cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A low-power highly-integrated MPEG1/2 audio layer 3 (MP3) decoder for CD-based systems

The system design and the chip implementation aspects of an MPEG1/2 audio layer 3 (MP3) decoder chip suitable for Compact Disc (CD) based systems is discussed. A new innovative chip architecture is presented which addresses the low-power requirements of portable applications. This utilizes an optimum split between control processing tasks and signal processing code. The architecture was implemented using a synthesizable System-on-a-Chip approach. The chip has been fabricated in 0.18 /spl mu/m CMOS technology. The silicon area is 16 mm/sup 2/ and operates at a minimum of 140 MHz, achieving up to 80 hours of playtime. This low-power approach outperforms other commercially available solutions.
Local energy storage as a decoupling mechanism for interdependent infrastructures

This paper discusses the role of local energy storage in decoupling interdependent infrastructures within a system-of-systems. In order to quantify the effect that interdependencies have on a given infrastructure supporting a system that belongs to the system-of-systems, its availability is analyzed by dividing failure modes in those originated by system component failures and those caused by external influences to the system, i.e., from interdependencies. The effect that added energy storage has on availability is used in order to evaluate the degree of interdependencies among infrastructures. The analysis focuses on conventional communication sites infrastructure because it present an interesting case of interdependencies with two other infrastructures: roads and a power grid. In this system-of-systems, locally stored energy in the form of diesel for a generator set plays an important role in decoupling interdependencies among these three infrastructures. Influence of operational modes are also considered because different operational modes—e.g., continuous operation after a disaster or standby operation in normal conditions—affects the effect of interdependencies on system availability.
Quantification of Pain and Satisfaction Following Laparoscopic and Open Hernia Repair

Hypothesis Subjective experiences can be quantified by visual analog scale (VAS) scoring to improve comparison of surgical techniques. Design Prospective collection of outcome data by interview of patients at 1 day and 1 week following nonrandomized elective hernia repair by a single surgical group between May 1998 and April 2003. Setting Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, Calif. Patients A total of 253 patients (239 men; mean age, 59 years) underwent repair by laparoscopic (n = 110, 105 bilateral, 92 total extraperitoneal, and 18 transabdominal preperitoneal) or tension-free open (n = 143, 133 unilateral) approach. Laparoscopic patients were significantly younger (52.0 vs 63.8 years, P Main Outcome Measures Subjective measures included VAS scores (1-10, 1 indicates best) for pain at 1 day and 1 week postoperatively and overall satisfaction at 1 week. Objective measures included quantity and days of analgesic use and days before return to regular activities, including work and driving. Results were also compared by patient age (Spearman analysis). Results Satisfaction was high for both procedures; the laparoscopic procedure was superior only for return to work and driving. Spearman analysis showed a significant inverse relation between age and first-day pain ( r = −0.15, P = .01), independent of operative approach. Because laparoscopic patients were younger, patients younger than 65 years were analyzed separately; laparoscopic patients had significantly less first-day pain (5.44 vs 6.30, P = .02). Conclusions Pain following hernia repair was age dependent. Following laparoscopic repair, patients had lower first-day pain scores in younger patients and earlier return to normal activities in all patients. Satisfaction was similar for both approaches. Subjective experiences can be quantified, compared to detect subtle differences in outcome for competing surgical techniques, and used to counsel patients before operation, with the goal of improving satisfaction.
Deficiency of the purine metabolic gene HPRT dysregulates microRNA-17 family cluster and guanine-based cellular functions: A role for EPAC in Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome

Lesch-Nyhan syndrome (LNS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by mutations in the gene encoding the purine metabolic enzyme hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT). A series of motor, cognitive and neurobehavioral anomalies characterize this disease phenotype, which is still poorly understood. The clinical manifestations of this syndrome are believed to be the consequences of deficiencies in neurodevelopmental pathways that lead to disordered brain function. We have used microRNA array and gene ontology analysis to evaluate the gene expression of differentiating HPRT-deficient human neuron-like cell lines. We set out to identify dysregulated genes implicated in purine-based cellular functions. Our approach was based on the premise that HPRT deficiency affects preeminently the expression and the function of purine-based molecular complexes, such as guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) and small GTPases. We found that several microRNAs from the miR-17 family cluster and genes encoding GEF are dysregulated in HPRT deficiency. Most notably, our data show that the expression of the exchange protein activated by cAMP (EPAC) is blunted in HPRT-deficient human neuron-like cell lines and fibroblast cells from LNS patients, and is altered in the cortex, striatum and midbrain of HPRT knockout mouse. We also show a marked impairment in the activation of small GTPase RAP1 in the HPRT-deficient cells, as well as differences in cytoskeleton dynamics that lead to increased motility for HPRT-deficient neuron-like cell lines relative to control. We propose that the alterations in EPAC/RAP1 signaling and cell migration in HPRT deficiency are crucial for neuro-developmental events that may contribute to the neurological dysfunctions in LNS.
Growth and Yield of Miscanthus × giganteus Grown in Fertilized and Biochar-Amended Soils in the Western North Carolina Mountains

