cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Simulation Study Evaluating Bio-Creep Risk in Serial Noninferiority Clinical Trials for Preservation of Effect

In noninferiority trials, acceptable efficacy of an experimental treatment is established by ruling out some defined level of reduced effect relative to an effective active control standard. Serial use of noninferiority trials may lead to newly approved therapies that provide meaningfully reduced levels of benefit; this phenomenon is called bio-creep. Simulations were designed to facilitate understanding of bio-creep risk when approval of an experimental treatment with efficacy less than some proportion of the effect of the active control treatment would constitute harm, such as when new antibiotics that are meaningfully less effective than the most effective current antibiotic would be used for treatment of Community-Acquired Bacterial Pneumonia. In this setting, risk of approval of insufficiently effective therapies may be great, even when the standard treatment effect satisfies constancy across trials. Modifiable factors contributing to this manifestation of bio-creep included the active control select...
Non-linear control variates for regenerative steady-state simulation

We assume the existence of a parameterized family of control variates that could be used in a regenerative steady-state simulation. We show how such controls can be generated in the Markov-process setting, discuss the optimization problem of searching for a good choice of parameterization, and develop a strong law and central limit theorem for the resulting estimator.
Subband coding of video with adaptive vector quantization

A low bit rate adaptive video coding technique is proposed. The redundancy within adjacent video frames is exploited by motion-compensated interframe prediction, and the motion-compensated frame difference (MCFD) signal is decomposed by using a quadrature mirror filter (QMF) structure. The subband signals are vector quantized adaptively. The MCFD signals are low correlated, hence transform coding techniques are not very suitable for this kind of signal source. At 0.25-0.3 bits/pixel range, 38-40-dB peak-to-peak signal-to-noise ratio is achieved with the proposed scheme for four monochrome test sequences used: cindy, mono, duo, and quartet. The visual quality of the encoded test sequences is good, almost indistinguishable from the originals. The proposed technique outperforms the adaptive transform coding and adaptive vector quantization techniques for the tested sequences. >
Computational studies of ligand diffusion in globins: I. Leghemoglobin

The thermally assisted diffusion of a small ligand (carbon monoxide) through a protein matrix (lupine leghemoglobin) is investigated computationally. The diffusion paths are calculated by a variant of the time-dependent Hartree approximation which we call LES (locally enhanced sampling). The variant which was recently introduced by Elber and Karplus is based on the classical TDSCF approximation of Gerber et al. The simulation enables more significant search for diffusion pathways than was possible before. This is done by increasing the number of ligand trajectories using a single trajectory for the protein. We compare qualitatively diffusion rates in leghemoglobin and in myoglobin. The calculation shows that the diffusion in leghemoglobin is much faster than the diffusion in myoglobin, in agreement with experiment. The gate in leghemoglobin is opened by fluctuations at a close contact between the B/C and the G helices. The most relevant fluctuation is the rigid shift of the C helix with respect to the G helix. This path is not observed in a comparable calculation for myoglobin. This finding is rationalized by the lack of the D helix in leghemoglobin and a significantly more flexible CE loop. Supporting experimental evidence for the importance of the CE loop in leghemoglobin can be found in the kinetics studies of Gibson et al.
Perpendicular magnetic recording write head design

Scaling down recording geometric parameters to achieve higher bit density has resulted in a media thermal stability crisis. This is motivating the change over from longitudinal to perpendicular recording because of its greater thermal stability. The preferred write head for perpendicular recording is the shielded pole geometry which has a better write field gradient than the traditional monopole. These issues are discussed in detail.
Effect of Water Activity on the Sensory Crispness and Mechanical Deformation of Snack Food Products

Potato chips, popcorn, puffed corn curls, and saltines were equilibrated to various water activities (aw) over saturated salt solutions. Sensory panels determined the crispness and textural hedonic quality of the humidified products by the magnitude estimation technique coupled to a verbal concept scale. Critical water activities (ac), where the products became organoleptically unacceptable, generally fell in the 0.35–0.50 aw range. Instron analyses showed that the force-deformation curve changed distinctly near the ac for saltines and puffed corn curls, while the curve changed more gradually with increasing aw for popcorn. Potato chips did not produce a consistently shaped force-deformation curve. The cohesiveness value of popcorn was found to be a good indicator of its sensory crispness.
Wave energy and public opinion in the state of Oregon, U.S.A.

