cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
HIV prevalence and influential fctors among people participating premarital physical examination in 2011 in Dehong prefecture

Objective To explore the prevalence and influential factors human immunodeficiency virus( HIV) infection among people participating premarital physical examination in 2011 in Dehong prefecture. Methods All people participating in premarital physical examination in 2011 were interviewed with a questionnaire and tested for HIV. Totally22 780 persons were involved in the survey. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to assess the influencing factors. Results In 2011,the median age of the people participating premarital physical examination was 28 years,and 51. 10% were male,5. 77% were from foreign countries. Among the participants,42. 41% had pre-marital sexual behaviors,0. 13% had history of drug injection. There were 167 HIV-positive participants identified,with a HIV prevalence rate of 0. 73%. According to the result of multivariate logistic regression,age,transnational marriage,race,education,living area,and drug use were the influencing factors of HIV infection( P 0. 05). Conclusion The HIV prevalence among premarital health examinees in 2011 was at a high level and some examinees had HIV-related high risk behaviors and those with transnational marriage were at higher risk of HIV infection.
Diagnostics: Body Imaging

Diagnosis of Crohn’s disease (CD) relies on a combination of endoscopy, imaging, and pathologic examination. Imaging is used to suggest the diagnosis of CD, document the distribution of disease, assess activity, and detect complications. Imaging is also useful to suggest alternate diagnoses in patients suspected of having CD.
Current Status if Microwave Effects on the Blood-Brain Barrier

AbstractCurrent status of microwave effects on the blood-brain barrier is reviewed. Twenty-five references are sited.
The management of urinary tract infections in children without urinary tract abnormalities.

SUMMARY Although most urinary tract infections in children with normal urinary tract anatomy pose little threat to renal function, pyelonephritis, particularly in infants, may cause renal scarring when not diagnosed and treated promptly. For most children, however, the problems of urinary tract infection may be related to a biologic predisposition to recurrent infections and the bothersome clinical symptoms associated with them. In these children, infections should be diagnosed carefully and then treated for 3 days with appropriate antimicrobial agents. In children with frequently recurrent infections (more than two in 6 months), a prophylactic antimicrobial agent in the proper low dosage may be useful. Children bothered by infection-associated symptoms of bladder dysfunction with persistent incontinence may improve with treatment with anticholinergic drugs and/or bladder rehabilitation. There may also be a decrease in the rate of urinary tract infections with this treatment. When covert bacteriuria is found and bothersome symptoms are associated with it, symptoms should be treated. If recurrent covert bacteriuria is truly asymptomatic, however, not treating the infection may be the best option.
STATISTICS ANXIETY AND WORRY: THE ROLES OF WORRY BELIEFS, NEGATIVE PROBLEM ORIENTATION, AND COGNITIVE AVOIDANCE

Statistics anxiety is a common problem for graduate students. This study explores the multivariate relationship between a set of worry-related variables and six types of statistics anxiety. Canonical correlation analysis indicates a significant relationship between the two sets of variables. Findings suggest that students who are more intolerant of uncertainty, believe that worry is beneficial, possess a negative approach to problems, and utilize cognitive avoidance as a coping strategy are more likely to have higher levels of the six types of statistics anxiety. These results highlight the complexity of graduate students’ statistics anxiety. Suggestions for intervention are discussed. First published November 2015 at Statistics Education Research Journal Archives
Chunking as the result of an efficiency computation trade-off

How to move efficiently is an optimal control problem, whose computational complexity grows exponentially with the horizon of the planned trajectory. Breaking a compound movement into a series of chunks, each planned over a shorter horizon can thus reduce the overall computational complexity and associated costs while limiting the achievable efficiency. This trade-off suggests a cost-effective learning strategy: to learn new movements we should start with many short chunks (to limit the cost of computation). As practice reduces the impediments to more complex computation, the chunking structure should evolve to allow progressively more efficient movements (to maximize efficiency). Here we show that monkeys learning a reaching sequence over an extended period of time adopt this strategy by performing movements that can be described as locally optimal trajectories. Chunking can thus be understood as a cost-effective strategy for producing and learning efficient movements.
Is robotic partial nephrectomy convenient for solitary kidney

Nephron sparing surgery (NSS) is the gold standard treatment option for patients with a solitary kidney in order to preserve renal function. Open partial nephrectomy (OPN) has been long considered the standard care for NSS. Robotic partial nephrectomy (RPN) is being gradually used more commonly even for solitary kidney and complex tumors. There was no difference between RPN and OPN regarding the rate of intraoperative-postoperative complications and positive surgical margin (PSM) (RPN: 7.5%, OPN: 8%) for patients with solitary kidney who underwent partial nephrectomy for small renal masses. Warm ischemia time (WIT) in all of our studies was within the safe range of 25 minutes, administration of intracorporeal ice slush during surgery may be considered.
Ceramide-1-Phosphate a Novel Mediator for Phagocytosis.

