cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Clear-Cuts Are Not Clean Slates: Residual Vegetation Impediments to Savanna Restoration

ABSTRACT In response to widespread losses of savanna ecosystems worldwide, many restoration efforts are underway. For savannas degraded by fire suppression and hardwood invasion, a first step towards restoration typically involves removal of unwanted trees and shrubs, but after invasive nonnative woody plants are top-killed, savanna restoration is often impeded by their resprouts. To evaluate patterns of vegetative recovery following clear-cuts and to explore their implications for ecosystem restoration, we determined the origins of the vegetation that develops after a clear-cut in hardwood-invaded sites being restored to pine savanna in Florida. We excavated stumps and other sprout sources, characterized the soil seed bank, and estimated seed production by early-to-mature species during the first growing season after treatment. In twenty 100-m2 plots, there was approximately one source of woody plant sprouts per square meter. Root sprouts were more abundant than sprouted stumps, and most of the stumps t...
Late boosting phenomenon in TST conversion among health care workers.

Background Available information is insufficient to guide determination of whether tuberculin skin test (TST) conversions of health care workers (HCWs) within 2 years of two-step testing are related to occupational exposures or to other causes, including late boosting. Aims To describe the epidemiologic factors of TST conversion in HCWs, comparing early TST conversion (≤2 years after two-step testing) with late conversion to possibly distinguish late boosting phenomenon from occupational TST conversion. Methods Retrospective analysis of a database of TSTs of HCWs from 1 January 1998, through 31 May 2014, in the United States Midwest. Results In total, 40142 HCWs had 197932 tests over the 16 years, with 123 conversions (conversion rate: 0.3%; 95% CI 0.3-0.4%). Among 61 HCWs with a negative two-step TST, 30 (49%) were found to have early TST conversion within 2 years; 31 (51%) had late conversion, with likely occupational exposure but no identifiable community risks. Persons with early conversion were more likely to be born outside the USA (89% versus 57%; P < 0.05), had a higher rate of prior bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccination (89% versus 52%; P < 0.05) and had no identifiable risk factors for conversion (63% versus 58%; P < 0.05). Conclusions Early conversions among HCWs after negative two-step TST are associated with various nonoccupational factors, including international birth and BCG vaccination history. Therefore, conversion is not a reliable indicator of recent tuberculosis contact in this population, and two-step TST is insufficient to discount a delayed boosting response for HCWs.
Comparing Interface Influence on Users with Varying Expertise

The design of a system interface can impact user judgements among expert and novice users alike. With information systems, fundamental design choices can either augment or distract individuals in identifying patterns of converging data points. The goal of this effort was to compare the influence of Likert and categorical type rating scales in a system used to guide analysts through a content analysis process. While these scales have been examined in the context of psychological assessment literature, little has been said about their impact on decision makers from a human computer interaction perspective. We conducted a laboratory experiment to explore the effect of using Likert and categorical scales in an intelligence assessment task using unstructured data. The dependent variables included (1) Likert versus categorical type scales and (2) analyst experience (novice versus expert). Results indicated that expert and novices both had greater confidence and more creative, accurate responses in the interface utilizing Likert decision scaling.
Physical Therapy for Chronic Prostatitis /Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome

NIH Category III chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome is associated with neuromuscular abnormalities as manifested by pain, voiding, and sexual dysfunction. With techniques adopted from physical therapy, these abnormalities can be more readily identified and treated. Techniques such as biofeedback, myofascial trigger point release, and relaxation have been applied successfully in this group of patients. This approach, although more time consuming and low tech, affords patients with safe effective tools for self care and empowerment.
Prevention of infection in immunocompromised hosts

Infections are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with neoplastic diseases. In addition, for some malignancies an important factor that limits the ability to administer cytotoxic chemotherapy is the risk of infection. This risk varies among patients based on their underlying disease and host defenses. Neutropenia is the most common host factor that predisposes patients to infection. Other important factors that increase the risk of infection include: defects in cell-mediated and humoral immunity, impaired mucosal or skin integrity, obstruction by mass lesions, and intravascular devices.
Beyond Higher Education as We Know it: Gesturing Towards Decolonial Horizons of Possibility

This article addresses the conceptual challenges of articulating the ethical–political limits of ‘higher education as we know it’, and the practical challenges of exploring alternative formations of higher education that are unimaginable from within the dominant imaginary of the higher education field. This article responds to the contemporary conjuncture in which possible futures have been significantly narrowed, and yet these possibilities also appear increasingly unsustainable and unethical. It invites scholars of higher education to rethink the epistemological and ontological frames within which most imaginaries and institutions of higher education are embedded. If we fail to denaturalize these frames, then efforts to pluralize possible higher education futures will risk reproducing existing conceptual limitations and enduring colonial harms.
Multi-scale Single Image Dehazing Using Perceptual Pyramid Deep Network

