cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Responsible Compassionate Care: Meeting the Needs of Patients with a History of Intravenous Drug Abuse

Abstract Vascular access specialists are brought into many difficult situations that stretch their ability to provide appropriate care to patients who have complicated medical and personal histories. In the following case, a hospital was challenged to provide appropriate care while remaining responsible and compassionate throughout the duration of infusate delivery.
Exome analysis of the evolutionary path of hepatocellular adenoma-carcinoma transition, vascular invasion and brain dissemination

Hepatocellular adenoma (HCA) is a rare benign liver tumor, predominantly seen in young women. Its major complications are malignant transformation, spontaneous hemorrhage, and rupture. We describe a case of a young female with no underlying liver disease who presented with acute abdominal pain and was found to have a 17cm heterogeneous mass in the left lobe of the liver. She underwent left hepatectomy and pathology revealed a 14cm moderately differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) arising in a shell of a HCA. At that time, vascular invasion was already present. She rapidly developed recurrent multifocal hepatic lesions and subsequent spread to the brain, leading to her death 18months after surgery. To investigate the underlying genetic events occurring during hepatocellular adenoma-carcinoma transition and extra-hepatic dissemination, we performed whole exome sequencing of DNA isolated from peripheral blood leucocytes, HCA, HCC, tumor thrombus and brain metastasis. Our data show a step-wise addition of somatic mutations and copy number variations with disease progression, suggesting a linear tumor evolution, which is supported by clonality analysis. Specifically, using a model based clustering of somatic mutations, one single founding clone arising in the HCA, which included catenin beta 1 (CTNNB1) and IL6ST driver mutations, was identified and displayed an increasing clonality rate in HCC, tumor thrombus and brain metastasis. Our data highlight the feasibility of performing whole exome capture, sequencing and analysis using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples, and we describe the first genomic longitudinal study of hepatocellular adenoma-carcinoma transition, vascular invasion and brain metastasis with detailed clinicopathologic annotation.
On the Brocard–Ramanujan Diophantine Equation n! + 1 = m2

In 1876, H. Brocard posed the problem of finding all integral solutions to n! + 1 = m2. In 1913, unaware of Brocard's query, S. Ramanujan gave the problem in the form, “The number 1 + n! is a perfect square for the values 4, 5, 7 of n. Find other values.” We report on calculations up to n = 109 and briefly discuss a related problem.
Stationary States of the Sodium-Potassium Pump

Abstract The determination of stationary states of a physiological system is carried out via the generalized evolution criterion (GEC). A global mathematical model for the sodium-potassium pump between the plasma and the red blood cell compartments is presented. Computer results show that the model predicts stationary states of [K + ] and [Na + ] in the red blood cell compartment of adult human males within 1.38% and 4.65%, respectively.
Activity limitations and subjective well-being after stroke.

Objective: As limitations in activities of daily living are major components of many stroke outcome scales, we examined how well activity limitations predicted subjective well-being among stroke survivors in a nationally representative survey. Methods: Individuals with a self-reported history of stroke were identified from the National Health and Aging Trends Study. Subjective well-being (primary outcome) was assessed with a validated 7-item measure (higher = greater well-being) assessing emotions (cheerful, bored, full of life, and upset) and self-realization (purpose in life, self-acceptance, and environmental mastery). Activity limitations were defined by the receipt of help in any of 11 activities of daily living/instrumental activities of daily living. Multivariable linear regression assessed predictors of well-being including medical, physical, cognitive, psychological, and environmental factors. Results: A total of 738 stroke survivors age 65 or older were included (57% female, 9% African American, 6% Hispanic). Activity limitations were modestly associated with well-being after adjusting for demographic characteristics and availability of assistance (estimate −0.49, 95% confidence interval −0.61 to −0.37). However, in the fully adjusted model ( R 2 = 0.28), neither activity limitations nor physical capacity was associated with subjective well-being. Predictors of lower well-being in the final model included depressive symptoms, chewing/swallowing problems, pain that limited activity, and restricted participation in valued life activities. Income and executive function were modestly associated with improved well-being, while comorbidities and communication technology access were not associated. Conclusions: Activity limitations were not associated with stroke survivors9 subjective well-being after adjustment for other factors. While some predictors of well-being after stroke were identified, the determinants of well-being remained largely unexplained.
Graph Signal Processing

Abstract This chapter considers graph signal processing (GSP) that develops basic analysis tools for data structured by graphs or networks. We present concepts such as graph signal, graph shift, graph filtering, graph Fourier transform, graph frequency response, graph spectrum, and other methods from classical discrete signal processing, now extended to signals whose samples are indexed by the nodes of a graph.
Metabolomics insights into early type 2 diabetes pathogenesis and detection in individuals with normal fasting glucose