We identified the generation of ceramide-1-phosphate (C1P) through activation of a ceramide kinase in neutrophils. Our previous studies indicated that C1P enhanced calcium-dependent fusion of liposomes. We hypothesized that human ceramide kinase (hCERK) activity and C1P synthesis leads to enhanced phagocytosis through a mechanism involving modulating membrane fluidity and Ca2+ generation. hCERK was stably transfected into COS-1 cells bearing FcγRIIA. hCERK activity was 2.3 times higher in cells transfected with hCERK than in the FcγRIIA cells or cells transfected with pc-vector. Stably transfected cells showed a 3-fold increase in phagocytosis. Besides increasing phagocytosis, the percentage of ingesting COS-1 cells increased from 43+ 11 in control cells and 50 + 11 in pc-vector control to 70 + 9 (p<0.0001, n=6) in pc-hCERK transfected cells. Cells labeled with [3H]- D -erythro-sphingosine and challenged with particles increased both phagocytosis by three fold and C1P levels by two times compared to resting controls. FcγRIIA, pc-vector and pc-hCERK transfected cells were subjected to cellular fractionation. Utilizing an antibody to c-Myc we confirmed that c-Myc tagged pc-hCERK was localized in the raft fraction, which was identified by a caveolin-1 marker. To assess plasma membrane fluidity we labeled COS–1 cells with 2-dimethylamino-6-lauroylnaphthalene (Laurdan). Cells transfected with pc-hCERK showed higher liquid crystalline order than control and vector transfected cells, a condition favorable to promote membrane fusion. Such ordered structures are reported to be the site of Ca2+ waves ignition. High speed imaging revealed that cells bearing pc-hCERK showed two Ca2+ waves beginning at the leading edge of the cell that propagated in both directions. When the two waves reached the vicinity of the phagosome, a secondary waves split off from each of them, then propagated about the perimeter of the phagosome. That was inhibitable by employing a store-operated Ca2+ channel (SOC) inhibitor. This behavior is unique to the FcγRIIA/pc-hCERK transfected cells. In conclusion transfected COS-1 cells were able to increase their C1P levels during phagocytosis. This changed the structural order parameter of the lipid rafts where hCERK is localized and likely contributed to phagocytosis by promoting phagosome development. Lipid rafts were enriched in Ca2+ signaling machinery and in turn pc-hCERK transfection resulted in a novel means to markedly enhance phagocytosis by generating Ca2+ movement from SOC.
Influence of Motor Cortex Stimulation During Motor Training on Neuroplasticity as a Potential Therapeutic Intervention.

ABSTRACTRehabilitation options to promote neuroplasticity may be enhanced when patients are engaged in motor practice during repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). Twelve participants completed 3 separate sessions: motor practice, motor practice with rTMS, and rTMS only: motor practice consisted of 30 isometric contractions and subthreshold rTMS was 30, 3-s trains at 10 Hz. Assessments included the Box and Block Test (BBT), force steadiness (10% of the maximum voluntary contraction), and TMS (cortical excitability, intracortical inhibition, and intracortical facilitation). Participants significantly increased BBT scores following the combined condition. Force steadiness improved after all 3 conditions (p < .05). TMS outcomes depended on intervention condition with significant increases in facilitation following the motor practice plus rTMS condition. All interventions influenced motor control, yet are likely modulated differently when combining motor practice plus rTMS. These results help gu...
Classification and adaptive behavior prediction of children with autism spectrum disorder based upon multivariate data analysis of markers of oxidative stress and DNA methylation

The number of diagnosed cases of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) has increased dramatically over the last four decades; however, there is still considerable debate regarding the underlying pathophysiology of ASD. This lack of biological knowledge restricts diagnoses to be made based on behavioral observations and psychometric tools. However, physiological measurements should support these behavioral diagnoses in the future in order to enable earlier and more accurate diagnoses. Stepping towards this goal of incorporating biochemical data into ASD diagnosis, this paper analyzes measurements of metabolite concentrations of the folate-dependent one-carbon metabolism and transulfuration pathways taken from blood samples of 83 participants with ASD and 76 age-matched neurotypical peers. Fisher Discriminant Analysis enables multivariate classification of the participants as on the spectrum or neurotypical which results in 96.1% of all neurotypical participants being correctly identified as such while still correctly identifying 97.6% of the ASD cohort. Furthermore, kernel partial least squares is used to predict adaptive behavior, as measured by the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Composite score, where measurement of five metabolites of the pathways was sufficient to predict the Vineland score with an R2 of 0.45 after cross-validation. This level of accuracy for classification as well as severity prediction far exceeds any other approach in this field and is a strong indicator that the metabolites under consideration are strongly correlated with an ASD diagnosis but also that the statistical analysis used here offers tremendous potential for extracting important information from complex biochemical data sets.
Plasma Spray Deposition: A Need for Direct Process Control

