cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Innocents convicted: An empirically justified factual wrongful conviction rate

To a great extent, those who believe that our criminal justice system rarely convicts the factually innocent and those who believe such miscarriages are rife have generally talked past each other for want of any empirically justified factual innocence wrongful conviction rate. This article remedies at least a part of this problem by establishing the first such empirically justified wrongful conviction rate ever for a significant universe of real world serious crimes: capital rape-murders in the 1980s.
Auricular cartilage grafts

The rhinoplasty surgeon often encounters the need to utilize nasal grafts when performing primary or revision surgery. While there are a myriad of grafting materials to choose from, long-term success has been achieved with autogenous cartilage. In revision surgery, septal cartilage is often unavailable and the surgeon must look to alternate donor sites. Auricular cartilage is a versatile graft material that can be successfully used to treat a wide range of nasal defects without major complications.
Several approaches to improving the solution in the measured equation of invariance

The basic idea of the measured equation of invariance (MEI) is that a relationship can be found for the scattered field at the boundary. The boundary conditions are found from several measuring functions called metrons. To improve the MEI solution, we must develop a systematic manner for choosing the metrons. In this paper, three approaches are presented for producing an accurate boundary condition.
Automated continuous-flow hemagglutination inhibition test for hepatitis B antigen in blood.

. An automated continuous-flow hemagglutination inhibition (HI) method for hepatitis B antigen using purified HAA-conjugated red cells has been developed in these laboratories and has been used to test 497 blood donors. For comparison, counter electrophoresis (CEP) and microtiter complement fixation (CF) tests were done concurrently. 14 samples were found to be HAA-positive by all three tests. One additional sample was negative by CF but HI and CEP positive. The automated HI test proved very simple to operate. The results are available in 27 min at the rate of 60 samples/h.
ENTOMOLOGY FOR BEGINNERS—No. I.: NOTES ON KILLING, PRESERVING AND RELAXING INSECTS

The editor informs me that he wishes to publish in this year's volume of the C anadian E ntomologist several short articles for the benefit of beginners and many others, who, although they do not aspire to being considered entomologists, yet would like to know something about our common insects, and the best way to preserve such interesting specimens as may chance to come in their way, until they may have on opportunity of mounting them for their own collections or giving them to interested friends. I have been asked to send some notes on the above subject.
Comparison of TW1 and TW2 skeletal age differences in American black and white and in Mexican children 6-13 years of age.

SummaryDifferences in Tanner-Whitehouse (TW) skeletal ages as derived from the original (TW1) and revised (TW2) systems were compared in three ethnically different samples of children 6–13 years of age: mixed longitudinal samples of American White and Black children from Philadelphia, and a cross-sectional sample of Mexican children from Oaxaca in southern Mexico. TW2 skeletal ages are, on average, consistently lower than TW1 skeletal ages. Within a given chronological age and sex group, the differences are similar in terms of means and variation about the means in better-off children, both Black and White in Philadelphia and in disadvantaged Mexican children.
Prediction of electrical contact resistance for anisotropic conductive adhesive assemblies

Anisotropic conductive adhesive (ACA) assembly is emerging as one of the most flexible and cost effective packaging interconnect methods in the microelectronics industry. One of the major impediments to the full realization of the fine pitch (<200 /spl mu/m) capabilities of this assembly method is accurate prediction and control of electrical contact resistance. This paper presents a detailed review and direct comparisons of the different models that have been used to predict electrical contact resistance in ACA interconnects. It is found that large discrepancies exist among these models and between contact resistance values experimentally measured and what these models predict. The governing equations and assumptions underlying the models and their implications are examined, and possible rationales for the observed discrepancies and future directions for developing improved models are identified. The study shows that important issues generally not considered in current models are tunneling resistance, multimaterial layers, edge effect, rough surfaces, elastic recovery and residual forces, interaction between nearby particles and variation on the radii of multiple particles.
Inhibition of Na/K ATPase From Rat Aorta by Two Na/K Pump Inhibitors, Ouabain and Marinobufagenin: Evidence of Interaction With Different α-Subunit Isoforms

Recently, we have shown that mammalian plasma cross-reacts with an antibody to a bufodienolide Na/K ATPase inhibitor, marinobufagenin. In rat aorta, marinobufagenin induced vasoconstriction via inhibition of the vascular smooth muscle Na/K pump, whereas ouabain had its predominant effect on pumps localized to nerve endings. Na/K ATPase inhibitory effects of ouabain and marinobufagenin were studied in two membrane fractions isolated from Fisher 344xBN rat thoracic aorta by sucrose density gradient centrifugation. One fraction contained predominantly the alpha-3 isoform of Na/K ATPase and represented membranes from the perivascular nerve endings (neuronal plasmalemma). The other membrane fraction, containing predominantly the alpha-1 isoform, was derived from the vascular smooth muscle sarcolemma. The IC50 for inhibition of the Na/K ATPase by ouabain and marinobufagenin were 2.6 nmol/L and 0.14 micromol/L in the neuronal plasmalemma, and 50 nmol/L and 2.1 nmol/L in sarcolemma, respectively. These results confirm the view that differential responsiveness to endogenous digitalis-like factors is a functional feature of alpha isoforms of Na/K ATPase.
Two intracellular helices of G-protein coupling receptors could generally support oligomerization and coupling with transducers.

