cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interannual and interdecadal variability in juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) diets in relation to environmental changes in the northern California Current

The feeding habits of juvenile coho salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch, in the northern California Current were examined using samples from two different time periods (1980–85 and 1998–2003) of highly contrasting oceanographic conditions. The goal was to test the influence of interannual and interdecadal changes in taxonomic composition of prey, feeding intensity, and size spectra of teleost prey. Analyses were done for samples taken both early in the summer (June) shortly after the salmon enter the ocean, and also in late summer (September) following some ocean residency. Fish prey dominated coho salmon diets by weight during most years, but this trend was more pronounced during the 1980–85 sampling period. In terms of numerical composition, the diets were more variable on an interannual basis, but decapod larvae and euphausiids were important prey in most years. Pteropods and copepods were important prey during weak up
Psycholinguistic word information in second language oral discourse

This study uses word information scores from the Medical Research Council (MRC) Psycholinguistic Database to analyse word development in the spontaneous speech data of six adult learners of English...
Endothelial Cell Production of Nitrogen Oxides in Response to Interferon γ in Combination With Tumor Necrosis Factor, Interleukin-1, or Endotoxin

Clinical studies using biological response modifiers in cancer therapy have shown that the major dose-limiting toxic effects are hypotension and diffuse microvascular leakage. The cause and pathophysiology of this hypotension remains unknown. Previous experiments have demonstrated that a number of cell types, including endothelial cells, neutrophils, and macrophages, can secrete a potent hypotensive agent--endothelium-derived relaxing factor, which has recently been identified as nitric oxide. In this study, we tested interferon gamma, tumor necrosis factor, interleukin-1, interleukin-2, muramyl dipeptide, and endotoxin for their effects on production of nitrogen oxides by endothelial cells. Interferon gamma, in combination with tumor necrosis factor, interleukin-1 (IL-1), or endotoxin, induced murine brain endothelial cells to secrete nitrites (20-45 microM within 48 hr), which are breakdown products of nitric oxide. Nitrite production was blocked by incubation of endothelial cells in medium without L-arginine, a substrate for nitric-oxide synthase. Accumulation of nitrites was also inhibited by addition of NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA), which acts as a competitive inhibitor of this enzyme. The inhibitory effects of L-NMMA were reversed by addition of excess L-arginine. These results suggest (a) that endothelial cells produce nitric oxide in response to immunomodulators and (b) that endothelial cell-derived nitric oxide plays a role in the development of hypotension in patients treated with tumor necrosis factor or interleukins. Furthermore, administration of substrate analogues such as L-NMMA may favorably alter the toxicity associated with these immunomodulators and result in a higher maximum tolerated dose, with subsequent improvement in the antitumor activity.
Mass spectrometric analysis reveals a functionally important PKA phosphorylation site in a Kir3 channel subunit.

Phosphorylation of the Kir3 channel by cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) potentiates activity and strengthens channel–PIP2 interactions, whereas phosphorylation by protein kinase C (PKC) exerts the opposite effects (Keselman et al., Channels 1:113–123, 2007; Lopes et al., Channels 1:124–134, 2007). Unequivocal identification of phosphorylated residues in ion channel proteins has been difficult, but recent advances in mass spectrometry techniques have allowed precise identification of phosphorylation sites (Park et al., Science 313:976–979, 2006). In this study, we utilized mass spectrometry to identify phosphorylation sites within the Kir3.1 channel subunit. We focused on the Kir3.1 C-terminal cytosolic domain that has been reported to be regulated by several modulators. In vitro phosphorylation by PKA exhibited a convincing signal upon treatment with a phosphoprotein stain. The phosphorylated C terminus was subjected to mass spectrometric analysis using matrix-assisted lased desorption/ionization–time of flight mass spectroscopy (MS). Peptides whose mass underwent a shift corresponding to addition of a phosphate group were then subjected to tandem MS (MS/MS) in order to confirm the modification and determine its precise location. Using this approach, we identified S385 as an in vitro phosphorylation site. Mutation of this residue to alanine resulted in a reduced sensitivity of Kir3.1* currents to H89 and Forskolin, confirming an in vivo role for this novel site of the Kir3.1 channel subunit in its regulation by PKA.
Characterization of uterine leiomyomas in CD-1 mice following developmental exposure to diethylstilbestrol (DES)

Experimental animal and clinical studies have well established the association of prenatal exposure to diethylstilbestrol (DES) and the subsequent development of reproductive tract abnormalities, including poor reproductive outcome and neoplasia. Overwhelmingly, the focus has been on DES-induced epithelial lesions, particularly vaginal adenosis and adenocarcinoma; however, uterine smooth muscle cells are also recognized as cellular targets of DES. This descriptive report characterizes uterine leiomyoma s that occur in outbred CD-1 mice following exposure to DES prenatally on days 9 to 16 of gestation or on neonatal days 1 to 5. These DES-induced uterine leiomyomas have typical histomorphologic, and some immunohistochemica l characteristics of spontaneously occurring uterine smooth muscle tumors of B6C3F1 mice previously described in our laboratory, and they are also similar to uterine leiomyomas (fibroids) commonly observed in premenopausal women.
Does the Best-Fitting Curve Always Exist?