Countries have been developing renewable energies for quite some time now, and people are starting to think of them as being affordable, readily available, and good for the environment. The time has come to develop wave energy. Governments around the world are finally seeing the benefits of its unstoppable grace and power and are starting to account for it in their renewable energy portfolios. There is one huge potential problem, however, and that is "public acceptability". Even though public acceptability is not a new phenomenon — it has often been encountered with new technologies and even new things there is one unique factor this time. It is the common space hugging the continents called the ocean. The traditional ocean uses, especially within three miles of the coastline in the U.S., do not include energy extraction. The question becomes how this new need for harnessing ocean power and turning it into electricity is going to fit within the existing array of ocean uses — fishing, recreation, transportation, aesthetics, and marine life conservation. The state of Oregon, U.S.A., has been identified as the most suitable place for wave energy development of all 23 coastal states in the United States [1]. Today, however, almost five years after the EPRI study was published, there is not a single commercial wave energy project in the waters off Oregon. Why? Does public opinion have anything to do with it? How should public opinion be interpreted? This study provides some insight and understanding about the determinants of public opinion with regard to renewable energy, the role these determinants play in public opinion formulation, and their relative importance in citizens' support of or opposition toward wave energy development in Oregon. The findings of a statewide survey reveal that the typical respondent is supportive of wave energy development, even though s/he does not consider herself/himself well informed about renewable energy, and that s/he is least knowledgeable about wave energy of all renewable options. These results indicate that increased outreach efforts for wave energy are warranted; especially considering the fact that 83% of respondents believe it is "possible to increase energy supplies while protecting the environment at the same time".
Neoliberalism and casualization of public sector services: The case of waste collection services in Cape Town, South Africa

This paper focuses on the waste collection strategies of the municipal government in Cape Town, South Africa. This case is used as a point of entry to a much wider debate on global neoliberalism and the privatization of municipal services. The analysis of the case study sheds light on the links between the cost recovery agenda of the neoliberal state and the casualization of labor. To minimize costs the privatizing local governments, like private sector firms, rely on and have further enhanced the casualization of labor. This blurs the conceptual distinction between the public and private sectors whereby the local governments treat citizens as customers with stratified entitlements to basic services. Stressing the continuities of apartheid under the neoliberal policies, the paper highlights the specific ways in which the neoliberal state in its postapartheid moment uses gender ideologies and the rhetoric of voluntarism and black empowerment to justify its use of casual labor and the precarious working conditions among poor women of black townships.
Eradication—preventing invasions at the outset

Abstract A growing number of invasive animal populations—both vertebrate and invertebrate—have been completely eradicated. These projects usually have been on islands, but some have been on large continental areas, and many technologies have been used. Total eradication of plant populations has been reported less frequently, but there are nevertheless many successes. Though biological features may tend to make plant eradication more difficult than animal eradication, the difference in the number of success stories is probably more due to greater enthusiasm, persistence, and perhaps resources devoted to animal eradication than to biological differences. There is every reason to believe that many plant populations could be eradicated, particularly if eradication campaigns were coupled with a monitoring system that detects invasions early. Features conducive to successful eradication are (1) resources must be adequate, and there must be a commitment to see the project through to completion; (2) clear lines o...
Taken as a given: evaluating the accuracy of remotely sensed crop data in the USA.