For many G-protein coupling receptors (GPCRs), the upkeep of receptor dimers could depend on association with functional Gi α subunits. This is known for Y1, Y2 and Y4 neuropeptide Y receptors [presented in the companion paper (Estes et al., Amino Acids, doi:10.1007/s00726-010-0642-z, 2010)]. Interactions with transducers use mainly intracellular domains of the receptors. Intracellular loops 1 and 2 in GPCRs are short and lack extensive helicity that could support transducer anchoring. Interaction with G-proteins is known to use the juxtamembrane Helix 8 in the fourth intracellular domain, for which we document a helix-stabilizing n/(n + 4) pattern of large hydrophobic sidechains. Another intracellular helix located in the C-terminal portion of the third intracellular loop does not display a strong stabilizing pattern, and is found in many studies to serve dynamically in association and activation of transducers and effectors. We show that these tracts share features across metazoan phyla not only in opsins and opsin-like receptors (including the Y receptors), but also in Taste-2 and Frizzled receptors. Similarities of these helices across GPCR groups could have both phylogenetic and functional roots.
FAMILY STRUCTURE, CLOSENESS TO RESIDENTIAL AND NONRESIDENTIAL PARENTS, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS IN EARLY AND MIDDLE ADOLESCENCE

American adolescents currently live in a variety of different family structures, with the vast majority of adolescents living in intact, blended, divorced, and never-married families. Previous research shows that family structure correlates both with the quality of parent–adolescent relationships and adolescent psychological distress. The quality of parent–adolescent relationships also correlates with adolescent distress. This research hypothesizes that the observed differences in adolescent distress across family structure might result from differences in the quality of parent–adolescent relationships across family structure. Analyses, using data on 1,443 youth in early and middle adolescence from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY), indicate that when the variations in both the quality of parent–adolescent relationships and background characteristics across family structure are controlled, the association between family structure and adolescent psychological distress is significantly reduced. Further analyses revealed that the quality of residential parent–adolescent relationships explained the most variation in adolescent psychological distress. The quality of relationships with nonresidential fathers only had a significant association with adolescent psychological distress for adolescents in blended families.
First and Second Cycle Egg Production Characteristics in Commercial Table Egg Flocks

Egg production data for 1,231 first cycle and 887 second cycle commercial table egg layer flocks were studied to determine the shape of the production curve, the relationship between the two cycles, and the effects of strain and season on various measures of egg production. Means for peak egg production were 89.1 and 80.0%. Calculated slopes for the period from peak production to 60 wk of age and 40 wk postmolt were .596 and .671%/wk, and egg production levels at the end of each cycle were 71.2 and 61.7% for the first and second cycles, respectively. Egg production curves proved to be nonlinear with significantly greater slopes during the last 10 wk of each cycle compared with the earlier part of the cycle. This nonlinearity was shown to be associated with winter- and fall-hatched flocks for the first cycle of lay and with second cycle flocks that reached Week 30 in the spring and fall months. Calculated slopes averaged .565%/wk from peak to 50 wk of age compared with .655%/wk from 50 to 60 wk of age. Second cycle flocks had slopes of .590%/wk from peak to 30 wk postmolt compared with .819%/wk from 30 to 40 wk postmolt. Individual White Leghorn strains varied significantly in all measured traits with the exception of the calculated slope from peak egg production to Week 50 in the first cycle and from peak egg production to Week 30 in the second cycle.
A Fuzzy Extension of ALC with Fuzzy Modifiers

In this paper, we apply a class of fuzzy modifiers based on fuzzy relations in description logics (DLs) to represent complex imprecise and incomplete knowledge. We investigate how to introduce the fuzzy modifiers into a fuzzy description logic ALC. The fuzzy description logic ALC with the fuzzy modifiers, called FALCM in the paper, has a more expressive capacity to represent imprecise and incomplete knowledge. At last, we give the reasoning algorithms for the satisfiability of FALCM concepts.
BMP7 promotes proliferation of nephron progenitor cells via a JNK-dependent mechanism

The iterative formation of nephrons during embryonic development relies on continual replenishment of progenitor cells throughout nephrogenesis. Defining molecular mechanisms that maintain and regulate this progenitor pool is essential to understanding nephrogenesis in developmental and regenerative contexts. Maintenance of nephron progenitors is absolutely dependent on BMP7 signaling, and Bmp7-null mice exhibit rapid loss of progenitors. However, the signal transduction machinery operating downstream of BMP7 as well as the precise target cell remain undefined. Using a novel primary progenitor isolation system, we have investigated signal transduction and biological outcomes elicited by BMP7. We find that BMP7 directly and rapidly activates JNK signaling in nephron progenitors resulting in phosphorylation of Jun and ATF2 transcription factors. This signaling results in the accumulation of cyclin D3 and subsequent proliferation of PAX2+ progenitors, inversely correlating with the loss of nephron progenitors seen in the Bmp7-null kidney. Activation of Jun and ATF2 is severely diminished in Bmp7-null kidneys, providing an important in vivo correlate. BMP7 thus promotes proliferation directly in nephron progenitors by activating the JNK signaling circuitry.
Perinatal infection and vaginal flora.

