cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Deep Inspiration and the Emergence of Ventilation Defects during Bronchoconstriction: A Computational Study

Deep inspirations (DIs) have a dilatory effect on airway smooth muscle (ASM) that helps to prevent or reduce more severe bronchoconstriction in healthy individuals. However, this bronchodilation appears to fail in some asthmatic patients or under certain conditions, and the reason is unclear. Additionally, quantitative effects of the frequency and magnitude of DIs on bronchodilation are not well understood. In the present study, we used a computational model of bronchoconstriction to study the effects of DI volumes, time intervals between intermittent DIs, relative speed of ASM constriction, and ASM activation on bronchoconstriction and the emergence of ventilation defects (VDefs). Our results showed a synergistic effect between the volume of DIs and the time intervals between them on bronchoconstriction and VDefs. There was a domain of conditions with sufficiently large volumes of DIs and short time intervals between them to prevent VDefs. Among conditions without VDefs, larger volumes of DIs resulted in greater airway dilation. Similarly, the time interval between DIs, during which the activated ASM re-constricts, affected the amplitude of periodic changes in airway radii. Both the relative speed of ASM constriction and ASM activation affected what volume of DIs and what time interval between them could prevent the emergence of VDefs. In conclusion, quantitative characteristics of DIs, such as their volume and time interval between them, affect bronchoconstriction and may contribute to difficulties in asthma. Better understanding of the quantitative aspects of DIs may result in novel or improved therapeutic approaches.
The Power of Procedure and the Procedures of the Powerful: Anti-Terror Law in the United Nations

This research attempts to answer the question: to what extent do institutional procedures matter in shaping international organization policies? Little empirical evidence has been applied to the question, in part because structural forces predominate in most theories and because it is difficult empirically to isolate the procedural variable. The UN's response to the 11 September 2001 attacks, in the context of its treatment of the terrorism issue generally, allows us to compare and contrast the response of the Security Council and the General Assembly's Sixth Committee. While the case makes it clear that structural forces have influenced the choice of procedures in both bodies over their histories, it is also clear that exogenous shocks and the search for creative policies by major powers can cause dramatic shifts in institutional procedures. In particular, the events of 11 September created a unique opening for the United States and other Western powers to attempt a radical revision of anti-terror law. This could be done most efficiently through the Security Council by use of procedural provisions that were either dormant or only recently revitalized. Efforts to cement a consensus in the GA Sixth Committee quickly ran aground against age-old questions of the definition and scope of terrorism against the backdrop of norms on occupation and self-determination. The research should rekindle interest in procedural issues and the problem of forum shopping'.
Treatment of a permeable non-conducting medium with the EMI-BOR program

Near field (~1 m) electromagnetic induction (EMI) sensing, from 10's of Hz up to 100's of kHz, has shown significant success in detecting subsurface metallic targets. However, the discrimination of buried unexploded ordinance (UXO) from innocuous objects still remains a challenging and very expensive problem. The problem is particularly complicated in many field surveys where the data are highly contaminated with noise and clutter. In EMI data the noise and clutter are generated by the sensor, surrounding media (magnetic soil), sensor operation (motion and rotation) etc. Understanding and taking into account noise associated with the ambient environment are particularly important for developing a new generation of geological electromagneticc induction sensors as well for identification and discrimination of UXO. To address these critical issues, this paper investigates EMI scattering from a highly permeable and conducting objects subject to the state of the art of sensors placed in an infinite permeable non-conducting medium. The numerical calculation is done via the method of auxiliary sources combined with thin skin depth approximation algorithm (MAS-MAS/TSA). Using the image theory, the formulation is extended for magnetic half spaces. First the accuracy of the proposed method is checked against available analytical data for a sphere. Then several numerical results are shown and analyzed to assess the permeable soils effect on object responses, including object-soil surface interation effects and surface roughness effects. Ultimately, a user friendly EMI body of revolution code is put forward that combines these two features. It is available in the public domain, for the solution of EMI problems with single and multi (heterogeneous) objects buried inside an infinite magnetic space or in magnetic half space, subject to state of the art of sensor excitation. The code produces results in both time and frequency domains.
Reading Recovery in the United States: What Difference Does it Make to an Age Cohort?

Reading Recovery, a program in which teachers tutor first graders, has been implemented extensively in the United States over the past decade. This review summarizes seven aspects of the available data from Reading Recovery in the United States: (a) nature of the reading tasks, (b) characteristics of tutees, (c) student accomplishments as first graders, (d) maintenance of student accomplishments through Grade 4, (e) student-teacher ratio, (f) cost-effectiveness, and (g) teacher effectiveness and retention.
Virtual Reality Technology - An Introduction

This tutorial is intended for those new to the VR/VE field. It will present topics related to Input Devices (such as and Gesture Interfaces), Output Devices (such as Haptic Displays and auto-stereoscopic displays), Computing Architectures for VR, Modeling of virtual objects, VR Programming issues, Human Factors in VR (user performance evaluations and cybersickness) and VR Applications. The tutorial is based on the textbook published by the Instructor and class slides from his courses at Rutgers University.
COUP-TF upregulates NGFI-A gene expression through an Sp1 binding site.

