cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evolutionary deterioration of the vomeronasal pheromone transduction pathway in catarrhine primates.

Pheromones are water-soluble chemicals released and sensed by individuals of the same species to elicit social and reproductive behaviors or physiological changes; they are perceived primarily by the vomeronasal organ (VNO) in terrestrial vertebrates. Humans and some related primates possess only vestigial VNOs and have no or significantly reduced ability to detect pheromones, a phenomenon not well understood at the molecular level. Here we show that genes encoding the TRP2 ion channel and V1R pheromone receptors, two components of the vomeronasal pheromone signal transduction pathway, have been impaired and removed from functional constraints since shortly before the separation of hominoids and Old World monkeys ≈23 million years ago, and that the random inactivation of pheromone receptor genes is an ongoing process even in present-day humans. The phylogenetic distribution of vomeronasal pheromone insensitivity is concordant with those of conspicuous female sexual swelling and male trichromatic color vision, suggesting that a vision-based signaling-sensory mechanism may have in part replaced the VNO-mediated chemical-based system in the social/reproductive activities of hominoids and Old World monkeys (catarrhines).
Use of semiquantitative microfossil data for paleoceanography

Use of semiquantitative data, a compromise between the use of fully quantitative and nonquantitative terms, is proposed for the reporting of microfossil species distributions. At present, most data are reported in nonquantitative terms. Few researchers use quantitative data to which sophisticated statistical techniques can be applied. Semiquantitative data can be compiled as quickly as nonquantitative data, but are susceptible to quantitative analyses. Two quantitative data sets (one on modern Atlantic planktonic foraminifera and one on modern North Pacific diatoms) were transformed to semiquantitative (ranked-abundance) format and subjected to the same statistical techniques used on the original data sets (factor and regression analyses). The results are shown to be statistically equivalent to those produced from the original data. The great saving in time and consequent increase in the amount of data which may be produced provide strong arguments for the future use of semiquantitative data.
Assessment of radionuclide transport uncertainty in the unsaturated zone of Yucca Mountain

The present study assesses the uncertainty of flow and radionuclide transport in the unsaturated zone at Yucca Mountain using a Monte Carlo method. Matrix permeability, porosity, and sorption coefficient are considered random. Different from previous studies that assume distributions of the parameters, the distributions are determined in this study by applying comprehensive transformations and rigorous statistics to on-site measurements of the parameters. The distribution of permeability is further adjusted based on model calibration results. Correlation between matrix permeability and porosity is incorporated using the Latin Hypercube Sampling method. After conducting 200 Monte Carlo simulations of three-dimensional unsaturated flow and radionuclide transport for conservative and reactive tracers, the mean, variances, and 5th, 50th, and 95th percentiles for quantities of interest (e.g., matrix liquid saturation and water potential) are evaluated. The mean and 50th percentile are used as the mean predictions, and their associated predictive uncertainties are measured by the variances and the 5th and 95th percentiles (also known as uncertainty bounds). The mean predictions of matrix liquid saturation and water potential are in reasonable agreement with corresponding measurements. The uncertainty bounds include a large portion of the measurements, suggesting that the data variability can be partially explained by parameter uncertainty. The study illustrates propagation of predictive uncertainty of percolation flux, increasing downward from repository horizon to water table. Statistics from the breakthrough curves indicate that transport of the reactive tracer is delayed significantly by the sorption process, and prediction on the reactive tracer is of greater uncertainty than on the conservative tracer because randomness in the sorption coefficient increases the prediction uncertainty. Uncertainty in radionuclide transport is related to uncertainty in the percolation flux, suggesting that reducing the former entails reduction in the latter.
A market-based approach to optimal resource allocation in integrated-services connection-oriented networks

We present an approach to the admission control and resource allocation problem in connection-oriented networks that offer multiple services to users. users' preferences are summarized by means of their utility functions, and each user is allowed to request more than one type of service. Multiple types of resources are allocated at each link along the path of a connection. We assume that the relation between Quality of Service (QoS) and resource allocation is given, and we incorporate it as a constraint into a static optimization problem. The objective of the optimization problem is to determine the amount of and required resources for each type of service to maximize the sum of the users' utilities. We prove the existence of a solution of the optimization problem and describe a competitive market economy that implements the solution and satisfies the informational constraints imposed by the nature of the decentralized resource allocation problem. The economy consists of four different types of agents: resource providers, service providers, users, and an auctioneer that regulates the prices based on the observed aggregate excess demand. The goods that are sold are: (i) the resources at each link of the network, and (ii) services constructed from these resources and then delivered to users. We specify an iterative procedure that is used by the auctioneer to update the prices, and we show that it leads to an allocation that is arbitrarily close to a solution of the optimization problem in a finite number of iterations.
Existence and uniqueness theorems for a third-order generalized boundary value problem