Abstract Quantifying the extent of agricultural land is important for addressing a large range of ecological, environmental, and economic questions. In many cases, answers focused on land use change require fine scale spatial data on the arrangement of crop types. Here we take advantage of the simultaneous availability of fine resolution, geospatial cropland data—the Cropland Data Layer, and comprehensive tabulated data—the USDA Census of Agriculture, to better understand the accuracy of geospatial data and thus, how geospatial data may be used in scientific research. We compared area estimates for cropland and major US crops (corn, soybeans, wheat and small grains) at the county level for the contiguous US in 2012 and for a subset of states in 2007. We find that accuracy of the Cropland Data Layer is high in regions dominated by a few crop types. However, elsewhere in the US accuracy is highly variable with common large areal overestimates and underestimates (+/− 50% or more). Before employing the CDL and other geospatial data for applications such as measuring fine scale changes in land use, users should be wary of the potentially high misclassification error.
nNOS and eNOS modulate cGMP formation and vascular response in contracting fast-twitch skeletal muscle

Lau, Kim S., Robert W. Grange, Eiji Isotani, Ingrid H. Sarelius, Kristine E. Kamm, Paul L. Huang, and James T. Stull. nNOS and eNOS modulate cGMP formation and vascular response in contracting fast...
Patriots and Pedagogues: Cultural Institutions and the Performative Politics of Minority German Hip-Hop

This article examines the politics of immigrant and minority German hip-hop from its emergence until today as well as its role within the cultural policies of the state. Hip-hop in Germany has both provided scripts for political and social contestation and acted as a means for the state to manage potentially “unruly” youth. Whereas early politically oriented hip-hop was divided between minoritarian ethnic and civic national forms of affiliation, in the past decade it has increasingly embraced German national symbolism from diverse political positions. We analyze these developments in the work of three contemporary artists and examine how their cultural production operates within national and transnational pedagogical contexts.
Effect of methoxychlor on reproductive systems of the rat.

Methoxychlor ( MeOCL ), a chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticide, was administered by oral gavage for 70 days to male and 14 days to female rats at dose levels of 100 and 200 mg/kg/day of body weight. Methoxychlor inhibited spermatogenesis in the males and folliculogenesis in female rats. The sustentacular (Sertoli) cells showed degenerative fatty changes as a result of which blood-testis barrier could have been affected. Degenerative changes of the spermatogonia and the spermatocytes and transformation of some of these cells into polynucleated and binucleate cells were observed. Myelin figures and degenerate mitochondria were observed in the binucleate cells at the ultrastructural level. Some of the seminiferous tubules were devoid of all cellular elements with the exception of spermatogonia. The epithelium of the ductus epididymis manifested conspicuous cytoplasmic vacuolations , and near the tail, the duct was distended with fluid which compressed the lining epithelium. Atresia of the ovarian follicles was evident with pyknosis and karyorhexis of the granulosa cells.
Religion and child abuse: Perfect together.

As I look back on the presidential addresses presented during the years of my active membership in the SSSR, my sense is that a number of them have been truly influential, since they alerted our members to issues which many were than inspired to examine in subsequent years. One presidential address that particularly stands out in my mind is Bill D'Antonio's given in 1979 on "Family and Religion," subsequently published in the JSSR (D'Antonio 1980:89-104). AsJSSR editor from 1982-88, I know that Bill's address on family and religion was both timely and influential. In the December 1984 issue, I reported that there were more submissions on the topic of "religion and the family" than on any other single topic, including new religious movements and the New Christian Right. A year later, in the December 1985 issue, I reported that this topic had dropped to second place, behind Catholicism. (Maybe authors were picking up on the subtext of Bill's address, which focused on recent changes in Catholic family structures and values.) During the next two years, "religion and the family" placed fourth and tied for fifth in number of submissions. Its heady years at or near the top were over, but as a topic, it had gained a secure place in our professional journal, and in the society's annual program. In his address, Bill discussed the relationship of love and autonomy in the family. He said that we should pay more attention to the role that love plays in the family, especially in enabling individual family members to experience the personal autonomy which was so strongly emphasized in earlier studies of religion and the family by Gerhard Lenski in the 1950s. Bill concluded his address with this invitation:
SBAS-DInSAR Parallel Processing for Deformation Time-Series Computation

