cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Integration of Metallurgical Engineering Education

As a response to rapidly growing specialization in various branches of metallurgy, it is proposed that undergraduate education in metallurgical engineering should be built up around four principal scientific themes: 1—thermodynamics, 2—structure, 3— mechanics, and 4—rate processes.
Validation of ultrasonographic muscle thickness measurements as compared to the gold standard of computed tomography in dogs

OBJECTIVE The objective was to quantitatively evaluate the validity of ultrasonographic (US) muscle measurements as compared to the gold standard of computed tomography (CT) in the canine. DESIGN This was a prospective study. POPULATION Twenty-five, client-owned dogs scheduled for CT as part of a diagnostic work-up for the management of their primary disease process were included. MATERIALS AND METHODS Specific appendicular (cubital flexors and extensors, coxofemoral flexors and extensors) and axial (temporalis, supraspinatus, infraspinatus, lumbar epaxials) muscle groups were selected for quantitative measure based on CT planning and patient position. Prior to CT scan, the skin over the muscle sites was shaved and marked with a permanent marker. Patient body position was determined based on the patient's CT plan; positioning was consistent between CT and US imaging. To ensure identical imaging position for both CT and US measurements, radio-opaque fiducial markers were placed directly over the skin marks once the dog was positioned. Quantitative measurements (cm) for both lean muscle mass (LMM) and subcutaneous adipose (SQA) were recorded. Statistical comparisons between CT and US values were done separately for each site and type. RESULTS Muscle groups and associated SQA measured by US and CT were not statistically different based on an adjusted p-value using Bonferroni's correction (p 0.897 for LLM and >0.8289 for SQA. CONCLUSIONS Ultrasound imaging of selected appendicular and axial muscle groups in dogs can provide comparable assessment of muscle thickness to the current gold standard, CT. In consideration of both statistical reliability to CT and cage-side accessibility, the temporalis, supraspinatus, infraspinatus, and lumbar epaxial LMM sites are considered the most useful targets for US LMM assessment in the canine. Our findings support the potential utility of US as a clinical tool in veterinary medicine to assess LMM status in patients. Additional studies are indicated to develop standardized protocols of its use in a cage-side setting and to elucidate the benefit of this modality, in conjunction with nutritional interventions, to manage body LLM stores in compromised patients.
Mechanistic Studies on Thiaminase I: 1. The Stereochemical Course of the Reaction

Abstract Thiaminase I catalyzes the displacement of the thiazole moiety of thiamin by a wide variety of nucleophiles. In this paper, we demonstrate that this reaction proceeds with overall retention of stereochemistry.
Rethinking End Points in Clinical Trials of Renoprotective Medication.

CKD is associated with significant morbidity and mortality and there is urgent need for therapies that can improve outcomes in patients with CKD. The development of such therapies will require, among other things, an adequate understanding of key pathways that are common to the myriad causes of CKD
Vertical density profile and internal bond strength of wet-formed particleboard bonded with cellulose nanofibrils

In this study, the effects of cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) ratio, press program, particle size, and density on the vertical density profile (VDP) and internal bond (IB) strength of the wet-formed particleboard were investigated. Results revealed that the VDP was significantly influenced by the press program. Pressing using a constant pressure (CP) press program produced panels with flat-shaped profile. Panels made from a constant thickness (CT) press program produced U-shaped profile. The CNF ratio and density also influenced the VDP especially for the CT panels. As the CNF ratio increased, there were noticeable increases in face density, while the core density slowly increased. The CT panels had the lowest core density compared with the CP counterparts, thus significantly lowering the IB. The IB of CP panels increased with the increase of CNF ratio, but the trend for CT panels was different. For the 10% CNF ratio, the IB increased as the core density increased. For the 15% and 20% CNF ratios, the IB decreased as the core density increased. For CP panels, the minimum core densities were higher and thus the IB was significantly higher. None of the panels met the IB values for high-density standard particleboard. All CP panels met some of the medium-density standard IB values and all the low-density standard IB values. However, for the CT panels, only those with 15% and 20% CNF ratio marginally met the low- and medium-density particleboard standard. Trends show that increased CNF ratio and higher pressure could improve IB properties for the high-density particleboard.
In-Situ Observation and Quantitative Analysis of Electromigration Void Dynamics

Electromigration (EM) void nucleation and growth is a failure mechanism of integrated circuit (IC) metallization. The time-to-failure of interconnect lines depends on the void nucleation time and the void growth time. While much work has been done to model the void nucleation stage, the current understanding of the void growth stage is minimal. Characterizing the void growth and interaction dynamics is essential to further explaining EM performance of IC interconnects.
New Frontiers in Our Understanding of Lymphatic Malformations of the Head and Neck: Natural History and Basic Research

