cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Study of the Application of Evolutionary Algorithms for the Solution of Capacitor Deployment Problem in Distribution Systems

Capacitor placement in the distribution system has been considered as the best measure to improve voltage profile and power factor. Genetic algorithm (GA) as one of the evolutionary algorithms has been employed to come up with an optimal number of capacitors and location in the distribution system. The method was chosen due to its robustness and its ability to handle many practical constraints and explore all possible combinations on the solutions set, and find optimal solution at reasonable amount of computation time. The discrete nature of the sizes of capacitors and other physical aspects of a distribution system lead to difficulties in the use of conventional algorithms. By deploying appropriate value of capacitors at suitable locations in the distribution systems, the losses can be reduced and hence obtain minimum total operational cost. The standard IEEE Node 13 Test Feeder is the example used to demonstrate the feasibility of the technique.
On the arginine requirement of the growing chick.

Abstract USING a semi-purified diet and 4-week-old chicks, Almquist and Merritt (1950) found the arginine requirement of the chick for optimum growth to be 6 percent of the dietary protein, or 1.2 percent of a diet containing 20 percent protein. Using day-old chicks and a purified diet, Snyder et al. (1954) found that arginine supplementation increased chick growth steadily up to a level of 1.68 percent arginine of the total diet. Wietlake et al. (1954) also found the arginine requirement to be higher than the level given by Almquist. Similarly, the work of Young et al. (1953) can be interpreted to mean, that, using day-old chicks, optimum growth with a purified diet containing 25 percent casein is reached only when approximately 1.7 percent arginine is supplied. Using acid-hydrolyzed casein 3 as the only source of protein, Fisher (1954) found that a level of 6 percent arginine of the total protein would limit …
The role of corticoids in parturition.

Labor was initiated within 72 hr in 46 of 54 cattle treated with 20 mg dexamethasone intramuscularly. Parturition was induced in animals injected as early as 246 days postconception although the procedure was more effective later than 255 days of pregnancy. Similarly, 10 or 20mg dexamethasone intramuscularly was effective in initiating labor within 72 hr resulting in parturition in 11 of 23 ewes. Only two of eight ewes injected on days 133-139 lambed within 72 hr postinjection compared to 9 of 15 ewes injected on days 140-142 of pregnancy. Normal gestation length is 148 days for the ewes and 278-288 days for the cattle used in this study. Analysis of peripheral plasma during normal parturition in 10 cows indicated a rise in plasma corticoids on days 4-1 prepartum that was significantly different (� < .001) from levels obtained on days 7-5 prepartum or days 3-7 postpartum. This abrupt elevation in maternal plasma corticoids may result from increased synthesis by the fetal adrenals and provide the signal for termination of the pregnancy.
Reactions of selected nucleophiles with 2-chloropropenal, a mutagenic constituent of softwood kraft chlorination effluent

2-Chloropropenal (2-chloroacrolein), a constituent of softwood kraft chlorination effluent that gives strongly positive results in the Salmonella mutagenicity assay (Ames Test), was reacted with various nucleophiles and the resulting effect on mutagenicity monitored. Nucleophiles such as hydroxide ion and sulfur dioxide (HSO−3, SO3) proved very effective in reducing the mutagenicity of aqueous 2-chloropropenal solutions. The application of other strong nucleophiles, (glutathione, pyrrolidine and sodium thiosulfate) to 2-chloropropenal also produced substantial benefits in terms of mutagenicity reduction. Further experimentation revealed that the loss of mutagenicity was not the result of the removal of organically bound chlorine but rather the removal of the ethylenic group in 2-chloropropenal, possibly as a consequence of undergoing Michael-type 1,4-addition reactions with the various nucleophiles. In the treatment of 2-chloropropenal with alkali (pH 9), additional condensation of the acrolein derivative to a polymer was demonstrated by gel permeation chromatography.
A Phylum-Level Bacterial Phylogenetic Marker Database

Large-scale, genome-level molecular phylogenetic analyses present both opportunities and challenges for bacterial evolutionary and ecological studies. We constructed a phylum-level bacterial phylogenetic marker database by surveying all complete bacterial genomes and identifying single-copy genes that were widely distributed in each of the 20 bacterial phyla. We showed that phylum trees made using these markers were highly resolved and were more robust than the bacterial genome tree based on 31 universal bacterial marker genes. In addition, using the Global Ocean Sampling data set as an example, we demonstrated that the expanded marker database greatly increased the power of metagenomic phylotyping. We incorporated the database into an automated phylogenomic inference application (Phyla-AMPHORA) and made it publicly available. We believe that this centralized resource should have broad applicability in bacterial systematics, phylogenetics, and metagenomic studies.
Do We Determine what We Believe by Looking Outward

