cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Barriers to breast and cervical cancer screening among Vietnamese-American women.

Introduction We investigated barriers to breast and cervical cancer screening among Vietnamese women in San Francisco and Sacramento, California. Methods Face-to-face interviews were conducted in 1992 of 306 Vietnamese women in San Francisco and of 339 women in Sacramento. Results In both communities, only about one half of Vietnamese women had ever had routine check-ups, clinical breast examinations, mammograms, and Pap smear tests, and only about one third were up-to-date for these screening examinations. Among women age 40 or older, 35% had never even contemplated having a mammogram. This study identified several significant barriers to recognition, receipt, and currency of screening tests. Negative predictors of test recognition included low level of education and not having a regular physician. Negative predictors of test receipt included low level of education, not having a regular physician, short duration of residence in the United States, and never having been married. A major negative predictor of test currency was low level of education. With a few exceptions, attitudes and beliefs generally were not important predictors. Conclusions Health education and screening programs for early breast and cervical cancer detection among Vietnamese women must be culturally appropriate and conducted in the Vietnamese language. Special outreach efforts are needed to assist recent immigrants in obtaining recommended breast and cervical cancer screening examinations.
The Nature of the Pricing Process

Of all the decisions made by management, pricing is undoubtedly the most visible because of its direct impact on a firm’s performance in the marketplace and overall level of profitablity. Whatever the nature of the business, success is measured by the extent revenues from sales exceed the costs of committed resources. Ideally, the price or prices set for a product or service will ensure the highest margin consistent with volume considerations, recognize customer evaluations of products/services, be responsive to competitive threats, and forestall competitive inroads.
Suggestions for Future Research

In the course of these investigations, many interesting questions have arisen that, due to time considerations, will remain unanswered in this research. This chapter will explore some of these questions in more detail.
A Sociologist in Energyland: The importance of humans in energy studies research

Abstract Putting physical science and units of energy into sociological research may not affect its impact on energy policy. Possibly the road to influence runs in a wholly different direction, requiring visibility of the researchers, their access to those making policy, and the compatibility of research results with the agenda of the policy makers.
Heavy and Strange Holographic Baryons

We extend the $D4\ensuremath{-}D8$ holographic construction to include three chiral and one heavy flavors, to describe heavy-light baryons with strangeness and their exotics. At strong coupling, the heavy meson always binds to the bulk instanton in the form of a flavor zero mode in the fundamental representation. We quantize the ensuing bound states using the collective quantization method, to obtain the spectra of heavy and strange baryons with both an explicit and hidden charm and bottom. Our results confirm the existence of two low-lying charmed pentaquark states with ${\frac{1}{2}}^{\ensuremath{-}},{\frac{3}{2}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ assignments and predict many new ones with both a charm and bottom. They also suggest a quartet of low-lying neutral ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Omega}}}_{c}^{0}$ with assignments ${\frac{1}{2}}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}},{\frac{3}{2}}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}$ that are heavier than the quintuplet of neutral ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Omega}}}_{c}^{0}$ recently reported by LHCb.
Influence of activated carbon surface oxygen functionality on elemental mercury adsorption from aqueous solution

Abstract Mercury (Hg), though naturally occurring, is a toxic element. Exposure to various forms of mercury can be harmful for humans and ecosystems. Mercury-contaminated wastewater can be treated using activated carbon to adsorb the mercury, allowing for safe discharge. Wet chemical oxidation of activated carbon was performed to enhanced surface oxygen functionality, with the objective of enhancing aqueous ionic (Hg(II)) and elemental (Hg(0)) mercury adsorption. Characterization of the modified carbons included nitrogen adsorption-desorption, elemental analysis, point of zero charge, and total acidity titration. The concentration and identity of the modifying reagent influenced the characteristics of the carbons, including the surface oxygen functionality. These carbons with enhanced surface oxygen (C(O)) were applied to trace-level Hg solutions (50 μg/L). Adsorption of Hg(II) demonstrated a strong positive correlation with the carbon’s oxygen content, with the greatest Hg(II) removal associated with the highest oxygen content. Interestingly, this correlation was not seen in Hg(0) adsorption. A four variable model best fit the data, identifying surface area, pore volume, point of zero charge, and oxygen content as important variables. The point of zero charge was identified as the primary independent variable. To ensure proper waste handling, it was determined that none of the carbon samples leached mercury at levels that would necessitate treatment and disposal as a hazardous waste.
Homogeneity guided probabilistic data summaries for analysis and visualization of large-scale data sets

