cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Active & intelligent energy-saving system designed with WSN modules and efficiency analysis

This study mainly explored how to use WSN (Wireless Sensors Network) such as ZigBee wireless communication modules and Bluetooth modules to be implemented in the livelihood intelligent energy-saving system in which an active and intelligent energy-saving and its relative environmental detecting and sensor modules were validly constructed to accomplish proceeding to energy-saving mechanism. This research apply new technology to build up active & intelligent energy-saving system focus on system operation instead of materials or components, with those auto-detect mechanism and auto-judged back-end agent software, then deliver feedback control signals through bi-direction wireless communication interface, this system can effectively achieve the goal of energy-saving. Not only did this study construct hybrid WSN communication mechanism with 2.4GHz ZigBee and Bluetooth, in which BT was used to design the interface between end-device sensors such as temperature, luminance, CO2, number of persons, humidity etc. while ZigBee was designed as the communication mechanism between middle-way and server computer, to dynamically collect running parameters in power consumption space, but also some practical energy-saving methods were constructed in different environment to verify the efficiently of the system. Eventually, the experimental outcomes were proved to be entirely successful and some placements and suggestions were recommended to the future research as well as to the government departments.
Academic Health Systems' Third Curve: Population Health Improvement.

This Viewpoint discusses opportunities and challenges facing academic health systems as they move beyond providing individual-patient care and population-specific management to providing health improvement at the population level.
Construction of Atrazine Chlorohydrolase Gene Expression Vector p1301-atzA

An agrobacterium binary vector carrying chlorohydrolase gene was successfully constructed based on pCambia1301.The stragety of construction plant binary vector was as follows: first,the target gene atzA was prepared by digestion with EcoRI/HindIII,then the fragment was ligated with vector pBluescript SK(+/-) cut with the two same enzymes.The recombinant plasmid pBS-SK-atzA was digested by EcoRI/HindIII,which can separate the 1.5kb atzA gene fragment;second,plasmid pBS-SK-atzA and pCambia1301 were digested by EcoRI/HindIII at the same time,then the two fragments were ligated into a new plasmid vector p1301-atzA.Plant expression vector p1301-atzA was successfully constructed by digestion and PCR analysis.
Telomere-associated aging disorders

Telomeres are dynamic nucleoprotein-DNA structures that cap and protect linear chromosome ends. Several monogenic inherited diseases that display features of human premature aging correlate with shortened telomeres, and are referred to collectively as telomeropathies. These disorders have overlapping symptoms and a common underlying mechanism of telomere dysfunction, but also exhibit variable symptoms and age of onset, suggesting they fall along a spectrum of disorders. Primary telomeropathies are caused by defects in the telomere maintenance machinery, whereas secondary telomeropathies have some overlapping symptoms with primary telomeropathies, but are generally caused by mutations in DNA repair proteins that contribute to telomere preservation. Here we review both the primary and secondary telomeropathies, discuss potential mechanisms for tissue specificity and age of onset, and highlight outstanding questions in the field and future directions toward elucidating disease etiology and developing therapeutic strategies.
Tramadol: Does it have a role in cancer pain management?

Tramadol (Ultram, Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical, Inc., Raritan, NJ) is considered a Step 2 analgesic under the World Health Organization's guidelines for the treatment of patients with cancer pain. It is a centrally acting analgesic that has affinity for opioid receptors and influences the action of norepinephrine and serotonin at the synapse. This dual mechanism of analgesia makes it unique among Step 2 agents. It is metabolized by CYP2D6, which increases the potentialfor drug interactions. Unlike other opioids, it does not cause respiratory depression. Tramadol has been studied in cancer pain and neuropathic pain. It compares well with low-dose morphine as an analgesic. The purpose of this review is to critically examine the pharmacodynamics, pharmacology, drug interactions, and adverse effects of the drug, and, based on the data presented, discuss the drug's role in cancer care.
Light-Driven Water Oxidation Using Polyelectrolyte Layer-by-Layer Chromophore–Catalyst Assemblies

Layer-by-Layer (LbL) polyelectrolyte self-assembly occurs by the alternate exposure of a substrate to solutions of oppositely charged polyelectrolytes or polyions. Here, we report the application of LbL to construct chromophore–catalyst assemblies consisting of a cationic polystyrene-based Ru polychromophore (PS-Ru) and a [Ru(tpy)(2-pyridyl-N-methylbenzimidazole) (OH2)]2+ water oxidation catalyst (RuC), codeposited with poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) as an inert polyanion. These assemblies are deposited onto planar indium tin oxide (ITO, Sn:In2O3) substrates for electrochemical characterization and onto mesoporous substrates consisting of a SnO2/TiO2 core/shell structure atop fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) for application to light-driven water oxidation in a dye-sensitized photoelectrosynthesis cell. Cyclic voltammetry and ultraviolet–visible absorption spectroscopy reveal that multilayer deposition progressively increases the film thickness on ITO glass substrates. Under an applied bias, photocurrent measureme...
Selective Requirement for Maintenance of Synaptic Contacts onto Motoneurons by Target-Derived trkB Receptors