Plasma spray deposition has become a spray forming technique for making thin, free standing metal matrix composites (MMC). Successful application of plasma spray forming as a production process for producing such highly engineered materials will require process controls which can, in real time, monitor and control the deposition process. The plasma process has historically been controlled by monitoring and controlling input variables which in many cases do not indicate the state of the materials being processed Direct methods of measurement and process control are needed, including plasma jet temperature, plasma jet velocity, particle temperature, deposit temperature, deposit thickness, deposit density and deposit defect levels. Direct measurement requires the use of non-destructive and/or non-intrusive measurements to determine absolute or relative “process” levels. NDE techniques applied to the plasma process will create the basis for “intelligent process control” which integrates process models, input variable controls and direct measurements.
The relative importance of labels and behavior descriptions in determining attitudes toward labeled behavior

Descriptions of behavior and the labels given to the behavior were both found to be important determiners of the ratings given to labeled behavior. Ss rated the concepts “Insane Man,” “An Emotionally Disturbed Man,” and “A Mentally Ill Person,” alone as labels and in association with a brief description of mentally ill behavior. Descriptions of this behavior without labels were also rated. There were differences between the ratings given to the terms alone, but more important, there were also differences between the ratings when the different labels were applied to the descriptions.
Variation in Radiologic and Urologic Computed Tomography Interpretation of Urinary Tract Stone Burden: Results From the Registry for Stones of the Kidney and Ureter.

Objective To compare the measured stone burden recorded between urologists and radiologists, and examine how these differences could potentially impact stone management. As current urologic stone surgery guideline recommendations are based on stone size, accurate stone measurements are crucial to direct appropriate treatment. This study investigated the discrepant interpretation that often exists between urologic surgeons and radiologists' estimation of patient urinary stone burden. Materials and Methods From November 2015 through August 2016, new patients prospectively enrolled into the Registry for Stones of the Kidney and Ureter (ReSKU) were included if they had computed tomography images available and an accompanying official radiologic report at the time of their urologist provider visit. Stone number and aggregate stone size were compared between the urologic interpretation and the corresponding radiologic reports. Results Of 219 patients who met the inclusion criteria, concordance between urologic and radiologic assessment of aggregate stone size was higher for single stone sizing (63%) compared with multiple stones (32%). Statistical significance was found in comparing the mean difference in aggregate stone size for single and multiple stones (P Conclusion Significant variation exists between urologic and radiologic computed tomography interpretations of stone burden. Urologists should personally review patient imaging when considering stone surgical management. A standardized method for measuring and reporting stone parameters is needed among urologists and radiologists.
Engineering the Surface of Cells Using Biotin–Avidin Chemistry

This chapter is dedicated to the use of biotin-avidin chemistry to functionalize cell surfaces for a range of biomedical and biotechnological applications. The importance of different avidin analogs and methods of cell surface biotinylation are discussed. The valuable role of biotin-avidin chemistry in augmenting tissue engineering is highlighted as well as its role in generating cell-particle hybrids for downstream medical purposes such as cancer vaccines and targeted drug delivery.
COBRA: New Interferometric Inspection Design Software

Coherent optical testing methods such as holography, electronic speckle pattern interferometry (ESPI) and shearography have proven capabilities for performing structural inspections. However, a recurring challenge for inspectors is the determination of the optimum inspection configuration and loading method. Typically inspectors rely on experience or trial and error methods. Often a single configuration is used for a variety of applications. This lack of inspection design can reduce inspection reliability for complex structures. Therefore, to provide an inspection design tool, we are developing a computer code which simulates inspection processes.
Non-Pharmacological and Surgical Management of COPD

Surgical intervention including bullectomy, lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) and lung transplantation can be considered in a select group of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. Bullectomy may result in improvement of some of the indices of respiratory function and dyspnoea with a gradual worsening over the years. Surgical LVRS results in improvement of various lung function parameters and exercise capacity. In addition, LVRS offers survival benefit in patients with upper lobe dominant disease and low exercise tolerance at base line. In contrast, patients with diffuse very advanced disease have higher mortality with LVRS. Lung transplantation may be complicated by chronic allograft rejection and infection. Careful preoperative selection and preparation is essential for a successful outcome.
Cardiac IQ-SPECT and LEHR-SPECT characteristics and differences