High-resolution simulation data sets provide plethora of information, which needs to be explored by application scientists to gain enhanced understanding about various phenomena. Visual-analytics techniques using raw data sets are often expensive due to the data sets' extreme sizes. But, interactive analysis and visualization is crucial for big data analytics, because scientists can then focus on the important data and make critical decisions quickly. To assist efficient exploration and visualization, we propose a new region-based statistical data summarization scheme. Our method is superior in quality, as compared to the existing statistical summarization techniques, with a more compact representation, reducing the overall storage cost. The quantitative and visual efficacy of our proposed method is demonstrated using several data sets along with an in situ application study for an extreme-scale flow simulation.
Limitation of Liability in Adhesion Contract: A Comparative Analysis between the French Theory of 'Failure of Essential Obligation' and the U.S. Theory of 'Failure of the Essential Purpose'

This paper aims to shed light on the French and U.S. doctrines of “failure of essential obligation” and “failure of essential purpose”, and discuss how Courts use them to resolve issues arising from limitation of remedies clauses. The research will compare scholars and courts positions in the United States to the standards adopted in France, where courts instead of referring to the failure of essential purpose and unconscionability doctrines, prefer to rely on the “failure of the essential obligation” in the contract. While in France consideration is only given to the “failure essential obligation” to determine whether the clause is derisory or inapplicable to the circumstance purposed to, the legislator in the United States has developed two ways to resolve these issues: “the failure of the essential purpose” and the “unconscionability”. This paper analyzes the economy of the doctrines retained respectively in France (II) and in the United States (III), by exploring their similarities and potential gaps, and providing for recommendation as to which of the doctrines is better suitable in resolving issues inherent to disclaimer and limitation of liability clauses.
TEACHERS’ PERSPECTIVE ON THE MACAO EDUCATION REFORM POLICY

The paper presents an overview to understand the perceptions, reflections, opinions and perspectives of pre-service and in-service teachers in Macao local schools in respect to policies and plans introduced by the Macao government department, the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau (DSEJ). The DSEJ had been working on the Macao Education Reform since 2011, and the Ten Year Plan for the Development of Non-Tertiary Education was in progress accordingly. Various policies and actions continued to proceed in accordance with the Macao Education Reform. The paper examines the situation through the lenses of teachers’ perceptions regarding the success and effectiveness of these policies introduced by the government department in MacaoThe study followed a mixed methods approach, utiliing detailed information from interviews with pre-service and in-service teachers followed by a survey. The initial phase of the study aimed to identify the range of different beliefs and attitudes towards the plans and policies introduced by the government department in Macao. The results from this initial phase were then used to develop a survey which was administered to a larger sample of pre-service and in-service school teachers from various types of school. The data were used to quantify the extent to which different beliefs and attitudes towards the various plans and policies introduced by DSEJ were endorsed by teachers in Macao. The results of the study provide valuable information on the extent to which Macao teachers agree on the new policies introduced by DSEJ; whether there is any difference in respect of pre-service and in-service teachers; what teachers’ perceptions are of the positives and negatives of the policies; and how effective the policies introduced by the government department in Macao are.
Ovarian type epithelial tumor of the tunica vaginalis with abdominal metastasis.

Malignant paratesticular tumors are rare. We describe the first documented case of a paratesticular serous ovarian type epithelial tumor (OTET) associated with abdominal metastasis and its treatment.
Liquid metal embrittlement during resistance spot welding of Zn-coated high-strength steels

Liquid Zn-assisted embrittlement during resistance spot welding of Zn-coated high strength steels induces risks of surface cracking. This paper presents a state-of-the-art review on the surface cra...
Occupational culture and personality

This paper is concerned with the study on the relation of personality formation and personality types to the kinds of culture in which people lived. This was done by the work of social scientists, particularly cultural anthropologists, psychologists and sociologists. The topic focused into two main streams of thought that converged in this enterprise: the first emanating from the psychoanalysis which emphasised the universality of certain basic personality determinants regardless of the cultural milieu, and the second from cultural anthropology and sociology which emphasise that personality traits are relative to the culture in which the individual lives. The cases were taken from examples from the USA. Particular interests were given to immigrants groups.
Tuning the scale of α precipitates in β-titanium alloys for achieving high strength

Abstract The strength of a commercial β‑titanium alloy was tuned by systematically controlling the size-scale of α precipitation via two-step heat treatments. While the first step annealing at 350 °C forms the precursor metastable ω phase, the subsequent annealing at 600 °C/1H resulted in fine-scale α precipitation. We find that annealing duration at 350 °C greatly impacts the α size-scale and, this consequently can be used to tune the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) from ~1 to 2 GPa. A combination of high volume-fraction of non-shearable super-refined α precipitates, coupled with their pyramidal arrangement, and a constrained β matrix leads to very high strength.
Comparative study of 1D entropy-based and conventional deterministic velocity distribution equations for open channel flows