ABSTRACT Miscanthus × giganteus Greef & Deu (giant miscanthus) is a perennial C4 grass grown worldwide for bioenergy production; however, there is concern about whether it can produce high yields on marginal soils in a temperate climate. The goals of this study were to determine whether giant miscanthus could establish and produce yields in Western North Carolina comparable to those in other regions and to determine whether fertilization and biochar could improve yields. At two field sites, Mills River (650 m) and Valle Crucis (830 m), fertilizer (0 and 100 kg NPK ha−1) and biochar (0 and 15 t ha−1) treatments were employed in a fully randomized block design. Genetically identical rhizomes were planted in spring of 2012 and allowed to grow for two growing seasons. No treatment effects were found for gas exchange, but rates were higher at Mills River than at Valle Crucis. There were no biochar or fertilizer effects on yields. First-year yields were greater at Mills River than at Valle Crucis (2.93 and 1.77...
Quality of Care and Patient Satisfaction in Hospitals With High Concentrations of Black Patients

Purpose: To examine the influence of nursing‐ specifically nurse staffing and the nurse work environment‐ on quality of care and patient satisfaction in hospitals with varying concentrations of Black patients. Design: Cross-sectional secondary analysis of 2006‐2007 nurse survey data collected across four states (Florida, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and California), the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey, and administrative data. Global analysis of variance and linear regression models were used to examine the association between the concentration of Black patients on quality measures (readiness for discharge, patient or family complaints, health care‐associated infections) and patient satisfaction, before and after accounting for nursing and hospital characteristics. Results: Nurses working in hospitals with higher concentrations of Blacks reported poorer confidence in patients’ readiness for discharge and more frequent complaints and infections. Patients treated in hospitals with higher concentrations of Blacks were less satisfied with their care. In the fully adjusted regression models for quality and patient satisfaction outcomes, the effects associated with the concentration of Blacks were explained in part by nursing and structural hospital characteristics. Conclusions: This study demonstrates a relationship between nursing, structural hospital characteristics, quality of care, and patient satisfaction in hospitals with high concentrations of Black patients. Clinical Relevance: Consideration of nursing factors, in addition to other important hospital characteristics, is critical to understanding and improving quality of care and patient satisfaction in minority-serving hospitals.
Novel Cytogenic and Neurovascular Niches due to Blood–Brain Barrier Compromise in the Chronic Pain Brain

Background The mechanisms by which painful injuries are linked to the multitude of pain-related comorbidities and neuroplastic changes in the brain remain poorly understood. Here we propose a model that relies on epi-neuronal communication through the vascular system to effect various brain structures. Specifically, we hypothesize that the differential vulnerability of the blood–brain barrier (BBB) in different brain regions is associated with region-specific neuroplastic and neurovascular changes that are in turn associated with particular pain-related comorbidities.
Global path-based refinement of noisy graphs applied to verb semantics

Recently, researchers have applied text- and web-mining algorithms to mine semantic resources. The result is often a noisy graph of relations between words. We propose a mathematically rigorous refinement framework, which uses path-based analysis, updating the likelihood of a relation between a pair of nodes using evidence provided by multiple indirect paths between the nodes. Evaluation on refining temporal verb relations in a semantic resource called VerbOcean showed a 16.1% error reduction after refinement.
HDL-cholesterol levels and cardiovascular risk: acCETPing the context.

High levels of plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) are associated with a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease. Cholesterol ester transfer protein (CETP) facilitates the transfer or cholesteryl esters from HDL to triglyceride-rich lipoproteins, and its inhibition raises HDL-C levels. Accordingly, interest has focused on CETP inhibition to augment current lipid-lowering strategies. In a substudy from the Regression Growth Evaluation Statin Study (REGRESS) angiographic trial cohort,1 Regieli and colleagues evaluated 812 statin-treated participants and found that the 60% who were carriers of the TaqIB-B2 CETP gene allele had ∼20% lower CETP and 15% higher HDL-C serum concentrations than those without the allele, and a markedly increased risk of atherosclerotic disease mortality. The hazard ratio per each B2 copy was 1.60 ( P = 0.01). The authors concluded that statin use in the setting of low CETP levels worsens clinical outcome in patients with proven cardiovascular disease. In light of the Investigation of Lipid Level Management to Understand its Impact in Atherosclerotic Events (ILLUMINATE) trial—which showed a 61% increase in combined mortality and cardiovascular events in 15 000 individuals at high risk for coronary events who were treated with atorvastatin plus torcetrapib, a CETP inhibitor, compared with atorvastatin alone2—the … *Corresponding author. Tel: +1 210 567 4673, Fax: +1 210 567 6960; Email: lindseym{at}uthscsa.edu
The temporal pattern of trading rule returns and exchange rate intervention: intervention does not generate technical trading profits

