cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of Potassium on Blood Pressure in Salt-Sensitive and Salt-Resistant Black Adolescents

This study examined the effects of increasing dietary potassium on ambulatory blood pressure nondipping status ( /=5 mm Hg from the low to high sodium diet. Sixteen salt-sensitive and 42 salt-resistant subjects were then randomly assigned to either a 3-week high potassium diet (80 mmol/24 h) or usual diet control group. Urinary potassium excretion significantly increased in the treatment group (35+/-7 to 57+/-21 mmol/24 h). At baseline, a significantly greater percentage of salt-sensitive (44%) compared with salt-resistant (7%) subjects were nondippers on the basis of diastolic blood pressure classifications (P<0.04). After the dietary intervention, all of the salt-sensitive subjects in the high potassium group achieved dipper status as a result of a drop in nocturnal diastolic blood pressure (daytime, 69 versus 67 mm Hg; nighttime, 69 versus 57 mm Hg). No significant group differences in cardiovascular reactivity were observed. These results suggest that a positive relationship between dietary potassium intake and blood pressure modulation can still exist even when daytime blood pressure is unchanged by a high potassium diet.
Parathyroid Lesions: Characterization with Dual-Phase Arterial and Venous Enhanced CT of the Neck

SUMMARY: This clinical report describes the enhancement characteristics of hypersecreting parathyroid lesions on dual-phase neck CT. We retrospectively analyzed the enhancement characteristics of 5 pathologically confirmed PTH-secreting lesions on dual-phase CT examinations. Attenuation values were measured for PTH-secreting lesions, vascular structures (CCA and IJV), and soft tissue structures (thyroid gland, jugulodigastric lymph node, and submandibular gland). From the attenuation values, “relative enhancement washout percentage” and “tissue-vascular ratio” were calculated and compared. All lesions decreased in attenuation from arterial to venous phase, while the mean attenuation values of other soft tissue structures increased. A high relative enhancement washout percentage was correlated with parathyroid lesions (P
A systematic study of acupuncture practice: acupoint usage in an outpatient setting in Beijing, China.

Summary Acupuncture textbooks mention a wide assortment of indications for each acupuncture point and, conversely, each disease or indication can be treated by a wide assortment of acupoints. However, little systematic information exists on how acupuncture is actually used in practice: i.e. which points are actually selected and for which conditions. This study prospectively gathered data on acupuncture point usage in two primarily acupuncture hospital clinics in Beijing, China. Of the more than 150 unique acupoints, the 30 most commonly used points represented 68% of the total number of acupoints needled at the first clinic, and 63% of points needled at the second clinic. While acupuncturists use a similar set of most prevalent points, such as LI-4 (used in >65% of treatments at both clinic sites), this core of points only partially overlaps. These results support the hypothesis that while the most commonly used points are similar from one acupuncturist to another, each practitioner tends to have certain acupoints, which are favorites as core points or to round out the point prescription. In addition, the results of this study are consistent with the recent development of “manualized” protocols in randomized controlled trials of acupuncture where a fixed set of acupoints are augmented depending on individualized signs and symptoms (TCM patterns). © 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Distribution of Blattella asahinai (Dictyoptera: Blattellidae) in Southern Alabama and Georgia

The Asian cockroach, Blattella asahinai Mizukubo (Dictyoptera: Blattellidae), was discovered in large numbers in southeastern Alabama in 2003. We surveyed southern Alabama and Georgia to determine the distribution of this species. In total, 67 of the 159 counties in Georgia and 33 counties of the 67 counties in Alabama were sampled. We found that B. asahinai was established in seven counties in Georgia and eight counties in Alabama. The area that B. asahinai has colonized in Alabama is double that of Georgia. The distribution of B. asahinai closely follows major highways and interstates, and it has likely expanded its range by using human transportation. Cold temperatures and suitable habitats are probably the only factors limiting the range of B. asahinai.
Late-Stage Diversification of Biologically Active Molecules via Chemoenzymatic C–H Functionalization

Engineered variants of rebeccamycin halogenase were used to selectively halogenate a number of biologically active aromatic compounds. Subsequent Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions on the crude extracts of these reactions were used to install aryl, amine, and ether substituents at the halogenation site. This simple, chemoenzymatic method enables nondirected functionalization of C–H bonds on a range of substrates to provide access to derivatives that would be challenging or inefficient to prepare by other means.
Role of grain boundary on the sources of size effects

