cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evidence That Growth Hormone Exerts a Feedback Effect on Stomach Ghrelin Production and Secretion

Ghrelin is a recently discovered stomach hormone that stimulates pituitary growth hormone (GH) secretion potently. The purpose of these experiments was to test the hypothesis that a stomach-ghrelin...
Predicting potato tuber yield loss due to early blight severity in the Midwestern United States

Although early blight is among the most damaging foliar diseases of potato, the information available on the disease-yield relationship is scarce. Twenty-three field trials were conducted from 2003 to 2016 across North Dakota and Minnesota potato growing regions to study the relationships among disease severity estimated from tuber initiation (TI) to early bulking (growth stage III to IV) and late bulking/tuber maturation (growth stage IV to V) and yield. The strength of the association and the functional relationships between crop and disease variables were assessed based on estimates of the Fisher’s Z transformation of Pearson correlation r, the intercept (β0) and slope(β1) for each trial, which were combined and analyzed using meta-analytic models. At TI to early bulking stage, random-effect model estimated a slope of 0.20 mt/ha/%−1 for an expected yield (intercept) of 61.88 mt/ha. Each unit increase in percent severity at this growth stage would result in a 32 percentage point (pp) yield reduction. During late bulking/tuber maturation crop growth stage, the random-coefficients β0 and β1 were 65.89 mt/ha and 0.13 mt/ha/%−1, respectively. In relative terms, yield would be reduced by 19 pp. for each unitary percentage increase in early blight severity. Based on these meta-analysis results, growers are able to predict potential yield loss for each percentage increase of early blight severity at two growth stages, which can be useful for crop-loss assessments.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa Protease IV Exacerbates Pneumococcal Pneumonia and Systemic Disease

ABSTRACT Pneumonia is a pulmonary disease affecting people of all ages and is consistently a leading cause of childhood mortality and adult hospitalizations. Streptococcus pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa are major lung pathogens commonly associated with community-acquired and nosocomial pneumonia. Additionally, mixed lung infections involving these bacterial pathogens are increasing in prevalence and are frequently more severe than single infections. The cooperative interactions of these two pathogens that impact pulmonary disease severity are understudied. A major secreted virulence factor of P. aeruginosa, protease IV (PIV), cleaves interleukin 22 (IL-22), a cytokine essential for maintaining innate mucosal defenses against extracellular pathogens. Here, we investigate the ability of PIV to augment the virulence of a pneumococcal strain with limited virulence, S. pneumoniae EF3030, in a C57BL/6 murine model of pneumonia. We demonstrate that pulmonary coinfection involving P. aeruginosa 103-29 and S. pneumoniae EF3030 results in pneumococcal bacteremia that is abrogated during pneumococcal coinfection with a PIV-deficient strain. Furthermore, intratracheal administration of exogenous PIV and EF3030 resulted in abundant immune cell infiltration into the lung with large abscess formation, as well as severe bacteremia leading to 100% mortality. Heat-inactivated PIV did not worsen pneumonia or reliably induce bacteremia, suggesting that the specific activity of PIV is required. Our studies also show that PIV depletes IL-22 in vivo . Moreover, PIV-mediated enhancement of pneumonia and disease severity was dependent on the expression of pneumolysin (Ply), a prominent virulence factor of S. pneumoniae. Altogether, we reveal that PIV and Ply additively potentiate pneumonia in a murine model of lung infection. IMPORTANCE S. pneumoniae remains the leading cause of bacterial pneumonia despite widespread use of pneumococcal vaccines, forcing the necessity for appropriate treatment to control pneumococcal infections. Coinfections involving S. pneumoniae with other bacterial pathogens threaten antibiotic treatment strategies and disease outcomes. Currently, there is not an effective treatment for alveolar-capillary barrier dysfunction that precedes bacteremia. An understanding of the dynamics of host-pathogen interactions during single and mixed pulmonary infections could elucidate proper treatment strategies needed to prevent or reduce invasive disease. Antibiotic treatment decreases bacterial burden in the lung but also increases acute pathology due to cytotoxins released via antibiotic-induced bacterial lysis. Therefore, targeted therapeutics that inhibit or counteract the effects of bacterial proteases and toxins are needed in order to limit pathology and disease progression. This study identifies the cooperative effect of PIV and Ply, products of separate lung pathogens that additively alter the lung environment and facilitate invasive disease.
Underdeveloped RPE Apical Domain Underlies Lesion Formation in Canine Bestrophinopathies

Canine bestrophinopathy (cBest) is an important translational model for BEST1-associated maculopathies in man that recapitulates the broad spectrum of clinical and molecular disease aspects observed in patients. Both human and canine bestrophinopathies are characterized by focal to multifocal separations of the retina from the RPE. The lesions can be macular or extramacular, and the specific pathomechanism leading to formation of these lesions remains unclear. We used the naturally occurring canine BEST1 model to examine factors that underlie formation of vitelliform lesions and addressed the susceptibility of the macula to its primary detachment in BEST1-linked maculopathies.
Mitigation of Acrylamide: a Multidisciplinary Approach to an Industry Problem