Abstract This paper characterizes the temporal pattern of trading rule returns and official intervention for Australian, German, Swiss and U.S. data to investigate whether intervention generates technical trading rule profits. The data reject the hypothesis that intervention generates inefficiencies from which technical rules profit. In particular, high frequency data show that abnormally high trading rule returns precede German, Swiss and U.S. intervention. Australian intervention precedes high trading rule returns, but trading/intervention patterns make it implausible that intervention actually generates those returns. Rather, intervention responds to exchange rate trends from which trading rules have recently profited.
Assessing the Value of Patient Navigation for Completing Cancer Screening

In 1974, after finishing medical training in an acute care hospital, my view of health care was largely that of doctors and nurses treating people in bed. Then I joined the Indian Health Service and quickly learned the value of community health workers such as the Community Health Representatives (
Projective structure from uncalibrated images: structure from motion and recognition

Address the problem of reconstructing 3-D space in a projective framework from two or more views, and the problem of artificially generating novel views of the scene from two given views (reprojection). The author describes an invariance relation that provides a new description of structure, which the author calls projective depth, that is captured by a single equation relating image point correspondences across two or more views and the homographics of two arbitrary virtual planes. The framework is based on knowledge of correspondence of features across views, is linear and extremely simple, and the computations of structure readily extend to overdetermination using multiple views. Experimental results demonstrate a high degree of accuracy in both tasks: reconstruction and reprojection. >
Open Problems Session

During the workshop Ramsey Theory Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow at Rutgers University on May 27-29, 2009, I offered a Problem Posing Session. All 30 participants of the workshop attended the session, and almost everyone came to the board and posed favorite open problems. The session was scheduled for an hour and lasted twice as long. I asked for problem submissions in writing for this volume. Below you will find all submitted problems (which is far from all the problems orally presented at the workshop). In addition, see many more open problems in the surveys of this volume. The survey by Ronald L. Graham and Eric Tressler, for one, consists entirely of open problems.
Dismantling of the Voting Rights Act

The 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom was an iconic event in the civil rights movement in America. One goal of the March was to secure meaningful civil rights legislation, and for Congress to finally confer full citizenship rights to the descendants of slaves -- including protections that would allow them to vote -- especially in the South. Within two years, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed segregation and discrimination in all areas open to public accommodations, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which outlawed literacy tests as criteria for voting and gave African Americans the right to vote throughout the country. In June 2013, just two months before this nation commemorated the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a key provision, Section 4, of the Voting Rights Act in Shelby County v. Holder. In this paper, I provide an analysis of the Supreme Court decision and how many states who were previously subject to the Voting Rights Act are moving forward with voter ID laws and other restrictions that deny voters access to the ballot. I attempt to show why the Voting Rights Act is still needed in America to protect the rights of all Americans to freely and completely exercise the right to vote.
Assessment of movement coordination variability and neuromuscular characteristics during stair ambulation in those with and without patellofemoral pain syndrome

III ACKNOWLEDGMENTS IV CONTENTS V LIST OF TABLES VII LIST OF FIGURES VIII CHAPTER 1 1 1.
Some Perspectives on Linked Ecosystems and Socio-Economic Systems

Ecosystems and socio-economic systems are complex adaptive systems, composed of individual agents with their own selfish agendas. This creates challenges for management, which we explore.
African American delinquent youth: Overcoming zero tolerance policies and finding educational success

A critical need exists for research on high school failure, dropping out, and the relationship between these actions and zero-tolerance mandates. In this article, the authors summarize the findings of a qualitative case study among seven African American male high school students at-risk of school failure who refused enrollment in alternative education. Five themes emerged in explaining their persistence in successfully obtaining a traditional high school diploma. Using statements froma qualitative interview, the article highlights the obstacles they faced and their determination to complete school in a traditional high school setting. A discussion will offer suggestions on how to successfully serve these particular students, as well as ways to advocate and support their educational needs and decisions.
Perinatal expression of adenylyl cyclase subtypes in rat brown adipose tissue