Gareth Evans famously claimed that 'In making a self-ascription of belief, one's eyes are, so to speak, or occasionally literally, directed outward ? upon the world.' This claim exploits the idea that beliefs are 'transparent'. Contemporary philosophers such as Alex Byrne and Jordi Fernandez contend that this 'method of transparency' - determining whether one believes that p by reflecting on whether p - explains our privileged access to our beliefs. I argue that the transparency account of self-knowledge fails to explain how we know our own occurrent judgments, implicit beliefs, or ordinary dispositional beliefs. While the method of transparency brings about judgments, which we can then self-attribute, it cannot explain our privileged access to our pre-existing judgments. To determine whether one implicitly believes that p, one must limit oneself to internal sources of evidence concerning p. In other words, one must look inward. In the optimal cases, the method of transparency yields a judgment that is reliably linked to a dispositional belief, as when one judges that p on the basis of simply remembering that p. But even in these cases, one recovers one's evidence by looking inward rather than outward. And as evidence from social psychology illustrates, many cases are not optimal: one often dispositionally believes that p while judging that not-p. The method of transparency cannot explain our privileged access to our beliefs.
What Graduate Students Want From ASCE

ASCE should address itself to meeting the professional needs of graduate students in civil engineering. The graduate student should be made more aware of his role as a professional in the society which he is about to enter. This awareness can only be achieved by improving communication between student chapter members and professional engineers. The results of a questionnaire completed by graduate students at the University of California, Berkeley, showed conclusively that these students lack the understanding of the concepts of the ASCE organization. A means to create better understanding is to inform the student chapter members of the activities of ASCE so that they may become involved. The questionnaire clearly pointed out that students would attend ASCE meetings if invited. ASCE currently has many activities that students may attend but do not because the majority of the students are not informed. The student chapter member should be treated as an integral part of the ASCE organization.
Decadal Changes in Disjunct Eastern Hemlock Stands at Its Southern Range Boundary

ABSTRACT Species distribution modelling has revealed shifts in the spatial distribution of the range of eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carriere) in eastern North America. Models project a decline in eastern hemlock at the southern portion of its range, but not contraction of the southern boundary. In 2003, the vertical, horizontal, and diameter structure and diameter-age relationships of eastern hemlock were quantified in 10 stands thought to represent the species' 10 southernmost stands on the Cumberland Plateau in Alabama. In 2013, we resurveyed these stands to document changes in stand characteristics over the past decade. In addition, we explored additional reaches of stream corridors known to support eastern hemlock to document additional stands previously undescribed in the literature. Results from our resampling revealed that stands had similar stem frequencies over the 10-yr period, but, generally, the number of canopy stems and the number of seedlings declined. The decline in seedlings m...
Traumatic Torsion of the Testis

Torsion of the testis is a common urological emergency. Blunt scrotal trauma also may precipitate an emergency. We recently treated 2 adolescent boys in whom blunt scrotal trauma induced testicular torsion. A retrospective review of the charts of 138 patients explored for acute scrotal pain at our hospital revealed a history of scrotal trauma in 3 of 57 patients (5 per cent) with testicular torsion and 7 of 73 (10 per cent) with torsion of the testicular appendages. The possibility of torsion must be considered in cases of scrotal trauma.
Response of salt marshes to oiling from the Deepwater Horizon spill: Implications for plant growth, soil surface-erosion, and shoreline stability.

Abstract We investigated the initial impacts and post spill recovery of salt marshes over a 3.5-year period along northern Barataria Bay, LA, USA exposed to varying degrees of Deepwater Horizon oiling to determine the effects on shoreline-stabilizing vegetation and soil processes. In moderately oiled marshes, surface soil total petroleum hydrocarbon concentrations were ~ 70 mg g− 1 nine months after the spill. Though initial impacts of moderate oiling were evident, Spartina alterniflora and Juncus roemerianus aboveground biomass and total live belowground biomass were equivalent to reference marshes within 24–30 months post spill. In contrast, heavily oiled marsh plants did not fully recover from oiling with surface soil total petroleum hydrocarbon concentrations that exceeded 500 mg g− 1 nine months after oiling. Initially, heavy oiling resulted in near complete plant mortality, and subsequent recovery of live aboveground biomass was only 50% of reference marshes 42 months after the spill. Heavy oiling also changed the vegetation structure of shoreline marshes from a mixed Spartina–Juncus community to predominantly Spartina; live Spartina aboveground biomass recovered within 2–3 years, however, Juncus showed no recovery. In addition, live belowground biomass (0–12 cm) in heavily oiled marshes was reduced by 76% three and a half years after the spill. Detrimental effects of heavy oiling on marsh plants also corresponded with significantly lower soil shear strength, lower sedimentation rates, and higher vertical soil-surface erosion rates, thus potentially affecting shoreline salt marsh stability.
Pioglitazone Used for Reduction in Clozapine-Associated Hypertriglyceridemia