Abstract The present paper investigates the effects of grain boundary (GB) on the sources of size effects. Up to now, several studies have been conducted to address the role of GBs in size effects from the atomistic point of view. However, a study which addresses the effects of GB on different governing mechanisms of size effects as the sample length scale varies has not been presented yet. Here, samples with different length scales are studied to capture the role of GB in size effects as the grain size changes. The response of single and bi-crystal Ni thin films with two different sizes are studied during nanoindentation experiment using large scale atomistic simulation. Various symmetric and asymmetric tilt GBs are incorporated to study the effects of GB geometry on the response of samples during nanoindentation. The sources of size effects are analyzed in each sample using the atomistic information obtained from the simulations. The results show that the size effects mechanism influenced by GBs changes from dislocation nucleation and source exhaustion to the forest hardening mechanism as the grain size increases. In the case of small bi-crystal samples, dislocation nucleation and source exhaustion govern the size effects. The GB contributes to the dislocation nucleation beneath the indenter which reduces the strength of sample by providing required dislocations to sustain the imposed plastic deformation. Also, the GB itself is the source of defects which can affect the sample strength depending on the indentation depth at which the dislocation is nucleated from the grain boundary. Increasing the indentation depth, some of the dislocations are blocked by the GB. However, there is no noticeable additional hardness due to the dislocations blockage by GB. Furthermore, the results show that the coherent twin boundaries shows the best performance during the nanoindentation. In the case of large bi-crystal samples, the GB does not influence the size effects at lower indentation depths where the source exhaustion is the controlling mechanism of size effects. However, at higher indentation depths, the dislocation interaction with GB contributes to the forest hardening mechanism and induces some hardening. It is observed that the dislocations are firstly absorbed by the GB. Increasing the indentation depth, some dislocations start dissociating into the next grain. However, it is observed that more dislocations are nucleated in the upper grain. The results show that the main role of GB at larger length scale is to change the pattern of dislocation structure in a way that the dislocations are piled up near the GB which increases the hardness.
Comparison of Recovery of Airborne Microorganisms in a Dairy Cattle Facility Using Selective Agar and Thin Agar Layer Resuscitation Media

Thin agar layer (TAL) medium was developed at Kansas State University to improve the resuscitation of injured cells and has been shown to result in higher recovery than is obtained with selective media alone for cold-, heat-, salt-, and acid-injured cells. The experiment presented here was designed to determine the effectiveness of the TAL method for the recovery of possibly injured organisms from air. Eleven agar media were used for the experiment: tryptic soy agar (TSA), MacConkey sorbitol agar (MSA), TAL-MSA, Baird-Parker (BP) agar, TAL-BP agar, modified Oxford (MOX) agar, TAL-MOX agar, xylose lysine sodium desoxycholate (XLD) agar, TAL-XLD agar, Yersinia-selective (CIN) agar, and TAL-CIN agar. The TAL plates were prepared by pipetting 6 ml of selective agar into a BBL Rodac plate (65 by 15 mm). Selective agar was allowed to solidify, and then each plate was overlaid with 6 ml of TSA. Selective agar plates were prepared by pipetting 12 ml of agar into BBL Rodac plates and allowing the agar to solidify. Samples were taken at an indoor cattle facility at five separate locations with a BioScience SAS air-sampling instrument. For each plate, 60 liters of air was sampled. Three replications of the experiment were performed. The TAL method resulted in higher counts of microorganisms on all media tested. In addition, 175 isolates were selected randomly and identified in order to test the selectivity of TAL and the selective media for target organisms. The data obtained in this study show that the TAL resuscitation method is effective and necessary for the recovery of airborne organisms that may be injured.
Interactions between collagen IV and collagen-binding integrins in renal cell repair after sublethal injury.

Recent studies demonstrate that collagen IV selectively promotes the repair of physiological processes in sublethally injured renal proximal tubular cells (RPTC). We sought to further define the mechanisms of cell repair by measuring the effects of toxicant injury and stimulation of repair by l-ascorbic acid-2-phosphate (AscP), exogenous collagen IV, or function-stimulating integrin antibodies on the expression and subcellular localization of collagen-binding integrins (CBI) in RPTC. Expression of CBI subunits α1, α2, and β1 in RPTC was not altered on day 1 after sublethal injury byS-(1,2-dichlorovinyl)-l-cysteine (DCVC). On day 6, expression of α1 and β1 subunits remained unchanged, whereas a 2.2-fold increase in α2expression was evident in injured RPTC. CBI localization in control RPTC was limited exclusively to the basal membrane. On day 1 after injury, RPTC exhibited a marked inhibition of active Na+transport and a loss of cell polarity characterized by a decrease in basal CBI localization and the appearance of CBI on the apical membrane. On day 6 after injury, RPTC still exhibited marked inhibition of active Na+ transport and localization of CBI to the apical membrane. However, DCVC-injured RPTC cultured in pharmacological concentrations of AscP (500 μM) or exogenous collagen IV (50 μg/ml) exhibited an increase in active Na+ transport, relocalization of CBI to the basal membrane, and the disappearance of CBI from the apical membrane on day 6. Function-stimulating antibodies to CBI β1 did not promote basal relocalization of CBI despite stimulating the repair of Na+/K+-ATPase activity on day 6 after injury. These data demonstrate that DCVC disrupts integrin localization and that physiological repair stimulated by AscP or collagen IV is associated with the basal relocalization of CBI in DCVC-injured RPTC. These data also suggest that CBI-mediated repair of physiological functions may occur independently of integrin relocalization.
Adult renal epithelial neoplasms