Identifying the metabolite profile of individuals with normal fasting glucose (NFG [<5.55 mmol/l]) who progressed to type 2 diabetes may give novel insights into early type 2 diabetes disease interception and detection. We conducted a population-based prospective study among 1150 Framingham Heart Study Offspring cohort participants, age 40–65 years, with NFG. Plasma metabolites were profiled by LC-MS/MS. Penalised regression models were used to select measured metabolites for type 2 diabetes incidence classification (training dataset) and to internally validate the discriminatory capability of selected metabolites beyond conventional type 2 diabetes risk factors (testing dataset). Over a follow-up period of 20 years, 95 individuals with NFG developed type 2 diabetes. Nineteen metabolites were selected repeatedly in the training dataset for type 2 diabetes incidence classification and were found to improve type 2 diabetes risk prediction beyond conventional type 2 diabetes risk factors (AUC was 0.81 for risk factors vs 0.90 for risk factors + metabolites, p = 1.1 × 10−4). Using pathway enrichment analysis, the nitrogen metabolism pathway, which includes three prioritised metabolites (glycine, taurine and phenylalanine), was significantly enriched for association with type 2 diabetes risk at the false discovery rate of 5% (p = 0.047). In adjusted Cox proportional hazard models, the type 2 diabetes risk per 1 SD increase in glycine, taurine and phenylalanine was 0.65 (95% CI 0.54, 0.78), 0.73 (95% CI 0.59, 0.9) and 1.35 (95% CI 1.11, 1.65), respectively. Mendelian randomisation demonstrated a similar relationship for type 2 diabetes risk per 1 SD genetically increased glycine (OR 0.89 [95% CI 0.8, 0.99]) and phenylalanine (OR 1.6 [95% CI 1.08, 2.4]). In individuals with NFG, information from a discrete set of 19 metabolites improved prediction of type 2 diabetes beyond conventional risk factors. In addition, the nitrogen metabolism pathway and its components emerged as a potential effector of earliest stages of type 2 diabetes pathophysiology.
Dynamic center of elasticity concept for one-dimensional structural elements

Abstract The center of elasticity concept for one-dimensional structural elements is most often understood in the context of a point in the cross-section lying between the flexural and torsional centers of the section. However, the elastic center as a fundamental property of the element itself may be discussed in terms of the displacements and loads applied to a particular point. The elastic center is the point at which an applied force produces pure translation, and an applied moment produces pure rotation about the same axis. This concept is extended to the dynamic regime by including both elastic and inertial properties, leading to a dynamic center of elasticity which is valid across a range of frequencies. Three methods are proposed to locate the dynamic elastic center of a simple lumped parameter system, revealing that the elastic center location varies greatly, even moving off to infinity at certain critical frequencies. Each method is also applied to a continuously deformable cantilevered Euler-Bernoulli beam, producing rich dynamic behavior. The three methods are shown to yield equivalent results for both systems. Finally, the results are compared with dynamic stiffness and modal analysis to obtain physical insight into the dynamic behavior of a system's elastic center.
MURS Band for LPWAN Applications

This paper presents a transmission scheme and the hardware implementation in the Multi-Use Radio Service (MURS) band as a long range and low-power alternative solution for the Low Power Wide Area Networks (LPWAN) Internet of Things (IoT) applications. As the first demonstration of the MURS band LPWAN, the proposed transmission scheme offers an agile narrowband modulation with adjustable data rates for various adaptive modulation IoT scenarios. Additionally, by leveraging a low power system architecture design combined with the low loss propagation characteristics of the MURS band at VHF, the proposed communication approach offers very long coverage ranges. The overall communication approach enables an adjustable data rate of 5-384kbps with coverage ranges of tens of kilometres, which makes the MURS band a very suitable solution for LPWAN applications. The hardware implementation of the proposed transmission method is also presented, demonstrating an order of magnitude improvement in RF circuit power consumption over the existing commercially available LPWAN solutions.
A new olefin synthesis based on the radical induced elimination of a nitro group

Abstract Nitroalkanes can be transformed into olefins in high yielding reactions via nitroolefins and β-nitro trithiocarbonates in radical olefination reactions.
Vascular density of histologically benign breast tissue from women with breast cancer: associations with tissue composition and tumor characteristics.

Summary In breast tumors, it is well established that intratumoral angiogenesis is crucial for malignant progression, but little is known about the vascular characteristics of extratumoral, cancer-adjacent breast. Genome-wide transcriptional data suggest that extratumoral microenvironments may influence breast cancer phenotypes; thus, histologic features of cancer-adjacent tissue may also have clinical implications. To this end, we developed a digital algorithm to quantitate vascular density in approximately 300 histologically benign tissue specimens from breast cancer patients enrolled in the UNC Normal Breast Study (NBS). Specimens were stained for CD31, and vascular content was compared to demographic variables, tissue composition metrics, and tumor molecular features. We observed that the vascular density of cancer-adjacent breast was significantly higher in older and obese women, and was strongly associated with breast adipose tissue content. Consistent with observations that older and heavier women experience higher frequencies of ER+ disease, higher extratumoral vessel density was also significantly associated with positive prognostic tumor features such as lower stage, negative nodal status, and smaller size (
Integrating obstetrical simulation into the medical curriculum: one more gap in women’s health for low-income countries

