cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Peer relations, parental social coaching, and young adolescent social anxiety

Abstract Links between peer relationship difficulties, parental social coaching, and social anxiety were examined among young adolescents (N = 80). In a lab protocol simulating peer stress, adolescents led a 3-min conversation, while ostensibly being evaluated by (fictitious) peer judges. Parental coaching was measured via observed cognitive framing and advice-giving; parents also reported on their facilitation of access to peers, and their adolescent's peer victimization and rejection. Social anxiety was measured through both global- and context-specific reports. More socially anxious youths (1) experienced more peer rejection and (2) had parents who engaged in poorer quality coaching (i.e., lower prosocial advice, benign interpretation, and facilitation). Evidence of additive effects of peer problems and parenting was found, and the pattern of findings was similar after controlling for adolescent social skills. Results suggest that both negative peer experiences and parental coaching may need to be targeted to reduce social anxiety during early adolescence.
An aspect-oriented approach to large-scale urban simulations

Within the Modeling and Simulation (MS and 2) is scalable in terms of simulated entities and models. A middleware called Urban Simulation Platform is proposed, using an aspect-oriented approach to interface between the well known High Level Architecture interoperability standard and the traditional simulation design.
Technical Considerations of Tc-99m Labeled Red Blood Cell Scans in the Detection and Localization of Gastrointestinal Bleeding Sites

Arteriography to detect gastrointestinal bleeding, which is often intennittent, is only likely to yield diagnostically useful infonnation if the patient is actively bleeding at a rate of greater than 1.0 cclmin at the time of the procedure. To avoid the unnecessary morbidity of a negative arteriogram we studied Tc-99m in vitro labeled red blood cell (RBC) scintigraphy as a screening test for arteriography on 111 patients. Fifty-seven of Ill patients (51%) had RBC scans consistent with active gastrointestinal bleeding. Twenty-three of these patients (40%) with positive scans had arteriography. Twelve of these 23 arteriograms (52%) were positive. Arteriograms were performed in 12 of the 54 patients with a negative scan. One of the 12 arteriograms was positive for active bleeding in the rectum. In retrospect, the scan was also positive but rectal activity was initially confused with bladder activity. Red blood cell scans are a reliable screening test for arteriography and they provide useful localizing infonnation in patients with negative arteriograms. Technical factors that will affect the results include (1) obtaining high labeling efficiency by using in vitro labeled red blood cells; (2) frequent acquisition of images over a 24-hr time period; (3) acquisition of dynamic images to localize confusing patterns of activity; and (4) acquisition of images to separate rectal and bladder activity.
New Species and a New Combination of Tricholoma (Agaricales) from the Pacific Northwest

Two new species, Tricholoma cheilolaminum and Tricholoma leucophyllum, and one new variety, Tricholoma virgatum var. vinaceum, all in the subgenus Tricholoma section Tricholoma are described. Trich...
Factor V: an active player in inflammation.

In this issue of Blood , [Liang et al][1] identify a critical role of coagulation factor V in host inflammation response to infections that could guide our exploration for better therapy for sepsis.[1][2] ![Figure][3] aPC with cofactor protein S (PS) and fV inhibits the EPCR-dependent
Collaborative and ethical consideration in the vendor selection process

Few doubt the importance of supplier collaboration and integration decisions faced by management, as both supply chain management (SCM) and inventory management are critical to operations efficiency and global competitiveness. These strategic variables include extent of coordination from suppliers, the degree of information sharing with suppliers, and the level of organisational integration. Lean production principles alone may fail to synchronise with customer demand when companies need to develop long-term supplier relationships. Underpinning these relations is an expectation of socially and ethically responsible behaviour on the part of suppliers. Using a qualitative case-study method, the present study explored the importance of supplier relationships with H.J. Heinz and American Eagle Outfitters, as both firms have worked with their partners to ensure social and ethical responsibility.
Trial-by-trial identification of categorization strategy using iterative decision-bound modeling

Identifying the strategy that participants use in laboratory experiments is crucial in interpreting the results of behavioral experiments. This article introduces a new modeling procedure called iterative decision-bound modeling (iDBM), which iteratively fits decision-bound models to the trial-by-trial responses generated from single participants in perceptual categorization experiments. The goals of iDBM are to identify: (1) all response strategies used by a participant, (2) changes in response strategy, and (3) the trial number at which each change occurs. The new method is validated by testing its ability to identify the response strategies used in noisy simulated data. The benchmark simulation results show that iDBM is able to detect and identify strategy switches during an experiment and accurately estimate the trial number at which the strategy change occurs in low to moderate noise conditions. The new method is then used to reanalyze data from Ell and Ashby (2006). Applying iDBM revealed that increasing category overlap in an information-integration category learning task increased the proportion of participants who abandoned explicit rules, and reduced the number of training trials needed to abandon rules in favor of a procedural strategy. Finally, we discuss new research questions made possible through iDBM.
Density and Approximate Continuity