The 99th Annual Meeting of the Potato Association of America Scientific program began with a symposium on Acrylamide sponsored by the Physiology Section entitled “Mitigation of Acrylamide: a Multidisciplinary Approach to an Industry Problem”.
Multi-Microphone Neural Speech Separation for Far-Field Multi-Talker Speech Recognition

This paper describes a neural network approach to far-field speech separation using multiple microphones. Our proposed approach is speaker-independent and can learn to implicitly figure out the number of speakers constituting an input speech mixture. This is realized by utilizing the permutation invariant training (PIT) framework, which was recently proposed for single-microphone speech separation. In this paper, PIT is extended to effectively leverage multi-microphone input. It is also combined with beamforming for better recognition accuracy. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is investigated by multi-talker speech recognition experiments that use a large quantity of training data and encompass a range of mixing conditions. Our multi-microphone speech separation system significantly outperforms the single-microphone PIT. Several aspects of the proposed approach are experimentally investigated.
The Great Decoupling: Why Minimizing Humanity’s Dependence on the Environment May Not Be Cause for Celebration

Characterizations of the Anthropocene often indicate both the challenges that our new epoch poses for human well-being and a sense of loss that comes from a compromised environment. In this paper I explore a deeper problem underpinning both issues, namely, that decoupling humanity from the world with which we are familiar compromises human flourishing. The environmental conditions characteristic of the Anthropocene do so, I claim, by compromising flourishing on two fronts. First, the comparatively novel conditions of the Anthropocene risk rupturing our narratives, putting at risk our sense of self and connections to familiar environments. Second, by undermining the connections between our environmental background and the sense of well-being conditioned by that background our ability to exercise options that constitute a recognizable good life are compromised. This paper argues that to the extent humanity is decoupled from their environments humans are not only less able to access opportunities our understanding of who we are, our identities, and our capacity to make sense of the world around us through those identities is compromised. I conclude that the Anthropocene does more than challenge our ability to utilize resources, it challenges our understanding of who we are in the world.
"Wide Open": Nevada's Innovative Market in Partnership Law

A decade ago, as the Revised Uniform Partnership Act (“RUPA”) was being drafted, I wrote an article questioning whether the act should be retroactive in application. As drafted, RUPA applies to pre-existing partnerships after a certain date, typically bringing to a close a brief transition period after the initial effective date. I proposed that the more equitable arrangement would be to have pre-existing partnerships continue to be governed by pre-RUPA partnership law, with partnerships formed after the effective date of RUPA governed by the new statute. I was almost alone in questioning retroactive application, and as promulgated by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws (“NCCUSL”), RUPA provided for retroactive application. The first thirty-six jurisdictions that adopted RUPA almost uniformly failed to adopt my suggestion, and instead implemented the inequitable retroactivity regime. And then along came Nevada, and a jurisdiction finally got it right.
The Use of Light and Timing of Activity

Unless they remain shielded from daylight, animals in all but the highest latitudes experience recurring diel (24-h) changes of photoperiod, light intensity, and wavelength. Responses to these changes in illumination can in a very general way be categorized as either simple or complex. In stationary or moving animals simple responses (often termed orientations) involve adjustments of the body axis to the intensity or direction of a stimulus; for example, light of a certain intensity. Complex responses often have a temporal aspect and include diel as well as seasonal periodicities. The purpose of the present section is to explore a broad range of responses to light among desert invertebrates and to determine if a set of aridity-associated response patterns applies to these animals. Since the timing of biological events can be especially critical to the survival of desert organisms, we shall scrutinize in particular the relationship between illumination and temporal activity.
Stochastic trends and fiscal policy

Abstract We study empirically the reaction of fiscal policy to changes in the permanent and transitory components of GDP in a panel of countries. We find evidence that government spending tends to be counter-cyclical conditional on temporary shocks and pro-cyclical conditional on permanent shocks. We also find no evidence that developing countries are systematically different from developed ones in terms of fiscal policy. We propose an extended dynamic and stochastic RBC model assuming a fiscal reaction function to the output gap and a measure of debt sustainability. The fiscal impulse response to a permanent (temporary) shock is positive (negative) as the effect on debt sustainability (current output gap) dominates.
Reliability and accuracy of the brachial plexus neurodynamic test.

