cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On Initializing Quantum Registers and Quantum Gates

The problem of initializing phase in a quantum computing system is considered. The initialization of phases is a problem when the system is initially present in an entangled state and also in the application of the quantum gate transformation s since each gate will introduce phase uncertainty. The accumulation of these random phases will render the recently proposed quantum computing schemes ineffective for all but toy problems.
Companions in Crime:: The Group Character of Crime and Delinquency

The preceding chapter demonstrated the importance of peers in the lives of most adolescents, and the next chapter will examine how peer influence can exert itself when it comes to delinquent conduct. Before considering the nature of peer influence, however, it is important to understand the nature of delinquent behavior itself. Are most delinquent acts the work of solitary offenders who operate without the cooperation or support of others, or are they acts committed by groups of adolescents? If the latter, are these groups large or small, stable or unstable, homogeneous or heterogeneous, organized or disorganized? Without some understanding of the nature of delinquent events, it is premature to speculate on their causes. DELINQUENCY AS GROUP BEHAVIOR One of the most consistently reported features of delinquent behavior is its group nature. Throughout the last century, investigators have noted a tendency for offenders to commit delinquent acts in the company of others. The “gregarious and companionate character” of delinquency, as Empey (1982: 121) has described it, was documented more than seventy years ago by Shaw and McKay (1931), who discovered that more than 80 percent of juveniles appearing before the Chicago Juvenile Court had accomplices. Similar findings drawn from official data were regularly reported by scholars from the 1920s through the 1960s (see Klein, 1969; Erickson, 1971; Reiss, 1986). As self-report methodology came to be widely adopted by criminologists, evidence for the group nature of delinquency mounted.
Release of skeletal muscle peptide fragments identifies individual proteins degraded during insulin deprivation in type 1 diabetic humans and mice

Insulin regulates skeletal muscle protein degradation, but the types of proteins being degraded in vivo remain to be determined due to methodological limitations. We present a method to assess the ...
Water diffusion through hydrogel membranes A novel evaporation cell free of external mass-transfer resistance

Abstract A novel evaporative cell is used to measure steady-state gradient-driven diffusion rates of water through hydrogel membranes in the absence of external mass-transfer resistance. In this cell, the bottom surface of a hydrogel membrane is exposed to pure water vapor at known activity (aw) less than unity, while a sealed liquid-water reservoir bathes the upper membrane surface. Induced by the chemical-potential gradient between the two surfaces, the water evaporation rate is monitored by the rate of weight loss of the water reservoir. Results at ambient temperature are compared with those from measured water flux through soft-contact-lens (SCL) materials and with other published experimental results. Concentration-dependent water diffusivities are obtained by interpreting measured water fluxes for 0.11 ≤ aw ≤ 0.93 with extended Maxwell–Stefan (EMS) diffusion theory. Thermodynamic non-ideality is taken into account through Flory–Rehner polymer–solution theory. Shrinking/swelling is modeled by conservation of the total polymer mass assuming volume additivity. In spite of correction for thermodynamic non-ideality, EMS–water-diffusion coefficients increase with the water volume fraction, especially strongly for those hydrogel materials with low liquid-saturated water contents. The evaporation cell described here provides a simple robust method to establish water transport rates through soft-contact-lenses and other hydrogel membranes without the need to correct for external mass-transfer resistance.
Modeling and Simulation of Plasmonic Surfaces

Plasmons are simply density waves of electrons, shaped when light hits the surface of a metal under particular conditions. These waves are produced at optical frequencies, very small and rapid waves; as a result they can in theory encode plenty of information. Surface Plasmon resonance (SPR) has become a significant optical tool for identifying a selection of specific binding interactions such as DNA. In this paper we will show the results of simulation for the angular excitation spectra of surface Plasmon for various metal and oxide thicknesses. In addition, we will illustrate multiple angles surface Plasmon resonance data for different wavelengths.
Employment and Gross Output of IP Companies in the United States

Innovation is a key determinant of the global competitiveness of American businesses. IP-intensive companies contribute substantially to U.S. output and employment and generate a large number of well-paying jobs. The innovation emanating from these companies is a key driver of sustained long-term economic growth and productivity.
Spectroscopie ultraviolette et mesure empirique de la polarité du solvant (constante Z)

La bande de transfert de charge des iodures d’alcoyl-1 pyridinium est extremement sensible au solvant. Les energies de transitions pour la transition CT de l’iodure d’ethyl-1 carbomethoxy-4 pyridinium, exprimees en kcal/mole, ont ete appelees constantes Z, mesure empirique de la polarite des solvants. Quelques applications sont discutees.
SERCA control of cell death and survival

