cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
PICquant: a quantitative platform to measure differential peptide abundance using dual-isotopic labeling with 12C6- and 13C6-phenyl isocyanate.

We have developed a complete system for the isotopic labeling, fractionation, and automated quantification of differentially expressed peptides that significantly facilitates candidate biomarker discovery. We describe a new stable mass tagging reagent pair, 12C6- and 13C6-phenyl isocyanate (PIC), that offers significant advantages over currently available tags. Peptides are labeled predominantly at their amino termini and exhibit elution profiles that are independent of label isotope. Importantly, PIC-labeled peptides have unique neutral-mass losses upon CID fragmentation that enable charge state and label isotope identification and, thereby, decouple the sequence identification from the quantification of candidate biomarkers. To exploit these properties, we have coupled peptide fractionation protocols with a Thermo LTQ-XL LC-MS2 data acquisition strategy and a suite of automated spectrum analysis software that identifies quantitative differences between labeled samples. This approach, dubbed the PICquant...
Modeling of Nanosecond Pulsed Surface Dielectric Barrier Discharge of N_2-O_2 Mixture at Atmosphere Presuure

It is an important issue to study the mechanism of surface dielectric barrier discharging(SDBD) in atmospheric N2-O2 mixtures when the coupling theory between plasma aerodynamic actuation and fluid flow is studied.Thus,coupling chemical reaction kinetic equations of the plasma with the drift-diffusion fluid equations which consider energy equilibrium,we put forward a two-dimensional model of SDBD in atmospheric N2-O2 mixture.Then,taking 15 species,35 chemical reactions and corresponding electron impact reactions into account,we obtained the VA characteristics,electron charge distribution,and electron energy distribution of SDBD.The results show that the impact of hot electron is the main source of ions,meanwhile,accumulation of low energy electrons on anode and the motion of ions driven by the electric field are important reasons of the non-equilibrium in the SDBD.The calculation results are compared with the VA characteristics,discharging profile,and spectrum analysis results obtained by experiments,and their consistence validates the correctness of the proposed model.
Monitoring and analysis of chemical contaminants level in foods in Xinchang county during 2009-2013

Objective To investigate the pollution status of main chemical pollutants and harmful factors in food products,so as to understand the food safety condition in Xinchang county. Methods According to " Zhejiang provincial risk monitoring plan for food safety",different kinds of food were collected from the markets in Xinchang county for monitoring and analysis of some heavy metals,food additives and pesticide residues from 2009 to 2013. Results The over-limit rate was 0. 67% for lead(2/300),1.15% for cadmium(3/260),1.92% for mercury(5/260),and 31.43% for aluminum(11/35). While the over-limit rate of food additives was 4. 83%(16 /331),including sodium cyclamate(10. 53%),sodium saccharin(5. 00%),benzoic acid and sorbic acid(7. 50%). The over-limit rate of organophosphorus pesticide residues was 6. 43% in vegetables.Conclusion Chemical contaminants were found in many kinds of food products in Xinchang county. Supervision and inspection should be strengthened in each link of food products production and marketing,thus eliminating the hidden dangers of food safety as far as possible.
3. Mixed Automorphic Forms and Cohomology

3.1 Mixed Cusp Forms and Parabolic Cohomology 3.2 Pairings on Mixed Cusp Forms 3.3 Hodge Structures 3.4 The Kronecker Pairing
Conceptual Monohull Planing in Calm Water

Planing in its simplest useful form starts with a prismatic box of rectangular cross-section, with length L larger than the cross-sectional dimensions, B and D, in Fig. 1.1. The coordinate system is the right-hand rectangular system located at the bow stem (0,0,0). The block, of Fig. 1.1, is itself a prismatic form capable of planing on its bottom, but very primitive planing, with low lift/drag ratio.
How can NLP Tasks Mutually Benefit Sentiment Analysis? A Holistic Approach to Sentiment Analysis

Existing opinion analysis techniques rely on the clues within the sentence that focus on the sentiment analysis task itself. However, the sentiment analysis task is not isolated from other NLP tasks (co-reference resolution, entity linking, etc) but they can benefit each other. In this paper, we define dependencies between sentiment analysis and other tasks, and express the dependencies in first order logic rules regardless of the representations of different tasks. The conceptual framework proposed in this paper using such dependency rules as constraints aims at exploiting information outside the sentence and outside the document to improve sentiment analysis. Further, the framework allows exception to the rules.
Nanoparticle Surfaces Studied by Electrochemical NMR

Exploring various phenomena at metal/solution interfaces relates directly to heterogeneous catalysis and its applications to fuel cell catalysis. By the late 1980s, electrochemical nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (EC-NMR) was introduced as a new technique for electrochemical surface science. (See also recent reviews and some representative references covering NMR efforts in gas phase surface science.) It has been demonstrated that electrochemical nuclear magnetic resonance (EC-NMR) is a local surface and bulk nanoparticle probe that combines solid-state, or frequently metal NMR with electrochemistry. Experiments can be performed either under direct in situ potentiostatic control, or with samples prepared in a separate electrochemical cell, where the potential is both known and constant. Among several virtues, EC-NMR provides an electrondensity level description of electrochemical interfaces based on the Fermi level local densities of states (Ef-LDOS). Work to date has been predominantly conducted with and since these nuclei
Quark-Hadron Duality of Spin Structure Functions in CLAS EG1b Data