Let f : [ 0 , 1 ] × ℝ 3 → ℝ be a function satisfying Caratheodory's conditions, e ( x ) ∈ L 1 [ 0 , 1 ] , η ∈ [ 0 , 1 ] , h ≥ 0 , k ≥ 0 , 0$" id="E6" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> h + k > 0 . This paper studies existence and uniqueness questions for the third-order three-point generalized boundary value problem u ‴ + f ( x , u , u ′ , u ″ ) = e ( x ) , 0 x 1 , u ( η ) = 0 , u ″ ( 0 ) − h u ′ ( 0 ) = u ″ ( 1 ) + k u ′ ( 1 ) = 0 , and the associated special cases corresponding to one or both of h and k equal to infinity. The conditions on the nonlinearity f turn out to be related to the spectrum of the linear boundary value problem u ‴ = λ u ′ , u ( η ) = 0 , u ″ ( 0 ) − h u ′ ( 0 ) = u ″ ( 1 ) + k u ′ ( 1 ) = 0 , in a natural way.
ANTIGENIC SIMILARITY AMONG CULTURE FORMS OF THE 'BRUCEI' GROUP OF TRYPANOSOMES.

Extensive cross-reactions have been found between cultural forms of trypanosomes of the ‘brucei’ group by the agglutination reaction. The antigen (or antigens) responsible for agglutination are apparently specific to the ‘brucei’ group of trypanosomes. These antigens are also quite stable to the presence of specific antiserum in contrast to the serotype of the blood trypanosomes which are known to be altered in the presence of specific antiserum.
The roles of anoxia, H2S, and storm events in fish kills of dead-end canals of Delaware inland bays

In 2001, the development of seasonal anoxia was studied in two waterways located at the head of Delaware’s northern inland bay, Rehoboth Bay. Bald Eagle Creek is a northern tributary of the bay, which has tidal exchange with Torquay Canal (a dead-end canal) via a short channel with a 1.4 m sill. Mean low water depth in Torquay Canal is about 2 m, but dredging produced over a dozen depressions with a total water depth of 5.5 m. During the summer of 2000, four major fish kills were reported in Torquay Canal and Bald Eagle Creek with more than 2.5 million juvenile menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus) killed. Low O2 concentration was assumed to be the problem but production of toxic H2S is more likely. From late spring 2001, we conducted in situ determination of temperature, salinity, pH, dissolved O2, and H2S in Torquay Canal and Bald Eagle Creek. During spring, water column stratification began in the depressions with warmer and less salty water observed in the upper layer, and cooler, saltier water below 2 m. O2 was at saturation levels in the surface waters but was not detectable below 2 m by the end of May. The depressions were anoxic with H2S accumulating to mM concentrations in June. A storm event prior to July 12 mixed these two layers with a subsequent loss of H2S. The H2S levels again increased in the deep water due to stratification and reached another maximum in late August. Another storm event occurred at this time resulting in no detectable O2 and up to 400 μM H2S in surface waters. H2S appears to be the primary reason for fish kills in these tributaries. Aerators installed in Torquay Canal on June 21 had no significant effect on abating stratification and anoxic conditions beyond their immediate area.
Control of Spacecraft Occulter Arrays in Multi-Body Regimes

Free-flying occulter-telescope arrays may be powerful tools in the study of nearby exosolar planets. The external occulter technique enables significant science goals while requiring relaxed metrology in comparison to interferometric spacecraft arrays. Thus, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration is considering the Terrestrial Planet Finder-Occulter (TPF-O) as a potential precursor to planned interferometric array missions. In this study, several control strategies are developed and implemented on two TPF-O design reference missions. Control methods considered include impulsive maneuvers, nonlinear optimal control (via continuous low-thrust), impulsive geometric control, and linear optimal control (via a time-varying linear quadratic regulator). The strategies are compared based on the total required control effort, robustness to measurement error, and feasibility. All control analysis is performed assuming that the occulter and telescope spacecraft are moving near a Sun-Earth collinear libration point (L2), and therefore, the spacecraft motion is influenced by the gravitational force of multiple bodies.
Adolescent body satisfaction: the role of perceived parental encouragement for physical activity.

Background Parents play an important role in the development of children's health behaviors, but less is known about the role of parental encouragement for physical activity (PA) on youth PA behavior and body image satisfaction. The purposes of this study were to: (1) longitudinally assess whether adolescent PA at age 15 mediates the effect of perceived parental encouragement for PA at age 15 for predicting adolescent body satisfaction at age 16, while controlling for body mass index (BMI), and (2) examine the extent to which adolescent sex moderates this association.
Immobilization of the serine protease from Thermomonospora fusca YX on porous glass

As much as 84% of the thermostable serine protease from Thermomonospora fusca strain YX was covalently attached to silanized glass using glutaraldehyde. The immobilized protease exhibited a higher temperature optimum (86 degrees C) and pH optimum (9.4) for activity compared to soluble YX-protease (80 degrees C and pH 9.0, respectively). Immobilization improved enzyme thermo-stability above 90 degrees C and reduced inactivation during prolonged storage (9% loss of activity after 90 days at 12 degrees C). A continuous-flow column reactor packed with immobilized protease readily hydrolyzed casein over broad ranges of temperature and pH.
The Value of College Advisory Boards

