more HF-related admissions. However, less than 50% of patients with moderate-to-severe symptoms were on antidepressants. In adjusted analyses, even mild depressive symptoms were associated with 57% more all-cause admissions compared to patients without depressive symptoms and more than 2-fold higher rate of HF-related admissions. Depressive symptoms were not associated with ED visits. Increasing PHQ-9 score was associated with progressively worse QoL. PHQ-9 was not associated with major clinical events. Conclusions PHQ-9 effectively identifies HF patients at risk for increased HCRU and lower QoL. Interventions to reduce depression symptoms may help improve HF outcomes.
Estrogen and the Male

In males, estrogens are derived largely from peripheral conversion of testosterone to estradiol and of androstenedione to estrone, with only a small contribution from the testes. Estrogen is pivotal in many aspects of male physiology, as demonstrated by the clinical consequences of estrogen-deficient and estrogen-excess states in men.
Some prediction properties of balanced half-sample variance estimators in single-stage sampling

On introduit un modele de prediction et une classe d'estimateurs qui inclut plusieurs estimateurs du ratio, de la regression et autres. On donne une approximation a l'estimateur BHS (balanced half-sample)
Decoding epigenome with integrative ?Omics? data analysis

D epigenome is a new and growing field of post-genomic research. With the advance in high-throughput sequencing technologies, large scale “omics” data including methylomes have been accumulated rapidly in the past few years. However, the cross-talk among epigenome, transcriptome and transcription factor binding remain largely unexplored. As an epigenetic on/off switch, DNA methylation plays essential roles in controlling chromatin configuration and gene expression. It has been recognized as an essential mechanism allowing genetically identical cells to exhibit distinct phenotypes. Recently, we developed genome-wide hairpin bisulfite sequencing technology and a series of computational tools to decode DNA methylation patterns. Integrative “omics” data analysis has been performed to understand the regulatory mechanisms underlying the DNA methylation dynamics. The novel insights gained from “omics” data analyses for stem cells and differentiated tissues will be discussed.
Online information search: vacation planning process.

Abstract Based on relevant literature in tourism, consumer behavior, communication, and information science, this study provided a conceptual model of online tourist search and investigated the micro-level process of vacation planning on the Internet. The results indicate that tourists’ planning can be deconstructed into a series of episodes and chapters reflecting the specific problem being addressed. In addition, findings indicate that the languages they use differ substantially from those found on websites employed for their vacation planning. The theoretical contributions of this study and the implications for designing better tourism related online systems are discussed and future research directions are detailed.
Transformation by Polyomaviruses

Polyomaviruses are small DNA tumor viruses that encode tumor antigens which interfere with the two major tumor suppressor pathways, pRB and p53. The viral early proteins have been utilized by researchers as model systems to decipher mechanisms relating to oncogenesis and tumorigenesis. Investigation of molecular mechanisms of these early proteins has contributed significantly to our understanding of cell cycle regulation, cell proliferation and growth, and signal transduction pathways. This chapter discusses the oncoproteins of polyomaviruses and how they induce cellular transformation.
Synergistic activation of G protein-gated inwardly rectifying potassium channels by cholesterol and PI(4,5)P2

G-protein gated inwardly rectifying potassium (GIRK or Kir3) channels play a major role in the control of the heart rate, and require the membrane phospholipid phosphatidylinositol-bis-phosphate (PI(4,5)P2) for activation. Recently, we have shown that the activity of the heterotetrameric Kir3.1/Kir3.4 channel that underlies atrial KACh currents was enhanced by cholesterol. Similarly, the activities of both the Kir3.4 homomer and its active pore mutant Kir3.4* (Kir3.4_S143T) were also enhanced by cholesterol. Here we employ planar lipid bilayers to investigate the crosstalk between PI(4,5)P2 and cholesterol, and demonstrate that these two lipids act synergistically to activate Kir3.4* currents. Further studies using the Xenopus oocytes heterologous expression system suggest that PI(4,5)P2 and cholesterol act via distinct binding sites. Whereas PI(4,5)P2 binds to the cytosolic domain of the channel, the putative binding region of cholesterol is located at the center of the transmembrane domain overlapping the central glycine hinge region of the channel. Together, our data suggest that changes in the levels of two key membrane lipids - cholesterol and PI(4,5)P2 - could act in concert to provide fine-tuning of Kir3 channel function.
Accounting for frame of reference and thermodynamic non-idealities when calculating salt diffusion coefficients in ion exchange membranes