The future of head and neck lymphatic malformation (HNLM) evaluation and treatment is changing because of 2 decades of clinical research and recent basic science investigation. Basic science investigation using cellular biology and molecular genetics has revealed the genetic cause of some HNLMs, which has created the possibility of medical treatment specific to HNLM. This article summarizes the clinical and basic science research that will likely influence the future of HNLM assessment and treatment.
Shape Evolution of Highly Lattice-Mismatched InN/InGaN Nanowire Heterostructures

We have investigated the structure and shape of GaN-based nanowires grown on (001) Si substrates for optoelectronic device applications. The nanowire heterostructures contained InN disks and In0.4Ga0.6N barrier layers in the active region. The resulting nanowire array comprised two differently shaped nanowires: shorter pencil-like nanowires and longer bead-like nanowires. The two different nanowire shapes evolve due to a variation in the In incorporation rate, which was faster for the bead-like nanowires. Both types of nanowires exhibited evidence of significant migration of both Ga and In during growth. Ga tended to diffuse away and down along the sidewalls, resulting in a Ga-rich shell for all nanowires. Despite the complex structure and great variability in the In composition, the optical properties of the nanowire arrays were very good, with strong luminescence peaking at ∼ 1.63 μm.
Innovative strategies for enhancing fire performance of high-strength concrete structures

High-strength concrete is being increasingly used in a number of building applications, where structural fire safety is one of the primary design considerations. Many research studies clearly indic...
Pulmonary mucoepidermoid carcinoma: diagnosis and treatment

Introduction: Primary mucoepidermoid carcinomas (MEC) of the lung are rare and represent a diagnostic challenge. MEC in the lung is under the umbrella of primary salivary gland type tumors of the l...
Exploring the intersection of executive function and medication adherence in school-age children with asthma

Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases of childhood. For children with persistent asthma, asthma control is largely related to controller medication adherence. With increasing calls for ...
Evolution of brachytherapy treatment planning to deterministic radiation transport for calculation of cardiac dose

Abstract Brachytherapy was among the first methods of radiotherapy and has steadily continued to evolve. Here we present a brief review of the progression of dose calculation methods in brachytherapy to the current state-of-the art computerized methods for heterogeneity correction. We further review the origin and development of the BrachyVision (Varian Medical Systems, Inc., Palo Alto, CA) treatment planning system and evaluate dosimetric results from 12 patients implanted with the strut-assisted volumetric implant (SAVI) applicator (Cianna Medical, Aliso Viejo, CA) for accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI). Dosimetric results from plans calculated using homogenous and heterogeneous algorithms have been compared to investigate the impact of heterogeneity corrections. Our study showed large percent difference between mean cardiac doses 11.8 ± 6.2% (p = 0.0007) calculated with and without heterogeneity corrections. Our findings are consistent with those of others, indicating an overestimation of the distal dose to organs-at-risk by traditional methods, especially at interfaces between air and tissue.
Penile Traction Therapy and Vacuum Erection Devices in Peyronie's Disease.

Abstract Introduction Peyronie's disease (PD) has historically been managed by at least 1 treatment, including oral supplements or medications, intralesional injections, or surgery. Adjunctive mechanical therapies also have been described, including penile traction therapy (PTT) and vacuum erection devices (VEDs), although relatively limited data are available on their use with PD. Aim To review and summarize the published literature on the role and efficacy of PTT and VED in men with PD. Methods A PubMed search was performed of all publications on PTT and VED in men with PD from inception through September 2017. Main Outcome Measures Changes in penile curvature, length, girth, erectile function, and adverse events with PTT or VED. Results PTT and VED exhibit mechanisms to improve aspects of PD, although clinical outcomes data are limited. Based on current data, PTT likely has a potential role as a primary lengthening therapy (modest improvements), in curvature correction (acute phase; unclear role in chronic phase), before penile prosthesis insertion, and after surgical correction of PD. The role of PTT as a combination therapy during collagenase Clostridium histolyticum injections is unclear. Fewer and lower level-of-evidence studies are available on VEDs and suggest potential roles in curvature correction, before penile prosthesis placement, or after PD surgery. Guideline statements from the American Urological Association and International Consultation on Sexual Medicine also support the potential role of PTT and VED in managing PD. Conclusions PTT and VED represent viable therapeutic options for managing PD, with more data currently available on PTT. Because all PTT studies used a similar style of traction device, it is unclear whether results reflect outcomes of these particular devices or traction more broadly. Further studies are required to better delineate the benefits of PTT and VED, particularly in relation to other established treatments. Avant RA, Ziegelman M, Nehra A, et al. Penile Traction Therapy and Vacuum Erection Devices in Peyronie's Disease. Sex Med Rev 2019;7:338–348.
Ultrafast frequency-agile terahertz devices using methylammonium lead halide perovskites