The formation of various tissues requires close communication between two groups of cells, epithelial and mesenchymal cells. COUP-TFs are transcription factors which have been shown to have functions in embryonic development. COUP-TFI is expressed mainly in the nervous system, and its targeted deletion leads to defects in the central and peripheral nervous systems. COUP-TFII is highly expressed in the mesenchymal component of the developing organs. A null mutation of COUP-TFII results in the malformation of the heart and blood vessels. From their expression pattern, we proposed that COUP-TFs regulate paracrine signals important for mesenchymal cell-epithelial cell interactions. In order to identify genes regulated by COUP-TF in this process, a rat urogenital mesenchymal cell line was stably transfected with a COUP-TFI expression vector. We found that NGFI-A, a gene with important functions in brain, organ, and vasculature development, has elevated mRNA and protein levels upon overexpression of COUP-TFI in these cells. A study of the promoter region of this gene identified a COUP-TF-responsive element between positions −64 and −46. Surprisingly, this region includes binding sites for members of the Sp1 family of transcription factors but no COUP-TF binding site. Mutations that abolish the Sp1 binding activity also impair the transactivation of the NGFI-A promoter by COUP-TF. Two regions of the COUP-TF molecule are shown to be important for NGFI-A activation: the DNA binding domain and the extreme C terminus of the putative ligand binding domain. The C-terminal region is likely to be important for interaction with coactivators. In fact, the coactivators p300 and steroid receptor activator 1 can enhance the transactivation of the NGFI-A promoter induced by COUP-TFI. Finally, we demonstrated that COUP-TF can directly interact with Sp1. Taken together, these results suggest that NGFI-A is a target gene for COUP-TFs and that the Sp1 family of transcription factors mediates its regulation by COUP-TFs.
Replication-Defective Adenovirus Serotype 5 Vectors Elicit Durable Cellular and Humoral Immune Responses in Nonhuman Primates

The magnitude and durability of immune responses induced by replication-defective adenovirus serotype 5 (ADV5) vector-based vaccines were evaluated in the simian-human immunodeficiency virus/rhesus monkey model. A single inoculation of recombinant ADV5 vector constructs induced cellular and humoral immunity, but the rapid generation of neutralizing anti-Ad5 antibodies limited the immunity induced by repeated vector administration. The magnitude and durability of the immune responses elicited by these vaccines were greater when they were delivered as boosting immunogens in plasmid DNA-primed monkeys than when they were used as single-modality immunogens. Therefore, administration of ADV5-based vectors in DNA-primed subjects may be a preferred use of this vaccine modality for generating long-term immune protection.
Using polynomial equations to model pitch contour shape in lexical tones: an example from Green Mong

Tone is usually described by starting height and direction of movement, but in languages with a crowded tonal space, multiple tones can have similar contours. Even in languages with few tones, details of contour shape may be used by listeners for tone identification. This study examines the effectiveness of using coefficients from polynomial equations to explore small differences in pitch contour shape and to convey this information for statistical analysis. Pitch contours for three tones from Green Mong are used as test cases. All three tones have low falling contours, but each has a distinctive phonation type. Using coefficients, large numbers of tokens can be compared to find consistencies in contour shape within tone categories and differences across categories. Discriminant analyses using the coefficients as predictor variables show that all three tones can be identified at levels well above chance using pitch contour shape alone. Quadratic coefficients improve classification rates over linear coefficients. The results also suggest that phonation type plays the largest role in identifying creaky tones in Green Mong. This technique should prove useful for analysis and synthesis of pitch contours. It seems particularly useful for examining details of contour shape in languages with a crowded tonal space.
Continuing Education in Ethical Decision Making Using Case Studies From Medical Social Work

Medical social workers have needs for training in ethics that is specific to dilemmas that arise while providing service to patients who are very ill, mentally compromised, or in a terminal condition. A social work department developed a continuing education training to educate social workers in bioethics related to determining decisional capacity and understanding standards of ethical decision making. Case studies are used to illustrate ethical conflicts and the role of social workers in resolving them. The benefits of case study training are discussed.
Critical evaluation of handheld electronic prescribing guides for physicians