Haze adversely degrades quality of an image thereby affecting its aesthetic appeal and visibility in outdoor scenes. Single image dehazing is particularly challenging due to its ill-posed nature. Most existing work, including the recent convolutional neural network (CNN) based methods, rely on the classical mathematical formulation where the hazy image is modeled as the superposition of attenuated scene radiance and the atmospheric light. In this work, we explore CNNs to directly learn a non-linear function between hazy images and the corresponding clear images. We present a multi-scale image dehazing method using Perceptual Pyramid Deep Network based on the recently popular dense blocks and residual blocks. The proposed method involves an encoder-decoder structure with a pyramid pooling module in the decoder to incorporate contextual information of the scene while decoding. The network is learned by minimizing the mean squared error and perceptual losses. Multi-scale patches are used during training and inference process to further improve the performance. Experiments on the recently released NTIRE2018-Dehazing dataset demonstrates the superior performance of the proposed method over recent state-of-the-art approaches. Additionally, the proposed method is ranked among top-3 methods in terms of quantitative performance in the recently conducted NTIRE2018-Dehazing challenge. Code can be found at https://github.com/hezhangsprinter/NTIRE-2018-Dehazing-Challenge
Rethinking remediation: Mine reclamation, environmental justice, and relations of care

To date, research on mine remediation in North America has focused primarily on technical management; relatively less is known about the historical, political and social dimensions of remediation. ...
Report on the Second Annual Workshop on Naval Applications of Machine Learning

The second annual workshop on Naval Applications of Machine Learning (NAML) was held February 13-15, 2018, at the Space and Naval Warfare (SPAWAR) Systems Center Pacific (SSC Pacific), a U.S. Navy research laboratory in San Diego, California, USA. The workshop events included invited speakers, demonstrations, discussion sessions, and oral and poster presentations. The workshop cochairs were Josh Harguess and Katie Rainey, both from SSC Pacific. The poster presentations were coordinated by Chris Ward also from SSC Pacific. This article discusses the motivation, goals, and impact of the workshop and highlights some of the topics covered.
Abstract TP483: Improving Patient Stroke Education by Acute Care Nurses

Background and Issues: Patient education is a vital component of preventing a future stroke for survivors of ischemic stroke. Each year, twenty-five percent of strokes diagnosed in the United State...
Epithelial-microbial diplomacy: escalating border tensions drive inflammation in inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are chronic conditions of the gastrointestinal tract-the main site of host-microbial interaction in the body. Development of IBD is not due to a single event but rather is a multifactorial process where a patient's genetic background, behavioral habits, and environmental exposures contribute to disease pathogenesis. IBD patients exhibit alterations to gut bacterial populations "dysbiosis" due to the inflammatory microenvironment, however whether this alteration of the gut microbiota precedes inflammation has not been confirmed. Emerging evidence has highlighted the important role of gut microbes in developing measured immune responses and modulating other host responses such as metabolism. Much of the work on the gut microbiota has been correlative and there is an increasing need to understand the intimate relationship between host and microbe. In this review, we highlight how commensal and pathogenic bacteria interact with host intestinal epithelial cells and explore how altered microenvironments impact these connections.
Better together—Combining acoustics and environmental DNA to understand ecosystems

Acoustic signals have historically been and presently are the state-of-the-art for sensing the ocean at small to large spatial scales. Passive acoustics non-invasively assess sound levels, surface conditions, human activity, and the distribution of vocalizing marine life. Echosounders provide acoustic backscatter information that contribute not only critical information on biology but also physical components of the water column which has supplied invaluable knowledge on the community structure, organism size and distribution, and oceanic microstructure. Advances in DNA methods present an opportunity to harness a new technology and fundamentally improve our capacity to monitor habitats, communities, and individual species. Environmental DNA (eDNA) includes whole microorganisms, tissue fragments, reproductive and waste products, and other cellular material in a sample. eDNA methods, such as acoustics, allow for the identification of species without having to physically capture animals. While eDNA and acoustics are both powerful methods for identifying and describing organisms present in the environment, no single survey method can fully represent the “real” condition. We envision a future where remote platforms can gather and relay data in near-real time and can elicit a targeted response to information, such as launching a drone to survey additional locations or increasing the sampling frequency when key species are present.
Timing of LVAD Implantation: A Case Report