The consideration of adult renal epithelial neoplasms is no longer limited to renal adenocarcinoma, but also includes oncocytoma, chromophobe carcinoma, renal papillary neoplasms, collecting duct carcinoma, and neuroendocrine tumors. The recent application of classical and molecular cytogenetic techniques, particularly the studies of Kovacs and colleagues, has provided a biologic basis for this new classification. This review discusses the clinical and pathologic characteristics of these entities, with attention to differential diagnosis. Prognostic factors in renal adenocarcinoma are also discussed.
Preservation of Facial Contour during Parotidectomy

Parotid surgery often leaves a facial contour deformity. Free abdominal dermal-fat grafts were used to preserve the facial contour of nine patients undergoing parotid surgery. This procedure is simple to perform and provides an improved cosmetic result without significantly increasing operative time or lengthening hospitalization. No troublesome fat absorption occurred postoperatively. The dermal-fat graft also serves as a barrier to regenerating neurons, thereby preventing postoperative gustatory sweating.
Abstract 605: Brain ERK1/2 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Mediated Phosphorylation of Potassium Channel Subunit Kv4.2 Likely Contributes to Sympathetic Activation by Blood-borne TNF-α

Blood-borne tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α acts upon the central nervous system to augment sympathetic drive in normal and pathophysiological conditions including heart failure. We have found that brain extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 mediates TNF-α induced sympatho-excitatory responses, but the precise mechanisms are not understood. ERK1/2 can rapidly phosphorylate the voltage gated potassium channel (Kv) subunit Kv4.2 in neurons to reduce the transient outward potassium current that normally restrains neuronal excitability in cardiovascular-related brain regions. We hypothesized that ERK1/2 phosphorylation of Kv4.2 in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) may contribute to TNF-α-induced sympathetic activity. In anesthetized rats, a centrally directed intracarotid artery (ICA) injection of TNF-α (0.5 μg/kg) increased (*p<0.05, vs baseline) renal sympathetic nerve activity, mean blood pressure and heart rate beginning as early as 30 minutes. These responses were reduced by a 4-hour continuous intracerebroventricular (ICV) infusion of the ERK1/2 inhibitor PD98059 (0.4 μg/hour). Molecular studies revealed that TNF-α-induced phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and Kv4.2 was detectable at 30 minutes (0.51±0.03* vs 0.28±0.03 for ERK1/2, 0.19±0.02* vs 0.00±0.00 for Kv4.2, TNF-α vs control, corrected by β-actin) and increased with time (4 hours after TNF-α: 0.65±0.01* vs 0.25±0.04 for ERK1/2; 0.30±0.02* vs 0.00±0.00 for Kv4.2). Interestingly, mRNA expression for nuclear factor (NF)-κB p65 or its inhibitor IκBα was unchanged at 30 minutes. However, 4 hours after TNF-α injection NF-κB p65 mRNA (1.77±0.11* vs 1.00±0.02 fold change) was augmented and IκBα mRNA (0.48±0.03* vs 1.00±0.07 fold change) was decreased. ICV PD98059 normalized phosphorylation of ERK1/2 (0.30±0.01*) and reduced phosphorylation of Kv4.2 (0.16±0.02*) as well as activation of NF-κB (1.34±0.11* for NF-κB p65; 0.70±0.08* for IκBα) in the PVN 4 hours after TNF-α injection. These data suggest that the acute sympatho-excitatory responses elicited by blood-borne TNF-α are mediated, at least in part, by brain ERK1/2-induced phosphorylation of Kv4.2, reducing the transient outward potassium current and increasing neuronal excitation.
Do women borrowers augment financial performance of MFIs

ABSTRACTThere is some consensus that depth of outreach and financial performance of Microfinance Institutions (MFI) are positively correlated. A majority of microcredit borrowers are women and since the prevalence of female borrowers is even greater among the very poor, there should be a positive correlation between female borrowers and financial performance. Most of the MFIs target women as preferred borrowers. However, no study to date has investigated the relationship between targeting women and MFI’s sustainability with respect to profitability and yield. Utilizing a panel of 892 MFIs over a period of 10 years, this study shows that increased proportion of women borrowers has a statistically significant positive impact on yield and financial performance of MFIs. Consequently, this article also analyses the implication as to whether female borrowers have better repayment rate than male borrowers.
Polydipsia and hyponatremia induced by multiple neuroleptics but not molindone

A 37 year old patient with chronic schizophrenia developed polydipsia and hyponatremia induced by several neuroleptics. We treated the patient successfully with molindone. The etiology of polydipsia with hyponatremia is discussed.
What Freud Really Meant: The pleasure and reality principles: “Formulations regarding two principles in mental functioning” (1911); “The psychology of the dream-processes” from The Interpretation of Dreams ” (1900)