The hypothesis of quark-hadron duality infers that physical observables of nucleons can be described by a complete set of basis states using either hadronic or quark degrees of freedom. In the EG1b experiment in Hall-B at Jefferson Lab, polarized electrons with energies of 1.6, 2.5, 4.2 and 5.7 GeV were scattered from proton and deuteron targets ( $$^{15}\hbox {NH}_3$$ and $$^{15}\hbox {ND}_3$$ dynamically polarized along the beam direction) and detected with CEBAF large acceptance spectrometer. Nucleon spin structure functions $$g_1$$ and $$g_2$$ were measured over a wide kinematic range ( $$0.05\,\hbox {GeV}^2< Q^2 <5\,\hbox {GeV}^2$$ and $$1.08\,\hbox {GeV}<{W}< 3\,\hbox {GeV}$$ ). These recently published data strongly constrain parametrization of world data in the resonance region, allowing comprehensive tests of Bloom–Gilman duality for polarized nucleons over a wide kinematic range.
Lack of in vivo/in vitro correlations for 50 mg and 250 mg primidone tablets

Purpose. To determine if large differences in the in vitro dissolution profiles for primidone tablets would result in significant bioavailability differences.
Novel targeted therapies in peripheral T cell lymphoma

Peripheral T cell lymphomas (PTCL), non-Hodgkin lymphomas characterized by having features of T cells that have matured in the thymus, are a heterogeneous group of clinical entities. Compared with B cell lymphomas, they are less common, more difficult to diagnose and classify, more aggressive, and have inferior outcomes with current treatment paradigms. They are also less completely understood in terms of how different PTCL types correspond to normal T cell development, and in identifying cell signaling pathways as targets for new therapies. Recent studies with novel targeted therapies as single agents or in combination with other drugs have illustrated promising outcomes both for relapsed and frontline PTCL. We first briefly review classification, prognostic indices, and results of initial therapy of various T cell lymphomas. We then review recent studies of chemotherapy, monoclonal antibody-based therapy directed at cell surface targets, small molecule inhibitors of intracellular targets such as histone deacetylases and the proteasome, and agents that disrupt stromal interactions. Investigations that enhance our knowledge of T cell molecular biology and integrate novel targeted agents into the treatment algorithm for PTCL will be keys to improved outcomes for patients with PTCL.
The Role of Oxygen Radicals in Microbial Killing by Phagocytes

Recognition of the possibility that phagocytes might employ oxygen radicals as microbicidal agents dates from the discovery by McCord and Fridovich (1969) of the superoxide dismutases, a nearly ubiquitous group of enzymes, which catalyze the destruction of the oxygen radical O2 — (superoxide) according to the reaction: $$ 2{O_{{{{\dot{2}}^{ - }}}}} + 2H{}^{ + } \to {O_{2}} + {H_{2}}{O_{2}} $$ The presence of one or more of these enzymes in virtually every living organism implies an indispensable role for superoxide dismutase in living systems, and from the nature of the dismutase-catalyzed reaction it may be inferred that this role is to protect such systems against fatal damage by O2- and its chemical descendants. The initial evidence supporting this assertion—namely, the reported absence of superoxide dismutase from obligate anaerobes (McCord et al., 1971)—has now been found to be incorrect, since newer and more sensitive methods for measuring the activity of the enzyme have shown it to be present, albeit in low concentrations, in Clostridia and other species which are killed by oxygen (Lumsden and Hall, 1975; Hewitt and Morris, 1975).
NDT with Rayleigh and Optical Waves

It is a great pleasure to speak on the applications of Rayleigh waves to nondestructive testing. This conference attests to the breadth and scope of the contributions Lord Rayleigh’s discovery of surface waves has made to so many acoustic applications. Yet, the discovery of Rayleigh waves is only one small part of his many theories which have been fundamental to the development of modern acoustical and optical techniques. We can only marvel at his immense output.
Predicting synergistic target and drug target combinations in a large-scale data-driven simulation of cancer cells.