Intracellular calcium (Ca2+) is a critical coordinator of various aspects of cellular physiology. It is increasingly apparent that changes in cellular Ca2+ dynamics contribute to the regulation of normal and pathological signal transduction that controls cell growth and survival. Aberrant perturbations in Ca2+ homeostasis have been implicated in a range of pathological conditions, such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, tumorigenesis and steatosis hepatitis. Intracellular Ca2+ concentrations are therefore tightly regulated by a number of Ca2+ handling enzymes, proteins, channels and transporters located in the plasma membrane and in Ca2+ storage organelles, which work in concert to fine tune a temporally and spatially precise Ca2+ signal. Chief amongst them is the sarco/endoplasmic reticulum (SR/ER) Ca2+ ATPase pump (SERCA) which actively re-accumulates released Ca2+ back into the SR/ER, therefore maintaining Ca2+ homeostasis. There are at least 14 different SERCA isoforms encoded by three ATP2A1-3 genes whose expressions are species- and tissue-specific. Altered SERCA expression and activity results in cellular malignancy and induction of ER stress and ER stress-associated apoptosis. The role of SERCA misregulation in the control of apoptosis in various cell types and disease setting with prospective therapeutic implications is the focus of this review. Ca2+ is a double edge sword for both life as well as death, and current experimental evidence supports a model in which Ca2+ homeostasis and SERCA activity represent a nodal point that controls cell survival. Pharmacological or genetic targeting of this axis constitutes an incredible therapeutic potential to treat different diseases sharing similar biological disorders.
Transcranial Doppler of the middle cerebral artery indicates regional gray matter cerebral perfusion.

Objective: We determined if transcranial color-coded Doppler derived hemodynamics are associated with MRI-based cerebral blood flow (CBF) in regions clinically important to dementia in healthy middle-aged adults. Approach: In 30 subjects (18m/12f; age = 52 ± 1 years), blood flow velocity (BFV) and cerebrovascular conductance (CVC) were measured with transcranial color-coded Doppler (TCCD) at the middle cerebral artery (MCA) and cerebral blood flow (CBF) was assessed with arterial spin labeled perfusion MRI. Main results: BFV and CVC were associated with hippocampus (r = 0.58 and r = 0.61, both p < 0.01) and occipitoparietal (r = 0.50 and r = 0.58, both p < 0.01) CBF. CVC was further associated with posterior cingulate CBF (r = 0.58 p < 0.01). Independent of age and sex, BFV and CVC were associated with hippocampus (r = 0.59 and r = 0.55, both p < 0.003) and occipitoparietal (r = 0.50 and r = 0.57, both p < 0.01) CBF. CVC was independently associated with posterior cingulate CBF (r = 0.38, p = 0.049). Significance: TCCD-measured BFV and CVC of the MCA are indicators of cerebral perfusion to clinically valuable brain regions in healthy middle-aged adults. TCCD may not be a good indicator of blood flow to cerebral white matter.
Design of 240°C Low Voltage Power Supply

Abstract This paper describes various steps followed to design a multi-output low voltage power supply that can operate in a 240°C ambient temperature within a downhole oil exploration tool. The following aspects of the design are considered in detail–circuit topology selection, use of simulation tools to validate the topology, component selection for operation at extreme temperature, component testing and failure analysis, multichip module (MCM) packaging selection, MCM package mounting methodologies, application of thermal stress analysis in circuit layout, reliability assessment and validation testing. This paper provides a step-by-step analysis of the above tasks that must be performed in an iterative manner to achieve a reliable power supply design that can operate at 240°C.
Prostate Cancer Tissue Diagnosis

Prostate cancer is diagnosed by histologic examination of prostate tissue, which is typically sampled by needle core biopsy or less commonly by transurethral resection. While the majority of cancers can be confidently diagnosed by pathologist-based histologic examination alone, cases are frequently encountered in which ancillary techniques, such as immunohistochemistry or in situ hybridization, may be diagnostically useful. These techniques may be helpful in several diagnostic scenarios, such as distinguishing prostate cancer from benign mimics, determining clonality of spatially distinct prostate cancer foci, and distinguishing intraductal carcinoma of the prostate from prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia. Likewise, although prostate cancer early detection based on serum screening using prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is both widespread and controversial, several novel early detection biomarkers from blood and urine have been introduced and are impacting prostate cancer diagnosis and poised to change screening in the near future. In this chapter, we review the utility of several molecular tests in prostate cancer diagnostics.
Non-superiority of lumen-apposing metal stents over plastic stents for drainage of walled-off necrosis in a randomised trial.