Abstract Velocity distributions for open channel flows have been investigated using deterministic and probabilistic approaches. It is well known that the vertical velocity profiles in wide open channels (i.e. aspect ratio width/depth > 5) can be approximated by logarithmic velocity laws and power laws. Recently the entropy concept in the forms of Shannon entropy and Tsallis entropy has been employed to estimate velocity distributions in open channels with different aspect ratios. The accuracy of conventional velocity equations is highly dependent on their parameters that can only be estimated by empirical or semi-empirical analytical relations which requires either a good knowledge of velocity field and/or physical properties of the channel, such as topographic conditions, sedimentation conditions and boundary roughness. In contrast, the entropy based velocity distributions derived based on the least-biased probability density function (PDF) by treating time-averaged velocities as random variables are resilient regardless of the flow and channel conditions. However, a comparison of the velocity profiles computed using deterministic approaches and probabilistic approaches has not been rigorously conducted. Furthermore, the accuracy and reliability of associated velocity distribution equations have not been tested thoroughly using data sets collected using advanced techniques. This paper presents a comprehensive and comparative study to analyze the distinctions and linkages between four commonly used velocity laws and two entropy-based velocity distributions theoretically and quantitatively using selective laboratory and field measurements available in the literature, considering typical sedimentation and channel hydraulic conditions. Amongst all, Tsallis entropy based velocity distribution developed from a generalized form of informational entropy exhibits universal validity to sediment-laden flows in wide alluvial open channels, and is found to be superior to others to predict velocity profiles in large waterways with unmanageable rough beds.
Antitrust in the Health Care Sector

The aim of the nation’s antitrust laws is to promote competition within industries. Economic theory suggests that the greater the number of firms within an industry and the fewer the impediments to firms that would like to enter the industry, the more competitive the industry will be. The behavior of firms within industries may also indicate the extent of competition. For example, price collusion among firms indicates a lack of competition in an industry. Exclusion of new entrants by firms that are already in the industry may also be anticompetitive: it reduces the number of potential competitors.
Separation of Macromolecules by Ultrafiltration: Influence of Protein Adsorption, Protein-Protein Interactions, and Concentration Polarization

Ultrafiltration through microporous membranes is a well-established technique for concentrating dilute protein solutions and separating proteins from low molecular weight solutes such as salts or ethanol (Friedli et al., 1977; Guthorlein, 1977; Mercer, 1977), or from much larger particles such as cells (Colton et al., 1975). However, the use of this tool for fractionating proteins according to size has progressed less rapidly. Several difficulties can be identified: non-uniform pore size protein adsorption concentration polarization protein-protein interactions
The Potential for MEOR from Carbonate Reservoirs: Literature Review and Recent Research

Abstract The potential for MEOR in carbonate petroleum reservoirs was assessed in a review of the relevant literature and further examined in the laboratory. This review showed that MEOR appeared to be applicable in about 40% of the carbonate reservoirs surveyed. Microbial acid, gas, and surfactant production are likely to be the more important mechanisms for MEOR from carbonates. A study of the microbiology of native produced fluids showed that a carbonate reservoir may contain a diverse microbial community; however, the number and activity of microorganisms present would probably be low, due to limiting nitrogen and phosphorous. Microorganisms could change the hydrogeologic properties of carbonate rock. The growth of an acid-producing strain through a carbonate rock core increased the permeability from 40% of the remaining oil-in-place was recovered after three treatments with an acid-producing or a surfactant-producing microorganism, showing that both of these processes can increase oil recovery from carbonates. While further laboratory research is required, there is enough information to support controlled field trials of MEOR from carbonate reservoirs.
Primary Central Sleep Apnea

Central sleep apnea (CSA) syndromes are characterized by the cessation of breathing during sleep due to absent ventilatory drive associated with symptoms of insomnia, excessive daytime sleepiness, and/ or frequent arousals. Primary CSA is an uncommon condition where a secondary etiology of recurrent central apneas during sleep is not found. The prevalence is unknown. Diagnosis is established by clinical evaluation and overnight polysomnography. Therapeutic options are currently limited to empiric treatment with positive airway pressure devices, oxygen, and rudimentary attempts at pharmacologic therapy. The long-term impact of primary CSA on health and mortality is unknown and needs further investigation.
Hematopoietic cell-derived RELMα regulates hookworm immunity through effects on macrophages.