The ability of norepinephrine to stimulate adenylyl cyclase (AC) activity increases during the perinatal period in rat brown adipose tissue (BAT), and this increase is associated with changes in the activities of both GS alpha and AC. The purpose of this study was to determine which AC subtypes are present in neonatal BAT and to examine whether the perinatal increase in AC activity corresponds to an increase in the expression of a particular AC subtype. Analysis of AC mRNAs by nuclease protection assay demonstrated the presence of mRNAs encoding AC-III, AC-IV, AC-VI, and AC-IX in embryonic and postnatal BAT. Of the subtypes detected, only AC-III mRNA levels increased substantially during the perinatal period. The increase in AC-III expression was paralleled by an increase in isoproterenol-stimulated AC activity. Treatment of neonates was the sympathetic neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine abolished the perinatal increase in both AC activity and AC-III mRNA levels but had no effect on the expression of other AC subtypes. These results strongly indicate that the increase in AC activity during the perinatal period is due to an increase in the expression of AC-III.
Ketonization of Model Pyrolysis Bio-oil Solutions in a Plug-Flow Reactor over a Mixed Oxide of Fe, Ce, and Al

The stabilization and upgrading of pyrolysis oil requires the neutralization of the acidic components of the oil. The conversion of small organic acids, particularly acetic acid, to ketones is one approach to addressing the instability of the oils caused by low pH. In the ketonization reaction, acetic acid is converted to acetone, water, and CO2. Here, a 16 vol % acetic acid solution is converted to acetone in a flow reactor over the mixed oxide Fe0.2Ce0.2Al0.6Ox in the presence of several other components meant to represent pyrolysis oil. These components include hydroxyacetone, furfural, phenol, cresol, guaiacol, and eugenol. Hydroxyacetone also undergoes ketonization, forming acetone, 2-butanone, 3-pentanone, and 2- and 3-hexanone. A mechanism for the ketonization of hydroxyacetone through propanal is proposed and supported by incorporation of isotopically labeled water. Inhibition of the reaction occurs to a significant degree by the addition of furfural, guaiacol, and eugenol.
The Separation of Mixed Fine Powders by Electrophoresis

A sub-micron powder of either alumina or zirconia was separated by electrophoresis. A mixed suspension of these powders was prepared in a powder concentration of 150-200ppm at pH 5.0, where both alumina and zirconia had enough positive zeta potential to prevent from their heterocoagulation. A uniform and stable ascent flow of electrolytic solution at pH 7.4 was made, where the difference of zeta potential between alumina and zirconia was about the maximum. The ascent flow carried a fine stream of the suspension with a diameter of less than 1mm. Applying an electric field of 10V/cm perpendicular to the flow, the fine stream of suspension was divided into two fine streams. The concentration of different kind particles in each separated suspension was reduced to 1/10 of that in original mixed suspension.
The Influence of Business Concentration on Movement Away From Declining Markets: A Study of Ohio-Based Defense Firms

This paper examines how Ohio firms with differing sales concentrations in the defense industry have responded to discontinuous change in that industry since fiscal year (FY)1990. The distinctive characteristics associated with firms having different levels of sales concentrations within the defense industry are identified. Strategic implications are drawn.
GSNOR Deficiency Enhances In Situ Skeletal Muscle Strength, Fatigue Resistance, and RyR1 S-Nitrosylation Without Impacting Mitochondrial Content and Activity.

Abstract Aim: Nitric oxide (NO) plays important, but incompletely defined roles in skeletal muscle. NO exerts its regulatory effects partly though S-nitrosylation, which is balanced by denitrosylation by enzymes such as S-nitrosoglutathione reductase (GSNOR), whose functions in skeletal muscle remain to be fully deciphered. Results: GSNOR null (GSNOR−/−) tibialis anterior (TA) muscles showed normal growth and were stronger and more fatigue resistant than controls in situ. However, GSNOR−/− lumbrical muscles showed normal contractility and Ca2+ handling in vitro, suggesting important differences in GSNOR function between muscles or between in vitro and in situ environments. GSNOR−/− TA muscles exhibited normal mitochondrial content, and capillary densities, but reduced type IIA fiber content. GSNOR inhibition did not impact mitochondrial respiratory complex I, III, or IV activities. These findings argue that enhanced GSNOR−/− TA contractility is not driven by changes in mitochondrial content or activity, f...
Unique Patterns of Cognitive Outcomes for Undergraduate Students at Southern Baptist Colleges: A Comparative Analysis

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study was to examine the levels of growth in cognitive outcomes among students attending Southern Baptist universities, as compared to their peers at other Council of Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU), Catholic, and nonsectarian institutions, and to identify the college experiences that contribute to cognitive development. Using data from the College Senior Survey, inferential analyses revealed that students enrolled at Southern Baptist colleges and universities had significantly higher levels of academic self-concept and perceived cognitive skills than students enrolled at other types of Christian institutions. In addition, regression analyses showed that the Baptist sample yielded some unique patterns as to which college experiences contributed to cognitive outcome development among students.
Identification of an orthologous clade of peroxidases that respond to feeding by greenbugs (Schizaphis graminum) in C4 grasses.

