cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
MRI assessment of regional differences in phosphorus-31 metabolism and morphological abnormalities of the foot muscles in diabetes

Purpose To assess differences in the phosphorus-31 (31P) metabolism and morphology in multiple muscle regions in the forefoot of diabetic patients and normal subjects. Materials and Methods Fifteen diabetic patients and 15 normal subjects were assessed for muscle atrophy by 1H magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 3T to grade the flexor hallucis, adductor hallucis, interosseous regions, and entire foot cross-section. Each region and the entire foot were also quantitatively evaluated for metabolic function using 31P imaging for spatial mapping of the inorganic phosphate (Pi) to phosphocreatine (PCr) ratio (Pi/PCr). The ratio of viable muscle area to the predefined region areas (31P/1H) was calculated. The variability of each method was assessed by its coefficient of variation (CV). Results Muscle atrophy was significantly more severe in diabetic compared to normal subjects in all regions (P < 0.01). The 31P/1H area ratio was significantly larger in the adductor hallucis than in the other two regions (P < 0.05). The Pi/PCr ratio was significantly different between the two groups in the flexor hallucis and interosseous regions (P < 0.05) but not adductor hallucis region. The CV for Pi/PCr ranged from 10.13 to 55.84, while it ranged from 73.40 to 263.90 for qualitative grading. Conclusion Changes in atrophy and metabolism appear to occur unequally between different regions of the forefoot in diabetes. The adductor hallucis region appears more capable of maintaining structural and metabolic integrity than the flexor hallucis or interosseous regions. The CV analysis suggests that the quantitative 31P methods have less variability than the qualitative grading. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2016;44:1132–1142.
Revisiting Precede–Proceed: A leading model for ecological and ethical health promotion:

Background:The Precede–Proceed model has provided moral and practical guidance for the fields of health education and health promotion since Lawrence Green first developed Precede in 1974 and Green...
The Bilirubin Overload Test with Special Reference to Liver Damage Produced by India Ink.

SummaryThe bilirubin overload test is described and the result obtained with a variety of hepatotoxic agents is presented. Hepatic injury can be demonstrated at a very early stage, but the test is of no value in indicating degree of histological liver damage. The biological effect of whole India Ink on the liver can be divided into: 1) Micro-infarction due to obstruction of the sinusoids by India Ink-laden Kupffer cells, an effect not detectable by the bilirubin overload test; and, 2) effect of the shellac which causes only minimal histological damage but which gives an abnormal bilirubin test.
Erasing Differences for the Sake of Inclusion: How Mexican/Mexican American Students Construct Historical Narratives

Mendez v. Westminster, a case about 1940s Mexican American school segregation, is a new vehicle for including Mexican Americans into U.S. history classrooms. This study explores how a class of primarily Mexican American students, who because of their heritage might develop a personal connection to the case, made sense of Mendez. The findings suggest that Mendez is subsumed under the larger Black Civil Rights narrative and stripped of its unique aspects. The inclusion of Mexican Americans into the history narrative is contingent on their story being analogous to the Black experience. Consequently, students learn an oversimplified understanding of Mexican American discrimination and race/ethnicity.
ApesNet: A Pixel-wise Efficient Segmentation Network

Autonomous driving can effectively reduce traffic congestion and road accidents. Therefore, it is necessary to implement an efficient high-level, scene understanding model in an embedded device with limited power and sources. Toward this goal, we propose ApesNet, an efficient pixel-wise segmentation network, which understands road scenes in real-time, and has achieved promising accuracy. The key findings in our experiments are significantly lower the classification time and achieve a high accuracy compared to other conventional segmentation methods. The model is characterized by an efficient training and a sufficient fast testing. Experimentally, we use the well-known CamVid road scene dataset to show the advantages provided by our contributions. We compare our proposed architecture’s accuracy and time performance with SegNet. In CamVid dataset training and testing, our network, ApesNet outperform SegNet in eight classes accuracy. Additionally, our model size is 37% smaller than SegNet. With this advantage, the combining encoding and decoding time for each image is 1.45 to 2.47 times faster than SegNet.
Social Capital and Community Design

Social capital is broadly defined as the resources that individuals can access through their connections to a social group. Examples of such resources include exchange of social support and the ability to undertake collective action for mutual benefit. The stock of social capital in a community is measured by the level of trust between community members, the existence of norms of reciprocity, and the perceived ability to undertake collective action (collective efficacy). Social capital affects health through the exchange of network-based resources (such as psychosocial support), collective action (such as lobbying for community bike trails), and the enforcement of social norms for health behaviors. The built environment can affect social capital by providing opportunities for formal and informal social interactions and promoting investment in a shared space. Examples from studies of planned residential communities and local improvements in the built environment support the notion that social capital can be fostered by making changes in the environment.
Low-Dose Aspirin Is Effective Chemoprophylaxis Against Clinically Important Venous Thromboembolism Following Total Joint Arthroplasty: A Preliminary Analysis.