Handheld electronic prescribing guides (i.e., ePocrates) are widely relied upon by physicians for drug selection and dosage, yet such software products currently lack independent assessment. Methods A world-wide web search identified software products that provide comprehensive prescribing guidance for physicians, run on handheld computers, are regularly updated, and screen for drug-drug interactions. To evaluate these products, a novel rating scale was developed with six categories (points): up-to-datedness (4), drug indications and dosage (8), side effects (8), drug-drug interactions (8), nutritional supplements (2), and additional features (8). A battery of drugs and nutritional supplements was then used to score each prescribing guide using the rating scale. Results Eleven software products fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The mean total score was 22 out of 38 (range: 15–28, figure). On average, prescribing guides scored highest in drug dosage and up-to-datedness, and lowest in side effects and nutritional supplements. The most common errors were omission of contraindications and side effects. All prescribing guides missed at least one potentially life-threatening drug-drug interaction. Conclusion Significant variation exists in the quality of prescribing guides, primarily in the areas of side effects, nutritional supplements and drug-drug interactions. Given the rate of clinically significant errors, physicians should not rely on one electronic prescribing guide alone. (See Figure) (See Table I) (See Table II) Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2004) 75, P92–P92; doi: 10.1016/j.clpt.2003.11.352 Figure 1. Download figure to PowerPoint Table 1. CP OnHand ePocrates Lexi-Drugs mobileMDX mobilePDR Update Frequency 4 3 3 3 3 Indication and Dosage 8 5 7 5 6 Side Effects 5 4 8 5 2 Drug-Drug Interactions 7 5 8 4 2 Nutritional Suppl. 1 2 0 2 0 Special Features 1 4 2 0 2 Table 2. ePharmacopoeia A2z Drugs™ PDR Drugs™ SClineRx™ DrDrugs™ Pepid PDC Update Frequency 2 3 3 3 3 2 Indication and Dosage 5 5 5 5 5 6 Side Effects 4 6 7 1 4 2 Drug-Drug Interactions 6 6 6 6 6 7 Nutritional Suppl. 1 0 0 0 2 2 Special Features 5 3 2 2 1 3
Physical Analysis and Scaling of a Jet and Vortex Actuator

Our previous studies have shown that the Jet and Vortex Actuator generates free-jet, wall-jet, and near-wall vortex flow fields. That is, the actuator can be operated in different modes by simply varying the driving frequency and/or amplitude. For this study, variations are made in the actuator plate and wide-slot widths and sine/asymmetrical actuator plate input forcing (drivers) to further study the actuator induced flow fields. Laser sheet flow visualization, particle-image velocimetry, and laser velocimetry are used to measure and charactrerize the actuator induced flow fields. Laser velocimetry measurements indicate that the vortex strength increases with the driver reptition rate for a fixed actuator geometry (wide slot and plate width). For a given driver repetition rate, the vortex strength increases as the plate width decreases provided the wide-slot to plate-width ratio is fixed. Using an asymmetric plate driver, a stronger vortex is generated for the same actuator geometry and a given driver repetition rate. The nondimensional scaling provides the approximate ranges for operating the actuator in the free jet, wall jet, or vortex flow regimes. Finally, phase-locked velocity measurements from particle image velocimetry indicate that the vortex structure is stationary, confirming previous computations. Both the computations and the particle image velocimetry measurements (expectantly) show unsteadiness near the wide-slot opening, which is indicative of mass ejection from the actuator.
Student nurse attrition: A half century of research

This descriptive literature review examines 50 years of research related to student nurse attrition within nursing education programs. Retention, attrition, drop-out, stop-out, and wastage are terms used over the decades to describe student nurse progress. The objective of the literature review was to identify and accept this global issue, review the evidence, and to identify potential gaps in the literature. An extensive literature review within multiple databases rendered multidimensional interrelated factors involving: The student nurse, learning environment and nurse educator, and clinical placement; yet the issue of student attrition persists. There may be another factor to consider: Policy. What influence does policy have on student nurse retention and attrition? This study examined current research evidence related to nursing student attrition and discusses layers of policy embedded in nursing education programs. Nursing program progression policies and non-uniform grading policies can be factors of students’ failure to progress.
The biochemistry, diagnosis, and treatment of nitrate toxicity.

The biochemistry, diagnosis, and treatment of methemoglobinemia. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the American Medical Association.
Modeling air passengers’ rescheduling strategies for airport service lines based on an empirical study with the aid of a virtual 3-D computer graphic environment

This study investigates the rescheduling behavior of pedestrians using airport services based on air passengers’ socio-demographic information and environmental attributes of the airport. It is a part of an overall project involving the development of an intermodal simulator for analyzing pedestrian traffic within intermodal facilities, which requires an understanding of pedestrian behavior. This paper presents a Multinomial Logit (MNL) model for simulating the rescheduling decision making behavioral responses of air passengers. A stated preference survey incorporating the use of a virtual 3D computer-graphic model is employed for data collection. The resulting data is then used for model estimation and validation. The empirical results show that the MNL model is able to predict air passengers’ rescheduling strategies.
COALESCENT COMMUNITIES: SETTLEMENT AGGREGATION AND SOCIAL INTEGRATION IN IROQUOIAN ONTARIO