Synaptic contacts onto motoneurons were studied in mice in which the gene for the trkB neurotrophin receptor was knocked out selectively in a subset of spinal motoneurons. The extent of contacts by structures immunoreactive for either of two different vesicular glutamate transporters (VGLUT1 and VGLUT2), the vesicular GABA transporter, or glutamic acid decarboxylase 67 (GAD67) with the somata of motoneurons, was studied in wild type and trkB knockout cells in tamoxifen treated male and female SLICK-trkB−/− mice. Selective knockout of the trkB gene resulted in a marked reduction in contacts made by VGLUT2- and GAD67-immunoreactive structures in both sexes and a significant reduction in contacts containing only glycine in male mice. No reduction was found for glycinergic contacts in female mice or for VGLUT1 immunoreactive contacts in either sex. Signaling through postsynaptic trkB receptors is considered to be an essential part of a cellular mechanism for maintaining the contacts of some, but not all, synaptic contacts onto motoneurons.
New insights into the complex interplay between drag forces and its thermospheric consequences

Drag forces, ion and viscous, are evaluated as modifiers of global wind and temperature structure in the upper thermosphere, shedding new light on their relative roles in neutral dynamics and energetics. Exploiting the coupling of an ionosphere-thermosphere model, it is discovered that ion and viscous drag forces lead to sustained divergent winds, adjustments in mass, modification of pressure gradients, and a redistribution of the radiatively-forced thermal energy. The interplay between the relative magnitudes of the ion and viscous drag forces and its effect on the ionosphere-thermosphere system has not yet been addressed, and results in diverse behavior in the neutral wind and temperature structures of the upper atmosphere, dependent upon the type of drag acting on the gas. It is found that viscous drag is more efficient in cooling the dayside thermosphere and heating the nightside than the ion drag force in solar maximum and under quiet geomagnetic activity, resulting in a 150 K day-night temperature difference. The ion drag force inhibits this effective day-to-night energy circulation, culminating in a dynamically-induced difference of about 400 K in the day-night temperature difference. It is demonstrated that the resultant wind and thermal structure greatly depends on the type of drag force environment, and a mechanism is introduced whereby ion and viscous drag forces can alter the energy budget of the upper thermosphere system. For example, in solar minimum, viscous drag is significant relative to other forces and more effectively cools the dayside and warms the nightside, thereby reducing the day-night temperature gradient.
Heathens in the United States: The Return to “Tribes” in the Construction of a Peoplehood

Snook, Horrell, and Horten investigate Heathenry (Germanic reconstructionist Paganism) in an American sociohistorical context in which whiteness is inherently problematic. American Heathens today seem less committed to discussions of indigeneity than in previous decades, but continue to frame Heathenry as a “birthright” for those with Northern European heritage. While championing a cosmopolitan appreciation for the unique religious and cultural heritage of each ethnic group, they reject the cosmopolitan ideals of global community and sameness, simultaneously denying or overlooking their own positions of cultural, social, and political dominance as overwhelmingly white people. Recently, however, the reworking of American Heathen collectivities as “tribal” has led to increasing fragmentation of the greater community, a focus on the local, and the depoliticization of exclusionary practices.
MEDIA LITERACY – THE CHALLENGE AND NEED FOR THE XXI CENTURY

This article aims to analyze the assumptions and trends of media literacy in the information society, as proposed by the European Commission. The method of analysis and interpretation has been used. After a preliminary discussion of terminology, the media literacy has been defined as media and reputation authority and a critical attitude towards the media. There are quoted legal basis recommending the ability to use mass media (including the Directive on Audiovisual Media Services – 11/12/2007 and the Commission Recommendations of 2007 and 2009: A European approach to media literacy in the digital environment). There are presented "good practices". The article focuses mainly on three areas. Media literacy in the following areas: commercial communications, audiovisual works, and online content. There are compared the implementation of these recommendations in the EU Member States. The article ends with summary conclusions. If we want to have the educated, conscious society, we must invest in the development of media literacy, understood not only as a capacity for critical use of media, but also the ability to create, search, use and value different information. This knowledge and skills are the best safeguard against digital crime. "Media literacy is now so essential for full civic participation as reading and writing literacy was in the early nineteenth century" (Viviane Reding).
Hedgehog Light – A Versatile, White Box Educational Robotics Controller

Robotics curricula that include programming generally require a robotics controller as core platform. The controller and its capabilities shape the offered curriculum in terms of programming means, and therefore age appropriateness. A closed, black-box controller also limits the uses outside the context of such a curriculum. The Hedgehog Light controller aims to imply as few limitations as possible by using open source methodology, the open and well-documented Raspberry Pi, a multi-platform protocol and programming interface, and that can mostly be built in fabrication laboratories (fab labs).
Designing and deploying EECS hardware grading in online automated teaching platforms