Abstract Advisory boards have been a part of hospitality education almost from the beginning. But offering advice is only a part of advisory boards function.
A new MCM modification cycle regulates DNA replication initiation

The MCM DNA helicase is a central regulatory target during genome replication. MCM is kept inactive during G1, and it initiates replication after being activated in S phase. During this transition, the only known chemical change to MCM is the gain of multisite phosphorylation that promotes cofactor recruitment. Because replication initiation is intimately linked to multiple biological cues, additional changes to MCM can provide further regulatory points. Here, we describe a yeast MCM SUMOylation cycle that regulates replication. MCM subunits undergo SUMOylation upon loading at origins in G1 before MCM phosphorylation. MCM SUMOylation levels then decline as MCM phosphorylation levels rise, thus suggesting an inhibitory role of MCM SUMOylation during replication. Indeed, increasing MCM SUMOylation impairs replication initiation, partly through promoting the recruitment of a phosphatase that decreases MCM phosphorylation and activation. We propose that MCM SUMOylation counterbalances kinase-based regulation, thus ensuring accurate control of replication initiation.
Outcomes of hypofractionated stereotactic body radiotherapy boost for intermediate and high-risk prostate cancer

Treatment of intermediate and high-risk prostate cancer with a high BED has been shown to increase recurrence free survival (RFS). While high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy, given as a boost is effective in delivering a high BED, many patients are not candidates for the procedure or wish to avoid an invasive procedure. We evaluated the use of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) as a boost, with dosimetry modeled after HDR-boost. Fifty patients were treated with two fractions of SBRT (9.5-10.5 Gy/fraction) after 45 Gy external-beam radiotherapy, with 48 eligible for analysis at a median follow-up of 42.7 months. The Kaplan-Meier estimates of biochemical control post-radiation therapy (95 % Confidence Interval) at 3, 4 and 5 years were 95 % (81–99 %), 90 % (72–97 %) and 90 % (72–97 %), respectively (not counting 2 patients with a PSA bounce as failures). RFS (defined as disease recurrence or death) estimates at 3, 4 and 5 years were 92 % (77–97 %), 88 % (69–95 %) and 83 % (62–93 %) if patients with PSA bounces are not counted as failures, and were 90 % (75–96 %), 85 % (67–94 %) and 75 % (53–88 %) if they were. The median time to PSA nadir was 26.2 months (range 5.8–82.9 months), with a median PSA nadir of 0.05 ng/mL (range <0.01–1.99 ng/mL). 2 patients had a “benign PSA bounce”, and 4 patients recurred with radiographic evidence of recurrence beyond the RT fields. Treatment was well tolerated with no acute G3 or higher GI or GU toxicity and only a single G3 late GU toxicity of urinary obstruction. SBRT boost is well-tolerated for intermediate and high-risk prostate cancer patients with good biochemical outcomes and low toxicity.
Short- and longer-term health-care resource utilization and costs associated with acute ischemic stroke

Objectives The mean lifetime cost of ischemic stroke is approximately $140,048 in the United States, placing stroke among the top 10 most costly conditions among Medicare beneficiaries. The objective of this study was to describe the health-care resource utilization and costs in the year following hospitalization for acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Methods This retrospective claims analysis quantifies utilization and costs following inpatient admission for AIS among the commercially insured and Medicare beneficiaries in the Truven Health databases. Patients who were 18 years or older and continuously enrolled for 12 months before and after an AIS event occurring (index) between January 2009 and December 2012 were identified. Patients with AIS in the year preindex were excluded. Demographic and clinical characteristics were evaluated at admission and in the preindex, respectively. Direct costs, readmissions, and inpatient length of stay (LOS) were described in the year postindex. Results The eligible populations comprised 20,314 commercially insured patients and 31,037 Medicare beneficiaries. Average all-cause costs were $61,354 and $44,929 (commercial and Medicare, respectively) in the first year after the AIS. Approximately 50%-55% of total 12-month costs were incurred between day 31 and day 365 following the incident AIS. One quarter (24.6%) of commercially insured patients and 38.8% of Medicare beneficiaries were readmitted within 30 days with 16.6% and 71.7% (commercial and Medicare, respectively) of those having a principal diagnosis of AIS. The average AIS-related readmission length of stay was nearly three times that of the initial hospitalization for both commercially insured patients (3.8 vs 10.8 days) and Medicare beneficiaries (4.0 vs 10.8 days). Conclusion In addition to the substantial costs of the initial hospitalization of an AIS, these costs double within the year following this event. Given the high cost associated with AIS, new interventions reducing either the acute or longer-term burden of AIS are needed.
Trauma, Religion, and Spirituality: Pathways to Healing