The ability to control the response of metamaterial structures can facilitate the development of new terahertz devices, with applications in spectroscopy and communications. We demonstrate ultrafast frequency-agile terahertz metamaterial devices that enable such a capability, in which multiple perovskites can be patterned in each unit cell with micrometer-scale precision. To accomplish this, we developed a fabrication technique that shields already deposited perovskites from organic solvents, allowing for multiple perovskites to be patterned in close proximity. By doing so, we demonstrate tuning of the terahertz resonant response that is based not only on the optical pump fluence but also on the optical wavelength. Because polycrystalline perovskites have subnanosecond photocarrier recombination lifetimes, switching between resonances can occur on an ultrafast time scale. The use of multiple perovskites allows for new functionalities that are not possible using a single semiconducting material. For example, by patterning one perovskite in the gaps of split-ring resonators and bringing a uniform thin film of a second perovskite in close proximity, we demonstrate tuning of the resonant response using one optical wavelength and suppression of the resonance using a different optical wavelength. This general approach offers new capabilities for creating tunable terahertz devices.
PATTERN RECOGNITION AS AN INDUCTIVE PROCESS

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on pattern recognition as an inductive process. It is generally accepted that pattern recognition is a special kind of induction, but no serious efforts have so far been made to examine the way in which various aspects of pattern recognition fit in the general framework of inductive inference. The chapter presents a mathematical model of induction proposed previously. It is very important in the methodological study of pattern recognition to clarify the way in which the inductive arbitrariness creeps into the method and the kind of guiding principle of nonlogical nature that is actually practiced to make the method work as a technique. Inductive inference is, in a certain sense, the inverse process of deductive inference. Deductive inference involves three components: (1) hypothesis or Law, (2) auxiliary condition, and (3) experimental data.
Children's use of government information systems: design and usability

While generally not recognized by e-government researchers, children and teens are an audience for web sites featuring information about the activities, services, or missions of numerous federal government organizations, and perhaps should be viewed as an audience for community information presented by municipal and county governments. This paper describes our efforts to design a user interface for middle-school aged users of a government-sponsored community information system. We review the literature related to children's use of the Internet and children's use of online information systems. Following a review our past design efforts, we present our most recent design followed by data from usability and satisfaction tests with young users from various grade levels. The paper ends by presenting some observations and comments that might be helpful in future work by government designers of children's web pages and information systems.
An Approach for Utilizing Power Flow Modeling for Simulations of Hybrid Electric Propulsion Systems

This paper describes an approach to creating simulations of the electric components for a hybrid electric propulsion system. The proposed modeling technique is based on power/load flow modeling and is designed to provide a modular framework that includes buses, lines, and other electrical components that can be connected together to form the electrical distribution system. The purpose of this paper is to detail an electric distribution system modeling technique and to demonstrate how these models may be integrated with turbomachinery simulations. These general modeling techniques were created to be utilized for system and control design studies. Additionally, steady-state and dynamic performance for a proposed model example is compared with data from a hardware in the loop simulation.
Approach to Transplant Infectious Diseases in the Emergency Department

The emergency department (ED) is an increasingly important site of care for patients who have undergone solid organ transplantation or hematopoietic cell transplantation. It is paramount for emergency physicians to recognize infections early on, obtain appropriate diagnostic testing, initiate empirical antimicrobial therapy, and consider specialty consultation and inpatient admission when caring for these patients. This review provides emergency physicians with an approach to the assessment of transplant patients' underlying risk for infection, formulation of a broad differential diagnosis, and initial management of transplant infectious disease emergencies in the ED.
Experiences and Practices of Environmental Adult Education Participants.

This study conceptualizes environmental adult education (EAE) as an engaging, inclusive, and active educational approach influenced and shaped by multiple disciplines and theories, that informs and...
Carrot Genetics, Omics and Breeding Toolboxes

Today, researchers routinely generate and analyze large and complex omics, genetics and breeding datasets for both model and nonmodel crop species including carrot. This has resulted in the massive production and availability of omics data, which opened multiple challenges to store, organize and make those data available to the research and breeding communities. The value of these resources increases significantly when it is organized, annotated, effectively integrated with other data and made available to browse, query and analyze. In this chapter, we summarize the available omics, genetics and breeding resources for carrot and other Daucus species in different public and private databases. We also discuss the challenges for collecting, integrating and interpreting this data with a focus on the lack of dedicated, centralized and user-friendly bioinformatics platforms, breeding toolboxes and infrastructures for the carrot genome.
The Byzantine Hellene: The Life of Emperor Theodore Laskaris and Byzantium in the Thirteenth Century