Knowledge of specific peroxidases that respond to aphid herbivory is limited in C4 grasses, but could provide targets for improving defence against these pests. A sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) peroxidase (SbPrx-1; Sobic.002G416700) has been previously linked to biotic stress responses, and was the starting point for this study. Genomic analyses indicated that SbPrx-1 was part of a clade of five closely related peroxidase genes occurring within a ~30 kb region on chromosome 2 of the sorghum genome. Comparison of this ~30-kb region to syntenic regions in switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) and foxtail millet (Setaria italica L.) identified similar related clusters of peroxidases. Infestation of a susceptible sorghum cultivar with greenbugs (Shizaphis graminum Rondani) induced three of the five peroxidases. Greenbug infestation of switchgrass and foxtail millet plants showed similar inductions of peroxidases. SbPrx-1 was also induced in response to aphid herbivory in a greenbug-resistant sorghum line, Cargill 607E. These data indicate that this genomic region of C4 grasses could be valuable as a marker to assess potential insect resistance in C4 grasses.
This Won't Hurt a Bit: Assessing English for Nursing

Although assessment in English for specific purposes has been around for nearly as long as ESP itself, questions about its nature still remain: Why is ESP testing necessary? What makes ESP tests specific? What is English for Specific Purposes? and What are the problems associated with ESP Testing? In this paper I will discuss these questions and argue that tests of English for specific purposes should adhere to an overriding criterion of fairness – fairness to the test takers, to teachers, to educational programs, and finally to the societies in which the tests operate. This point is in line with current thinking in language testing generally: that ethical language testing is a much-needed focus in assessment, one that has been neglected for too long. I will first argue that ESP tests are necessary, first because language performances vary with context, and second because specific purpose language is precise. Next, I will discuss features that give specificity and authenticity to ESP tests and work toward a definition of ESP testing. Finally, I will review some problems with ESP testing, including the nature of inferences we make based on test performance, for example the interaction between language knowledge and specific purpose background knowledge. I will conclude by suggesting ways in which ESP tests can be more relevant, motivating, accurate, and fair to test takers, teachers, administrators, and ultimately to the societies in which these stakeholders live and work.
Effects of the Advisor and Environment on Requesting and Complying With Automated Advice

Given the rapid technological advances in our society and the increase in artificial and automated advisors with whom we interact on a daily basis, it is becoming increasingly necessary to understand how users interact with and why they choose to request and follow advice from these types of advisors. More specifically, it is necessary to understand errors in advice utilization. In the present study, we propose a methodological framework for studying interactions between users and automated or other artificial advisors. Specifically, we propose the use of virtual environments and the tarp technique for stimulus sampling, ensuring sufficient sampling of important extreme values and the stimulus space between those extremes. We use this proposed framework to identify the impact of several factors on when and how advice is used. Additionally, because these interactions take place in different environments, we explore the impact of where the interaction takes place on the decision to interact. We varied the cost of advice, the reliability of the advisor, and the predictability of the environment to better understand the impact of these factors on the overutilization of suboptimal advisors and underutilization of optimal advisors. We found that less predictable environments, more reliable advisors, and lower costs for advice led to overutilization, whereas more predictable environments and less reliable advisors led to underutilization. Moreover, once advice was received, users took longer to make a final decision, suggesting less confidence and trust in the advisor when the reliability of the advisor was lower, the environment was less predictable, and the advice was not consistent with the environmental cues. These results contribute to a more complete understanding of advice utilization and trust in advisors.
Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria in Raw Meat from Retail Markets

Raw meat samples from retail markets were examined for bacteria resistant to chloramphenicol and neomycin sulfate. Total numbers of bacteria ranged from 17,000 to 30,000,000 per gram and resistant bacteria from < 100 to 450,000 per gram. Twelve isolates resistant to both antibiotics were identified as either Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas putida. or Pseudomonas fluorescens.
Heterogeneous resource allocation in Cloud Management

This paper introduces a combinatorial problem arising from real-world business requirements as part of resource allocation in Cloud Management. In particular, we focus on the allocation of a set of heterogeneous resources serving multiple tenants with different service level agreements. There exist certain business rules that govern the application stemming from privacy, performance, and capacity requirements. We show how to formulate the problem as constrained optimization and then solve it efficiently using Artificial Intelligence based constraint propagation. Our approach stands out as a high-level, declarative solution that is efficient and easy to maintain and update.
Soil gas dynamics monitoring at a CO2-EOR site for leakage detection