Psychical activity draws back from any event which might arouse unpleasure – S. Freud, “Formulations regarding two principles in mental functioning” (p. 219) Freud's is first and foremost a theory built from first principles. His protracted search for those principles asks no less than what we are fundamentally and which principles of human mental function are sufficiently basic to extend to all human striving. His early psychological conception, presented first in The Interpretation of Dreams (1900), finds its most succinct expression in his brief “Formulations on two principles in mental functioning” (1911) . That essay, amended by a few extracts from The Interpretation of Dreams, furnishes a good point of departure for an exploration of the genesis of his views . Freud presents an argument in two parts. First he develops his two principles, the first and more elemental of which, the pleasure principle, holds that we seek in all our doings to avoid pain and, where we can, to cultivate pleasure. Accomplishing that aim does not, however, automatically entail an adaptation to reality; indeed the shortest and most easily attained routes to pleasure do not take reality into account at all and may thus ultimately fail. Therefore, our ability to satisfy our needs mandates a modification of our striving for pleasure, in the form of our accession to the reality principle, and a major complication of our mental process to accommodate the modification. The second portion of Freud's argument describes that accommodation . THE PRINCIPLES Asked to identify the most elemental principle that governs human mental life, most people might offer one of the following: acting in the interest of survival; acting to gain control; trying to maintain self-esteem; inviting the approbation of others; trying to be happy. Yet we take risks, some of them life-threatening, such as bungee-jumping, smoking cigarettes, walking tightropes. And we act to lose control, through drugs or alcohol, for instance. We take actions that undermine our self-image: we lie, cheat, or take the easy way out and thereby incur the wrath, rather than the approbation, of others. We suffer, sometimes intentionally, by reading tragedies and horror stories, for example, or by sabotaging our chances to attain something we want.
Pulling It All Together: Using CORAL ERM for Serials Acquisitions Management

ABSTRACTIn late 2015, the Serials Unit of the North Carolina State University Libraries Acquisitions & Discovery department began using CORAL as a workflow tool for tracking and processing new orders. While still in a pilot phase, CORAL has proven to be a great improvement on previous tools used to facilitate this work. In their 2016 North Carolina Serials Conference presentation, Hutchins and Minchew reviewed CORAL itself, prior serials new order management workflows and their transition to CORAL, and how the open source electronic resource management system is aiding in the management of the complex sets of steps and individual handoffs involved in serials new orders at North Carolina State University.
Temporal Development of Gut Microbiota in Triclocarban Exposed Pregnant and Neonatal Rats

Alteration of gut microbial colonization process may influence susceptibility of the newborn/infant to infectious and chronic disease. Infectious disease risk leads to widespread use of non-prescription antimicrobials in household products such as Triclocarban (TCC), an antimicrobial compound in personal care products. TCC concentrates in and is transferred through the milk to suckling offspring. TCC exposure during gestation and lactation significantly reduced phylogenetic diversity (PD) among exposed dams and neonates. Among dams using weighted UniFrac distances, TCC induced significant dysbiosis of gut microbiota by gestational day (GD) 18, a trend that continued after delivery. Similarly, an overall restructuring of gut microbiota occurred in neonates. By postnatal day (PND) 12, communities separated based on exposure status and became significantly different at PND 16. The ability of TCC to drive microbial dysbiosis warrants future investigation to evaluate the safety of non-prescription antimicrobial use, including TCC, during critical exposure windows.
Non-symmetrically (1,2,4- and 1,3,4-)oxadiazole homologous: synthesis, characterisation and study the effect of different substituents on their mesophase behaviours

ABSTRACTWe have previously demonstrated that the type of oxadiazole isomers is relatively affected on showing the liquid crystalline properties of the compounds that have the same chemical compositions. In this paper, we presented the synthesis and mesomorphic behaviour of related compounds that possess ester linkage with different substituted groups on para of the phenyl to six derivatives containing 1,3,4-oxadiazole and like another six containing 1,2,4-oxadiazole rings. The formation of these compounds was evidenced by FTIR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, elemental analysis and mass techniques. Their mesophase behaviours were studied by optical polarised microscopy (OPM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). All of them presented liquid crystalline properties with nematic (N), smectic A (SmA) and smectic C (SmC) phases typically to calamitic compounds. The effect of substituent group nature and the type of oxadiazole isomers on the liquid crystalline properties of these compo...
Limbic circuitry activation in ethanol withdrawal is regulated by a chromosome 1 locus