Low-income countries do not have well-established simulation centers; introduction of simulation-based learning in obstetrics faces many cost-associated difficulties. Simulation-based learning yield many benefits that are reported in many studies such as improved maternal and neonatal outcomes, social stature of medical teachers, and better management of difficult situations. Though low-income countries do not have established surgical simulations, centralization, and cooperation amongst the educational institutions and local and regional hospitals for maintenance of medical educational practices and financial supplementation through both established and newly created entities will provide the potential for improved patient outcomes and maintenance of quality of education, that is, comparable to the medical education found in higher income countries.
Water wave glint corrections, water depth, light attenuation, and WorldView-3 remote sensing algorithms for Indian River lagoon

A water wave glint correction algorithm, light attenuation depths and water depths estimated from satellite imagery in the Indian River Lagoon and Banana River estuarine waters provide a means to evaluate light penetration or water clarity. The shallow water estuarine study area is along Florida’s east coast area known as "space coast” Florida. In-situ data, including water depths obtained from bathymetric charts, in-situ hyperspectral attenuation signatures and satellite- based reflectance factors are obtained from atmospherically corrected visible and near infra-red channels of World View-3 satellite imagery. The high spatial, radiometric and 11bit digital resolution satellite imagery is used to study water visibility that is an important ecosystem quality indicator. In shallow coastal waters as well as deeper water areas and nearby coastal waterways, the effects of water surface gravity wave facets and sun glint influence the estimates of water quality related variables estimated at the pixel level. The results have significant implications related to the estimation of the depth of penetration of light using satellite-based methods in coastal waters. Application of atmospherically corrected satellite imagery followed by glint removal is shown using translating and dilating derivative wavelet algorithms to estimate the attenuation depth of light in water. The research has been conducted in order that results may be transferable to other estuaries that suffer from reduction in light penetration due to factors such as turbidity or harmful algal blooms.
Diverticulum of the female urethra

Abstract The etiologic, pathologic, and clinical features of diverticulum of the female urethra have been presented along with the findings in 94 patients with this condition in an effort to stress the need for awareness on the part of the physician in cases of recurrent symptoms of the urinary tract. The majority of these 94 patients seen at the Mayo Clinic during the years 1953 through 1962 were treated successfully with surgical excision of the diverticulum.
The manipulative business and society

We extend the theory of secular business cults (SBCs) to manipulative businesses (MBs), which we define as a financially‐successful type of reformed SBC, and explain their influence on industry, government, and social environments. Prior work on irresponsible, illegally‐behaving, and anti‐social SBCs suggests that they arise when antisocial business leaders are left unconstrained. This article examines the other side of this argument: What emerges from the 'toxic triangle' when such leaders are constrained by legal limits? We posit that pressure from lawsuits leads to the metamorphosis of an SBC into an MB that retains the intent and "formula of success" of the SBC. In both business types (SBCs and MBs), the underlying process involves the unethical manipulation of the employee's commitment, and the buyer's interest, through established policies and business models for higher profits. We further explain how the profit‐seeking anti‐social business leaders who find success in the toxic triangle lead to the emergence of manipulative policies and practices in businesses, legal systems, and industries (the “iron triangle”), and eventually influences general societal norms.
Determining the Depth Limit of Bioluminescent Sources in Scattering Media

Bioluminescence has several potential advantages compared to fluorescence microscopy for in vivo biological imaging. Because bioluminescence does not require excitation light, imaging can be performed for extended periods of time without phototoxicity or photobleaching, and optical systems can be smaller, simpler, and lighter. Eliminating the need for excitation light may also affect how deeply one can image in scattering biological tissue, but the imaging depth limits for bioluminescence have yet to be reported. Here, we perform a theoretical study of the depth limits of bioluminescence microscopy and find that cellular resolution imaging should be possible at a depth of 5-10 mean free paths (MFPs). This limit is deeper than the depth limit for confocal microscopy and slightly lower than the imaging limit expected for two-photon microscopy under similar conditions. We also validate our predictions experimentally using tissue phantoms. Overall we show that with advancements in the brightness of bioluminescent indicators, it should be possible to achieve deep, long-term imaging in biological tissue with cellular resolution.
Chapter 12 – Chronocoulometry

Publisher Summary Chronocoulometry is a transient electrochemical technique in which a single or double pulse of potential is applied to an electrolytic cell. The resulting response curve is the cumulative charge (Q) passing through the cell measured vs. time. Cells contain reference electrode, counter electrode, and a working electrode. The reference electrode is designed to hold a constant potential, and a potentiostatic circuit is used so that a variation in the potential applied to the cell changes the oxidizing or reducing power of the working electrode. With this basic arrangement, electrochemical events occurring at the working electrode are reflected in the charge vs. time data obtained. This chapter discusses various methods to estimate the diffusion coefficients. The diffusion coefficient can be determined from a single potential step experiment. Double potential step chronocoulometry can also be used to obtain diffusion coefficients. This chapter also deals with the diffusion–kinetic model. This model describes an electrochemical reactant that can be electrolyzed both while adsorbed on the electrode and by diffusion through the solution to the electrode.
[Assessment of schistosomiasis elimination in Changzhou City, Jiangsu Province].