The concepts of density and approximate continuity play a critical role in analysis of functions of several variables, with the important result being that for any set E ⊂ R n , $$ \mathop{{\lim }}\limits_{{r \to 0}} \,\frac{{m*(B(x,r) \cap E)}}{{mB(x,r)}} = 1 $$ for almost all x ∈ E, m and m* now denoting Lebesgue measure and Lebesgue outer measure, respectively, in R n . The result is also true if we replace Lebesgue measure by Hausdorff measure (see Chapter 8). In this chapter, we prove the above result (Theorem 2.2.1) in the setting of R1. We also show the connection between approximate continuity and integrability. Sierpinski’s theorem extends the concept of approximate continuity to nonmeasurable functions. We end this chapter with a discussion of the Darboux property and the density topology.
Experience paper: a study on behavioral backward incompatibilities of Java software libraries

Nowadays, due to the frequent technological innovation and market changes, software libraries are evolving very quickly. Backward compatibility has always been one of the most important requirements during the evolution of software platforms and libraries. However, backward compatibility is seldom fully achieved in practice, and many relevant software failures are reported. Therefore, it is important to understand the status, major reasons, and impact of backward incompatibilities in real world software. This paper presents an empirical study to understand behavioral changes of APIs during evolution of software libraries. Specifically, we performed a large-scale cross-version regression testing on 68 consecutive version pairs from 15 popular Java software libraries. Furthermore, we collected and studied 126 real-world software bugs reports on backward incompatibilities of software libraries. Our major findings include: (1) 1,094 test failures / errors and 296 behavioral backward incompatibilities are detected from 52 of 68 consecutive version pairs; (2) there is a distribution mismatch between incompatibilities detected by library-side regression testing, and bug-inducing incompatibilities; (3) the majority of behavioral backward incompatibilities are not well documented in API documents or release notes; and (4) 67% of fixed client bugs caused by backward incompatibilities in software libraries are fixed by client developers, through several simple change patterns made to the backward incompatible API invocation.
JUN is important for ocular hypertension-induced retinal ganglion cell degeneration

Ocular hypertension, a major risk factor for glaucoma, is thought to trigger glaucomatous neurodegeneration through injury to retinal ganglion cell (RGC) axons. The molecular signaling pathway leading from ocular hypertension to RGC degeneration, however, is not well defined. JNK signaling, a component of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family, and its canonical target, the transcription factor JUN, have been shown to regulate neurodegeneration in many different systems. JUN is expressed after glaucoma-relevant injuries and Jun deficiency protects RGCs after mechanical injury to the optic nerve. Here, we tested the importance of JNK-JUN signaling for RGC death after ocular hypertensive axonal injury in an age-related, mouse model of ocular hypertension. Immunohistochemistry was performed to evaluate JUN expression in ocular hypertensive DBA/2J mice. JUN was expressed in a temporal and spatial pattern consistent with a role in glaucomatous injury. To determine the importance of JUN in ocular hypertension-induced RGC death, a floxed allele of Jun and a retinal expressed cre recombinase (Six3-cre) were backcrossed onto the DBA/2J background. Intraocular pressure (IOP) and gross morphology of the retina and optic nerve head were assessed to determine whether removing Jun from the developing retina altered IOP elevation or retinal development. Jun deficiency in the retina did not alter DBA/2J IOP elevation or retinal development. Optic nerves and retinas were assessed at ages known to have glaucomatous damage in DBA/2J mice. Jun deficiency protected RGC somas from ocular hypertensive injury, but did not protect RGC axons from glaucomatous neurodegeneration. Jun is a major regulator of RGC somal degeneration after glaucomatous ocular hypertensive injury. These results suggest in glaucomatous neurodegeneration, JNK-JUN signaling has a major role as a pro-death signaling pathway between axonal injury and somal degeneration.
Parallel simulation of marked graphs

Marked graphs are an important subclass of Petri Nets that have found wide use in the modeling of concurrent systems, such as multiprocessor architectures and manufacturing systems. The inherent complexity of realistic models have made analytic solutions intractable for all but the simplest systems. As a result, discrete event simulation has been a very popular method for analyzing such models. However, as these systems increase in complexity, accurate simulation demands excessive simulation time. Advances are necessary in modeling, analysis, and high speed simulation to keep pace with the need to study new and more complex systems. This dissertation studies the problem of the parallel discrete event simulation (PDES) of concurrent systems modeled using marked graphs. The focus is on first understanding the potential sources as well as obstacles to parallelism. This insight is used to develop parallel simulation techniques for both asynchronous and synchronous parallel execution models. Partitioning and mapping algorithms and optimization heuristics are presented in addition to a new approach to exploit parallelism in time that consists of combining multiple simulation trials into one execution. This dissertation contributes to our understanding of parallel computing in this modeling domain, and supports PDES of large marked graphs as a viable alternative for the analysis of systems that would otherwise be computationally infeasible.
CYP26C1 Is a Hydroxylase of Multiple Active Retinoids and Interacts with Cellular Retinoic Acid Binding Proteins