Objective: To report a case of reduction of triglycerides and hemoglobin (Hb)A 1 C concentrations as a result of the use of the thiazolinedione pioglitazone in a psychiatric patient stabilized on clozapine therapy. Case Summary: A 49-year-old obese white man, who had uncontrolled diabetes and elevated triglycerides, was stabilized on an antipsychotic regimen using clozapine. After failing sulfonylurea therapy, metformin therapy, and fibric acid therapies, pioglitazone was used to reduce fasting blood glucose and HbA 1 c concentrations and reduce mean triglyceride concentrations. Discussion: Because of the necessity to keep this patient on his current antipsychotic medication and the possible association of exacerbation of diabetes and lipid abnormalities with clozapine, it was necessary to attempt to control the patient's blood glucose and triglycerides through therapeutic means. Numerous attempts to use other diabetic therapies failed. After the addition of pioglitazone to the patient's regimen, significant improvement was observed in the laboratory values, indicating an improvement in diabetes control. Conclusions: It appears that pioglitazone has played a role in reducing fasting plasma glucose concentrations and improving insulin sensitivity, while reducing triglycerides and increasing high-density lipoprotein concentrations in this patient. Expanded trials and further investigation are recommended to evaluate the clinical utility of pioglitazone in antipsychotic-associated diabetes and lipid abnormalities.
The Role of Direct Current Electric Field-Guided Stem Cell Migration in Neural Regeneration

Effective directional axonal growth and neural cell migration are crucial in the neural regeneration of the central nervous system (CNS). Endogenous currents have been detected in many developing nervous systems. Experiments have demonstrated that applied direct current (DC) electric fields (EFs) can guide axonal growth in vitro, and attempts have been made to enhance the regrowth of damaged spinal cord axons using DC EFs in in vivo experiments. Recent work has revealed that the migration of stem cells and stem cell-derived neural cells can be guided by DC EFs. These studies have raised the possibility that endogenous and applied DC EFs can be used to direct neural tissue regeneration. Although the mechanism of EF-directed axonal growth and cell migration has not been fully understood, studies have shown that the polarization of cell membrane proteins and the activation of intracellular signaling molecules are involved in the process. The application of EFs is a promising biotechnology for regeneration of the CNS.
Elimination of matrix interference in determination of trace acrylamide in water with HPLC-MS/MS

Objective To establish a method to eliminate matrix interference in the determination of trace acrylamide in water with high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry(HPLC-MS/MS)Methods After adding isotope,the samples were extracted and cleaned up and then acrylanide in the water samples was determined by HPLC-MS/MS.Results The calibration linear range of acrylamide was from 2 to 300 μg/L with a correlation coefficient of 0.9997.The average recoveries for different matrices were 90.0%-96.5% with the relative standard deviation(RSD) of less than5%,detection limit of 0.006 μg/L,and limit of quantification of 0.02 μg/L.Conclusion The results show that the method is suitable for determination of trace acylamide in water.
Pigment content correlated to reflectance spectrums in Phyllostachys edulis leaves stressed by low temperature

The reflectance spectrum for photosynthetic pigments of Phyllostachys edulis, a widely distributed, important bamboo with high economic value in China, has a close relationship to the growth process of P. edulis leaves. To evaluate the relationship between reflectance spectra characteristics and pigment content, and to seek sensitive spectral parameters for exact estimations of damage in P. edulis leaves stressed by low temperature, pigment content and reflectance spectra indexes, such as spectral reflectance index wavelength of 705 nm(SR 705), modified spectral ratio( mSR), pigment-specific simple ratio(PSSR), normalized difference vegetation index(NDVI), red NDVI(rNDVI), memory carotenoid reflectance index(Mcri), and photochemical reflectance index(PRI), in P. edulis leaves under low temperature stress were tested and a correlation analysis was used for comparison. Results showed that as temperature deceased, chlorophyll a content and carotenoids in the leaves significantly decreased(P 0.01). As the stress level increased, reflectance spectrum parameters(SR 705, mSR, PSSR, NDVI, rNDVI, Mcri, and PRI)significantly decreased(P0.01). The red-edge area(S red)decreased, and the red-edge inflection(λ red)position moved toward the short-wave direction with increasing stress. Significant correlations( P 0.05) were found for chlorophyll a content, carotenoids in the leaves and reflectance spectra characteristics, and first derivative of reflectance spectra at the wavelength regions for blue edge and red edge. Moreover, correlations were significant(P0.01) between pigment content and spectral characteristic parameters of SR 705(r = 0.709), rNDVI(r = 0.724), Mcri(r = 0.706), and S red(r = 0.706). These reflectance spectrum parameters(PSSR, NDVI, rNDVI, and Sred)could be used to evaluate leaf pigment content. [Ch, 4 fig. 5 tab. 40 ref.]
Opportunistic lung infections in renal transplant patients: a comparison of Pittsburgh pneumonia agent and legionnaires' disease.