Resistin-like molecule α (RELMα) is a highly secreted protein in type 2 (Th2) cytokine-induced inflammation including helminth infection and allergy. In infection with Nippostrongylus brasiliensis (Nb), RELMα dampens Th2 inflammatory responses. RELMα is expressed by immune cells, and by epithelial cells (EC); however, the functional impact of immune versus EC-derived RELMα is unknown. We generated bone marrow (BM) chimeras that were RELMα deficient (RELMα-/ - ) in BM or non BM cells and infected them with Nb. Non BM RELMα-/- chimeras had comparable inflammatory responses and parasite burdens to RELMα+/+ mice. In contrast, both RELMα-/- and BM RELMα-/- mice exhibited increased Nb-induced lung and intestinal inflammation, correlated with elevated Th2 cytokines and Nb killing. CD11c+ lung macrophages were the dominant BM-derived source of RELMα and can mediate Nb killing. Therefore, we employed a macrophage-worm co-culture system to investigate whether RELMα regulates macrophage-mediated Nb killing. Compared to RELMα+ /+ macrophages, RELMα-/- macrophages exhibited increased binding to Nb and functionally impaired Nb development. Supplementation with recombinant RELMα partially reversed this phenotype. Gene expression analysis revealed that RELMα decreased cell adhesion and Fc receptor signaling pathways, which are associated with macrophage-mediated helminth killing. Collectively, these studies demonstrate that BM-derived RELMα is necessary and sufficient to dampen Nb immune responses, and identify that one mechanism of action of RELMα is through inhibiting macrophage recruitment and interaction with Nb. Our findings suggest that RELMα acts as an immune brake that provides mutually beneficial effects for the host and parasite by limiting tissue damage and delaying parasite expulsion.
LG-Mod Multi-Scale Approach for Sar Sea Surface Wind Directions Retrieval

A first attempt to adopt an automated selection of optimal processing local scales within the LG- Mod algorithm is presented. Aimed at Sea Surface Wind (SSW) directions retrieval from Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data, the novel LG-Mod multi-scale analysis mainly relies on an accuracy maximization criterion, based on the use of the marginal error parameter. Results achieved by the algorithm on both artificial and real SAR images appear very encouraging.
The PyramidSnapshot Challenge: Understanding Student Process from Visual Output of Programs

In the ideal CS1 classroom, we should understand programming process---how student code evolves over time. However, for graphics-based programming assignments, the task of understanding and grading final solutions, let alone thousands of intermediate steps, is incredibly labor-intensive. In this work, we present a challenge, a dataset, and a promising first solution to autonomously use image output to identify functional, intermediate stages of a student solution. By using computer vision techniques to associate visual output of intermediate student code with functional progress, we supplement a lot of the teacher labor associated with understanding graphics-based, open-ended assignments. We hope our publication of the dataset used in our case study sparks discussion in the community on how to analyze programs with visual program output.
Labor Law and the Race to the Bottom

This article challenges the dominant narrative supporting a race to the bottom in labor law. It supplies narratives that support the empirical literature – that there may not be much of a race at all and, even if there is, it may not be as fast and sudden as advertised. Some labor regulation may produce net benefits for society. This labor regulation should be enhanced, not harmed, by global competition. But even labor regulation that imposes net costs on society may not be subject to the race to the bottom for a variety of reasons. The article does not prove that there is never a race to the bottom. But it does demonstrate that there are plausible, alternative narratives to the dominant one. A narrative skeptical of the race-to-the-bottom hypothesis may help to re-calibrate the scales used to consider labor regulation. If we believe in a race to the bottom a bit less, we may be empowered to think more deeply and creatively about the promise and possibilities of effective labor regulation.
Sensor Ontology Integration for the Knowledge Management for Distributed-Tracking (KMDT) Program

Abstract : This paper describes Knowledge Management for Distributed-Tracking (KMDT), which is an ongoing research and development project to explore methods to improve military functions in the battle space, such as command, control, and decision support. It features a hypothetical use-case scenario that shows how knowledge-management technologies, such as ontologies and intelligent agents, can be used to improve battle-space awareness and the decision-making process in command centers with respect to distributed tracking and threat identification of platforms. The KMDT sensor ontology is based partly on concepts described in the MIL-STD-2525B and STANAG 4420 specifications, which define symbology to represent level-one data-fusion information, such as the classification of platforms and targets in the battle space. The paper includes a discussion of ontology-integration examples of this with this symbology as it relates to fusion and tracking.
Effects of surface treatments on trapping with DC insulator-based dielectrophoresis

A central challenge in measuring the biophysical properties of cells with electrokinetic approaches is the assignment of these biophysical properties to specific biological characteristics. Changes in the electrokinetic behavior of cells may come from mutations, altered gene expression levels, post-translation modifications, or environmental effects. Here we assess the electrokinetic behavior of chemically surface-modified bacterial cells in order to gain insight into the biophysical properties that are specifically affected by changes in surface chemistry. Using E. coli as a scaffold, an amine coupling reaction was used to covalently attach glycine, spermine, bovine serum albumin (protein), or 7-amino-4-methyl-3-coumarinylacetic acid (fluorescent dye) to the free carboxylic acid groups on the surface of the cells. These populations, along with unlabeled control cells, were subject to electrokinetic and dielectrophoretic measurements to quantify any changes in the biophysical properties upon alteration. The properties associated with each electrokinetic force are discussed relative to the specific reactant used. We conclude that relatively modest and superficial changes to cell surfaces can cause measurable changes in their biophysical properties.
Dental flaps, vowel duration and rule ordering in American English