1229 Learning Objectives 1. To review quality control requirements for a cardiac IQ-SPECT system. 2. To demonstrate the differences in appearance of attenuation and scatter artifacts in IQ-SPECT and LEHR-SPECT. 3. To compare low dose attenuation corrected (AC) IQ-SPECT with standard dose AC LEHR-SPECT. IQ SPECT was developed by Siemens Medical Solutions to improve the efficiency of myocardial perfusion imaging on standard, large field-of-view SPECT and SPECT/CT systems using new multifocal (SMARTZOOM) collimators and cardio-centric orbit. However, the IQ SPECT system requires a higher degree of detectors’ alignment, and unfortunately the lack of it, cannot be detected with standard camera QC testing. Imaging a cardiac phantom (or some other suitable phantom) is needed to assure acceptable system performance. Here we identify and illustrate: 1) the need for extensive/adequate acceptance testing; 2) the position and severity of the attenuation and scatter artifacts in non-corrected images for variety of the cardiac conditions; 3)differences between AC and non-AC corrected images; 4) image quality at different count densities (dose and/or imaging time levels). All imaging is conducted using a Data Spectrum torso phantom with cardiac insert on a SPECT /CT system equipped with IQ- and LEHR-collimators. Conclusion: IQ SPECT is highly dependent on detector alignment and requires rigorous acceptance testing to assure adequate performance. A properly adjusted system is capable of producing good quality reconstructed images with reduced scan time and/or patient dose while maintaining acceptable spatial resolution. There are significant differences in artifact position and severity in non-corrected IQ-SPECT images compared to non-corrected LEHR SPECT images.
Mechanical behavior of cross-linked random fiber networks with inter-fiber adhesion

We study the effect of inter-fiber adhesion on the mechanical behavior of cross-linked ran- dom fiber networks in two dimensions. To this end, we consider networks with connectiv- ity number, z , below, at, and above the isostaticity limit of the structure without adhesion, z c . Fibers store energy in the axial and bending deformation mode and the cross-links are of freely rotating type. Adhesive forces lead to fiber bundling and to a reduction of the total volume of the network. The degree of shrinkage is determined as a function of the strength of adhesion and network parameters. The mechanical response of these struc- tures is further studied in uniaxial tension and compression. The stress-strain curves of networks without inter-fiber adhesion exhibit an initial linear regime, followed by strain stiffening in tension and strain softening and strain localization in compression. In pres- ence of adhesion, the response becomes more complex. The initial linear regime persists, with the effective modulus decreasing and increasing with increasing adhesion in cases with z > z c and z z c subjected to tension strain-stiffen at rates that depend on the adhesion strength, but eventually enter a large strain/stress regime in which the response is independent of this parameter. Networks with z z c case, increasing the adhe- sion strength reduces the linear elastic modulus and significantly increases the range of the linear regime, delaying strain localization. This first investigation of the mechanics of cross-linked random networks with inter-fiber adhesion opens the door to the design of soft materials with novel properties.
Analysis of Various Ultrasonic Holographic Imaging Methods for Medical Diagnosis

Acoustical imaging for medical diagnosis is becoming a reality. This paper is meant to be an engineering analysis of the problem of imaging internal tissue masses and of the systems that might solve it. Because experimental data and experience are meager, it is a rough sort of analysis. However, rough analysis is better than no analysis; it is hoped that the results, though approximate, will provide some insight to the problem and to the solutions.
Elective Termination of Pregnancy in Autoimmune Rheumatic Diseases: Experience From Two Databases.

Objective To provide reference data regarding the frequency and safety of elective termination of pregnancy in women with autoimmune rheumatic diseases followed up in 2 referral databases. Methods Two large databases, one from an autoimmune rheumatic disease referral clinical practice with a known interest in pregnancy (the Barbara Volcker Center for Women and Rheumatic Disease [BVC]), and one from an observational study of systemic lupus erythematosus- and antiphospholipid antibody-associated pregnancies (Predictors of Pregnancy Outcome: Biomarkers in Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus [PROMISSE]), were interrogated for histories of prior elective termination of pregnancy and complications related to incident pregnancy termination. Results Of women who had had prior pregnancies, 21.7% of 1,307 in the BVC database and 25.3% of 297 in the PROMISSE database gave histories of 1-5 prior elective terminations of pregnancy; BVC patients reported no flares or hospitalizable complications due to pregnancy termination. Of 674 incident pregnancies, termination for fetal or maternal reasons was recommended for 15 (2%); of these, 2 fetuses died before the procedure was carried out and 1 woman declined termination and, though gravely ill, successfully delivered. She died of cardiomyopathy 3 years later. Conclusion Many patients with autoimmune rheumatic disease undergo elective termination of pregnancy; few report complications. In medically indicated termination of pregnancy, there are no adverse signals of unusual complications or disease flare.
Behavioral Interventions for Alzheimer’s Management Using Technology: Home-Based Monitoring