AbstractFrom July 1977 to January 1980, 5 cases of pneumonia owing to Pittsburgh pneumonia agent and 4 cases owing to Legionella pneumophila occurred in our renal transplant population. Comparison of the clinical manifestations, laboratory features and radiographic changes demonstrated no unique characteristics that allowed differentiation from other bacterial pneumonias. Diagnosis in all cases required histologic or serologic identification of the infecting organism. We herein present our protocol for establishing rapidly the diagnosis of pneumonia in renal transplant patients with emphasis on the use of open lung biopsy.
Techniques Known to Prevent Post-Operative Wound Infection

The most important factors in controlling postsurgical sepsis are appropriate surgical judgment and technique. Efficacious prophylactic antibiotics, when indicated, also significantly reduce the postoperative infection rate. Among the other techniques often heralded as important adjunctive measures, only duration of preoperative hospitalization, preoperative bathing, use of electrocautery, preoperative hair removal, use of prophylactic drains, and duration of operation are of proven significance.
In Vitro Models of Implantation

Blastocysts are capable of attaching to a uterus only after it has been appropriately prepared by ovarian steroid hormones (receptive uterus). 1,2 They can, however, attach to extrauterine sites regardless of the hormonal environment.3 These data suggest that under certain conditions the apical surface of the uterine epithelial (UE) cell expresses molecules (ligands) which do not permit blastocyst attachment (non-receptive). It has been proposed that interactions between UE cells and various regulatory agents (hormones, growth factors) effect (induce, stimulate, repress) structural and functional changes at the apical surface of the UE cell that allow nidation.
Strategies for Enhancing Fire Performance of NSM FRP-Strengthened Reinforced Concrete Beams

Fiber-reinforced polymers (FRPs) are widely used in strengthening and retrofitting of reinforced concrete structural members to enhance flexural and shear capacity of such members. Two types of strengthening techniques, namely, externally bonded (EB) FRP and near-surface mounted (NSM) FRP, are used in field applications. FRP, as a material, exhibits poor fire resistance properties, and this can be a limiting factor in the application of FRP strengthening in buildings. There is limited guidance in codes and standards for fire design of NSM FRP-strengthened concrete members. This paper discusses strategies for achieving required fire resistance in NSM FRP-strengthened reinforced concrete beams. Results from numerical and experimental studies are utilized to quantify the influence of various parameters on the fire resistance of NSM FRP-strengthened concrete beams. Guidelines for achieving optimum fire resistance in NSM FRP-strengthened concrete beams are presented.
The Science of Subjectivity: Neurobiology and Evolutionary Development

There is a venerable tradition in philosophy, in which the conceptual analysis is presented first, with the empirical “detail” to be filled in afterward. In this book, three chapters of philosophy of mind and psychology precede the introduction of relevant biology. But the reality behind this traditional presentation is that good conceptual work is simultaneously informed by the facts. The arguments of the first three chapters were tacitly motivated by what is known about brains, the animals that have them, the environments they live in, and their history. In this chapter I discuss a just a small sample of the abundant and quickly growing research in neuropsychology that inspires this book. As much as possible (it will not always be possible), I postpone discussion of the further theoretical and philosophical implications until the next chapter. First I focus on a kind of thumbnail sketch of the neuropsychological basis of the animal subjectivity.
After Differential Item Functioning Is Detected: IRT Item Calibration and Scoring in the Presence of DIF.

Researchers are commonly interested in group comparisons such as comparisons of group means, called impact, or comparisons of individual scores across groups. A meaningful comparison can be made be...
Finding the Balance in Online Library Instruction: Sustainable and Personal

ABSTRACTThe UCF Libraries are continually developing new forms of library instruction to meet the needs of a growing student body with the same number of librarians. These efforts attempt to find the balance between impersonal online tutorials and time-intensive embedded librarianship. The pros and cons of each model employed at our growing university are discussed, along with strategies to identify and implement sustainable library instruction in an academic library.
International Pastoral Land Law

This chapter discusses aspects of international and national environmental law for pastoral land and outlines frameworks for legislative reforms to achieve sustainable use of pastoral lands. International and national legal instruments and institutional systems play a significant role in pastoral land conservation. At the international level, it discusses a number of multilateral agreements that could be better used to promote the sustainable use of pastoral land. Two national level approaches to reform environmental law for pastoral land are presented; for Mongolia and the People’s Republic of China respectively, and they may offer useful guidelines for other countries to follow in environmental law reform for pastoral land management.
Breast cancer multifocality-multicentricity and locoregional recurrance.

1029 Background: The impact of multifocality (MF) and multicentricity (MC) on locoregional (LR) control for invasive breast cancer, and the optimal local treatment strategy for these tumors, is unk...
Identification of a Non-Growth Factor Role for GM-CSF in Advanced Atherosclerosis: Promotion of Macrophage Apoptosis and Plaque Necrosis Through IL-23 Signaling

Rationale:Granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF, Csf2) is a growth factor for myeloid-lineage cells that has been implicated in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and other chronic inflammatory diseases. However, the role of GM-CSF in advanced atherosclerotic plaque progression, the process that gives rise to clinically dangerous plaques, is unknown. Objective:To understand the role of GM-CSF in advanced atherosclerotic plaque progression. Methods and Results:Ldlr−/− mice and Csf2−/−Ldlr−/− mice were fed a Western-type diet for 12 weeks, and then parameters of advanced plaque progression in the aortic root were quantified. Lesions from the GM-CSF–deficient mice showed a substantial decrease in 2 key hallmarks of advanced atherosclerosis, lesional macrophage apoptosis and plaque necrosis, which indicates that GM-CSF promotes plaque progression. Based on a combination of in vitro and in vivo studies, we show that the mechanism involves GM-CSF–mediated production of interleukin-23, which ...
BLACK POWER IN THE CARIBBEAN