Optimal timing of left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation in critically ill patients remains uncertain. Multiple studies have demonstrated that implantation of LVADs in hemodynamically stable patients with preserved end-organ function leads to better outcomes. Although seemingly intuitive, this concept highlights the importance of patient selection and the optimal timing of LVAD implantation in critically ill patients. A 35 year-old gentleman with a past medical history of morbid obesity and alcohol abuse presented from an outside hospital. He was initially diagnosed with a cardiomyopathy eight years prior to admission, although demonstrated recovery of his left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) after guideline directed medical therapy. He subsequently stopped his medications five years prior to admission and had been doing well. He initially presented to the other institution with shortness of breath and progressive dyspnea on exertion. A cardiac catheterization was performed and demonstrated nonobstructive coronary artery disease. An echocardiogram demonstrated severe biventricular failure with an estimated LVEF of 10%, severe mitral regurgitation and an elevated RVSP of 40%. An Impella 3.5 was placed and the patient was aggressively diuresed. Despite ongoing management, the patient developed multi-organ failure with a peak total bilirubin of 65.5 mg/dL and a creatinine of 4.27 mg/dL. He was transferred to our institution for advanced therapy. Given his morbid obesity and findings of progressively worsening multi-organ failure, immediate surgical intervention was deferred. With placement of an Impella 5 and continued aggressive medical management, he made daily improvement. Multiple selection committee discussions were held regarding the optimal timing of intervention on the previously healthy 35 year old gentleman. Temporary LVAD support with the Impella 5 was maintained for a total of 5 weeks while his respiratory, renal, liver and nutritional function were addressed. The patient was found with significant azotemia and anuria which ultimately improved with supportive medical care and continuous renal replacement therapy. Prior to LVAD implantation, CRRT was no longer required. A HeartMate 3 was ultimately implanted on day 42 of his hospitalization and the patient continued to make excellent progress in recovery. It is unclear what led to the patient's decline in cardiac function, although his morbid obesity, continued alcohol use and cessation of medical therapy likely all contributed. It Is impossible to determine whether earlier intervention would have changed his outcome. Regardless, this case highlights the importance of careful patient selection and multidisciplinary decision-making for timing of LVAD implantation.
Antiviral activities of type I interferons to SARS-CoV-2 infection.

There is an urgent need to identify antivirals to curtail the COVID-19 pandemic. Herein, we report the sensitivity of SARS-CoV-2 to recombinant human interferons α and β (IFNα/β). Treatment with IFN-α or IFN-β at a concentration of 50 international units (IU) per milliliter reduces viral titers by 3.4 log or over 4 log, respectively, in Vero cells. The EC50 of IFN-α and IFN-β treatment is 1.35 IU/ml and 0.76 IU/ml, respectively, in Vero cells. These results suggest that SARS-CoV-2 is more sensitive than many other human pathogenic viruses, including SARS-CoV. Overall, our results demonstrate the potential efficacy of human Type I IFN in suppressing SARS-CoV-2 infection, a finding which could inform future treatment options for COVID-19.
Using telehealth to teach valued skills to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities

Telehealth uses electronic information and telecommunication technologies to deliver long-distance clinical services. It has successfully been used by clinical professionals to teach family and staff members to provide evidence-based assessment and treatment procedures. There is no research to date, however, evaluating the use of telehealth to directly teach individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Thus, we evaluated the efficacy of a telehealth intervention using total task chaining with least-to-most prompting delivered via videoconference to 2 adults with IDD. Both participants demonstrated low independent responding during baseline with enhanced written instructions present. During intervention, which included vocal and model prompting, both participants met the mastery criterion for each skill in fewer than 15 sessions, which maintained after 2 weeks. Finally, both participants expressed satisfaction with the goals, procedures, and effects of the intervention. We discuss the broader scope of the intervention for individuals with disabilities when face-to-face services may not be feasible.
Estimating peak height velocity in individuals: a comparison of statistical methods

Estimates pertaining to the timing of the adolescent growth spurt (e.g. peak height velocity; PHV), including age at peak height velocity (aPHV), play a critical role in the diagnosis, treatment, a...
Transcriptional Programs of Circuit Assembly in the Drosophila Visual System.

Summary Precise patterns of synaptic connections between neurons are encoded in their genetic programs. Here, we use single-cell RNA sequencing to profile neuronal transcriptomes at multiple stages in the developing Drosophila visual system. We devise an efficient strategy for profiling neurons at multiple time points in a single pool, thereby minimizing batch effects and maximizing the reliability of time-course data. A transcriptional atlas spanning multiple stages is generated, including more than 150 distinct neuronal populations; of these, 88 are followed through synaptogenesis. This analysis reveals a common (pan-neuronal) program unfolding in highly coordinated fashion in all neurons, including genes encoding proteins comprising the core synaptic machinery and membrane excitability. This program is overlaid by cell-type-specific programs with diverse cell recognition molecules expressed in different combinations and at different times. We propose that a pan-neuronal program endows neurons with the competence to form synapses and that cell-type-specific programs control synaptic specificity.
Structural basis of altered potency and efficacy displayed by a major in vivo metabolite of the anti-diabetic PPARγ drug pioglitazone

The thiazolidinedione (TZD) pioglitazone (Pio) is an FDA-approved drug for type 2 diabetes mellitus that binds and activates the nuclear receptor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ). Although TZDs have potent antidiabetic effects, they also display harmful side effects that have necessitated a better understanding of their mechanisms of action. In particular, little is known about the effect of in vivo TZD metabolites on the structure and function of PPARγ. Here, we present a structure-function comparison of Pio and a major in vivo metabolite, 1-hydroxypioglitazone (PioOH). PioOH displayed a lower binding affinity and reduced potency in coregulator recruitment assays compared to Pio. To determine the structural basis of these findings, we solved an X-ray crystal structure of PioOH bound to PPARγ ligand-binding domain (LBD) and compared it to a published Pio-bound crystal structure. PioOH exhibited an altered hydrogen bonding network that could underlie its reduced affinity and potency compared to Pio. Solution-state structural analysis using NMR spectroscopy and hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) analysis revealed that PioOH stabilizes the PPARγ activation function-2 (AF-2) coactivator binding surface better than Pio. In support of AF-2 stabilization, PioOH displayed stabilized coactivator binding in biochemical assays and better transcriptional efficacy (maximal transactivation response) in a cell-based assay that reports on the activity of the PPARγ LBD. These results, which indicate that Pio hydroxylation affects both its potency and efficacy as a PPARγ agonist, contribute to our understanding of PPARγ-binding drug metabolite interactions and may assist in future PPARγ drug design efforts.
“Your Exile is Showing”: Integrating Sandtray with Internal Family Systems Therapy