Objective Although lumen-apposing metal stents (LAMS) are increasingly used for drainage of walled-off necrosis (WON), their advantage over plastic stents is unclear. We compared efficacy of LAMS and plastic stents for WON drainage. Design Patients with WON were randomised to endoscopic ultrasound-guided drainage using LAMS or plastic stents. Primary outcome was comparing total number of procedures to achieve treatment success defined as symptom relief in conjunction with WON resolution on CT at 6 months. Secondary outcomes were treatment success, procedure duration, clinical/stent-related adverse events, readmissions, length of hospital stay (LOS) and costs. Results 60 patients underwent LAMS (n=31) or plastic stent (n=29) placement. There was no significant difference in total number of procedures performed (median 2 (range 2–7) LAMS vs 3 (range 2–7) plastic, p=0.192), treatment success, clinical adverse events, readmissions, LOS and overall treatment costs between cohorts. Although procedure duration was shorter (15 vs 40 min, p Conclusion Except for procedure duration, there was no significant difference in treatment outcomes between LAMS and plastic stents. To minimise adverse events with LAMS, patients should undergo follow-up imaging and stent removal at 3 weeks if WON has resolved. Trial registration number NCT02685865.
The cDNA cloning of a pea (Pisum sativum) seed lipoxygenase. Sequence comparisons of the two major pea seed lipoxygenase isoforms

Cloning and sequencing of two cDNAs from mRNA of maturing pea (Pisum sativum) seeds allowed the deduction of the complete amino acid sequence of a lipoxygenase polypeptide which is most similar to that of soya-bean lipoxygenase 2. The predicted Mr of this polypeptide is 97134, and its sequence permits comparisons between the lox2-type and the lox3-type lipoxygenase isoforms from pea and soya bean (Glycine max).
Evaluation of an Educational Intervention Using the Enhanced Food Safety Cost-of-Illness Model

In recent years, a number of federally sponsored state-based food safety education programs have conducted economic evaluations aimed at demonstrating the efficacy of their approaches. These evaluations have typically been based on the “Virginia method,” a comprehensive, but overly simplistic means of estimating benefit-cost ratios for food safety and nutrition education programs. In this article, we use the enhanced food safety cost-of-illness model, coupled with a more complete food safety education intervention model to evaluate the efficacy of the Ohio Family Nutrition Program. We find that, under most reasonable assumptions, the derived benefit-cost ratios imply that this program is socially beneficial. The model presented here is of particular use because it can be replicated to evaluate other broad-based food safety programs.
Advances in the Understanding of Pediatric HIV-1 Infection

The understanding of the intricacies of the immune system emanated from the discovery of immunodeficiencies in humans around half a century. Primary immunodeficiencies have enhanced our understanding of the ontogeny, cellular cross-talk and effector functions of subsets of mononuclear cells. What has been learned from primary immunodeficiencies turned out to have considerable pertinence for the diagnosis and management of HIV-1 infection in children.
Transient simulation of ammonia–water mixture desorption for absorption heat pumps.

Abstract Prediction of transient response is crucial to understanding the impact of time-varying operating conditions and the development of field-deployable control systems. A mathematical framework to simulate the transient response of a desorber for small-capacity ammonia–water absorption heat pumps is presented. The model is based on dynamic analysis of conservation equations and accounts for the thermal capacitances in the heat exchanger wall material and fluid volumes. The numerical solver and its implementation are presented. Improved computational performance is achieved by using advanced solvers for stiff differential-algebraic equations. The steady-state predictions of component performance from the model are experimentally validated using a microscale ammonia–water desorber. Transient performance of the desorber in response to changes in the solution flow rate, heat source temperature and ambient conditions is accurately predicted with the effects of mass and thermal energy storage. Transient studies are used to identify control strategies for the desorber component and the overall absorption system.
Winds, heart, and heat in premodern Franciscan and Nahua concepts of ‘soul’

The Tercer abecedario espiritual (1527) was the most influential work of Franciscan friar and widely read spiritual author Francisco de Osuna (c.1492–c.1540). This essay focuses on descriptions of ...
A Review of Female Genital Cutting (FGC) in the Dawoodi Bohra Community

The aim of this second review in a three-part series is to provide a contextual overview of the cultural underpinnings of female genital cutting (FGC) in the South Asian and diaspora Dawoodi Bohra communities, a practice referred to as Khafd (pronounced khafz) and an update on global litigation involving FGC. In 2015, a group of Bohra women started two advocacy movements opposing the practice of FGC in the Bohra community: “Sahiyo” based in the USA and “We Speak Out” based in India. In 2017, in response to this opposition, a second group of Bohra women in support of the practice of Khafd was formed, the Dawoodi Bohra Women’s Association for Religious Freedom (DBWRF). There is simultaneously global litigation involving Dawoodi Bohras and the practice of FGC in Australia, India, and the USA. There is extreme polarization around the issue of Khafd within the Bohra community. Khafd is intimately intertwined in the Dawoodi Bohra culture. Khafd historically has been treated as a taboo topic of conversation within the community, but now Bohra women and Khafd are being swept into public conversation. The Bohra community’s cultural identity is explored. With regard to Khafd, there is very little information available other than studies prepared by advocacy organizations or individual testimonials. The available data is reviewed here. The current litigation involving the Muslim and the Bohra practice of FGC are reviewed. There is a need for large, high-quality studies, taking into account past and current practices, investigating both the short- and long-term physical, emotional, and psychological risks, harms, and benefits experienced by Bohra women as well as stratification of data by women’s age, education, socioeconomic status, and location. Cultural competency and sensitivity combined with high-quality data will be the best way for this dialogue to move from extreme polarization to a constructive arena that considers the future health and well-being of all Bohra women and children.
Comparing risk stratification criteria for predicting lymphatic dissemination in endometrial cancer