OBJECTIVE To assess the state of schistosomiasis elimination in 6 districts of Changzhou City, Jiangsu Province, so as to provide the evidence for the formulation of consolidation measures. METHODS Three towns (streets) were selected according to the schistosomiasis epidemic degree in each district, and one village was sampled from each town. The on-site assessment was carried out between 2016 and 2017, including Oncomelania hupensis snail survey, population investigation and domestic animal investigation. In addition, the related data and materials were evaluated and the monitoring ability was assessed. RESULTS In the history, there were 54 endemic towns, 368 endemic villages in Changzhou City, with a total area of 3 934.79 hm2 of historic snail spots, and 114 990 schistosomiasis cases so far. In the field assessment in 6 districts, a total of 26 environments were surveyed, with the surveyed area of 36.23 hm2, and there were no living snails captured in each village. A total of 18 199 people were examined for schistosome infection, 255 were blood test positive, and the sero-positive rate was 1.40%. The stool examination was done in 255 sero-positive cases, and no cases were stool-positive. A total of 779 domestic animals were investigated, including 200 cattle, 179 sheep and 400 pigs, and no infections were detected. The files regarding the snail status and schistosomiasis epidemic situation, and the monitoring data were complete and accurate in 6 districts. The annual investment funds for schistosomiasis prevention were 3 120 000 Yuan in Changzhou City, and the number of staff working for schistosomiasis prevention was 86 totally, which could meet the requirements of high quality monitoring. CONCLUSIONS All 6 districts of Changzhou City have met the requirements of schistosomiasis elimination.
Weakly Magnetized, Hall Dominated Plasma Couette Flow

A novel plasma equilibrium in the high-β, Hall regime that produces centrally peaked, high Mach number Couette flow is described. Flow is driven using a weak, uniform magnetic field and large, cross field currents. Large magnetic field amplification (factor 20) due to the Hall effect is observed when electrons are flowing radially inward, and near perfect field expulsion is observed when the flow is reversed. A dynamic equilibrium is reached between the amplified (removed) field and extended density gradients.
Dignity, Difference, and the Representation of Nature:

In the past few decades, political theorists have attempted to articulate a nontheological basis for a special human place in the moral universe. These attempts, I argue, generally fall into two gr...
Does the weight loss efficacy of alternate day fasting differ according to sex and menopausal status

Abstract Background and aims This study examined if the weight loss and metabolic benefits of alternate day fasting (ADF) varies according to sex and menopausal status in adults with obesity. Methods and results This secondary analysis pooled the data of men and women (n = 75) who participated in three 12-week ADF studies (500 kcal fast day; alternated with an ad libitum intake feast day). Body weight decreased in premenopausal women (−4.6 ± 3.2%), postmenopausal women (−6.5 ± 3.2%) and men (−6.2 ± 4.4%) (main effect of time, P Conclusion These findings suggest that the weight loss and metabolic benefits of ADF do not generally vary according to sex or menopausal status in adults with obesity. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov , NCT00960505 ; NCT03528317 .
Generalized Grigorchuk’s overgroups as points in the space of marked 8-generated groups

First Grigorchuk group &#x1d4a2; and Grigorchuk’s overgroup &#x1d4a2;, introduced in 1980, are self-similar branch groups with intermediate growth. In 1984, &#x1d4a2; was used to construct the family of generalized Grigo...
Psychopharmacology of Williams syndrome: safety, tolerability, and effectiveness.

Introduction: Williams syndrome (WS) is a neurogenetic disorder characterized by a hyper-social personality, intellectual disability, and multiple medical co-morbidities. Psychiatric co-morbidities...
Weight Cycling and Knee Joint Degeneration in Individuals with Overweight or Obesity: Four-Year Magnetic Resonance Imaging Data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative.