Internal family systems (IFS) therapy is an experiential model of therapy and views individuals as having numerous “parts” inside of them. These parts maintain a specific role in a client’s life an...
Attracting Global Talent to Ensure America Is First in Innovation

Politicians of all stripes are always looking for ways to grow the economy, strengthen the labor market, and increase the United States’ competitive advantage on the world stage. One way to achieve these aims is by allowing more temporary high-skilled foreign workers to fuel America’s growing service and technology sectors. Evidence shows that for every temporary foreign worker hired by a US firm, 5 to 7.5 new domestic jobs are created in that firm’s industry, and a 1 percent increase in foreign STEM workers leads to a 7 to 8 percent increase in native workers’ wages. Immigration reform for high-skilled foreign workers and talented foreign students would ensure that the United States continues to be the global leader for international talent, business growth, and entrepreneurial innovation.
Racial/Ethnic and Educational Disparities in the Impact of Diabetes on Population Health among the US-Born Population.

OBJECTIVES This study examines total life expectancies (TLE) for both healthy and diabetic US-born populations and two measures capturing quality of life: 1) the proportion of remaining life to be spent without either other chronic conditions or ADL disabilities (ADLs), and 2) the proportion of remaining life to be spent with ADLs for US-born diabetic populations by race/ethnicity and educational attainment. METHODS Using the 1998-2014 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (n=16,983), we apply a Bayesian multistate life table method to calculate these quantities from the constructed life tables. RESULTS TLE at age 50 is shorter for diabetic individuals than healthy individuals, for non-Hispanic Blacks than members of other racial/ethnic groups, and for less-educated individuals. Gaps in TLE at age 50 between healthy and diabetic populations range from 6.3 to 8.8 years across sex-race combinations, and 5.6 to 9.2 years across sex-education combinations. Among the diabetic population, those with at least a college degree on average have a higher proportion of remaining life to be spent without either other chronic conditions or ADLs. Hispanics and those without a college degree have a particularly high proportion of remaining life to be spent with ADLs. Although diabetic women on average live longer than men, their quality of life tends to be lower. DISCUSSION The impact of diabetes on population health varies across racial/ethnic and educational groups. The findings support targeted interventions for vulnerable groups, such as people of color, women, and less-educated individuals.
Antipsychotic initiation and new diagnoses excluded from quality-measure reporting among Veterans in community nursing homes contracted by the Veterans Health Administration in the United States.

Objectives To assess whether prevailing antipsychotic use rates in community nursing homes (CNH) influence new initiation of antipsychotics and diagnosis with antipsychotic indications among Veterans. Methods We used linked 2013-2016 Veterans Administration (VA) data, Medicare claims, Nursing Home Compare, and Minimum Data Set (MDS) assessments. The exposure was the proportion (in quintiles) of all CNH residents prescribed antipsychotics in the quarter preceding a Veteran's admission date. Using adjusted logistic regression, we analyzed two outcomes measured using MDS: antipsychotic initiation, and new diagnosis of an antipsychotic quality-measure exclusionary condition (i.e., schizophrenia, Tourette's syndrome, or Huntington's disease). Results Among 8201 Veterans without an indication for antipsychotics at baseline, 21.1% initiated antipsychotics and 3.5% were newly diagnosed with any exclusionary diagnosis after CNH admission. Schizophrenia accounted for almost all (96.8%) the new diagnoses. Antipsychotic initiation increased with higher CNH antipsychotic use rates: OR = 2.55, 95% CI: 2.08--3.12, quintile 5 versus 1. CNHs with the highest prevalent use of antipsychotics were associated with increased odds of Veterans acquiring an exclusionary diagnosis (OR = 2.09, 95% CI: 1.32-3.32, quintile 5 vs. 1). Conclusions Incident antipsychotic use is common among Veterans admitted to CNHs. CNH antipsychotic prescribing practices are associated with Veterans being newly diagnosed with antipsychotic prescription indications, primarily schizophrenia.
Regulation of NRG-1-ErbB4 signaling and neuroprotection by exogenous neuregulin-1 in a mouse model of epilepsy.