This paper explores processes of settlement aggregation among ancestral Huron-Wendat populations in south-central Ontario, Canada. During the fifteenth century A.D., numerous small communities came together, forming large, fortified village aggregates. In order to understand these processes a multiscalar analytical approach was combined with a con ceptual framework emphasizing cross-cultural perspectives on coalescent societies, the archaeology of communities, and historical trajectories of societal change. Regional settlement data are presented to illustrate the movement and increas ing size of settlements. In order to determine how individual coalescent communities were formed and maintained, a sin gle village relocation sequence is examined in detail. This sequence illustrates how people constructed, inhabited, and negotiated domestic and public spaces in these new community aggregates. Detailed analyses of the occupational histories of these sites point to the creation of new community-based identities, corporate decision-making structures, and increas ing social integration over time. The results of this study demonstrate that while settlement aggregation can be documented at the regional level, only detailed intrasite analyses can identify the small-scale changes in practice that reflect the lived experience of coalescence. Este trabajo explora los procesos de asentamiento agregado entre las poblaciones ancestrales Huron en el centro-sur de Onta rio, Canada. Durante el siglo XV de nuestra era, se unieron numerosas comunidades pequenas, formando grandes agrega dos, con pueblos fortificados. Con el fin de documentar y teorizar este proceso se utilizo un enfoque de analisis de escala multiple, junto con un marco conceptual haciendo hincapie en las perspectivas interculturales en las sociedades coalescen tes, la arqueologia de las comunidades y las trayectorias historicas de cambio social. Los datos regionales de solucion se pre sentan para ilustrar el creciente tamano y movimiento hacia el norte a finales de los asentamientos de pre-contacto. Con el fin de determinar como las comunidades individuales coalescentes se forman y se mantienen, se realiza una secuencia unica de reubicacion del pueblo, y se examinan los detalles de como las personas construyen, habitan y negocian los espacios domes ticos y publicos en estos agregados de una nueva comunidad. Se realiza un analisis detallado de las historias laborales de estos sitios, las cuales apuntan a la creacion de nuevas identidades basadas en la comunidad, las empresas de toma de deci siones y el aumento de la integracion social a traves del tiempo. Los resultados de este estudio demuestran que, si bien los asentamientos de agregacion pueden ser documentados a nivel regional, solo se detallan los analisis dentro del sitio en donde se pueden identificar los cambios a pequena escala en la practica, los cuales reflejan la experiencia vivida en coalescencia o asentamientos agregados.
Splitting of absorptance peaks in absorbing multilayer backed by a periodically corrugated metallic reflector

The excitation of modes of an open-face slab waveguide by light incident on a thin-film photovoltaic solar cell with a periodically corrugated metal backreflector is indicated by peaks in the absorptance spectrum. An absorptance peak due to the excitation of a waveguide mode (WGM) can split as the corrugation depth increases. The splitting can be explained in terms of the wavenumbers of the WGMs of two open-face slab waveguides with different thicknesses of the semiconductor layer. The splitting of short-wavelength peaks occurs for smaller corrugation depths than the splitting of long-wavelength peaks, suggesting that the corrugations need not be very deep for optimal absorption of solar photons.
Three kinds of food colony of the total number of testing methods

Objective:Comparison of the total number of food microbiology test method for determination of colony: plate colony count method,the total number of colony-chip-verification test methods and test TTC medium effect,raising the total number of food samples tested colonies sensitivity and detection rate.Methods: We follow the national standard plate colony counting,colony Count Plate method testing methods as well as general nutrition agar were 1% of the radical addition trityl tetrazolium chloride(TTC) indicator,so that colony color,which will sample colonies residue particles separate in order to enhance the number sentenced to accuracy and reliability of the results.Results: We measured 142 samples,flat colony count pass 125 test method,the total number of test pieces France colony train qualified 122,TTC medium Act 117 compliance.Conclusion: No significant difference in three methods to TTC agar within a certain range has the best sensitivity and detection rate.
Study on Current Situation of Health Behavior and Health Knowledge of Students in Migrant Children Schools

Objective To study the current status of health behavior and health knowledge of the students in migrant children schools,and to research its influencing factors. Methods With a cluster stratified sampling method,966 students of migrant children schools were investigated by questionnaires.Through evaluating their answers,we researched the discrepancies based on the factors of gender,the type of school,the only one child or not and type of houses. Results The average scores of health behavior and health knowledge were(45.17±4.47) and(28.95±4.87) points,and there were statistically significant differences in various groups.The levels of health behavior and health knowledge in the students of migrant children schools were lower than those of ones in council schools,and moreover,the levels of migrant school students were lower than those of local ones. Conclusions The migrant children are the vulnerable groups,health education and health behavior intervention should be enhanced among them.
Decreased beige adipocyte number and mitochondrial respiration coincide with reduced FGF21 gene expression in Sprague Dawley rats fed prenatal low protein and postnatal high fat diets

We have shown that protein malnutrition during fetal growth followed bypostnatal high-fat diets results in a rapid increase in subcutaneous adiposetissue mass in the offspring contributing to devel...
EFFECT OF PREQUENCY AND OVERLOADING ON CORROSION FATIGUE CRACK INITIATION LIFE