Abstract Vaginal cultures were obtained from 1,083 mothers on admission to the labor floor. The additional bacteriologic information gained from this survey was not sufficient to warrant continued use of the admission vaginal culture as a screening procedure.
Short-Term Zinc Deficiency Inhibits Chondrocyte Proliferation and Induces Cell Apoptosis in the Epiphyseal Growth Plate of Young Chickens

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of zinc deficiency on chondrocyte proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis in the epiphyseal growth plate of juvenile chickens. Newly hatched broiler chickens were fed either a low zinc (10 mg/kg diet) or a zinc-adequate (68 mg/kg diet) soy protein-based purified diet. Cell proliferation in the growth plate was evaluated with bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) labeling. Apoptosis was assessed using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) method. Chondrocyte differentiation was evaluated with immunostaining of osteonectin as a marker of maturation. As early as d 3 of feeding, zinc deficiency significantly inhibited chondrocyte proliferation, promoted cell differentiation and induced cell apoptosis in the growth plate. These effects were manifested primarily in areas remote from the blood supply. Immunostaining for local growth factors such as insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) and fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) did not reveal any differences between growth plates of zinc-deficient and zinc-adequate chickens after 3 d of feeding. By d 7, severe growth plate lesions characterized by reduced cellularity and abnormally shaped cells were formed in areas remote from blood vessels. Immunoreactive IGF-1, PTHrP and FGF-2 were all greatly reduced in the lesion. However, the growth rate and food intake of zinc-deficient chickens were not different from those of the controls during the 7-d experiment. Therefore, a direct effect of zinc deficiency on proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis of growth plate chondrocytes was indicated.
On non-specific complement fixation

Complement is fixable by various substances. It is fixed by different extracts containing certain proteins. Fixation in this case is direct and non-specific. On the other hand, complement is also fixed by a combination of specific antigens and antibodies (Bordet-Gengou). In the last instance, fixation is accomplished by the cooperation of the antigen and antibodies, the latter being inert without the aid of each other. From this observation the deduction was formed that whenever complement is fixed by a mixture of two substances, it is an expression of a specific reaction taking place in such a mixture. This assumption, however, is permissible only when the above phenomenon can be produced by none but the specific antigens and antibodies.Recently I encountered a peculiar phenomenon which resembles very closely the true Bordet-Gengou reactions, differing from the latter in the non-specific nature of the substances serving as antigen. Working on the sera of tuberculous patients, using tuberculin and the nuc...
Effects of Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki on tobacco budworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) adult and egg stages

Efficacy of Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner var. kurstaki against the adult and egg stages of Heliothis virescens (F.) was studied under laboratory conditions. The longevity and fecundity of adults were significantly reduced when a 5% sucrose solution containing 32,000 IUs of B. thuringiensis per ml was provided as a food source. Tobacco budworm eggs sprayed directly with B. thuringiensis hatched normally, but larval survival was significantly affected, indicating that some larvae had consumed a lethal dose during eclosion. Mortality was directly related to dosage level and age of egg.
A80915, a new antibiotic complex produced by Streptomyces aculeolatus. Discovery, taxonomy, fermentation, isolation, characterization, and antibacterial evaluation.

New semi-naphthaquinone antibiotics A80915A, B, C, and D were isolated from the fermented broth of Streptomyces aculeolatus A80915 (NRRL 18422). Factors A and C, present in both the broth filtrate and mycelial methanol extract, and factors B and D, found predominantly in the broth filtrate, were recovered by extraction with ethyl acetate. Purification of the individual factors was accomplished by preparative reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography on C18 bonded silica supports. Factors A-D show antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive aerobic and anaerobic organisms in vitro. Mechanism of action studies demonstrated nearly complete inhibition of macromolecular biosynthesis (protein, RNA, DNA, and cell wall) by A80915 factors A-D. A less highly cyclized semi-naphthaquinone, A80915 factor G, was isolated from the broth of the strain fermented in an alternate medium.
Exemplary Exercises for Entrepreneurship Education

As interest in entrepreneurship continues to rise, educators should attempt to engage students through the use of interactive exercises that demonstrate key concepts and provide opportunities to pr...
Progressive hypersplenism after portacaval anastomosis

Three patients are presented who developed severe manifestations of hypersplenism after portacaval anastomosis for cirrhosis with esophageal varices. All 3 patients ultimately required splenectomy, after which they were much improved, though a mild anemia persisted.
Radiotherapy with concurrent temozolomide for the management of extraneural metastases in pituitary carcinoma