Abstract Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is the most common form of focal epilepsy. Dysregulation of glutamate transporters has been a common finding across animal models of epilepsy and in patients with TLE. In this study, we investigate NRG-1/ErbB4 signaling in epileptogenesis and the neuroprotective effects of NRG-1 treatment in a mouse model of temporal lobe epilepsy. Using immunohistochemistry, we report the first evidence for NRG-1/ErbB4-dependent selective upregulation of glutamate transporter EAAC1 and bihemispheric neuroprotection by exogeneous NRG-1 in the intrahippocampal kainic acid (IHKA) model of TLE. Our findings provide evidence that dysregulation of glutamate transporter EAAC1 contributes to the development of epilepsy and can be therapeutically targeted to reduce neuronal death following IHKA-induced status epilepticus (SE).
ProbLock: Probability-based Logic Locking.

Integrated circuit (IC) piracy and overproduction are serious issues that threaten the security and integrity of a system. Logic locking is a type of hardware obfuscation technique where additional key gates are inserted into the circuit. Only the correct key can unlock the functionality of that circuit otherwise the system produces the wrong output. In an effort to hinder these threats on ICs, we have developed a probability-based logic locking technique to protect the design of a circuit. Our proposed technique called "ProbLock" can be applied to combinational and sequential circuits through a critical selection process. We used a filtering process to select the best location of key gates based on various constraints. Each step in the filtering process generates a subset of nodes for each constraint. We also analyzed the correlation between each constraint and adjusted the strength of the constraints before inserting key gates. We have tested our algorithm on 40 benchmarks from the ISCAS '85 and ISCAS '89 suite.
Triumphs of Experience: The Men of the Harvard Grant Study

At a time when many people around the world are living into their tenth decade, the longest longitudinal study of human development ever undertaken offers some welcome news for the new old age: our lives continue to evolve in our later years, and often become more fulfilling than before. Begun in 1938, the Grant Study of Adult Development charted the physical and emotional health of over 200 men, starting with their undergraduate days. The now-classic Adaptation to Life reported on the men's lives up to age 55 and helped us understand adult maturation. Now George Vaillant follows the men into their nineties, documenting for the first time what it is like to flourish far beyond conventional retirement. Reporting on all aspects of male life, including relationships, politics and religion, coping strategies, and alcohol use (its abuse being by far the greatest disruptor of health and happiness for the study's subjects), Triumphs of Experience shares a number of surprising findings. For example, the people who do well in old age did not necessarily do so well in midlife, and vice versa. While the study confirms that recovery from a lousy childhood is possible, memories of a happy childhood are a lifelong source of strength. Marriages bring much more contentment after age 70, and physical aging after 80 is determined less by heredity than by habits formed prior to age 50. The credit for growing old with grace and vitality, it seems, goes more to ourselves than to our stellar genetic makeup.
Fractals and Their Applications in Condensed Matter Physics

Publisher Summary The chapter presents a discussion on fractals and their applications in condensed matter physics. The chapter presents a discussion on a major theoretical concept and mathematical technique that has found its way into condensed matter physics during the past few years. Fractals have become important in a wide variety of areas including percolation theory, polymer science, and the understanding of porous materials, rough surfaces, colloidal aggregates, dendritic growth, anomalous diffusion, and dilute magnetism. The chapter is based on a series of lectures that the author presented at Oak Ridge National Laboratory to a group of scientists from many disciplines who are interested in applying the idea of fractals to their own fields. The purpose of the course was to bridge the gap between Mandelbrot's books' and research papers. The mathematical symbols are simplified by denoting all dimensions related to fractals by d with appropriate subscripts. The spatial dimension is designated by D.
Optically Active 1,2‐Diols, Microbial Production by Stereoinversion

Introduction Experimental Chemicals Microorganisms and Cultivation Screening of Microorganisms Producing (S)-1,2-Pentanediol by Stereoinversion Preparation of Cell-Free Extract and Enzyme Assay Preparative-Scale Reaction and Isolation of Optically Active 1,2-Diols Analytical Methods Results Screening of Microorganisms Producing (S)-1,2-Pentanediol by Stereoinversion Production of (S)-1,2-Pentanediol by C. parapsilosis IFO 0708 Mechanism of Stereoinversion of 1,2-Pentanediol in C. parapsilosis IFO 0708 Production of Various Optically Active 1,2-Diols by Stereoinversion Using C. parapsilosis IFO 0708 Bibliography Keywords: alcohol dehydrogenase; (S)-1,2-butanediol; Candida parapsilosis; (R)-3-methylthio-1,2-propanediol; (S)-4-methyl-1,2-propanediol; (S)-1,2-pentanediol; (S)-1-phenyl-1,2-ethanediol; (S)-3-phenyl-1,2-propanediol; (S)-4-phenyl-1,2-butanediol; stereoinversion
Customized self-employment and the use of Discovery for entrepreneurs with disabilities