Incorporating hardware such as circuits with elements like sensors and actuators into online education platforms presents significant challenges, particularly when the learner and educator are not in the same location as one another. Open-ended design questions, can increase the challenges associated with assessment further still. In the past two years, we have been experimenting with ways to integrate varying degrees of automated grading and assessment for the hardware (circuits) designed and constructed by students in EECS-focused coursework at the secondary and undergraduate level, mostly in the context of embedded systems and controls using platforms like the Arduino/Teensy and Raspberry Pi. This work-in-progress paper briefly covers some ways we have gone about designing problems for hardware that can be assessed by online graders, lists a few example problem structures from several courses run over the past several years, and where we intend to take this work in the future.
Mammalian Models for the Study of H7 Virus Pathogenesis and Transmission

Mammalian models, most notably the mouse and ferret, have been instrumental in the assessment of avian influenza virus pathogenicity and transmissibility, and have been used widely to characterize the molecular determinants that confer H5N1 virulence in mammals. However, while H7 influenza viruses have typically been associated with conjunctivitis and/or mild respiratory disease in humans, severe disease and death is also possible, as underscored by the recent emergence of H7N9 viruses in China. Despite the public health need to understand the pandemic potential of this virus subtype, H7 virus pathogenesis and transmission has not been as extensively studied. In this review, we discuss the heterogeneity of H7 subtype viruses isolated from humans, and the characterization of mammalian models to study the virulence of H7 subtype viruses associated with human infection, including viruses of both high and low pathogenicity and following multiple inoculation routes. The use of the ferret transmission model to assess the influence of receptor binding preference among contemporary H7 influenza viruses is described. These models have enabled the study of preventative and therapeutic agents, including vaccines and antivirals, to reduce disease burden, and have permitted a greater appreciation that not all highly pathogenic influenza viruses are created equal.
Frontal Lobe Dysfunction After Developmental Alcohol Exposure: Implications From Animal Models

Abstract A leading cause of preventable neurological and physical impairment, prenatal exposure to alcohol is clinically diagnosable as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs). FASD is characterized by atypical development of the brain (among other anatomical structures). In humans, alcohol exposure during the third trimester leads to cortical damage and aberrant cortical connectivity including the frontal lobe. Rodent models corroborate these findings, contributing mechanistic approaches to frontal lobe damage on cellular and subcellular levels following alcohol exposure during periods developmentally analogous to human gestation. Further research must be done to comprehensively characterize neuroanatomical damage and its relation to behaviors governed by frontal lobe (frontal cortex, or PFC) including reversal learning and behavioral flexibility (which model cognitive deficits seen in humans with FASD). Translating interventions that rescue neuroanatomical and behavioral deficits in rodents may benefit clinical treatment of FASD. Translating animal literature and identifying the mechanisms underlying damage and interventions are crucial steps in improving the quality of life in FASD-afflicted individuals.
The Effect of Physical Readiness Training on Reserve Officers' Training Corps Freshmen Cadets.

ABSTRACT Background: The U.S. Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) is the largest commissioning source among all branches. Physical Readiness Training (PRT) is fundamental to ROTC cadet training. However, although studies have evaluated the effectiveness of PRT in cadets with prior PRT experience, no study has examined the early phase adaptations in those cadets with no prior PRT experience. Methods: To determine the effect of PRT over the course of an academic year (9 months) in freshmen ROTC cadets, thirteen (n = 13; 7 male [180.8 ± 4.7 cm, 77.4 ± 10.0 kg; 19.8 ± 6.5 % body fat], 6 female [159.5 ± 12.1 cm; 63.4 ± 8.4 kg; 29.6 ± 6.2% body fat]) cadets with no prior PRT performed laboratory (body composition, 1-repetition maximum [1RM] bench and squat, countermovement vertical jump, maximal aerobic capacity [VO2max]) and field-based ([Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) (2 minutes maximum push-ups and sit-ups, 2-mile run)]) measures of performance before (PRE), mid-year (MID), and at the conclusion ...
Novel Anticaries and Remineralization Agents: Future Research Needs:

More than 60 y have passed since the widespread introduction of fluoride use and 50 y since the introduction of sealant therapy. Yet, dental caries remains a significant disease, particularly in underserved and aging communities. An international conference dedicated to the topic of novel anticaries and remineralizing agents (ICNARA 3) was held in May 2017. The ICNARA 3 conference was the third in a series of ICNARA conferences (ICNARA 1 held in January 2008 and ICNARA 2 January 2012; ten Cate 2008, 2012). These conferences brought together scientists who could summarize the current status of caries management and highlight exciting new therapeutic possibilities, as well as research needs for the future. ICNARA 3 recognized that the new frontier in reducing caries experience and helping maintain health may not solely depend on developing cost-effective products or devices to target the biofilm and/or the tooth, but may rest in a series of behavioral modification and/or targeted approaches, such as efforts to reduce sugar consumption, for ultimate success, based on individual or community risks for dental caries. Dental caries is a microbial disease resulting from a dysbiosis in the oral microbiome. Ecological pressures, such as frequent intake of sugar and/or reductions in saliva flow, can result in extended period of low pH in the biofilm and change the proportions of the normal resident species. This in turn results in the selection of species with an acid-producing/acid-tolerating phenotype, thereby increasing the risk of dental caries (Marsh 2018). The progression of dental caries lesions to cavitation is dependent on the balance between demineralization, caused by biofilm dysbiosis, and remineralization, which is dependent on calcium, phosphate, and fluoride. Despite the significant reduction in caries prevalence in many parts of the world, dental caries remains a major public health problem affecting people of all ages, and remains one of the most common unmet health care needs of economically disadvantaged populations. Furthermore, the disease is not equally distributed, with multiple population groups at increased risk. Existing caries management strategies include, for example, the promotion of a healthy diet, including a low frequency and amount of exposure to fermentable carbohydrates/sugars, and frequent oral hygiene with fluoride-containing toothpaste. However, even with regular fluoride use, caries lesions can still develop if other caries risk factors are present. Thus, together with strategies to reduce sugar consumption, strategies to prevent demineralization and/or promote remineralization of caries lesions need to be enhanced and promoted to reach those at risk.
Classification of multiple sclerosis and non-specific white matter lesions using spherical harmonics descriptors

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Non-Specific White Matter (NSWM) lesion classification is a traditional problem in neurology. In this paper, we propose a machine learning method to predict MS/NSWM lesion types based on segmented 3D lesion models from clinical MRI images. A spherical harmonics shape descriptor is used to express lesion shape as feature vectors. We generate a parametrization mapping from a 3D lesion to a sphere and then extract spherical harmonics features as descriptor based on that mapping. This descriptor conveys shape difference properties of MS/NSWM lesion which can be trained to predict unknown lesions using machine learning models such as boosting trees, support vector machines (SVMs), logistic regression, and so on. Experiments demonstrate that our 3D model feature representation enables significant performance on MS/NSWM lesions in their classification.
Etiologies of Pericardial Diseases

There is a wide spectrum of conditions that affect the pericardium, including congenital defects and cysts, infectious, immune-mediated, metabolic, traumatic, neoplastic and drug-related causes [1] (Table 2.1). Most of these disorders result from an extrapericardial process (e.g., viral infections, uremia, chest radiation therapy), whereas a minority are isolated to the pericardium itself (e.g., cysts). Pathologically, the two most common disease processes are pericarditis (i.e., inflammation) and pericardial effusion. A less frequent development is pericardial constriction, a consequence of inflammatory insults that results in thickening, fibrosis and calcification [2]. Clinically, the presentation of pericardial disease is primarily determined by the degree and chronicity of the inflammatory process, the rate and amount of effusion accumulation, and the degree of any pericardial thickening and fibrosis. The etiology of most cases of acute pericarditis is deemed “idiopathic” as no specific diagnosis is actively sought [3, 4]. The majority of such episodes are believed to be of viral origin.
The Irony of Disease

I was born with club feet. My mother was young and scared; my father was just starting out as an accountant in New York City making $30 a week. They had just moved into a small house in the suburbs of Long Island, and routine health insurance did not exist. They were shocked that I was less than perfect, but there I was. It was 1953.
Too Close for Comfort: The Role of the Closely Held Public Corporation in the Canadian Economy and the Implications for Public Policy

For several decades, American corporate scholars assumed the inevitability of the widely held Berle and Means' corporation. The argument was simple. In a rapidly developing industrial economy, economic prosperity dictated the infusion of massive amounts of capital into owner-managed corporations. Without ample capital, entrepreneurs would be unable to realize the scale economies or technological innovations necessary for industrial growth. The rub in the story, however, was that to raise the necessary capital, ownermanagers had to sell off equity interests. Inevitably, the pressure for capital meant that ownership ended up being dispersed among numerous small stakes shareholders. With ownership fractured, sundry collective action problems subverted the capacity of shareholders to wield effective control over their managerial agents, which, in tum, meant efficiency losses from sub-optimal resource utilization. Recently, however, recognition of the survival of concentrated share ownership corporations in other countries, namely Germany and Japan and even in the United States, has caused American scholars to reconsider their commitment to the evolutionary inevitability of the Berle and Means' corporation. No longer the byproduct of innate economic forces, the American corporation has of late been viewed by many as merely path dependent, more particularly the result of a confluence of political, historical and cultural factors. Perhaps the most important was the restriction barring financial intermediaries from holding or voting ownership interests in commercial companies. Had these barriers not been created, ownership may have come to reside in sophisticated large stakes shareholders, who were much more likely than retail investors to control
Assessment of community-level influences on individuals' attitudes about cigarette smoking, alcohol use, and consumption of dietary fat.