Pituitary carcinomas (PC) are uncommon neuroendocrine tumors, accounting for 0.1 % of all pituitary tumors. The diagnosis of PC is based on the presence of metastases from a pituitary adenoma, and not by local invasion or pathological features alone. PC is typically resistant to therapy, with a median overall survival of only 31 months. There is no standard treatment for PC, but maximal safe resection and radiation are performed when possible. Encouraging preliminary data on the use of temozolomide (TMZ)-based therapy has been previously reported. We report the response to therapy and safety of radiation with concurrent temozolomide (RT/TMZ) in 2 adult patients with heavily pretreated PC and extraneural metastases. Both patients had prior history of pituitary macroadenoma. At the time of diagnosis of PC, Ki-67 % was 24.2 and 10 %, with positive p53 staining in one case. Metastatic sites included lymph nodes, liver and bone. Case-1 received RT/TMZ to the tumor bed in the skull base and to the metastases in the cervical lymph nodes. Case-2 received RT/TMZ to recurrent tumor involving portacaval lymph nodes. Both patients achieved excellent long-term control of the sites of treated extraneural metastases, with no significant acute or delayed toxicity. RT/TMZ was safely delivered and might provide sustained control of extraneural metastases in PC. Although this retrospective report has limitations, RT/TMZ can be considered as a therapeutic option for the management of extraneural metastases in PC.
Functional uterine bleeding: A review of ninety-two cases

Abstract Ninety-two cases of functional uterine bleeding seen at the Jefferson Davis Endocrine-Menstrual Disorder Clinic during the thirty-month period. July 1, 1952, through Dec. 31, 1954, have been reviewed from a clinical and pathological viewpoint. The possible etiology of functional uterine bleeding is discussed. It is felt that the main problems regarding functional uterine bleeding are: (1) to rule out organic pathological conditions, employing curettage in all patients 35 years of age and over, and in younger women where the diagnosis is in doubt; (2) to provide some means of immediate, or reasonably immediate, hemostasis. It is felt that, given time, most patients will then probably undergo spontaneous cure. When endocrines are used to treat functional uterine bleeding, it is our opinion that the simple and inexpensive type of therapy probably works just as well as the more complicated ones.
Actively controlled thermal management of prismatic Li-ion cells under elevated temperatures

Abstract This paper reports the experimental study of the active control of the thermal management for prismatic lithium ion (Li-ion) batteries under an elevated thermal environment with temperature above 40 °C. To defray the cost of performing experimental study under such conditions while obtaining meaningful data for a multi-cell battery pack with practical relevance, this study developed an experimental setup using a combination of four real Li-ion cells and 12 dummy cells. The dummy cells were fabricated to have the same geometry as the real cells and embedded with controllable heating elements to simulate, respectively, the aerodynamic and thermal behavior of a multi-cell pack. This experimental setup was then placed inside a wind tunnel so actively controlled cooling tests can be performed under well-controlled flow conditions. During the tests, heating power up to 6 × 104 W/m3 was generated by the dummy cells, creating and the maximum environment temperature above 40 °C. The major observations obtained from these experiments were twofold. First, besides reducing the experimental cost, the combination of real and dummy cells also offers flexibility to obtain experimental data of a large pack under a variety of conditions for model comparison. Second, a simple on-and-off control strategy was demonstrated to effectively reduce the parasitic power consumption of the cooling systems under the evaluated environmental temperature, even when the Li-ion cells were under dynamic load.
SU-F-T-45: Dosimetric Effects of Saline Filled Balloons During IORT Using Xoft Electronic Brachytherapy

Purpose: The portability of Xoft Axxent Electronic Brachytherapy (EBx) System has made it a viable option for intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) treatment of early-stage breast cancer. The low energy (50kVp) of the X-ray source makes the shielding easy, but also means its dose distribution is sensitive to the medium's composition. Current treatment planning systems (TPS) typically assume homogenous water for brachytherapy dose calculations, including the pre-calculated atlas plans for the Xoft IORT cases. However, Xoft recommends using saline to fill the balloon applicator. This study investigates the dosimetric difference due to the increased effective atomic number (Zeff) from water (7.42) to saline (7.56). Methods: The diameter of the balloon applicators ranges from 3–6cm, with 4cm being most frequently used. For the 4-cm and 6-cm diameter applicators, MCNP Monte Carlo program was used to calculate the dose at the surface (Ds) of the middle section of the balloon and 1 cm away (D1cm) for water- and saline-filled balloons: one plan with a single dwell at the center and another with multiple dwells as in the atlas plans. The single dwell plan is a simple estimation of the dosimetry, while the atlas plan is representative of the actual dose distribution. Results: The single-dwell plan showed a 5.1% and 6.1% decrease in Ds for the 4- and 6-cm applicators, respectively, due to the saline. The atlas plan showed similar Results: 4.8% and 6.4% decrease, respectively. The decrease in D1cm is 4.3%–5.2% and 3.3%–5.3s% in the single-dwell and atlas plans, respectively, for the 4- and 6-cm applicator. Conclusion: The dosimetric effect introduced by saline is on the order of 5%. This effect should be taken into account during both treatment planning and patient outcome studies.
Adverse postresuscitation myocardial effects elicited by buffer-induced alkalemia ameliorated by NHE-1 inhibition in a rat model of ventricular fibrillation