Dementia is a progressive brain disease that affects 5.8 million people in the USA. In 2018, more than 16 million Americans provided unpaid care for persons with dementia (PWD). Most of this care is provided by family members and friends yielding 18.5 billion hours of unpaid care worth $233.9 billion.Novel technological approaches to assist caregivers and improve health and function of PWD are being explored. Models to assess and predict behaviors may provide greater quality of life (QOL) for both PWD and their caregivers. The purpose of this paper is to review current available technologies for behavioral interventions in persons with Alzheimer’s disease or other related dementias who live in the home setting. High-quality systematic reviews have studied behavioral or psychological symptoms, some with non-pharmacological interventions (NPI). Some of these involve technology, but others address functional and safety issues. The most frequent behaviors identified in PWD were aggression, agitation, wandering, apathy, and disturbed sleep. There is some evidence of a beneficial effect of NPI on depression and ADL, but no impact on overall behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), anxiety, or agitation. Technological interventions including combined phone and web impacted caregiver burden and depression. Multimodal sensors to detect agitation show moderate correlation and in-home video recording can improve caregiver’s competence and lessen depression. Acceptance and adherence in use of technologies are essential for PWD and their caregivers in the home setting. There is a need for more RCT’s and individualization of technologies and research must also involve both caregivers and PWD. Systematic reviews addressing behavioral symptoms identify music as the most effective NPI for improving overall BPSD.
Recent Developments in C–C Bond Formation Using Catalytic Reductive Coupling Strategies

Metal-catalyzed reductive coupling processes have emerged as a powerful methodology for the introduction of molecular complexity from simple starting materials. These methods allow for an orthogonal approach to that of redox-neutral strategies for the formation of C–C bonds by enabling cross-coupling of starting materials not applicable to redox-neutral chemistry. This short review summarizes the most recent developments in the area of metal-catalyzed reductive coupling utilizing catalyst turnover by a stoichiometric reductant that becomes incorporated in the final product. 1 Introduction 2 Ni Catalysis 3 Cu Catalysis 4 Ru, Rh, and Ir Catalysis 4.1 Alkenes 4.2 1,3-Dienes 4.3 Allenes 4.4 Alkynes 4.5 Enynes 5 Fe, Co, and Mn Catalysis 6 Conclusion and Outlook
How Blind and Visually Impaired Composers, Producers, and Songwriters Leverage and Adapt Music Technology

Today, music creation software and hardware are central to the workflow of most professional composers, producers, and songwriters. Music is an aural art form, but it is notated graphically, and highly visual mainstream technologies pose significant accessibility barriers to blind and visually impaired users. Very few studies address the current state of accessibility in music technologies, and fewer propose alternative designs. To address a lack of understanding about the experiences of blind and visually impaired music technology users, we conducted an interview study with 11 music creators who, we demonstrate, find ingenious workarounds to bend inaccessible technologies to their needs, but still face persistent barriers including a lack of options, a limited but persistent need for sighted help, and accessibility features that fail to cover all use cases. We reflect on our findings and present opportunities and guidelines to promote more inclusive design of future music technologies.
Making the Transition

This chapter takes the idea of an academic transition and examines a few of the factors that any practitioner seeking to make the transition should take into account. First and foremost is the reality that since every individual and institution is different, every journey will, by extension, also be different. While this text, in addition to this chapter, focuses on some of the specific considerations that practitioners should take into account, including doing some due diligence on the institution and specific department, there are bigger picture factors that also should be accounted for. Education, despite the allusion to it often as the “ivory tower” is a dynamic industry that is changing rapidly. To best equip oneself and set oneself up for success in this space, practitioners will need to understand the macroeconomic factors changing the profession, as well as the options available to them as this journey is undertaken. Make no mistake the higher education space is a business as well as a calling, and the same factors that change other businesses will—and are—having an impact on education. Chapter 2 breaks down the different types of doctorate, compare and contrast these options, and provide some practical insights as to what types of decision factors might inform your decision.
What Shapes Short-Term Study Abroad Experiences? A Comparative Case Study of Students' Motives and Goals.

This comparative case study explored the motives and goals of two American students participating in short-term study abroad (SA). Findings, interpreted from an activity theory perspective, demonst...
A survey of deep learning-based methods for cryo-electron tomography data analysis

Abstract Over the past 2 years, we have witnessed the emergence of a number of deep learning-based methods for cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) data analysis. As a result of better instruments and data collection software in recent years, cryo-ET data are collected at a faster and faster pace, into the rim of high-throughput methods. However, cryo-ET data analysis tasks are still very challenging due to the low signal-to-noise ratio. The deep learning approach is very promising to the cryo-ET research community because of its scalability and potential to improve the accuracy with a large amount of data. In this survey, we review a number of deep learning-based methods proposed for cryo-ET data analysis tasks including segmentation, classification, and others. This survey also discusses their advantages and drawbacks, which provide potential directions for future research.
Whitefly-mediated transmission and subsequent acquisition of highly similar and naturally occurring Tomato yellow leaf curl virus variants.