The clearance of retinoic acid (RA) and its metabolites is believed to be regulated by the CYP26 enzymes, but the specific roles of CYP26A1, CYP26B1, and CYP26C1 in clearing active vitamin A metabolites have not been defined. The goal of this study was to establish the substrate specificity of CYP26C1, and determine whether CYP26C1 interacts with cellular retinoic acid binding proteins (CRABPs). CYP26C1 was found to effectively metabolize all-trans retinoic acid (atRA), 9-cis-retinoic acid (9-cis-RA), 13-cis-retinoic acid, and 4-oxo-atRA with the highest intrinsic clearance toward 9-cis-RA. In comparison with CYP26A1 and CYP26B1, CYP26C1 resulted in a different metabolite profile for retinoids, suggesting differences in the active-site structure of CYP26C1 compared with other CYP26s. Homology modeling of CYP26C1 suggested that this is attributable to the distinct binding orientation of retinoids within the CYP26C1 active site. In comparison with other CYP26 family members, CYP26C1 was up to 10-fold more efficient in clearing 4-oxo-atRA (intrinsic clearance 153 μl/min/pmol) than CYP26A1 and CYP26B1, suggesting that CYP26C1 may be important in clearing this active retinoid. In support of this, CRABPs delivered 4-oxo-atRA and atRA for metabolism by CYP26C1. Despite the tight binding of 4-oxo-atRA and atRA with CRABPs, the apparent Michaelis-Menten constant in biological matrix (Km) value of these substrates with CYP26C1 was not increased when the substrates were bound with CRABPs, in contrast to what is predicted by free drug hypothesis. Together these findings suggest that CYP26C1 is a 4-oxo-atRA hydroxylase and may be important in regulating the concentrations of this active retinoid in human tissues.
Supportive Care of the Neuro-Oncology Patient

Patients with cancers, particularly those affecting the nervous system, frequently suffer from disabling symptoms, some of which are only indirectly related to the cancer (Table 1). Some examples include pain, asthenia, fatigability, loss of appetite, and depression. These symptoms, which are often more distressing to the patient than the tumour itself, often do not respond to treatment directed at the underlying neoplasm and, thus, must be treated independent of treatment of the neoplasm.
Role of the caudal fastigial nucleus in saccade generation. I. Neuronal discharge pattern.

1. The effects of lesions in both human and nonhuman primates have implicated the cerebellum in the control of rapid eye movements, i.e., saccades. To examine the neural substrate of this control, ...
MFTA: Transform Size N = Mr M-Composite Integer and r-Prime

In this chapter, we extend the methods introduced in the proceeding two chapters to include the case of transform size N, N a product of three or more distinct primes. In fact, we will give a procedure for designing algorithms for transform size N = Mr, M and r relatively prime and r prime, whenever an algorithm for transform size M is given. We will also include FT algorithms for transform size N = 4M where M is a product of distinct odd primes.
Monte Carlo Study of Localization on a One-Dimensional Lattice

We study the equilibrium properties of a single quantum particle interacting with a classical lattice gas. We develop a path-integral formalism in which the quantum particle is represented by a closed, variable-step random walk on the lattice. After demonstrating that a Metropolis algorithm correctly predicts the properties of a free particle, we extend it to investigate the behavior of the quantum particle interacting with the lattice gas. Evidence of weak localization is observed under conditions of quenched disorder, while self-trapping clearly occurs for the fully annealed system. Compared with continuous space systems, convergence of Monte Carlo simulations in this minimum model is orders of magnitude faster in cpu time. Therefore the system behavior can be investigated for a much larger domain of thermodynamic parameters (e.g., density and temperature) in a reasonable time.
Transport modeling and mapping of pulsed reactor dynamics near and beyond the onset of viscid flow

Abstract The objective of this work is to develop a high-fidelity transport model for pulsed reactor scenarios involving Knudsen and beyond-Knudsen (viscid flow) conditions. This is done to eventually support accurate analyses of flow regimes and micro-kinetic processes under dynamic conditions. The resulting model renders mass transport under mixed modes of diffusion, advection and eddy (turbulent) diffusion, allowing for variance of input conditions (pulse magnitudes, temperature, etc.), gaseous mixtures and various reactor designs. The model assumes a five-zone reactor, covering inlet, pre-catalyst, catalyst, post-catalyst and outlet zones. A chief attribute of the modeling approach herein is the detailed analysis it provides for quantification of multiple transport metrics over reactor space and time, a transport “map”. Key among these are the Knudsen number and the relative contribution of advection versus diffusion as the pulse intensity is increased. The ability to map the reactor transport is useful for determining an optimal loading configuration to observe desired kinetic quantities associated with different chemical reaction mechanisms.
Cutbacks revisited: the relationship between resources and performance