Abstract Study Design Observational study. Introduction The brachial plexus neurodynamic test (BPNT), based on previous neurodynamic tests, is considered a clinically meaningful tool to objectively assess brachial plexus extensibility. This novel test's psychometric properties have yet to be determined. Purpose of the Study The primary study aim was to assess the inter- and intrarater reliability and accuracy of the BPNT, which biases the median nerve and brachial plexus, among clinicians of various professional experience levels and geographic US regions. The secondary study aim was to determine if professional experience or geographic region affects the accuracy levels of this test. Methods In phase 1, inter-rater reliability and accuracy was determined. About 307 participants attending neural mobilization conferences and courses were instructed in the BPNT and asked to score 7 different videos of 14 possible test levels. In phase 2, intrarater reliability was determined via scoring the same test videos twice. Results High inter-rater intraclass correlation coefficient (range, 0.98-0.99) and accuracy (range, 0.88-0.94) levels were determined for all clinical experience levels and geographic regions. Intrarater intraclass correlation coefficient values were high (range, 0.96-1.0) among all participants. One-way analysis of variance indicated no significant differences on test accuracy based on professional clinical experience (F = 0.104; P = .958) and geographic region (F = 0.416; P = .416) among all 307 participants. Discussion Excellent inter- and intrarater reliability and accuracy levels may allow clinicians to correctly identify BPNT positions regardless of their professional experience or geographic location. Conclusion The BPNT can reliably and accurately quantify outcomes in neural mobility scoring.
"That's the Way Sighted People Do It": What Blind Parents Can Teach Technology Designers About Co-Reading with Children

Co-reading (when parents read aloud with their children) is an important literacy development activity for children. HCI has begun to explore how technology might support children in co-reading, but little empirical work examines how parents currently co-read, and no work examines how people with visual impairments (PWVI) co-read. PWVIs' perspectives offer unique insights into co-reading, as PWVI often read differently from their children, and (Braille) literacy holds particular cultural significance for PWVI. We observed discussions of co-reading practices in a blind parenting forum on Facebook, to establish a grounded understanding of how and why PWVI co-read. We found that PWVIs' co-reading practices were highly diverse and affected by a variety of socio-technical concerns - and visual ability was less influential than other factors like ability to read Braille, presence of social supports, and children's literacy. Our findings show that PWVI have valuable insights into co-reading, which could help technologies in this space better meet the needs of parents and children, with and without disabilities.
Differences in immune tumor microenvironment between primary and metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.

58Background: Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT)-induced immunosuppression has been described in animal models as contributing to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) development, but the cl...
Lamb’s solution and the stress moments for a sphere in Stokes flow

Abstract This paper describes a method to generate expressions for the moments of the fluid stress integrated over a sphere in a general Stokes flow based on Lamb’s general solution of the Stokes equations. Explicit results up to moments of order four are given together with a general recurrence relation for moments of higher order. The connection of the results to earlier expressions for the stress moments leading, in particular, to generalized Faxen-type relations is demonstrated and the connection with representations of the rotation group is addressed. This study is motivated by the central role played by the Lamb coefficient in the physalis method for the resolved simulation of particulate flows. An example of the application of this method to the shear flow of a suspension of 3200 equal spheres at finite Reynolds number is given. In addition, the present theory is applied to the analysis of the particle contribution to the mixture stress in particulate flows at both finite and vanishing Reynolds numbers. It is shown that, in the case of spatial non-uniformity, the mixture stress acquires new contributions, including a new viscosity parameter, which are explicitly calculated for the case of a dilute suspension with negligible inertia.
Relating Climate Sensitivity Indices to projection uncertainty

Abstract. Can we summarize uncertainties in global response to greenhouse gas forcing with a single number? Here, we assess the degree to which traditional metrics are related to future warming indices using an ensemble of simple climate models together with results from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phases 5 and 6 (CMIP5 and CMIP6). We consider effective climate sensitivity (EffCS), transient climate response (TCR) at CO2 quadrupling (T140) and a proposed simple metric of temperature change 140 years after a quadrupling of carbon dioxide (A140). In a perfectly equilibrated model, future temperatures under RCP8.5 (Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5) are almost perfectly described by T140, whereas in a mitigation scenario such as RCP2.6, both EffCS and T140 are found to be poor predictors of 21st century warming, and future temperatures are better correlated with A140. We show further that T140 and EffCS calculated in full CMIP simulations are subject to errors arising from control model drift and internal variability, with greater relative errors in estimation for T140. As such, if starting from a non-equilibrated state, measured values of effective climate sensitivity can be better correlated with true TCR than measured values of TCR itself. We propose that this could be an explanatory factor in the previously noted surprising result that EffCS is a better predictor than TCR of future transient warming under RCP8.5.
Gender Differences in Risk Factors Associated With Pulmonary Artery Systolic Pressure, Heart Failure, and Mortality in Blacks: Jackson Heart Study.

Background Pulmonary hypertension is prevalent in black individuals, especially women. Elevated pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Met...
Characterization of a germline splice site variant MLH1 c.678-3T>A in a Lynch syndrome family.