Black Power rage, drama, and style, as revolutionary jargon, offers something to everybody: to the unemployed, the idealistic, the dropout, the communist, the politically frustrated, the anarchist, the angry student returning from humiliations abroad, the racialist, the old-fashioned black preacher who has for years said at street corners that after Israel it was to be the turn of Africa. Black Power means Cuba and China; it also means clearing the Chinese and the Jews and the tourists out of Jamaica.
Task level hierarchical system for BCI-enabled shared autonomy

This paper describes a novel hierarchical system for shared control of a humanoid robot. Our framework uses a low-bandwidth Brain Computer Interface (BCI) to interpret electroencephalography (EEG) signals via Steady-State Visual Evoked Potentials (SSVEP). This BCI allows a user to reliably interact with the humanoid. Our system clearly delineates between autonomous robot operation and human-guided intervention and control. Our shared-control system leverages the ability of the robot to accomplish low level tasks on its own, while the user assists the robot with high level directions when needed. This partnership prevents fatigue of the human controller by not requiring continuous BCI control to accomplish tasks which can be automated. We have tested the system in simulation and in real physical settings with multiple subjects using a Fetch mobile manipulator. Working together, the robot and human controller were able to accomplish tasks such as navigation, pick and place, and table clean up.
Case 21-2018: A 61-Year-Old Man with Grandiosity, Impulsivity, and Decreased Sleep.

A Man with Grandiosity, Impulsivity, and Decreased Sleep A 61-year-old man with a history of stroke and alcohol-use disorder presented with grandiosity, impulsivity, and decreased sleep. An evaluat...
Polling and Control of Polling

We return to the scheduling problems discussed in Section 1.3. Consider a queueing system with several queues and a single server. An original form of the problem arose in the management of time-shared computer systems, where there was a single processor and many users, each of which created a sequence of jobs at random and competed for the attention of the server. Typically, each user queued its work separately, and there was a mechanism that connected the chosen source to the central processor for a period of time, then connected another, etc. When a queue is chosen to be worked on, it is said to be polled. The polling problem arises whenever there is a single resource (for example, server or processor) that must be shared among competing queues. For linear holding costs, the fixed-priority policy known as the cμ-rule (and other rules closely related to it) has been shown to be optimal under a variety of statistical assumptions and cost structures [1, 4, 46, 243]. Due to Little’s rule [132], this policy also minimizes the overall average weighted waiting time in the system. Owing to its importance in applications, the polling problem has been the subject of a large literature; see, for example, [27, 181, 229, 230, 238] for discussions of many applications and modeling matters
National Nutrition Monitoring System: implications for public health policy at FDA.

The National Nutrition Monitoring System (NNMS) plays an essential role in major nutrition activities of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In relation to the current sodium initiatives, it permits the measurement over time of changes in the sodium content of the food supply and in typical diets; in sodium labeling in the marketplace; in public awareness, concerns, and practices; and in the prevalence of hypertension and related factors, such as obesity. The FDA is responsible for U.S. fortification policy and its regulation. Currently, fortification policies and practices are being reexamined, largely on the basis of analysis and interpretation of data from the 1976-1980 second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which is a core component of the NNMS. FDA studies that are components of the NNMS, such as a recent survey of dietary supplement consumption, provide comprehensive data in specialized areas. Department-wide nutrition programs are also heavily dependent upon the NNMS for monitoring capabilities. Two current activities that will rely on NNMS data are the monitoring of progress in the Nutrition Objectives for the Nation for the 1990s and the development of departmental policy regarding diet, nutrition, and degenerative diseases.
Acute exogenous corticosterone treatments have few effects on courtship and pair bonding in zebra finches.

Abstract Stress impacts social relationships. In turn, social relationships buffer the stress response in some species. Studies that have investigated the role of corticosterone (CORT) on courtship, mate choice, mating, and pairing have found mixed results. We therefore tested the role of CORT in these steps of the pairing process in the monogamous zebra finch. Male and female zebra finches received either one of 2 doses of corticosterone (CORT, 10 μg and 20 μg, referred to as low and high dose) or a vehicle control (peanut oil). Subjects were then given the opportunity to pair in mixed sex aviaries. Courtship and pair bonding behaviors were observed over 3 days. Overall, zebra finches of both sexes were equally likely to pair or not pair regardless of treatment, although a high dose of CORT increased the latency to form a pair bond. There were no effects of CORT on courtship behavior in either sex, though the low dose increased undirected (non-courtship) singing in males relative to the high dose. Animals treated with CORT, regardless of dose, engaged in fewer copulations than did control animals. When we examined pairing behaviors, we found a decrease in co-nesting in low dose animals. Our results suggest that acute CORT has few effects on pair bonding, suggesting species-specific effects of CORT on behavior.
Finding Life in Literacy.