The aim of this paper is to design a novel parallel computing solution for the processing chain implementing the Small BAseline Subset (SBAS) Differential SAR Interferometry (DInSAR) technique. The proposed parallel solution (P-SBAS) is based on a dual-level parallelization approach and encompasses combined parallelization strategies, which are fully discussed in this paper. Moreover, the main methodological aspects of the proposed approach and their implications are also addressed. Finally, an experimental analysis, aimed at quantitatively evaluating the computational efficiency of the implemented parallel prototype, with respect to appropriate metrics, has been carried out on real data; this analysis confirms the effectiveness of the proposed parallel computing solution. In the current scenario, characterized by huge SAR archives relevant to the present and future SAR missions, the P-SBAS processing chain can play a key role to effectively exploit these big data volumes for the comprehension of the surface deformation dynamics of large areas of Earth.
Abstract 3927: Distinct roles of hMLH1-hMRE11 in homologous recombination and heteroduplex DNA repair at a single chromosomal locus

Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC Increasing evidence indicates that the mismatch repair protein hMLH1 and DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair protein hMRE11 play multifunctional roles in various processes of DNA repair and damage response in human cells. Our previous studies have revealed a physical interaction between these two proteins and have suggested a role for hMRE11 in heteroduplex DNA repair and hMLH1-dependent DNA damage-induced G2 arrest. Here, we analyzed the effects of hMLH1-hMRE11 on homologous recombinational repair of an induced DSB and consequential heteroduplex repair at a single chromosomal locus by a newly developed reporter system. The results of these studies indicate that hMLH1 and hMRE11 display a synergistic anti-recombination effect and the hMLH1-mediated anti-recombination is at least partially dependent on its interaction with hMRE11, whereas the repair of heteroduplex DNA requires functional hMLH1 and hMRE11. Consistent with these results, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) analysis of the reporter locus demonstrates that DSB triggers the loading of hMLH1 and hMRE11 proteins to both the proximal region and the site containing heteroduplex DNA. However, in contrast to the proximal regions, loading of hMLH1-hMRE11 at the site of heteroduplex DNA also requires hMSH2, suggesting the involvement of DNA mismatch repair. In summary, our studies have provided evidence to suggest that, in addition to DNA damage response, hMLH1-hMRE11 are involved in at least two other DNA damage repair processes: anti-recombination and heteroduplex DNA repair. Our results implicate that mutations impairing the hMLH1-hMRE11 interaction might promote spontaneous chromosomal recombination between ectopic repetitive sequences and thereby increasing gene conversion and genomic instability. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3927.
Active damping strategy for grid-side converter with LCL filter in wind power system

The damping strategy of resonance oscillations is investigated to improve the system stability of the grid-side converter with LCL filter in wind power system.Based on the characteristic analysis of its current loop,an active damping control strategy is proposed.The proportion parameter is used to control the pole of capacitor current for increasing the damping of grid current closed loop control system to suppress the resonance oscillations.The phase-leading filter is used to compensate the time delay for decreasing the influence of sampling on system stability.The simulation model the experimental system of wind power system based on LCL filter are built to verify the correctness of theoretic analysis and the feasibility of control strategy.
Classification, diagnosis and treatment of hypothyroidism.

Hypothyroidism is discussed under the headings of myxedema, permanent hypothyroidism without myxedema, and cretinism. The accuracy and limitations of various laboratory tests of thyroid function are reviewed in relation to these categories. Three features which may be useful in recognition of atypical cases are abnormal menstruation, psychosis and anemia.Treatment consists of continual replacement therapy with desiccated thyroid. In cretinism, although normal function seldom is attainable, the physician should attempt to obtain maximal benefit for the patient.
Lidocaine in ultrasound-assisted lipoplasty.