Discovery, a key component of the customized employment model, is a method to identify an individual's connections and supports, skills and interests through a series of interviews, conversations, and observations. The purpose of the StartUp Alaska research-demonstration project was to identify promising practices in the self-employment realm. The study included 71 participants with disabilities who were interested in or pursuing self-employment. Of the 71 participants, 33 individuals launched their business during the four-year project. Results based on a self-employment facilitator generated database and survey on individual participants indicated an association between successful business launch and the use of Discovery. While findings suggest an association, further research on all of the model components, including Discovery, Business Planning, and Virtual Incubator should be conducted.
Quadratic regression analysis for gene discovery and pattern recognition for non-cyclic short time-course microarray experiments

Cluster analyses are used to analyze microarray time-course data for gene discovery and pattern recognition. However, in general, these methods do not take advantage of the fact that time is a continuous variable, and existing clustering methods often group biologically unrelated genes together. We propose a quadratic regression method for identification of differentially expressed genes and classification of genes based on their temporal expression profiles for non-cyclic short time-course microarray data. This method treats time as a continuous variable, therefore preserves actual time information. We applied this method to a microarray time-course study of gene expression at short time intervals following deafferentation of olfactory receptor neurons. Nine regression patterns have been identified and shown to fit gene expression profiles better than k-means clusters. EASE analysis identified over-represented functional groups in each regression pattern and each k-means cluster, which further demonstrated that the regression method provided more biologically meaningful classifications of gene expression profiles than the k-means clustering method. Comparison with Peddada et al.'s order-restricted inference method showed that our method provides a different perspective on the temporal gene profiles. Reliability study indicates that regression patterns have the highest reliabilities. Our results demonstrate that the proposed quadratic regression method improves gene discovery and pattern recognition for non-cyclic short time-course microarray data. With a freely accessible Excel macro, investigators can readily apply this method to their microarray data.
Pre IVF Evaluation of the Infertile Woman

Patients presenting for infertility have the advantage of receiving a complete preconception evaluation including recommended antenatal screening, appropriate referrals to specialists as necessary, and optimizing health for pregnancy. Testing to determine optimal treatment includes, at a minimum, ovarian reserve screening, uterine cavity evaluation, and semen analysis. Balancing psychological, emotional, and financial pressures with realistic expectations in a supportive physician–patient relationship is essential in guiding treatment. While not all infertile women require IVF to achieve pregnancy, the clinical algorithm remains the same as for those who ultimately proceed to IVF.
Abstract 5470: LKB1 loss sensitizes non-small cell lung cancer cells to aggravation of ER stress

Five-year survival rates for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have seen minimal improvement despite aggressive therapy with standard chemotherapeutic agents, indicating a need for new treatment approaches. Studies show inactivating mutations to the LKB1 tumor suppressor are common in NSCLC and are concurrent with activating mutations to the KRas oncogene. Genetic and mechanistic analyses of KRas/LKB1-null NSCLC tumors suggest these tumors are a phenotypically distinct subpopulation of NSCLC and the unique features of KRas/LKB1-null tumors have potential for therapeutic gain. In the exploration of the mechanism(s) behind increased cytotoxicity of KRas/LKB1-null NSCLC cells to 2-D-Deoxyglucose (2DG), we find that loss of LKB1 in NSCLC cells imparts increased sensitivity to pharmacological aggravation of ER stress. In a panel of NSCLC cell lines, LKB1 expression status correlated to differential expression of the ER stress markers, BiP and CHOP, with 2DG treatment. Treatment of isogenic LKB1-null NSCLC cells ectopically expressing LKB1 or a nonfunctional LKB1 with the ER stress activators, tunicamycin (Tm) or brefeldin A (BFA), revealed that expression of LKB1 increased cell viability and phosphorylation of AMPK. Conversely, isogenic LKB1-null NSCLC cells expressing nonfunctional LKB1 displayed increases in phosphorylation of the ER stress marker, eif2α and markers of ER stress mediated cell death (reactive oxygen species and cleaved caspase-9) following aggravation of ER stress with 2DG, Tm or BFA. The use of 2DG was effective in controlling the growth of KRas/LKB1-null tumors compared to KRas/LKB1-expressing tumors in transgenic NSCLC models and 2DG-treated KRas/LKB1-null NSCLC tumors displayed features consistent with 2DG treatment of in vitro KRas/LKB1-null NSCLC cell lines. Based upon these findings, we suggest that KRas/LKB1-null NSCLC tumors are more sensitive to pharmacological aggravation of ER stress and this approach has potential as a treatment for NSCLC patients whose tumors are defined as KRas/LKB1-null. Citation Format: Landon J. Inge, Jacqueline M. Friel, Aaron Fowler, Amanda Richer, Timothy Whitsett, Nhan L. Tran, Ross M. Bremner. LKB1 loss sensitizes non-small cell lung cancer cells to aggravation of ER stress. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 5470. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-5470
Thiophene-based poly(arylene ether ketone)s: 2. Thermal and mechanical properties of amorphous systems using bis(p-fluorobenzoyl)aryl monomers