Background: Aspirin is a safe and effective prophylaxis for the prevention of venous thromboembolism following total joint arthroplasty. The optimal dose of aspirin prophylaxis is unknown. Our hypothesis was that lower-dose aspirin is as effective as higher-dose aspirin for the prevention of venous thromboembolism and is associated with fewer gastrointestinal side effects. Methods: In a prospective, crossover study, we analyzed 4,651 primary total joint arthroplasty cases performed from July 2013 to June 2015. For 4 weeks, 3,192 patients received enteric-coated 325-mg aspirin twice daily (the 325-mg aspirin group) and 1,459 patients received 81-mg aspirin twice daily (the 81-mg aspirin group). There were no significant differences (p > 0.05) in sex, body mass index, or Charlson Comorbidity Index between the two patient populations. Recorded complications occurring within 90 days postoperatively included symptomatic venous thromboembolism (deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism), gastrointestinal complications, acute periprosthetic joint infection, and death. Results: The incidence of venous thromboembolism of 0.1% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0% to 0.3%) in the 81-mg aspirin group (1 with deep venous thrombosis and 1 with pulmonary embolism) was not significantly different (p = 0.345) from 0.3% (95% CI, 0.1% to 0.6%) in the 325-mg aspirin group (7 with deep venous thrombosis and 5 with pulmonary embolism). The incidence of gastrointestinal bleeding or ulceration of 0.3% (95% CI, 0% to 0.5%) in the 81-mg aspirin group was slightly, but not significantly (p = 0.66), lower than the 0.4% (95% CI, 0.2% to 0.6%) in the 325-mg aspirin group. The incidence of acute periprosthetic joint infection was 0.2% (95% CI, 0% to 0.4%) in the 81-mg aspirin group compared with 0.5% (95% CI, 0.2% to 0.7%) in the 325-mg aspirin group (p = 0.28). The 90-day mortality rate was similar in both groups at 0.1% (95% CI, 0% to 0.2%) in the 81-mg aspirin group and 0.1% (95% CI, 0% to 0.2%) in the 325-mg aspirin group (p = 0.78). Conclusions: Our study demonstrates that low-dose aspirin is not inferior to high-dose aspirin for venous thromboembolism prophylaxis following total joint arthroplasty. This is not unexpected, as the available literature demonstrates that low-dose aspirin is as effective as higher-dose aspirin in the prevention of acute coronary syndrome and cerebrovascular events. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level II. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Online Schooling: A Cautionary Tale

In this controversy piece, we portray online learning as growing too fast for existing regulatory structures to oversee and generally as having failed to live up to its potential. Operators, partic...
Clinical Reasoning: A child with delayed motor milestones and ptosis

A 6-year-old boy was evaluated for delayed motor milestones and ptosis. He was born at term without complications. He walked at 14 months; he was slow in running, jumping, and climbing compared to his peers. He fatigued easily. He had early-onset (within the first 3 months) bilateral ptosis. Some members on the maternal side of the family (male and female) had varying degree of weakness and ptosis (details unknown as the mother migrated from her home country). On examination, the patient had fatigable bilateral ptosis, horizontal and vertical ophthalmoparesis, facial weakness, nasal dysarthria, proximal muscle weakness (lower limbs > upper limbs), and neck flexor weakness. Tendon reflexes were preserved and sensory and cerebellar functions were normal.
Personality, Stress, and Social Support in HIV Risk Prediction

This study evaluated whether baseline levels of avoidant, antisocial, and dependent personality features and perceived stress and social support predict 12 month follow-up levels of unprotected sex in 141 male veterans undergoing alcohol and other drug (AOD) abuse treatment that included an HIV transmission risk reduction (HIV-TRR) component. Because our focus is on psychosocial predictors of level of unprotected sex after completion of AOD/HIV-TRR treatment, we first controlled for potential confounds including (a) intake level of unprotected sex and (b) both intake and follow-up AOD abuse values. Further, because associations between both stress and social support and level of risk behavior may be attributable to underlying pathological personality factors, we controlled for these factors in analyses of stress and support effects. Sequential regression was employed to determine if personality and then stress and social support characteristics improved prediction of unprotected sex after entering covariates. Pretreatment levels of unprotected sex and dependent personality significantly predicted unprotected sex during follow-up. Avoidant personality was associated with reduced risk linked with lower levels of sexual involvement. Perceived stress and social support did not significantly predict level of unprotected sex during follow-up. We found significant decreases in levels of alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine and in the number reporting IDU. Implications for developing personality-sensitive HIV prevention interventions are discussed.
Outside the Lettered City: Cinema, Modernity and the Public Sphere in Late Colonial India, by Manishita Dass: Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2015, 229 pp., £19.90 (paperback), ISBN 9780199394388

Manishita Dass' Outside the Lettered City is part of an emerging field of scholarship in cinema studies that aims to historicise third world cinemas within their specific national contexts. In rece...
REGISTRO DE CÁNCER COLORRECTAL HEREDITARIO: UNA EXPERIENCIA DE “CLEVELAND CLINIC FOUNDATION”