Abstract Objective To compare two published risk stratification models (Milwaukee Model vs. Mayo Criteria) to predict lymphatic dissemination (LD) in endometrioid endometrial cancer (EC). Methods Patients with stage I-III EC undergoing surgery from 1/1/2004–9/30/2013 were retrospectively reviewed and classified as low-risk vs at-risk for LD using two independent risk models. LD was defined as positive nodes at surgery or lymph node recurrence within 2 years of surgery after negative lymph node dissection (LND) or when LND was not performed. False positive (FP) and false negative (FN) rates for each risk model were calculated. Results Among 1103 patients, 81 (7.3%) had LD (72 positive LN and 9 LN recurrences), and most (90.2%) had stage I EC. The Milwaukee Model yielded a low at-risk rate for LD (38.1%) but a high FN rate (13.6%, 95% CI 7.0–23.0). The traditional Mayo Criteria using a cut-off of 2 cm for tumor diameter (TD) had a higher at-risk rate for LD (69.5%) but a FN rate of 0% (95% CI, 0–4.5). Modifying the Mayo Criteria using a TD cutoff of ≤3 cm identified fewer women at-risk (56.8% vs. 69.5%) and had a lower FP rate (53.6% vs. 67.1%), but had a higher FN rate (3.7%, 95% CI, 0.8–10.4). Conclusions The Milwaukee Model had the lowest at-risk rate of LD but an unacceptable FN rate. Modifying the Mayo Criteria by increasing the TD cutoff from the traditional ≤2 cm to ≤3 cm would spare an estimated 13.5% of patients LND, but the accompanying FN rate is unacceptably high. The traditional Mayo Criteria for low-risk EC remains the most sensitive in determining which patients LND can be omitted.
The Michigan State University Twin Registry (MSUTR): 15 Years of Twin and Family Research

The primary aim of the Michigan State University Twin Registry (MSUTR) is to examine developmental differences in genetic, environmental, neural, epigenetic, and neurobiological influences on psychopathology and resilience, particularly during childhood and adolescence. The MSUTR has two broad components: a large-scale, population-based registry of child, adolescent, and adult twins and their families (current N ~30,000) and a series of more focused and in-depth studies drawn from the registry (projected N ~7200). Participants in the population-based registry complete a family health and demographic questionnaire via mail. Families can then be recruited for one or more of the intensive, in-person studies from the population-based registry, using any one of several recruitment strategies (e.g., population-based, based on their answers to the registry questionnaire). These latter studies target a variety of biological, genetic, and environmental phenotypes, including multi-informant measures of psychiatric and behavioral phenotypes, functional and structural neuroimaging, comprehensive measures of the twin family environment (e.g., census and neighborhood informant reports of twin neighborhood characteristics, videotaped interactions of child twin families), buccal swab and salivary DNA samples, and/or assays of adolescent and adult steroid hormone levels. This article provides an overview of the MSUTR and describes current and future research directions.
Winning at all costs: the etiology of hypercompetitiveness through the indirect influences of parental bonds on anger and verbal/physical aggression

Hypercompetitiveness reflects the need to compete and win at all costs as a means of maintaining or enhancing one's own self-worth (Horney, 1937; Ryckman, Hammer, Kaczor, & Gold, 1990). This need to win at any cost is linked to expressions of verbal and physical aggression, which may take a toll on important relationships (Hibbard & Buhrmester, 2010). We sought to explore whether parental bonds with mothers and fathers (i.e., care, rejection, autonomy, and overprotection) were indirectly linked to aggression via the mediating mechanisms of hypercompetitiveness and feelings of anger. A sample of 581 university students (316 females; 265 males) were used to examine a multiple-group structural equation model. Tests of structural invariance revealed clear moderation by gender. For instance, the pathway from verbal to physical aggression was stronger for males compared to females. For females only, higher levels of father care were indirectly linked to fewer acts of physical aggression. For both genders, higher levels of mother overprotection were indirectly linked to more acts of physical aggression through increased hypercompetitiveness and, in turn, more feelings of anger. Findings regarding maternal overprotection are consistent with both Evolutionary and Social Learning theories of behavior.
Dramaturgy for Emotions from Fictional Narration

After clarifying several issues that have unnecessarily complicated and confused the analysis of emotion arising from fiction, this chapter integrates research-supported psychological and physiological paradigms of emotion to explain the diversity of affective reactions to dramatic fictional formats. Cinematic presentation is of focal interest, but alternative forms of presentation are given attention also. The three-factor theory of emotion and the excitationtransfer paradigm are employed to account for the elicitation of emotional reactions and for the intensity of these reactions. In an analysis of excitatory functions, the escalation of affect intensity by dramaturgic means is given special consideration. A theory of the formation of affective dispositions and their consequences for empathic responding is based on the analysis of cognitive functions. In this connection, a model of the dispositional override of empathy is featured to shed light on seemingly inappropriate, malicious, if not sadistic, joyous reactions to others’ demise. Cognitive functions are further explored in the emotional effect of moral sanction.
Simple Test, Complex System: Multifaceted Views of Newborn Screening Science, Technology, and Policy.