2084 A plethora of targeted therapies are emerging in clinical and pre-clinical trials with varying degrees of efficacy and toxicities, often depending on the cell type or patient genetic background. One approach for circumventing lack of efficacy is to use therapies in combination. The challenge is to come up with combinations that are synergistic to cancer cells, but leave normal cells unharmed. We present a large-scale data-driven simulation of the genes and proteins controlling the signal transduction pathways that drive the cell cycle, the cell cycle machinery, and their connections to apoptosis. The simulation is data-driven meaning that it can be trained to reflect a variety of cell types and genetic backgrounds. This is crucial to being able to make predictions that are specific to certain cancer types and for determining universal properties that span cell types and various cancer genetic backgrounds. The simulation is used to both predict which combination of targets and drug targets that can synergize to lead to maximal growth inhibition and the biological mechanism that led to that synergy. A large-scale simulation confers the advantage of being able to quickly simulate a variety of possibilities both in terms of target combinations and various cell types and genetic backgrounds with minimal cost. Thus making it a very powerful tool to aid testing a large combinatorial number of possibilities when one considers target and drug target choices and various genetic backgrounds.
30-day readmission after radical cystectomy: Identifying targets for improvement using the phases of surgical care

Introduction Postoperative readmissions following radical cystectomy (RC) have gained attention in the past decade. Postoperative and post-discharge complications play a role in readmission rates; however, our ability to predict readmissions remains poor. Methods Using the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database, we identified patients with bladder cancer undergoing RC from 2013-2015. Complications were defined as postoperative and post-discharge. Outcomes were 30-day readmission, post-discharge complications, and post-discharge major complications. Patient, operative, and complication factors were assessed using multivariable logistic regression. Results We identified 4457 patients who underwent RC; 9.2% of patients experienced a postoperative complication, 18.8% experienced a post-discharge complication, and 20.3% were readmitted. Overweight and obese body mass index (BMI), dependent functional status, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a continent diversion, and duration of operation were associated with post-discharge complications. Postoperative complications were not associated with post-discharge complications. Readmission was associated with Black race (odds ratio [OR] 1.5; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.0-2.1), overweight (OR 1.5; 95% CI 1.2-1.8) and obese BMI (OR 1.5; 95% CI 1.2-1.9), diabetes (OR 1.2; 95% CI 1.0-1.5), COPD (OR 1.4; 95% CI 1.0-1.8), steroid use (OR 1.5; 95% CI 1.0-2.2), a continent diversion (OR 1.4; 95% CI 1.1-1.7), duration of operation (OR 1.1; 95% CI 1.1-1.2), and postoperative complications (OR 1.5; 95% CI 1.2-2.0). The majority of readmissions experienced a post-discharge complication. Conclusions Factors that span the preoperative, intraoperative, postoperative, and post-discharge phases of care were identified to increase readmission risk. To improve readmission rates, interventions will have to target factors across the surgical experience.
Stigma Contributes to the Risk of Violence by Persons with Mental Illness

It is widely documented that persons with mental illness (MI) experience much stigma, contributing to undesirable outcomes for persons with MI and posing barriers to their psychosocial rehabilitation. It is our argument that stigma and violence have a reciprocal relationship. In particular, stigma increases the risk of violence by this population by acting as a barrier to treatment participation and by increasing criminogenic risk factors among this population. Discrimination in social relationships, housing, and employment increases the likelihood that persons with MI will experience substance abuse, unemployment, stressed family relationships, antisocial characteristics, and less engagement in prosocial activities, all of which are known to increase the risk of criminal behavior. It is well documented that family members are the most common victims of violence by persons with MI. However, many family victims do not report acts of violence to authorities due to fear of exacerbating the stigma of MI. As such, not only does stigma increase the risk of violence by persons with MI, it also decreases the likelihood that family victims will report violence, preventing them from receiving victim services and other valuable supports. Reduction in stigma may be an essential element of a comprehensive approach to decreasing the risk of violence by persons with MI and increasing reporting and service use among family members who have been victims by persons with MI.
Bricoleur: A Tool for Tinkering with Programmable Video and Audio

This paper presents Bricoleur, a new tool designed primarily for children to create rich dynamic audiovisual projects on mobile devices. Building off of technology developed for the Scratch programming language, Bricoleur allows users to capture video and audio media, then use visual programming blocks to quickly construct complex, interactive, and multilayered projects. The programmability of video and audio assets enables new creative possibilities that do not exist in traditional timeline-based video editing software nor in existing programming platforms. Drawing from Seymour Papert's assertion that all learning is an act of bricolage - i.e., a process of constructing knowledge while dialoguing back and forth with creative materials - we describe the design of an initial prototype of Bricoleur, which emphasizes tinkerability as a primary design goal.
Assaying uptake of endocrine disruptor compounds in zebrafish embryos and larvae

To study the effects of environmental endocrine disruptors (EEDs) on aquatic animals, embryos and larvae are typically incubated in water containing defined concentrations of EEDs. However, the amount of EED uptake into the animal is often difficult to determine. Using radiolabeled estradiol ([3H]E2), we previously developed a rapid, straightforward assay to measure estradiol uptake from water into zebrafish embryos and larvae. Here, we extend this approach to measure the uptake of two additional EEDs, bisphenol A (BPA) and ethinyl estradiol (EE2). As with E2, the uptake of each compound by individual larvae was low (< 6%), and increased with increasing concentration, duration, and developmental stage. We found that E2 and EE2 had similar uptake under equivalent exposure conditions, while BPA had comparatively lower uptake. One application of this assay is to test factors that influence EED uptake or efflux. It has been suggested that persistent organic pollutants (POPs) inhibit ABC transporters that may normally efflux EEDs and their metabolites, inducing toxicity in aquatic organisms. We measured [3H]E2 levels in zebrafish in the presence or absence of the POP PDBE-100, and cyclosporine A, a known inhibitor of ABC transporters. Neither chemical significantly affected [3H]E2 levels in zebrafish, suggesting that zebrafish maintain estradiol efflux in the presence of PDBE-100, independently of cyclosporine A-responsive transporters. These uptake results will be a valuable reference for EED exposure studies in developing zebrafish, and provide a rapid assay to screen for chemicals that influence estrogen-like EED levels in vivo.
Broad spectral excitation of opsin for enhanced stimulation of cells