This book tells the extraordinary story of Theodore II Laskaris, an emperor who ruled over the Byzantine state of Nicaea established in Asia Minor after the fall of Constantinople to the crusaders in 1204. Theodore Laskaris was a man of literary talent and keen intellect. His action-filled life, youthful mentality, anxiety about communal identity (Anatolian, Roman, and Hellenic), ambitious reforms cut short by an early death, and thoughts and feelings are all reconstructed on the basis of his rich and varied writings. His original philosophy, also explored here, led him to a critique of scholasticism in the West, a mathematically inspired theology, and a political vision of Hellenism. A personal biography, a ruler's biography, and an intellectual biography, this highly illustrated book opens a vista onto the eastern Mediterranean, Anatolia, and the Balkans in the thirteenth century, as seen from the vantage point of a key political actor and commentator.
Insect Declines in the Anthropocene

Insect declines are being reported worldwide for flying, ground, and aquatic lineages. Most reports come from western and northern Europe, where the insect fauna is well-studied and there are consi...
Interpolating classical partitions of the set of positive integers

We construct an easily described family of partitions of the positive integers into n disjoint sets with essentially the same structure for every $$n \ge 2$$ . In a special case, it interpolates between the Beatty $$\frac{1}{\phi } + \frac{1}{\phi ^2} = 1$$ partitioning ( $$n=2$$ ) and the 2-adic partitioning in the limit as $$n \rightarrow \infty $$ . We then analyze how membership of elements in the sets of one partition relates to membership in the sets of another. We investigate in detail the interactions of two Beatty partitions with one another and the interactions of the $$\phi $$ Beatty partition mentioned above with its “extension” to three sets given by the construction detailed in the first part. In the first case, we obtain detailed results, whereas in the second case we place some restrictions on the interaction but cannot obtain exhaustive results.
Motivations against Sex and Number of Sexual Partners: A Two-Study Replication and Extension

We examined emerging adults (EAs) motivations against sex (MAS) and how these related to their self-reported sexual behavior. Study 1 examined the relationship between demographic variables and thr...
Benign Epithelial Tumors of the Lung

Benign tumors of the lung are much less common than malignant tumors with an incidence ranging from 1% to 5% of all lung tumors (Yoon et al. J Comput Assist Tomogr. 26:784–796, 2002). These neoplasms are generally small and depending on their site or origin can be associated with symptoms such as cough, postobstructive pneumonia, and hemoptysis if endobronchial in location or produce no symptoms if located in the peripheral lung parenchyma. Most of these tumors are mesenchymal in origin, mainly comprising hamartomas (Borczuk, Arch Pathol Lab Med. 132:1133–1148, 2008). Only a small subset of benign pulmonary tumors is epithelial in nature. Lack of familiarity with these tumors may lead to diagnostic challenges and potential misdiagnosis with significant consequences for patient care. In this chapter, a comprehensive review of benign epithelial tumors of the lung is presented along with discussion of the most important differential diagnosis.
Selective enhancement of fear learning and resistance to extinction in a mouse model of acute early life trauma

Early life stress (ELS) experiences can cause changes in cognitive and affective functioning. This study examined the persistent effects of a single traumatic event in infancy on several adult behavioral outcomes in male and female C57BL/6J mice. Mice received 15 footshocks in infancy and were tested for stress-enhanced fear learning, extinction learning, discrimination and reversal learning, and novel object recognition. Infant trauma potentiated fear learning in adulthood and produced resistance to extinction but did not influence other behaviors, suggesting restricted effects of infant trauma on behaviors reliant on cortico-amygdala circuitry.
There are no awards for surviving racism, sexism, and ageism in the academy: contemplations of a senior faculty member

Nearing the end of my career, this narrative reflects my thoughts entering unknown territory—exiting my postsecondary institution and entering retirement. After a lifetime of working, this piece la...
A Recipe for Electrically-Driven Soft Robots via 3D Printed Handed Shearing Auxetics

Electrically-mediated actuation schemes offer great promise beyond popular pneumatic and suction based ones in soft robotics. However, they often rely on bespoke materials and manufacturing approaches that constrain design flexibility and widespread adoption. Following the recent introduction of a class of architected materials called handed shearing auxetics (HSAs), we present a 3D printing method for rapidly fabricating HSAs and HSA-based soft robots that can be directly driven by servo motors. To date, HSA fabrication has been limited to the laser cutting of extruded teflon tubes. Our work expands the HSA materials palette to include flexible and elastomeric polyurethanes. Herein, we investigate the influence of material composition and geometry on printed HSAs’ mechanical behavior. In addition to individual HSA performance, we evaluate printed HSAs in two soft robotic systems - four degree-of-freedom (DoF) platforms and soft grippers - to confirm that printed HSAs perform similarly to the original teflon HSA designs. Finally, we demonstrate new soft robotic capabilities with 3D printed HSAs, including fully 3D printed HSA fingers, higher force generation in multi-DoF devices, and demonstrations of soft grippers with internal HSA endoskeletons. We anticipate our methods will expedite the design and integration of novel HSAs in electrically-driven soft robots and facilitate broader adoption of HSAs in the field.
The Dark Authoritarians: Profiling the Personality, Emotional Style, and Authoritarian Attitudes of the Major American Parties