INTRODUCCION El Registro de Cancer Colorrectal Hereditario es uno de los registros mas antiguos y mas grandes de su tipo. Incluye a los pacientes con todos los sindromes hereditarios de cancer colorrectal, utilizando los tres enfoques basicos, la atencion al paciente, la educacion y la investigacion. Este articulo resume la estructura y funcion del registro, y da ejemplos de sus contribuciones al manejo de los pacientes afectados. ACTIVIDAD En el ano 2016 el registro atendio a mas de 1000 familias con poliposis adenomatosa familiar, 224 familias con sindrome de Lynch, 61 con poliposis asociada a MYH y 146 con poliposis hamartomatosa. En el ano 2016 hubo 1009 visitas de pacientes con 80 nuevos pacientes y 879 endoscopias. Se realizaron mas de 60 cirugias. RESUMEN Se describe el enfoque de “Cleveland Clinic” para el cancer colorrectal hereditario. Esto es multidisciplinario, involucrando varias especialidades y asi como servicios de asesoramiento genetico y de salud mental dentro del registro.
Building a Climate Movement Through Relational Organizing

Community organizing is a process for achieving social change through the mobilization of resources and the formation of collective identity. Relational community organizing is a particular approach to developing new leaders and building organizational capacity for sustaining a powerful movement, and is especially relevant in the climate justice movement because relationships serve to bring actors from isolation and despair toward communal identity and hopeful action. Minnesota Interfaith Power & Light (MNIPL) is a community organization that is using relational organizing to activate faith communities to take action on climate change. This paper describes the design and first phase of evaluation of MNIPL’s Movement Builder Program, a networked distributed leadership model that uses peer mentors to increase the efficacy of new organizers. Can a peer-to-peer network increase the leverage of organizers? Will supportive relationships move people to increased action and to develop the leadership of others? We provide an introduction to this inquiry as well as the foundational frameworks and historical context of this new approach.
A fast template periodogram

This proceedings contribution presents a novel, non-linear extension to the Lomb-Scargle periodogram that allows periodograms to be generated for arbitrary signal shapes. Such periodograms are already known as “template periodograms” or “periodic matched filters,” but current implementations are computationally inefficient. The “fast template periodogram” presented here improves existing techniques by a factor of ∼a few for small test cases (O (10) observations), and over three orders of magnitude for lightcurves containing O (104 ) observations. The fast template periodogram scales asymptotically as O (HNf log HNf + H 4 Nf ), where H denotes the number of harmonics required to adequately approximate the template and Nf is the number of trial frequencies. Existing implementations scale as O (N obs Nf ), where N obs is the number of observations in the lightcurve. An open source Python implementation is available on GitHub.
The Role of Phosphodiesterase-2 in Psychiatric and Neurodegenerative Disorders

Cyclic nucleotide PDEs are a super-family of enzymes responsible for regulating intracellular levels of the second messengers cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP). Through their catalysis, PDEs are able to exert tight regulation over these important intracellular signaling cascades. Previously, PDEs have been implicated in learning and memory, as well as in mood disorders, such as anxiety and depression. PDE2 is of special interest due to its high level of expression in the forebrain, specifically in the isocortex, entorhinal cortex, striatum, hippocampus, amygdala, and medial habenula. Many of these brain regions are considered participants of the limbic system, which is known as the emotional regulatory center of the brain, and is important for modulating emotion and long-term memory. Therefore, PDE2s coincidental expression in these areas suggests an important role for PDE2 in these behaviors, and researchers are continuing to uncover the complex connections. It was shown that PDE2 inhibitors have pro-cognitive effects in tests of memory, including the object recognition test. PDE2 inhibitors are also protective against cognitive deficits in various models of cognitive impairment. Additionally, PDE2 inhibitors are protective against many different forms of stress-induced anxiety-like and depression-like behaviors. Currently, there is a great need for novel therapeutics for the treatment of mood and cognitive disorders, especially anxiety and depression, and other neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, and PDE2 is emerging as a viable target for future drug development for many of these diseases.
Establishment of Perennial Groundcovers for Maize-Based Bioenergy Production Systems

With increasing removal of maize (Zea mays L.) stover for cellulosic biofuels, livestock bedding, and feedstuffs, there exists a need to address natural resources-related issues such as soil erosion, nitrate leaching, and loss of organic matter content. Perennial groundcover (PGC) offers a potential solution for alleviating these problems associated with maize stover removal from conventional cropping systems. We conducted a field study to ascertain the costs of PGC establishment on the primary crop of economic interest and groundcover success under a maize or soybean (Glycine max L.) crop. To test this concept, we established either Kentucky bluegrass (KB) (Poa pratensis L.) or creeping red fescue (CF) (Festuca rubra L.) as living mulch (LM) concurrently with either maize or soybean, documenting impacts on crop maturity, stand density, leaf area index (LAI), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), grain yield, grain quality, yield components, and stover C and N. First-year maize and first- and second-year soybean in the no LM control yielded on average 13.00, 3.38, and 4.86 Mg ha–¹, respectively, 30, 84, and 27% greater than LM systems. However, yield did not significantly differ in the second site-year between the no LM and LM maize. Moreover, PGC treatments did not affect expected ethanol yield in the second year, averaging 5459 L ha–¹ in Year 2 over all treatments. These results indicate that further research is needed to achieve both groundcover establishment and subsequent natural resources benefits in row crop production while minimizing impact on yield.
Multiscale modeling of polymer–carbon nanotube composites