Optical stimulation of cells expressing light-sensitive proteins (opsins) has allowed targeted activation with cellular specificity. However, since narrow-band light has been used for excitation of these optogenetic probes, only active stimulation strategies are being attempted for clinical applications such as restoration of vision. Here, we report use of broad spectral excitation (white light) for optogenetic stimulation of opsin-sensitized cells. We found that ReaChR is optimally excited with white light offering significantly higher photocurrents compared to spectrally filtered narrow-band light stimulation. Our findings open up the possibility of passive stimulation strategy by use of natural sunlight for retinal stimulation, which could have benefits for ambient light stimulated vision restoration.
Zirconium-boron reactive composite powders prepared by arrested reactive milling

Zirconium-boron composite powders with the stoichiometric bulk composition corresponding to ZrB2 were prepared using high-energy milling in a shaker mill starting with elemental boron and zirconium...
Deep-sea benthic megafaunal communities on the New England and Corner Rise Seamounts, Northwest Atlantic Ocean

Abstract Combined, the New England and Corner Rise seamount chains in the Northwest Atlantic extend approximately 1700 km from the continental slope southeast of George’s Bank to the vicinity of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Three-dimensional reconstructions of the seamounts were compiled from multibeam bathymetry data. Analysis of the benthic communities was based on data compiled from collected specimens, in situ images, and video footage. A total of 17 peaks were analyzed, sampled at depths ranging from 713 to 3000 m. The major factors influencing the structure of the megabenthic communities are depth, position along the chain, and substrate. Overall the New England Seamounts are more diverse than Corner Rise, and the highest taxon diversity was observed between 1700 and 2200 m. Below 2300 m only four species of corals were observed that were not found at shallower depths, and below 2700 m no corals were found that were not recorded in shallower water. These results suggest that there is a distinct difference in the structure of the benthic communities on the deepest ( 1000 m) seamounts and peaks in the bathyal Northwest Atlantic. At intermediate depths the community structure varies depending on location along the chain (longitude), depth (water temperature), and substrate.
Anesthetic Management of Elderly Patients With Down Syndrome: A Case Report.

Abstract In 1930, the life expectancy of patients with Down syndrome was about 10 years; today, their life expectancy is more than 60 years. With aging, there is an increased need for anesthesia and surgery. There is, however, no published information regarding the anesthetic management of older adults with Down syndrome. In this report, we described the anesthetic management of a 50-year-old woman with Down syndrome undergoing major cervical spine surgery. Components of the anesthetic that we thought would be difficult such as intravenous line placement and endotracheal intubation were accomplished without difficulty. Despite our best efforts, our patient nevertheless experienced both emergence delirium and postoperative vomiting. We advocate that physicians, advanced practice providers, and registered nurses be aware of the unique perianesthesia needs of older patients with Down syndrome.
Optimization of Back Reflectors for Bifacial Photovoltaic Modules

To meet increasing demand for sustainable and reliable energy solutions, the bifacial solar photovoltaics (PV) technology has the capacity to provide additional energy generation for installed power systems due to its ability to utilize both front irradiance and ground reflected light. Back reflectors have been designed to increase the power of the cell found on the rear side of the module by utilizing the intercell light passing through the module to increase the incident irradiance. The effect of back reflectors on the overall energy output of bifacial PV modules using six different profiles placed at varied distances from the plane of array (POA) is examined. This work demonstrates that a significant energy gain and cost reduction in the array structures can be achieved using back reflectors compared to conventional bifacial arrays.
TEG Max Clot Strength is Consistently Elevated and May Be Predictive of COVID-19 Status at the Time of ICU Admission

Abstract Background Hypercoagulability is becoming widely recognized as a major complication of COVID-19 infection as evidenced by high levels of fibrinogen degradation products and microthrombi identified within the lungs and kidneys of autopsy specimens from these patients. We report thromboelastography (TEG) testing on a cohort of patients with suspected COVID-19 infection at the time of admission to the intensive care unit. Methods TEG testing was performed using the TEG 6s analyzer near or at the time of ICU admission. We also report the results of other coagulation or inflammatory related indices such as platelet count, prothrombin time, fibrinogen, D-dimer, C-reactive protein, ferritin, and procalcitonin. All laboratory testing was performed at the discretion of the attending physician in the course of normal patient care and retrospectively reviewed. Results We found that maximum clot strength was consistently elevated in COVID-19 patients while normal in all patients found to be negative. We did not encounter significant prolongations of coagulation assays outside of those expectedly prolonged by heparin therapy nor was meeting the criteria for disseminated intravascular coagulation encountered. Conclusions We postulate that elevated maximum clot strength by TEG testing is predictive of COVID-19 status as within our cohort this perfectly predicted patients’ COVID-19 status despite a high level of suspicion in negative patients with normal TEG results. While these results require a larger cohort for confirmation, we feel that TEG testing could improve confidence in COVID-19 testing results in suspected patients possibly allowing for earlier de-escalation of infectious precautions and personal protective equipment utilization.
The Effects of Workplace Inclusion on Employee Assimilation Outcomes