Germline mutations in the DNA mismatch repair (MMR) genes cause Lynch syndrome. Classification and interpretation of intronic variants, especially those outside the consensus ± 1 ~ 2 splice sites are challenging as it is uncertain whether such variants would affect splicing accuracy and efficiency. The assessment of the pathogenicity of splice site variants in MLH1 is further complicated by the various isoforms due to alternative splicing. In this report, we describe a 42-year-old female with Lynch syndrome who carries a germline variant, MLH1 c.678-3T>A, in the splice acceptor site of intron 8. Functional studies and semiquantitative analysis demonstrated that this variant causes a significant increase in the transcripts with exon 9 or exon 9 and 10 deletions, which presumably leads to premature protein truncation or abnormal protein. In addition, we also observed MSI-H and loss of MLH1 by IHC in patient’s tumor tissue. This variant also segregated with Lynch Syndrome related cancers in three affected family members. Based on these evidence, the MLH1 c.678-3T>A variant is considered pathogenic.
Management of Stent Graft Thrombosis for Popliteal Aneurysm Following Partial Knee Arthroplasty

Bilateral popliteal artery aneurysms were treated with covered stent grafts in 2008. Right popliteal stent graft occluded following knee arthroplasty performed with tourniquet use by the orthopedic surgeon. Patient underwent thrombolysis with complete lysis followed by deployment of covered stents (GORE(R)VIABAHN(R) Endoprosthesis) proximally and distally. Patient developed post compartment hematoma most likely due to glide wire perforation which required drainage. Patient was last seen in October 2019 demonstrating satisfactory patency of stent grafts on both sides by duplex imaging.
Effects of Age and Acute Moderate Alcohol Consumption on Electrophysiological Indices of Attention

Objective:Despite increased attention to risks and benefits associated with moderate drinking lifestyles among aging adults, relatively few empirical studies focus on acute alcohol effects in older...
Unsupervised Learning for Network Flow Based Anomaly Detection in the Era of Deep Learning

In this research, we investigate and evaluate four unsupervised learning algorithms: K-Means and Self Organizing Maps (SOM), deep autoencoding Gaussian mixture model (DAGMM), and adversarially learned anomaly detection (ALAD) on two benchmark data sets towards network flow-based anomaly detection. We explore different parameters and neural network settings of the learning algorithms, respectively. The returned results show that DAGMM gains the lowest false-positive rate and a relatively high detection rate on one of the data set, whereas SOM achieves the best results on the other data set. By comparing the detection rates of all algorithms on attacks that have no instance in the training set, and we find that K-Means works the better than the other three. Whereas the comparison on the attacks that have few instances in the training set shows that the ALAD works much better than the others since it uses the adversarial sample generation mechanism. We conclude that to achieve the best performance, integration of the traditional and deep-learning algorithms for network flow-based intrusion detection is critical.
Relationship between predicting bleeding complication in patients undergoing stent implantation and subsequent dual antiplatelet therapy (PRECISE-DAPT) score and mortality among patients with atrial fibrillation undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.

BACKGROUND The predicting bleeding complication in patients undergoing stent implantation and subsequent dual antiplatelet therapy, PRECISE-DAPT (P-DAPT) score has been validated in large cohorts as an effective tool in predicting bleeding complication after dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) as well as in predicting in-hospital mortality. The implication of using this score to predict outcomes, including mortality in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) undergoing PCI is unknown. OBJECTIVE Role of P-DAPT score to study clinical outcomes, including mortality, hospitalization, and major bleeding, particularly among patients with AF. METHODS This is a retrospective observational study of 18,850 consecutive patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) across a large multihospital healthcare system from 2010 to 2019. Patients were stratified into four groups depending on the presence or absence of AF and P-DAPT score, with score ≥ 25 defined as high risk. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. The secondary outcomes evaluated were hospitalization and major bleeding. RESULTS In the unadjusted analyses, a P-DAPT score ≥ 25, in both AF and non-AF population, was associated with increased mortality, hospitalization, and bleeding. After adjusting for baseline covariates, no significant differences in major bleeding risk were found across the four groups. However, a P-DAPT score of ≥25 in AF patients was associated with a higher risk for hospitalizations related to cardiovascular causes (HR: 2.15 95% CI 2.00-2.3, p < .0001). Among AF patients, P-DAPT score ≥ 25 was found to be strongly associated with mortality (HR 3.5; 95% CI 2.95-4.25, p < .0001) as compared with AF patients with score < 25 (HR 1.18, 95% CI 0.88-1.54, p = .26). CONCLUSION In this large cohort of patients undergoing PCI, the P-DAPT score can help to identify patients at high risk for long-term mortality, particularly among those with atrial fibrillation.
Can COVID-19 cause diabetes?