The doses of lidocaine used for lipoplasty often exceed what is commonly recommended for other surgical procedures. When using these high volumes of lidocaine and wetting solutions, a variety of safety issues must be considered. The author knows of no other plastic surgery operation in which the safety of the procedure is so influenced by the medications administered. Each component of the wetting solution—the alkalized fluid, the epinephrine, and the lidocaine—has an individual and interrelated role. The absorption of lidocaine with epinephrine after subcutaneous installation for lipoplasty probably represents a unique situation, and the concepts presented should not necessarily be extrapolated to other types of procedures.
The impact of proximate base station measurements on localizability in cellular systems

The ubiquity of cellular networks makes them a preferred choice for geolocation in places that lack GPS coverage. While the analysis of cellular-based geolocation has traditionally been driven by simulation-based approaches, the increasing irregularity in the base station (BS) locations facilitate the use of powerful mathematical tools from stochastic geometry for their performance analysis. In this paper, we examine the impact of proximate base station measurements on localizability (the ability to get a location fix) in cellular-based systems. By proximate base station measurements we mean any measurements which indicate that a specific base station is within a predefined distance to the mobile. In particular, we derive a mathematically tractable expression for localizability probability, where localizability is defined as the union of the two events: (i) at least L BSs are hearable at the device to be localized, and (ii) the nearest active BS is within a certain predefined distance from the device to be localized (i.e., there is a proximate BS). Using this result, we quantify the gains achieved in localizability by incorporating measurements from the proximate BS in the localization procedure.
PROMOTING HEALTHY AGING: A LEADERSHIP ROLE IN GERIATRIC EDUCATION

This article reflects upon recent scientific discussion regarding the compression of morbidity as it relates to health promotion for older adults. Results of a national needs assessment regarding health promotion activity are reported and model programs in health education and health promotion are described. Three exemplary programs were selected for their public sector‐private sector partnerships as well as for their innovation and integrity within the field of health promotion. Examples of areas in need of leadership in geriatric education are highlighted.
Alcohol Septal Ablation

Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) is a relatively common genetic disorder that exhibits wide variability in its clinical expression. Symptomatic patients most frequently experience exertional dyspnea, chest pain, fatigue and, occasionally, orthopnea or nocturnal dyspnea. Five to 10 % of symptomatic patients with HOCM are refractory to medical therapy (typically beta blockers and heart rate lowering calcium antagonists) and may require mechanical approaches targeting relief of obstruction and mitral regurgitation. Previously, mechanical approaches were limited to surgical myectomy, however, since the late 1990s increasing experience with a percutaneous technique, alcohol septal ablation, has become a widely-used alternative to surgical myectomy.
Derivation of Hematopoietic Stem Cells from Embryonic Stem Cells.

Despite the significant in vitro blood-forming potential of murine embryonic stem cells (ESCs), deriving hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) that can reconstitute irradiated mice has proven to be challenging. Previously, we successfully engrafted lethally irradiated adult mice with ESCs engineered to ectopically express the homeodomain gene hoxB4 . In engrafted animals, blood reconstitution showed a myeloid predominance, likely due to an inability to fully pattern the adult HSC from these embryonic populations. Recently, we have investigated cdx4 , a caudal -related homeobox gene whose function has been linked to blood development in the zebrafish. During in vitro differentiation of murine ESCs, cdx4 is expressed during a very narrow time interval on day 3, coincident with the specification of hematopoietic mesoderm. To further characterize the function of cdx4 in mouse hematopoiesis, we have established a tetracycline-inducible murine embryonic stem cell line. When cdx4 expression is conditionally induced over a protracted period from day 2 and 6, we observe a marked enhancement of hemangioblast formation as well as significant increases in primitive and definitive hematopoietic colonies. Cdx4 acts to induce a broad array of hox genes, including a modest elevation in hoxb4 . Co-expression of cdx4 and hoxb4 promotes robust expansion of hematopoietic blasts on supportive OP9 stromal cultures. When injected intravenously into lethally-irradiated mice, these cell populations provide robust radio-protection, and reconstitute high-level lymphoid-myeloid donor chimerism. Marrow from engrafted primary animals can be transplanted into irradiated secondary mice. B220+ splenic lymphoid cells and Mac-1/Gr-1+ marrow myeloid cells purified from primary and secondary mice show multiple common sites of retroviral integration, thereby proving the derivation of long-term hematopoietic stem cells from embryonic stem cells in vitro . Our data support a central role for the cdx4-hox gene pathway in specifying murine HSC development, and establish a robust system for hematopoietic reconstitution from ESCs. We have coupled techniques for generating ESCs by nuclear transfer with these methods for blood reconstitution to model the treatment of genetic disorders of the bone marrow.
Teaching audience adaptation using connected presentations and teamwork