Abstract Many are concerned that authoritarianism is increasing across the political spectrum. In the current study, we investigated the extent to which dark personality variables (i.e., psychopathy, narcissism, Machiavellianism) predict both right- and left-wing authoritarianism (RWA and LWA) between Republicans and Democrats. We developed profiles of individuals' political and personality characteristics concomitant with endorsement of authoritarianism. Our findings (n = 527) suggest a complex interaction between dark traits and political views. Using latent profile analysis, we uncovered underlying profiles characterizing distinct groups of individuals across party identification, LWA, RWA, and dark traits. Four latent profiles emerged: (1) a typical Democrat, low in dark traits and higher in LWA; (2) a typical Republican, low in dark traits and higher in RWA; (3) a dark Democrat, high in dark traits and high in both RWA and LWA; (4) a dark Republican, high in dark traits and high in both RWA and LWA. Together, these data suggest that authoritarianism manifests differentially across the political spectrum and is influenced by emotional style.
Predicting nursing baccalaureate program graduates using machine learning models: A quantitative research study

Abstract Background Despite powerful efforts to maximize nursing school enrollment, schools and colleges of nursing are faced with high rates of attrition and low rates of completion. Early identification of at-risk students and the factors associated with graduation outcomes are the main foci for the studies that have addressed attrition and completion rates in nursing programs. Machine learning has been shown to perform better in prediction tasks than traditional statistical methods. Objectives The purpose of this study was to identify adequate models that predict, early in a students career, if an undergraduate nursing student will graduate within six college years. In addition, factors related to successful graduation were to be identified using several of the algorithms. Design Predictions were made at five time points: the beginning of the first, second, third, fourth years, and the end of the sixth year. Fourteen scenarios were built for each machine learning algorithm through the combinations of different variable sections and time points. Settings College of Nursing in a private university in an urban Midwest city, USA. Participants Seven hundred and seventy-three full time, first time, and degree-seeking students who enrolled from 2004 through 2012 in a traditional 4-year baccalaureate nursing program. Methods Eight popular machine learning algorithms were chosen for model construction and comparison. In addition, a stacked ensemble method was introduced in the study to boost the accuracy and reduce the variance of prediction. Results Using one year of college academic performance, the graduation outcome can be correctly predicted for over 80% of the students. The prediction accuracy can reach 90% after the second college year and 99% after the third year. Among all the variables, cumulative grade points average (GPA) and nursing course GPA are the most influential factors for predicting graduation. Conclusions This study provides a potential mode of data-based tracking system for nursing students during their entire baccalaureate program. This tracking system can serve a large number of students automatically to provide customized evaluation on the dropout risk students and enhance the ability of a school or college to more strategically design school-based prevention and interventional services.
Investigation of Synergistic Effects of Warm Mix Asphalt and High Fractionated Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement for Safe, Environmentally Sustainable Highway

To increase RAP materials by up to 75% by binder replacement, a fractionation method was applied to the RAP stockpile by discarding RAP materials passing No. 16 sieve. This fractionation method was effective in improving volumetric properties of the HMA mixture with high RAP contents. The mix designs were then performed for both HMA and WMA with varying fractionated RAP amounts accounting for a replacement of 20, 30, 40, 50 and 75% of the mixture’s optimum asphalt binder content. All mix designs met the Iowa DOT mix design requirements except the one with 75% RAP materials by binder replacement due to the excessive amount of dust content. Hamburg Wheel Tracking (HWT) test was used to evaluate the rutting and moisture susceptibility of both HMA and WMA mixtures with varying RAP amounts. Overall, HMA mixtures performed better than WMA mixtures and the mixes with higher RAP amounts performed better except the mix with 30% RAP materials by binder replacement. Both HMA and WMA mixes with 75% RAP materials by binder replacement (90% by weight replacement) performed the best by exhibiting very little deformation ranging between 2 and 4 mm after 20,000 repetitions. In order to evaluate the performance of WMA mixtures in the field, test sections were constructed in Iowa and Ohio. The average densities of the HMA and WMA test sections in Iowa were 94.3% and 93.9%, respectively, and those of the HMA and WMA test sections in Ohio were 94.6% and 95.2%, respectively. Significantly less emission and smoke were observed during construction of WMA mixtures, which confirmed the environmental benefits of using WMA technologies while meeting both Iowa and Ohio DOT’s density requirements. Both HMA and WMA mixes from Iowa met Hamburg testing requirement by exhibiting very little deformation of 3 mm and 5 mm, respectively, after 20,000 repetitions. HMA mix from Ohio met Hamburg testing requirement by exhibiting very little deformation of 4 mm after 20,000 repetitions whereas WMA mix exhibited 15 mm deformation after 20,000 repetitions.
An Analysis of E-Commerce: E-Risk, Global Trade, and Cybercrime