The study showed a detrimental postresuscitation effect of the CO2-consuming buffer disodium carbonate/sodium bicarbonate compromising myocardial function and survival. The effect was attributed to...
Relationships between potentially traumatic events, sleep disturbances, and symptoms of PTSD and alcohol use disorder in a young adult sample

Abstract Objective Traumatic events, particularly those that are interpersonal in nature, are associated with increased risk for co-occurring sequelae, including sleep disturbances, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and alcohol use disorder (AUD). However, the associations between these phenotypes have not been explored among college students. Methods We examined relationships between type of potentially traumatic event (PTE) exposure (pre-college) and sleep disturbances, as well as mediating effects of lifetime PTSD and AUD symptoms on these relationships, in a large undergraduate sample (N = 1599, 64.7% female). Hierarchical linear regressions were conducted, beginning with demographics and then adding interpersonal and accidental PTEs in a stepwise regression; mediation analyses were run. Results Within the sample, 33.7% endorsed at least one interpersonal PTE, while 64.4% endorsed at least one accidental PTE. Hierarchical regressions demonstrated that interpersonal (β = 0.202, p = 0.000), but not accidental PTE exposure significantly predicted disturbed sleep. Both PTSD and AUD symptoms significantly mediated ( p values p Conclusions Results suggest that interpersonal PTEs are more potent predictors of sleep problems than accidental PTEs. Further, trauma exposure psychiatric symptom sequelae (PTSD, AUD) account for part of the relationship between interpersonal PTE exposure and disturbed sleep, which both independently and jointly suggests that treating PTSD and AUD symptoms in college students may also improve sleep.
Chemical reactions in mullite matrix SiC whisker reinforced composites in RF plasma

Decomposition of mullite by volatilization of SiO occurs during elevated temperature exposure to reducing gases. RF induction coupled argon plasma power sources have been used for rapid sintering of a number of ceramics and ceramic matrix composites. During plasma sintering of SiC whisker reinforced mullite matrix composites, whiskers were destroyed and the matrix converted to alumina by accelerated volatilization of silicon containing species. The results of these experiments are interpreted through the use of thermodynamic calculations of SiO pressures in the plasma environment.
Prognostic significance of corrected QT and corrected JT interval for incident coronary heart disease in a general population sample stratified by presence or absence of wide QRS complex: the ARIC Study with 13 years of follow-up.

Background— Heart rate-corrected QT interval (QTc) is the traditional method of assessing the duration of repolarization. Prolonged heart rate-corrected QT interval is associated with higher risk of mortality in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) and in the general population. However, the QTc is typically not evaluated when QRS duration is ≥120 ms, because increased QRS duration (QRSd) contributes to QT interval prolongation. In these circumstances, the JT interval has been proposed as a more valid way to assess ventricular repolarization. Methods and Results— To allow for variation in heart rate, corrected JT interval (JTc) was defined as QTc−QRSd. Using data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study, JTc and QTc were compared for their prognostic associations with incident CHD events among 14 696 men and women who were CHD-free at baseline, having either normal conduction or wide QRS complex. Among individuals with normal QRS duration, logistic regression adjusted for age, hypertensive...
Limited nucleotide pools restrict Epstein-Barr virus-mediated B-cell immortalization

Activation of cellular oncogenes as well as infection with tumor viruses can promote aberrant proliferation and activation of the host DNA damage response. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection of primary human B cells induces a transient period of hyper-proliferation, but many of these infected cells succumb to an ataxia telangiectasia mutated/checkpoint kinase 2 (ATM/Chk2)-mediated senescence-like growth arrest. In this study, we assessed the role of DNA replicative stress and nucleotide pool levels in limiting EBV-infected B-cell outgrowth. We found that EBV triggered activation of the ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related (ATR) signaling pathway in the early rapidly proliferating cells, which were also significantly more sensitive to inhibition of the ATR pathway than late attenuated proliferating cells. Through nuclear halo assays, we determined that early EBV-infected cells displayed increased replicative stress and DNA damage relative to late proliferating cells. Finally, we found that early after infection, hyper-proliferating B cells exhibited limited deoxyribonucleotide triphosphate (dNTP) pools compared with late proliferating and EBV-immortalized lymphoblastoid cell lines with a specific loss of purine dNTPs. Importantly, supplementation with exogenous nucleosides before the period of hyper-proliferation markedly enhanced B-cell immortalization by EBV and rescued replicative stress. Together our results suggest that purine dNTP biosynthesis has a critical role in the early stages of EBV-mediated B-cell immortalization.
Impact of last mile parking availability on commercial vehicle costs and operations

Logistics, queuing and optimisation models are combined to study the impact of last-mile parking availability on commercial vehicle costs and operations. Parking availability levels affect commerci...
A novel data structure to support ultra-fast taxonomic classification of metagenomic sequences with k-mer signatures.