Effect of loading frequency and overloading on corrosion fatigue crack initiation (CFCI) life of notched aluminum alloy LY12CZ specimens in 3.5% NaCI solution were investigated. The frequency had no considerable effect on the CFCI life at the frequency range from 10 Hz to 1 Hz. Tension overloads prolonged the CFCI life, especially in the longer life range. The overloads increased the CFCI threshold value considerably, but had less effect on the CFCI resistance coefficient. The CFCI threshold was in proportion to the strain value at the notch roots caused by overloads. Based on analysis of the experimental results a CFCI life expression, which revealed the quantitative effect of overloading, was put forward. The mechanism of overloading effect was discussed.
Reconciling Religion and LGBT Rights: Christian Universities, Theological Orientations, and LGBT Inclusion

Why do some Christian colleges and universities approve lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) groups and inclusive nondiscrimination policies while others resist them? Scholars are beginni...
Bacteriology of acute pelvic inflammatory disease: Suboptimal survival of Neisseria gonorrhoeae in a nonbuffered transport system

In our earlier study, Neisseria gonorrhoeae was infrequently isolated while Bacteroides fragilis was totally absent from cul-de-sac aspirates of patients with acute pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). Twenty additional women were studied to further elucidate the bacteriology of this disease. Recovery rate of N. gonorrhoeae from cul-de-sac aspirates collected in selective transport medium (Transgrow) was 25 per cent among patients with gonococcal PID, compared to only 8 per cent when specimens were collected in a nonselective transport system (Anaport). In vitro studies confirmed a detrimental effect of the Anaport for survival of N. gonorrhoeae during transport. This suboptimal survival was primarily related to low pH of the transport system under prereduced conditions, and could be corrected when pH of the transport vial was preadjusted and maintained between 6 and 7. B. fragilis was again absent from the cul-de-sac in all patients, while streptococci, peptococci, and peptostreptococci remained the most predominant isolates. These data may explain the empiric observations that penicillin and tetracycline are effective in most cases of acute PID.
Regression test selection for Android applications

Mobile platform pervades human life, and much research in recent years has focused on improving the reliability of mobile applications on this platform, for example by applying automatic testing. However, researchers have primarily considered testing of single version of mobile applications. Although regression testing has been extensively studied for desktop applications, the approaches for desktop applications cannot be directly applied to mobile applications. Our approach leverages the combination of static impact analysis and dynamic code coverage information, and identifies a subset of test cases for re-execution on the modified app version. We implement our approach for Android apps, and illustrate its usefulness based on an Android application.
A 16/32 Gb/s Dual-Mode NRZ/PAM4 SerDes in 65nm CMOS

A dual-mode NRZ/PAM4 SerDes seamlessly supports both modulations with a 1-FIR- and 2-IIR-tap DFE receiver and a 4/2-tap FFE transmitter in NRZ/PAM4 modes, respectively. A source-series-terminated (SST) transmitter employs lookup-table (LUT) control of a 31-segment output DAC to implement FFE equalization in NRZ and PAM4 modes with 1.2Vpp output swing and utilizes low-overhead analog impedance control. Optimization of the quarter-rate transmitter serializer is achieved with a tri-state inverterbased mux with dynamic pre-driver gates. The quarter-rate DFE receiver achieves efficient equalization with 1-FIR tap for the large first post-cursor ISI and 2-IIR taps for long-tail ISI cancellation. Fabricated in GP 65-nm CMOS, the transceiver occupies 0.074 mm2 area and achieves power efficiencies of 10.9 and 5.5 mW/Gbps with 16Gb/s NRZ and 32Gb/s PAM4 data, respectively.
Summer ozone in the northern Front Range metropolitan area: weekend–weekday effects, temperature dependences, and the impact of drought

Abstract. Contrary to most regions in the US, ozone in the northern Front Range metropolitan area (NFRMA) of Colorado was either stagnant or increasing between 2000 and 2015, despite substantial reductions in NOx emissions. We used available long-term ozone and NOx data in the NFRMA to investigate these trends. Ozone increased from weekdays to weekends for a number of sites in the NFRMA with weekend reductions in NO2 at two sites in downtown Denver, indicating that the region was in a NOx-saturated ozone production regime. The stagnation and increases in ozone in the NFRMA are likely due to a combination of decreasing NOx emissions in a NOx-saturated environment and increased anthropogenic volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions in the NFRMA. Further investigation of the weekend–weekday effect showed that the region outside of the most heavily trafficked Denver area was transitioning to peak ozone production towards NOx-limited chemistry. This transition implies that continued NOx decreases will result in ozone being less sensitive to changes in either anthropogenic or biogenic VOC reactivity in the NFRMA. In contrast to anthropogenic VOCs, biogenic VOCs are unlikely to have increased in the NFRMA between 2000 and 2015, but are temperature dependent and likely vary by drought year. Ozone in the NFRMA has a temperature dependence, albeit smaller than many other US locations, consistent with biogenic VOC contributions to ozone production in the region. We show that while ozone increased with temperature in the NFRMA, which is consistent with a NOx-saturated regime coupled to temperature-dependent VOCs, this relationship is suppressed in drought years. We attribute this drought year suppression to decreased biogenic isoprene emissions due to long-term drought stress. Thus, while anthropogenic NOx and VOCs likely dominate ozone production regimes in the NFRMA, biogenic VOCs may also impact regional ozone and its temperature dependence.
7-Methyl-1H-indole-2,3-dione