By the second decade of the 21st century, mentally ill youth who committed suicide and sometimes killed others before they killed themselves received considerable attention in the media of the Unit...
Globalization and the Transition to Adulthood in a Maya Community in Mexico: Communication Technologies, Social Networks, and Views on Gender

The present article examines continuity and change in views on gender in a Maya community before and after a communication tower was installed in 2010. Interview data were collected in 2009 when participants were adolescents (n = 80) and then again in 2015 when they were young adults (n = 68). Values and beliefs for gender were measured using vignettes that were created through previous fieldwork (Manago, 2014). Young adults were also asked about their use of mobile phones and social media, and completed a social network mapping activity (Antonucci, 1986). Results showed continuities across time in self-expression values for gender roles and relations, which was predicted by high school attendance during adolescence. Young adult men and those who had been to high school were more likely to use the internet and Facebook. Internet use did not predict values beyond the effects of schooling; however, it predicted greater proportions of nonkin in participants' social network maps, which predicted greater self-expression values for gender relations. Qualitative analyses of participants' emic perspectives of the affordances of communication technologies illustrate how education and cultural values shape perceptions of the opportunities and risks of media use.
Operative Vaginal Delivery Is a Safe Option in Women Undergoing a Trial of Labor after Cesarean.

Objective To compare outcomes of operative intervention in the second stage of labor during trial of labor after cesarean (TOLAC). Study Design A secondary analysis of the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units Network cesarean section registry was conducted. Analysis was by first attempted mode of delivery. Results A total of 1,837 met inclusion criteria. Subjects in the operative vaginal groups (OVDs) were more likely to have a prior vaginal delivery (vacuum 34.2%; forceps 34.3%) than the repeat cesarean delivery (RCD) group (22.6%; p Conclusion The success rate of OVD is high in TOLAC with similar outcomes to RCD. Maternal composite outcomes were highest with forceps-assisted vaginal deliveries. However, considering overall morbidity, OVD in the second stage of labor in TOLAC is a reasonable, safe option in selected cases.
Modeling the Distribution of Medically Important Tick Species in Florida

The lone star (Amblyomma americanum), black-legged (Ixodes scapularis) and American dog ticks (Dermacentor variabilis) are species of great public health importance as they are competent vectors of several notable pathogens. While the regional distributions of these species are well characterized, more localized distribution estimates are sparse. We used records of field collected ticks and an ensemble modeling approach to predict habitat suitability for each of these species in Florida. Environmental variables capturing climatic extremes were common contributors to habitat suitability. Most frequently, annual precipitation (Bio12), mean temperature of the driest quarter (Bio9), minimum temperature of the coldest month (Bio6), and mean Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) were included in the final models for each species. Agreement between the modeling algorithms used in this study was high and indicated the distribution of suitable habitat for all three species was reduced at lower latitudes. These findings are important for raising awareness of the potential for tick-borne pathogens in Florida.
Creating a More Realistic Idealized Supercell Thunderstorm Evolution via Incorporation of Base-State Environmental Variability

AbstractConvective environments are known to be heterogeneous in both time and space, yet idealized models use fixed base-state environments to simulate storm evolution. Recently, the base-state su...
Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery in the Process of Developing Robotic Systems

There are hundreds of companies out there that are bringing new solutions in the field of robotics and trying to get rid of a thousand problems they face. Nevertheless, most of their results do not leave the doors of the lab and remain without any decent attention from society. Institutions and companies require highly qualified personnel to accelerate the development of new solutions and products. High expenses deter broad masses from participating in this activity. It is not only the high price that keeps people away from being a part of the community but also a high entry level to the field. In our paper we consider an approach that makes the process of developing and integration of robotic systems faster and more accessible to the others. At first, the idea implies removing a technical barrier between science labs and other individuals. Secondly, all processes must be automatized by different tools to the greatest possible extent. As a result, we get a cloud web application where anyone can add or edit robotic systems algorithms. There are open technologies that can help us to implement this solution: virtualization, dockerization, web 3d simulator Gazebo, robot operation system (ROS).
Comparison of Supraceliac and Infrarenal Aortic Conduits in Liver Transplantation: Is There a Difference in Patency and Postoperative Renal Dysfunction?