Abstract Accurate evaluation of salt diffusion coefficients from transport rate data in ion exchange membranes requires accounting for frame of reference and non-ideal thermodynamic effects. Due to a lack of models and experimental data quantifying membrane ion activity coefficients, it has been impossible to evaluate the impact of non-ideal thermodynamic effects on observed salt diffusion coefficients. Here, a framework is presented that includes both frame of reference (i.e., convection) and non-ideal thermodynamic effects in calculating salt diffusion coefficients in ion exchange membranes. Effective concentration averaged NaCl diffusion coefficients were determined as a function of upstream NaCl concentration in commercial ion exchange membranes from NaCl permeability and sorption measurements via the solution-diffusion model. Frame of reference effects were evaluated using a version of Fick's law that accounts for convection. The factors necessary to account for non-ideal thermodynamic effects were developed using Manning's counter-ion condensation theory. At low upstream NaCl concentrations, frame of reference and non-ideal thermodynamic effects on diffusion coefficients were negligible. However, at higher upstream NaCl concentrations (e.g., >0.1 M), both effects contribute measurably to NaCl diffusion coefficients. Correcting for frame of reference effects increased apparent NaCl diffusion coefficients. However, correcting for thermodynamic non-idealities of the ions sorbed into the membranes reduced apparent NaCl diffusion coefficients. Fortuitously, for the materials considered in this study, frame of reference and non-ideal thermodynamic effects nearly cancel each other.
Developing Expression in Brass Performance and Teaching

Developing Expression in Brass Performance and Teaching helps university music teachers, high school band directors, private teachers, and students develop a vibrant and flexible approach to brass teaching and performance that keeps musical expression central to the learning process. Strategies for teaching both group and applied lessons will help instructors develop more expressive use of articulation, flexibility in sound production, and how to play with better intonation. The author shares strategies from today’s best brass instrument performers and teachers for developing creativity and making musical expression central to practicing and performing. These concepts presented are taken from over thirty years of experience with musicians like Wynton Marsalis, Barbara Butler, Charles Geyer, Donald Hunsberger, Leonard Candelaria, John Haynie, Bryan Goff, members of the Chicago Symphony and New York Philharmonic and from leading music schools such as the Eastman School of Music, The University of North Texas and The Florida State University. The combination of philosophy, pedagogy, and common sense methods for learning will ignite both musicians and budding musicians to inspired teaching and playing.
Using Human 'Experiments of Nature' to Predict Drug Safety Issues: An Example with PCSK9 Inhibitors.

When a new drug enters the market, its full array of side effects remains to be defined. Current surveillance approaches targeting these effects remain largely reactive. There is a need for development of methods to predict specific safety events that should be sought for a given new drug during development and postmarketing activities. We present here a safety signal identification approach applied to a new set of drug entities, inhibitors of the serine protease proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9). Using phenome-wide association study (PheWAS) methods, we analyzed available genotype and clinical data from 29,722 patients, leveraging the known effects of changes in PCSK9 to identify novel phenotypes in which this protein and its inhibitors may have impact. PheWAS revealed a significantly reduced risk of hypercholesterolemia (odds ratio [OR] 0.68, p = 7.6 × 10−4) in association with a known loss-of-function variant in PCSK9, R46L. Similarly, laboratory data indicated significantly reduced beta mean low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (− 14.47 mg/dL, p = 2.58 × 10−23) in individuals carrying the R46L variant. The R46L variant was also associated with an increased risk of spina bifida (OR 5.90, p = 2.7 × 10−4), suggesting that further investigation of potential connections between inhibition of PCSK9 and neural tube defects may be warranted. This novel methodology provides an opportunity to put in place new mechanisms to assess the safety and long-term tolerability of PCSK9 inhibitors specifically, and other new agents in general, as they move into human testing and expanded clinical use.
The Evolution to Strategic Justification of Advanced Manufacturing Systems

Abstract In this article the growth of models used to justify the acquisition of manufacturing equipment is discussed. A description of this growth is provided using a roughly temporal description of the various modeling techniques that were developed. Descriptions of the models are provided as well as a number of references. The context of justification of advanced manufacturing systems is also presented. This context is primarily within a strategic implementation framework.
Glioblastoma Survival Outcomes at a Tertiary Hospital in Appalachia: Factors Impacting the Survival of Patients Following Implementation of the Stupp Protocol.