The title compound, C9H7NO2, has a single mol­ecule in the asymmetric unit, with the non-H atoms possessing a mean deviation from planarity of 0.034 A. In the crystal, the mol­ecules dimerize through pairs of N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds. The nine-membered rings of the isatins stack along the b axis, through parallel slipped π–π inter­actions [inter­centroid distance = 3.8832 (4) A, inter­planar distance = 3.4038 (7) A and slippage = 1.8690 (12) A].
Subjectivity of Diamond Prices in Online Retail: Insights from a Data Mining Study

Diamonds belong to a unique product category whose perceived value is largely dependent on socially constructed beliefs. To explore the degree to which the physical properties of a diamond can be used to predict the diamond price, we perform data mining on a large dataset of loose diamonds scraped from an online diamond retailer. We find that diamond weight, color and clarity are the key characteristics that influence diamond prices. The data mining results also suggest a high degree of subjectivity in diamond pricing that may reflect price obfuscation strategies employed by diamond retailers.
On Merton’s “History” and “Systematics” of Sociological Theory

Asked to assess the current state of the historiography of sociology, the pro-historicist, anti-Whiggish historian of social science is (perhaps inevitably, and surely ironically) tempted to indulge himself in precisely that sort of account of linear progress from past sins to present salvation against which his historicist principles would otherwise inveigh. Where scholarly scruples intervene, however, the redemptive struggle rather appears as frought with constant backsliding, and milennarian optimism would be totally irresponsible.
Estimation of Muscle Force Based on Neural Drive in a Hemispheric Stroke Survivor

Robotic assistant-based therapy holds great promise to improve the functional recovery of stroke survivors. Numerous neural-machine interface techniques have been used to decode the intended movement to control robotic systems for rehabilitation therapies. In this case report, we tested the feasibility of estimating finger extensor muscle forces of a stroke survivor, based on the decoded descending neural drive through population motoneuron discharge timings. Motoneuron discharge events were obtained by decomposing high-density surface electromyogram (sEMG) signals of the finger extensor muscle. The neural drive was extracted from the normalized frequency of the composite discharge of the motoneuron pool. The neural-drive-based estimation was also compared with the classic myoelectric-based estimation. Our results showed that the neural-drive-based approach can better predict the force output, quantified by lower estimation errors and higher correlations with the muscle force, compared with the myoelectric-based estimation. Our findings suggest that the neural-drive-based approach can potentially be used as a more robust interface signal for robotic therapies during the stroke rehabilitation.
Spatial control of cell envelope biosynthesis in mycobacteria

The mycobacterial cell envelope is a complex multilayered structure that provides the strength to the rod-shaped cell and creates the permeability barrier against antibiotics and host immune attack. In this review, we will discuss the spatial coordination of cell envelope biosynthesis and how plasma membrane compartmentalization plays a role in this process. The spatial organization of cell envelope biosynthetic enzymes as well as other membrane-associated proteins is crucial for cellular processes such as polar growth and midcell septum formation. We will highlight metabolic enzymes involved in the localized biosynthesis of envelope components such as peptidoglycan, arabinogalactan and outer/inner membrane lipids. The known and potential roles of cytoskeletal and coiled coil proteins in driving subcellular protein localization will also be summarized. Finally, we provide a comprehensive overview of known lateral heterogeneities in mycobacterial plasma membrane, with a particular focus on the intracellular membrane domain, recently revealed by biochemical fractionation and fluorescence microscopy. We consider how this dynamic and multifunctional membrane microdomain contributes to the subcellular localization of membrane proteins and spatially restricted cell envelope biosynthesis in mycobacteria.
Big Five personality relationships with general intelligence and specific Cattell-Horn-Carroll factors of intelligence

Abstract Objective Though relationships among Big Five personality traits and general intelligence have been found consistently, less is known of how personality traits relate to specific factors of intelligence. The present study examined relationships between Big Five personality traits on the NEO Personality Inventory-Revised (NEO-PI-R; Costa & McCrae, 1992) and g-residualized scores of the seven factors of the Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) model on the Woodcock-Johnson-III (WJ-III; Mather & Woodcock, 2001). Method College students referred to a learning disorders clinic were assessed with a comprehensive neuropsychological battery that involved cognitive, achievement, and personality testing. The sample was culled for failure on a sensitive effort measure (Word Memory Test; Green, 2003), leaving 140 participants. Results Openness (O) accounted for significant variance in all seven WJ-III IQ factors with the O-crystallized intelligence (Gc) relationship being strongest and all other personality-IQ relationships being small. However, using residualized scores to remove common intellectual variance showed that Openness related only to Gc while Extraversion related to both processing speed and Gc. Conclusions The role that personality plays in the specific aspects of CHC factors of intellectual test performance is discussed in the context of learning difficulties in college students.
Distributionally robust simple integer recourse