E-commerce is extensively used in all types of business, including manufacturing companies, retail stores, and service firms. This paper reviews prior research, examines the origins of e-commerce, identifies e-risks, describes retail trade on the Internet, defines virtual business, identifies aspects of website design, and describes types of cybercrime that hamper e-commerce. E-commerce has made business processes more reliable and efficient. Participating in e-commerce is essential for businesses to be able to market their products and services in the global marketplace.
Recent Developments in Linear Programming

Publisher Summary The chapter highlights some recent developments in linear programming. The chapter reviews the development of procedures for the solution of large-scale systems and describes the decomposition algorithm. The chapter introduces integer linear programming to find the optimum integer solution to a linear program. The need for this type of computational procedure is emphasized by the great number of problems from the realm of combinatorial analysis and the areas of scheduling and production, which have been formulated as linear programming problems. The chapter mentions that success of the transportation model with integer availabilities and demands is partially because of the fact that each basic solution corresponds to an extreme point, which has integer or zero values for the coordinates. The chapter discusses several steps involved in the multiplex method, and highlights some linear programming applications. The chapter further deals with linear programming computing codes and procedures. The Rand code linear programming system uses the modified simplex procedure with the product form of inverse.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus‐Associated Dementia: Clinical Aspects, Biology, and Treatment

Publisher Summary This chapter describes that HIV-associated dementia (HIV-D) in the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has a decreased incidence but a stable prevalence. Central nervous system (CNS) infection itself appears to be attenuated with a greater frequency of patients with milder forms of cognitive impairment, less correlation with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), ribonucleic acid (RNA) levels, and decreased markers of CNS inflammation. Surrogate markers of HIV-D from the pre-HAART era need to be re-evaluated in patients on HAART. As patients with HIV infection enter their 5th and 6th decades of life, new surrogate markers such as vascular and neurodegenerative disease markers need to be evaluated further to help differentiate between HIV-associated cognitive impairment and impairment due to co-morbid disease such as cerebrovascular disease or Alzheimer's disease. The chapter concludes that therapies including both antiretroviral drugs and adjunctive therapies need to be examined further to improve treatment in patients with progressive HIV-associated cognitive impairment.
Status for Sale: Taiwan and the Competition for Diplomatic Recognition

Diplomatic recognition is generally seen as fundamental to the modern state system. The traditional views of recognition however focus almost exclusively on political or ideological rationales, ignoring other foundations on which other countries base establishing diplomatic recognition. Focusing on the Republic of China (Taiwan) suggests a more complicated view where economic self-interest on one side and national pride on the other may undermine traditional conceptions of recognition. Using the ROC-PRC diplomatic battle as a case study, this paper hopes to shed light on two questions: why, despite the PRC's rise as a global power, a country would continue to formally recognize the ROC and secondly what does the ROC receive in exchange for such high-cost endeavors to maintain recognition. In this case mutual ideological rationales have greatly diminished while I contend that economic factors have predominantly maintained this diplomatic battle. In addition, previous research often focuses on major world powers granting or withholding formal recognition to smaller states. In this situation, poor countries with typically little political influence are the major players, suggesting different rationales behind recognition. Methodologically, this paper blends qualitative and quantitative analysis to uncover factors affecting recognition. The existing literature is almost entirely qualitative, focusing only on relations between two countries or within a particular region. Furthermore, most studies only cover a short time span, usually no more than a decade. This paper intends to analyze most of the post-civil war period, identifying broad trends which may be overlooked in previous research.
Molecular Genetics of the Ubiquitin-Proteasome System: Lessons from Yeast

Our studies with the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae have uncovered a number of general principles governing substrate selectivity and proteolysis by the ubiquitin-proteasome system. The initial work focused on the degradation of a transcription factor, the MATα2 repressor, but the pathways uncovered have a much broader range of targets. At least two distinct ubiquitination mechanisms contribute to α2 turnover. One of them depends on a large integral membrane ubiquitin ligase (E3) and a pair of ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes (E2s). The transmembrane E3 and E2 proteins must travel from their site of synthesis in the ER to the inner nuclear membrane in order to reach nuclear substrates such as α2. The 26S proteasome is responsible for α2 degradation, and several important features of proteasome assembly and active site formation were uncovered. Most recently, we have delineated major steps in 20S proteasome assembly and have also identified several novel 20S proteasome assembly factors. Surprisingly, alterations in 20S proteasome assembly lead to defects in the assembly of the proteasome regulatory particle (RP). The RP associates with the 20S proteasome to form the 26S proteasome. Our data suggest that the 20S proteasome can function as an assembly factor for the RP, which would make it the first such factor for RP assembly identified to date.
Comparing Performance and Impediments of Construction and Professional Disadvantaged Business Enterprises in Transportation