This article investigates the effects of staffing and employee cutbacks in public safety agencies in the context of county governments in California, Texas, and Florida (2002–2014). Although resour...
Enabling Transparent Acceleration of OpenCV Library Kernels on a Hybrid Memory Cube Computer

This paper presents a CPU-FPGA heterogeneous system that provides hardware support for computer vision libraries to attain acceleration over image processing applications. The architecture achieves this improvement by staying completely transparent to the developer while providing necessary acceleration on conventional software designs.
Early cardiac complications after bariatric surgery: does the type of procedure matter?

Abstract Background Major adverse cardiac events (MACE) can be a cause of postoperative mortality. This is specifically important in bariatric surgery due to obesity-related cardiovascular risk factors. Objective To assess postoperative cardiac adverse events after bariatric surgery and its independent predictors. Setting A retrospective analysis of 2011–2015 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project-National Inpatient Sample. Methods Data on patients who underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (SG) or Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) were retrieved. MACE was identified as a composite variable including myocardial infarction, acute ischemic heart disease without myocardial infarction, and acute heart failure. Dysrhythmia (excluding premature beats) was identified as a separate outcome. Multivariate regression analysis for MACE was performed using demographic factors, co-morbidities, and type of surgery. Results The analysis included 108,432 patients (SG: 54.6%, RYGB: 45.4%). MACE was found in 116 patients (.1%), and dysrhythmia occurred in 3670 patients (3.4%). Median length of stay in patients with MACE was 4.5 versus 2 days in others (P Conclusions While cardiac complications are rare after bariatric surgery, their occurrence is associated with increased length of stay, hospital charges, and mortality. Older age, male sex, cardiopulmonary co-morbidities, and fluid or electrolyte disorders are predictive of MACE. RYGB does not increase the risk of MACE compared with SG.
The Role of Troponin for Acute Heart Failure

To review the mechanisms, clinical interpretation, prognostic role, and future research regarding cardiac troponin (cTn) in the assessment of acute heart failure (AHF) patients presenting to the emergency department (ED). cTn has become a necessary component of the evaluation of AHF patients in the ED, largely because of its independently predictive value as a prognosticator of poor outcome. High-sensitivity assays (hs-cTn) may add risk stratification value beyond conventional assays, specifically with regard to identifying low-risk AHF patients. Moreover, as the complex mechanisms of cTn release in AHF continue to be elucidated, recent studies suggest that many of the key hemodynamic derangements that define specific AHF syndromes may also be direct culprits in cTn release. cTn is released in AHF in response to both non-ischemic (e.g., increased afterload, increased preload, inflammatory signaling, altered calcium handling) and ischemic mechanisms. cTn detectable on conventional sensitivity assays predicts poor prognosis when measured in the ED or when noted in historical data such as past ED visits or at the time of discharge from the most recent AHF hospitalization. hs-cTn assays provide detectable values in nearly all AHF patients. Evidence is evolving on using hs-cTn levels below the upper limit of normal to potentially identify low-risk ED patients, and further research is needed. Among the classically cited risk factors for AHF mortality, cTn and natriuretic peptides stand as independent and synergistic prognostic factors even after adjustment for confounders. Many other risk factors, such as ejection fraction, often failed to retain ED prognostic value beyond these two biomarkers.
Biochemical reference intervals for backyard hens.

Keeping backyard poultry has become increasingly popular in urban and suburban households. With this rise in popularity comes an increased need for veterinarians who are willing to serve this demographic and a need for lab reference intervals that capture the range of clinically healthy backyard hens. We developed blood chemistry reference intervals for birds in backyard chicken flocks. Between June and August 2016, 133 adult, actively laying hens from 34 different flocks in Western Washington were sampled via medial metatarsal venipuncture. Whole heparinized blood was analyzed using a VetScan VS2 with Avian/Reptilian Profile Plus reagent rotors. Packed cell volume was determined via centrifugation of microhematocrit tubes. Reference intervals were calculated by Reference Value Advisor V2.1 software using the nonparametric method. Seven currently published reference intervals for the Gallus gallus domesticus could not be validated for use in backyard hens, according to the guidelines established by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. Of flock owners who participated in the study, 47% reported they would consider paying for a blood test if a veterinarian thought it would be beneficial.
The Reliability and Validity of the Action Fluency Test in Healthy College Students.