Background Glioblastoma is a fatal brain cancer with low median and yearly survival rates. Standard of care for treating glioblastoma is gross total resection (GTR) coupled with the Stupp protocol, but various factors influence the interventions undertaken and survival achieved. As health disparities exist in rural areas, survival in these areas needs to be assessed to understand which factors detract from the successes of these standard medical interventions. Methods We retrospectively determined impact of age at diagnosis, number of lesions, the molecular marker O6-methylguanine methyltransferase (MGMT), extent of surgery, and completion of the Stupp protocol on survival in patients treated at West Virginia University Hospitals. We also compared our findings with a pre–Stupp protocol study done in West Virginia in 1996. Results Age Conclusions We can serve our patient population by offering GTR to all adult patients with glioblastoma when no contraindications exist and ensuring that patients follow the Stupp protocol. After discharge, the Stupp protocol may not be followed or completed for a variety of reasons. In the future, we aim to assess these reasons and analyze other significant interventional and socioeconomic factors that influence survival.
Going Live: Starting & Running a Virtual Reference Service.

Another title for this book could have been Everything You Wanted to Know about Running a Virtual Reference Service but Were Afraid to Ask. Any library staff thinking of starting a virtual reference service should consult this book. Steve Coffman, vice president for product development at Library Systems (LSSI), knows his subject well. According to the brief biography in the book, Coffman is one of the pioneers of virtual reference services. The added bonus is that he writes in a comfortable style that allows the reader to obtain a good understanding of the topic without being intimidated by the prospect of implementing a virtual reference service.
Renewable energy storage via efficient reversible hydrogenation of piperidine captured CO2

The storage of renewable energy is the major hurdle during the transition of fossil resources to renewables. A possible solution is to convert renewable electricity to chemical energy carriers such as hydrogen for storage. Herein, a highly efficient formate-piperidine-adduct (FPA) based hydrogen storage system was developed. This system has shown rapid reaction kinetics of both hydrogenation of piperidine-captured CO2 and dehydrogenation of the FPA over a carbon-supported palladium nano-catalyst under mild operating conditions. Moreover, the FPA solution based hydrogen storage system is advantageous owing to the generation of high-purity hydrogen, which is free of carbon monoxide and ammonia. In situ ATR-FTIR characterization was performed in order to provide insight into the reaction mechanisms involved. By integrating this breakthrough hydrogen storage system with renewable hydrogen and polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFC), in-demand cost-effective rechargeable hydrogen batteries could be realized for renewable energy storage.
Outcomes of rural trauma patients who undergo damage control laparotomy.

Abstract Background The majority of motor vehicle crashes occur in a rural setting and those patients have double the mortality of their urban counterparts. These trauma patients are at times stabilized at rural hospitals before transfer to a Level 1 trauma center. The purpose of this study was to determine the outcomes of rural damage control laparotomy used as a means of pre-transfer stabilization. Methods A nearly 7-year retrospective review was conducted of rural trauma patients who had laparotomies before or after transfer to Level 1 center. They were grouped into three categories: damage control laparotomy at rural hospital, patients unstable during transfer or stable during transfer with subsequent laparotomy. Results Forty-seven patients met study criteria. Overall mortality was significantly different between patients who had damage control laparotomy at a rural hospital (14.3%), were unstable transfer patients (75.0%), and stable transfer patients (3.3%; P Conclusion Rural damage control laparotomy may be used as a means of stabilization prior to transfer to a Level 1 center, and in appropriate patients may be life-saving.
Practices, Policies, and Problems in the Management of Learning Data: A Survey of Libraries' Use of Digital Learning Objects and the Data They Create

Abstract This study analyzed libraries' management of the data generated by library digital learning objects (DLOs) such as forms, surveys, quizzes, and tutorials. A substantial proportion of respondents reported having a policy relevant to learning data, typically a campus-level policy, but most did not. Other problems included a lack of access to library learning data, concerns about student privacy, inadequate granularity or standardization, and a lack of knowledge about colleagues' practices. We propose more dialogue on learning data within libraries, between libraries and administrators, and across the library profession.
Use of Protective Eyewear During Recreational Activities in Adults of the United States: Analysis from the 2016 National Health Interview Survey.