When disaster strikes, sacred dimensions of life are commonly brought to the forefront. This chapter explores the complex and dynamic ways in which religion and spirituality are embedded in the posttraumatic recovery process. We discuss the impact of religion and spirituality on people’s understandings of traumatic events, the selection of methods to cope with adversity and the coping methods themselves, and the short- and long-term outcomes of trauma. The chapter concludes with a summary of ways in which religion and spirituality can be integrated into the posttraumatic recovery process, accompanied by promising outcome data from spiritually--integrated intervention studies. We highlight a dual approach to religious/spiritual coping that includes maximizing the use of positive religious/spiritual coping resources and resolving posttraumatic religious/spiritual struggles. The information presented in this chapter is applicable to the work of researchers, clinicians, clergy, helping professionals, and paraprofessionals who are interested in the roles religion and spirituality might play in preventing enduring posttraumatic problems and enhancing lasting posttraumatic growth.
Evaluation of Three Modified Ivy Bleeding Time Devices

The bleeding time test quantifies the duration of bleeding from a standardized skin wound. The test measures in vivo function of the platelet capacity to respond to injury, vascular function, and the presence of von Willebrand÷s factor. This study compared the range of test results in time, safety of technique to the technician and patient, patient preference in relation to pain, scarring potential, and cost-effectiveness of three bleeding time devices usedto assess platelet function. The three devices evaluated were the Simplate by General Diagnostics (Organon-Teknika), Surgicutt by International Technidyne Corporation, and the Mayo Clinic Automatic Lancet available through V. Mueller Co.
The Aggregate Settlement Rule and Ideals of Client Service

In this Essay, which was prepared for a 1999 Symposium on "Emerging Professional Responsibility Issues in Litigation," we reply to comments by Prof. Nancy Moore and attorney Steve Baughman Jensen on our articles, "I Cut, You Choose, The Role of Plaintiffs' Counsel in Allocating Settlement Proceeds, 84 Va. L. Rev. 1465 (1998), and "Mass Lawsuits and the Aggregate Settlement Rule," 32 Wake Forest L. Rev. 733 (1997). The Essay focuses on three issues: (1) the role of the aggregate settlement rule in encouraging lawyers to provide non-economic benefits to clients; (2) client competence and autonomy; and (3) the ethics of "damage averaging."
Electron Paramagnetic Resonance of Fe 3 + in NaF

The EPR absorption of x-irradiated NaF containing iron as an impurity has been investigated at controlled temperatures below 180\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. Three spectra have been distinguished: (i) the $F$-center spectrum, (ii) a spectrum isotropically centered near $g=2.002$ and with a partially resolved anisotropic structure, and (iii) the ${\mathrm{Fe}}^{+}$ spectrum centered near $g=4.344$. The spectrum near $g=2.002$ is satisfactorily described in terms of a spin Hamiltonian pertaining to an $^{6}S_{\frac{5}{2}}$ ion located at a lattice site with cubic symmetry and interacting with six equivalent nuclei of spin \textonehalf{} each. This spectrum is attributed to ${\mathrm{Fe}}^{3+}$ at a cation site. Computer analyses of the observed temperature dependence of the ${\mathrm{Fe}}^{3+}$ spectrum have indicated that the fine-structure constant decreases as the first power in $T$, and the line width increases as the square root of $T$, when $T$ changes from 77 to 180\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. The results are consistent qualitatively with the existing theories of the $S$-state ion. Quantitatively, however, the computed $T$ dependence of the fine-structure constant disagrees substantially with current theories.
Generation Characteristics of Natural Gas from the Coal Measures in Guang'an Area of Central Sichuan Basin

Guang'an gas field,a gas field in the central Sichuan basin, has a very considerable geological reserve of natural gas from the Xujiahe Formation coal measures which is not very perfect.In order to give the reason,the generation characteristics of natural gas from the Xujiahe Formation coal measures in the Guang'an area was studied by means of the MSSV pyrolysis experiment and chemical kinetic method.The result indicates that natural gas was mainly generated during the Middle-Late Jurassic(156.6-140 Ma),a relative short period.The total amount of gas generation is 0.89×1012-1.86×1012 m3 and more than 7.26% gas was accumulated.The gas generation intensity is 3.35×108-11.83×108 m3/km2 which is lower than the usual value(20×108 m3/km2) for a great gas field.It is the efficient accumulation of natural gas that results in the formation of a great gas field with a relative low gas generation intensity in Guang'an area.Besides the presummarized factors,the generation of amount gas in a short period is an important reason resulting in the efficient accumulation of natural gas in Guang'an area.With a superior accumulation condition,the threshold of source rock for forming a great gas field can be lowered properly.
Research on incentive of military supplier implantation based on flexibility of innovation effort decision

The flexible efforts decision-making problems under supplier collaborative innovation during the process of military manufacturer's implantation to the components supplier are studied.Through analyzing the value of flexible effort decision,some optimal flexible decision-making rules of supplier's innovation efforts are given.The threshold price considering the condition of flexible effort decision is higher than that without considering it.And the threshold price will increases(or decrease)with the increasing(or decreasing)of market fluctuation rate.Finally,manufacturer's optimal decision-making model is built under the condition of supplier's flexible effort decision,and the optimal design rules of inspiriting contract are proposed.
Novel copolymers of styrene. 14. Halogen ring-trisubstituted butyl 2-cyano-3-phenyl-2-propenoates