Newborn screening (NBS) is a public health service provided for all babies born in the United States and in most countries of the developed world. A series of tests are applied to the blood taken f...
Pre-election violence and territorial control: Political dominance and subnational election violence in polarized African electoral systems:

Cross-national research on African electoral politics has argued that competition increases the prospects for pre-election violence. However, there is a dearth of systematic research on the effect ...
A Review on Optimization Methods for Biomass Supply Chain: Models and Algorithms, Sustainable Issues, and Challenges and Opportunities

The urgent desire to relieve the pressure of dependence on petroleum in energy industry and the growing demand for protection of our environment stimulate the researches and practices in biomass supply chain management. Due to special characteristics of biomass, this particular kind of supply chain is different from the classic supply chains in different ways. The optimization methods, including mathematical programming and heuristic algorithms are widely used in the domain of biomass supply chain management in both tactical and practical manners. In this review, literatures are classified by different components throughout the entire supply chain: harvesting and collection, storage, transportation, pretreatment, and conversion. In order to achieve a robust biomass supply chain and also to enable wide applications of classic and well-studied optimization models, the connections between them are analyzed and reviewed. The classic optimization models include network design problem, scheduling problem, facility location problem, vehicle routing problem, and technology selection problem. Additionally, environmental and sustainable issues, uncertainties, and challenges and opportunities in biomass supply chain are discussed. A bibliometric analysis is also performed in this review to obtain comprehensive understanding of this area.
Comprehensive Wound Care for Malignant Wounds

Malignant wounds (MW) are a rare complication of advanced cancer in which tumor cells infiltrate and erode through the skin. MW can be extremely distressing to patients given their high burden of symptoms, which include malodor, exudate, bleeding, pain, shame, low self-esteem, and social isolation. Treatment goals focus on improving patients’ quality of life. Management of MW requires highly individualized, multidisciplinary care based on the symptom burden, psychosocial impact, and personal values of the patient. This chapter provides an overview of the major symptoms of MW and comprehensively reviews management discussed in the literature. Evidence regarding palliative cancer-directed therapies for MWs is also discussed.
Implant Sonication versus Tissue Culture for the Diagnosis of Spinal Implant Infection.

MINI: We compared the sensitivity and specificity of peri-implant tissue culture to the vortexing-sonication technique for the diagnosis of spinal implant infection (SII). Lower thresholds of sonicate fluid culture positivity showed increased sensitivity with maintained specificity. We recommend a threshold of 20 CFU/10 mL for sonicate culture positivity for the diagnosis of SII. Study design This is a retrospective study comparing the diagnosis of spinal implant infection (SII) by peri-implant tissue culture to vortexing-sonication of retrieved spinal implants. Objective We hypothesized that vortexing-sonication would be more sensitive than peri-implant tissue culture. Summary of background data We previously showed implant vortexing-sonication followed by culture to be more sensitive than standard peri-implant tissue culture for diagnosing of SII. In this follow-up study, we analyzed the largest sample size available in the literature to compare these two culture methods and evaluated thresholds for positivity for sonicate fluid for SII diagnosis. Methods We compared peri-implant tissue culture to the vortexing-sonication technique which samples bacterial biofilm on the surface of retrieved spinal implants. We evaluated different thresholds for sonicate fluid positivity and assessed the sensitivity and specificity of the two culture methods for the diagnosis of SII. Results A total of 152 patients were studied. With more than 100 colony forming units (CFU)/10 mL as a threshold for sonicate fluid culture positivity, there were 46 patients with SII. The sensitivities of peri-implant tissue and sonicate fluid culture were 65.2% and 79.6%; the specificities were 88.7% and 93.4%, respectively. With more than 50 CFU/10 mL as a threshold, there were 50 patients with SII. The sensitivities of peri-implant tissue and sonicate fluid culture were 68.0% and 76.0%; the specificities were 92.2% for both methods. Finally, with more than or equal to 20 CFU/10 mL as a threshold, there were 52 patients with SII. The sensitivities of peri-implant tissue and sonicate fluid culture were 69.2% and 82.7%; the specificities were 94.0% and 92.0%, respectively. Conclusion Implant sonication followed by culture is a sensitive and specific method for the diagnosis of SII. Lower thresholds for defining sonicate fluid culture positivity allow for increased sensitivity with a minimal decrease in specificity, enhancing the clinical utility of implant sonication. Level of evidence 4.
Short-term effects of ambient ozone, PM2.5, and meteorological factors on COVID-19 confirmed cases and deaths in queens, New York