Abstract: This paper presents the results of an experiment which investigated dental flaps and their effect upon preceding vowel duration in American English. Twenty speakers read a randomized list of 40 disyllabic words, 20 with medial /t/ and 20 with medial /d/. Most tokens of /t/ and /d/ were pronounced as flaps, as expected. The data, collected from spectrograms, included 1st and 2nd vowel duration, presence or absence of flap (as opposed to stop [t] or [d]), duration of consonant, and extent of voicing during the flap. Our results provide evidence bearing on two phonological questions: (1) Does the rule which changes /t/ and/d/ to flaps (F) precede or follow the rule which lengthens vowels before voiced consonants (VL)? If VL precedes F, the vowels preceding flaps with underlying /d/ will have greater duration than vowels preceding flaps with underlying /t/. If F precedes VL, there will be no such difference. Our results indicate a small, but significant durational difference. (2) Do underlying /t/ and /d/, in fact, give rise to the same voiced flap consonant, as is usually assumed? The data suggest that not all /t/-flaps are identical, nor are they necessarily voiced.
Development of an Evidence-Based Practical Diagnostic Checklist and Corresponding Clinical Exam for Low Back Pain

Abstract Objective The purpose of this study was to use scientific evidence to develop a practical diagnostic checklist and corresponding clinical exam for patients presenting with low back pain (LBP). Methods An iterative process was conducted to develop a diagnostic checklist and clinical exam for LBP using evidence-based diagnostic criteria. The checklist and exam were informed by a systematic review focused on summarizing current research evidence for office-based clinical evaluation of common conditions causing LBP. Results Diagnostic categories contained within the checklist and exam include nociceptive pain, neuropathic pain, and sensitization. Nociceptive pain subcategories include discogenic, myofascial, sacroiliac, and zygapophyseal (facet) joint pain. Neuropathic pain categories include neurogenic claudication, radicular pain, radiculopathy, and peripheral entrapment (piriformis and thoracolumbar syndrome). Sensitization contains 2 subtypes, central and peripheral sensitization. The diagnostic checklist contains individual diagnostic categories containing evidence-based criteria, applicable examination procedures, and checkboxes to record clinical findings. The checklist organizes and displays evidence for or against a working diagnosis. The checklist may help to ensure needed information is obtained from a patient interview and exam in a variety of primary spine care settings (eg, medical, chiropractic). Conclusion The available evidence informs reasonable working diagnoses for many conditions causing or contributing to LBP. A practical diagnostic process including an exam and checklist is offered to guide clinical evaluation and demonstrate evidence for working diagnoses in clinical settings.
Upcoming mandatory testing requirements for chromium plating facilities

Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are receiving increasing attention from regulators and the media. The increase in regulatory attention to PFAS has led to rapidly evolving environmental ...
Sounding “brown”: Everyday aural discrimination and othering

Abstract Recent political geographic scholarship has revisited the relevance of banal, everyday nationalism in the context of identity. This article contributes to that literature by focusing more specifically on the role of sound – accent and language – in everyday, banal “othering” and discrimination driven by heightened nationalism. Examining sound, both how it is perceived and experienced, lends insights into how nationalism and exclusion play out in everyday life. Contextualizing and nuancing broader issues of “othering” and discrimination through sound demonstrates that exclusion is not always visual or overt. Based on three years of fieldwork and interviews with Indian Tamils living in the United States, this research examines the banality of nationalism in aural encounters. First, it highlights subtle othering and microaggressions as well as their physical, emotional, and psychological effects. Second, it demonstrates how language and accent can be used to “flag” otherness in ordinary daily interactions and spaces. Third, it shows how attention to aural ‘flagging’ reveals nuance of complex identities often binarized during climates of heightened nationalism. Ultimately, this article demonstrates that the impacts of nationalism are embedded in people's daily lives and identities through subtle discriminatory aural encounters.
Onset of magma ocean solidification on Mars inferred from Mn-Cr chronometry

Abstract The mantle of Mars probably differentiated through the crystallization of a magma ocean during the first tens of million years (Ma) of Solar System evolution. However, the exact timescale of large-scale silicate differentiation of the martian mantle is debated, and in particular, it remains unclear when differentiation commenced. Here we applied the short-lived 53Mn-53Cr system to martian meteorites in order to date the onset of large-scale mantle differentiation on Mars. The new Cr isotope data demonstrate that martian meteorites exhibit no resolvable radiogenic 53Cr variations, and instead have a uniform +20.3±1.4 (95% conf.) parts-per-million excess in 53Cr/52Cr relative to the terrestrial mantle. The investigated group of martian meteorites are lithologically varied and derive from diverse mantle sources that probably had variable Mn/Cr. Hence, the lack of 53Cr variability among martian meteorites demonstrates that silicate differentiation on Mars occurred after the extinction of 53Mn. Provided that the sources of the martian meteorites have Mn/Cr variations that are typical of the terrestrial planets, this result implies that the onset of large-scale silicate differentiation must have occurred later than 20±5 Ma after Solar System formation. The onset of silicate differentiation on Mars inferred here is significantly later than time estimates for segregation of the martian core which conservatively occurred within
The Role of Sirtuin 3 in Radiation-Induced Long-Term Persistent Liver Injury