ABSTRACTNovel trisubstituted ethylenes, halogen ring-trisubstituted butyl 2-cyano-3-phenyl-2-propenoates, RPhCH ˭C(CN)CO2C4H9 (where R is 3-bromo-4,5-dimethoxy, 5-bromo-2,4-dimethoxy, 2-bromo-3-hydroxy-4-methoxy, 3-chloro-2,6-difluoro, 4-chloro-2,6-difluoro, 2,3,5-trichloro, 2,3,6-trichloro, 2,4,5-trifluoro) were prepared and copolymerized with styrene. The monomers were synthesized by the piperidine catalyzed Knoevenagel condensation of ring-substituted benzaldehydes and butyl cyanoacetate, and characterized by CHN analysis, IR, 1H and 13C-NMR. All the ethylenes were copolymerized with styrene in solution with radical initiation (ABCN) at 70°C. The compositions of the copolymers were calculated from nitrogen analysis and the structures were analyzed by IR, 1H and 13C-NMR. Decomposition of the copolymers in nitrogen occurred in two steps, first in the 200–500°C range with residue (3–5% wt.), which then decomposed in the 500–800°C range.
Sowing Seeds Instead of Sorrows

Kym Thorne’s “Reaping What You Sow: Empire, Collateral Damage, Blowback, and the (In)visible Consequences for Public Administration” (Thorne, 2013) assembles elements of Kym’s thought that he devel...
Comparison of Predictive Models for Transferring Stroke In-Patients to Intensive Care Unit

The cost for Intensive Care Unit (ICU) resources is extremely high and it affects healthcare budget that provides quality healthcare service for patients. Thus, the need for a predictive model for the decision to transfer stroke in-patients to the ICU is very important to utilize the resources effectively. Also, it will help to lower morbidity and mortality rates through earlier detection and intervention. In this research, initially, a Decision Tree (DT) model, an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model, a Support Vector Machine (SVM) model, and a Logistic Regression (LR) model are evaluated for predicting the need to transfer the stroke in-patients to the ICU or not. The study is conducted on a clinical dataset consisting of 1,415 observations using the vital signs with six variables. This original dataset was having data imbalance and hence the result was misleading. In order to overcome this situation the Synthetic Minority Oversampling Technique was applied on the dataset. A DT model, an ANN model, a SVM model, and a LR model are evaluated again on the balanced dataset for prediction. Tree-based ensemble approaches such as Generalized Boosted Model, Adaptive Boosting (AdaBoost.M1), Random Forest and Bagged AdaBoost (Adabag) are used to improve the accuracy and performance of models. These methods were trained and tested on the balanced stroke in-patients dataset. The boosting model, AdaBoost.M1, and bagging model, Random Forest, achieved better accuracy compared to the other models. Therefore, these two models could be used for helping healthcare professionals in decision-making.
MO-FG-CAMPUS-TeP3-03: Calculation of Proton Pencil Beam Properties with Full Beamline Model in TOPAS

Purpose: Introducing Monte Carlo based dose calculation algorithms into proton therapy planning systems (TPS) leads to improved accuracy. However accurate modelling of the proton pencil beam impinging the patient is necessary. Current approaches rely on measurement-driven reconstruction of phase-space and spectrum properties, typically constrained to analytical model functions. In this study a detailed Monte Carlo model of the complete cyclotron-based delivery system was created with the aim of providing more representative beam properties at treatment position. Methods: A model of the Varian Probeam proton system from the cyclotron exit to isocenter was constructed in the TOPAS Monte Carlo framework. The beam evolution through apertures and magnetic elements was validated using Transport/Turtle calculations and additionally against measurements from the Probeam™ system at Scripps Proton Therapy Center (SPTC) in San Diego, CA. A voxelized water phantom at isocenter allowed for comparison of the dose-depth curve from the Probeam model with that of a corresponding Gaussian beam over the entire energy range (70–240 MeV). Measurements of relative beam fluence cross-profiles and depth-dose curves at and around isocenter were also compared to the MC results. Results: The simulated TOPAS beam envelope was found to agree with both the Transport/Turtle and measurements to within 5% for most of the beamline. The MC predicted energy spectrum at isocenter was found to deviate increasingly from Gaussian at energies below 160 MeV. The corresponding effects on the depth dose curve agreed well with measurements. Conclusion: Given the flexibility of TOPAS and available details of the delivery system, an accurate characterization of a proton pencil beam at isocenter is possible. Incorporation of the MC derived properties of the proton pencil beam can eliminate analytical approximations and ultimately increase treatment plan accuracy and quality. Both authors are employees of Varian Medical Systems
Improving compression ratios for high bit-depth grayscale video formats