The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2, has been rapidly increasing in the United States. Boroughs of New York City, including Queens county, turn out to be the epicenters of this infection. According to the data provided by the New York State Department of Health, most of the cases of new COVID-19 infections in New York City have been found in the Queens county where 42,023 people have tested positive, and 3221 people have died as of 20 April 2020. Person-to-person transmission and travels were implicated in the initial spread of the outbreaks, but factors related to the late phase of rapidly spreading outbreaks in March and April are still uncertain. A few previous studies have explored the links between air pollution and COVID-19 infections, but more data is needed to understand the effects of short-term exposures of air pollutants and meteorological factors on the spread of COVID-19 infections, particularly in the U.S. disease epicenters. In this study, we have focused on ozone and PM2.5, two major air pollutants in New York City, which were previously found to be associated with respiratory viral infections. The aim of our regression modeling was to explore the associations among ozone, PM2.5, daily meteorological variables (wind speed, temperature, relative humidity, absolute humidity, cloud percentages, and precipitation levels), and COVID-19 confirmed new cases and new deaths in Queens county, New York during March and April 2020. The results from these analyses showed that daily average temperature, daily maximum eight-hour ozone concentration, average relative humidity, and cloud percentages were significantly and positively associated with new confirmed cases related to COVID-19; none of these variables showed significant associations with new deaths related to COVID-19. The findings indicate that short-term exposures to ozone and other meteorological factors can influence COVID-19 transmission and initiation of the disease, but disease aggravation and mortality depend on other factors.
Synapsin-caveolin-1 mitigates cognitive deficits and neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s disease mice

ABSTRACT AD presents with severe neurodegeneration which leads to cognitive deficits and dementia. Identifying the molecular signals that attenuate neurodegeneration in AD may be exploited as therapeutic targets. This study revealed that transgenic AD mice (PSAPP) exhibit decreased caveolin-1 (Cav-1), a membrane/lipid raft (MLR) scaffolding protein that organizes synaptic signaling components. Subcellularly, Cav-1 and full length (fl)-TrkB were significantly decreased in MLRs. We thus developed an in vivo gene therapy that re-expresses neuronal-targeted Cav-1 using the synapsin promoter (SynCav1). While AD mice showed significant learning and memory deficits at 9 and 11 months, AD mice that received hippocampal SynCav1 (AD-SynCav1) maintained normal learning and memory at 9 and 11 months respectively. Furthermore, AD-SynCav1 mice showed preserved hippocampal MLR-localized fl-TrkB, synaptic ultrastructure, dendritic arborization and axonal myelin content, all of which occurred independent of reducing amyloid deposit and astrogliosis. Thus, SynCav1 demonstrates translational potential to treat AD by delaying neurodegeneration. Summary Transgenic PSAPP mice exhibit decreased hippocampal expression of the membrane lipid raft (MLR) scaffolding protein caveolin-1. Synapsin-promoted re-expression of Cav-1 (termed SynCav1) mitigated neuropathology and cognitive deficits. SynCav1 gene therapy has the potential to treat AD and other forms of neurodegeneration.
A multimodal magnetoencephalography 7 T fMRI and 7 T proton MR spectroscopy study in first episode psychosis

We combined magnetoencephalography (MEG), 7 T proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), and 7 T fMRI during performance of a task in a group of 23 first episode psychosis (FEP) patients and 26 matched healthy controls (HC). We recorded both the auditory evoked response to 40 Hz tone clicks and the resting state in MEG. Neurometabolite levels were obtained from the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). The fMRI BOLD response was obtained during the Stroop inhibitory control task. FEP showed a significant increase in resting state low frequency theta activity (p < 0.05; Cohen d = 0.69), but no significant difference in the 40 Hz auditory evoked response compared to HC. An across-groups whole brain analysis of the fMRI BOLD response identified eight regions that were significantly activated during task performance (p < 0.01, FDR-corrected); the mean signal extracted from those regions was significantly different between the groups (p = 0.0006; d = 1.19). In the combined FEP and HC group, there was a significant correlation between the BOLD signal during task performance and MEG resting state low frequency activity (p < 0.05). In FEP, we report significant alteration in resting state low frequency MEG activity, but no alterations in auditory evoked gamma band response, suggesting that the former is a more robust biomarker of early psychosis. There were no correlations between gamma oscillations and GABA levels in either HC or FEP. Finally, in this study, each of the three imaging modalities differentiated FEP from HC; fMRI with good and MEG and MRS with moderate effect size.
Speech Quality Assessment

This chapter provides an overview of the various methods and techniques used for assessment of speech quality. A summary is given of some of the most commonly used listening tests designed to obtain reliable ratings of the quality of processed speech from human listeners. Considerations for conducting successful subjective listening tests are given along with cautions that need to be exercised. While the listening tests are considered the gold standard in terms of assessment of speech quality, they can be costly and time consuming. For that reason, much research effort has been placed on devising objective measures that correlate highly with subjective rating scores. An overview of some of the most commonly used objective measures is provided along with a discussion on how well they correlate with subjective listening tests.
Identifying Evolutionary Origins of Repeat Domains in Protein Families