A basic premise of community-based health promotion is that enduring changes in health behaviors are facilitated by changing community norms or the standards of acceptable behavior in the community. We examine whether community-level influences on individuals’ normative attitudes can be related to cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, and dietary fat intake. We conducted a random-digit dialing survey of 8,849 adults in 15 communities in the western United States as part of the evaluation of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation Community Health Promotion Grant Program. We found independent asso ciations among attitudes for tobacco, alcohol, and diet and both individual-level and community-level characteristics. A significant community effect on attitudes remained even when we controlled for individual demographics and health behaviors, as well as for the overall prevalence of the target health behavior in the community. The specific community characteristics that account for this effect were not clear in our analyses, suggesting that influential characteristics vary from community to community.
A laboratory study of host use by the cuckoo catfish Synodontis multipunctatus

The only known non-avian vertebrate obligate brood parasite is the cuckoo catfish (Synodontis multipunctatus), a Lake Tanganyikan endemic. The cuckoo catfish parasitizes Tanganyikan mouthbrooding cichlids, and under captive conditions, will also parasitize cichlids from other Rift Valley lakes. Here we examine the frequency of parasitism by the cuckoo catfish of Ctenochromis horei from Lake Tanganyika and three species from Lake Malawi and the greater Lake Victorian system in a laboratory setting. C. horei was parasitized significantly less (17%) than the allopatric species Haplochromis latifasciatus, Haplochromis nubilus, and Metriaclima estherae (combined parasitism rate of 28%). The lower rates of parasitism in C. horei may be due to differences in the mating ritual, oviposition (e.g., long periods of pseudo-spawning before actual oviposition), and behavioral adaptations (e.g., increased aggression towards the cuckoo catfish). The number of catfish eggs per parasitized brood was similar between C. horei, H. latifasciatus, H. nubilus, and M. estherae. Our results are comparable to findings from the field for C. horei parasitism frequency and number of cuckoo catfish per brood. We also analyzed the parasitism rate of the albino morph of Metriaclima zebra, a domestic strain. Parasitism rates and number of catfish per brood were the highest in the albino morphotype suggesting that the higher levels of parasitism may be related to lower aggressive behavior, lower visual acuity, or captive influence. Cuckoo catfish and mouthbrooding cichlids provide a model system for testing brood parasitism in a laboratory setting.
Cholangiocyte regeneration and liver repair are impaired in HDC−/− mice following 70% partial hepatectomy via dysregulated Notch signaling

BackgroundThe liver is the only organ capable of tissue regeneration after injury and only 25% of the remaining liver tissue is required for the liver to regenerate and function normally. At day 3 ...
Agreement between Experimental and Simulated Circular Dichroic Spectra of a Positively Charged Peptide in Aqueous Solution and on Self-Assembled Monolayers.

Successfully immobilizing functional proteins on inorganic surfaces has long been a challenge to the biophysics and bioengineering communities. This is due, in part, to a lack of understanding of the effect of nonaqueous environments on protein structure from both experimental and computational perspectives. Because most experimental information about protein structure comes from the Protein Data Bank and is collected from an aqueous solvent environment, modern force fields for molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are parameterized against these data. The applicability of such force fields to biomolecules in different environments, including when in contact with surfaces and substrates, must be validated. Here, we present MD folding simulations of a highly charged peptide solvated in water, solvated in a solution of 2:1 t-BuOH/H2O and bound to the surface of a methyl-terminated self-assembled monolayer (SAM), and compare the structures predicted by these simulations to previously reported circular dichrois...
The BRAF(V600E) inhibitor, PLX4032, increases type I collagen synthesis in melanoma cells.

Vertical growth phase (VGP) melanoma is frequently metastatic, a process mediated by changes in gene expression, which are directed by signal transduction pathways in the tumor cells. A prominent signaling pathway is the Ras-Raf-Mek-Erk MAPK pathway, which increases expression of genes that promote melanoma progression. Many melanomas harbor a mutation in this pathway, BRAF(V600E), which constitutively activates MAPK signaling and expression of downstream target genes that facilitate tumor progression. In BRAF(V600E) melanoma, the small molecule inhibitor, vemurafenib (PLX4032), has revolutionized therapy for melanoma by inducing rapid tumor regression. This compound down-regulates the expression of many genes. However, in this study, we document that blocking the Ras-Raf-Mek-Erk MAPK pathway, either with an ERK (PLX4032) or a MEK (U1026) signaling inhibitor, in BRAF(V600E) human and murine melanoma cell lines increases collagen synthesis in vitro and collagen deposition in vivo. Since TGFs signaling is a major mediator of collagen synthesis, we examined whether blocking TGFs signaling with a small molecule inhibitor would block this increase in collagen. However, there was minimal reduction in collagen synthesis in response to blocking TGFs signaling, suggesting additional mechanism(s), which may include activation of the p38 MAPK pathway. Presently, it is unclear whether this increased collagen synthesis and deposition in melanomas represent a therapeutic benefit or an unwanted "off target" effect of inhibiting the Ras-Raf-Erk-Mek pathway.
The Effects of Email Performance-Based Feedback Delivered to Teaching Teams: A Systematic Replication:

A multiple-baseline across behaviors design was utilized to examine the relation between performance-based feedback (PF) and the frequency of teaching teams’ use of target behaviors during observat...
Bioelectrocatalysis at carbon nanotubes.