This study investigates the relationship between coworker inclusion and assimilation outcomes. To begin, this paper reviews components of assimilation and inclusion that are thought to co-occur in ...
Rapid Damage Estimation with Iterative Improvements for Relief Resource Planning Post-Disasters

Natural disasters can disrupt both the short-term and long-term living conditions of individuals in selected areas, and for any natural disaster selecting a large geographic area, there is always a shortage of funds and resources for relief and recovery. Moreover, the allocation of relief assistance is challenging due to difficulties in collecting accurate loss information during and immediately post-crisis. Thus, in this study, we present a data-driven decision-making framework for disaster management and provide a model for the rapid estimation of disaster losses using an iterative learning method. As disaster loss data are largely initially unavailable and only become available gradually, slowly, and sparsely over time, an iterative process is necessary for loss estimation and on-the-ground decision-making. We first train models to predict losses using single environmental factors (e.g., peak wind speed) for impacted locations and then use geospatial interpolation to estimate losses in those areas where actual loss data are missing. As real, verified loss data become available, we iteratively update all model parameters and estimates. To illustrate this technique, we use data from Hurricane Harvey, which hit the gulf coast area of the USA in 2017. The results demonstrate that iterative learning leads to quick convergence of loss estimation, with small magnitudes of estimation error. Additional tests demonstrate that the results are arguably robust, and we conclude with implications for future research.
A review on molten sulfate salts induced hot corrosion

Abstract Hot corrosion has been extensively observed in various high temperature applications, which might cause large economic losses. To deepen the insight and understanding of hot corrosion, herein, we provide a detailed discussion on hot corrosion induced by molten sulfate salt, in which Na2SO4 is the main chemical reactant. The hot corrosion is triggered and sustained by the negative solubility gradient of protective oxide from the oxide/salt interface to salt/gas interface. In this work, we reviewed several key factors, including temperature, gas composition, molten salt composition, alloy element and external stress, influencing the hot corrosion of alloy beneath the molten salt. The application of anti-corrosion coating seems to be the most effective and commercial mothed to mitigate hot corrosion. Therefore, the progress of the development of effective coatings, e.g., Ni-Cr coatings, aluminide coatings, silicide coatings and MCrAlY(X) coatings, has also been summarized.
Prefrontal cortico-thalamic regulation of pain by mindfulness meditation

Mindfulness meditation reliably reduces pain. We have repeatedly found that mindfulness-based analgesia is associated with thalamic deactivation and prefrontal-cortical (PFC) activation. Our working theoretical model proposes that mindfulness-induced shifts in executive attention facilitate pain-relief by PFC-driven thalamic inhibition to reduce the elaboration of nociception throughout the cortex. Yet, there are no studies that have identified neuro-functional connections supporting mindfulness meditation-based pain relief. The proposed study tested if mindfulness-based analgesia is associated with stronger a) PFC-thalamic connectivity and b) thalamic decoupling with lower-level nociceptive targets in somatosensory cortices. Forty healthy, pain-free volunteers were randomized to a 4-session (20-minutes each) mindfulness training or book-listening control group (n=20/group). After their respective interventions, four total “heat” series (ten, 10-second plateaus of 49°C) were administered to the right calf during functional MRI (fMRI) acquisition (2-rest vs. 2-meditation). Pain intensity and unpleasantness ratings (11-point visual analog scale) were collected after each series. Seed based connectivity analyses (pre-registered: NCT03414138) were carried out with a contralateral thalamic seed corresponding to peak deactivation correlates of meditation-related analgesia derived from our previous study. For each participant, mean time course values corresponding to the seed per heat fMRI-series were entered as regressors to identify significant seed-to-whole brain voxel correlations and covariation with pain reports. Mindfulness produced (p
Catalysts for change: the cellular neurobiology of psychedelics.

The resurgence of interest in the therapeutic potential of psychedelics for treating psychiatric disorders has rekindled efforts to elucidate their mechanism of action. In this Perspective, we focu...
Disparities in Treatment Decisions for Abnormal Uterine Bleeding.