Begomoviruses are whitefly-transmitted viruses that infect many agricultural crops. Numerous reports exist on individual host plants harboring two or more begomoviruses. Mixed infection allows reco...
Energy-efficient gas-fired tumble dryer with adsorption thermal storage

Abstract Improvements to the energy efficiency of open-cycle tumble dryers have the potential to substantially reduce CO2 emissions. A novel adsorption-based thermal energy storage system is integrated into a gas-fired dryer here. An adsorbent bed is used to capture waste heat from the exhaust stream, store, and reuse it in the current and subsequent drying cycles. A heat and mass transfer model is developed to capture the dynamics of the thermal storage system, and validated experimentally on a 11.33-kg capacity gas-fired tumble dryer. The model predicts the inlet and exit temperatures of the drum with average absolute deviations of 7.1% and 8.4%, respectively. The analysis indicates that an 8.5-kg silica gel adsorption bed can yield a specific moisture extraction ratio of 1.166 k W h k g w − 1 , a 22% reduction over the energy consumption of the conventional gas-fired tumble dryer. In addition, drying time is reduced by 19%. This technology can be implemented in a variety of dryers to take advantage of the waste heat in the exhaust stream.
Genetic coordination of sperm morphology and seminal fluid proteins promotes male reproductive success in Drosophila melanogaster

Spermatozoal morphology is highly variable both among and within species and in ways that can significantly impact fertilization success. In Drosophila melanogaster, paternity success depends on sperm length of both competing males and length of the females primary sperm storage organ. We found that genes upregulated in long sperm testes are enriched for lncRNAs and seminal fluid proteins (Sfps). Transferred in seminal fluid to the female during mating, Sfps are secreted by the male accessory glands (AG) and affect female remating rate, physiology, and behavior with concomitant advantages for male reproductive success. Despite being upregulated in long sperm testes, they have no known function in testis tissue. We found that Sex Peptide and ovulin (Acp26Aa) knockouts resulted in shorter sperm, suggesting that Sfps may regulate sperm length during spermatogenesis. However, knockout of AG function did not affect sperm length, suggesting that AG expression has no influence on spermatogenic processes. We also found that long sperm males are better able to delay female remating, suggesting higher Sfp expression in AG. These results might suggest that long sperm males have a double advantage in sperm competition by both delaying female remating, likely through transfer of more Sfps, and by resisting sperm displacement. However, we also found that this extra advantage does not necessarily translate to more progeny or higher paternity success. Thus, we found that multiple components of the ejaculate coordinate to promote male reproductive success at different stages of reproduction, but the realized fitness advantages in sperm competition are uncertain. Significance StatementThe ejaculate is comprised of sperm produced in the testis and seminal fluid primarily produced in the male accessory glands (AG). These complementary components are both critical for male reproductive success, but they are largely considered to be functionally, genetically, and developmentally independent. In a quest to understand genetic mechanisms of sperm length variation, we found that genes upregulated in long sperm testes are enriched for lncRNAs and seminal fluid proteins (Sfps). Knockout of two Sfps, Sex Peptide and ovulin, results in shorter sperm, though knockout of AG function has no effect. Moreover, long sperm males delay female remating longer. These results suggest sophisticated testis-AG coordination that amplifies male reproductive success, with implications for evolutionary integration of sexually selected traits.
Age-related genetic and epigenetic chromosomal changes: A twin study

AGE-RELATED GENETIC AND EPIGENETIC CHROMOSOMAL CHANGES: A TWIN STUDY Kimberly Haydu Jones, B.S. A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2009 Director: Colleen Jackson-Cook, Ph.D. Department of Pathology The primary aims of this study were to examine acquired genetic and epigenetic changes that occur in individuals with increasing age and to determine how these changes are influenced by genetic/environmental factors. Acquired genetic changes were assessed by determining the frequency and chromosomal contents of spontaneously occurring micronuclei in identical and fraternal twins. A total of 115 individuals (48 twin pairs and 19 singletons) were evaluated, ranging in age from 7 to 85 years. As expected, micronuclei frequencies, which are indicative of genomic damage, significantly increased with age (p<0.0001, r=0.446). The majority of micronuclei (32%) contained sex chromosomes and the frequency of sex chromosome-bearing micronuclei significantly increased with age (p<0.0001). The frequency of autosome-containing micronuclei was not significantly influenced by age or gender. However, some autosomes were seen more (chromosomes 4, 8, and 9) or less (chromosomes 17 and 22) frequently than expected by
Weimar Germany and the Ruhr Struggle

It has been suggested, perhaps with some justice, that the history of Germany from 1919 to 1939 was largely the history of the Treaty of Versailles. It would seem that the new Weimar Republic faced an apparently insurmountable array of obstacles during the period from 1919 to 1924. Bearing the burdens of a nation defeated after a long and exhausting war, forced to accept a treaty which rested on the highly dubious and debatable theory of Germany’s sole guilt and responsi- I bility for the war, disillusioned with the Allied failure to implement ! Wilson’s 14 Points; beset by a staggering demand for reparations, as well as a maze of domestic and international economic problems, there is small wonder that the infant democracy, besieged by foes from within and without, stumbled and faltered. Aside from these burdens, Weimar Germany, suffering from weakness and inexperience in the art of self-government, faced the problem of a splinter or multi-party system, aggravated by proportional representation, which could produce little more than a shaky coalition government. Interest groups were frequently able to utilize, for their own ends, the power vacuum resulting from such party splintering.1
Knowledge Management and Information Technology (Know-IT Encyclopedia)