Author(s): Joseph, Gabby B; Ramezanpour, Sara; McCulloch, Charles E; Nevitt, Michael C; Lynch, John; Lane, Nancy E; Pedoia, Valentina; Majumdar, Sharmila; Link, Thomas M | Abstract: ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to investigate the associations between weight cycling and knee joint degeneration in individuals with overweight or obesity with different patterns of weight change over 4nyears.MethodsA total of 2,271 individuals from the Osteoarthritis Initiative database were assessed (case-control study). Linear regression models using annual BMI measurements over 4nyears were used to classify participants as weight cyclers or noncyclers. 3-T magnetic resonance imaging was used to quantify knee cartilage transverse relaxation time (T2) and cartilage thickness annually over 4nyears in all subjects. Whole-Organ Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scores (WORMS) were obtained for cartilage, meniscus, and bone-marrow abnormalities in 958 subjects at baseline and at the 4-year follow-up. The longitudinal differences in cartilage T2 and thickness between weight cyclers and noncyclers were assessed using general estimating equations, whereas the differences in WORMS outcomes were compared using general linear models.ResultsNo significant differences in the rate of change of cartilage thickness or T2 were found between weight cyclers and noncyclers. However, increases in maximum cartilage WORMS (Pn=n0.0025) and bone-marrow abnormalities (Pn=n0.04) were significantly greater in weight cyclers than in noncyclers.ConclusionsAlthough participants' intent for weight cycling in this study was unknown, weight cyclers had significantly greater increases in cartilage and bone-marrow abnormalities over 4nyears than noncyclers, independent of weight gain and loss.
Mean field control problems for vaccine distribution

With the invention of the COVID-19 vaccine, shipping and distributing are crucial in controlling the pandemic. In this paper, we build a mean-field variational problem in a spatial domain, which controls the propagation of pandemic by the optimal transportation strategy of vaccine distribution. Here we integrate the vaccine distribution into the mean-field SIR model designed in our previous paper arXiv:2006.01249. Numerical examples demonstrate that the proposed model provides practical strategies in vaccine distribution on a spatial domain.
Comparing practice patterns and outcomes for early-stage hormone receptor-positive and node-positive breast cancer patients with high-intermediate-risk Oncotype Dx scores in the National Cancer Database.

e12520Background: Oncotype Dx (ODX) is a commercial diagnostic test primarily used to predict the likely benefit from chemotherapy in ER+, HER2-, and node negative breast cancer. The prognostic val...
Law as a Means to Human Flourishing: Law, Morality and Natural Law in Policy-Oriented Perspective

Odd as the pairing of Natural Law and a form of legal Realism may seem, a number of reasons make the choice quite relevant. First, although most accounts of New Haven’s debut as a legal theory trace it back to McDougal’s and Lasswell’s joint work on legal education reform reacting to Positivism, and to McDougal’s work on the relationship between law and power, reacting to Realpolitik, McDougal’s earliest published work on legal theory seems to have actually been his public diatribe against Natural Law philosopher Lon Fuller, sometimes even omitted in his bibliographies. It was a debate that impacted Policy-Oriented Jurisprudence in ways that set it apart from other post-realist movements. Second, the revival of Natural Law in the Twentieth Century coincided with the ascendency of legal Realism and the decline of Positivism after the Second World War, and produced a continuous exchange between the two movements – at times critical, at times constructive, informing McDougal’s theoretical understanding and sparking interest to this day. Third, both New Haven and Natural Law see law as necessarily embodying an overlap of power and morality to some extent. Lastly, the very theme of this volume highlights the academic and personal legacies of professors John and June Mary Makdisi. Recognizing their intelligent defense of moral reasoning in law – especially in the form of Natural Law, this volume honors them by fostering the exercise of such reasoning. In what follows, I first introduce what I take to be the two foundational insights of Policy-Oriented Jurisprudence, to wit: that law is a means that should be defined and studied from the perspective of the political superior or sovereign as inherently a type of decision made in social context that is ideally someone’s creative and rational choice. Second, I introduce New Haven’s distinction between theories of law and theories about law as framing its assessment of alternative legal theories, including Natural Law. Third, I explore Lasswell’s and McDougal’s attitude toward Natural Law, as well as the sources from which they derived their understanding of the tradition. Fourth, I describe New Haven’s critical assessment of Natural Law. In doing so, I consider Lasswell’s and McDougal’s indictment of Natural Law as lacking the intellectual tasks necessary for a rational jurisprudence, as well as engage with some of the challenges posed by the latter to New Haven. Lastly, I offer some concluding remarks on the most salient areas of agreement between the two Schools of jurisprudence.
Equal Moral Opportunity: A Solution to the Problem of Moral Luck

Many of our common-sense moral judgments seemingly imply the existence of moral luck. I attempt to avoid moral luck while retaining most of these judgments. I defend a view on which agents have mor...
O01.7 At Long Last: Genetic Engineering of Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum, the Syphilis Spirochete