In patients with abdominal region cancers, ionizing radiation (IR)-induced long-term liver injury is a major limiting factor in the use of radiotherapy. Previously, the major mitochondrial deacetylase, sirtuin 3 (SIRT3), has been implicated to play an important role in the development of acute liver injury after total body irradiation but no studies to date have examined the role of SIRT3 in liver's chronic response to radiation. In the current study, ten-month-old Sirt3-/- and Sirt3+/+ male mice received 24 Gy radiation targeted to liver. Six months after exposure, irradiated Sirt3-/- mice livers demonstrated histopathological elevations in inflammatory infiltration, the loss of mature bile ducts and higher DNA damage (TUNEL) as well as protein oxidation (3-nitrotyrosine). In addition, increased expression of inflammatory chemokines (IL-6, IL-1β, TGF-β) and fibrotic factors (Procollagen 1, α-SMA) were also measured in Sirt3-/- mice following 24 Gy IR. The alterations measured in enzymatic activities of catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione reductase in the livers of irradiated Sirt3-/- mice also implied that hydrogen peroxide and hydroperoxide sensitive signaling cascades in the absence of SIRT3 might contribute to the IR-induced long-term liver injury.
Book Review: A Column of Cloud and a Column of Fire: Dimitris Lyacos’ Poena Damni

One of the most original and significant texts to have come out of Europe in the past generation is Dimitris Lyacos’ poetictrilogy, Poena Damni. I call it “poetic” because there is no word that quite describes a work that moves alternately betweenpoetry, prose, and drama, and that turns each like a prism in a quest for meaning that yields no final stability but only a“further horizon of pain” (The First Death, Section X).As the above suggests, the text offers us a shifting series of scenes and perspectives, somewhere between a journey and atravail. There is an implicit narrative voice, but no narrative, that shifts abruptly from first to third person, a thread ofconsciousness that weaves in and out of dream and waking, fantasy and vision, confronting us at every turn with that whichboth forces and repels our sight. You know there is a narrative, because something in the voice compels you to continue; yousimply do not know what is being told. You are simply within the framework of a temporality in its most radical sense.Dimitris Lyacos was born in Athens in 1966, and studied law and philosophy. It was conceived back to front, with its“last” part, The First Death, written and published first, and the other segments proceeding backwards toward an origin thatinstates the original wound of the poem’s birth. Lyacos has revised it extensively over the course of some thirty years,retracting an earlier version of what is now With the People From the Bridge that was originally published as Nyctivoe andheavily revising the text called Z213: EXIT. The suggestion, I think, is clear: the poem remains open, a circularity thatdeflects all progression, an ourobouros that never meets its own tail.
Integrated Learning Development Environment for Learning and Teaching C/C++ Language to Novice Programmers

This Innovative Practice Work-in-Progress paper presents an Integrated Learning Development Environment (ILDE) that integrates technologies with pedagogies for first-year students learning to program. Novice programmers must overcome misconceptions, debugging, and problem-solving. ILDE employs multimedia learning content, formative feedback, a customized compiler, and visualization using modern pedagogical and cognitive psychology practices. Visualization and multimedia illustrate what happens inside the computer as the program is running. Enhanced compiler messages with graphical representation reduce the difficulty of compilation errors.
Tripod mechanisms with novel spatial Cartesian flexible hinges

Abstract The paper studies the tripod mechanisms that comprise novel spatial Cartesian flexible hinges and can be used in three-dimensional sensing/actuation applications. These hinges are formed of serially-connected straight- and circular-axis elastic segments that are located in planes parallel to the planes of a Cartesian reference frame. Two spatial flexible hinge designs are proposed and their compliance matrices are derived based on closed-form compliances of the basic segments. The hinge compliance matrices are utilized to formulate the stiffness matrix of tripod mechanisms that are parallel combinations of three identical hinges and a rigid link. The hinge analytical compliance model is confirmed through finite element code simulation while the tripod analytical stiffness is verified by both finite element analysis and experimental testing of fabricated specimens. Comprehensive simulation is subsequently performed to study the influence of the geometric parameter values on the hinge and tripod analytical compliance/stiffness.
The potential for emerging technologies to support self-regulation in children with ADHD: A literature review