Abstract A series of high-molar-mass and controlled-molar-mass poly(arylene ether ketone)s were synthesized based on bis( p -fluorobenzoyl)aryl monomers and 4,4′-isopropylidenediphenol. The central aromatic unit of the activated bishalide was varied to include 1,4-phenylene, 2,5-thiophene and 1,3-phenylene, which changed the exocyclic bond angle from 180° to 148° to 120°, respectively. The decrease in exocyclic bond angle decreased the glass transition temperature of the uncontrolled-molar-mass polymers from 166°C to 156°C to 154°C, respectively. The T g of the controlled-molar-mass polymer decreased from 160°C to 147°C to 149°C for the same series, i.e. poly(1,4-BFB-BisA), poly(BFTh-BisA) and poly(1,3-BFB-BisA), respectively. The discrepancy between the two series was interpreted in terms of molar-mass differences. The thermal stability of the three polymers also decreased in the order of decreasing exocyclic bond angles. Young's modulus increased as the exocyclic bond angle was decreased, which is explained in terms of the activation theory of Eyring. These three polymers represent a new approach for the study of structure-property relationships in poly(arylene ether ketone)s.
Scintillation of Airy beam arrays in atmospheric turbulence

The scintillation properties of Airy beam arrays in atmospheric turbulence are investigated. Similar to their propagation in free space, the average propagation paths of Airy beams are also parabolic in turbulence. By utilizing this self-bending property, the constituent Airy beamlets propagate through relatively independent regions of turbulence and fully overlap at the on-axis detector. Through numeric simulations, it is shown that the scintillation of Airy beam array is significantly reduced compared to a single Airy beam.
Acetate utilization by a methylotrophic bacterium

The mode of acetate ultilization in the Gram-negative diplococcoid bacterium PAR was investigated. This organism uses the isocitrate lyase-negative serine pathway during growth on C1-compounds and was found to lack isocitrate lyase on acetate growth also. Enzyme assays revealed the absence of the glycerate and hydroxyaspartate pathways for the metabolism of C2-compounds. Pulse-labeling experiments indicated the rapid formation of glycine, glutamate, and malate. The rapid formation of malate and the presence of malate synthase suggest that glyoxylate is an intermediate formed from acetate by a means other than the conventional isocitrate cleavage reaction.
Increasing Building Energy Efficiency through Advances in Materials

Materials advances could help to reduce the energy and environmental impacts of buildings. Globally, buildings use about 20% of primary energy and account for 20% of atmospheric emissions. Building energy consumption emanates from a variety of sources, some of which are related to the building envelope or fabric, some to the equipment in the building, and some to both. Opportunities for reducing energy use in buildings through innovative materials are therefore numerous, but there is no one system, component, or material whose improvement alone can solve the building energy problem. Many of the loads in a building are interactive, and this complicates cost/benefit analysis for new materials, components, and systems. Moreover, components and materials for buildings must meet stringent durability and cost/performance criteria to last the long service lifetimes of buildings and compete successfully in the marketplace.
Fire-induced thermal fields in window glass. I—theory

Window glass breaking plays an important role in compartment fire dynamics as the window acts as a wall before breaking and as a vent after breaking. Previous work suggested a model for the time to breakage of a window glass exposed to a particular fire. In this paper, the glass thermal fields obtained using that model are examined in detail. The temperature field dependence on heat transfer coefficients, radiative decay length and flame radiation is explored. The results show that the glass surface temperature increases with a decrease in the decay length and increases with an increase in flame radiation heat flux. Early in the fire, the glass temperature may be higher than the hot layer temperature due to direct impingement of flame radiation. Later the glass temperature lags the hot layer temperature. The variation of the time to breakage as function of the shading width and decay length is also presented and the results indicate that the breaking time decreases with an increase in the shading width and decreases with a decrease in decay length. Heat flux maps for typical conditions indicate that most of the heat influx is stored in the glass, increasing its temperature.
The scattering of protons from He^3

The elastic scattering of protons from He^3 has been investigated from 2.0 to 4.8 MeV with the Rice University Van de Graaff accelerator and a small-volume, gas scattering chamber. Nine excitation curves were measured for centre-of-mass angles between 39.23° and 166°, and angular distributions have been measured for proton energies of 2.01, 3.01, 3.99, and 4.54 MeV. The phase shifts derived from these experimental data and from the data obtained at other laboratories are compared with the theoretical calculations of Bransden and Robertson. These results tend to favour the Serber rather than the symmetrical type of exchange interaction for the nucleon-nucleon potential.
Rotation properties of four L5 Trojan asteroids from CCD photometry