Fitting geometric shapes to observed data points (images) is a popular task in computer vision and modern statistics (errors-in-variables regression). We investigate the problem of existence of the best fit using geometric and probabilistic approaches.
The Application of Interrater Reliability as a Solidification Instrument in a Phenomenological Study

Interrater reliability has thus far not been a common application in phenomenological studies. However, once the suggestion was brought up by a team of supervising professors during the preliminary orals of a phenomenological study, the utilization of this verification tool turned out to be vital to the credibility level of this type of inquiry, where the researcher is perceived as the main instrument and where bias may, hence, be difficult to eliminate. With creativeness and the appropriate calculation approach the researcher of the here reviewed qualitative study managed to apply this verification tool and found that the establishment of interrater reliability served as a great solidification to the research
The Effects of Priority Levels and Buffering on the Statistical Multiplexing of Single-Layer H.264/AVC and SVC Encoded Video Streams

H.264/Advanced Video Coding (AVC) employs classical bi-directional encoded (B) frames that depend only on intra-coded (I) and predictive encoded (P) frames. In contrast, H.264 Scalable Video Coding (SVC) employs hierarchical B frames that depend on other B frames. A fundamental question is how many priority levels single-layer H.264 video encodings require when the encoded frames are statistically multiplexed in transport networks. We conduct extensive simulation experiments with a modular statistical multiplexing structure to uncover the impact of priority levels for a wide range of multiplexing policies. For the bufferless statistical multiplexing of both H.264/AVC and SVC we find that prioritizing the frames according to the number of dependent frames can increase the number of supported streams up to approximately 8%. In contrast, for buffered statistical multiplexing with a relatively small buffer size, frame prioritization does generally not increase the number of supported streams.
COMPARISON OF PESTICIDE CONCENTRATIONS IN STREAMS AT LOW FLOW IN SIX METROPOLITAN AREAS OF THE UNITED STATES

To examine the effect of urban development on pesticide concentrations in streams under low-flow conditions, water samples were collected at stream sites along an urban land use gradient in six environmentally heterogeneous metropolitan areas of the United States. In all six metropolitan areas, total insecticide concentrations generally increased significantly as urban land cover in the basin increased, regardless of whether the background land cover in the basins was agricultural, forested, or shrub land. In contrast, the response of total herbicide concentrations to urbanization varied with the environmental setting. In the three metropolitan areas with predominantly forested background land cover (Raleigh-Durham, NC, USA; Atlanta, GA, USA; Portland, OR, USA), total herbicide concentrations increased significantly with increasing urban land cover. In contrast, total herbicide concentrations were not significantly related to urban land cover in the three remaining metropolitan areas, where total herbicide concentrations appeared to be strongly influenced by agricultural as well as urban sources (Milwaukee-Green Bay, WI, USA; Dallas-Fort Worth, TX, USA), or by factors not measured in the present study, such as water management (Denver, CO, USA). Pesticide concentrations rarely exceeded benchmarks for protection of aquatic life, although these low-flow concentrations are likely to be lower than at other times, such as during peak pesticide-use periods, storm events, or irrigation discharge. Normalization of pesticide concentrations by the pesticide toxicity index—an index of relative potential toxicity—for fish and cladocerans indicated that the pesticides detected at the highest concentrations (herbicides in five of the six metropolitan areas) were not necessarily the pesticides with the greatest potential to adversely affect aquatic life (typically insecticides such as carbaryl, chlorpyrifos, diazinon, and fipronil). Keywords—Pesticides Water quality Urbanization Pesticide toxicity index
Long-Run Supply Effects and the Elasticities Approach to Trade

Krugman (1989) argued that differences across countries in estimated income elasticities of import demand are due to omission of an exporter supply effect. He showed that such an effect can be derived in a theoretical model with economies of scale in production and a taste for variety in consumption. In his model, countries grow by producing new varieties of goods, and they are able to export these goods without suffering any deterioration in their terms of trade. This paper analyzes U.S. import demand from different source countries and finds strong evidence of a supply effect of roughly half the magnitude (0.75) of the income elasticity (1.5). Price elasticities for the most part are estimated close to -1, which is typical for the literature. Exclusion of the supply effect leads to overestimation of the income elasticity. Results based on U.S. exports to different destinations are less robust, but largely corroborate these findings.
Stability of formal thought disorder and referential communication disturbances in schizophrenia.