OBJECTIVE This study examined the test-retest reliability and construct validity of the Action Fluency Test (AFT) as a measure of executive functioning. METHOD Using a correlational design, 128 healthy college students (M Age = 19.24, SD = 2.01; M education = 13.29 years, SD = 0.81) completed the AFT, and measures of verbal and figural fluency, executive functioning and other relevant constructs (e.g., vocabulary, working memory, and attention). RESULTS Coefficients of stability were acceptable for AFT correct words (r = .76; p < .01), but not for errors (r = .41) or perseverations (r = .14). No practice effects were observed upon repeat testing (M interval = 39.21 days). Divergent validity evidence was mixed. AFT scores were unrelated to working memory and perceptual-reasoning abilities; however, correlations with vocabulary (r = .32; p < .01) and information-processing speed (r = .30; p < .01) were greater than associations between AFT scores and executive measures. Regarding convergent validity, AFT scores correlated with other fluency tasks (r = .4 range), but correlations with measures of executive functioning were absent or small. Action and letter fluency correlated with measures of attentional control and inhibition; however, these associations were no longer significant after controlling for shared variance with information-processing speed. CONCLUSIONS Findings are consistent with previous research suggesting vocabulary and information-processing speed underlie effective fluency performance to a greater extent than executive functioning. The AFT measures unique variance not accounted for by semantic and letter fluency tasks, and therefore may be used for a variety of research and clinical purposes.
Modeling Students’ Behavior Using Sequential Patterns to Predict Their Performance

Online learning environments generate educational data that can be used to model students’ behavior and predict their performance. In online learning environments, in which students are free to choose their next activity, various factors such as time spent on individual tasks and the choice of next learning material may impact students’ performance. The main goal of this research is to enhance student learning by modeling students’ behavior and testing whether these behavioral patterns correlate with their performance. Using sequential pattern mining methods, we will identify the most frequent patterns in students’ online learning activities and test whether/which patterns correlate with higher or lower performance. By identifying which student behavioral patterns correlate with higher or lower performance, this study has the potential to inform redesign of online learning platforms and study guidelines that help students learn more and perform better.
A discontinuous Galerkin method for the Stolz–Adams approximate deconvolution model for turbulent flows

Abstract We consider the zeroth order model of the family of approximate deconvolution models of Stolz and Adams. We propose and analyze fully discrete schemes using discontinuous finite elements. Optimal error estimates are derived. The dependence of these estimates with respect to the Reynolds number Re is O ( Re e Re ) , which is an improvement with respect to the classical continuous finite element method where the dependence is O ( Re e Re 3 ) , Layton [1] .
Urine neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin in girls with recurrent urinary tract infections

Children who experience more than one urinary tract infection (UTI) are at increased risk of kidney scarring due to their UTIs. Girls are at especially high risk for developing kidney scarring as a result of recurrent UTIs. Prior work suggested that neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) may be lower in children with recurrent UTI compared with those without. The objective of this work was to compare urine NGAL concentrations in matched urine samples in girls with single and recurrent UTIs. Girls less than 6 years of age who presented with signs and symptoms of a UTI were eligible for enrollment. Both acute, obtained from residual urine collected as part of their clinical evaluation, and follow-up urine samples, obtained after the completion of antibiotics when the patient was in their usual state of health, were collected from patients. Acute and follow-up urine NGAL concentrations were compared between girls with single and recurrent UTIs, as well as those with negative cultures who served as controls. Seventy girls were included in this study, 6 controls, 43 single UTIs, and 20 girls with recurrent UTIs. Patients in the control group had lower median acute NGAL concentrations than either those with single or recurrent UTI. There were no differences in either acute or follow-up urine NGAL concentrations between those with single and recurrent UTIs. In this cohort of girls less than 6 years of age, there is no difference in urine NGAL concentrations between those with single and recurrent UTIs.
Confidentiality in the Courts: Privacy Protection or Prior Restraint?

In civil litigation courts often deal with information that is subject to a previously imposed restraint on the ability of a court or others to use the information. Such “evidentiary prior restraints” arise most prominently in settlement agreements, which may include nondisclosure provisions that prevent information concerning the settlement from being used by parties to the agreement. But evidentiary prior restraints can also arise from prior court action, as when parties seek information subject to a protective order or sealing order made by a different court. Although evidentiary prior restraints have received great attention given recent controversies concerning sexual harassment, products liability, and other areas of the law, the issue has not received much attention from scholars. This essay examines the effects of evidentiary restraints on the enforcement function of civil litigation. In general, the essay concludes that privacy interests alone do not justify the enforcement of litigation restraints because these privacy interests can, and often do, prevent courts from accurately assessing the liability of the parties. Moreover, such restraints prevent market pressure from regulating the conduct of market participants, leading to more harm. Nevertheless, the essay does discuss situations when the protection of privacy interests may aid, rather than hinder, enforcement objectives. Accordingly, the essay concludes that more empirical research should be done to guide courts in determining when evidentiary prior restraints should not be enforced.
Exact traveling wave solutions of fast reaction–diffusion–convectionequations based on the Lambert function W