Aorto-hepatic conduits can provide arterial inflow for liver transplants in cases where the native hepatic artery is unsuitable for use. Methods Clinical outcomes of all patients undergoing liver transplantation (LT) with an aorto-hepatic conduit between 2000 and 2016 were included. Recipients were divided into 2 groups: those with a supraceliac (SC) aortic conduit (N = 22) and those with an infrarenal (IR) aortic conduit (N = 82). Results There was no difference in calculated model for end-stage liver disease score between the 2 groups. The SC group received grafts with a higher mean donor risk index (1.69 versus 1.48; P = 0.02). Early allograft dysfunction was 18.2% in the SC group and 29.3% in the IR group (P = 0.30). In the SC group, 10.5% of patients required initiation of postoperative continuous renal replacement therapy compared to 12.1% of patients in the IR group (P = 0.69). No difference in the rate of postoperative acute kidney injury was seen between the 2 groups (P = 0.54). No significant difference in median creatinine at 1 year was seen between the SC (1.2 mg/dL; IQR 1-1.3) and IR (1.2 mg/dL; IQR 0.9-1.5) groups (P = 0.85). At a median follow-up of 5.3 years, thrombosis of the aortic conduit occurred in 0% of patients in the SC group and 6.1% of patients in the IR group (P = 0.24). Graft survival was not significantly different between the 2 groups (P = 0.47). Conclusions No difference in renal dysfunction as demonstrated by need for post-LT continuous renal replacement therapy, acute kidney injury, or creatinine at 1 year post-LT was seen between SC and IR aortic conduits. A slight trend of higher conduit thrombosis rate was seen with IR compared to SC aortic conduits; however, this did not reach statistical significance. Both SC and IR aortic conduits represent reasonable options when the native hepatic artery is unsuitable for use.
Diversity, evolution, and classification of virophages uncovered through global metagenomics

Virophages are small viruses with double-stranded DNA genomes that replicate along with giant viruses and co-infect eukaryotic cells. Due to the paucity of virophage reference genomes, a collective understanding of the global virophage diversity, distribution, and evolution is lacking. Here we screened a public collection of over 14,000 metagenomes using the virophage-specific major capsid protein (MCP) as “bait.” We identified 44,221 assembled virophage sequences, of which 328 represent high-quality (complete or near-complete) genomes from diverse habitats including the human gut, plant rhizosphere, and terrestrial subsurface. Comparative genomic analysis confirmed the presence of four core genes in a conserved block. We used these genes to establish a revised virophage classification including 27 clades with consistent genome length, gene content, and habitat distribution. Moreover, for eight high-quality virophage genomes, we computationally predicted putative eukaryotic virus hosts. Overall, our approach has increased the number of known virophage genomes by 10-fold and revealed patterns of genome evolution and global virophage distribution. We anticipate that the expanded diversity presented here will provide the backbone for further virophage studies.
Internet and Language Education

This article is a brief overview of the history and uses of the Internet in language learning and teaching. The overview is divided into three main sections: the Internet as Classroom, which discusses online courses and programs; the Internet as Tool, which describes the uses of the Internet for research, as a resource for authentic language, and as a vehicle to promote interaction; and finally, the Internet as Tutor, which looks at online activities and websites that provide language practice of various kinds. In a final section, the issues of equality and democracy are discussed, including the so-called digital divide.
Robust real-time bone surfaces segmentation from ultrasound using a local phase tensor-guided CNN

Automatic bone surfaces segmentation is one of the fundamental tasks of ultrasound (US)-guided computer-assisted orthopedic surgery procedures. However, due to various US imaging artifacts, manual operation of the transducer during acquisition, and different machine settings, many existing methods cannot deal with the large variations of the bone surface responses, in the collected data, without manual parameter selection. Even for fully automatic methods, such as deep learning-based methods, the problem of dataset bias causes networks to perform poorly on the US data that are different from the training set. In this work, an intensity-invariant convolutional neural network (CNN) architecture is proposed for robust segmentation of bone surfaces from US data obtained from two different US machines with varying acquisition settings. The proposed CNN takes US image as input and simultaneously generates two intermediate output images, denoted as local phase tensor (LPT) and global context tensor (GCT), from two branches which are invariant to intensity variations. LPT and GCT are fused to generate the final segmentation map. In the training process, the LPT network branch is supervised by precalculated ground truth without manual annotation. The proposed method is evaluated on 1227 in vivo US scans collected using two US machines, including a portable handheld ultrasound scanner, by scanning various bone surfaces from 28 volunteers. Validation of proposed method on both US machines not only shows statistically significant improvements in cross-machine segmentation of bone surfaces compared to state-of-the-art methods but also achieves a computation time of 30 milliseconds per image, $$98.5\%$$ improvement over state-of-the-art. The encouraging results obtained in this initial study suggest that the proposed method is promising enough for further evaluation. Future work will include extensive validation of the method on new US data collected from various machines using different acquisition settings. We will also evaluate the potential of using the segmented bone surfaces as an input to a point set-based registration method.
Tailored Coupling of Biomineralized CdS Quantum Dots to rGO to Realize Ambient Aqueous Synthesis of a High-Performance Hydrogen Evolution Photocatalyst

Nanocomposite photocatalysts offer a promising route to efficient and clean hydrogen production. However, the multistep, high-temperature, solvent-based syntheses typically utilized to prepare thes...
Extended hopanoid loss reduces bacterial motility and surface attachment and leads to heterogeneity in root nodule growth kinetics in a Bradyrhizobium-Aeschynomene symbiosis