This study examined the degree to which different types of communication disturbances in the speech of 48 schizophrenia patients and 28 controls were variable and state related versus stable and traitlike. Clinically rated formal thought disorder and 5 types of referential disturbance showed substantial stability within participants over time. The sixth type of referential disturbance, the vague reference, was not stable over time. Formal thought disorder was associated with the severity of core psychotic symptoms in patients, whereas referential disturbances showed little or no association with positive or negative symptom severity. Furthermore, changes in psychotic symptoms over time were accompanied by corresponding changes in formal thought disorder but not referential disturbances. These results support the idea that some types of referential disturbances are traitlike and may be reflective of vulnerability as well as manifest illness.
Optimal discrete pulse modulation waveforms for resonant link inverters

The advent of zero-voltage-switching resonant link inverters has raised the question of modulation strategies that satisfy the regular sampling constraints of such systems. An easy and elegant approach to the synthesis of optimal discrete pulse modulation waveforms is presented. Utilizing the finiteness of the set of possible waveforms, an exhaustive search algorithm is deployed to derive a set of optimum waveforms simultaneously satisfying specified fundamental voltage constraints and cost functions. For frequency ratios of up to around 80, the technique is tractable and gives excellent results. For aerospace applications with 400 Hz outputs, which result in frequency ratios of 50 for 20 kHz link frequency, the strategy results in substantially higher levels of performance. For larger frequency ratios of 100-2000, typical of industrial resonant link inverter drive systems, this technique requires unworkably high computation times. A suboptimal limited search technique is proposed with reasonable performance characteristics is proposed for this case. >
Effect of Planting Date, Variety and Degree of Ear Maturation on the Colonization of Field Corn by Maize Weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

A 3-yr study evaluated the effect of planting date, variety and degree of ear maturation on maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais (Motchulsky), colonization of corn in the field. Within each plot, paper...
Chemical Kinetic Modeling of Fuel-Rich Flames of CH2Cl2/CH2/O2/Ar

Abstract A detailed chemical kinetic mechanism describing the combustion of CH2Cl2 under fuel-rich conditions has been developed and tested. The mechanism involves the participation of 82 stable and radical species in 680 reversible elementary reactions and provides a reasonable prediction of species concentration profiles measured previously in atmospheric-pressure, premixed, one-dimensional laminar flat-flames of CH2Cl2/CH4/O2/Ar mixtures (Qun and Senkan 1990). For the case of major species, the agreement between the model and experimental data was good. However, for minor combustion intermediates, the agreement was satisfactory considering the originality of the reaction mechanism. The major reaction pathways responsible for the formation and destruction of the reactants, intermediates and products have been identified via the calculation of reaction rates.
Revisiting Realization: Accretion Taxation, the Constitution, Macomber, and Mark to Market

Reviews the constitutional origin of the United States realization based income taxation system and concludes that modification of that system to an accrual or accretion system would be constitutionally infirm. The article examines certain accretion rules currently in the United States tax laws, identifies the flaws in the reasoning in support of those rules in the legislative history and seeks to explain why the industries affected generally have not complained about the rules.
Per)chlorate in Biology on Earth and Beyond.

Respiration of perchlorate and chlorate [collectively, (per)chlorate] was only recognized in the last 20 years, yet substantial advances have been made in our understanding of the underlying metabolisms. Although it was once considered solely anthropogenic, pervasive natural sources, both terrestrial and extraterrestrial, indicate an ancient (per)chlorate presence across our solar system. These discoveries stimulated interest in (per)chlorate microbiology, and the application of advanced approaches highlights exciting new facets. Forward and reverse genetics revealed new information regarding underlying molecular biology and associated regulatory mechanisms. Structural and functional analysis characterized core enzymes and identified novel reaction sequences. Comparative genomics elucidated evolutionary aspects, and stress analysis identified novel response mechanisms to reactive chlorine species. Finally, systems biology identified unique metabolic versatility and novel mechanisms of (per)chlorate respiration, including symbiosis and a hybrid enzymatic-abiotic metabolism. While many published studies focus on (per)chlorate and their basic metabolism, this review highlights seminal advances made over the last decade and identifies new directions and potential novel applications.
Secondary Data Analyses From Published Descriptive Statistics Implications for Human Resource Development Theory, Research, and Practice