Abstract A particular function defined in terms of the Lambert function W is shown to serve as the basis for exact traveling wave solutions to several reaction–diffusion–convection​ (RDC) equations involving rational, non-linear diffusion terms. These represent a generalization of some previously considered “fast” RDC equations. Here, some equations and their solutions involving constant, linear and power law convection terms are derived. The first order differential equation solved by this particular function is an Abel equation of the second kind with constant coefficients.
Cycle time and carrier life in immobilized-glucoamylase reactors

The activity of immobilized enzymes decays with time, and the capacity of a carrier will decrease with repeated regeneration. Relations between production cost and these factors are shown, and demonstrated with data on glucoamylase immobilized on porous glass. Optimum design calls for very low temperature and for cycle times several years long. A practical design may be made by limiting cycle time to an upper limit and calculating the temperature for which this time is optimum. In this case, reagents and carrier are the most important costs, even with an expensive enzyme.
Extraction and assessment of diagnosis-relevant features for heart murmur classification.

Abstract This paper presents a heart murmur detection and multi-class classification approach via machine learning. We extracted heart sound and murmur features that are of diagnostic importance and developed additional 16 features that are not perceivable by human ears but are valuable to improve murmur classification accuracy. We examined and compared the classification performance of supervised machine learning with k-nearest neighbor (KNN) and support vector machine (SVM) algorithms. We put together a test repertoire having more than 450 heart sound and murmur episodes to evaluate the performance of murmur classification using cross-validation of 80–20 and 90–10 splits. As clearly demonstrated in our evaluation, the specific set of features chosen in our study resulted in accurate classification consistently exceeding 90% for both classifiers.
Application-driven synthesis and characterization of hexagonal boron nitride deposited on metals and carbon nanotubes

Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) is unique among two-dimensional materials, with a large band gap (~6 eV) and high thermal conductivity (>400 Wm-1K-1), second only to diamond among electrical insulators. Most electronic studies to date have relied on h-BN exfoliated from bulk crystals; however, for scalable applications the material must be synthesized by methods such as chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Here, we demonstrate single- and few-layer h-BN synthesized by CVD on single crystal platinum and on carbon nanotube (CNT) substrates, also comparing these films with h-BN deposited on the more commonly used polycrystalline Pt and Cu growth substrates. The h-BN film grown on single crystal Pt has a lower surface roughness and is more spatially homogeneous than the film from a polycrystalline Pt foil, and our electrochemical transfer process allows for these expensive foils to be reused with no measurable degradation. In addition, we demonstrate monolayer h-BN as an ultrathin, 3.33 A barrier protecting MoS2 from damage at high temperatures and discuss other applications that take advantage of the conformal h-BN deposition on various substrates demonstrated in this work.
Selected Anatomic Variables Analyzed for Interage Relationships of the Size-Size, Size-Gain, and Gain-Gain Varieties

Publisher Summary This chapter surveys facets of knowledge concerning three types of anatomic correlation within the segment of human ontogeny between birth and early adulthood. Its focus is on interage or interstage associations. To illustrate, body stature is analyzed by considering (a) magnitude at selected ages in relation to magnitude at subsequent ages, (b) magnitude at selected ages in relation to increment during subsequent periods, and (c) increment during periods in relation to increment in succeeding periods. The chapter integrates research findings on these kinds of association between anatomic variables. Consideration is delimited to types of interage and interstage association within the two decades of human ontogeny extending from birth to early adulthood. Materials are drawn from more than 50 investigations, including 35 completed during the last 12 years.
Wheelchair standards: it's all about quality assurance and evidence-based practice.

This issue features an interesting case report on preventable burns in an individual with tetraplegia (1). This injury was secondary to wheelchair malfunction and a lack of backup to the equipment failure. This case underscores the need to ensure that safety features are addressed as technology is applied to rehabilitation and clinical care. As wheelchairs proliferate and become more sophisticated, it is crucial that safety standards for design and use also evolve. Standards need to be comprehensive (ie, they must provide a framework to guide research and development, promote safe and efficient design, and ensure the compilation of data that supports evidence-based practice and quality assurance. The requirements announced in 2005 by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) are an important step in the development of comprehensive standards.
Tn402: a new transposable element determining trimethoprim resistance that inserts in bacteriophage lambda.