PURPOSE Eye injuries occur frequently in the United States resulting in vision loss. Protective eyewear (PE) is a simple, effective way to prevent these injuries. The study aims to evaluate characteristics associated with no PE usage in hopes to better understand factors that may be targeted to alleviate future injuries. METHODS Individuals from the 2016 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) who performed recreational activities that could cause eye injury were divided into two groups - those with and without PE usage during these activities - and compared on several variables consisting of age group, gender, race, family income, ability to afford eyeglasses, employment, wearing of corrective lenses, and visitation with general and eye care providers. Statistical analyses were performed with SAS controlling for the complex same design via chi-square tests and logistic regression. RESULTS From a total of 8,199 subjects, those who are female, Asian, black, Hispanic, ages 18-24 years old, have a family income <$35,000, unemployed, not wearers of corrective lenses, and have not seen a general or eye care provider showed increased no PE usage according to chi-square analysis. With multivariate analysis, only race, gender, age, and wearing of corrective lenses correlated to PE usage. CONCLUSIONS Comparing 2002 and 2016 NHIS, PE usage had increased from 34.7% to 65.1%. Individuals who were younger, female, of a minority race, or who did not wear corrective lenses had increased odds of not using PE during recreational activities. Prevention should target these associated groups in efforts to reduce recreational eye injuries.
Renal Ultrasound and Voiding Cystourethrogram Utilization in Hospitalized Infants with First Febrile Uti: Baseline Data from an Aap Quiin Vip Quality Improvement Initiative

The 2011 American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) UTI Clinical Practice Guideline recommends a renal ultrasound (RUS) for patients meeting guideline criteria but voiding cystourethrograms (VCUGs) only be performed when RUS is abnormal. Scarce quality improvement work is published in this area since release of the guideline. The Value in Inpatient Pediatrics (VIP) network, of the AAP’s Quality Improvement Innovations Networks (QuIIN), designed the Quality Improvement for the Management of Children Hospitalized with …
Do social factors explain seasonal variation in dawn song characteristics of paired male Cerulean Warblers (Setophaga cerulea)

Territorial male birds of many north temperate species sing prolifically before sunrise in a behaviour known as ‘dawn song,’ after which males sing at lower rates, use different song types, or ceas...
Selenium and stable mercury isotopes provide new insights into mercury toxicokinetics in pilot whales

High exposures of mammalian species to inorganic mercury (HgII) and methylmercury (MeHg) have been associated with adverse effects on behavior and reproduction. Different mammalian species exhibit varying responses to similar external exposure levels, reflecting potential differences in Hg toxicokinetics. Here, we use Hg stable isotopes, total Hg, MeHg and selenium (Se) concentrations measured in multiple tissues of North Atlantic pilot whales (Globicephala melas) to investigate processes affecting the distribution and accumulation of HgII and MeHg. We find that simple mixing of two distinct isotopic end-members: MeHg (1.4‰) and HgII (-1.6‰) can explain the observed variability of δ202Hg in brain tissue. A similar isotopic composition for the MeHg end-member in the brain, muscle, heart, and kidney suggests efficient exchange of MeHg in blood throughout the body. By contrast, the Hg isotopic composition of the liver of adult whales is different from younger whales and other tissues that follow the two-end member mixing model. Measured Se:Hg ratios are lowest in adult whales with the highest levels of MeHg exposure. In these individuals, Se availability is likely reduced by complexation with demethylated HgII. We speculate that this results in a higher fraction of labile HgII eliminated from the liver of adult whales compared to young whales and subsequent redistribution to other tissues, potentially affecting toxicity.
T Cell Repertoire and Tolerance

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses T-cell repertoire and tolerance. Murine αβ Τ-cell receptors (TCRs) have five variable segments: Vα and Vβ (variable), Dβ (diversity), and Jα and Jβ(joining). Additional variability is provided by imprecise joining of these gene segments and the inclusion of additional nucleotides at the junctions. All five variable segments contribute to a binding site for complexes of peptide antigen with major histocompatibility complex (MHC) products. Thymocytes bearing receptors which interact with self-MHC during development in the thymus are selected to mature. In mice that express Mls/class II complexes, T cells bearing reactive Vβ elements are clonally eliminated during development in the thymus. Similar phenomena have been described for T cells bearing TCRs reactive with moieties combined with IE molecules. A quarter of the wild mice included in a study described in the chapter were homozygous for an extensive Vβ gene deletion on chromosome 6. The deletion included 11 Vβ genes and so reduced the extent of the repertoire to less than half that of a mouse carrying the full complement of Vβ genes. All the wild mice analyzed had no Vβ 17a+ T cells. They carried a restriction fragment length polymorphism indicative of a point mutation that results in a premature stop codon in the Vβ 17b gene.
Chapter 3 – Sampling, Aliasing, and Quantization