Background: Abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) affects ∼1.4 million women in the United States each year. This study sought to identify differences in treatment decisions for managing noncancer-related AUB. Materials and Methods: IRB approval was obtained. This retrospective study analyzed data for all women 21-60 years old, diagnosed with AUB from July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2017, in an Obstetrics and Gynecology residents' clinic serving mostly underinsured patients. Patients with a diagnosis of postmenopausal bleeding or any gynecologic cancer were excluded. Two multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify variables independently associated with receiving surgical (vs. medical) treatment and any (vs. no) treatment. Results: Of 2,154 patients with AUB, 1,705 women met all inclusion criteria and had complete data for analysis. In the model examining receipt of surgical (vs. medical) treatment, women ages 41-60 were 4.8 times more likely than women 21-40 years old to receive surgical treatment. Women designated as "Other" (non-White) race/ethnicity were 80.8% less likely than Black/African American patients to receive surgery. Body mass index (BMI) and insurance type were not independently associated with receiving surgical treatment. In the model examining any (vs. no) treatment, women ages 41-60 (vs. 21-40) and of unknown (vs. Black/African American) race/ethnicity were 69.6% and 50.8% less likely to receive any treatment, respectively. BMI and insurance status were not independently associated with receiving any treatment. Conclusion: Management of AUB differed significantly by age and race/ethnicity, but not BMI or insurance. Further investigation among larger diverse populations is warranted to test the generalizability of these findings.
Bio-based polymers with performance-advantaged properties

Bio-based compounds with unique chemical functionality can be obtained through selective transformations of plant and other non-fossil, biogenic feedstocks for the development of new polymers to displace those produced from fossil carbon feedstocks. Although substantial efforts have been invested to produce bio-based polymers that are chemically identical to and directly replace those from petroleum, a long-pursued goal is to synthesize new, sustainable, bio-based polymers that either functionally replace or exhibit performance advantages relative to incumbent polymers. Owing to anthropogenic climate change and the environmental consequences of global plastics pollution, the need to realize a bio-based materials economy at scale is critical. To that end, in this Review we describe the concept of performance-advantaged, bio-based polymers (PBPs), highlighting examples wherein superior performance is facilitated by the inherent chemical functionality of bio-based feedstocks. We focus on PBPs with C–O and C–N inter-unit chemical bonds, as these are often readily accessible from bio-based feedstocks, which are heteroatom-rich relative to petroleum-derived feedstocks. Finally, we outline guiding principles and challenges to aid progress in the development of PBPs. Bio-based polymers that exhibit superior performance relative to petroleum-based incumbents can encourage industry adoption and offset fossil carbon use. This Review introduces performance-advantaged, bio-based polymers and highlights examples wherein superior performance is facilitated by the inherent chemical functionality of bio-based feedstocks.
Electoral Clientelism or Relational Clientelism? Healthcare and Sterilization in Brazil

In many countries, clientelist parties (or political machines) distribute selective benefits in contingent exchange for political support. Studies of clientelism should distinguish between substantively different patterns of machine politics. A fundamental but often overlooked distinction lies between “electoral clientelism” and what I term “relational clientelism.” Electoral clientelism delivers all payoffs to citizens before voting, and involves the threat of opportunistic defection by citizens. By contrast, relational clientelism continues to deliver benefits to citizens after voting, and involves the threat of opportunistic defection by both citizens and politicians. Building on fieldwork and regression analysis, this study explores these distinct patterns of clientelism in the context of healthcare and female sterilization in Brazil.
IR-UWB BPK transmitter optimized for maximum distance of transmission

This paper describes the implementation of an Impulse-Radio Ultra-Wide-Band Bi-Phase Keying (IR-UWB BPK) transmitter which has been optimized to achieve the maximum distance of transmission while working within the power limits specified in FCC UWB specification. A theoretical analysis is performed to obtain the relationship between the output amplitude and data rate of the transmitted signal. The design is implemented in a 180nm CMOS process. The post-layout simulations, with extracted R, L and C parasitics, are presented. The output peak amplitude of the transmitter is 0.7 V at a maximum data rate of 700 Mbps. The total area of the chip is approximately 1mm2 including electrostatic discharge (ESD) diodes protection.
Observed increases in Bering Strait oceanic fluxes from the Pacific to the Arctic from 2001 to 2011 and their impacts on the Arctic Ocean water column

[1] Mooring data indicate the Bering Strait throughflow increases ∼50% from 2001 (∼0.7 Sv) to 2011 (∼1.1 Sv), driving heat and freshwater flux increases. Increase in the Pacific-Arctic pressure-head explains two-thirds of the change, the rest being attributable to weaker local winds. The 2011 heat flux (∼5 × 1020J) approaches the previous record high (2007) due to transport increases and warmer lower layer (LL) temperatures, despite surface temperature (SST) cooling. In the last decade, warmer LL waters arrive earlier (1.6 ± 1.1 days/yr), though winds and SST are typical for recent decades. Maximum summer salinities, likely set in the Bering Sea, remain remarkably constant (∼33.1 psu) over the decade, elucidating the stable salinity of the western Arctic cold halocline. Despite this, freshwater flux variability (strongly driven by transport) exceeds variability in other Arctic freshwater sources. Remote data (winds, SST) prove insufficient for quantifying variability, indicating interannual change can still only be assessed by in situ year-round measurements.
The development of social indicators from content analysis of social documents