Abstract: Carbon nanotube (CNT) composite materials have the potential to provide significant increases in specific stiffness and specific strength relative to materials used for many engineering structural applications. To facilitate the design and development of CNT composites, structure–property relationships must be established that predict the bulk thermo-mechanical response of these materials as a function of the molecular and micro-structure. The objective of this chapter is to describe a general framework for multiscale modeling of CNT composites. First, the fundamental aspects of efficient and accurate modeling techniques are discussed. This is followed by a review of current state-of-the-art modeling approaches. Finally, a specific example is presented that describes the application of the approach to a specific CNT composite system.
Sickle cell dehydration: Pathophysiology and therapeutic applications

Cell dehydration is a distinguishing characteristic of sickle cell disease and an important contributor to disease pathophysiology. Due to the unique dependence of Hb S polymerization on cellular Hb S concentration, cell dehydration promotes polymerization and sickling. In double heterozygosis for Hb S and C (SC disease) dehydration is the determining factor in disease pathophysiology. Three major ion transport pathways are involved in sickle cell dehydration: the K-Cl cotransport (KCC), the Gardos channel (KCNN4) and Psickle, the polymerization induced membrane permeability, most likely mediated by the mechano-sensitive ion channel PIEZO1. Each of these pathways exhibit unique characteristics in regulation by oxygen tension, intracellular and extracellular environment, and functional expression in reticulocytes and mature red cells. The unique dependence of K-Cl cotransport on intracellular Mg and the abnormal reduction of erythrocyte Mg content in SS and SC cells had led to clinical studies assessing the effect of oral Mg supplementation. Inhibition of Gardos channel by clotrimazole and senicapoc has led to Phase 1,2,3 trials in patients with sickle cell disease. While none of these studies has resulted in the approval of a novel therapy for SS disease, they have highlighted the key role played by these pathways in disease pathophysiology.
Chasing Fools Gold: African Americans and the Party of Lincoln

This chapter describes challenges black Republicans face within and outside the Republican Party. The party’s five-decade dedication to targeting strident anti-civil rights white voters—chasing what former President Nixon called “fools gold”—has made increasing significant support among Blacks virtually impossible. Black Republicans become essentially an electorally captured group whose influence lies predominantly in the ideological realm, as crafters and manipulators of public opinion to justify color blindness, rather than actually representing a black constituency or delivering black votes. The chapter also analyzes the backlash African American conservatives Michael Steele and Herman Cain received for discussing racism within the Republican Party, the elections of black conservatives Tim Scott, and Mia Love, and the role African American conservatives play within the Tea party movement.
BSAR ambiguity function analysis and design in K-space using curvature and torsion

Bistatic synthetic aperture radar (BSAR) is a developing remote sensing technology under active research. Compared to monostatic SAR, BSAR has greater capabilities at the cost of greater geometric complexity. The imaging performance of a BSAR scenario is completely described by the point spread function (PSF) and the associated ambiguity function X. Fourier analysis of the PSF results in an energy distribution along a path in k-space, best described using the differential geometric metrics of curvature, torsion and a parameterization function. Curvature and torsion are also used to classify the different BSAR geometries. The PSF for a given geometry can be manipulated using carrier frequency modulation and aperture weighting such that it is equivalent to the PSF from a different geometry.
Selective delivery of antigens by recombinant bacteria.

All infectious disease agents have specific mechanisms to colonize, invade, and overcome a host. If this mechanism can be defined in biochemical terms, it should be possible to develop a vaccine to prevent infection and disease. Furthermore, understanding the means by which certain bacterial pathogens target to specific lymphoid tissues in an animal host enables one to develop novel strategies for targeting foreign antigens to that specific lymphoid tissue to elicit an immune response.
Doping α-Al2O3 to reduce its hydrogen permeability: Thermodynamic assessment of hydrogen defects and solubility from first principles