Abstract This paper summarizes several examples of enzyme immobilization and bioelectrocatalysis at carbon nanotubes (CNTs). CNTs offer substantial improvements on the overall performance of amperometric enzyme electrodes mainly due to their unique structural, mechanical and electronic properties such as metallic, semi-conducting and superconducting electron transport. Unfortunately, their water insolubility restrains the kick-off in some particular fields. However, the chemical functionalization of CNTs, non-covalent and covalent, attracted a remarkable interest over the past several decades boosting the development of electrochemical biosensors and enzymatic fuel cells (EFCs) based on two different types of communications: mediated electron transfer (MET)-type, where the use of redox mediators, small electroactive molecules (freely diffusing or bound to side chains of flexible redox polymers), which are able to shuttle the electrons between the enzyme active site and the electrode (second electron transfer generation system); direct electron transfer (DET)-type between the redox group of the enzyme and the electrode surface (third electron transfer generation system).
A Risk-Based Permitting Process for the Managed Movement of Animals and Products of Animal Origin as a Tool for Disease Management.

During a foreign animal disease (FAD) outbreak, in addition to detecting, controlling, containing, and eradicating the FAD, one of the goals of response in the United States (US), and many other countries, is to allow the managed movement of non-infected animals and non-contaminated animal products from within FAD control areas to facilitate continuity of business (COB). Permits issued by government authorities are the mechanism by which such managed movements are allowed in the US, resulting in permitted movements. The overall purpose of issuing permits during an outbreak is to minimize the risk of disease spread while still allowing movement of products or animals; thus, the risk associated with each permitted movement must be considered. Currently, there are federal guidelines for the various permit types and purposes. These guidelines state that permits should be “based on science and risk-based information.” However, federal guidelines with specific procedures to determine risk are not readily available nor do they explicitly enumerate measures to assist regulatory authorities in using risk to guide decisions to grant permitted movement or deny a request to move. Although some pro-active risk assessments (RAs) have been conducted to determine risk of moving certain animals and their products, there will always be animal and product movements for which no pro-active RAs exist. We present here a process description of steps to conduct risk-based permitting with appropriate resource allocation to permitting by industry and regulatory authorities during an FAD outbreak.
Cross-Sectional Analysis of Cognitive Dysfunction in Patients With Vestibular Disorders.

OBJECTIVE The relationship of cognitive dysfunction and vestibular dysfunction has been established by various studies. However, the available Patient-Reported Outcome Measures questionnaires that address the main vestibular complaint fail to highlight this domain of dysfunction in this patient population. The objective of this study was to quantify and compare cognitive impairment using a validated cognitive questionnaire across several vestibular diagnoses. STUDY DESIGN Cross-sectional study of 186 patients presenting to a tertiary care vestibular clinic with a diagnosis of vestibular migraine, Meniere's disease (MD), benign positional paroxysmal vertigo, or persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD). Patients completed the Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (CFQ) and the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI). RESULTS Mean CFQ scores for this cohort were significantly higher than similarly aged published controls (34.9/100 versus 31.3/100; p < 0.01; mean age, 45 years) as well as published controls between 65 and 74 years of age (34.9/100 versus 31.2/100; p < 0.05). Patients with PPPD or combined vestibular migraine and MD scored the highest on the CFQ and significantly higher than controls (45.1/100, p = 0.001; and 44.1/100, p = 0.006, respectively). Patients with benign positional paroxysmal vertigo had lower scores than normal controls. There is a weak but significant correlation between CFQ and DHI (r = 0.31; p < 0.001). Multivariate linear regression shows that CFQ scores were largely driven by the duration of symptoms (p < 0.001), type of diagnosis (notably PPPD; p = 0.026), and DHI (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that cognitive impairment is prevalent with chronic vestibular disorders, even in peripheral disorders such as MD. The duration of vestibular symptoms before diagnosis (and management), as well as certain etiologies, may play a bigger role in cognitive disability than age. This is not currently well-addressed in Patient-Reported Outcome Measures questionnaires and may be overlooked at the time of the diagnosis. Appropriate identification may help tailor treatment, namely rehabilitation programs, to individual patients.
Psychiatric Comorbidities and Psychiatric Medication Use Are Highly Prevalent in Patients With Eosinophilic Esophagitis and Associate With Clinical Presentation.