Abstract : As knowledge management (KM) and information technology (IT) have developed and grown, numerous technical terms and phrases have evolved that many may find difficult to understand. This encyclopedia is an attempt to create and distribute a knowledge-level tool. Much of it is tacit knowledge taken from the author's experience on-the-job at the Program Executive Office for Information Technology (PEO-IT), the Department of the Navy (DON) Chief Information Office, and from courses taken at the Information Resources Management College to achieve certifications (ClO and National Security Telecommunications and Information Systems Security Instruction NSTISSI 4011).
Unintended Consequences of not Specifying Exclusionary Illnesses for Systemic Exertion Intolerance Disease.

The Institute of Medicine recently proposed a new case definition for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), as well as a new name, Systemic Exertion Intolerance Disease (SEID). Contrary to the Fukuda et al.’s CFS case definition, there are few exclusionary illnesses specified for this new SEID case definition. The current study explored this decision regarding exclusionary illnesses using the SEID criteria with four distinct data sets involving patients who had been identified as having CFS, as well as healthy controls, community controls, and other illness groups. The findings indicate that many individuals from major depressive disorder illness groups as well as other medical illnesses were categorized as having SEID. The past CFS Fukuda et al. prevalence rate in a community based sample of 0.42 increased by 2.8 times with the new SEID criteria. The consequences for this broadening of the case definition are discussed.
Adaptive ajax-based streaming video for the irobot create platform for use in buildings with infrastructure mode 802.11 networks

An adaptive, Internet streaming video service for use in consumer grade Web-enabled telerobotic systems is presented. The system, based on the FFMPEG multimedia framework, is designed to stream video at different dynamically controlled frame rates and video quantizer scales as a function of current wireless data rate. Video is captured from an onboard camera connected to an embedded single board computer (SBC) through an IEEE 1394 (Firewire) serial interface, all set within the robot's payload bay. As a mobile robot engages in indoor tasks that span long distances in corridors on multiple floors within buildings with integrated 802.11 infrastructure mode wireless service, different signal strengths may be observed by the robot's wireless transceiver due to free space path loss and attenuation from building infrastructure, which effectively varies the WLAN data rate. In the 2.4 GHz band used by 802.11b and g, path loss from drywall can be 4 dB, brick wall 8 dB, concrete wall 10–15 dB, and 20 dB through stucco wall that uses diamond lath. An 802.11 transceiver will step down its data rate as signal strength decreases. As a result, the rate and quality of real-time transmission of video frames from a mobile robot must adapt to a changing signal strength to prevent jitter and packet loss which is undesirable in mobile telerobotic systems, as it is essential for the human controller to have an accurate picture of the robot's position and orientation at all times to avoid collision. In this paper, we present an adaptive system that varies the frame transmission rate or the quantizer scale in real-time, as a function of the robot's current WLAN transceiver data rate. The numerical method employed is based on acquiring the effective data rate required to stream video frames from 3 to 30 fps at different quantizer scales, fitting this data to a polynomial model, and using an iterative Newton-Raphson solver to solve the inverse problem to perform rate adaptation. Performance results based on variable frame rate at a fixed quantizer scale and variable quantizer scale at a fixed frame rate are presented.
Seed removal by ants, birds and rodents in a woodland savanna habitat in Zimbabwe

Seed removal from bait stations was studied in miombo habitat in western Zimbabwe. Previous studies of seed predation in southern Africa have largely been conducted in desert ecosystems. However, this woodland-savanna habitat is more mesic and has relatively predictable rainfall patterns. The experiment was conducted in grassy and woody microhabitats in the hot, dry season and early wet season, and followed a year in which precipitation was 69% of the long-term average. Birds removed the greatest quantity of seeds, followed by ants and then rodents. Previous studies in northern hemisphere mesic environments emphasize the importance of rodents and minor role of invertebrates in seed predation. Although our site appears to have more in common with southern hemisphere desert sites than with northern hemisphere mesic sites, we recognize thatour results are likely to reflect a lower limit of consumption by rodents.
Methods for Estimating Adjusted Risk Ratios

The risk ratio can be a useful statistic for summarizing the results of cross-sectional, cohort, and randomized trial studies. I discuss several methods for estimating adjusted risk ratios and show...
Sparse approximate solutions to semidefinite programs

We propose an algorithm for approximately maximizing a concave function over the bounded semi-definite cone, which produces sparse solutions. Sparsity for SDP corresponds to low rank matrices, and is a important property for both computational as well as learning theoretic reasons. As an application, building on Aaronson's recent work, we derive a linear time algorithm for Quantum State Tomography.
Star Formation and Structure Formation at Redshifts 1 < z < 4