The prevalence of COVID-19-associated diabetes is not the result of a single event but of a combination of disease susceptibility associated with chronic illness and COVID-19-specific mechanisms affecting metabolism. Whether a separate entity of post-COVID-19 diabetes, possibly associated with lasting β-cell damage, also exists is not yet clear.
Cross-linguistic scope ambiguity: An investigation of English, Spanish, and Mandarin

Faced with a sentence like Every horse didn't jump over the fence as a description of a scenario in which one out of two horses jumped, adults readily endorse the utterance as a good description, while children overwhelmingly reject it. However, systematic changes to the task setup lead to marked increases in chil dren's endorsement rates (Musolino & Lidz 2006; Viau et al. 2010). Savinelli et al. (2017) use a computational cognitive model of utterance endorsement in truth- value judgment tasks to analytically demonstrate that both children and adults' interpretation behavior is affected by pragmatic manipulations. We test a clear pre diction of these models: manipulating the conversational goal (or Question Under Discussion) should lead to clear effects on utterance endorsement. In addition to investigating the predictions for English, we also investigate Spanish and Mandarin, where the status of the relevant ambiguity may be less clear.
Exposure to Wildfire Smoke and Particulate Matter among Washington State Construction Workers; Potential Impacts and Implications for Worker Protection

ABSTRACT Driven by climate change, wildfires are increasing in frequency, duration, and intensity across the Western United States. Outdoor workers are being exposed to increasing wildfire-related particulate matter and smoke. Recognizing this emerging risk, Washington adopted an emergency rule and is presently engaged in creating a permanent rule to protect outdoor workers from wildfire smoke exposure. While there are growing bodies of literature on the exposure to and health effects of wildfire smoke in the general public and wildland firefighters, there is a gap in knowledge about wildfire smoke exposure among outdoor workers generally, and construction workers specifically, a large category of outdoor workers in Washington totaling 200,000 people. In this study, several data sources were linked including state-collected employment data and national ambient air quality data to gain insight into the risk of PM2.5 exposure among construction workers and evaluate the impacts of different air quality thresholds that would have triggered a new Washington emergency wildfire smoke rule aimed at protecting workers from high PM2.5 exposure. Results indicate the number of poor air quality days has increased in August and September in recent years. Over the last decade these months with the greatest potential for particulate matter exposure coincided with an annual peak in construction employment that was typically 9.4 to 42.7% larger across Washington counties (one county was 75.8%). Lastly, the “encouraged” threshold of the Washington emergency rule (20.5 μg/m3) would have resulted in 5.5 times more days subject to the wildfire rule on average across all Washington counties compared to its “required” threshold (55.5 μg/m3), and in 2020 the rule could have created demand for 1.35 million N-95 filtering facepiece respirators among construction workers. These results have important implications for both employers and policy makers as rules are developed. The potential policy implications of wildfire smoke exposure, exposure control strategies, and data gaps that would improve understanding of construction worker exposure to wildfire smoke are also discussed.
Mini-incision Shoulder Arthroplasty

Minimal disruption of soft tissue and a potential for a faster recovery are very attractive benefits of minimally invasive surgery (MIS). MIS, however, must meet the same standards and offer the same successful outcomes as traditional operations performed through larger skin incisions. While mini-incision hip and knee replacement surgery have become accepted techniques, there are no reports to date on mini-incision shoulder arthroplasty (MISA). The goals of MISA are to decrease trauma to surrounding soft tissues, accelerate postoperative rehabilitation, and decrease operative blood loss and complications. Currently, there are two techniques available to achieve the necessary exposure to perform MISA: (1) a concealed axillary incision or (2) a mini-deltopectoral incision. The use of these techniques is based upon the pathology, the severity of disease, the instrumentation, and the surgeon’s experience.
Guaranteed Asymptotic Stability for Systems with Constant Disturbances

We consider a class of linear systems in which there are uncertain parameters in the system and input matrices, as well as constant additive disturbances. The only information available about the uncertain parameters is the bounding sets in which they lie. A linear, state feedback control law is derived which guarantees that the designated output approaches zero for all possible parameter values and all initial conditions. Two examples illustrate the application of the theory.
HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH

OBJECTIVE: To assess the value of the routine electrocardiogram (EKG) in the management of older (> 65 years) patients with cardiac disease during return visits to the ambulatory clinic. DESIGN: Retrospective chart analysis. SUBJECTS: Seventy-one patients older than 65 years of age, with cardiac diagnoses, presenting for follow-up visits. METHODS: Chart notes from 254 encounters with 71 patients in a cardiology clinic were analyzed. Excluded were new patients as well as patients followed in special arrhythmia clinics for pacemakers or significant arrhythmias. All patients underwent an EKG during each clinic visit, irrespective of their clinical status, according to the clinic's protocol. The frequency and nature of therapeutic decisions made in the clinic, the contribution of the EKG to the decision-making process, the appropriateness of the EKG, and physician response to the EKG were assessed. MAIN RESULTS: Therapeutic decisions, the most common of which (28%) was medication changes, were made in 78 (31%) patients. The routine EKG was considered inappropriate in 60%. Unexpected diagnostic information not obtained from history or examination was not present in any encounter. EKG findings were not addressed by physicians in 22%. CONCLUSIONS: Most older patients seen in the cardiology clinic for return visits with stable symptoms do not benefit from EKGs. Unexpected diagnostic information from the EKG leading to major therapeutic decisions is rare in older people with stable symptoms. J Am Geriatr Soc 44:452–455, 1996.
Image retrieval based on user-specified features in queries with multiple examples