Arrays of repeat domains are critical to the proper function of a significant fraction of protein families. These repeats are easily identified in sequence, and are thought to have arisen primarily through the simultaneous duplication of multiple domains. However, for most repeat domain protein families, very little is typically known about the specific domain duplication events that occurred in their evolutionary histories. Here we extend existing reconciliation formulations that use domain trees and sequence trees to infer domain duplication and loss events to additionally consider simultaneous domain duplications under arbitrary cost models. We develop a novel integer linear programming (ILP) solution to this reconciliation problem, and demonstrate the accuracy and robustness of our approach on simulated datasets. Finally, as proof of principle, we apply our approach to an orthogroup containing the C2H2 zinc finger repeat domain, and identify simultaneous domain duplications that occurred at the onset of the primate lineage. Simulation and ILP code is available at https://github.com/Singh-Lab/treeSim.
Thermochemistry of Gaseous Ytterbium and Gadolinium Hydroxides and Oxyhydroxides.

Gd2O3 and Yb2O3 are the proposed constituents of advanced coating systems in combustion environments. In such environments, they are exposed to high-temperature water vapor, which would lead to gas...
The Very Hungry Duck

Narrated like a children's book, a hungry duck indulges in the human world's copious amounts of food, unknowing of the evils that follow it.
Directed assembly of barium titanate nanopeapods via solvothermal processing with a mixed surfactant system

Barium titanate (BaTiO3) peapod nanocomposites were prepared by the controlled capture of nanoparticles (NPs) in scrolling hexaniobate (HNB) nanosheets. BaTiO3 NPs and proton-exchanged potassium he...
From the uncertainty of violence to life after abuse: discursive transitions among female survivors of Intimate Partner Violence in online contexts

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is undoubtedly one of the most worrying concerns in today’s global societies. Due to the many intertwined factors that explain the persistence of this reality among people from all sorts of backgrounds, finding a uniform strategy to cope with this social issue is far from unproblematic. In this study, I contribute to a growing field of research that examines the discourse of female survivors of IPV in online contexts. The main objective is to identify relevant linguistic patterns used by women to represent themselves and their perpetrators in a publicly-available online forum. More specifically, I seek to ascertain the discursive traits that characterise women in an initial stage in contrast to a final stage within an abusive relationship. To this end, I adopt a Corpus-Assisted Discourse Studies approach in a digital corpus of around 136,000 words, which are analysed with the software tool Sketch Engine. Findings show the most salient discursive traits that characterise IPV online discourse. Additionally, and drawing on verb patterns ascertained in the corpus and their semantic categorisation, I also connect linguistic textual evidence to the power imbalances that sustain this social phenomenon.
Examples of Hulls

Let X be a compact set in C n and h(X) its polynomially convex hull. Assume that h(X)\X is non-empty. Does h(X)\X contain some analytic variety?
The characterization of savings under uncertainty: The case of serially correlated returns

Abstract We characterize savings behavior within an infinitely lived, representative agent economy in which output is a stochastic linear function of savings and the returns to savings are serially correlated. This characterization explicitly demonstrates the roles that agents' elasticity of intertemporal substitution and the pattern of serial correlation have in determining the value of the income elasticity of savings.
NVision-PA: A Tool for Visual Analysis of Command Behavior Based on Process Accounting Logs (with a Case Study in HPC Cluster Security)

In the UNIX/Linux environment the kernel can log every command process created by every user with process accounting. Thus process accounting logs have many potential uses, particularly the monitoring and forensic investigation of security events. Previous work successfully leveraged the use of process accounting logs to identify a difficult to detect and damaging intrusion against high performance computing (HPC) clusters, masquerade attacks, where intruders masquerade as legitimate users with purloined authentication credentials. While masqueraders on HPC clusters were found to be identifiable with a high accuracy (greater than 90%), this accuracy is still not high enough for HPC production environments where greater than 99% accuracy is needed. This paper incrementally advances the goal of more accurately identifying masqueraders on HPC clusters by seeking to identify features within command sets that distinguish masqueraders. To accomplish this goal, we created NVision-PA, a software tool that produces text and graphic statistical summaries describing input processing accounting logs. We report NVision-PA results describing two different process accounting logs; one from Internet usage and one from HPC cluster usage. These results identify the distinguishing features of Internet users (as proxies for masqueraders) posing as clusters users. This research is both a promising next step toward creating a real-time masquerade detection sensor for production HPC clusters as well as providing another tool for system administrators to use for statistically monitoring and managing legitimate workloads (as indicated by command usage) in HPC environments.
The current state of personal assistance services: Implications for policy and future research