Since increasing demand for high bit-depth video places large demands upon resources, such as communication bandwidth as well as memory and storage capacity, research into improving the compression ratio (CR) for these videos is critically important. Most conventional video encoders are not amenable to high bit-depth format, so this paper presents novel preprocessing methods designed to improve CR of high bit-depth grayscale video by transforming raw data such that the video can be compressed using conventional encoders. We present five preprocessing methods: filtering, region of interest (ROI), factoring, SuperFrame, and bit-stream splitting (BSS). Results show tradeoffs for each method, with respect to CR and data quality. The greatest increases in CR are obtained using SuperFrame, BSS, and factoring, and combining these methods increases CR even further. With our focus upon tradeoffs between CR and data quality, our new methods, results, and analysis enable system designers to select appropriate preprocessing method(s) based upon their specific system and mission requirements.
Right‐sided endocarditis: eustachian valve and coronary sinus involvement

Infective endocarditis in patients with intravenous drug use commonly involves right-sided heart valves. Eustachian valve (EV) endocarditis is not commonly seen given the valve's infrequent presence. Involvement of the coronary sinus (CS) with endocarditis is also an unusual finding. We present a case with echocardiographic findings consistent with EV endocarditis along with CS involvement, which appropriately responded to antibiotics.
Effects of a Family Literacy Program for Latino Parents: Evidence From a Single-Subject Design

Purpose This study investigated the effects of a family literacy program on Latino parents' language practices at home and their children's oral language skills. The study examined the extent to which (a) the program called Family Reading Intervention for Language and Literacy in Spanish was effective at teaching low-income, low-education Latino parents 3 language strategies (i.e., comments, high-level questions, and recasts) for reading aloud and (b) parent implementation of the target strategies influenced children's language skills. Method Five Latino mothers and their Spanish-speaking preschool children participated in a multiple-baseline, single-subject design across participants. Program initiation was staggered across the mothers after obtaining a stable baseline. Data on parent and child outcomes were collected across 3 experimental conditions: baseline, intervention, and follow-up. This study employed visual data analysis (e.g., level, trend, variability) to examine the program effects on parent and child outcomes. Results The program had an important effect on parental use of comments and high-level questions, but less impact on recasts. In addition, the program had a notable effect on the children's use of different words and conversational turns, less effect on inferences, and no effect on the mean length of utterance in words. Conclusion Family Reading Intervention for Language and Literacy in Spanish is an effective program to extend and enrich the reading practices that low-income children from a culturally and linguistically diverse background experience at home. The results have implications for family literacy programs aimed at minority Spanish-speaking families.
More on Procedures

In this chapter we add several important details to the discussion on Procedures, An understanding of these details will help you to write programs that are both simpler and more likely to run correctly with a minimum of effort. The concepts involved also apply to many non-computer problem solving situations.
Increased fetal lung T2 signal is not due to increasing surfactant concentration: an in vitro T2 mapping analysis

Object The aim of this study was to perform in vitro T2 mapping of serial dilutions of pharmaceutical surfactant. Materials and methods Magnetic resonance imaging. Magnetic resonance scanning was performed on serial dilutions of surfactant on large bore clinical magnets at a field strength of 1.5 T Philips and 3.0 T (Achieva TX, Philips Healthcare, the Netherlands). Results The curves demonstrate a small increasing trend between surfactant concentration and R2 (shortened T2's), with a 7.3% increase in R2 for each doubling of surfactant concentration (95% confidence interval: 6.1–8.6%, p < 0.001). Conclusions The increasing lung/liver T2 signal ratio seen in fetal lungs with increasing gestational age is not due to increasing surfactant concentration. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A randomized phase II trial of standard dose bevacizumab versus low dose bevacizumab plus lomustine (CCNU) in adults with recurrent glioblastoma.

2005 Background: Antiangiogenic therapy can rapidly reduce vascular permeability, but high doses of bevacizumab (BEV) may induce selective pressure to promote resistance. This trial evaluated the e...
Time series trends of the safety effects of pavement resurfacing

This study evaluated the safety performance of pavement resurfacing projects on urban arterials in Florida using the observational before and after approaches. The safety effects of pavement resurfacing were quantified in the crash modification factors (CMFs) and estimated based on different ranges of heavy vehicle traffic volume and time changes for different severity levels. In order to evaluate the variation of CMFs over time, crash modification functions (CMFunctions) were developed using nonlinear regression and time series models. The results showed that pavement resurfacing projects decrease crash frequency and are found to be more safety effective to reduce severe crashes in general. Moreover, the results of the general relationship between the safety effects and time changes indicated that the CMFs increase over time after the resurfacing treatment. It was also found that pavement resurfacing projects for the urban roadways with higher heavy vehicle volume rate are more safety effective than the roadways with lower heavy vehicle volume rate. Based on the exploration and comparison of the developed CMFucntions, the seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (SARIMA) and exponential functional form of the nonlinear regression models can be utilized to identify the trend of CMFs over time.
KISS: A Really Simple Way to Increase Your Article's Impact

Want to boost your article’s readership? A recent study found that for SSRN abstract views and downloads, it helps to have a short title. Another study discovered that articles with shorter titles received more citations. And in an experiment, the same article with a snappier title drew six times as many views and three times as many downloads. So when drafting a title for your article, remember the KISS principle and Keep It Short and Snappy.
Parallax-Tolerant Aerial Image Georegistration and Efficient Camera Pose Refinement—Without Piecewise Homographies