Courses: Introduction to Communication, Public Speaking, Persuasion, Business Communication.Objective: This activity increases students’ understanding of audience adaptation and improves their ability to adapt presentations to specific audiences.
Persistence of a sugar-rejecting cockroach genotype under various dietary regimes

Glucose-aversion is a heritable trait that evolved in a number of German cockroach (Blattella germanica L.) populations in response to strong selection with glucose-containing insecticide baits. However, in the absence of glucose-containing bait, glucose-averse (GA) cockroaches have lower performance than wild-type (WT) cockroaches in several fitness-determining traits. We allocated 48 caged populations initiated with homozygous GA and WT adults to four dietary treatments consisting of either pure rodent chow, rodent chow mixed to yield a content of either 20% glucose or 20% fructose, or a treatment consisting of choice between the 20% glucose- and the 20% fructose-containing food. After 6 months we found significantly higher frequency of WT individuals in populations restricted to the 20% glucose food, and after 12 months all dietary treatments contained significantly more WT individuals than expected. In accompanying experiments, we found lower survival and longer development time of GA nymphs restricted to glucose-containing food. We furthermore found evidence for assortative mating of females with males from their own genotype, with significant differences within WT cockroaches. Our study shows experimental evidence that within heterogeneous populations, WT German cockroaches will over time prevail in abundance over GA individuals, even when glucose is not a dietary component.
The Effects of Pyrethroid Insecticides on Synaptic Transmission in Slices of Guinea Pig Olfactory Cortex

The synthetic pyrethroids are potent and widely used insecticides. Pyrethroids modify the ionic permeability of nerve membranes and produce distinctive poisoning syndromes in insects and mammals (1,4,5). These agents have been divided into two major classes on the basis of their structures, neurophysiological and toxicological actions (2). Pyrethroids containing an α-cyano substituent have been classified as type II pyrethroids and include the agents deltamethrin and fenvalerate. Type II pyrethroid insecticidal action is associated with long nerve discharges and nerve membrane depolarization and these compounds produce a poisoning syndrome in mammals characterized by tremors, choreoathetosis and tonic Scizures. The noncyano pyrethroids (type I) include the agents permethrin and tetramethrin and produce extensive repetitive firing in isolated invetebrate nerve preparations. The type I poisoning syndrome in mammals is characterized by hyperactivity and tremor.
Psychological Interventions for the Treatment of Pain in the Rehabilitation Patient

Psychological treatment has emerged as a significant and common component of multidisciplinary and integrated treatment of chronic pain. These treatments are informed by the biopsychosocial model of pain as well as a vast amount of extant research on the role of behavioral, cognitive, and affective factors in the perpetuation of chronic pain and concomitant psychological distress and disability. This chapter reviews empirically supported psychological interventions including cognitive behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, relaxation training, biofeedback, and clinical hypnosis.
Decoding Science: Development and Evaluation of a Science Communication Training Program Using a Triangulated Framework:

The authors describe a science communication training called “Decoding Science” and the steps taken to develop and assess program effectiveness. Evaluation is based on a triangulated framework invo...
Cytokinins as Metabolic Stimulants Which Induce Pod Set

Bearing numerous fruit, the initiation of which is spread over a period of days or weeks, represents an adaptive advantage by allowing seed to develop and mature during a wider span of time, which reduces the likelihood of pest or environmental stress severely reducing the number of viable propagules that an individual plant produces. To achieve this spread in fruit initiation, many plants have a prolonged flowering period. Normally, those flowers which open first will produce a fruit which will attain maturity if stress is absent. Those flowers opening late in the flowering period are likely to abort, given- that the earlier flowers have produced viable fruit. If, however, the early flowers are induced to abort by stress conditions or physical removal, then the likelihood that later flowers will produce viable fruit is greatly enhanced.
Communicating Bad News in the Health Care Organization

Communication is the dynamic exchange of information or news either verbally or non-verbally, which can have a profound emotional impact on both the receiver and the deliverer of news, especially if bad news is delivered badly. In the health care industry, communication occurs daily between medical and non-medical staff working to provide efficient and compassionate patient care. Despite the constant need for physicians and other health care professionals to communicate bad news to patients, there is poor emphasis on formal training in effective communication in the training curriculum. There is also a paucity of evidence-based literature on how to have difficult conversations in the work place or how to break bad news to a patient. This chapter reviews a multi-faceted approach to effective ­communication, and proposes helpful, practical strategies to effective communication in the ­workplace and during patient care. Efficient communication requires adequate preparation, true self-knowledge and responsibility, consideration and good listening skills from both parties, genuine display of empathy and compassion, conveying positive, hopeful messages during the conversation, individualized information to the specific situation and person, appropriate control of emotions, and efficient plans for support and follow-up after the conversation.
Workplace indoor environmental quality and asthma-related outcomes in healthcare workers

Background Asthma-related health outcomes are known to be associated with indoor moisture and renovations. The objective of this study was to estimate the frequency of these indoor environmental quality (IEQ) factors in healthcare facilities and their association with asthma-related outcomes among workers. Methods New York City healthcare workers (n = 2030) were surveyed regarding asthma-related symptoms, and moisture and renovation factors at work and at home during the last 12 months. Questions for workplace moisture addressed water damage (WD), mold growth (MG), and mold odor (MO), while for renovations they addressed painting (P), floor renovations (FR), and wall renovations (WR). Regression models were fit to examine associations between work and home IEQ factors and multiple asthma-related outcomes. Results Reports of any moisture (n = 728, 36%) and renovations (n = 1412, 70%) at work were common. Workplace risk factors for asthma-related outcomes included the moisture categories of WD by itself, WD with MO (without MG), and WD with MG and MO, and the renovation category with the three factors P, FR, and WR. Reports of home IEQ factors were less frequent and less likely to be associated with health outcomes. Data analyses suggested that MG and/or MO at work and at home had a synergistic effect on the additive scale with a symptom-based algorithm for bronchial hyperresponsiveness. Conclusions The current study determined that moisture and renovation factors are common in healthcare facilities, potentially putting workers at risk for asthma-related outcomes. More research is needed to confirm these results, especially prospective studies.
Impact of an LGBTQ Campus Recreation Student Employee Training Initiative on Professional Competencies

Campus recreational sport programs strive to create an environment that is accessible to diverse participants, including LGBTQ population groups. While improvement has been made in promoting resour...
Candidate recruitment and former rebel parties