Background The recently described method for in vitro cultivation of the syphilis agent, Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum (T. pallidum), paved the way to transformation experiments to genetically engineer this pathogen. The demonstration that genetically modified syphilis treponemes are attainable would represent a milestone in syphilis research, destined to revolutionize our approach to understand the mechanisms behind T. pallidum success as a pathogen. Here, for the first time in syphilis research, we describe a transformation protocol that successfully replaced the tprA (tp0009) pseudogene in the SS14 T. pallidum strain with a kanamycin resistance (kanR) cassette. Principal findings A suicide vector was constructed using the pUC57 plasmid backbone. In the vector, the kanR gene was cloned downstream of the tp0574 gene promoter. The tp0574prom-kanR cassette was then placed between two 1-Kbp homology arms identical to the sequences upstream and downstream of the tprA pseudogene. To induce homologous recombination of the arms into the T. pallidum chromosome, with resulting integration of the kanR cassette, in vitro-cultured SS14 strain spirochetes were exposed to the engineered vector resuspended in a transformation buffer and let recover for 24 hours before adding kanamycin-containing selective media. Integration of the kanR cassette was demonstrated by qualitative PCR, droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) and whole genome sequencing (WGS) of transformant treponemes propagated in vitro and in vivo. ddPCR analysis of RNA and mass spectrometry confirmed expression of the kanR message and protein in treponemes propagated in vitro. Moreover, tprA knockout (tprAko-SS14) treponemes grew in kanamycin concentrations that were 64 times higher than the MIC for the wild-type SS14 (wt-SS14) strain and in infected rabbits treated with kanamycin. Conclusion We demonstrated that genetic manipulation of T. pallidum is attainable. This discovery will allow the application of functional genomics to study syphilis pathogenesis and improve syphilis vaccine development.
The interplay of proficiency and study abroad experience on the prosody of L2 speech acts

Abstract Adopting Brazil’s (1997) prosodic framework, this study examined whether proficiency and study abroad experience impact second language (L2) English learners’ spoken production of speech acts. Twenty-four native English speakers and 64 Japanese learners of L2 English participated in the study. The L2 learner group was divided into three sub-groups: (1) high proficiency learners with study abroad (SA) experience (2) low proficiency learners with no SA experience, and (3) high proficiency learners without SA experience. Participants completed an oral discourse completion task that assessed their ability to produce two speech acts (requests and opinions) in high- and low-imposition situations. Prosodic features including intonation, pitch range, and sentence prominence were analyzed via PRAAT. The findings revealed a complex interplay between proficiency and SA experience on pragma-prosodic production. Implications suggest that SA may have the added benefit of providing the backdrop for authentic contextual functions of prosody in high- and low- imposition situations.
The Complex Relationship Between Quality and Resource Use Among Medicare Fee-for-Service Beneficiaries with Diabetes.

Abstract This study examines the relationship between Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set-based diabetes quality measures and resource use for evaluation and management (EM19:17–23)
Children and the Physical Environment

Bronfenbrenner's bioecological theory of child development provides the framework for this chapter. We present research that examines the role of the home environment in children's cognitive and socioemotional development. The child's experience in the home is a product of the child's abilities and personality, the opportunities to engage in meaningful interactions with objects and people in the home, and the physical characteristics of the home. It is this system, identified by Bronfenbrenner as a microsystem, of interactions that guide child development. Physical environmental attributes related to child developmental outcomes are crowding, privacy, noise, and housing quality.
The Semantical Definition of Programming Languages in Terms of Their Data Spaces

In this paper we extend the notion of data type with a control structure to define “data spaces” that are useful in describing semantical aspects of programming languages as well as properties of software systems. The latter, in fact, are included in the former, since a programming language usually serves as a vehicle for expressing something that a computer system does.
High resolution MRI evaluation of meniscal volume and anthropometric correlations.

The purpose of this study was to digitally determine meniscal volumes, and compare them with linear and surface area anthropometric measurements to evaluate these measurements for meniscal allograft sizing. Eighteen subjects (10 male and 8 female; mean age 37.5 years) underwent 3.0 T knee magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the dominant leg. The following morphometric measurements were evaluated: medial meniscal volume (MMV), lateral meniscal volume (LMV), tibial plateau width (TPW), width of the femoral condyles (WFC), and tibial plateau surface area (TPSA). MMV and LMV were compared to TPW, WFC, and TPSA. Meniscal volume and TPW were correlated to height and body-mass index (BMI) and stratified by gender. Statistical analysis included coefficient of determination (r2) between MRI-based MMV, LMV, TPW, TPSA, WFC, height, BMI, and gender. Significance was set at the P = 0.05 level. The mean MMV was 2275 mm3 and the mean LMV was 2102 mm3. TPW correlated well with meniscal volumes (r2 > 0.62). WFC and TPSA correlated with meniscal volumes in the range of 0.40 < r2 < 0.61. Height, BMI, and gender correlated poorly with total meniscal volume and TPW with values of r2 < 0.44. Medial and lateral menisci have statistically similar volumes. TPW had the greatest utility for volumetric meniscal sizing. MRI-based TPW can be considered as a statistically accurate measurement for determining meniscal volumes and meniscal size. Clin. Anat. 28:786–791, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Capítulo 5: Modelos Para La Organización Institucional De Los Programas Educativos Para Niños, Niñas Y Jóvenes Hospitalizados Y Que Viven Con Enfermedad

The importance of educational programs for children and young people who lives with illness.
Assay of Intrinsic Transcript Termination by E. Coli RNA Polymerase on Single-Stranded and Double-Stranded DNA Templates