We describe a fast and efficient camera pose refinement and Structure from Motion (SfM) method for sequential aerial imagery with applications to georegistration and 3-D reconstruction. Inputs to the system are 2-D images combined with initial noisy camera metadata measurements, available from on-board sensors (e.g., camera, global positioning system, and inertial measurement unit). Georegistration is required to stabilize the ground-plane motion to separate camera-induced motion from object motion to support vehicle tracking in aerial imagery. In the proposed approach, we recover accurate camera pose and (sparse) 3-D structure using bundle adjustment for sequential imagery (BA4S) and then stabilize the video from the moving platform by analytically solving for the image-plane-to-ground-plane homography transformation. Using this approach, we avoid relying upon image-to-image registration, which requires estimating feature correspondences (i.e., matching) followed by warping between images (in a 2-D space) that is an error prone process for complex scenes with parallax, appearance, and illumination changes. Both our SfM (BA4S) and our analytical ground-plane georegistration method avoid the use of iterative consensus combinatorial methods like RANdom SAmple Consensus which is a core part of many published approaches. BA4S is very efficient for long sequential imagery and is more than 130 times faster than VisualSfM, 35 times faster than MavMap, and about 274 times faster than Pix4D. Various experimental results demonstrate the efficiency and robustness of the proposed pipeline for the refinement of camera parameters in sequential aerial imagery and georegistration.
The strategic uses of race to legitimize ‘social mix’ urban redevelopment

This article contends examines how racialization – the strategic employment of racial discourses to both define- and legitimize-specific social and spatial changes – serves as an adaptive and strat...
Emotional Intelligence And Academic Achievement

The ability of self-control of emotions is an important matter. A high emotional intelligence helps maintain a state of harmony in oneself and be more confident in dealing with the challenges of living and learning in educational institutions. High emotional intelligence can contribute to pupils’ learning process. This study sought to determine the following: (1) levels of the dimensions of emotional intelligence self-awareness, self-management, motivation, empathy and social skills; (2) relationship between the emotional intelligence and academic achievement; (3) relationship of emotional intelligence and academic achievement considering grade level. A total of twenty-eight Grades 4 and 5 pupils of Baluarte Elementary School are subjects of the study. Data gathering utilized a researcher-made questionnaire designed to gather data for the demographics and objectives of the study. General Average from the first and second grading grades as the basis, was collected from the teacher of the respective grade levels. After ascertaining validity and reliability, results are reported as follows: Emotional intelligence is described as Average with a mean of 3.13. Among the dimensions of emotional intelligence, the pupils scored High in the dimensions empathy and social skills. Over-all, emotional intelligence is not considered predictive to academic achievement among children. Keywords : Emotional intelligence, Academic performance, Self-awareness, Self-regulation, Motivation, Empathy, Social skills, Grade level
Employment characteristics, work environment, and the course of depression over 23 years: Does employment help foster resilience?

Background Depression is the leading cause of disability and represents a significant challenge to stable employment and professional success. Importantly, employment may also operate as a protective factor against more chronic courses of depression as it can function as a form of behavioral activation and scaffold recovery by facilitating community integration. The current study examined work-related characteristics as protective or risk factors for subsequent long-term depression trajectories. Methods Relations between employment characteristics and lifetime course of depression were examined among 424 adults in the community who entered treatment for depression. The sample was followed for 23 years with assessments at 1, 4, 10, and 23 years post baseline. At baseline, participants were asked about employment history and status along with work-related events and aspects of their work environments. Depression was measured at each assessment, and three different life course trajectories of depression were identified. Results Employment at baseline was associated with lower levels of depression at baseline and less severe life courses of depression. Among employed participants, higher occupational prestige, a more supportive work environment (greater involvement, cohesion, and perceived support), and lower work stress (less pressure and more control, role clarity, and autonomy) may protect against more severe, intractable depression over time and may have bolstered functioning. Conclusions Findings have potential to be harnessed for clinical translation to better inform vocational rehabilitation counseling and human resources programs. Specifically, clinician assessment of work setting can guide patient decision making about how to reduce vulnerability to depression and foster resilience via employment.
Parallel and Serial Processing in the Somatosensory System

The somatosensory system processes information from low threshold mechanoreceptors in the skin and deep receptors in muscles and joints to allow the active identification of objects by touch. The basic components of the somatosensory pathways from receptors through an array of cortical areas are partly known for monkeys, and processing in humans is likely to depend on comparable pathways. Information from classes of rapidly adapting (RA) and slowly adapting (SA) cutaneous receptors and muscle spindle (MS) receptors remain segregated in relays through the dorsal column-trigeminal complex and the ventroposterior thalamus. In the ventroposterior complex, we distinguish a ventroposterior nucleus that relays SA and RA information to cortical area 3b and to area 1. Muscle spindle information is relayed via the ventroposterior superior nucleus to areas 3a and 2. The ventroposterior inferior nucleus receives inputs from the spinothalamic system and relays to the second somatosensory area(S-II), the adjoining parietal ventral area (PV) and other fields. The VPI relay appears to only modulate cortical neurons and it may provide information about intense stimuli that extend into the painful range. Area 1 is dependent on 3b projections for activation even though it receives direct thalamic inputs. Area 2; S-II, and PV also depend on area 3b directly or indirectly for activation via cutaneous receptors. Activation via deep receptors remains as a result of VPS projections to area 3a and area 2, and cortical relays to S-II and PV. Further steps in a lateral stream of cortical processing involve limbic system structures that are critical in memory storage, while other projections to subdivisions of posterior parietal cortex are presumably concerned with the sensory attention and control of movements in space. The somatosensory fields also project in different patterns to two subdivisions of primary motor cortex, the supplementary motor area, premotor cortex, and motor eye fields to have presumptive roles in initiating and guiding motor behavior.
Preparing the Subject for Induction