Physiological dependence and associated withdrawal episodes are thought to constitute a motivational force sustaining alcohol use/abuse and contributing to relapse in alcoholics. Although no animal model exactly duplicates alcoholism, models for specific factors, including the withdrawal syndrome, are useful for identifying potential genetic and neural determinants of liability in humans. We previously identified highly significant quantitative trait loci (QTLs) with large effects on predisposition to withdrawal after chronic and acute alcohol exposure in mice and mapped these loci to the same region of chromosome 1 (Alcdp1 and Alcw1, respectively). The present studies utilize a novel Alcdp1/Alcw1 congenic model (in which an interval spanning Alcdp1 and Alcw1 from the C57BL/6J donor strain [build GRCm38 150.3-174.6 Mb] has been introgressed onto a uniform inbred DBA/2J genetic background) known to demonstrate significantly less severe chronic and acute withdrawal compared to appropriate background strain animals. Here, using c-Fos induction as a high-resolution marker of neuronal activation, we report that male Alcdp1/Alcw1 congenic animals demonstrate significantly less alcohol withdrawal-associated neural activation compared to appropriate background strain animals in the prelimbic and cingulate cortices of the prefrontal cortex as well as discrete regions of the extended amygdala (i.e., basolateral) and extended basal ganglia (i.e., dorsolateral striatum, and caudal substantia nigra pars reticulata). These studies are the first to begin to elucidate circuitry by which this confirmed addiction-relevant QTL could influence behavior. This circuitry overlaps limbic circuitry involved in stress, providing additional mechanistic information. Alcdp1/Alcw1 maps to a region syntenic with human chromosome 1q, where multiple studies find significant associations with risk for alcoholism.
Cation-Selective Channel Regulated by Anions According to Their Hofmeister Ranking.

Specificity of small ions, the Hofmeister ranking, is long-known and has many applications including medicine. Yet it evades consistent theoretical description. Here we study the effect of Hofmeister anions on gramicidin A channels in lipid membranes. Counterintuitively, we find that conductance of this perfectly cation-selective channel increases about two-fold in the H2 PO4- <Cl- ≈Br- ≈NO3- <ClO4- <SCN- series. Channel dissociation kinetics show even stronger dependence, with the dwell time increasing about 20-fold. While the conductance can be quantitatively explained by the changes in membrane surface potential due to exclusion of kosmotropes from (or accumulation of chaotropes at) the surface, the kinetics proved to be more difficult to treat. We estimate the effects of changes in the energetics at the bilayer surfaces on the channel dwell time, concluding that the change would have to be greater than typically observed for the Hofmeister effect outside the context of the lipid bilayer.
Distributed Client/Server Network Control using Web-based Technologies

ABSTRACT Distributed computer systems control modeling is a well-studied topic in network control and management, yet the problem of fmding optimal approaches that are not too complex to implement on the real-time distributed systems remain unsolved. We have observed that many computer networks are naturally clustered. Client/Server Web-computing can be easily implemented on the clustered computer network model. Our approach is to use such natural clustering to develop and implement the control schemes using Web-based technologies in clustered networks.
Witchcraft and the Gift: Killing and Healing in Northwest Zambia

This chapter on witchcraft in northwest Zambia shows that forms of asking and giving may be deployed to suspend suspicion about the motives of others, even as they possess the potential to kill. When a woman asks a witch for a gift of salt to flavor her food, the witch feigns generosity but forces that woman to join the coven in recompense. In becoming a witch, that woman kills one of her relatives, whose flesh is consumed by the cowitch. The cowitch, in turn, becomes indebted to her and must provide more human flesh. This cycle of death may be broken when a healer offers a gift of sacrificial blood to the accused witch in exchange for the victim’s life. Drawing on David Graeber’s concept of human economies as well as Peter Geschiere’s treatment of intimacy and trust in witchcraft discourse, this chapter shows that requests and gifts may constitute leaps of faith that are dangerous but also necessary to undertake.
Designing Settings for Infants and Toddlers

No adult can fail to be moved by the remarkable receptivity to experience of infants or toddlers engrossed in play. Invitations from every element in the environment fill children with wonder, encouraging them to indulge their senses and to explore the limitless motoric capacities of their bodies. Young children live continuously in the here and now of experience, feasting upon nuances of color, light, sound, odor, and touch, unfettered by adult demands to pursue goals, use time well, or respond to someone else’s expectations. Their responses to the environment are immediate and inseparable from the sources of stimulation around them.
High Performance Liquid Chromatography Separation of Epigenetic Cytosine Variants

Epigenetic modifications enable cells to genetically respond to chemical inputs from environmental sources. These marks play a pivotal role in normal biological processes (e.g., differentiation, host defense and metabolic programs) but also contribute to the development of a wide variety of pathological conditions (e.g., cancer and Alzheimer’s disease). In particular, DNA methylation represents very stable epigenetic modification of cytosine bases that is strongly associated with a reduction in gene activity. Although High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) methodologies have been used to resolve methylated cytosine from unmodified cytosine bases, these represent only two of the five major cytosine analogs in the cell. Moreover, failure to resolve these other cytosine analogs might affect an accurate description of the cytosine methylation status in cells. In this present study, we determined the HPLC conditions required to separate the five cytosine analogs of the methylation/demethylation pathway. This methodology not only provides a means to analyze cytosine methylation as a whole, but it could also be used to more accurately calculate the methylation ratio from biological samples.
Combinatie van triptaan en NSAID bij migraine

Volgens de NHG-Standaard Migraine is de aanvalsbehandeling van migraine patientgericht en bestaat deze uit paracetamol, NSAID of triptaanmonotherapie. Deze CAT laat zien dat patienten met matig tot ernstige migraine die onvoldoende reageren op alleen een triptaan, een combinatie van triptaan en NSAID kan worden geadviseerd. Deze bevindingen verdienen een plaats in een toekomstige herziening van de NHG-Standaard.
Kesterites and Chalcopyrites: A Comparison of Close Cousins