The ProblemThe need for human resource development (HRD) to develop theory that will lead to improved practice was recognized in published literature in 2002. Two years after Holton’s initial mandate for theory in HRD, Torraco identified the need for researchers to “interpret old data in new ways” as a core role for theory development in HRD research. Yet over a decade later, few scholarly articles published in journals dedicated to HRD report on secondary data analyses (i.e., interpret old data in new ways). Even fewer have considered how quantitative analysis of secondary data can be used to inform theory.The SolutionA three-pronged solution is provided to address the void of secondary data analyses reported in HRD literature. First, this article demonstrates how secondary data analyses can be conducted using only published descriptive statistics as data. Second, it presents user-friendly software to aid scholars and scholar-practitioners in their pursuit of such analyses. Third, it reviews the concept ...
THE SOCIAL ORIGINS AND MAINTENANCE OF GENDER: Communication Styles, Personality Types and Grid-Group Theory

Starting from the distinctive communication styles that Deborah Tannen associates with men and women, we probe for the bases of gender differences. We suggest that these contrasting communication styles, which contribute to systematic miscommunication between women and men, are indices of deeper differences that serve the more fundamental purpose of providing individuals with the benefits of multiple distinctive world views, thus improving their chances for dealing successfully with the range of contingencies with which life confronts them. In essence, our argument runs that the imperfect empirical associations between commu- nication styles and gender that have attracted Tannen's attention are consequences of the constellations of basic personality characteristics that form Carl Jung's personality types. Various gender-associated personality types are, in turn, socially cultivated by disparate organizations faithful to the principles of the rival cultures that constitute Mary Douglas' grid- group theory. These distinctive ways of life are thus crucial to the social maintenance of evolutionarily constructive cultural diversity among human groupings as small as mating pairs.
Comparison of the Blood Picture in Treated and Untreated Syphilis Patients

Blood examinations were made on a number of syphilitic patients20 who were divided into 2 groups. One group consisted of 58 patients who had received no treatment up to the time of the blood examination. Thirty-two were seen in the stage of an active primary infection, 18 had active secondary lesions, and 8 had signs and symptoms of tertiary disease. The second group consisted of 55 patients who had received varying amounts of specific treatment, ranging from less than one full course of arsphenamine and mercury to several such courses. In 20 of these, treatment was instituted during the primary stage of the disease, in 16 treatment was begun during the secondary stage, and in 19 during the tertiary stage.Since the patients were ambulatory and repeated counts could be obtained only with great difficulty, one complete blood examination was made on each individual. Each examination included a total red and white cell count made with standardized pipettes, a hemoglobin determination by the Newcomer method, a...
THE RESEARCH AND REALIZATION OF HIERARCHY AND ROUTING ALGORITHM IN VIDEO MONITORING SYSTEM

In this paper,the method of expansion and interconnection of video monitoring system based on video monitoring system hierarchy is introduced. The notion of autonomous system, video bridge and remote video proxy is also proposed in digital video monitoring system. From this point, the authors propose a dynamic video routing algorithm is analyzed based on peer hierarchy of a distributed intelligent video monitoring system.
A New Approach for Idiom Identification Using Meanings and the Web

There is a great deal of knowledge available on the Web, which represents a great opportunity for automatic, intelligent text processing and understanding, but the major problems are finding the legitimate sources of information and the fact that search engines provide page statistics not occurrences. This paper presents a new, domain independent, general-purpose idiom identification approach. Our approach combines the knowledge of the Web with the knowledge extracted from dictionaries. This method can overcome the limitations of current techniques that rely on linguistic knowledge or statistics. It can recognize idioms even when the complete sentence is not present, and without the need for domain knowledge. It is currently designed to work with text in English but can be extended to other languages.
From modulational instability to chaos in a dispersive optical fiber

Modulational instability is a process in which an intense cw beam in a nonlinear dispersive medium acquires a pair of sidebands symmetrically disposed about the pump wavelength. Beating between the pump and sidebands results in a periodic train of pulses whose repetition rate is given by the frequency separation between the pump and the sidebands. Numerous experimental observations have confirmed the existence of this phenomenon. In this paper we show that the same process that gives rise to a periodic pulse train can result in a chaotic output if the pump intensity exceeds a critical value. Chaos developes as a consequence of multiple four-wave mixing that creates a plethora of sidebands.
Role of newer and re-emerging older agents in the treatment of infections caused by carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae

Antimicrobial resistance has been identified by the World Health Organization as “one of the three greatest threats to human health.” Gram negative bacteria in particular drive this alarming trend....
EyeVeri: A secure and usable approach for smartphone user authentication

As mobile technology grows rapidly, the smartphone has become indispensable for transmitting private user data, storing the sensitive corporate files, and conducting secure payment transactions. However, with mobile security research lagging, smartphones are extremely vulnerable to unauthenticated access. In this paper, we present, EyeVeri, a novel eye-movement-based authentication system for smartphone security protection. Specifically, EyeVeri tracks human eye movement through the built-in front camera and applies the signal processing and pattern matching techniques to explore volitional and non-volitional gaze patterns for access authentication. Through a comprehensive user study, EyeVeri performs well and is a promising approach for smartphone user authentication. We also discuss the evaluation results in-depth and analyze opportunities for future work.
Concepts of God/Ultimate Reality