Motivation Metagenomic read classification is a critical step in the identification and quantification of microbial species sampled by high-throughput sequencing. Although many algorithms have been developed to date, they suffer significant memory and/or computational costs. Due to the growing popularity of metagenomic data in both basic science and clinical applications, as well as the increasing volume of data being generated, efficient and accurate algorithms are in high demand. Results We introduce MetaOthello, a probabilistic hashing classifier for metagenomic sequencing reads. The algorithm employs a novel data structure, called l-Othello, to support efficient querying of a taxon using its k-mer signatures. MetaOthello is an order-of-magnitude faster than the current state-of-the-art algorithms Kraken and Clark, and requires only one-third of the RAM. In comparison to Kaiju, a metagenomic classification tool using protein sequences instead of genomic sequences, MetaOthello is three times faster and exhibits 20-30% higher classification sensitivity. We report comparative analyses of both scalability and accuracy using a number of simulated and empirical datasets. Availability and implementation MetaOthello is a stand-alone program implemented in C ++. The current version (1.0) is accessible via https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.808941. Contact liuj@cs.uky.edu. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Bifurcations of buckled, clamped anisotropic rods and thin bands under lateral end translations

Abstract Motivated by observations of snap-through phenomena in buckled elastic strips subject to clamping and lateral end translations, we experimentally explore the multi-stability and bifurcations of thin bands of various widths and compare these results with numerical continuation of a perfectly anisotropic Kirchhoff rod. Our choice of boundary conditions is not easily satisfied by the anisotropic structures, forcing a cooperation between bending and twisting deformations. We find that, despite clear physical differences between rods and strips, a naive Kirchhoff model works surprisingly well as an organizing framework for the experimental observations. In the context of this model, we observe that anisotropy creates new states and alters the connectivity between existing states. Our results are a preliminary look at relatively unstudied boundary conditions for rods and strips that may arise in a variety of engineering applications, and may guide the avoidance of jump phenomena in such settings. We also briefly comment on the limitations of current strip models.
Drivers and consequences of variation in individual social connectivity

There is a growing interest in identifying specific causes and consequences of variation in individual social behaviour as a means of understanding how different individuals balance the costs and benefits of group living. In this study, we used social networks to examine variation in individual social behaviour in wild Grant's gazelles, Nanger granti, and explored potential drivers and consequences of this variation. First, we quantified two aspects of individual network position (weighted degree and closeness) on a monthly basis for 12 consecutive months and examined life-history (age) and abiotic (rainfall) factors that could explain among-individual variation in network position. Next, we examined the level of within-individual repeatability in network position over time. We then tested for potential consequences of this variation focusing on parasite infection and diet quality. Rainfall and age were strong predictors of variation in closeness but not degree. Interestingly, we found that one aspect of individual network position (closeness) varied over time, while another (degree) was moderately repeatable. The difference in within-individual repeatability of the two measures may be explained by the dependence of closeness on rainfall. In addition, we found that individual network position had consequences for both parasitism and diet, but the magnitude and direction of these effects depended on parasite type, connectivity measure and environmental conditions. Overall, our results suggest that environmental and host factors strongly influence variability in certain aspects of social connectivity in Grant's gazelles, and that abiotic and biotic forces, together, mediate the consequences of social network position.
Multiplex CRISPR/Cas9-Based Genome Editing in Human Hematopoietic Stem Cells Models Clonal Hematopoiesis and Myeloid Neoplasia.

Summary Hematologic malignancies are driven by combinations of genetic lesions that have been difficult to model in human cells. We used CRISPR/Cas9 genome engineering of primary adult and umbilical cord blood CD34 + human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs), the cells of origin for myeloid pre-malignant and malignant diseases, followed by transplantation into immunodeficient mice to generate genetic models of clonal hematopoiesis and neoplasia. Human hematopoietic cells bearing mutations in combinations of genes, including cohesin complex genes, observed in myeloid malignancies generated immunophenotypically defined neoplastic clones capable of long-term, multi-lineage reconstitution and serial transplantation. Employing these models to investigate therapeutic efficacy, we found that TET2 and cohesin-mutated hematopoietic cells were sensitive to azacitidine treatment. These findings demonstrate the potential for generating genetically defined models of human myeloid diseases, and they are suitable for examining the biological consequences of somatic mutations and the testing of therapeutic agents.
What do the eyes contribute