Chalcopyrite solar cells based on CuInSe2 and associated alloys have demonstrated high efficiencies, with current annual shipments in the hundreds of megawatts (MW) range and increasing. Largely due to concern over possible indium (In) scarcity, a related set of materials, the kesterites, which comprise Cu2ZnSnS4 and associated alloys, has received increasing attention. Similarities and differences between kesterites and chalcopyrites are discussed as drawn from theory, depositions, and materials characterization. In particular, we discuss predictions from density functional theory, results from vacuum co-evaporation, and characterization via x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, electron beam-induced current, quantum efficiency, secondary ion mass spectroscopy, and luminescence.
Genetic transformation of Pseudomonas oleovorans by electroporation

An electroporation procedure for the transformation of Pseudomonas oleovorans was developed using a model plasmid, pCN51. The optimal electrotransformation was achieved with cells harvested at 45 to 60 min of growth and concentrated to a cell density of 5 OD600nm, plasmid concentration of 6 μg per 100 μl of cell suspension, and a 0.1-cm gap-width cuvette. Electroporation was performed at the settings of 250 ω, 25μF and 2.5 kV. Transformation yields in the order of 103 colony-forming-unit per electroporation sample were obtained. This is a first report of the electroporation of the commercially valuable bacterium Ps. oleovorans. © Rapid Science Ltd. 1998
Exploring Sociology of Consumption of Wedding Dress Rentals in Thailand

This study employed in-depth interview and observation methods to gain Thai consumers' subjective experiences and an understanding about factors affecting renting decision processes in the wedding dress rental context. Findings demonstrate that Thai consumers' five-step decision making process in renting is influenced by sociology of consumption (i.e., cultural values, institution, and norms imposed by institutions) that consumers acknowledge and comply. Shared beliefs in Thai culture affect individuals' actions or use of resources to achieve their goals. This study significantly contributes to the body of literature in product renting decision-making process and extends these findings to include renting decision by proposing the use of sociology of consumption for exploring product-specific consumption in Thai culture. Future research should investigate the role of cultural differences and social norms in renting decisions among consumers in the U.S. to learn more about their societal characteristics that can possibly encourage wedding dress renting behavior.
Gaze, turn-taking and proxemics in multiparty versus dyadic conversation across cultures.

When people converse with others, they participate in joint interaction behaviors, like proxemics or interpersonal distance, mutual gaze, and turn-taking or pause and overlap, which they may not consciously negotiate. How these behaviors manifest depends on many factors, such as gender, age, personality, culture, and number of participating conversants. Understanding these differences is important for situations where intercultural joint interaction behaviors are necessary for mission success, such as for military personnel in foreign countries. They may also be useful for modeling embodied conversational agents where culture and group vary. Joint interaction behaviors have been extensively studied for American dyads, and multiparties have recently received attention for some of these behaviors. In particular, differences in these behaviors as a function of group size have been addressed by comparing studies under differing conditions, settings, and experimental designs. However, less attention has been given to how these behaviors vary across cultures. This study collects, annotates and analyzes joint interaction behaviors of two-person and four-person standing conversations from three different cultures: American, Arab, and Mexican. It looks at differences in proxemics, speaker and listener gaze behaviors, overlap and pause at turn-transitions, and mutual gaze to coordinate turn to answer this question: How do people use joint interaction behaviors differently in multiparty versus dyadic conversation and how is this relationship affected by differences in culture? Data analysis shows that proxemics, gaze, mutual gaze to coordinate turns changed with group size and with culture. However, these changes do not always agree with the way the literature would suggest or what one might expect. For example, proxemics was actually larger for dyads than quads (4 persons), American listener gaze increased significantly in quads and not all contact cultures gaze in high amounts. Their interactions also exhibit some interesting correlations. These unanticipated outcomes demonstrate the importance of collecting and analyzing joint interaction behaviors.
Online Multi-Kernel Learning with Orthogonal Random Features

Kernel-based methods have well-appreciated performance in various nonlinear learning tasks. Most of them rely on a preselected kernel, whose prudent choice presumes task-specific prior information. To cope with this limitation, multi-kernel learning has gained popularity thanks to its flexibility in choosing kernels from a prescribed kernel dictionary. Leveraging the random feature approximation and its recent orthogonality-promoting variant, the present contribution develops an online multi-kernel learning scheme to infer the intended nonlinear function ‘on the fly.’ Performance analysis shows that the novel algorithm can afford sublinear regret. Numerical tests on real datasets are carried out to showcase the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms.
Integrating psychological strengths under the umbrella of personality science: Rethinking the definition, measurement, and modification of strengths

Following the advent of modern positive psychology, there has been a surge of empirical research on strengths and a call for incorporating strengths into clinical models of psychopathology. In this...
Privacy-Preserving Data Preprocessing for Fog Computing in 5G Network Security