Objectives The prevalence of psychiatric disease in patients with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is not fully characterized. We aimed to determine the prevalence of psychiatric disease and centrally acting medication use in a cohort of children and adults with EoE and evaluated whether psychiatric disease affects the EoE clinical presentation. Methods We conducted a retrospective study of newly diagnosed cases with EoE at the University of North Carolina from 2002 to 2018. Psychiatric comorbidities and relevant treatments were extracted from the medical records. The demographic and clinical features of patients with EoE with and without psychiatric diagnoses, and those with and without psychiatric medication use, were compared. Results Of 883 patients (mean age 26.6 years, 68% men, 79% white), 241 (28%) had a psychiatric comorbidity. The most common diagnosis was anxiety (23%) followed by depression (17%); 28% of patients were treated pharmacologically. There were 45 patients (5%) treated pharmacologically without a psychiatric diagnosis for chronic pain syndromes, insomnia, and/or epilepsy. Cases with EoE with a psychiatric diagnosis were more likely to be women, white, and 18 years or older and to have a longer symptom duration before diagnosis. Dicussion Psychiatric comorbidities were common in EoE, seen in a third of adults and more than 1 in 7 children, and with similar proportions receiving a prescription medication. These illnesses affected the EoE presentation because psychiatric comorbidities were more likely in older, female, and white patients with a longer duration of symptoms preceding diagnosis.
MatlabHTM: A sequence memory model of neocortical layers for anomaly detection

Abstract Many models based on the operation of the neocortex, which is the center of brain intelligence, are emerging. The Hierarchical Temporal Memory (HTM) model is a unique intermediate level model of the neocortex’s layered substructures. The hypothesis is that these layers build temporal models of sequences of observations and/or motor signals, i.e., build a sequence memory. Implementations of this model exist in Python, C++ and Java. However, those implementations are quite cumbersome to use, as they depend on many other packages. This paper presents a lean, standalone, easy to modify MATLAB implementation. The performance results from processing the Numenta Anomaly Benchmark (NAB) demonstrate the fidelity of matlabHTM.
Incisional Hernia After Orthotopic Liver Transplantation: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Abstract Background Incisional hernia (IH) is a well-known complication of orthotopic liver transplantation. Despite wide recognition of the impact of this problem, the incidence remains imprecisely known. Methods The MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Clinical Trials and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews databases were searched from their inception to November 2017 for abstracts documenting IH after orthotropic liver transplantation (OLT). The primary endpoint of this study was incidence of IH, secondary endpoints were time to hernia and recurrence. Three reviewers independently graded abstracts for inclusion in this review. Heterogeneity in combining data was assumed prior to pooling. Random-effects meta-analyses were performed to estimate percentages and 95% CIs. Results After a review of 77 abstracts, 18 studies were graded as relevant. The methodological quality of studies was assessed with a minimum Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine level of 2B. These represent a cohort of 981 patients with IH after OLT reported in the literature. A meta-analysis of studies meeting inclusion criteria shows mean incidence of 15.1% (CI 12.1%-18.2%). Aggregate recurrence rate reported in the literature is 12.4% (CI 4.3%-20.5%). Overall reported time to IH after OLT was 42.9 months. Conclusions Although reported incidences of IH after OLT vary widely across studies, an overall incidence of 15.1% is reported. This is a relatively late complication after transplantation. Recurrence of hernia after initial repair is 12.4% within this patient population.
Telecommunications in Primary Care

It may seem odd to argue that “the era of computers is over,” given the myriad and significant contributions of computer technology described in the preceding chapters. From electronic health records to clinical decision support, computers seem poised to transform medicine and healthcare in the next decade. The distinction remains valid, if subtle, however. The tools and services described to this point are rarely “stand-alone” computing. Practical informatics will be connected computing, and in this sense Kelly’s predictions make sense. A PC in a physician’s office will be linked to millions of other systems across the globe, able to retrieve data and information and knowledge from a diverse wealth and depth of resources. Momentous, indeed.
Nerve transfers for femoral nerve palsy: an updated approach and surgical technique.

OBJECTIVE Femoral nerve palsy results in significant impairment of lower extremity function due to the loss of quadriceps muscle function. The authors have previously described their techniques utilizing the anterior obturator and sartorius nerves for transfer in cases of femoral nerve palsy presenting within 1 year of injury. In the current study, the authors discuss their updated techniques, results, and approach to partial and complete femoral nerve palsies using femoral nerve decompression and nerve transfers. METHODS They conducted a retrospective review of patients with femoral nerve palsies treated with their technique at the Washington University School of Medicine in 2008-2019. Primary outcomes were active knee extension Medical Research Council (MRC) grades and visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores. RESULTS Fourteen patients with femoral nerve palsy were treated with femoral nerve decompression and nerve transfer: 4 with end-to-end (ETE) nerve transfers, 6 with supercharged end-to-side (SETS) transfers, and 4 with ETE and SETS transfers, using the anterior branch of the obturator nerve, the sartorius branches, or a combination of both. The median preoperative knee extension MRC grade was 2 (range 0-3). The average preoperative VAS pain score was 5.2 (range 1-9). Postoperatively, all patients attained an MRC grade 4 or greater and subjectively noted improved strength and muscle bulk and more natural gait. The average postoperative pain score was 2.3 (range 0-6), a statistically significant improvement (p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Until recently, few treatments were available for high femoral nerve palsy. A treatment strategy involving femoral nerve decompression and nerve transfers allows for meaningful functional recovery and pain relief in cases of partial and total femoral nerve palsy. An algorithm for the management of partial and complete femoral nerve palsies and a detailed description of surgical techniques are presented.
Market Volatility and Hedge Fund Returns in Emerging Markets