EDUCATION, AS FAR AS IT TAKES PLACE WITHIN the four walls of the schoolroom, must, by its very nature, stay at a distance from most of the events, objects, and purposes to which it refers. The world which education introduces to the child is represented by proxy. History lies in the past, foreign countries are beyond reach, social relations are replaced by the pushes and pulls within the team of pupils and teacher, and the usefulness of knowledge and skill cannot be demonstrated on the spot; it has to be accepted on trust. In the first grade of elementary school the teacher may take the class for a walk to show them the maple, the beech, and the elm. A few years later, the trees-if they are considered at all-have been reduced to words, statistics, line-drawings, photographs, chemical processes, and perhaps leaf samples. As education proceeds, it concentrates more and more on the two techniques of remote manipulation: words and numbers. The advantages and the drawbacks of this procedure, profoundly different from the way a cat teaches her kittens and a master teaches his apprentices, need not be rehearsed here. I mention the indirectness of education in school only to remind us that the transmission and conservation of experience are more vitally important in this region of life than in any other. For the psychologist this situation raises a number of fundamental questions, one of which will be subjected in this paper to the particular bias of a particular observer, namely, the question: What do the sensory experiences of sight contribute to understanding?
Entrepreneurship: Process and Abilities

This study provides information about important entrepreneurial abilities. Initially, the activities that entrepreneurs undertake when starting new ventures are organized into a process. It is prop...
Patient Perspectives of Midlevel Providers in Orthopaedic Sports Medicine

Background:Midlevel providers (eg, nurse practitioners and physician assistants) have been integrated into orthopaedic systems of care in response to the increasing demand for musculoskeletal care. Few studies have examined patient perspectives toward midlevel providers in orthopaedic sports medicine.Purpose:To identify perspectives of orthopaedic sports medicine patients regarding midlevel providers, including optimal scope of practice, reimbursement equity with physicians, and importance of the physician’s midlevel provider to patients when initially selecting a physician.Study Design:Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3.Methods:A total of 690 consecutive new patients of 3 orthopaedic sports medicine physicians were prospectively administered an anonymous questionnaire prior to their first visit. Content included patient perspectives regarding midlevel provider importance in physician selection, optimal scope of practice, and reimbursement equity with physicians.Results:Of the 690 consecutive pat...
Charting the Colonial Backcountry: Joseph Shippen's Map of the Susquehanna River

In the confusing and complex period after the outbreak of the French and Indian War in 1755, the Susquehanna River acted as an important space that encompassed the competing and overlapping spheres of influence of both the British and the French in Pennsylvania. The confluence of the north and west branches of the river was also the site of the Indian town of Shamokin, where from 1747 through 1755 Moravian missionaries lived alongside Iroquois, Delawares, and Shawnees. Here the Moravians developed warm relations with such influential figures as Shikellamy, the Oneida sachem to the area’s Iroquois, as well as with other native peoples who had been displaced from the area around the Chesapeake Bay.
Allocation of Treatments

In comparative studies generally and especially in clinical trials the allocation of treatments and the appropriate use of randomization are particularly important. The present chapter discusses three related aspects of this general subject, in the simple context of the comparison of two treatments. Section 1 is concerned with sequential two population randomization tests when allocation is at random. Section 2 gives a very brief introduction to the notion of biased randomization to force balancing in small experiments. Sections 3–5 involve the adaptive allocation of treatments during the course of experimentation in such a way that the less desirable treatment is used a minimum number of times. A central result is Theorem 6.20.
Erasable Programmable Logic Devices

Various acronyms are used to describe programmable logic, such as FPGA, GAL, PAL, EPLD, FPLA. Several of these acronyms have come to imply a particular architecture. EPLD, for example, is usually identified with array-based (AND-OR) programmable logic. This structure is particularly well-suited for implementing wide fan-in logic functions. These array-based structures were popularized in several families of bipolar, fuse-programmable logic devices but most particularly the PAL [Birkner 1978] which was introduced by MMI (Monolithic Memories, Inc. which was later acquired by Advanced Micro Devices.)
Solvent-mediated charge separation drives alternative hydrogenation path of furanics in liquid water

Compared to the vapour phase, liquid-phase heterogeneous catalysis provides additional degrees of freedom for reaction engineering, but the multifaceted solvent effects complicate analysis of the reaction mechanism. Here, using furfural as an example, we reveal the important role of water-mediated protonation in a typical hydrogenation reaction over a supported Pd catalyst. Depending on the solvent, we have observed different reaction orders with respect to the partial pressure of H2, as well as distinct selectivity towards hydrogenation of the conjugated C=O and C=C double bonds. Free energy calculations show that H2O participates directly in the kinetically relevant reaction step and provides an additional channel for hydrogenation of the aldehyde group, in which hydrogen bypasses the direct surface reaction via a hydrogen-bonded water network. This solution-mediated reaction pathway shows the potential role of the solvent for tuning the selectivity of metal-catalysed hydrogenation when charge separation on the metal surface is feasible. In heterogeneous catalysis, solvents—and their interaction with metal supports—have a complex effect on reactivity. This study shows that, in Pd-catalysed furfural hydrogenation, water influences the rate and selectivity by favouring a proton transfer rather than a purely surface-bound mechanism.
Molecular Orbital Predictions of Properties Influencing Biological Phenomena