A comprehensive soil gas monitoring program was conducted at a CO2-enhanced oil recovery site in western Mississippi to validate near-surface monitoring technologies for CO2 leakage detection. The program included three main monitoring technologies: (1) using commercial sensors for real-time in situ monitoring of atmospheric and soil CO2 concentrations and of environmental parameters; (2) intermittent soil CO2 flux measurements with a portable CO2 flux survey system; and (3) on-site soil gas composition measurements in semipermanent soil gas wells with a portable gas chromatograph. Atmospheric and soil CO2 concentrations measured with the commercial sensors vary from 340 ppm in the atmosphere to ~12% (volume percentage) in soil at a depth of 3 m showed variations at different time scales over a period of 214 days. Atmospheric and soil CO2 concentrations also showed dependence on environmental parameters. Average CO2 flux measurements at the site were ~6 ± 5.2 g/m2/day, comparable to soil CO2 flux measurements reported at other sites. Grid soil CO2 flux measurements on the pad identified a point with CO2 flux up to 5200 ± 4000 g/m2/day, likely due to a focused leak from the underlying pipeline. Soil gas composition monitoring in the soil gas wells fell into two groups based on the relationship of the soil gas compositions, likely resulted from different biogeochemical processes. The field results provided valuable information on soil gas dynamics for validating numerical models of soil gas transport in the vadose zone and designing and implementing near-surface monitoring programs at other geological carbon sequestration sites.
Inflammatory bowel disease is presenting sooner after immigration in more recent US immigrants from Cuba.

BACKGROUND Despite a rising incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in Hispanics in the United States, there are no studies examining the relationship between immigrant generation and IBD onset among Hispanics. AIMS To determine whether age of IBD diagnosis, time from immigration to IBD diagnosis and IBD phenotype, differed across immigration periods in South Florida Cuban immigrants. METHODS This was a cohort of consecutively identified Cuban-born adults who developed IBD in the United States and were followed in gastroenterology (GI) clinic. We divided time cohorts of immigration by historical relevance: before 1980, 1980-1994 and 1995-to-present. We examined differences across time cohorts in diagnosis age, time from immigration to IBD diagnosis, and IBD phenotype (ie, IBD type, disease location). RESULTS A total of 130 Cuban patients with IBD were included. Age of IBD diagnosis was older in Cubans arriving before 1980 than in those arriving between 1980-1994 or after 1995 (44.7 vs 33.79 and 33.71, respectively, P<.0001). Time between immigration and diagnosis was shorter in patients arriving to the US after 1980 (31.77 years, Standard deviation (SD) 12.83 (<1980) vs 17.13 years, SD 8.55 (1980-1994) and 8.30 years, SD 4.72 (1995-to-present). IBD phenotype, including type of IBD, disease location and surgeries, did not differ significantly across time cohorts. CONCLUSIONS Our study describes changing patterns of IBD onset following immigration in Cubans, suggesting that environmental changes either in the United States, Cuba or both are resulting in faster IBD onset in younger immigrant generations. These studies can inform the search for environmental triggers that may result in IBD.
Single Marital Status and Infectious Mortality in Women With Cervical Cancer in the United States.

Objective Unmarried status including single marital status is associated with increased mortality in women bearing malignancy. Infectious disease weights a significant proportion of mortality in patients with malignancy. Here, we examined an association of single marital status and infectious mortality in cervical cancer. Methods This is a retrospective observational study examining 86,555 women with invasive cervical cancer identified in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program between 1973 and 2013. Characteristics of 18,324 single women were compared with 38,713 married women in multivariable binary logistic regression models. Propensity score matching was performed to examine cumulative risk of all-cause and infectious mortality between the 2 groups. Results Single marital status was significantly associated with young age, black/Hispanic ethnicity, Western US residents, uninsured status, high-grade tumor, squamous histology, and advanced-stage disease on multivariable analysis (all, P Conclusions Single marital status was associated with increased infectious mortality in women with invasive cervical cancer.
Mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 and FoxO1 in the transcriptional control of lipolysis and de novo lipogenesis.

Purpose of review Postprandial suppression of lipolysis in adipose tissue and stimulation of de novo lipogenesis (DNL) in the liver by insulin are essential for the metabolic homeostasis in the mammalian organism. The mechanism of coregulation of lipolysis and DNL is not clear. Recent findings Insulin controls both lipolysis and DNL at the level of transcription via the same mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) and FoxO1-mediated signaling pathways. Summary mTORC1 suppresses lipolysis in adipose tissue and activates DNL in the liver, whereas FoxO1 has the opposite effect. Individual inputs of either mTORC1 or FoxO1 in the regulation of lipid metabolism may be difficult to evaluate because of the cross talk between these pathways.
Fatty Acid Composition of Adult and Larval Sunray Venus Clams Macrocallista nimbosa: Environmental and Gametogenic Impacts