In this paper, we estimate several augmented [Treynor and Mazuy1966] models to examine the performance of hedge fund index returns in four different emerging market regions. In our estimations we match the fund returns with the regional emerging market equity and bond index data, which is a research approach that is pioneered by [Fung et al.2002]. Whether market volatility affects the hedge fund returns or not is one of the main questions that we ask in the paper. Our results reveal that stock and bond market volatility do not have a significant impact on fund returns for the most part, which is a result that is robust to various measures of volatility. Among the four regions we examine, only the emerging market hedge funds in the Global market yield statistically significant positive alphas that is robust and sizable. We also find no evidence for market timing skills in these emerging market hedge fund returns.
Gender Messages in Parenting Magazines: A Content Analysis

Abstract Gender stereotypes, common in the home, school, and media, frequently limit the opportunities and experiences of young children. This study examined the gender messages present in parenting magazines of the year 2000. A total of 63 articles from the three top-selling parenting magazines were analyzed. Overall, 38.1% of the articles were gender-stereotypical, 41.3% were gender-neutral, and 20.6% encouraged non-stereotyped behavior and in our study were referred to as “out-of-the-box.” Within the gender-stereotypical articles, many traditional gender myths were strongly supported. The idea that appearance is important for girls was promoted in 54.2%, and the misconception that boys are more athletic/stronger than girls are was endorsed in 41.7% of the stereotypical articles. Data also indicated that parenting magazines, despite their names, are primarily written for mothers.
Anti-immunoglobulin stimulation of murine lymphocytes: III. Enhancement of the development of responsive B cells by thymic deprivation

Abstract The development of splenic B cells that can be induced to proliferate by soluble anti-immunoglobulin (anti-Ig) reagents requires 7 to 9 months in normal mice. We have found that this age-associated response is enhanced by thymic deprivation. Both neonatally thymectomized LAF 1 mice and thymectomized, lethally irradiated, and bone marrow-restored Balb/c mice respond earlier and more strongly to anti-Ig than their sham controls. Nevertheless, at least 3–4 months are still required after thymectomy before a response can be measured. The earlier and enhanced response to anti-Ig seen in thymectomized animals is not due simply to an increase in the total number of Ig-positive spleen cells. The age-associated response of splenic B cells to anti-Ig we have observed in normal mice may be explained by the “natural” loss of thymic influence that occurs with age.
Shear velocity criterion for incipient motion of sediment

Abstract The prediction of incipient motion has had great importance to the theory of sediment transport. The most commonly used methods are based on the concept of critical shear stress and employ an approach similar, or identical, to the Shields diagram. An alternative method that uses the movability number, defined as the ratio of the shear velocity to the particle's settling velocity, was employed in this study. A large amount of experimental data were used to develop an empirical incipient motion criterion based on the movability number. It is shown that this approach can provide a simple and accurate method of computing the threshold condition for sediment motion.
What It Was Like, What Happened, and What It's Like Now: Developments in Telecommunications Over Recent Decades

A survey of telecommunications over past decades. Overall prices of services have declined less rapidly since deregulation, with local rates rising, long-distance rates falling. Productivity increased strongly during period of Bell System regulated monopoly. Service quality of traditional telephone services has fallen, but many new services have been added. Innovations in customer premise equipment since deregulation far exceed those in prior years. Many major network innovations occurred during years of Bell System monopoly and network innovations have continued since. Actions by the Federal Communications Commission actions anteceded government antitrust case and are responsible for most of the changes since 1978. Most of the beneficial changes have little, if anything, to do with antitrust case and divestiture.
Engineering Social Order

Social Order becomes a major problem in MAS and in computer mediated human interaction. After explaining the notions of Social Order and Social Control, I claim that there are multiple and complementary approaches to Social Order and to its engineering: all of them must be exploited. In computer science one try to solve this problem by rigid formalisation and rules, constraining infrastructures, security devices, etc. I think that a more socially oriented approach is also needed. My point is that Social Control - and in particular decentralised and autonomous Social Control - will be one of the most effective approaches.
TIAMAT: a new fragile watermarking technique for image authentication

A fragile watermarking scheme incorporating both blind detection and asymmetric watermarking to offer higher security is proposed. The scheme is primarily designed around image authentication and tamper localization. Experimental results show that the features of the proposed watermarking scheme embody the essence of fragile watermarking systems.