If we agree that social indicators indicate or measure only within the context of a theory of social change, and if we further assume that theories of social change which deal only with social conditions, behavioral interchanges or transactions, and the material environment, are likely to be unsuccessful because they ignore the “mental” side of life, it follows that we will want our theories of social change, and the social indicators associated with them, to incorporate the cultural and group psychological aspects of social behavior.
Strategic aspects of electronic document encryption

In this ever-evolving world of technology and business survival, corporate strategies have implemented practices that enter into the world of shadow and espionage. A means of combating these potential threats is to facilitate a security strategy. Network security should play a vital role in electronic security to maintain corporate success in the marketplace. The general mindset of Corporate America is the lax towards network security and electronic industrial espionage. This paper outlines simple but effective measures by which proprietary information may be electronically exchanged while maintaining proprietorship.
The Role of Mature Market Mutual Funds in Emerging Markets: Myth or Mayhem?

The expansion of the global mutual fund industry has been represented by both, its growth in mature as well as in emerging markets. This has clearly contributed to the development of local securities markets in emerging economies, which in turn, has been key in attracting investment inflows from overseas funds. A major concern, however, is that large foreign investors could significantly disrupt the stability of local capital markets in the event of a market shock, with systemic implications for the real economy. Our estimates suggest that while local investors remain the more important group in terms of market share, the influence of foreign funds remains cannot be discounted. Asset allocation decisions by mature market funds - both dedicated and crossover - in aggregate, could affect emerging markets. In particular, European mutual funds appear to play a much bigger role than their US counterparts in emerging markets.
Poetry in a Pill

> Today they announced discovery > > of poetry in a pill form. > > Take one 3 times a day, > > no prescription needed. > Those around me greeted the news > > almost impassively, > > as if a new species had arrived > > with little fanfare, > > and only a few muted smiles. > The reality
The eects of a ring chromosome on the meiotic segregation of other chromosomes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Meiotic chromosome segregation must occur with high fidelity in order to prevent the generation of aneuploid cells. We have previously described the identification and genetic characterization of a yeast mutant with defects in meiotic sister-chromatid segregation. We attributed the phenotype in this mutant to a dominant allele, which we referred to as SID1-1. These mutants appeared to exhibit high levels of nondisjunction and precocious separation of sister-chromatids of chromosome III, as well as precocious separation of sister chromatids of chromosome VIII and a univalent artificial chromosome. We show here that the unusual meiotic behavior of chromosome III in these strains is due to the presence of a ring III chromosome, rather than a mutant gene. Additional experiments demonstrate that a ring III/rod III pair alters the meiotic segregation of a univalent artificial chromosome.
Cardioregulation in the desert scorpion, Paruroctonus mesaensis

Abstract 1. Intact scorpions can rapidly increase or decrease heart-rate in response to external stimuli. 2. For animals at rest in the dark, sudden bright light sometimes evokes a brief reduction in heart-rate, while air currents, loud noise and handling cause a sustained increase in heart-rate. 3. Heart activity is regulated by the segmental nerves from the subesophageal and first three abdominal ganglia. Electrical stimulation of these produces cardio-inhibition (subesophageal and first abdominal ganglion nerves), both cardio-inhibition and acceleration (second abdominal ganglion nerves) and cardio-acceleration (third abdominal ganglion nerves). 4. Perfusion of the isolated heart with acetylcholine increased heart-rate at concentrations of 10−4M and higher. 5. Octopamine increased contraction frequency and amplitude, and this continued as long as the drug was present. Some increase was evident at 10−8M, with half-maximum effective dose at 3 × 10−7M. 6. Gamma-aminobutyric acid at 10−3M or higher, when applied in brief pulses, caused temporary inhibition with full recovery like that observed in intact animals in response to light or with electrical stimulation of the segmental nerves from the subesophageal and first two abdominal ganglia.
EM-based maximum likelihood parameter estimation for multivariate generalized hyperbolic distributions with fixed λ

Generalized Hyperbolic distribution (Barndorff-Nielsen 1977) is a variance-mean mixture of a normal distribution with the Generalized Inverse Gaussian distribution. Recently subclasses of these distributions (e.g., the hyperbolic distribution and the Normal Inverse Gaussian distribution) have been applied to construct stochastic processes in turbulence and particularly in finance, where multidimensional problems are of special interest. Parameter estimation for these distributions based on an i.i.d. sample is a difficult task even for a specified one-dimensional subclass (subclass being uniquely defined by λ) and relies on numerical methods. For the hyperbolic subclass (λ e 1), computer program ‘hyp’ (Blaesild and Sorensen 1992) estimates parameters via ML when the dimensionality is less than or equal to three. To the best of the author's knowledge, no successful attempts have been made to fit any given subclass when the dimensionality is greater than three. This article proposes a simple EM-based (Dempster, Laird and Rubin 1977) ML estimation procedure to estimate parameters of the distribution when the subclass is known regardless of the dimensionality. Our method relies on the ability to numerically evaluate modified Bessel functions of the third kind and their logarithms, which is made possible by currently available software. The method is applied to fit the five dimensional Normal Inverse Gaussian distribution to a series of returns on foreign exchange rates.
Exploration of the Solar System by Infrared Remote Sensing