Abstract Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is the most prevalent childhood psychiatric condition. Children with ADHD display symptoms of inattention and hyperactive/impulsive behaviors. Behavioral interventions are promising as approaches for improving the control of attention and impulsivity and in developing self-regulation skills. Self-regulation involves controlling one’s behavior, emotions, and thoughts to pursue long-term goals and is fundamental to adaptive developmental tasks at all stages of life. Innovative approaches for supporting children with ADHD include using both novel and consumer off-the-shelf technologies to support the self-regulation of emotions and behaviors. This review aims to provide a resource to summarize the current evidence for technological interventions that assist and assess the self-regulation of behaviors and emotions supporting children with ADHD. This review included 36 papers that used multiple technological emerging platforms (i.e., personal computers; mobile; sensors, wearables; virtual and augmented reality; robots) used by children with ADHD. Most technologies are suspended in the design and prototyping phases. However, studies that included robust enough technologies for deployment studies or pilot random control trials exhibit promising implications for supporting self-regulation in children with ADHD.
COVID 19 Mortality Rate Prediction based on Machine Learning Methods

In this work, the mortality rate of COVID-19 patients was predicted based on the dataset from surveillance public database, which included date of cases reported from Dec 31, 2019 to Dec 1, 2020 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The dataset contained all cases with an initial report date, current status and summary of personal patients' information tables. In this research, attributes are analyzed in terms of age groups, case demographic, whether patient hospitalized, whether patient admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) to present a model, which could precisely predict the death probability of patients who have COVID-19. We implemented lots of pre-processing for this dataset such as filling in both the missing value and unknown value in the tuple. Furthermore, we inspected the dataset from gender, age group, race and ethnicity to discover how important that the element related to the death probability. We applied the machine learning method to develop five forecasting models to predict the mortality rate of reported COVID-19 patients because machine learning algorithms have already shown their importance to enhance precision of decision making. We had implemented logistic regression, decision tree, neural network and light GBM in order to anticipate potential threatening factors of death rate of COVID-19. The results proved that the Light GBM had the best predictability in all of five standard supervised learning models, also neural network and logistic regression models performed well in predicting death rate in the reported case from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), while decision tree model performed not as well as other methods in this COVID-19 case report dataset. From the figure of feature importance of light GBM, it was shown that age group and whether admitted to intensive care unit have larger impacts on death probability.
Persistent Opioid Use After Cardiac Implantable Electronic Device Procedures.

Background: Prescription opioids are a major contributor to the ongoing epidemic of persistent opioid use (POU). The incidence of POU among opioid-naive patients after cardiac implantable electroni...
Combinatorial In Silico Drug-Lead Optimization for Targeted Inhibitors of P-Glycoprotein

P-glycoprotein (P-gp) is an ATP-powered efflux pump of the plasma membrane that is responsible for removing toxins from cells. While this is beneficial in normal cells, P-gp overexpression is often...
[17] Expression and purification of G-protein α subunits using baculovirus expression system

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses expression and purification of G-protein α subunits using baculovirus expression system. The chapter describes the construction of recombinant baculovirus vectors encoding four G-protein α subunits (G i1 , G i1 , G i3 , and G o ), infection of Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) cells with the viruses to generate large amounts of the recombinant protein, and the chromatographic procedures used to purify the α subunits. The production and purification of recombinant baculoviruses is discussed. Recombinant baculoviruses are obtained by transfecting Sf9 cells with a 5 : 1 (mass/mass) mixture of transfer vector and circular wild-type viral DNA using a calcium phosphate precipitation technique modified for insect cells. In summary, using Sf9 cells infected with recombinant baculoviruses expressing three Gi and the Go a subunits, we have been able to obtain milligram amounts of pure a subunits after three column steps. These α subunits are myristoylated as are native α subunits, and they are functional as measured by the ability to interact with angiotensin II receptors 3 and adenosine receptors. The baculovirus/Sf9 insect cell protein expression system appears to offer a number of advantages for the expression of these G-protein α subunits.
On some inflation model based on the past price dynamics

The paper describes a model of a price movement path formed upon the past dynamics, following from a couple of assumptions. A system of delayed differential equations has been built and the properties of solutions analyzed. At the end, the main conclusions drawn from the model are presented.
Survival of dialysis patients after cardiac arrest and the impact of implantable cardioverter defibrillators