Abstract This paper assesses the role of doping on the hydrogen permeability and electronic properties of α-Al2O3. Formation energies of intrinsic and extrinsic defects in α-Al2O3 were calculated using density functional theory. Using these energies as input, a thermodynamic model was utilized to identify the equilibrium defect concentrations (barring hydrogen defects) in undoped and doped α-Al2O3 under aluminization conditions of 1100 K, over a range of pO2 at a fixed doping level of 1 ppm. Defect concentrations calculated at 1100 K under pO2-rich conditions were used as input to establish hydrogen and electronic defect concentrations under functional conditions of 300 K, over a range of pH2. The effect of dopants on the fraction of free hydrogen interstitials, which has implications on diffusivity, and the overall hydrogen solubility, was found to be substantial and distinct. Relative to the undoped case, Mg-doping increased the concentration of free hydrogen interstitials, the primary diffusing species, by 107 times, whereas Ti-, Si-, Fe-, Cr-doping eliminated it to negligible amounts. Comparing the impact on total hydrogen solubility, Mg-doping increased it by 104 times; Fe- and Cr-doping increased it negligibly by ∼1.5 times. In contrast, Ti- and Si- doping decreased it to nearly 1/3 that of the undoped case. Analyzing the role of isolated defect concentrations and binding energies of defect complexes helps elucidate these effects. Effect of dopant concentrations of 10 and 100 ppm was also investigated, with the conclusion that doping with Si and Ti at 1 ppm is the best strategy to reduce hydrogen diffusivity and solubility by the greatest amount. The findings aid in the design of effective hydrogen permeation barrier layers for use in hydrogen storage and transport infrastructure as well as in the understanding of defect states in Al2O3 used in electronic devices, such as resistive switching.
Collaborative Control of Multiple Robots Using Genetic Fuzzy Systems

This paper introduces an approach of collaborative control for individual robots to collaboratively perform a common task, without the need for a centralized controller to coordinate the group. The approach is illustrated by an application example involving multiple robots performing a collaborative task to achieve a common goal. The objective of this example problem is to control multiple robots that are connected to an object through elastic cables in order to bring the object to a target position. There is no communication between the robots, and hence each robot is unaware of how the other robots are going to react at any instant. Only the information pertaining to the object and the target is available to all the robots at any instant. Genetic fuzzy system (GFS) is used to develop controller for each of the robots. The nonlinearity of fuzzy logic systems coupled with the search capability of genetic algorithms provides a tool to design controllers for such collaborative tasks. A set of training scenarios are developed to train the individual robot controllers for this task. The trained controllers are then tested on an extensive set of scenarios. This paper describes the development process of GFS controllers for dynamic case involving systems consisting of three robots. It is also shown that the GFS controllers are scalable for the more complex systems involving more than three robots.
Reevaluation of the RNA binding properties of the Tetrahymena thermophila telomerase reverse transcriptase N-terminal domain

ABSTRACT Telomerase restores chromosome-capping telomeric repeats lost with each round of genome replication by DNA-templated DNA polymerases. The telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) N-terminal (TEN) domain is a peripheral, telomerase-specific, processivity-stimulatory addition to more conserved domains that encircle the active site cavity. Reports of ciliate, yeast, and mammalian telomerase TEN domain associations with the telomerase RNA subunit (TR) describe low affinity interactions of uncertain specificity. Unfortunately two cryo-EM structures of synthesis-paused telomerase holoenzymes lack sufficient resolution to discriminate molecular specificity of possible TR contact(s) with the TEN domain, and there is no assigned density for the TEN domain termini implicated in RNA binding. Furthermore, studies have revealed alternative secondary structures for TR regions that could interact with TERT prior to TR folding into active conformation. Informed by recent advances in knowledge of telomerase structure, we returned to the investigation of Tetrahymena thermophila TERT TEN domain interaction with TR. Instead of finding specificity for a particular TR sequence or structure, we discovered that the tagged TEN domain used in previous characterizations has trace contamination with a bacterial RNA-interacting protein not detectable by SDS-PAGE. By resolving this interference, we show that the TEN domain binds RNAs dependent on RNA length rather than sequence.
La institucionalización de los sistemas de partidos en América Latina

Desde los setenta se han multiplicado los estudios de casos sobre los sistemas de partidos en America Latina. Sin embargo esos estudios se concentran en casos individuales, siendo notable la escasez de analisis comparativos sistematicos. Este trabajo realiza un estudio comparado de los sistemas de partidos de doce paises latinoamericanos. El articulo se enfoca en el concepto de institucionalizacion. Los autores sostienen que la institucionalizacion, mas que el numero de partidos, es la idea fundamental para distinguir los sistemas de partidos en America Latina. Es improbable que la democracia funcione bien donde los sistemas de partidos no esten suficientemente institucionalizados.
Correlation between Urine N-Terminal Telopeptide and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy Parameters: A Preliminary Study.