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the principal techniques used for biochemical characterization of transcript termination. The chapter focuses on intrinsic termination by Escherichia coli (E. coli) RNA polymerase on double-stranded (dsDNA) and single-stranded (ssDNA) DNA templates. These methods can be easily adapted to study transcript termination of other RNA polymerases and factor-dependent termination, or extended to study aspects of transcript elongation. To study intrinsic termination of E. coli RNA polymerase, 5ʹ biotinylated linear dsDNA templates generated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using one 5ʹ biotinylated oligonucleotide and one unmodified oligonucleotide. The template contains a promoter and an intrinsic termination site. Two solid-phase transcription methods are developed to prepare transcript elongation complexes halted at a distinct position along the DNA template. Use of biotinylated templates provides an attractive alternative to using T4 polynucleotide kinase and [γ 32 P] ATP to radiolabel one of two oligonucleotides required to amplify a linear DNA template by PCR.
Mentorship: In Research, Practice, and Planning

This research examines literature from 1995-2007 involving youth mentorships in America. Mentor/National Mentoring partnership defi nes youth mentorship as a “structured and trusting relationship that brings young people together with caring individuals who offer guidance, support and encouragement aimed at developing the competence and character of the mentee” (2003). Over the past decade there has been a resurgence of youth mentoring as a way to provide support and encouragement to “at-risk” youth in America. My study of the literature involved defi ning the word mentor and fi nding the best practices used by mentor programs that create positive outcomes in youth and documenting the process of the mentor relationship. During my research I discovered that there is a lack of information specifi cally regarding African-American mentors matched with African-American mentees and the impacts that this has on the youth involved. In light of this gap in the research I have taken the information and created a model for a mentoring program based on researched “best practices” and recommendations from scholars concerning how to structure a mentor program. This program has been designed specifi cally for 25 African-American students, between the ages of 13-15 who will be paired with 25 African-American mentors who are undergraduates at Eastern Michigan University. This literature review and program design serves as the preliminary step for further research. INTRODUCTION Mentoring in America as a way to assist youth in positive growth has a long history. From the early 1900s until today, youth mentoring continues to be a positive way to provide youth with relationships with extra familial adults. Founded in 1910, Big Brothers, now known as Big
An RNA Research-based Advanced Biochemistry Laboratory Course: Design, Implementation, and Outcomes

Inquiry-based experiments are traditionally used in biochemistry laboratory courses to teach students a variety of biochemical concepts and techniques. These laboratory experiments are often comple...
Neural Network Discrimination in Intelligent Vibration Control

The overall goal of this study lies in the multi-mode structural vibration control for systems, based on spatial information. In order to accomplish this task, a neural network was designed to identify the shape of the dominant vibration mode by using properly located piezoelectric sensors. The network then chose a set of scaling gains for a fuzzy logic controller that had been optimally tuned for that particular mode’s shape. Next, a fuzzy logic controller was employed to control the vibratory system. The novel technique was experimentally verified on an aluminum cantilever beam system that was augmented with two lead zirconate titanate (PZT) actuators and two PZT sensors. The optimized control strategy was then compared to traditional fuzzy logic control. Finally the mass of the plant was increased by over a factor of 1.5 and the same controller was used to adequately stop vibration.
Delaware: Library automation and networking

The automation and networking of libraries in Delaware is moving rapidly. In 1991, Delaware conducted county‐ and state‐based pre‐conferences to the White House Conference on Library and Information Services. Following the White House Conference, the Delaware library community held a statewide planning conference, which produced “An Action Agenda for Delaware Libraries,” 15 concise resolutions to substantially improve Delaware libraries by the year 2000. The automation and networking of libraries was the Action Agenda's top priority.
Slow-cycle effects of foliar herbivory alter the nitrogen acquisition and population size of Collembola

Abstract In terrestrial systems there is a close relationship between litter quality and the activity and abundance of decomposers. Therefore, the potential exists for aboveground, herbivore-induced changes in foliar chemistry to affect soil decomposer fauna. These herbivore-induced changes in chemistry may persist across growing seasons. While the impacts of such slow-cycle, ‘legacy’ effects of foliar herbivory have some support aboveground, such impacts have not been evaluated for soil invertebrates. Here, we investigate legacy effects on Collembola population structure and nitrogen acquisition. We collected foliar material (greenfall) from trees that had, in the preceding season, been exposed to insect herbivory by leaf-chewing Lepidoptera. Collembola populations were grown with the greenfall in soil microcosms across 16 weeks. While there were only modest effects of herbivory on the greenfall mass loss, Collembola abundance and biomass after 8 weeks of greenfall exposure were approximately 2.5-fold greater in the controls. Given that Collembola biomass percentage nitrogen was relatively fixed, this translated to approximately 2.5-fold greater biomass nitrogen. The herbivore treatment decreased the absolute amount of Collembola biomass nitrogen derived from both greenfall and soil, and the relative contribution of litter nitrogen and soil nitrogen to Collembola biomass nitrogen was dependent on both the herbivory treatment and greenfall initial nitrogen. Our results show that slow-cycle, legacy effects of foliar herbivory may affect soil faunal population structure and nitrogen acquisition, demonstrating the potential for aboveground herbivory to influence belowground animal ecology and nitrogen cycling across multi-annual timescales.
Integration and QoS of multicast traffic in a server-rack fabric with 640 100g ports