There is a wide diversity of beliefs among the great faith traditions of the world. For centuries, philosophers have reflected on and analyzed the variety of religious concepts and symbols among the religions, and the concept of God or Ultimate Reality has been one of the most dominant. The differing beliefs about God/Ultimate Reality are expressed in unique and divergent conceptual schemes, symbols, metaphors, and models. Within these expressions various questions arise concerning the nature and existence of this transcendent reality. Is there an objective reality to which the language corresponds or points, or are the terms and descriptions merely the reifications of the believing communities expressed in the various linguistic forms of a given culture? The next chapter will examine reasons and evidences for and against the existence of a transcendent reality. Before investigating that question, however, it is important to have in mind some idea of what one means when considering that reality. This chapter will explore several conceptions of God/Ultimate Reality. Contrary to much popular belief, it may be that a fundamental and universal concept can be found at the heart of at least several of the major religious traditions about which they can agree.
Printed circuit board rectangular waveguide with full band microstrip to waveguide transition

This paper presents the design, fabrication, assembly and performance of a layered printed circuit board (PCB) dielectric rectangular waveguide that operates from 4 to 6 GHz in the H band. Metallized via fences form the waveguide walls by stacking 1.57 mm thick FR408 ( er = 3.66, tan δ = 0.0127) substrates. A microstrip probe transition is used to feed the waveguide. The bandwidth of the demonstrated waveguide is limited by the probe design and is improved with the use of a matching circuit. The feasibility of a low cost technology to realize a dielectric filled rectangular waveguide is demonstrated.
Selective Chemical Inhibition of PGC-1α Gluconeogenic Activity Ameliorates Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a worldwide epidemic with a medical need for additional targeted therapies. Suppression of hepatic glucose production (HGP) effectively ameliorates diabetes and can be exploited for its treatment. We hypothesized that targeting PGC-1α acetylation in the liver, a chemical modification known to inhibit hepatic gluconeogenesis, could be potentially used for treatment of T2D. Thus, we designed a high-throughput chemical screen platform to quantify PGC-1α acetylation in cells and identified small molecules that increase PGC-1α acetylation, suppress gluconeogenic gene expression, and reduce glucose production in hepatocytes. On the basis of potency and bioavailability, we selected a small molecule, SR-18292, that reduces blood glucose, strongly increases hepatic insulin sensitivity, and improves glucose homeostasis in dietary and genetic mouse models of T2D. These studies have important implications for understanding the regulatory mechanisms of glucose metabolism and treatment of T2D.
Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus NSs Protein Supports Infection and Systemic Movement of a Potyvirus and Is a Symptom Determinant

Plant viruses are inducers and targets of antiviral RNA silencing. To condition susceptibility, most plant viruses encode silencing suppressor proteins that interfere with antiviral RNA silencing. The NSs protein is an RNA silencing suppressor in orthotospoviruses, such as the tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV). The mechanism of RNA silencing suppression by NSs and its role in virus infection and movement are poorly understood. Here, we cloned and tagged TSWV NSs and expressed it from a GFP-tagged turnip mosaic virus (TuMV-GFP) carrying either a wild-type or suppressor-deficient (AS9) helper component proteinase (HC-Pro). When expressed in cis, NSs restored pathogenicity and promoted systemic infection of suppressor-deficient TuMV-AS9-GFP in Nicotiana benthamiana and Arabidopsis thaliana. Inactivating mutations were introduced in NSs RNA-binding domain one. A genetic analysis with active and suppressor-deficient NSs, in combination with wild-type and mutant plants lacking essential components of the RNA silencing machinery, showed that the NSs insert is stable when expressed from a potyvirus. NSs can functionally replace potyviral HC-Pro, condition virus susceptibility, and promote systemic infection and symptom development by suppressing antiviral RNA silencing through a mechanism that partially overlaps that of potyviral HC-Pro. The results presented provide new insight into the mechanism of silencing suppression by NSs and its effect on virus infection.
The Heart of the Profession: Understanding Public Service Values

When NASPAA adopted new accreditation standards in 2009, it effectively placed public service values at the heart of the public administration curriculum. The efficacy of this approach is directly ...
OBSTACLES TO QUANTITATIVE LITHOSTRATIGRAPHIC CORRELATION

ABSTRACT Three major obstacles currently exist in correlation of geologic strata by automatic, objective quantitative methods. Recognition of discrete intervals within a longer undifferentiated sequence seems to be the most difficult problem to solve because crosscorrelation methods so far have yielded discouraging results. Recognition of significant gaps such as unconformities, long hiatuses, and faults within a stratigraphic unit is necessary and may be relatively easy; but first extensive investigation into the effect these features have on various quantitative correlation methods is required. Accurate definition of discrete unit boundaries is desirable once correlative intervals are identified; unfortunately, those methods which seem superior in gross correlation of strata may be the poorest in boundary resolution. Thus the most probable solution to quantitative lithostratigraphic correlation is expected to be a composite method which optimizes stratigraphic correlation through employment of several mathematical techniques.
Avoiding Physician Burnout