The advent of 8m-class telescopes has made galaxies at 1 ~ 1, and the differences (and similarities) in the resulting galaxy samples, I summarize what is known about the spatial clustering of star-forming galaxies at z >~ 1. Optically selected galaxies are the main focus of this review, but in the final section I discuss the connection between optical and sub-mm samples, and argue that the majority of the 850 micron background may have been produced by known optically selected populations at high redshift. Among the new results presented are the dust-corrected luminosity function of Lyman-break galaxies at z~3, the estimated contribution to the 850 micron background from optically selected galaxies at 1 = 1.0, sigma_z = 0.10.
The “Every Child Deserves a Medical Home” Training Program: More Than a Traditional Continuing Medical Education Course

Objectives. 1) To develop and implement an innovative, interactive, and nontraditional continuing medical education (CME) curriculum to educate primary care physicians, pediatric office staff, child health advocates, allied health care professionals, and parents of children with special health care needs (CSHCN) about the medical home concept of care and 2) to identify key partners in communities to plan the CME program and ultimately plan for fostering medical homes at the community and state levels. Methods. Participant outcomes for the CME program and planning process include 1) explaining the elements of the medical home concept as applied to their practice environment or child’s care; 2) understanding the concepts, skills, and information necessary to care successfully for CSHCN who are enrolled in managed care organizations; 3) accurately describing trends and developments in caring for CSHCN; 4) identifying programs in the community that serve CSHCN; and 5) assessing and, if necessary, improving pediatric office practices to ensure that they are sensitive to families of children and youths with special health care needs. Conclusion. A diverse national committee that included physicians, nonphysicians, and family members developed the Medical Home Training Program curriculum. The medical home curriculum was written to meet the needs of the local community. The training program can offer CME credit and use a direct, outcome-based adult learning technique (eg, determine short- and long-term goals). Furthermore, the program parallels and complements the Healthy People 2010 goals and objectives.
Generalized ellipsometry for monoclinic absorbing materials: determination of optical constants of Cr columnar thin films

Generalized spectroscopic ellipsometry is used to determine the form-induced birefringence and monoclinic optical constants of chromium columnar thin films. The slanted nanocolumns were deposited by glancing angle deposition under 85 degrees incidence and are tilted from the surface normal. Dichroism measured for wavelengths from 400 to 1000 nm renders the Cr nanocolumns monoclinic absorbing crystals with c axis along the nanocolumns axis, b axis parallel to the film interface, and 74.8 degrees monoclinic angle between a and c axes. The columnar thin film reveals anomalous optical dispersion, extreme birefringence, and strong dichroism and differs entirely from bulk chromium.
Natural bias approach to shape preserving curves

This paper presents a natural bias approach to shape preserving curves. Bias is an effect which is found by increasing the magnitude of one tangent vector on a curve section, at the expense of another tangent, thus 'pulling' the curve in the direction of the first tangent. An approach is discussed whereby shaping parameters are exploited. Piecewise biasing is discussed and three theorems are proposed. Examples and proofs are offered.
Placental FKBP5 Genetic and Epigenetic Variation Is Associated with Infant Neurobehavioral Outcomes in the RICHS Cohort

Adverse maternal environments can lead to increased fetal exposure to maternal cortisol, which can cause infant neurobehavioral deficits. The placenta regulates fetal cortisol exposure and response, and placental DNA methylation can influence this function. FK506 binding protein (FKBP5) is a negative regulator of cortisol response, FKBP5 methylation has been linked to brain morphology and mental disorder risk, and genetic variation of FKBP5 was associated with post-traumatic stress disorder in adults. We hypothesized that placental FKBP5 methylation and genetic variation contribute to gene expression control, and are associated with infant neurodevelopmental outcomes assessed using the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Network Neurobehavioral Scales (NNNS). In 509 infants enrolled in the Rhode Island Child Health Study, placental FKBP5 methylation was measured at intron 7 using quantitative bisulfite pyrosequencing. Placental FKBP5 mRNA was measured in a subset of 61 infants by quantitative PCR, and the SNP rs1360780 was genotyped using a quantitative allelic discrimination assay. Relationships between methylation, expression and NNNS scores were examined using linear models adjusted for confounding variables, then logistic models were created to determine the influence of methylation on membership in high risk groups of infants. FKBP5 methylation was negatively associated with expression (P = 0.08, r = −0.22); infants with the TT genotype had higher expression than individuals with CC and CT genotypes (P = 0.06), and those with CC genotype displayed a negative relationship between methylation and expression (P = 0.06, r = −0.43). Infants in the highest quartile of FKBP5 methylation had increased risk of NNNS high arousal compared to infants in the lowest quartile (OR 2.22, CI 1.07–4.61). TT genotype infants had increased odds of high NNNS stress abstinence (OR 1.98, CI 0.92–4.26). Placental FKBP5 methylation reduces expression in a genotype specific fashion, and genetic variation supersedes this effect. These genetic and epigenetic differences in expression may alter the placenta’s ability to modulate cortisol response and exposure, leading to altered neurobehavioral outcomes.