Flexible datacenters rely on high-bandwidth server-rack fabrics to allocate their distributed computing and storage resources anywhere, anyhow, and anytime demanded. We describe the multicast architecture of a distributed server-rack fabric, which is arranged around a spine-leaf topology and connects 640 Ethernet ports running at 100G. To cope with the immense fabric speed, we resort to hierarchical, tree-based replication, facilitated by specially commissioned fabric-end ports. At each (port-to-port) leg of the tree, a frame copy is forwarded after a request-grant admission phase and is ACKed by the receiver. To save on bandwidth, we use a packet cache in our input-queued switching-nodes, which replicates asynchronously forwarded frames thus tolerating the variable-delay in the admission phase. Because the cache has limited size, we loosely synchronize the multicast subflows to protect the cache from thrashing. We describe our policies for lossy classes, which segregate and provide fair treatment to multicast subflows. Finally, we show that industry-standard Level2 congestion control does not adapt well to one-to-many flows, and demonstrate that the methods that we implement achieve the best performance.
Mechanical properties of T-111 at low to intermediate temperatures☆

Abstract The overall objective of this study was to determine allowable design stresses for the solid-solution-strengthened alloy T-111 (Ta–8W–2Hf) to be used in a space power application at 300–650 °C. Tensile tests were conducted from 25 to 1100 °C and creep tests were conducted from 500 to 1171 °C. The allowable long-term stress intensity for T-111 was found to be about 180 MPa up to 850 °C; at higher temperatures the allowable stress intensity must be reduced because of creep. However, a single creep mechanism cannot predict creep rate over the entire temperature range of this study.
Similarity structure in visual speech perception and optical phonetic signals

A complete understanding of visual phonetic perception (lipreading) requires linking perceptual effects to physical stimulus properties. However, the talking face is a highly complex stimulus, affording innumerable possible physical measurements. In the search for isomorphism between stimulus properties and phonetic effects, second-order isomorphism was examined between the perceptual similarities of video-recorded perceptually identified speech syllables and the physical similarities among the stimuli. Four talkers produced the stimulus syllables comprising 23 initial consonants followed by one of three vowels. Six normal-hearing participants identified the syllables in a visual-only condition. Perceptual stimulus dissimilarity was quantified using the Euclidean distances between stimuli in perceptual spaces obtained via multidimensional scaling. Physical stimulus dissimilarity was quantified using face points recorded in three dimensions by an optical motion capture system. The variance accounted for in the relationship between the perceptual and the physical dissimilarities was evaluated using both the raw dissimilarities and the weighted dissimilarities. With weighting and the full set of 3-D optical data, the variance accounted for ranged between 46% and 66% across talkers and between 49% and 64% across vowels. The robust second-order relationship between the sparse 3-D point representation of visible speech and the perceptual effects suggests that the 3-D point representation is a viable basis for controlled studies of first-order relationships between visual phonetic perception and physical stimulus attributes.
Design of orthogonal coded excitation for synthetic aperture imaging in ultrasound systems

This paper presents a new digital front-end architecture for synthetic aperture ultrasound (SAU) imaging using orthogonal chirps and orthogonal Golay codes. Compared to existing systems that perform decoding before beamforming, the proposed systems have comparable performance and significantly lower computation and space complexity. Unfortunately the proposed systems suffer loss in performance in the presence of body motion. To address this problem, we propose a simple motion compensation scheme that improves both the SNR and the RSLL performance. A comparison of the complexity of both the systems shows that while Golay code-based system has lower computation complexity than chirp-based system, if motion compensation is included, then the complexity of the two systems are comparable.
Follicular assembly: mechanisms of action

The differentiation of primordial germ cells (PGCs) into functional oocytes is important for the continuation of species. In mammals, PGCs begin to differentiate into oocytes during embryonic development. Oocytes develop in clusters called germ line cysts. During fetal or neonatal development, germ cell cysts break apart into single oocytes that become surrounded by pregranulosa cells to form primordial follicles. During the process of cyst breakdown, a subset of cells in each cyst undergoes cell death with only one-third of the initial number of oocytes surviving to form primordial follicles. The mechanisms that control cyst breakdown, oocyte survival, and follicle assembly are currently under investigation. This review describes the mechanisms that have been implicated in the control of primordial follicle formation, which include programmed cell death regulation, growth factor and other signaling pathways, regulation by transcription factors and hormones, meiotic progression, and changes in cell adhesion. Elucidation of mechanisms leading to formation of the primordial follicle pool will help research efforts in ovarian biology and improve treatments of female infertility, premature ovarian failure, and reproductive cancers.