A comfortable place should be provided for the subject to sit or to recline during the trance session, and the environment in which the induction is to be carried out should be as free as possible from distracting noises and interruptions. Subjects wearing contact lenses may wish to remove them if it would make them uncomfortable to keep their eyes closed for a prolonged period without doing so. It is generally desirable to avoid complete privacy during the trance session, particularly if the subject is female.
Tracing the Roots of the Conflict

After World War II, the United States led the world in economic power and technology. The United States experienced boom conditions with only brief recessions through the 1960s, but in hindsight, we can discern trends that interacted to create stresses. These trends include suburbanization, with decline of public transportation systems in favor of the automobile; the growth of a new science paradigm, in which research scientists replaced engineers as leaders in national science management; the fragmentation and selective neglect of societal management and infrastructure; the rise of the modern offshore oil industry; the civil rights movement; a new environmental movement sparked by Rachel Carson’s book, Silent Spring; and countercultural and antibusiness movements of the 1960s, aggravated by the Vietnam War.
Cell Fate Specification in the Drosophila Retina

The compound eye of the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, is a useful model system for investigating the issues that underlie cell fate specification. More than a decade ago, Tomlinson and Ready proposed that the cells within the fly eye make use of a combinatorial code of signals in adopting specific cellular identities. This concept has driven our effort to understand how the individual facets of the fly eye are assembled (Ready et al. 1976; Tomlinson 1985). The attraction of the fly eye as an experimental system also rests within its simple adult structure along with its precise and stereotyped development. This is, of course, coupled to the extraordinary power of Drosophila genetic techniques to discover genes (the genes mentioned in this chapter are summarized in Table 1). We will attempt to summarize what is known about the molecular development of the first (R8) and last (R7) photoreceptors to join the developing unit eye or ommatidia. We are focusing on these two cells, in part, because the molecules and mechanisms that underlie their development are the best understood. The mechanisms used by these two cells, a proneural one for R8 and an inductive one for R7, are repeatedly used during development. Lessons learned from the development of these two cells have considerable implications for other experimental systems.
Binding of Latent Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 to Fibrin: Activation via a Plasmin-Dependent Pathway

The binding of two matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) to fibrin was evaluated. MMP-2 (72-kDa) and MMP-9 (92-, 130-, and 225-kDa) were selected since both contain a fibronectin-like region and fibronectin binds fibrin. Gelatin zymography indicated selective and dose dependent binding of MMP-9 to fibrin. No MMP-2 binding to fibrin occurred. Densitometry revealed that the 130- and 225-kDa forms demonstrated similar sigmoidal binding profiles whereas 92-kDa uptake was hyperbolic. Fibronectin and TIMP-1 competition studies indicated that the fibronectin and C-terminal MMP-9 domains, respectively, were not involved with fibrin binding. The MMP-9 collagen-like region may be of regulatory significance since type I and II fibrillar and type IV basement membrane collagens demonstrated fibrin binding. During fibrinolysis, latent fibrin-bound MMP-9 was processed to lower molecular weight forms consistent with proteolytic activation. This process was inhibited by epsilon-aminocaproic acid, indicating a plasmin-dependent pathway. The significance of these findings to procoagulant activity and MMP-mediated extracellular matrix destruction during inflammation and tumor invasion and metastasis is discussed.
The Methods and the Men

There are relatively few longitudinal studies of development, and each of them is unique. The investigation presented in this book can be distinguished from other longitudinal studies by the developmental periods it spans, its intervals between testing times, and, finally, the types of data that have been collected. The men in this study were followed from early adolescence (some were as young as 10 years of age) into early adulthood (at the termination of the study the oldest men were 36 years old). The men were periodically tested, at 3- to 4-year intervals, for 20 years. There are no other major longitudinal studies that both cover this age range and have such frequent testing (Moss & Susman, 1980).
Classifying and Downgrading: Is a Human Needed in the Loop?

This paper asserts that output products from a multilevel secure database environment should be classified at a level which accurately reflects, at the data semantics level, the contents of the product. The paper further asserts that for certain classes of data, “the system” can effectively determine the classification of the output product such that no human is required in the loop. For other classes of data, the paper asserts that we can not explicitly state the database security requirement; therefore, we cannot hope to implement a system that enforces those requirements and a human is required in the loop.