The remote sensing of objects in the solar system using infrared radiation is discussed. Theories of radiative transfer, molecular spectroscopy, and atmospheric physics are used to show how infrared spectra of model planetary atmospheres are calculated. Instrumental techniques are described and the effect of instruments on the measurement of the emerging radiation field is addressed. Techniques that allow the retrieval of atmospheric and surface parameters from observations are examined. All the planets except Pluto are studied, and many of the planetary satellites.
Malicious node detection in ad-hoc wireless networks

Advances in wireless communications and the proliferation of mobile computing devices has led to the rise of a new type of computer network: the ad-hoc wireless network. Ad-hoc networks are characterized by a lack of fixed infrastructure, which give ad-hoc networks a great deal of flexibility, but also increases the risk of security problems. In wired networks, key pieces of network infrastructure are secured to prevent unauthorized physical access and tampering. Network administrators ensure that everything is properly configured and are on-hand to fix problems and deal with intrusions. In contrast, the nodes in an ad-hoc network are responsible for routing and forwarding data in the network, and there are no network administrators to handle potential problems. This makes an ad-hoc network more vulnerable to a misconfigured, faulty, or compromised node. We propose a means for a node in an ad-hoc network to detect and handle these malicious nodes by comparing data available to the routing protocol, such as cached routes in Dynamic Source Routing, ICMP messages, and transport layer information, such as TCP timeouts. This data can then be used along with network probes to isolate the malicious node.
Computer simulations of realistic microstructures of coarse constituent particles in a hot-rolled aluminum alloy

Computer simulations of realistic microstructures of coarse constituent particles in hot-rolled 7075 Al-alloy plate are presented. These simulations incorporate realistic complex morphologies/shapes of the constituent particles as well as their spatially clustered non-uniform arrangements and partially anisotropic morphological orientations. The methodology permits simulations of sufficiently large microstructural windows that incorporate short-range (on the order of particle/feature size) as well as long-range (few hundred times the particle/feature size) microstructural heterogeneities and spatial patterns. Two-point correlation functions are used for microstructure representation. The two-point correlation functions of the simulated microstructures are closely matched with those of the corresponding real microstructures. The simulation parameters enable simulations of virtual microstructures of the alloy that cover a range of different volume fractions and average sizes of the constituent particles.
Noninvasive measurement of acceleration at the knee joint in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and spondyloarthropathy of the knee.

Spondyloarthropathy represents a group of joint diseases with a tendency to reactive new bone formation. Spondyloarthropathy includes Reiter's syndrome, ankylosing spondylitis, and the arthropathy of inflammatory diseases (ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease). Usually, an extensive investigation is required to distinguish spondyloarthropathy of the knee joint from rheumatoid arthritis. Recently, Reddy et al. (Ann. Biomed. Eng. 23:78–84, 1995) have developed the accelerometry technique to characterize various types of arthritis. The question remains if noninvasive acceleration measurements can be used to distinguish between spondyloarthropathy and rheumatoid arthritis. An ultraminiature accelerometer was placed on the patella, and the subject was asked to rhythmically rotate the knee from 90 flexion to full extension. Results have shown that the mean power of acceleration signal in the range of 100–500 Hz is significantly different (p < 0.05) for spondyloarthropathy patients when compared to rheumatoid arthritis patients. The noninvasive accelerometry technique represents a potential tool for characterization of spondyloarthropathy patients. © 2001 Biomedical Engineering Society.
More than Flowers Left behind: Building an Archival Collection and Remembering April 16, 2007 at Virginia Tech

In the past 15 years a number of school shootings have captured international attention and sparked heated debates. In the aftermath of such tragedies, those directly affected and people from all walks of life expressed their condolences in a variety of ways. Following the tragic events of April 16, 2007, Virginia Tech received tens of thousands of condolence items. The special collections department of the University Libraries at Virginia Tech took responsibility for the selection, organization, and processing of this unique collection of condolence artifacts. This article reviews how that collection evolved, some of the administrative challenges of managing collections of tragedy, and the important role that archivists play in documenting tragic events.
What the Best College Teachers Do

Ken Bain chronicles characteristics of good college teaching and asks teachers to reflect critically on their own teaching and thinking.
Trends of CT Utilization in North America Over the Last Decade

Given the improvements in technology and usefulness of CT for diagnosis and therapeutic-planning, the growth in CT utilization is not surprising. Current estimates are that more than 85 million CT scans are performed annually (Prochaska G, Latest IMV CT survey shows hospitals seek to improve productivity to manage increased outpatient and emergency CT procedure volume). However, this increasing trend has prompted increased publicity and concern over the risks of radiation exposure (Cedars-Sinai investigated for significant radiation overdoses of 206 patients, LA Times October 10, 2009; Radiation Concerns Rise with Patient’s Exposure, The New York Times June 12, 2012). Recent research has focused on which patient populations are “at risk” for high radiation exposure and what efforts can be undertaken to decrease this risk.