Many current image retrieval techniques allow queries to be defined with multiple examples from a presented set. In these systems, all visual features are extracted from these images and used to determine relevant images from the database. As a result, users are left to decide whether or not to include images that not only contain desirable features but also irrelevant ones. Fewer examples or a contaminated set of more either would compromise the retrieval effectiveness of most similarity measures. In this work, we examine this popular case when desired features present in image examples define the intent of the queries. We show how this consideration affects the selection of the representative query points and retrieval sets, and discuss the options whether or not to retrieve partially relevant images. Our experimental results have shown a remarkable improvement in retrieval performance.
Syntactic Analysis of Convergence in Genetic Algorithms

We use the average hamming distance of a population as a syntactic metric to obtain probabilistic bounds on the time convergence of genetic algorithms. Analysis of a flat function provides worst case time complexity for static functions and gives a theoretical basis to the problem of premature convergence. We suggest simple changes that mitigate this problem and help fight deception. Further, employing linearly computable syntactic information, we can provide upper limits on the time beyond which progress is unlikely on an arbitrary function. Preliminary results support our analysis.
The Effect of Teaching and Learning with Texas Instruments Handheld Devices on Student Achievement in Algebra.

This study compares the respective achievement of students in an integrated algebra course taught with two different types of handhelds over a period of one year. The experimental group was taught with TI-nspireTM handhelds and was compared to the control group taught with TI-84 Plus graphing calculators. The teachers of each group received on-going professional development in the same format. student achievement was measured via a midyear department test; Fall and spring semester grades; and new york state regents exam scores and passing rates. results indicated that the group taught with the TI-nspire outperformed the other group in all assessments, including passing rates on regents but not on the regents exam scores. Further analysis indicated that girls outperformed boys in an identical pattern. no significant differences in achievement by race were observed.
Receptor accessory factor enhances specific DNA binding of androgen and glucocorticoid receptors.

Protein-protein interactions are common among transcriptional activators and may have important consequences for gene regulation. Using the mobility shift assay, we have identified a factor that enhances specific DNA binding of truncated rat androgen (AR) and glucocorticoid (GR) receptors by 25- and 6-fold, respectively, through the formation of heteromeric complexes. This factor, designated receptor accessory factor, or RAF, also potentiates DNA binding of full-length human GR. RAF is temperature and trypsin sensitive and is present in a variety of cultured mammalian cells. By gel filtration RAF has a predicted molecular mass of 130 kDa. RAF enhancement of AR-DNA binding is optimal with androgen response element DNA. RAF appears to interact directly with AR because 1) deoxycholate, which interferes with protein-protein but not protein-DNA interactions, prevents RAF.AR.DNA complex formation, 2) RAF activity is recovered from an androgen response element DNA affinity column only in the presence of AR, and 3) RAF increases the size of an AR.DNA complex by gel filtration. Mutagenesis of truncated AR fragments indicates that a region in the NH2-terminal domain is required for RAF to enhance AR-DNA binding. The interaction of RAF with AR and GR suggests that RAF might influence the ability of these nuclear receptors to activate transcription.
Plant-Derived Antibiotics

Publisher Summary This chapter presents elected works involving careful study of individual anti microbial agents from higher plants, whose chemical nature belong to several different chemical classes in order to guide those who are interested in taking up the challenge that these substances represent. If one works only on bioactive fractions, much of this process can be omitted once the path of the active material is uncovered. Final purification to crystalline or otherwise pure material depends upon the chemical nature and number of constituents, such that it is not possible to generalize beyond this point except to indicate that in most cases the extracts can be best further purified at this stage by absorption chromatography on silica gel, using the usual eluotropic series of benzene to ether to chloroform to methanol. Phenols have long been known to have antiseptic activity, but the simple phenols are membrane toxins and have insufficient safety for internal use. As might be expected, because plants are rich in phenolic extractives, phenolic plant products have frequently been found to be anti microbial agents.
Reliability of electric response audiometry using 80 Hz auditory steady-state responses

The reliability of the Auditory Steady State Response (ASSR) has not been thoroughly evaluated despite its recent application as a clinical tool for threshold estimation. The purpose of this study was to examine test-retest (TR) reliability of ASSR threshold estimates in an empirical research design. The ASSR, tested using modulation frequencies approximately 80 Hz and above, was evaluated against pure tone audiometry (PTA), and the slow vertex potential (SVP, N1-P2). Sixteen normal-hearing young female adults were tested twice, one week apart. Varying degrees of sensorineural hearing loss of a notched configuration were simulated with filtered masking noise. Test-retest reliability was assessed using Pearson-product moment correlation analysis, supplemented by other post-hoc analyses. Results demonstrated moderately strong TR reliability for ASSR at 1000, 2000 and 4000 Hz (r = 0.83–0.93); however, the reliability of ASSR at 500 Hz was weaker (r = 0.75). Results suggest that ASSR-ERA is a reliable test at...
Using mathcad to simplify uncertainty computations in a laboratory course