N-terminal telopeptide (NTX) is a bone resorption marker that is commonly referenced in clinical practice. Bone remodeling is also associated with changes in mineral components. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) is utilized in the assessment of bone material properties and some parameters are reported to have associations with bone remodeling. The aim of this cross-sectional study is to investigate the relationship between uNTX levels and FTIR parameters, utilizing prospectively collected study data for patients who underwent lumbar fusion surgery. Bone specimens were taken from iliac crest (IC) and vertebrae (V). Cortical (C) and trabecular (T) bones were separately analyzed. 22 patients (mean age 60.0 years (35.9–73.3), male : female 9 : 13) were included in the final analysis. Women showed significantly higher uNTX levels (male : female, median [range] 21.0 [11.0–39.0] : 36.0 [15.0–74.0] nM·BCE/mM, ). Among women, a significant positive correlation was observed between uNTX and mineral-to-matrix ratio in IC-C. Among men, uNTX demonstrated significant negative correlation with collagen crosslinks (XLR: ratio of mature to immature collagen crosslinks) in IC-C, V-T, and V-C. In addition, uNTX was positively correlated with acid phosphate substitution (HPO4, a parameter of new bone formation) in IC-C, IC-T, and V-C. After age adjustment, HPO4 in IC-T and V-C among men showed significant positive associations with uNTX (IC-T: , R2 = 0.544; V-C: , R2 = 0.672). We found associations between FTIR parameters and uNTX in men, but not in women. The correlations between uNTX and FTIR parameters in men might suggest a better balance of bone breakdown (uNTX) and new bone formation (FTIR parameters: XLR, HPO4) than in women.
A Microdroplet-Based Colorimetric Sensing Platform on a CMOS Imager Chip

Interest in mobile chemical sensors is on the rise, but significant challenges have restricted widespread adoption into commercial devices. To be useful these sensors need to have a predictable response, easy calibration, and be integrable with existing technology, preferably fitting on a single chip. With respect to integration, the CMOS imager makes an attractive template for an optoelectronic sensing platform. Demand for smartphones with cameras has driven down the price and size of CMOS imagers over the past decade. The low cost and accessibility of these powerful tools motivated us to print chemical sensing elements directly on the surface of the photodiode array. These printed colorimetric microdroplets are composed of a nonvolatile solvent so they remain in a uniform and homogeneous solution phase, an ideal medium for chemical interactions and optical measurements. By imaging microdroplets on the CMOS imager surface we eliminated the need for lenses, dramatically scaling down the size of the sensing platform to a single chip. We believe the technique is generalizable to many colorimetric formulations, and as an example we detected gaseous ammonia with Cu(II). Limits of detection as low as 27 ppb and sensor-to-sensor variation of less than 10% across multiple printed arrays demonstrated the high sensitivity and repeatability of this approach. Sensors generated this way could share a single calibration, greatly reducing the complexity of incorporating chemical sensors into mobile devices. Additional testing showed the sensor can be reused and has good selectivity; sensitivity and dynamic range can be tuned by controlling droplet size.
Linear Programming Decoders in Natural Language Processing: From Integer Programming to Message Passing and Dual Decomposition

This tutorial will cover the theory and practice of linear programming decoders. This class of decoders encompasses a variety of techniques that have enjoyed great success in devising structured models for natural language processing (NLP). Along the tutorial, we provide a unified view of different algorithms and modeling techniques, including belief propagation, dual decomposition, integer linear programming, Markov logic, and constrained conditional models. Various applications in NLP will serve as a motivation.There is a long string of work using integer linear programming (ILP) formulations in NLP, for example in semantic role labeling, machine translation, summarization, dependency parsing, coreference resolution, and opinion mining, to name just a few. At the heart of these approaches is the ability to encode logic and budget constraints (common in NLP and information retrieval) as linear inequalities. Thanks to general purpose solvers (such as Gurobi, CPLEX, or GLPK), the practitioner can abstract away from the decoding algorithm and focus on developing a powerful model. A disadvantage, however, is that general solvers do not scale well to large problem instances, since they fail to exploit the structure of the problem.This is where graphical models come into play. In this tutorial, we show that most logic and budget constraints that arise in NLP can be cast in this framework. This opens the door for the use of message-passing algorithms, such as belief propagation and variants thereof. An alternative are algorithms based on dual decomposition, such as the subgradient method or AD3. These algorithms have achieved great success in a variety of applications, such as parsing, corpus-wide tagging, machine translation, summarization, joint coreference resolution and quotation attribution, and semantic role labeling. Interestingly, most decoders used in these works can be regarded as structure-aware solvers for addressing relaxations of integer linear programs. All these algorithms have a similar consensus-based architecture: they repeatedly perform certain "local" operations in the graph, until some form of local agreement is achieved. The local operations are performed at each factor, and they range between computing marginals, max-marginals, an optimal configuration, or a small quadratic problem, all of which are commonly tractable and efficient in a wide range of problems.As a companion of this tutorial, we provide an open-source implementation of some of the algorithms described above, available at http://www.ark.cs.cmu.edu/AD3.
Structure of the ancestral TRPY1 channel from Saccharomyces cerevisiae reveals mechanisms of modulation by lipids and calcium