The sunray venus clam has been advanced as an alternative species to hard clams for aquaculture in Florida. Although interest and market potential are high, hatchery operators continue to experience problems with consistent year-round spawns. Gametogenesis in other species has been linked to changes in fatty acid (FA) profiles, which are in turn affected by temperature and diet. Knowledge of specific FAs that are important for the development of high-quality gametes has implications in determining optimal conditions for maturation systems. This study compared the FA profile of sunray venus clams (wild, cultured) collected from two locations during the natural fall spawning cycle to (1) determine which FAs are associated with gametogenesis and (2) assess the impact of exogenous influences. The FA profile of developing clam larvae was likewise examined to offer additional insight into endogenous and exogenous influences. Males and wild females exhibited fall spawning peaks, with the majority in gametogenesis in the spring. Males had a second spawning peak in February, and cultured females spawned continuously throughout the 6-mo study period. The FA profile appeared to be less associated with gametogenesis than with sex or exogenous influences. Decreases in n-6 PUFAs (inverse relationship) and increases in n-3 PUFAs (positive relationship) were associated with gametogenesis in males and wild females, but not cultured females, perhaps because of the protracted spawning period. Differences were noted between the sexes, regardless of month or location, with females having a higher amount of total FAs, MUFAs(16:1 n-7), and SFAs (16:0 and 14:0), but lower n-3 PUFAs (22:6 n-3). There was little difference in the FA profile of clams collected at the two locations, although the wild population tended towards higher total FAs and n-3 PUFAs. Diet (chlorophyll a concentration and turbidity) appeared to have a stronger link with changes in FA profile and gametogenesis than temperature. Discernable differences were observed in the FA composition (n-3 and n-6 PUFAs) of larvae and 5-day postset that reflected the impact of both endogenous and exogenous (diet) influences. These results indicate that algal species with select FA profiles may increase maturation, particularly in females, leading to more consistent spawns.
User Interface Design's Return on Investment: Examples and Statistics

Publisher Summary Making computer-based products (and services) more usable is smart business. User interface (UI) development is part of a product's development cost, and it pays to do it right. Most software and Web site development managers view usability costs as added effort and expense, but more commonly the reverse is true. Usability returns many benefits (return on investment [ROI]) to products developed for internal use or sale. It also plays a role in the public's perception of a company, affecting brand value and market share. Usability can also affect a company's financial health and public perception in less obvious ways. With an understanding of the basic benefits of usability, this chapter examines the evidence for a positive ROI, lists the key usability benefits and defines appropriate value propositions. For each of these value propositions, this chapter presents examples that help interpret the cost of usability challenges and/or it cites statistics. Although a cost-benefit analysis for every circumstance does not exist, these “proofs” of applying usability in UIs predict likely quantifiable benefits or ROI.
Facing Medusa: A Thirteenth-Century Reliquary of King David

Viewers of a late medieval reliquary in Basel’s cathedral treasury were confronted with a seemingly irreconcilable contradiction: the reliquary is in the shape of the heroic King David, ancestor of Christ, but the face is a cameo of Medusa, the female monster who turned men to stone.
Pre-clinical evaluation of OxyChip for long-term EPR oximetry

Tissue oxygenation is a critical parameter in various pathophysiological situations including cardiovascular disease and cancer. Hypoxia can significantly influence the prognosis of solid malignancies and the efficacy of their treatment by radiation or chemotherapy. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) oximetry is a reliable method for repeatedly assessing and monitoring oxygen levels in tissues. Lithium octa-n-butoxynaphthalocyanine (LiNc-BuO) has been developed as a probe for biological EPR oximetry, especially for clinical use. However, clinical applicability of LiNc-BuO crystals is hampered by potential limitations associated with biocompatibility, biodegradation, or migration of individual bare crystals in tissue. To overcome these limitations, we have embedded LiNc-BuO crystals in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), an oxygen-permeable biocompatible polymer and developed an implantable/retrievable form of chip, called OxyChip. The chip was optimized for maximum spin density (40% w/w of LiNc-BuO in PDMS) and fabricated in a form suitable for implantation using an 18-G syringe needle. In vitro evaluation of the OxyChip showed that it is robust and highly oxygen sensitive. The dependence of its EPR linewidth to oxygen was linear and highly reproducible. In vivo efficacy of the OxyChip was evaluated by implanting it in rat femoris muscle and following its response to tissue oxygenation for up to 12 months. The results revealed preservation of the integrity (size and shape) and calibration (oxygen sensitivity) of the OxyChip throughout the implantation period. Further, no inflammatory or adverse reaction around the implantation area was observed thereby establishing its biocompatibility and safety. Overall, the results demonstrated that the newly-fabricated high-sensitive OxyChip is capable of providing long-term measurements of oxygen concentration in a reliable and repeated manner under clinical conditions.
The Psychological Adjustment of Transracial Adoptees: An Application of the Cultural-Racial Identity Model