Abstract Hopanoids are steroid-like bacterial lipids that enhance membrane rigidity and promote bacterial growth under diverse stresses. Hopanoid biosynthesis genes are conserved in nitrogen-fixing plant symbionts, and we previously found that the extended (C35) class of hopanoids in Bradyrhizobium diazoefficiens are required for efficient symbiotic nitrogen fixation in the tropical legume host Aeschynomene afraspera. Here we demonstrate that the nitrogen fixation defect conferred by extended loss can fully be explained by a reduction in root nodule sizes rather than per-bacteroid nitrogen fixation levels. Using a single-nodule tracking approach to track A. afraspera nodule development, we provide a quantitative model of root nodule development in this host, uncovering both the baseline growth parameters for wild-type nodules and a surprising heterogeneity of extended hopanoid mutant developmental phenotypes. These phenotypes include a delay in root nodule initiation and presence of a subpopulation of nodules with slow growth rates and low final volumes, which are correlated with reduced motility and surface attachment in vitro and lower bacteroid densities in planta, respectively. This work provides a quantitative reference point for understanding the phenotypic diversity of ineffective symbionts in A. afraspera and identifies specific developmental stages affected by extended hopanoid loss for future mechanistic work.
Critical Care Surge During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Implementation and Feedback From Frontline Providers.

Purpose:Montefiore Medical Center (MMC) in the Bronx, New York, was subjected to an unprecedented surge of critically ill patients with COVID-19 disease during the initial outbreak of the pandemic ...
Identification of a second Klotho interaction site in the C terminus of FGF23.

Summary FGF23 interacts with a FGFR/KL-receptor complex to propagate cellular signaling, where its C-terminal C26 peptide is critical for engaging the co-receptor KL. We identify a distinct peptide sequence C28 residing in the FGF23 C terminus that regulates its interaction with KL. C28 can independently function as an FGF23 antagonist, and we report an optimized peptide antagonist of much enhanced potency. FGF23 can use either of the two C-terminal sites to exert biological effects, as shown by in vitro and in vivo studies. The loss of both KL-interaction sites inactivates the protein. We conclude that the C terminus of FGF23 is a bidentate ligand possessing two independent KL-interaction sites. The identification of this second KL-association site provides an additional perspective in the molecular basis of FGF23-receptor signaling and raises questions pertaining to its structural mechanism of action and the potential for biased biological signaling.
Simultaneous Quantification of 17 Cannabinoids bY LC-MS-MS in Human Plasma

Background In recent years, the surge in use and of clinical trials involving tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) has increased the need for sensitive and specific analytical assays to measure said compounds in patients, to establish dose-effect relationships and to gain knowledge of their pharmacokinetics and metabolism. We developed and validated an online extraction high-performance liquid chromatography- tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for simultaneous quantification of 17 cannabinoids and metabolites including THC and its metabolites, CBD and its metabolites and other minor cannabinoids in human plasma. Methods CBD-glucuronide (CBD-gluc) standard was produced in-house by isolation of CBD-gluc from urine of patients using pure CBD oil. For calibration standards and quality control samples, human plasma was spiked with cannabinoids at varying concentrations within the working range of the respective compound and 200 µL was extracted using a simple one-step protein precipitation procedure. The extracts were analyzed using online trapping LC/LC-atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI)-MS/MS running in the positive multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. Results The lower limit of quantification ranged from 0.78 ng/mL to 7.8 ng/mL and the upper limits of quantification were between 100 ng/mL and 2000 ng/mL. Inter-day analytical accuracy and imprecision ranged from 90.4 to 111% and from 3.1 to 17.4%, respectively. The analysis of plasma samples collected during clinical studies showed that (3R-trans)-Cannabidiol-7-oic Acid (7-CBD-COOH) was the major human metabolite with 5960% of CBD followed by 7-hydroxy-CBD (177%), CBD-gluc (157%) and 6α-hydroxy-CBD (39.8%); 6β-hydroxy-CBD was not detected in any of the samples. Conclusions In the present study, we developed and validated a robust LC-MS/MS assay for the simultaneous quantification of cannabinoids and their metabolites, which has been used to measure >5,000 samples in clinical studies. Moreover, we were able to quantify CBD-gluc and showed that 7-CBD-COOH, 7-hydroxy-CBD and CBD-gluc are the major CBD metabolites in human plasma.
China’s Transnational Impact

The Chinese Party-state’s extraterritorial influence in and beyond the media landscape has important consequences for political life and engagement outside of China. What has been changing rapidly in recent years is the Chinese state’s exercised of many of its governance techniques outside of China. Although the Chinese state does not enjoy a monopoly of violence outside of China’s territory, it is able to leverage the dependence of foreign individuals and entities on China and Chinese actors. Clearly, the Chinese Party-state has extraterritorial influence on media—including but not limited to media outlets, social media, production companies, and academic publishers—and a variety of other actors and institutions outside of China. This influence can have enormous effects on how people exercise their freedom of speech, expression, and association, as well as how they engage in political, civic, and intellectual life.