Abstract CCD observations made with the Cerro Tololo 0.9-m telescope of four L5 Trojan asteroids during June and July of 1986 are presented. Partial lightcurves for 1208 Troilus and 1867 Deiphobus suggest long periods ( P > 24 hr). Complete lightcurves were obtained for two asteroids, 1173 Anchises ( P = 11.6095 ± 0.0036 hr, Δm = 0.57 ± 0.01 mag) and 2674 Pandarus ( P = 8.4803 ± 0.0019, Δm = 0.58 ± 0.01). The large lightcurve amplitudes are unique: from a sample of 182 main-belt asteroids, A. W. Harris and J. A. Burns (1979 , Icarus 40, 115–144) found none in a comparable size range (50–100 km) with amplitudes greater than 0.5 mag. We suggest that the Trojans may represent a primordial asteroid population, with shapes not significantly altered since the formation of the solar system. Sufficient phase angle coverage was attained for 1173 Anchises to determine a near-opposition phase coefficient. No opposition effect was observed. The two-parameter function of E. Bowell, A. W. Harris, and K. Lumme (1985 , preprint) and a linear phase coefficient both fit the data well. However, the multiple scattering parameter derived from the Bowell et al. model implies a geometric albedo of near unity, in conflict with the low radiometric albedos observed for Anchises and other Trojans ( D. P. Cruikshank, 1977 , Icarus 30, 224–230). The lack of an opposition effect implies that the surface of Anchises may be significantly less rough than other asteroid suface
Alcohol Consumption During Pregnancy and Preeclampsia

ABSTRACT Objective: To determine if preeclampsia was associated with alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Design: A case-control study. Setting: North Carolina Memorial Hospital during January 1984 through March 1987. Patients: 110 Caucasian and African-American primiparous preeclamptic women and 115 Caucasian and African-American primiparous healthy women. Main Outcome Measures: Self-reported history of alcohol during lifetime and pregnancy; type of alcohol consumed. Results: Alcohol consumption was not significantly associated with preeclampsia, although there was a suggestion of a protective effect while simultaneously adjusting for a family history of preeclampsia; maternal smoking, medication, and recreational drug use during pregnancy; working during pregnancy; and choice of a contraceptive method (barrier versus nonbarrier) with the partner before the index pregnancy (OR = 0.50, 95% CI: 0.17–1.50). The odds ratio remained unchanged when lifetime smokers (OR = 0.36, 95% CI: 0.08–1.67) or smokers du...
Clinical sobriety assessment by emergency physicians in blunt trauma patients with acute alcohol exposure.

Abstract Background: Alcohol use increases injury risk and severity. However, few studies have evaluated the ability of emergency physicians (EPs) to accurately determine sobriety. Objectives: To determine the predictive value of clinical sobriety assessment by EPs in blunt trauma patients with acute alcohol use. Materials and Methods: Blunt trauma patients, aged 18–65 years with suspected acute alcohol use, were prospectively enrolled in the study. EPs assessed study subjects before sample collection for blood alcohol level (BAL) and urine drug screen measurement. Alcohol exposure was considered significant if BAL was ≥ 80 mg/dL. Sobriety (non-significant alcohol exposure) was defined as a BAL 80 mg/dL agreed with measured BAL > 80 mg/dL, or estimated BAL
Comments on Electrode Self-Energy Effects in Tunnel Junctions

Electrode self-energy effects in a tunnel junction have been calculated for a simple model without recourse to the transfer-Hamiltonian formalism. The results are in agreement with earlier suggestions that the electron, in the presence of many-body effects in an electrode, tunnels with the total energy $\ensuremath{\epsilon}$ and not the bare energy ${\ensuremath{\xi}}_{k}=\frac{{\ensuremath{\hbar}}^{2}{k}^{2}}{2{m}^{*}}\ensuremath{-}{\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{F}$.
Miniaturizing Atatürk Privatization of state imagery and ideology in Turkey

Since the late 1990s Turkish consumers have purchased pictures of Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey and the most potent symbol of the Turkish state, as popular commodities, displaying them in homes and private businesses. In this article, I argue that these consumer citizens seek to reconcile the memory of Ataturk's state-led modernity of the 1930s with recent international pressure to achieve a market-based modernity. As citizens try to mask the authority of secularist state institutions with consumer choice, the market carries state symbolism into new, private spheres, which it previously had not been able to infiltrate.
Effects of heavily doped source on the subthreshold characteristics of nanowire tunneling transistors

Band-to-band tunneling field-effect transistors (TFETs) have recently gained interest due to their operation in the sub-60 mV/decade limit which makes them ideal for reducing power dissipation in integrated circuit. III–V nanowire (NW) such as InSb NW TFETs show promise for ultra-low power and high-speed devices [1] due to its narrow direct bandgap.
Suitability of simulated land mines for detection measurements using x-ray lateral migration radiography

A commercially available simulated land mine and several custom-made plastic simulants were examined at the University of Florida for their suitability in Lateral Migration Radiography (LMR) land mine detection. In 1997 x- ray LMR was used in the detection measurements of 12 actual antitank and antipersonnel miens. The resulting images indicated that not only were differences in composition between the explosive/casing and soil important, but that internal air volumes greatly increased not only the detectability, but also the discernability of actual mines. This paper explores the use of simulant mines that have internal features, including voids, in lieu of solid simulant miens for use in LMR measurements in the laboratory. Typical commercially available simulated mines have been developed for other detection methods such as those based on E and M technologies. A comparison of LMR images from these simulants and the LMR images of real mines demonstrated that commercially available simulant mines would fail when used with the LMR x-ray detection method. In contrast, simulated mines that we have fabricated with a plastic that has approximately the same electron density of TNT yield LMR images that are consistent with LMR images of actual mines.