In 5G wireless networks, the highly growing concern of data privacy from end users drives security and privacy fundamental and strong requirements for information services. End users will always expect and constantly demand efficient and effective privacy-preserving based security services in 5G communications. Those services should not only adjust the levels of security protection, but also optimize the entire secure data communication process from the users to an untrusted cloud, via multiple fog nodes. In this new paradigm, a list of options should be open at the side of fog nodes, so that they can adjust the desired level of enhanced security protection for users' data intelligently and dynamically. In this way, the load of computational overhead for enhanced security protection at the user side will be greatly reduced. The requested options of those security services will be provided based on learning the contributed attributes, and further be enforced by fog nodes, where the data will be subsequently adjusted in a suitable way. The idea of Quality of Protection (QoP) can be applied at the fog nodes in 5G networks, so that fog nodes can supply different levels of security protection to different data protection demands. In this paper, we propose a privacy-preserving data preprocessing scheme for fog computing in 5G network security. Specifically, this work is conducted in the perspective of QoP, aiming to preserve the security service option learned from attributes and to enable fog nodes to supply different levels of privacy protection services with different security demands from users.
Impact of class distribution on the detection of slow HTTP DoS attacks using Big Data

The integrity of modern network communications is constantly being challenged by more sophisticated intrusion techniques. Attackers are consistently shifting to stealthier and more complex forms of attacks in an attempt to bypass known mitigation strategies. In recent years, attackers have begun to focus their attack efforts on the application layer, allowing them to produce attacks that can exploit known issues within specific application protocols. Slow HTTP Denial of Service attacks are one such attack variant, which targets the HTTP protocol and can imitate legitimate user traffic in order to deny resources from a service. Successful mitigation of this attack type requires network analysts to evaluate large quantities of network traffic to identify and block intrusive traffic. The issue, is that the number of legitimate traffic instances can far outnumber the amount of attack instances, making detection problematic. Machine learning techniques can be used to aid in detection, but the large level of imbalance between normal (majority) and attack (minority) instances can lead to inaccurate detection results. In this work, we evaluate the use of data sampling to produce varying class distributions in order to counteract the effects of severely imbalanced Slow HTTP DoS big datasets. We also detail our process for collecting real-world representative Slow HTTP DoS attack traffic from a live network environment to create our datasets. Five class distributions are generated to evaluate the Slow HTTP DoS detection performance of eight machine learning techniques. Our results show that the optimal learner and class distribution combination is that of Random Forest with a 65:35 distribution ratio, obtaining an AUC value of 0.99904. Further, we determine through the use of significance testing, that the use of sampling techniques can significantly increase learner performance when detecting Slow HTTP DoS attack traffic.
Computational Simulation of Benefit Fraud and Community Resilience in the Wake of Disaster

AbstractThe monetary assistance provided for disaster relief creates opportunities for fraudulent behavior. Historical records have shown that the loss of recovery funds due to improper and fraudul...
Measles Immunization: The Need for Evidence-Based School Entry Laws

Despite the overwhelming evidence demonstrating vaccine safety and efficacy, an increasing number of parents are hesitant to immunize their children as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)2 and the American Academy of Pediatrics 3 In addition, a subset of these parents voice concern that school entry laws demonstrate excessive governmental control over personal health care decisions Additionally, vaccine doses given within four days of the minimum interval are considered valid in most cases (there are certain restrictions on this related to the timing of different live vaccines) [ ]for children who complete an accelerated twodose measles vaccination schedule, there is no scientific evidence to support a third measlescontaining vaccine dose upon kindergarten entry [ ]one state (Oregon) specifies, "Two doses must be received at or after 12 months of age the second dose must be received at least 24 days after the first dose
Resistors in Series and in Parallel

This chapter will go over what it means for components to be connected in series or in parallel, with an emphasis on resistors. When resistors are connected in series, the effective resistance increases. When the resistors reconnected in parallel, the effective resistance decreases.
Promoting a Person-Centered Approach to Strengthening Early Childhood Practices that Support Social-Emotional Development

Research Findings: This paper presents findings from an exploratory study to define associations between social–emotional teaching practices and teacher characteristics through a person-centered ap...
ZFP36L1 regulates Fgf21 mRNA turnover and modulates alcoholic hepatic steatosis and inflammation in mice