We have found that the trimethoprim resistance determinant of the IncP plasmid R751 (Jacob et al., 1977; Jobanputra and Datta, 1974) transposes to bacteriophage lambda. We call this transposable element Tn402. Images
Narrative, Ethics, and the Development of Identity

The terms “narrative” and “development” would appear to be difficult to relate to one another. While “narrative” frequently connotes movement backward in time and would thus seem to be a retrospective concept, “development” connotes movement forward in time and would thus seem to be a prospective concept. In this article, I seek to rethink both of these terms in such a way as to render them more compatible. In doing so, I focus on the idea of narrative identity, which, I suggest, is not only about the self but about the other-than-self, especially those goods that draw the process forward.
Hyaluronan – A Functional and Structural Sweet Spot in the Tissue Microenvironment

Transition from homeostatic to reactive matrix remodeling is a fundamental adaptive tissue response to injury, inflammatory disease, fibrosis, and cancer. Alterations in architecture, physical properties, and matrix composition result in changes in biomechanical and biochemical cellular signaling. The dynamics of pericellular and extracellular matrices, including matrix protein, proteoglycan, and glycosaminoglycan modification are continually emerging as essential regulatory mechanisms underlying cellular and tissue function. Nevertheless, the impact of matrix organization on inflammation and immunity in particular and the consequent effects on tissue healing and disease outcome are arguably under-studied aspects of adaptive stress responses. Herein, we review how the predominant glycosaminoglycan hyaluronan (HA) contributes to the structure and function of the tissue microenvironment. Specifically, we examine the evidence of HA degradation and the generation of biologically active smaller HA fragments in pathological settings in vivo. We discuss how HA fragments versus nascent HA via alternate receptor-mediated signaling influence inflammatory cell recruitment and differentiation, resident cell activation, as well as tumor growth, survival, and metastasis. Finally, we discuss how HA fragmentation impacts restoration of normal tissue function and pathological outcomes in disease.
Mammalian hybrid zones: a review

A hybrid zone is a region where interbreeding occurs between two or more genetically distinct populations. Recent studies have shown that mammalian hybrid zones occur in nature more frequently than previously thought. I summarize the history of research on mammalian hybrid zones, highlighting contributions that demonstrate genetic, behavioural and environmental mechanisms responsible for spatial distribution of genotypes, maintenance or elimination of reproductive barriers and evolutionary outcomes of hybridization. The role of hybridization in mammalian evolution, adaptation and diversification is demonstrated by the existence of hybrid swarms (e.g. caribou) and species genesis via homoploid hybridization (e.g. primates, bats). Mammalian hybrid zones are ideal settings in which to investigate genetic mechanisms that influence mate preferences as well as other questions regarding sexual selection. Many evolutionary processes and mechanisms associated with sexual selection have been well demonstrated in primate, rodent and seal hybrid zones by combining behavioural and genetic, and environmental techniques. Investigations of interbreeding chromosomal races of mouse Mus musculus and shrew Sorex araneus provide insight into the role of chromosome rearrangements in the speciation process. The genomes of some mammals that hybridize in nature are fully sequenced, and rapid progress is being made towards understanding genetic underpinnings of phenotypes governing reproductive isolation. Future studies of mammalian hybrid zones will incorporate genomic techniques with increasing frequency and taxonomic representation. Such techniques may include examination of gene expression patterns using microarrays or large-scale analysis of introgression using markers from multiple genetic systems (e.g. mitochondria, sex chromosomes). As methods improve, researchers will be better positioned to advise managers and policy makers about the potential outcomes of hybridization. This may be increasingly important as previously isolated forms come into contact as a result of global climate change.
Maternal Glucocorticoid Therapy and Reduced Risk of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia

Because of substantial clinical and laboratory evidence of the efficacy of glucocorticoids in the treatment of acute pulmonary surfactant deficiency in preterm newborns, we explored the hypothesis that maternal antenatal glucocorticoid receipt is followed by reduced risk of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). A sample of 223 intubated infants weighing less than 1751 g birth weight provided 76 infants with BPD (defined by both oxygen requirement and compatible chest radiograph) and 147 who had neither BPD characteristic by day 28 of life. When compared to babies who received a complete and timely course of antenatal glucocorticoids, those whose mothers received no glucocorticoids were at prominently increased risk of BPD (odds ratio = 3.0; 95% confidence interval = 1.1, 8.2). Babies whose mothers received a partial course of glucocorticoids were not at increased risk of BPD (odds ratio = 1.3; 95% confidence interval = 0.4, 4.3). Stratification by gender and birth weight at 1 kg showed a benefit of therapy in all strata except that of extremely low birth weight male infants. These data support the hypothesis that maternal antenatal glucocorticoid therapy offers very low birth weight infants protection against BPD.
Improved Si-Based Coating Materials for High Power Infrared Lasers