Burnout is likely when the job characteristics do not mesh well with personality characteristics of the individual. Identify those who are risk for burnout because burnout may contribute to worsening job performance and health issues. A well-lived life balances one’s professional life with the personal life: personal growth and renewal are essential for maintaining this balance and may include not just time outside of work, but things like travel, family life, and other avocations or hobbies.
Evaluating High-Risk, Vulnerable Plaques with Integrated PET/CT

Is it estimated that approximately 19 million people around the world suffer from either acute coronary syndrome (ACS) or sudden cardiac death (SCD).1,2In the United States, approximately 540,000 individuals experience a myocardial infarction, and more than 515,000 deaths are caused by coronary artery disease (CAD) each year. A large proportion of these patients are asymptomatic and without clinically overt cardiovascular disease.1,2 These data underscore the significance of early identification and treatment of these high-risk patients.
Practice patterns of nurse practitioners related to weight management in primary care.

ABSTRACTBackground and objectives:Obesity prevalence rates for adults are at an all-time high. This systematic review of the literature aimed to examine the practice patterns of nurse practitioners (NPs) related to weight management in primary care and recommend future areas of research as it relate
Integrating production scheduling and process control using latent variable dynamic models

Abstract Given their increasing participation in fast-changing markets, the integration of scheduling and control is an important consideration in chemical process operations. This generally involves computing optimal production schedules using dynamic models, which is challenging due to the nonlinearity and high-dimensionality of the models of chemical processes. In this paper, we begin by observing that the intrinsic dimensionality of process dynamics (as relevant to scheduling) is often much lower than the number of model state and/or algebraic variables. We introduce a data mining approach to “learn” closed-loop process dynamics on a low-dimensional, latent manifold. The manifold dimensionality is selected based on a tradeoff between model accuracy and complexity. After projecting process data, system identification and optimal scheduling calculations can be performed in the low-dimensional, latent-variable space. We apply these concepts to schedule an air separation unit under time-varying electricity prices. We show that our approach reduces the computational effort, while offering more detailed dynamic information compared to previous related works.
Where Do Population Policies Come From? Copying in African Fertility and Refugee Policies

Population policies aim to alter demographic behavior, but their impact can depend on their origins. We analyze these origins using an innovative method—plagiarism detection software—to determine when countries copy policy text from one another or from international sources, focusing on fertility and refugee policies in sub-Saharan African countries. We find that countries directly copy 8% of text on average, but that refugee policies copy significantly more text than fertility policies. We also find that poorer countries borrow more text, and that other countries’ policies are preferred to international templates (such as UN conference programs of action, or international conventions). We find no effect on copying of countries’ connections through geographic proximity, regional organizations, or trade. We interpret these findings in terms of the differing strength of international regimes around refugee and population law, as well as the varied capacity of countries to produce policy, and discuss their implications for policy impacts.
8 – How Associations Are Memorized1

Abstract : It is observed that performance in tasks involving recall or recognition of items seems to be explained best with concepts of storage and retrieval, rather than formation of associative connections. Evidence is presented that this is also true of paired-associate memorizing, and it is proposed that the stages of memorizing are storage and learning to retrieve. Statistical methods are presented for obtaining measurements of difficulty in each of two stages of learning, using a Markov model. In experiments with varying response difficulty and stimulus similarity, the difficulty of the first stage depended on both stimuli and responses, but the second stage depended only on the stimuli. This favors the storage-retrieval theory, over the hypothesis that the first stage is response learning and the second is hookup learning.
Abstract 40: Interleukin-10 Deficiency Impairs Reparative Properties of Bone Marrow-derived Endothelial Progenitor Cell Exosomes Function in Ischemic Myocardium

Endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) based therapy promotes neovascularization in ischemic myocardium. Studies suggest that therapeutic effect of stem cells is largely due to paracrine mechanisms incl...
3D-Visualization of Power System Data Using Triangulation and Subdivision Techniques