ABSTRACT Zinc finger protein 36 like 1 (ZFP36L1) enhances the turnover of mRNAs containing AU-rich elements (AREs) in their 3’untranslated regions (3’UTR). The physiological and pathological functions of ZFP36L1 in liver, however, remain largely unknown. To investigate the role of ZFP36L1 in liver physiology and pathology, we generated liver-specific ZFP36L1-deficient (Zfp36l1flox/flox /Cre+; L1LKO) mice. Under normal conditions, the L1LKO mice and their littermate controls (Zfp36l1flox/flox/Cre-; L1FLX) appeared normal. When fed a Lieber-DeCarli liquid diet containing alcohol, L1LKO mice were significantly protected from developing alcohol-induced hepatic steatosis and inflammation compared to L1FLX mice. Serum ALT levels were significantly increased in alcohol-fed L1FLX versus alcohol-fed L1LKO mice. RNA-Seq analysis revealed 584 differentially-expressed transcripts in L1FLX alcohol-fed mice, many of which were inflammatory mediators, compared to only 159 in alcohol-fed L1LKO mice. Most importantly, fibroblast growth factor 21 (Fgf21) mRNA was significantly increased in the livers of alcohol-fed L1LKO mice but not in the alcohol-fed control group. The Fgf21 mRNA contains three AREs in its 3’UTR, and Fgf21 3’UTR was directly regulated by ZFP36L1 in luciferase reporter assays. Steady state levels of Fgf21 mRNA were significantly decreased by wildtype ZFP36L1, but not by a non-binding zinc-finger ZFP36L1 mutant. Finally, wildtype ZFP36L1, but not the ZFP36L1 mutant, bound to Fgf21 3’UTR ARE RNA probe. Our results demonstrate that ZFP36L1 inactivation protects against alcohol-induced hepatic steatosis and liver injury, possibly by stabilizing Fgf21 mRNA. Our findings suggest that the modulation of ZFP36L1 may be beneficial in the prevention or treatment of human alcoholic liver disease.
Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Obstetrician-Gynecologists Regarding Influenza Prevention and Treatment Following the 2009 H1N1 Pandemic.

Abstract Background: Pregnant women are at increased risk for complications associated with influenza. Influenza vaccination during pregnancy helps protect both pregnant women and infants less than 6 months of age from contracting the flu. This study investigated influenza prevention and treatment practices of obstetrician-gynecologists (ob-gyns) during the influenza season immediately following the 2009–2010 H1N1 season. Methods: In 2011, surveys were sent to two groups of Fellows of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Group 1 was 907 ob-gyns who responded to our previous survey on practice and knowledge of influenza vaccination, diagnosis, and treatment during the 2009–2010 H1N1 influenza pandemic. Group 2 was 2,293 new recipients randomly selected from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists database. Data were analyzed in 2013. Results: A high proportion of pregnant patients were reported to be vaccinated against influenza (71.7%); however, the data suggest that in...
Sensory properties of musty compounds in food

Abstract Musty aroma and flavor is a major problem in a variety of foods and packaging materials. Some compounds such as geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol have been studied in relation to water, grains, fish, and potatoes, but a variety of other compounds can result in mustiness. Thirty-four chemical compounds, including chloroanisoles, pyrazines, and aldehydes potentially related to mustiness in foods or packaging which were tested in this study. Six highly trained sensory panelists smelled each compound dissolved in propylene glycol (if soluble) at dilutions of 1000, 5000, and 10000 ppm, although some were tested at levels as low as 100 ppm or as high as 100000 ppm. A range of musty-type odors including earthy, moldy, fungal, damp basement-like, mushroomy, and fermented were found in at least some of the compounds. As expected, changes in concentration or slight modifications in functional groups resulted in large differences in character.
The Algorithm Selection Problem

Publisher Summary The problem of selecting an effective algorithm arises in a wide variety of situations. This chapter starts with a discussion on abstract models: the basic model and associated problems, the model with selection based on features, and the model with variable performance criteria. One objective of this chapter is to explore the applicability of the approximation theory to the algorithm selection problem. There is an intimate relationship here and that the approximation theory forms an appropriate base upon which to develop a theory of algorithm selection methods. The approximation theory currently lacks much of the necessary machinery for the algorithm selection problem. There is a need to develop new results and apply known techniques to these new circumstances. The final pages of this chapter form a sort of appendix, which lists 15 specific open problems and questions in this area. There is a close relationship between the algorithm selection problem and the general optimization theory. This is not surprising since the approximation problem is a special form of the optimization problem. Most realistic algorithm selection problems are of moderate to high dimensionality and thus one should expect them to be quite complex. One consequence of this is that most straightforward approaches (even well-conceived ones) are likely to lead to enormous computations for the best selection. The single most important part of the solution of a selection problem is the appropriate choice of the form for selection mapping. It is here that theories give the least guidance and that the art of problem solving is most crucial.
Toward a Methodology for Designing Large Systems and Verifying Their Properties

This paper presents a rationale for a unified general approach to computer systems development, applicable to operating systems, applications subsystems, and hardware. A case is made for a formal methodology for design and implementation with which it is possible to verify system properties formally. Various goals for such a methodology are stated. Relevant existing work is cited. The potential effectiveness of this approach is discussed.
The history of book ciphers

You can do a lot with a book, besides read it! In fact, we know that by 1526 — some 70 years after Gutenberg printed his first Bible — at least one of out forebears, Jacobus Silvestri, was thinking of how a book might be used for cryptographic purposes. Silverstri wrote of a sort of code book, or dictionary, which he recommended as a means to encipher written communications. For Silvestri, we can trace the development of book ciphers over a period of at least 400 years.