Personal assistant services (PAS) are designed to support persons with disabilities in their routine performance of activities of daily living (ADLs) and to provide individuals with disability the opportunity to go to school, volunteer, obtain active employment, and participate in social and recreational activities. PAS are primary and essential to the realization of societal inclusion and personal freedom among persons with severe, disabling conditions. This paper reviews the personal assistance literature for persons with spinal cord injury and other disabilities. Evidence-based recommendations are made for PAS policy initiatives and future directions in PAS research.
Selected drugs that inhibit DNA methylation can preferentially kill p53 deficient cells

The p53 protein ensures cellular fidelity by suppressing or killing cells under stresses that enhance the mutation rate. Evidence suggests that the p53 protein may also ensure the fidelity of the epigenome. In this study a group of drugs that alter the deoxycytosine methylation patterns in cellular DNA are shown to preferentially kill human and mouse cells that contain p53 mutations or deficiencies. These observations are extended to mice that contain p53 deficiencies or missense mutations in their genome, which are preferentially killed when compared to mice with a wild type p53 gene. This is also the case for human cancer cell xenografts containing p53 mutations, which preferentially are killed by these drugs when compared to similar tumors with wild type p53. The loss of p53 function enhances a synthetic lethality with drugs that block or alter the patterns of deoxycytidine methylation in the genome.
Assessing Technology Integration: Its Validity and Value for Classroom Practice and Teacher Accountability.

This article questions whether popular approaches to the assessment of technology integration with classroom instruction are valid. The article explores Messick's (1993) conceptualisation of consequential validity, in an attempt to understand what validity must be evident when the integration of technology with classroom instruction is assessed. This article also compares and contrasts assessment tools and systems that are currently used, searching for evidence of valid assessment. Individually these tools sample a very limited collection of teacher knowledge and skill. Against a backdrop of rapidly expanding expectations and rapid change, the tests are probably unable to capture what teachers need to do, and more importantly what they actually are doing. The article concludes with recommendations to strengthen the validity of assessments of technology integration.
Optokinetic and vection responses to apparent motion in man

Abstract Apparent motion was investigated as a stimulus for optokinetic nystagmus (OKN) and self-motion perception (vection). Apparent motion was stimulated by stroboscopically illuminating vertical stripes on the interior of a large drum that rotated about the observer at 20, 40 and 60 deg/sec. We determined threshold stroboscopic frequencies (f) for the appearance of smooth continuous apparent motion and measured responses of pursuit, OKN, optokinetic after nystagmus (OKAN) and vection, to stroboscopic frequencies at, above and belowf. Pursuit occurred for all of these stimuli. However OKN, OKAN and vection only occurred for frequencies equal to or greater than the threshold for continuous apparent motion. Our results suggest that pursuit can occur as a response to apparent motion generated by both small and large image displacements, while OKN and vection are responses to apparent motion generated by small image displacements only. These results suggest that different afferent sources are utilized for the control of pursuit and of the slow phase of OKN.
The Work Experiences of Transgender Individuals: Negotiating the Transition and Career Decision-Making Processes

This study explored the work experiences of individuals who have started transitioning from their biological sex to a different gender expression through 18 interviews of transgender-identified individuals. Thirteen of the participants identified as male-to-female transsexuals, 2 participants identified as female-to-male transsexuals, 2 participants identified as female-bodied gender queer individuals, and 1 participant identified as a biological male cross-dresser. Using a grounded theory (K. Charmaz, 2006) approach, 2 separate work experience models emerged: (a) the process of gender transitioning at work and (b) the career decision-making process. The 3 phases of the first model included a pretransition phase, during the transition phase, and posttransition phase. Within these 3 phases, the following 5 major themes emerged: preparation for the work transition, coming out at work, presentation and appearance at work, others’ reactions at work, and affective/coping experiences related to work. The second model resulted in 6 major themes related to career decision making: occupational barriers, occupational prospects, occupational aspirations, taking action, occupational gratification, and contextual influences.
Comment on revalidating swallowing assessments.

Purpose A letter to the editor is presented regarding the recently published article by Gonzalez-Fernandez, Sein, and Palmer (2011). In this letter, Dr.Giselle Carnaby stipulates that although Gonz...
Feminist theater in Africa: Will it play in Ouagadougou?

This paper attempts to bring together theater for development, the situation of rural women in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, and feminist theory and practice through a discussion of the uses of theater as a means of empowering women. Performance is often used in the so‐called Third World countries to raise consciousness, to educate, and to problem solve. Women in these countries are at the bottom rung of the social, political, and economic ladder and suffer from many health problems caused by such factors as domestic violence, excision, inadequate nutrition, high birthrates, alcoholism, and labor‐intensive duties. Feminist theater, or performance with a feminist content, could be used as a strategy to raise women's awareness and consciousness of their situation. The paper examines women and development from a feminist perspective to see if the Western theories of feminism could be used to improve the situation of Third World women. There is also a discussion of the history of political theater, or thea...