Disadvantaged/Minority/Women business enterprises (DBE/MBE/WBEs) in construction and professional fields face several impediments that hinder their business growth and overall performance. In this study, a survey was conducted to compare the importance of the factors that most affect business performance of these business enterprises, the impediments they face, and the advantages and disadvantages of being a DBE/MBE/WBE; the survey was conducted with construction and professional firms in the transportation industry. When comparing responses from 259 business enterprises, the results indicated that construction firms placed significantly higher importance to financial issues and safe work practices than professional firms. In addition, construction firms ranked lack of technology, an unskilled work force, and an expensive work force as significant impediments to their business success as compared to professional firms. No significant differences were detected ranking the advantages of being DBEs. However, regarding the disadvantages of being a DBE, construction firms ranked excessive bid shopping significantly higher than professional firms. The respondents provided a set of recommendations to improve the status of DBEs for use by government policy-makers/owners and prime contractors.
Older adults' memory for medical information: Influence of elderspeak and note taking

In this study, we examined techniques to improve older adults' (M = 71.02, SD = 7.37, range = 55–90, N = 169) recall of medical information about osteoarthritis. Specifically, we investigated the influence of style of speech presentation and note taking on older adults' cued-recall, over time. We randomly assigned participants to either the elderspeak or nonelderspeak speech style and the note taking or nonnote taking conditions in this 2 × 2 × 3 mixed subjects design. We assessed retention immediately after presentation of the information stimulus, post, 1-week, and 1-month post. Participants recalled more medical information when presented in elderspeak than nonelderspeak. Note taking improved memory performance significantly overtime if participants observed elderspeak instead of nonelderspeak information.
Expression and localization of p-glycoprotein, multidrug resistance protein 4, and breast cancer resistance protein in the female lower genital tract of human and pigtailed macaque.

Abstract Antiretroviral drug absorption and disposition in cervicovaginal tissue is important for the effectiveness of vaginally or orally administered drug products in preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) of HIV-1 sexual transmission to women. Therefore, it is imperative to understand critical determinants of cervicovaginal tissue pharmacokinetics. This study aimed to examine the mRNA expression and protein localization of three efflux transporters, P-glycoprotein (P-gp), multidrug resistance-associated protein 4 (MRP4), and breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP), in the lower genital tract of premenopausal women and pigtailed macaques. Along the human lower genital tract, the three transporters were moderately to highly expressed compared to colorectal tissue and liver, as revealed by real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). In a given genital tract segment, the transporter with the highest expression level was either BCRP or P-gp, while MRP4 was always expressed at the lowest leve...
Experiences in Numerical Software on IBM Distributed Memory Architectures

We present some experiences and results on parallel linear algebra algorithms on distributed memory platforms, based on the IBM RISC System/6000 workstations; we shall refer both to homogeneous workstation clusters and to the IBM 9076 SP parallel machines. We describe our approach in developing an experimental linear algebra library for these environments.
Modeling multi-DOF robots as coupled Lorenz-type systems

Formulation of the dynamics equations of motion for robotic manipulators actuated by brushless motors is considered. It is demonstrated that a single degree-of-freedom (DOF) system model of this type is equivalent to the Lorenz model for fluid convection. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that multi-DOF robots can be modelled as coupled Lorenz systems. >
Evaluation of a game-based lab assignment

We have developed a learning game to teach loops, nested loops, and arrays using scaffolding and interactive visualization. We compare the game to a traditional programming assignment in an introductory computing laboratory. In our study, 17 Introduction to Computer Science labs were randomly assigned to play the learning game first and half to write a program first. Our results show that students playing the learning game first learn more, and that students prefer the game assignment to the traditional assignment. These results suggest that incorporation of game-based assignments is beneficial to student learning.
A runway for the fish

A runway and a training procedure arc described. Acquisition and extinction curves for a sample of 12 goldfish trained in spaced trials are plotted in terms of three measures.
Multi-channel management in direct marketing retailing: Traditional call center versus Internet channel

The direct marketing retailers have traditionally provided mail order and call center channels. In the emergence of the Internet channel, the direct marketing retailers have reported a large increase in the use of Internet channel and some have encouraged the customers to use the Internet channel more than other channels because of potential cost savings for the firm. However, the traditional call center channel has not disappeared from the direct marketing industry. This study is motivated by this observation, and investigates the relative benefits of using different channels. It sets up hypotheses about the consumer's channel usage behavior and provides an empirical study of what benefits the consumers see in using different channels. It also investigates whether encouraging the consumers to use the Internet channel would be beneficial for the retailers and the consumers. We use a transactional database from a direct marketing retailer that operates multiple channels. Our empirical results support the hypotheses and show that the Internet channel is helpful for the purchase when the consumer has low perceived risk and high experience and familiarity with the purchase, but the call center channel is helpful when the consumer has high perceived risk and low experience and familiarity with the purchase. The results suggest that the direct marketing retailer is not recommended to encourage the consumers to use the Internet channel for cost saving purpose, but to help them use proper channels for different problem-solving situations.
Forum Selecting Senior Citizens for the American Vice Presidency