The simple integer recourse (SIR) function of a decision variable is the expectation of the integer round-up of the shortage/surplus between a random variable with a known distribution and the decision variable. It is the integer analogue of the simple (continuous) recourse function in two-stage stochastic linear programming. Structural properties and approximations of SIR functions have been extensively studied in the seminal works of van der Vlerk and coauthors. We study a distributionally robust SIR function (DR-SIR) that considers the worst-case expectation over a given family of distributions. Under the assumption that the distribution family is specified by its mean and support, we derive a closed form analytical expression for the DR-SIR function. We also show that this nonconvex DR-SIR function can be represented using a mixed-integer second-order conic program.
Kernel Methods for Regression Analysis of Microbiome Compositional Data

With the development of next generation sequencing technologies, the human microbiome can now be studied using direct DNA sequencing. Many human diseases have been shown to be associated with the disorder of the human microbiome. Previous statistical methods for associating the microbiome composition with an outcome such as disease status focus on the association of the abundance of individual taxon or their abundance ratios with the outcome variable. However, the problem of multiple testing leads to loss of power to detect the association. When individual taxon-level association test fails, an overall test, which pools the individually weak association signal, can be applied to test the significance of the effect of the overall microbiome composition on an outcome variable. In this paper, we propose a kernel-based semi-parametric regression method for testing the significance of the effect of the microbiome composition on a continuous or binary outcome. Our method provides the flexibility to incorporate the phylogenetic information into the kernels as well as the ability to naturally adjust for the covariate effects. We evaluate our methods using simulations as well as a real data set on testing the significance of the human gut microbiome composition on body mass index (BMI) while adjusting for total fat intake. Our result suggests that the gut microbiome has a strong effect on BMI and this effect is independent of total fat intake.
Beyond Direct Instruction: Educational Leadership in the Elementary School Classroom.

The instructional imperatives of the principalship demand a knowledge of more than the direct instruction model. Changing the role of the direct instruction model from an instructional methodology ...
Developmental Expression of Glucose Transporters, Glut1 and Glut3, in Postnatal Rat Brain

Glucose is the predominant fuel for the developing, as well as the adult brain under physiologic conditions. However, cerebral energy requirements of most mammals are quite low at birth, reflective of the immaturity of the central nervous system at this stage of development. Several studies have reported values for cerebral glucose utilization in the fetal and newborn rat brain to be 10-30% of the adult value (3-5), although it is somewhat higher in the brain stem and other structures such as the thalamus (6, 8).
Identification of a multienzyme complex synthesizing fatty acids in the actinomycete Streptomyces erythreus

Abstract The streptomycetes have a bacterial-type cell wall and a mycelial growth habit. Although the exact taxonomic relationship to yeasts or fungi and the bacteria is unknown, a great similarity to bacteria is assumed. Streptomyces erythreus CA340 (Abbott) is found to possess a multienzyme complex making fatty acids. The crude enzyme complex is stimulated by FMN; is inhibited by iodoacetamide; is excluded and partially purified (ca. 70-fold) by Sephadex G-200; is most active at pH 7.5; is most stable in 0.5 M phosphate buffer. Thus, S. erythreus CA340 and possibly all streptomycetes have a major biochemical similarity to yeasts and fungi.
Magnitude Approximation of 2-D IIR Filters

In this chapter, we describe several methods for the design of two-dimensional (2-D) IIR digital filters, which have passbands and stopbands defined by regions in the ω1 — ω2 plane. For the design of 1-D IIR filters, typically the given specifications are (1) the type of filters (e.g. lowpass,bandpass) (2) the type of response in the passband and stopbands (e.g. maximally flat or equiripple) (3) the cutoff frequency ωc defining the passband and the maximum attenuation A p (or ripple in dB) in the passband (4) the stopband cutoff frequency ωs and the minimum attenuation A s in the stopband and so on. For the design of 2-D IIR filters, an additional specification is the shape of the passband and stopband regions in the ω1 — ω2 plane instead of the cutoff frequencies ωc and ωs. This additional specification makes a significant difference in the methods for designing 2-D filters in the sense that when all the other specifications are the same, the design methods will be different if the passband and stopband regions are different. Some of the common types of regions are those bounded by straight lines and the methods for the design of such filters are discussed in sections 3.2 and 3.3 of this chapter. Another type of passband and stopband are circular or elliptical regions in the ω1 —ω2 plane. In section 3.4, a few well-known methods for the design of filters with circular passband or stopband regions in the ω1 — ω2 plane are discussed. Once such filters are designed, it is easy to design filters with new shapes and in different part of the frequency plane. For example, using some spectral transformations [6, 25] digital filters with an elliptical passband or stopband can be obtained, from the design of circularly symmetric lowpass filters. These spectral transformations will be considered at the end of the chapter.
Determining success rates of the current pharmacokinetically guided dosing approach of topotecan in pediatric oncology patients.