ABSTRACT Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) channels have evolved in eukaryotes to control various cellular functions in response to a wide variety of chemical and physical stimuli. This large and diverse family of channels emerged in fungi as mechanosensitive osmoregulators. The Saccharomyces cerevisiae vacuolar TRP yeast 1 (TRPY1) is the most studied TRP channel from fungi, but the molecular details of channel modulation remain elusive so far. Here, we describe the full-length cryo-electron microscopy structure of TRPY1 at 3.1 A resolution. The structure reveals a distinctive architecture for TRPY1 among all eukaryotic TRP channels with an evolutionarily conserved and archetypical transmembrane domain, but distinct structural folds for the cytosolic N- and C-termini. We identified the inhibitory phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate (PI(3)P) lipid binding site, which sheds light into the lipid modulation of TRPY1 in the vacuolar membrane. The structure also exhibited two Ca2+-binding sites: one in the cytosolic side, implicated in channel activation, and the other in the vacuolar lumen side, involved in channel inhibition. These findings, together with data from molecular dynamics simulations, provide structural insights into the basis of TRPY1 channel modulation by lipids and Ca2+.
‘I think sometimes that dads are kind of forgotten (…) so it’s nice that we also get a voice.’: work-life experiences of employed U.S. fathers caring for a child with special health care needs

Meeting work and family demands can be challenging for all families, and even more challenging when raising a child with special health care needs. This current qualitative study interviewing 16 wo...
Original ContributionSalivary and gastric epidermal growth factor in patients with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome: its protective potential

OBJECTIVE: Evidence is accumulating that epidermal growth factor (EGF) is a major molecule contributing to the maintenance of the integrity of the upper alimentary tract mucosa before and after injury by acid and pepsin. Patients with Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome (ZES) typically have hypersecretion of acid and pepsin; however, the concentration and rate of secretion of salivary and gastric EGF that could counteract these potentially aggressive factors are unknown. Accordingly, this study was conducted to determine whether EGF affords mucosal protection in ZES patients. METHODS: The concentration and output of salivary (sEGF) and gastric epidermal growth factor (gEGF) were measured in eight patients with ZES and the results compared to those in 17 patients with nonulcer dyspepsia (NUD), serving as a control group. All patients had normal esophageal and gastric mucosa as determined by endoscopy. Total saliva was collected during 1-h parafilm- and 1-h pentagastrin/parafilm-stimulated conditions, as well as basal and pentagastrin-stimulated gastric juice. The concentration and output of EGF were determined by radioimmunoassay. RESULTS: The concentration of EGF in saliva collected from ZES patients after parafilm chewing was significantly higher compared to that in NUD patients (4.61 ± 0.59 vs 2.75 ± 0.50 ng/ml, p < 0.05). The concentration of EGF in saliva collected after pentagastrin stimulation in ZES patients was also significantly higher than in NUD patients (4.37 ± 0.73 vs 2.22 ± 0.37 ng/ml, p < 0.05). Salivary EGF output during parafilm chewing in ZES and NUD were similar (68 ± 6.4 vs 109 ± 25.2 ng/h). Salivary EGF output after administration of pentagastrin in ZES and NUD was also similar (66 ± 6.1 vs 132 ± 45.4 ng/h). Basal EGF output in the gastric juice of patients with ZES was 3-fold higher than in patients with NUD (801 ± 73 vs 271 ± 32 ng/h, p < 0.01). Pentagastrin-stimulated EGF output was similar in both groups (705 ± 92 vs 675 ± 168 ng/h). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with ZES have a significantly higher EGF concentration in saliva and EGF output in basal gastric juice. This elevated content of salivary and gastric EGF in ZES patients may play a protective role in preventing the development of reflux esophagitis and gastric ulcer under the impact of gastric acid and pepsin hypersecretion.
Inference in Spatial Experiments with Interference using the SpatialEffect Package.

This paper presents methods for analyzing spatial experiments when complex spillovers, displacement effects, and other types of "interference" are present. We present a robust, design-based approach to analyzing effects in such settings. The design-based approach derives inferential properties for causal effect estimators from known features of the experimental design, in a manner analogous to inference in sample surveys. The methods presented here target a quantity of interest called the "average marginalized response," which is equal to the average effect of activating a treatment at an intervention point that is a given distance away, averaging ambient effects emanating from other intervention points. We provide a step-by-step tutorial based on the SpatialEffect package for R. We apply the methods to a randomized experiment on payments for community forest conservation in Uganda, showing how our methods reveal possibly substantial spatial spillovers that more conventional analyses cannot detect.
Domain Decomposition Preconditioners for Unstructured Network Problems in Parallel Vector Architectures

In this paper we present our experience implementing domain decomposition preconditioners on vector architectures. In particular, we will focus on the solution of unstructured network equations arising from electrical power systems by preconditioning iterative algorithms with the Additive Schwarz Method (ASM). The implementation will be carried out using the Julia programming language, which allows for easy prototyping and interfacing with GPU architectures thanks to its multiple dispatch features. In our experiments, we will show the trade-off between device throughput and convergence of the iterative algorithm as the size of the domain varies, and determine optimal fronts of computational performance.
Using dyadic observation to explore equitable learning opportunities in classroom instruction