One of the most significant trends in twentieth century America is the constant expansion of the senior citizen population (age 65 and over) – in both absolute and relative terms. While social scientists have developed a huge literature on America's older population, they have largely ignored its vast political implications. This topic is particularly timely inasmuch as senior citizen George Bush has replaced senior citizen Ronald Reagan in the Presidency, two-thirds of the Supreme Court justices are past age 65, and as usual many of the most powerful members of Congress are senior citizens. This article turns attention to the nation's eight senior citizen Vice Presidents, focusing primarily on explanations for their nomination. It also examines trends in the incidence of senior citizen Vice Presidents. Although the nation has had such Vice Presidents during each third of its history (the first one inaugurated in 1805, the most recent one in 1974), they have served with relatively greater frequency since the 1920s. Probable factors underlying this trend include continually increasing life expectancy, the growth in the senior citizen segment of the nation's population and its political mobilisation, and some decline in ageism.
A new approach for ring oscillator simulation using the harmonic balance method

A novel approach for simulating the periodic steady state of ring oscillators with the harmonic balance method is described. A single delay cell based equivalent circuit is simulated and used to determine the response of the overall circuit. This results in an algorithm that is computationally efficient and readily converges for a variety of ring oscillator circuits.
Effects of Protein Stabilizing Agents on Thermal Backbone Motions: A Disulfide Trapping Study†

Chemical stabilizers are widely used to enhance protein stability, both in nature and in the laboratory. Here, the molecular mechanism of chemical stabilizers is studied using a disulfide trapping assay to measure the effects of stabilizers on thermal backbone dynamics in the Escherichia coli galactose/glucose binding protein. Two types of backbone fluctuations are examined: (a) relative movements of adjacent surface α-helices within the same domain and (b) interdomain twisting motions. Both types of fluctuations are significantly reduced by all six stabilizers tested (glycerol, sucrose, trehalose, l-glucose, d-glucose, and d-galactose), and in each case larger amplitude motions are inhibited more than smaller ones. Motional inhibition does not require a high-affinity stabilizer binding site, indicating that the effects of stabilizers are nonspecific. Overall, the results support the theory that effective stabilizing agents act by favoring the most compact structure of a protein, thereby reducing local b...
Assessment of muscarinic receptor concentrations in aging and Alzheimer disease with [11C]NMPB and PET.

Cerebral cholinergic deficits have been described in Alzheimer disease (AD) and as a result of normal aging. At the present time, there are very limited options for the quantification of cholinergic receptors with in vivo imaging techniques such as PET. In the present study, we examined the feasibility of utilizing ( 11 C)N-methyl-4- piperidyl benzilate (NMPB), a nonselective muscarinic receptor ligand, in the study of aging and neurodegenerative processes associated with cholinergic dysfunction. Based on prior data describing the accuracy of various kinetic methods, we examined the concentration of muscarinic receptors with ( 11 C)NMPB and PET using two- and three- compartment kinetic models. Eighteen healthy subjects and six patients diagnosed with probable AD were studied. Pixel-by-pixel two-compartment model fits showed acceptable precision in the study of normal aging, with comparable results to those obtained with a more complex and less precise three-compartment model. Normal aging was associ- ated with a reduction in muscarinic receptor binding in neocortical regions and thala- mus. In AD patients, the three-compartment model appeared capable of dissociating changes in tracer transport from changes in receptor binding, but suffered from statis- tical uncertainty, requiring normalization to a reference region, and therefore limiting its potential use in the study of neurodegenerative processes. After normalization, no regional changes in muscarinic receptor concentrations were observed in AD. Synapse 39:275-287, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
GETTING MORE FROM MOORE

ABSTRACT From the basis of pedagogy pioneered by R. L. Moore (the Moore Method), Moore-style pedagogy is discussed, with special attention being paid to techniques likely to make the method more inclusive. Ramifications of extending the mindset behind the Moore method to service courses are also discussed.
An Activator Target in the RNA Polymerase II Holoenzyme

Expression of protein-coding genes in eukaryotes involves the recruitment, by transcriptional activator proteins, of a transcription initiation apparatus consisting of greater than 50 polypeptides. Recent genetic and biochemical evidence in yeast suggests that a subset of these proteins, called SRB proteins, are likely targets for transcriptional activators. We demonstrate here, through affinity chromatography, photo-cross-linking, and surface plasmon resonance experiments, that the GAL4 activator interacts directly with the SRB4 subunit of the RNA polymerase II holoenzyme. The GAL4 activation domain binds to two essential segments of SRB4. The physiological relevance of this interaction is confirmed by mutations in SRB4, which occur within its GAL4-binding domain and which restore activation in vivo by a GAL4 derivative bearing a mutant activation domain.