Survival of dialysis patients after cardiac arrest and the impact of implantable cardioverter defibrillators. Background Sudden cardiac death is the single largest cause of mortality in dialysis patients. There are no published data on the use or survival impact of implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) in dialysis patients. The objective of this retrospective cohort study was to determine ICD use in dialysis patients and impact on survival. Methods Dialysis patients hospitalized from 1996 to 2001 for ventricular fibrillation/cardiac arrest, having ICD implantation within 30 days of admission, discharged alive, and surviving at least 30 days from admission were identified from the 100% end-stage renal disease (ESRD) sample of the Medicare database. Long-term survival was estimated by life-table method. Impact of independent predictors on survival was examined in a comorbidity-adjusted Cox model and a propensity model. Results There were 460 patients (7.6%) with ICD and 5582 patients (92.4%) without ICD. Estimated 1-, 2-, 3-, 4-, and 5-year survivals after day 30 of admission in the ICD group were 71%, 53%, 36%, 25%, and 22%, respectively; in the no-ICD group, 49%, 33%, 23%, 16%, and 12% ( P Conclusion In dialysis patients, ICD therapy is apparently underused. ICD implantation in cardiac arrest survivors on dialysis is associated with greater survival.
Critical Oxygen Deficit for Bank Outfall

A two-dimensional equation for the mass balance of dissolved oxygen (DO) is integrated numerically to obtain the distribution of oxygen deficit resulting from a bank outfall of BOD in a rectangular channel. The results can be categorized into three cases. In Case I for rapid transverse mixing of the BOD and DO, uniform DO levels occur within most cross sections and the critical deficit is the same as that calculated by the traditional one-dimensional representation. In Case II, the transverse mixing of the BOD and DO is slower and the critical deficit is both higher in magnitude and located upstream relative to the values obtained from the one-dimensional computation. Case III represents the transition range between Cases I and II. Criteria are given for determining which case is applicable for a given set of conditions. The results for the magnitude and location of the critical deficit are given in graphical form in relation to dimensionless parameters.
Free radicals, calcium, and the synaptic plasticity-Cell death continuum: Emerging roles of the transcription factor nfκb

Publisher Summary Neurotransmitters, neurotrophic factors, cytokines, and cell adhesion molecules are among the categories of intercellular signals that play major roles in regulating neurite outgrowth, synaptogenesis, and synaptic plasticity. The central role of calcium and oxy radicals in orchestrating various adaptive responses of neurons probably arises from the fact that multicellular organisms evolved in an oxidizing environment and under conditions of ionic turmoil. Calcium influx regulates growth cone behavior by controlling the state of polymerization of microfilaments and microtubules, the cytoskeletal underpinnings of filipodial movements and neurite elongation, respectively. Learning and memory are encoded by signaling processes initiated at synapses that are transduced into long-term changes in neuronal excitability. Induction of gene expression appears to be involved in maintenance of the strengthening of synaptic connections in paradigms of learning and memory. Research findings suggest that the NF K B plays an important role in transducing calcium and ROS synaptic signals into genetic responses. NF K B is a cytosolic transcription factor that can be activated in response to synaptic activity. This provides a mechanism of synapse-to-nucleus signaling that plays an important role in activity-dependent long-lasting changes in neuronal structure and function. NF K B also appears to play an important role in the adaptive responses of neurons to potentially lethal excitotoxic, metabolic, and oxidative insults. NF K B induces the expression of genes encoding cytoprotective proteins, including those that suppress the accumulation of ROS, for example, manganese superoxide dismutase, and stabilize calcium homeostasis, for example the calcium-binding protein calbindin.
Drought and Water Supply Management

Drought is a normal, albeit extreme, aspect of hydrologic variation, so it should be considered when making plans for water. Planning for water supply management involves both supply augmentation and demand management. Supply augmentation can involve new supplies or extending use of existing supplies. Keywords: drought; drought management; food supplies; disaster; planning; water agencies; meteorologic drought; hydrologic drought; contingency planning; vulnerability; shortage; hazard; emergency; water use; demand management
Determinants of demand for wood products in the US construction sector: an econometric analysis of a system of demand equations

A system of conditional demand equations for wood products in the US construction sector is derived from the relevant end-use cost functions by taking advantage of the duality between the productio...
Absorption of aliphatic hydrocarbons by rats

The percentage retention of aliphatic hydrocarbons from relatively simple mixtures administered intragastrically to rats is shown to be an inverse linear function of carbon number, at least for major components of the mixtures. Retention (intake minus excretion) is reduced by treatment with certain antibiotics or by feeding amounts of hydrocarbon in excess of 320 mg/kg body weight as a single dose. Bacterial degradation of paraffin in the feces, and recirculation of intact hydrocarbon in the bile apparently do not occur to a significant extent under the conditions tested. The major, if not the only significant, site of absorption of ingested hydrocarbons in rats is the small intestine. No conspicuous difference in ability to take up hydrocarbons in everted sac experiments was seen between duodenum, jejunum and ileum, although duodenal sacs released hydrocarbon or its metabolic products into the serosal medium more rapidly than did sacs of ileum. The primary recipient of absorbed paraffin in vivo was the lymph, but there was some evidence for absorption of hexadecane or, perhaps more likely, its metabolic products, directly into the portal blood.