3-D surface visualizations of various power system operating quantities has always been challenging in terms of correctly capturing the changes of an arbitrary geographical shape power system. Triangulation methods offer promise for meaningful 3-D surface visualizations of such systems. In this paper we propose a scheme for such visualizations based on subdivision of triangle meshes. Input consists of various power system quantities such as voltage magnitude, voltage phase, reactive power flow, real power flow, electric current, etc. The data may be available from simulations or from real time streaming data from a model that is two-dimensional (geographic). We first perform a Delaunay Triangulation on the set of 2D sites and generate a triangle mesh. This triangle mesh is used to represent a coarse 3D surface. The height of this surface at a site is equal to the power system quantity at that site. This surface is refined using the butterfly subdivision scheme with an additional constraint that the heights of the interpolated vertices lie within the bounds of the original vertices from which they were interpolated. After each level of subdivision, we perform a modified Laplacian smoothing to compensate for the discontinuity introduced due to this bounding. The method is suitable for effective visualization of large geographic data. Example visualizations and performance indices are provided in the paper.
High intensity polarized electron source

Abstract A proposed new high-luminosity electron–ion collider requires a polarized electron source of extremely high intensity. The MIT-Bates Laboratory, in collaboration with Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), has developed a new polarized electron gun that can be operated at currents in the mA range. This paper describes the design of the gun and beam line and also presents the results of the beam tests.
MRI differences between MOG antibody disease and AQP4 NMOSD.

Background:MOG antibody and AQP4 antibody seropositive diseases are immunologically distinct subtypes of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) with similar clinical presentations. MRI fin...
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work: Maximizing Surgical Intervention at the Time of Living Donor Renal Transplantation

Abstract Background Patients with obesity and end-stage renal disease represent a surgical population with multiple comorbidities and high risk for postoperative complications. One method for reducing the incidence of postoperative adverse events in this patient population is to limit the number of operations through combining operations into 1 operative encounter. Methods We conducted a retrospective review of adult patients at a single institution who underwent renal transplant, panniculectomy, and at least 1 additional abdominal or pelvic surgery concurrently. For those patients, we collected demographics, intraoperative variables, and postoperative data and analyzed surgical outcomes and postoperative complications. Results Thirteen patients met inclusion criteria. Most of the patients were female (85%) with ages ranging 33 to 70 years old and mean body mass index of 36.5 (SD 4.7). Three quarters of patients (77%) underwent 3 procedures and the remaining underwent 4 or 5 procedures with a median hospital length of stay of 5 days (range, 3-10 days). There was a single mortality. Overall, 8 patients (61.5%) experienced complications in the first 90 postoperative days. The wound complication rate was 46.2%, the overall readmission rate within 90 days was 38.5%, and the reoperation rate was 30.8%. All patients experienced immediate graft function, and the 12 patients that survived to postoperative day 90 maintained survival at 1 year. Conclusion This study demonstrates that the combination of more than 2 surgical procedures with living donor renal transplant is a possible treatment option in high-risk obese patients in need of multiple operations.
Charge transport and dynamic response of organic and polymer transistors

It is shown that the dynamic response of a thin-film transistor (TFT) comprises a polymer or organic semiconductor and can be directly correlated with charge transport parameters. Charge transport is assumed to take place in accordance with the often employed multiple trap and release model. We can simulate the non-quasistatic response of TFTs for devices in which the mobility is not constant, but depends on carrier density and other parameters. The previous model of Burns has been significantly improved and made applicable to organic and polymer transistors. Our approach works for an arbitrary density of states including both a relatively shallow exponential distribution of tail states and deeper Gaussian trap states. We set the gate voltage, VG, in our TFTs to be zero. The source voltage, VS, is varied and, thus, the value of gate-to-source voltage is varied. The predictive power of the model that is presented in this paper will be very useful for accurate device modeling and for charge transport studies.
Receiving Frequency Diverse Array Antenna for Tracking Low Earth Orbit Satellites

The Frequency Diverse Array (FDA) antenna provides range - angle - time dependent beampattern, potentially generating highly directional beams with high gain that may be steered directly and continuously to the desired position. Therefore, a ground receiving antenna system based on the Frequency Diverse Array antenna is presented for tracking and communicating with Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite. This is required to minimize complexity and cost of the ground station. Furthermore,, to meet the system figure of merit (G/T) requirements; the radiation characteristics, the gain requirements, the array size, the minimum number of elements and their distribution for several FDA array antenna architectures are calculated and analyzed.
Neonatal white matter tract microstructure and 2-year language outcomes after preterm birth

Abstract Aim To determine whether variability in diffusion MRI (dMRI) white matter tract metrics, obtained in a cohort of preterm infants prior to neonatal hospital discharge, would be associated with language outcomes at age 2 years, after consideration of age at scan and number of major neonatal complications. Method 30 children, gestational age 28.9 ( 2.4) weeks, underwent dMRI at mean post menstrual age 36.4 ( 1.4) weeks and language assessment with the Bayley Scales of Infant Development–III at mean age 22.2 (1.7) months chronological age. Mean fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) were calculated for 5 white matter tracts. Hierarchical linear regression assessed associations between tract FA, moderating variables, and language outcomes. Results FA of the left inferior longitudinal fasciculus accounted for 17% (p = 0.03) of the variance in composite language and FA of the posterior corpus callosum accounted for 19% (p = 0.02) of the variance in composite language, beyond that accounted for by post-menstrual age at scan and neonatal medical complications. The number of neonatal medical complications moderated the relationship between language and posterior corpus callosum FA but did not moderate the association in the other tract. Conclusion Language at age 2 is associated with white matter metrics in early infancy in preterm children. The different pattern of associations by fiber group may relate to the stage of brain maturation and/or the nature and timing of medical complications related to preterm birth. Future studies should replicate these findings with a larger sample size to assure reliability of the findings.
Save a Life: Implementation and Evaluation of a Community-Focused CPR Education Program in Houston, Texas.