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the sampling of a signal and its conversion from the analog to the digital domain. ADC measures the signal at rapid intervals is called samples which outputs a digital signal proportional to the amplitude of an analog signal. The chapter throws light on sampling at low and high frequencies, the effects of revolution with time. Nyquist sampling rule is discussed in detail which leads to the elements of quantization. The effect of noise in increasing or decreasing the signal has also been discussed along with the concept of decibels. Decibel is a signal-to-power ratio and expressed logarithmically which allows chains of circuits to process it. The two types of definition of dB have been discussed with power and amplitude emphasis which is of help to understand the differences in analog and digital signal processing.
Knowing Kids Makes a Huge Difference, Part I: Exploring the Principal–Student Relationship:

Teacher–student relationships (TSRs) have important implications for building trust, motivation, and engagement and improving both behavior and academic achievement. What about students’ relationsh...
AI Recommender System With ML for Agricultural Research

We describe an AI recommender system (RS) with machine learning to harness past user choices and large volumes of data, yet account for changes in weather and management decisions characteristic of agricultural systems. Our goal is to maximize the use of data relevant to solving agricultural problems and improve the efficiency of the scientific workforce while also improving the accuracy of estimates of the amount of food produced. Our example shows how the RS learns data analysis choices from user behavior for predicting agricultural production responses to rainfall and learns to identify classes of agroecosystem responses to alternative climate scenarios. We account for changes in relationships using spatial and temporal statistics. The RS provides a powerful approach to make use of the large amounts of data and scientific expertise in the agricultural enterprise to predict agroecosystem dynamics under changing environmental conditions.
A Novel Golden-Chip-Free Clustering Technique Using Backscattering Side Channel for Hardware Trojan Detection

Over the past few years, malicious hardware modifications, a.k.a. hardware Trojans (HT), have emerged as a major security threat because integrated circuit (IC) companies have been fabricating chips at offshore foundries due to various factors including time-to-market, cost reduction demands, and the increased complexity of ICs. Among proposed hardware Trojan detection techniques, reverse engineering appears to be the most accurate and reliable one because it works for all circuits and Trojan types without a golden example of the chip. However, because reverse engineering is an extremely expensive, time-consuming, and destructive process, it is difficult to apply this technique for a large population of ICs in a real test environment. This paper proposes a novel golden-chip-free clustering method using backscattering side-channel to divide ICs into groups of Trojan-free and Trojan-infected boards. The technique requires no golden chip or a priori knowledge of the chip circuitry, and divides a large population of ICs into clusters based on how HTs (if existed) affect their backscattered signals. This significantly reduces the size of test vectors for reverse engineering based detection techniques, thus enables deployment of reverse engineering approaches to a large population of ICs in a real testing scenario. The results are collected on 100 different FPGA boards where boards are randomly chosen to be infected or not. The results show that we can cluster the boards with 100% accuracy and demonstrate that our technique can tolerate manufacturing variations among hardware instances to cluster all the boards accurately for 9 different dormant Trojan designs on 3 different benchmark circuits from Trusthub. We have also shown that we can detect dormant Trojan designs whose trigger size has shrunk to as small as 0.19% of the original circuit with 100% accuracy as well.
Highly Directional Antennas for Terahertz Communications

We study the radiation properties of conventional rectangular slots for leaky-wave antennas at terahertz frequencies. We introduce a novel trapezoidal aperture design that increase the efficiency and directionality of the generated beams for THz communications.
The impact of the 1989 change in bank capital standards on loan loss provisions

This paper examines the effect of a regulation change on management incentives and accrual estimates. We investigate whether managers of banks with low capital ratios reduce their banks' loan loss provisions after the 1989 change in capital standards. The loan loss provision increases the capital ratio prior to 1989 and decreases it after 1989. In examining our hypothesis we control for 1) gross loans non- performing loans and write-offs 2) earnings management incentives and 3) interest rates. The results show that managers of banks with low capital ratios reduced their loan loss provisions during the 1990-1992 period compared to the 1985-1988 period. Banks with high capital ratios exhibited insignificant differences between these two periods. The managing behavior of loan loss provisions has implications for regulators auditors investors and other users of the financial statements as they evaluate the financial statements of banks.
Communication Privacy Management and Self-Disclosure on Social Media - A Case of Facebook