Numeric experimental results are completely specified when accompanied by a quantitative magnitude of its uncertainty. Mechanical Engineering (ME) students at The University of Texas at Tyler, and in most of the ME programs, are introduced to experimental uncertainty through laboratory courses. In both laboratory activities and experiments, for variables not measured, results are obtained with the use of a data reduction equation (DRE). The DRE defines the relationship between the result of unmeasured variables and the measured variables, which is also used to estimate the uncertainty of the result (the unmeasured variable). The uncertainty of the result is estimated by applying a propagation of uncertainty approach that requires the implementation of partial derivatives on the DRE. If the DRE is complicated, the partial derivatives are quite difficult to perform. Therefore, Mathcad can be used as a tool to simplify the computations needed to estimate uncertainties. This paper illustrates the use of Mathcad to perform and simplify uncertainty computations for college laboratory activities and experiments. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 23:250–257, 2015; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/cae; DOI 10.1002/cae.21593
Comparison of cumulative dissipated energy between the Infiniti and Centurion phacoemulsification systems.

PURPOSE To compare cumulative dissipated energy between two phacoemulsification machines. SETTING An ambulatory surgical center, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. DESIGN Retrospective chart review. METHODS A total of 2,077 consecutive cases of cataract extraction by phacoemulsification performed by five surgeons from November 2012 to November 2014 were included in the study; 1,021 consecutive cases were performed using the Infiniti Vision System, followed by 1,056 consecutive cases performed using the Centurion Vision System. RESULTS The Centurion phacoemulsification system required less energy to remove a cataractous lens with an adjusted average energy reduction of 38% (5.09 percent-seconds) (P<0.001) across all surgeons in comparison to the Infiniti phacoemulsification system. The reduction in cumulative dissipated energy was statistically significant for each surgeon, with a range of 29%-45% (2.25-12.54 percent-seconds) (P=0.005-<0.001). Cumulative dissipated energy for both the Infiniti and Centurion systems varied directly with patient age, increasing an average of 2.38 percent-seconds/10 years. CONCLUSION The Centurion phacoemulsification system required less energy to remove a cataractous lens in comparison to the Infiniti phacoemulsification system.
Langatate temperature-compensated BAW orientations identified using high-temperature constants

LGT BAW orientations are investigated up to 900°C for temperature-compensated orientations targeting harsh-environment applications. The study utilizes recently published LGT elastic, piezoelectric, and dielectric constants extracted by the authors using resonant ultrasound spectroscopy (RUS) up to 900°C based on the resonances of bulk crystal samples. Temperature-compensated LGT BAW orientations have been identified for operation at high temperatures. The orientations disclosed in this work have turnover temperatures between 100°C and 550°C for the one quasi-shear mode and up to 150°C for the other quasi-shear mode. Additionally, orientations were identified with pure transverse-shear modes that are selectively excitable and have temperature compensation up to 550°C. These orientations can be readily applied for both frequency control and sensor applications in harsh environments.
Venturi Scrubber Performance

The object of this program was to study particle collection efficiency in venturi scrubbers in order to account for the effects of particle size and wettability, venturi size, and fluid flow rates. The body of information is directed to those interested in the prediction of particle collection efficiency in venturi scrubbers.
Two-dimensional 1H HYSCORE spectroscopy of dimanganese di-μ-oxo mimics of the oxygen-evolving complex of photosystem II.

The solar water-splitting protein complex, photosystem II, catalyzes one of the most energetically demanding reactions in nature by using light energy to drive water oxidation. The four-electron water oxidation reaction occurs at the tetranuclear manganese–calcium–oxo cluster that is present in the oxygen-evolving complex of photosystem II. The tetranuclear manganese–calcium–oxo cluster is comprised of mixed-valence Mn(III) and Mn(IV) ions in the ground state. The oxo–manganese dimer, [H2O(terpy)MnIII(μ-O)2MnIV(terpy)OH2](NO3)3 (terpy = 2,2′:6′,2″-terpyridine) (1), is an excellent biomimetic model that has been extensively used to gain insight on the molecular structure and mechanism of water oxidation in photosystem II. In this work, weak magnetic interactions between the protons of the two terminal water ligands and the paramagnetic dimanganese “di-μ-oxo” core of 1 are quantitatively characterized using two-dimensional hyperfine sublevel correlation (HYSCORE) spectroscopy. For the water molecule that is...
Secreted VAPB/ALS8 major sperm protein domains modulate mitochondrial localization and morphology via growth cone guidance receptors.