Because of poverty, many children do not receive adequate prenatal care, nutrition, or early childhood education. These inequities combine to ensure that many students enter school with considerably less academic content knowledge and skills for learning than their peers. Teachers and schools did not create these gaps, but they must address them. The impact of schools in reducing gaps has been explored for decades only to yield inconsistent findings. One possible reason for these contradictory results is because these studies ignore classroom process. We argue for the inclusion of process in research on opportunity and achievement gaps to better articulate if schools provide inequitable learning opportunities. Further, we argue for dyadic (teacher to individual student) measurement of classroom process because commonly-used observation instruments only measure teachers’ interactions with the whole class. These instruments obscure differential teacher treatment that may exist in some classrooms. To improve policy and practice, we call for supplementing extant measures of teachers’ whole-class interactions (process) and student outcome (product) measures with those that measure dyadic interactions to learn how opportunities to learn in classrooms and schools are distributed among students to reduce, sustain, or enhance learning gaps.
Integrating Genetic Algorithms With Systems Dynamics To Optimize Quality Assurance Effort Allocation

Optimal allocation of effort towards Software Quality Assurance is critical for the successful development of software systems. A decision support system based on systems dynamics simulation model has been developed to support software project managers in making this decision. The effectiveness of the decision support system has been enhanced with a genetic algorithm to optimize this decision variable. The architecture of the DSS, and results from an empirical experiment to validate the effectiveness of our approach are presented.
Ultrasonic Measurement of Clearances of a Rolling-Piston Type Rotary Compressor

Rotary compressor(Fig.1) has been improved in performance by reducing clearances between the roller piston and either the cylinder or sub-bearings which play a key role in the leakage of the compressed refrigerant gas. However, reducing the clearances increases friction loss due to the boundary lubrication between the rolling piston and the cylinder of the rotary compressor. Therefore it is necessary that an optimal clearance height should be determined by balancing two factors, the leakage and the friction. It is difficult, however, to measure the clearance height using conventional contact type measurement techniques such as gap gauge because clearances are not accessible and, more importantly, their sizes change when the compressor is assembled, especially bolted.
A Multilingual Procedure for Dictionary-Based Sentence Alignment

This paper describes a sentence alignment technique based on a machine readable dictionary. Alignment takes place in a single pass through the text, based on the scores of matches between pairs of source and target sentences. Pairings consisting of sets of matches are evaluated using a version of the Gale-Shapely solution to the stable marriage problem. An algorithm is described which can handle N-to-1 (or 1-to-N) matches, for n ≥ 0, i.e., deletions, 1-to-1 (including scrambling), and 1-to-many matches. A simple frequency based method for acquiring supplemental dictionary entries is also discussed. We achieve high quality alignments using available bilingual dictionaries, both for closely related language pairs (Spanish/English) and more distantly related pairs (Japanese/English).
Dynamics of Conformist Bias

We compare replicator dynamics for some simple games with and without the addition of conformist bias. The addition of conformist bias can create equilibria, it can change the stability properties of existing equilibria, it may leave the equilibrium structure intact but change the relative size of basins of attraction, or it may do nothing at ali. Examples of each ofthe foregoing are given.
ECG waveform analysis by significant point extraction. I. Data reduction

We present a new technique for automatic data reduction and pattern recognition of time-domain signals such as electrocardiogram (ECG) waveforms. Data reduction is important because only a few significant features of each heart beat are of interest in pattern analysis, while the patient data collection system acquires an enormous number of data samples. We present a significant point extraction algorithm, based on the analysis of curvature, that identifies data samples that represent clinically significant information in the ECG waveform. Data reduction rates of up to 1:10 are possible without significantly distorting the appearance of the waveform. This method is unique in that common procedures help in both data reduction as well as pattern recognition. Part II of this work deals specifically with pattern analysis of normal and abnormal heart beats.
The 29Si T1 and T2 NMR relaxation in porous paramagnetic material SiO2–MnO–Al2O3

Abstract The 29 Si spin–lattice relaxation in porous silica-based material 1 , doped by ions Mn 2+ at a Si/Mn ratio of 3.5, is non-exponential, independent of magic-angle spinning (MAS) rates and governed by direct dipolar coupling between electron and nucleus where an electron relaxation time is estimated to be about 10 −8 s. In the absence of mutual energy-conserving spin flips (spin diffusion) in 1 , the 29 Si T 2 time increases linearly with spinning rates. None was observed in diamagnetic porous system 2 . The unexpected 29 Si T 2 dependence has been interpreted in terms of the large bulk magnetic susceptibility (BMS) effects. It has been shown that editing the 29 Si Hahn-echo MAS NMR spectra eliminates wide lines, belonging to 29 Si nuclei in the proximity of paramagnetic centers, and reduces the BMS broadenings in sideband patterns for nuclei remote from these centers.