Social Media Websites are used by individuals to find new friends, (re)connect with old friends, family and relatives, maintain relationships, share information, join groups, create and manage events, pass time, and much more. While many users consistently engage in disclosing their personal information on social media, several others hold themselves back due to privacy concerns. This study employs communication privacy management theory as a theoretical framework to examine the effects of individual motives, communication privacy management practices (boundary permeability & boundary ownership) and privacy concerns on the amount and depth of self-disclosure on Facebook. Results of Partial Least Square Analysis using a sample of 240 respondents provide evidence that individuals’ communication privacy management practices influences the amount and depth of their self-disclosure. Implications for practice and future research areas are also discussed.
The Effect of Asymmetric Transfer and Speech Technology on Dual-Task Performance

Sixteen male subjects performed a visual short-term memory task and a verbal short-term memory task alone and together. Half of the subjects responded manually to the verbal short-term memory task using a keypad; the other half responded vocally using a speech recognition system. Stimuli for the verbal memory task were presented either auditorily by a speech generation system or visually on a CRT; the order of stimulus modes was counterbalanced within each response group. Only the use of the speech generation system initially appeared to have a beneficial effect on dual-task performance. However, asymmetric transfer occurred under dual-task conditions between the combination using visual stimuli for both tasks and the combination using auditory stimuli for the verbal task. When the data affected by asymmetric transfer were eliminated, speech technology had little effect on dual-task performance. Possible explanations for this result are given.
Time Variations of the Frequencies of Low-Degree Solar P-Modes

A comparison of three separate years (1980, 1984, 1985) of SMM/ACRIM solar total irradiance data reveals small but significant changes in the frequencies of low-degree solar p-modes. Specifically, a decrease in the mean frequency of the nine strongest l = 0 and 1 oscillation peaks was observed between 1980 and 1984 such that \({\left\langle {\Delta v} \right\rangle _{1984 - 1980}} = - 0.41\pm 0.13\mu Hz.\)
The Interaction of Fibulin-1 with Fibrinogen A POTENTIAL ROLE IN HEMOSTASIS AND THROMBOSIS

The fibulins are an emerging family of extracellular matrix and blood proteins presently having two members designated fibulin-1 and −2. Fibulin-1 is the predominant fibulin in blood, present at a concentration of 30-40 μg/ml (~1000-fold higher than fibulin-2). During the course of isolating fibulin-1 from plasma by immunoaffinity chromatography, a 340-kDa polypeptide was consistently found to co-purify. This protein was identified as fibrinogen (Fg) based on its electrophoretic behavior and reactivity with Fg monoclonal antibodies. Radioiodinated fibulin-1 was shown to bind to Fg transferred onto nitrocellulose filters after SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. In enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, fibulin-1 bound to Fg (and fibrin) adsorbed onto microtiter well plastic, and conversely, Fg bound to fibulin-1-coated wells. The binding of Fg to fibulin-1 was also observed in surface plasmon resonance assays, and a dissociation constant (Kd) of 2.9 ± 1.6 μM was derived. In addition, fluorescence anisotropy experiments demonstrated that the interaction was also able to occur in fluid phase, which suggests that complexes of fibulin-1 and Fg could exist in the blood. To localize the portion of Fg that is responsible for interacting with fibulin-1, proteolytic fragments of Fg were evaluated for their ability to promote fibulin-1 binding. Fragments containing the carboxyl-terminal region of the Bβ chain (residues 216-468) were able to bind to fibulin-1. In addition, it was found that fibulin-1 was able to incorporate into fibrin clots formed in vitro and was immunologically detected within newly formed fibrin-containing thrombi associated with human atherectomy specimens. The interaction between fibulin-1 and Fg highlights potential new roles for fibulin-1 in hemostasis as well as thrombosis.
Pay and Productivity Differences between Men and Women: Evidence from Veterinarians

I utilize a new data set on veterinarians to study differences in pay and productivity between men and women in the wage-salary sector. The gender gap in average earnings is 15 percent. After controlling for various observable characteristics, the earnings gap narrows to 10 percent, based on the most conservative estimates. Utilizing unique productivity measures, I find women in parity with men in productivity, holding constant other factors. Finding gender differences in earnings, but not in productivity, is evidence consistent with the presence of wage discrimination. Other possible explanations for the finding are also explored.
Using Course Currency As A Didactic Tool

Classroom participation is an important and frequently used pedagogical strategy. This paper examines how awarding students with course currency, bills that are redeemable for bonus points at the end of the term, affects class participation and students’ understanding of the material. The research uses surveys and data analysis to examine the effectiveness of using course currency. It finds that course currency increases students’ participation, improves students’ grades and is generally liked by students. Course currency can also be effectively used in simulations of socioeconomic institutions.