In response to the need for increased understanding of the identity process of transracial adoptees, the Cultural–Racial Identity Model (A. L. Baden & R. J. Steward, 1995) was developed; however, the model has yet to be empirically validated. The model allows distinctions to be made between racial identity and cultural identity, resulting in 16 proposed identities. Identities are based on the degrees to which individuals (1) have knowledge of, awareness of, competence within, and comfort with their own racial group's culture, their parents' racial group's culture, and multiple cultures, and (2) are comfortable with their racial group membership and with those belonging to their own racial group, their parents' racial group, and multiple racial groups. Four dimensions of the model were determined for study: the Adoptee Culture Dimension, the Parental Culture Dimension, the Adoptee Race Dimension, and the Parental Race Dimension. In this study, the Cultural–Racial Identity of transracial adoptees was assessed by a modified version of the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM; J. S. Phinney, 1992). Psychological adjustment was assessed by the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI; L. R. Derogatis & P. A. Cleary, 1977). The sample consisted of 51 transracial adoptees who completed mail survey questionnaires. The exploratory findings supported the Cultural–Racial Identity Model by demonstrating that the modified version of the MEIM successfully yielded variation in the potential Cultural–Racial Identities that the transracial adoptees reported. Findings also did not yield support for differences in psychological adjustment among transracial adoptees having different Cultural–Racial Identities. The implications that the results have for counseling practice and social policy were discussed.
Ultradian Oscillations in Human Blood Pressure: Effects of Age

We postulated that normative aging is a progressive loss of dynamic stability that might manifest itself through spectral changes in cardiovascular processes. Using ambulatory monitoring we obtained 24 h time-series data on systolic pressure, diastolic pressure and heart rate in 13 subjects younger than 50 years and 25 subjects age 50 or older. All were in good health without history of cardiovascular disease. The two groups did not differ in heart rate or diastolic pressure with respect to means, variances, or power spectral profiles; but they differed significantly in systolic pressures. Overall, the old had higher 24 h mean systolic pressure than the young. In 15 of the old systolic pressures during sleep were at the same levels as those of the young during sleep, but in 10 it was approximately 25 mm Hg higher. We therefore subcategorized the old as sleep-normotensive systolic old (NTO) or sleep-elevated systolic old (ESO). In both subgroups systolic pressure during wakefulness was the same and averaged 15–20 mm Hg higher than that for the young. Although systolic 24 h variance was higher overall in the old than in the young, the NTO group provided most of that increase; their systolic pressure wa3 low during sleep but elevated during wakefulness. Power spectral profiles showed that the variance of the systolic pressure spectrum of the young was evenly distributed over ultradian period ranges. In contrast, both subgroups of the old showed concentration of systolic variance at periods of approximately 40 min and 3 h. We concluded that with respect to systolic pressure dynamics, the two subgroups of old may represent different physiological states: those normotensive during sleep but with 3lightly elevated pressures during wakefulness may reveal a normative aging process; those with elevated systolic pressures during sleep as well as during the day may represent early stages of impending isolated systolic hypertension. In both cases the appearance of ultradian rhythms with periods of about 40 min and 3 h may be a manifestation of intrinsic aging, independent of disease.
Changes and Challenges in the Rise of Mass Higher Education in Korea

This chapter addressed the historical development of the Korean higher education and discussed the implications of the expansion in the higher education system for social equality. The emergence of the mass higher education system is a relatively recent historical phenomenon in Korea. The rapid expansion in the higher education system over the last three decades has resulted in the drastic increase in the number of young Koreans who study at higher education institutions. However, empirical research shows that this quantitative development of the mass higher education system has not necessarily created equal outcomes for all college graduates. Graduates from selective four-year universities in Seoul Metropolitan area, which higher SES students are more likely to attend, enjoy better life opportunities compared with less prestigious institutions. This chapter, therefore, calls for closer attention to the ways that qualitative disparities, rather than quantitative differences, shape educational experiences and various socioeconomic outcomes for various groups of young people to better understand the social implication of the mass higher education system in Korea
Genome-Wide Association and Mechanistic Studies Indicate That Immune Response Contributes to Alzheimer's Disease Development.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia. Although genome-wide association study (GWAS) have reported hundreds of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and genes linked to AD, the mechanisms about how these SNPs modulate the development of AD remain largely unknown. In this study we performed GWAS for three traits in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and one clinical trait in the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) cohort. Our analysis identified five most significant AD related SNPs (FDR2) of three TFs (PLAG1, RREB1 and ZBTB33) for two motifs containing SNPs rs2075650 and rs157580. In addition, our GWAS showed that both rs2075650 and rs157580 were significantly associated with the poliovirus receptor-related 2 (PVRL2) gene (FDR<0.25), which is involved in spreading of herpes simplex virus (HSV). The altered regulation of PVRL2 may increase the susceptibility AD patients to HSV and other virus infections of the brain. Our work suggests that AD is a type of immune disorder driven by viral or microbial infections of the brain during aging.