Data are presented to demonstrate that alloying of Si with H during thin film coating deposition reduces coating absorption at important infrared laser wavelengths such as 1.06, 1.315 and 2.7 μm by more than an order of magnitude compared to pure Si coatings. These results contradict earlier beliefs that the presence of H in Si was undesirable because of its association with H 2 O. It appears that absorption values approaching state-of-the-art for near-infrared coatings can now be obtained for a material with many attractive physical properties such as very high refractive index, outstanding hardness and scratch-resistance, glassy structure, non-hygroscopicity and general environmental stability and durability. In particular, an absorption coefficient of 3 cm - 1 has been obtained at a wavelength of 2.7 pm for a Si 1 - x H x alloy with x = 0.12. The Si 1 - x H x coatings are made by reactive sputtering, and cannot be made by conventional evaporative techniques. Controlled deposition of coatings with specific compositions and optical properties is briefly described, and optical property-composition relationships are presented for the alloy mixing interval 0 < x < 0.4. The same sputtering system is used to deposit the low index material SiO 2 by simple exchange of H 2 for O 2 in the sputtering gas, making possible straightforward multilayer coating fabrication. Reflectance spectra for Si 1 - x H x /SiO 2 all-dielectric mirrors and dielectric-enhanced Au and Al mirrors are presented.
Pest management and other agricultural practices among farmers growing cruciferous vegetables in the Central and Western highlands of Kenya and the Western Himalayas of India

A survey of 125 farmers was conducted in 2005 in the Central and Western highlands of Kenya and the Kullu valley in the Western Himalayas of India to investigate pest management practices and constraints among farmers growing cruciferous vegetables. Lepidopteran insects were the most important pests affecting the crops and pest management relied primarily on application of pyrethroid and/or organophosphate insecticides with high environmental impact quotients (measuring the potential negative effects of insecticides on human and environmental health) averaging 65.6 in the Kenya highlands and 55.7 in the Kullu valley. Just over half (54.4%) of farmers based their decision to apply insecticides on the presence of the pest in the crop, around a third (30.4%) based it on a calendar, and 15.2% based it on both. Farmers cited their own experience (66.4%) and pesticide providers (44.8%) as the main sources of pest management information, while advice from extension (24%) and other farmers (15.2%) was less important. Most farmers interviewed (94%) were not aware of natural enemies. Possibilities to improve pest management practices are discussed in the context of the farmers interviewed.
Study of electron conduction in LaSx by electrical resistivity and thermo-EMF measurements

Combined electrical resistivity and thermo-electric power measurements have been made on La3-xVxS4 (0 ≤ x ≤ 13, V = Lanthanum Vacancy) of -phase between 2 K and 300 K. Samples with low sulfur concentrations show metallic conduction and superconductivity at low temperatures. Sulfur rich samples toward stoichiometric compositions La2S3 show electron localization and motion of the electrons is activated with an activation energy similar to that of the narrow band gap materials. Analysis of the experimental data lends support to the hopping type conduction amongst localized states.
Dallas-Fort Worth earthquakes coincident with activity associated with natural gas production

On 31 October 2008 and the following day, numerous Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) residents called 911 to report experiencing several small earthquakes, accompanied by loud booming noises and the shaking of walls and furniture. Using data recorded by regional seismic stations, the USGS National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC) located nine earthquakes with magnitudes between 2.5 and 3.0. On 16 May 2009, this scenario repeated itself, as local residents felt three earthquakes and the NEIC located four (largest = magnitude 3.3). A third sequence of felt events began on 2 June 2009, approximately 65 km southwest near the city of Cleburne, Texas, but has not yet been studied in detail (Figure 1).
Summarizing email threads

Summarizing threads of email is different from summarizing other types of written communication as it has an inherent dialog structure. We present initial research which shows that sentence extraction techniques can work for email threads as well, but profit from email-specific features. In addition, the presentation of the summary should take into account the dialogic structure of email communication.
Current state-of-the-art systemic therapy for pediatric soft tissue sarcomas

Pediatric soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are a heterogeneous group of tumors. Rhabdomyosarcomas (RMS) are the most common histologic subtype, while synovial sarcomas and undifferentiated sarcomas are among the more common non-rhabdomyosarcomatous soft tissue sarcomas (NRSTS) encountered. While the survival outcome for certain groups of RMS patients is quite good, the prognosis for those with alveolar histology or those with metastatic or relapsed disease remains dismal. Also, the response rate for some NRSTS to conventional chemotherapy is suboptimal. Thus increased understanding of involved molecular pathways, such as the insulin growth factor and mammalian target of rapamycin pathways, may indicate potential targets for therapy. In addition, immunotherapy-based approaches that include both non-specific activation with interleukins as well as targeted tumor antigen specific T lymphocytes are emerging avenues in the treatment of children with soft tissue sarcomas.