Summary The VAPB/ALS8 major sperm protein domain (vMSP) is implicated in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and spinal muscular atrophy, yet its function in the nervous system is not well understood. In Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila , the vMSP is cleaved from its transmembrane anchor and secreted in a cell type-specific fashion. We show that vMSPs secreted by neurons act on Lar-like protein-tyrosine phosphatase and Roundabout growth cone guidance receptors expressed in striated muscle. This signaling pathway promotes Arp2/3-dependent actin remodeling and mitochondrial localization to actin-rich muscle I-bands. C. elegans VAPB mutants have mitochondrial localization, morphology, mobility, and fission/fusion defects that are suppressed by Lar-like receptor or Arp2/3 inactivation. Hence, growth cone guidance receptor pathways that remodel the actin cytoskeleton have unanticipated effects on mitochondrial dynamics. We propose that neurons secrete vMSPs to promote striated muscle energy production and metabolism, in part through the regulation of mitochondrial localization and function. Video Abstract
Interaction of adeno-associated virus Rep78 with SV40 T antigen: implications in Rep protein expression leading to the inhibition of SV40-mediated cell proliferation.

Adeno-associated virus (AAV) type 2 is a nonpathogenic human parvovirus that is dependent on a helper virus, usually adenovirus, for its replication. The left half of AAV encodes the multifunctional n
Messenger ribonucleoprotein particles in silkmoth oogenesis

Silkmoth oocytes contain significant amounts of nontranslating cytoplasmic messenger RNA apparently stored until fertilization. The physical state of this mRNA was examined by bouyant density centrifugation on cesium chloride gradients. Messenger elements were isolated either by oligo(dT) cellulose chromatography or by separation of ooplasm on sucrose gradients. After CsCl density gradient centifugation the mRNA particles banded in a region (1.42–1.48 g/c3) which would indicate a substantial protein content. Electron microscope examination of mRNP fractions revealed particles ranging in size from 180–250 A.
The importance of many-electron effects on the metallic interionic potential

Abstract We demonstrate that the inclusion of exchange and correlation effects is essential in obtaining the correct interionic potential.
Thrombotic endotracheal tube occlusion after administration of recombinant factor VIIa.

c RECOMBINANT HUMAN FACTOR VIIa (rFVIIa) promotes hemostasis by interacting with both the extrinsic nd intrinsic pathways of the coagulation cascade.1 Although FVIIa may be very effective in the treatment of severe bleedng after cardiac surgery, its cost and potential to cause major hrombotic complications have limited its use. Data describing hrombotic events associated with rFVIIa are scarce, and there s a debate as to the role of rFVIIa after cardiac surgery.2-4 A case in which the administration of rFVIIa for persistent bleeding after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) in a child was followed by repeated, complete thrombotic occlusion of the endotracheal tube (ETT) is presented.
Use of Computers in the Field

Performing long-term pump tests, single-well aquifer tests and long-term ground water monitoring were, in the past, considered costly and labor-intensive tasks. However, because of recent advances in portable data acquisition systems, these field tests can be performed in a relatively cost-effective and efficient manner. Certain data acquisition systems (DAS) have unique options available. Recently developed and commonly used computers are the Envirolab®, the Paroscientific®, and the In-Situ®. The use of implementing DAS in ground water field studies has proved to be successful when compared to the many disadvantages of performing those tasks manually. Successful acquisition of aquifer characterization data using computerized methods is highly dependent on the implementation of proper field programming and operational procedures. In order to provide high qualify and meaningful data, the field operator must be familiar with proper equipment implementation and programming instructions. Once familiar with these procedures, the use of DAS in the field provides a cost-effective and efficient tool for aquifer testing.
Accelerated partial-breast irradiation using proton beams: initial clinical experience.

Purpose: We present our initial clinical experience with proton, three-dimensional, conformal, external beam, partial-breast irradiation (3D-CPBI). Methods and Materials: Twenty patients with Stage I breast cancer were treated with proton 3D-CPBI in a Phase I/II clinical trial. Patients were followed at 3 to 4 weeks, 6 to 8 weeks, 6 months, and every 6 months thereafter for recurrent disease, cosmetic outcome, toxicity, and patient satisfaction. Results: With a median follow-up of 12 months (range, 8–22 months), no recurrent disease has been detected. Global breast cosmesis was judged by physicians to be good or excellent in 89% and 100% of cases at 6 months and 12 months, respectively. Patients rated global breast cosmesis as good or excellent in 100% of cases at both 6 and 12 months. Proton 3D-CPBI produced significant acute skin toxicity with moderate to severe skin color changes in 79% of patients at 3 to 4 weeks and moderate to severe moist desquamation in 22% of patients at 6 to 8 weeks. Telangiectasia was noted in 3 patients. Three patients reported rib tenderness in the treated area, and one rib fracture was documented. At last follow-up, 95% of patients reported total satisfaction with proton 3D-CPBI. Conclusions: Based on our study results, proton 3D-CPBI offers good-to-excellent cosmetic outcomes in 89% to 100% of patients at 6-month and 12-month follow-up and nearly universal patient satisfaction. However, proton 3D-CPBI, as used in this study, does result in significant acute skin toxicity and may potentially be associated with late skin (telangiectasia) and rib toxicity. Because of the dosimetric advantages of proton 3D-CPBI, technique modifications are being explored to improve acute skin tolerance.