Background Topotecan is a chemotherapeutic agent that is active against many pediatric tumors. Although its effect is related to systemic exposure, the interpatient variability in systemic clearance makes it challenging to achieve desired topotecan targets. This study aims to evaluate the success of the pharmacokinetically (PK) guided dosing process, which was used to achieve a target topotecan area under the concentration-time curve (AUC). Methods Patients received an empiric topotecan dosage on the first day; the topotecan lactone AUC was determined, and based upon these values the topotecan dosage was adjusted. The success rates of both the empiric and PK-guided strategies were calculated. Patient-specific covariates were collected to explain variability observed in the empiric and PK-guided results. A simulation study was performed to assess the differences in cumulative topotecan dosage and systemic exposure between a PK-guided and standard dosing approach. Results Data were collected from nine clinical trials open from 1996 to 2016 (n = 232 patients). The empiric dosing success rate was 35.5%, while the PK-guided rate was 64.4%. A difference in mean serum creatinine was observed between successful empiric studies and those above the AUC target. Compared to a standard dosing approach, the PK-guided group had a higher average cumulative dosage and systemic exposure. Conclusion The low empiric dosing success rate indicates that additional studies are needed to refine the initial topotecan dosage. The role of renal function, measured as serum creatinine, remains to be elucidated. However, the PK-guided targeting success rate highlighted the need to account for variable topotecan systemic clearance.
Charge Trapping and Degradation Properties of PZT Thin Films for MEMS

The electrical reliability properties of PZT (54/46) thin films have been measured for the purpose of integrating this material with silicon-based microelectromechanical systems. Ferroelectric thin films of PZT were prepared by metal organic decomposition. The charge trapping and degradation properties of these thin films were studied through device characteristics such as hysteresis loop, leakage current, fatigue, dielectric constant, capacitancevoltage, and loss factor measurements. Several unique experimental results have been found. Different degradation processes were verified through fatigue (bipolar stress), low and high charge injection (unipolar stress), and high field stressing (unipolar stress).
An MDP Model of Vehicle-Pedestrian Interaction at an Unsignalized Intersection

Though autonomous vehicles are currently operating in several places, many important questions within the field of autonomous vehicle research remain to be addressed satisfactorily. In this paper, we examine the role of communication between pedestrians and autonomous vehicles at unsignalized intersections. The nature of interaction between pedestrians and autonomous vehicles remains mostly in the realm of speculation currently. Of course, pedestrian's reactions towards autonomous vehicles will gradually change over time owing to habituation, but it is clear that this topic requires urgent and ongoing study, not least of all because engineers require some working model for pedestrian- autonomous-vehicle communication. Our paper proposes a decision-theoretic model that expresses the interaction between a pedestrian and a vehicle. The model considers the interaction between a pedestrian and a vehicle as expressed an MDP, based on prior work conducted by psychologists examining similar experimental conditions. We describe this model and our simulation study of behavior it exhibits. The preliminary results on evaluating the behavior of the autonomous vehicle are promising and we believe it can help reduce the data needed to develop fuller models.
An Overview of Mobile Cloud Computing for Pervasive Healthcare

Mobile devices, along with wearable sensors, allow patients to access healthcare services from anywhere at any time. The longstanding constraints of computational capability and storage space on mobile devices can be alleviated by outsourcing computation- or data-intensive tasks to remote cloud centers. Thus, mobile cloud computing (MCC) has been recognized as a promising approach to provide pervasive healthcare services to people in their daily life. As the development and adoption of MCC techniques in healthcare, new optimization strategies have been explored and studied to help mobile cloud healthcare services to be deployed in a more effective and efficient manner. In this survey, we demonstrate how MCC techniques have been extensively deployed in various healthcare applications and, specifically, describe the general architecture and design considerations one should take into account while designing an MCC for healthcare scenarios. Given a large number of factors that may affect the performance of the MCC and even result in catastrophic consequences in healthcare, this paper presents the state-of-the-art optimization methods on the MCC for meeting the diverse priorities and achieving the optimal tradeoff among multiple objectives. Finally, the security and privacy issues of the MCC in healthcare are also discussed.
COST, RESOURCE UTILIZATION, QUALITY OF LIFE, MENTAL HEALTH, AND FINANCIAL TOXICITY AMONG YOUNG ADULTS WITH STROKE IN THE UNITED STATES

Stroke, a leading cause of death and disability, is most prevalent in elderly, but occurs not uncommonly in the young (<45 years), yet there is a paucity of information about this group. In this study, we describe the health-related consequences of stroke among young (18-44 years) adults in a US