In this beautiful city of Prague, there is a street, Zlata ulicka, where once lived men who sought to change base substances into gold. Their belief in a successful transmutation was based upon their contemporary understanding of the properties of substances familiar to them. We must judge their success not on the amount of gold they produced, but on the contributions to science made by their efforts.
Plasma Metabolomic Profiles and Risk of Advanced and Fatal Prostate Cancer

Abstract Background Little is known about the underlying molecular mechanisms of prostate cancer, especially advanced and fatal prostate cancer. Objective To examine associations of prediagnostic plasma metabolomic profiles with advanced and fatal prostate cancer. Design, setting, and participants In a case-cohort study of the Cancer Prevention Study-II Nutrition Cohort, of 14 210 cancer-free men with a blood sample in 1998–2001, 129 were diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer (T3-T4 or N1 or M1) through June 2013 and 112 died from prostate cancer through December 2014. Plasma samples from advanced and fatal cases, and a randomly selected subcohort of 347 men were metabolically profiled using untargeted mass spectroscopy–based platforms. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis Prentice-weighted Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to assess associations of 699 known metabolites with advanced and fatal prostate cancer. Results and limitations Two metabolites derived from fatty acid metabolism (ethylmalonate and butyrylcarnitine), aspartate, sphingomyelin (d18:1/18:0), and two γ-glutamyl amino acids (γ-glutamylmethionine and γ-glutamylglutamine) were statistically significantly associated (false discovery rate Conclusions These findings identified metabolic pathways that are altered in the development of fatal prostate cancer. Further research into these pathways may provide insights into the etiology of fatal prostate cancer. Patient summary In a large follow-up study of cancer-free men, those with a certain metabolomic profile had a higher risk of dying from prostate cancer.
Conspirators, January–February 1937

The turbulent events unfolding in Spain inspired an emotional bond as well as an urgent activism in Ernest Hemingway and the chic young woman who had entered in life unexpectedly in late December. More so than Marty, Ernest seemed ready for amorous adventures. Nonetheless, both were equally prepared as the New Year began for political engagement with Spain; the granular lure of battle in a nation that Hemingway knew so well was tonic for these two adventurous souls.
Definitions of Statin-Associated Muscle Symptoms

Statin-associated muscle symptoms (SAMS) have conventionally been termed “myopathy”; however, there is a spectrum of adverse muscle events that are not accurately described by this term. SAMS encompass myalgia (aches, pain, discomfort); myopathy (weakness); myositis (inflammation); and myonecrosis (elevated serum creatinine kinase levels). Precise clinical phenotypic definitions are essential in evaluating response to a statin or rechallenge with an alternative statin dosing regimen or statin agent. Multi-omic networks have been used to differentiate transcriptomic pathways that are activated in patients with myalgia and myopathy. Future efforts to identify biomarkers that increase the accuracy of nonspecific muscle symptoms or predict increased risk for SAMS require a uniform nomenclature.
Evidence-Based Strategies in Using Persuasive Interventions to Optimize Antimicrobial Use in Healthcare: a Narrative Review.

A rise in antimicrobial resistance, seen especially since 2000, is in part caused by indiscriminate antimicrobial use. Varied types of persuasive interventions aimed to optimize antimicrobial use have been tried with varying success. Our review seeks to identify and assess factors associated with the successful implementation of persuasive interventions. We searched five databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, The Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, and ERIC) to identify critical studies published between 2000 and December 2018 of interventions employing audit and feedback, education through meetings, academic detailing, reminders, and patient, family, or public education. Outcome measures of interest were any means to measure antimicrobial use. We included 26 articles in our analysis. Seventeen examined multimodal interventions and the most common was audit and feedback and meeting (four studies). Nine examined single interventions and the most common was audit and feedback (five studies). Our findings inform four evidence-based strategies to enable healthcare administrators, clinicians, and researchers to make informed choices when planning and designing an antimicrobial stewardship program: (1) implement a combination of persuasive interventions from both groups: audit and feedback, academic detailing, or patient, family, or provider education; and meeting or reminders, (2) design interventions that last one year or longer; post-intervention, assess the intervention’s long-term effects for at least another one year, (3) conduct quality improvement projects examining persuasive interventions if the prescribing database provides adequate diagnosis information, and most importantly, (4) make patient, family, or provider education an integral component of multimodal intervention.
MORTALITY IN PATIENTS WITH PRE-OPERATIVE AND PERSISTENT POST-OPERATIVE PULMONARY HYPERTENSION UNDERGOING MITRAL VALVE SURGERY FOR MITRAL REGURGITATION

While the implications and outcomes of pulmonary hypertension (PH) complicating mitral stenosis have been well described, PH in patients undergoing mitral valve surgery (MVS) for severe mitral regurgitation (MR) has been comparatively understudied. We aimed to describe post-operative mortality in