Over 350 000 people in the United States experience out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) annually—and almost 90% die as a result. However, survival varies widely between counties, ranging from 3.4...
Treatment and Prognosis of Inflammatory Pseudotumor of the Skull Base

Background Inflammatory pseudotumor (IPT) of the skull base is a rare, locally destructive lesion managed with a variety of treatments. We explore the impact of treatment on outcome and assess the prognosis of IPT. Methods This is a retrospective review of IPT of the skull base at a tertiary academic medical center. The primary outcome was radiographic progression after treatment. Outcome versus tumor location was also examined and a prognostic model was developed using a logistic regression. Results The demographics of 21 patients with IPT are reported. Treatment consisted of corticosteroids (in 80.1% of patients), disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs; 33.3%), surgical resection (28.6%), radiation (23.8%), antibiotics (14.3%), chemotherapy (rituximab; 9.5%), and antivirals (4.8%). At 50.7 months, 50.8% had radiographic progression. Local therapy trended toward having a better response than systemic therapy (p = 0.60). IPT of the orbit required 2.4 treatment modalities, compared with 2.0 for pharyngeal IPT, and 1.3 for posterior skull base masses (p = 0.14). A total of 75% orbital IPT underwent radiographic progression, compared with 71% of pharyngeal IPT and 50% of posterior skull base masses (p = 0.62). Sixteen patients were used to create the logistic model of radiographic progression. The Cox–Snell R 2 was 0.71 (p = 0.03). No individual variables were statistically significant. Conclusion To our knowledge, this is among the largest sample of cases describing the presentation, treatment, and prognosis of IPT of the skull base. Our data suggest that there may be an improved response with local therapy over systemic therapy and better prognosis among posterolateral skull base masses.
The Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonist, Semaglutide, for the Treatment of Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis

"A Placebo-Controlled Trial of Subcutaneous Semaglutide in Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (1)," recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine (online November 2020) by Newsome et al., is an important investigation of the impact of 72 weeks of the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist semaglutide compared to placebo in patients with biopsy proven nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and liver fibrosis (F1-3). GLP-1 receptor agonists are slightly modified peptides that are resistant to degradation by the dipeptidyl peptidase-4 enzyme but that mimic the effects of endogenous GLP-1, including increasing insulin secretion, decreasing glucagon production and hepatic glucose production, slowing gastric emptying and decreasing appetite (2). Drugs in this class are currently FDA approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and for weight loss in individuals both with and without T2DM (3) but are not specifically approved for the treatment of NASH. GLP-1 receptor agonists are a particularly attractive potential therapeutic option in NASH given their beneficial glycemic and weight loss effects.
Ability to tolerate distress moderates the indirect relationship between emotion regulation difficulties and loss-of-control over eating via affective lability.

Abstract Introduction Loss-of-control eating (LOCE), inability to refrain from or cease eating, may contribute to significant distress and dysfunction, yet research is lacking specificity on vulnerabilities contributing to LOCE as an independent construct. Preliminary evidence indicates potential roles of distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and affective lability, but the relationship between these variables and LOCE has been under-assessed. Material and methods A sample (N = 3968) consisting of university students completed an assessment of pathological eating and affiliated affective vulnerabilities. A latent variable structural equation model (SEM) was generated to predict LOCE by way of affective lability and indirectly, emotion regulation difficulties and low distress tolerance, controlling for general eating pathology. Results Findings indicated a significant direct effect of affective lability on LOCE, as well as significant indirect effects of emotion regulation difficulties and distress tolerance on LOCE, via affect lability. Additionally, distress tolerance moderated the relationship between emotion regulation difficulties and affective lability, such that lower ability to tolerate distress strengthened the relationship and higher distress tolerance capability attenuated it. Discussion Findings suggest an influence of distress tolerance on the relationship between poor emotion regulation and affective lability, which in turn may affect LOCE. Clinical implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.
American Philhellenes and the Poetics of War

Between 1821 and 1829, the Greek War for Independence attracted widespread and enthusiastic support in the United States. While most were content to simply follow along with the war’s proceedings, ...