What kinds of candidates do former rebel groups that transform into political parties recruit to their electoral banner after a civil war? Although there has been a growing literature on the transformation of rebel groups into political parties, there is remarkably little literature on the candidates they recruit to run in elections. Using a unique dataset that codes individual level candidate characteristics, we examine the kinds of candidates that a former rebel group, the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), recruited to run in the single-member plurality districts in the first Constituent Assembly Election in 2008 after the end of the Nepalese civil war. In particular, we examine two key questions: Who did the CPN(M) recruit to run under the banner of the party? Where did they nominate different kinds of candidates? The results suggest that the Maoists recruited candidates based on characteristics of the districts, not unlike what would be expected of most parties. Highly placed party officials were nom...
Digest: Evolutionary dynamics of specialization of a fungal pathogen

Pathogen specialization may not always arise due to an adaptive trade-off between infecting one or many species. Bruns et al. characterized the potential host range of four lineages of the fungal pathogen Microbotryum on three Dianthus species. They found that both generalists and specialists co-occurred in nature and no clear fitness benefit is found for either. They suggested that specialization may be related to the specific geographic distribution of these plants.
Auroral Processes on Jupiter and Saturn

Auroral Phenomen Other Planets Geophysical Mon © 2012. American 10.1029/2011GM This chapter will give an overview of the auroral emissions observed at Jupiter and Saturn and describe the general level of understanding of the physics behind the emissions and controlling electrodynamic processes. Topics include the observed distribution and variations in auroral emissions, the different auroral emission regions on Jupiter, our understanding of the locations within the magnetospheres controlling the auroral emissions, and our understanding of the auroral physics for the different regions and emissions. Relevance to the largescale structure of the magnetospheres and interaction with the solar wind will also be discussed.
Work, Energy, and Power

The terms work, energy, and power are common words in English. In physics we require precise definitions so that these terms can be formulated mathematically. Readers will find that definitions in physics do not always match the usage of the words. For example, although a student may do homework, by the physics definition of work none is being done, although at the biological cellular level, chemical work is being done. We will not consider chemical work in this book. It is important that we consider mechanical work, energy, and power, for it is the treatment of these terms from First Principles that will be applied directly to electrical circuits. It is therefore essential that the physics definitions of these terms be learned carefully.
Molecular cloning and characterization of two digestive serine proteases from the Hessian fly, Mayetiola destructor

Full-length cDNA and genomic sequences for two genes (designated mdesprot-I and mdesprot-II) encoding digestive serine proteases in Hessian fly, Mayetiola destructor, have been cloned and characterized. The deduced amino acid sequences revealed similarity with trypsin-like digestive serine proteases from other Dipterans. Both mdesprot-I and mdesprot-II encoded proteins with secretion signal peptides at the N-terminals, indicating the proteins are secreted proteases that should function as midgut digestive proteases. A cytological analysis with fluorescent in situ hybridization revealed the cytological localization of mdesprot-I and mdesprot-II on the long arm of Autosome 2. Results are discussed in the context of the efficacy of potential protease inhibitors to develop Hessian fly resistant wheat through genetic engineering approaches.
Box–Cox Transformations

The Box–Cox transformation is a potentially powerful technique for extending the applicability of the classical linear model. The procedure is described, and three examples are given to illustrate its power as well as its limitations. Philosophical issues regarding the interpretation of the results have led to some controversy and debate. Keywords: Bayes; homoscedasticity; maximum likelihood; normal distribution
Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) and the gingerols inhibit the growth of Cag A+ strains of Helicobacter pylori.

Background Ginger root (Zingiber officinale) has been used traditionally for the treatment of gastrointestinal ailments such as motion sickness, dyspepsia and hyperemesis gravidarum, and is also reported to have chemopreventative activity in animal models. The gingerols are a group of structurally related polyphenolic compounds isolated from ginger and known to be the active constituents. Since Helicobacter pylori (HP) is the primary etiological agent associated with dyspepsia, peptic ulcer disease and the development of gastric and colon cancer, the anti-HP effects of ginger and its constituents were tested in vitro. Materials and methods A methanol extract of the dried powdered ginger rhizome, fractions of the extract and the isolated constituents, 6-,8-,10-gingerol and 6-shogoal, were tested against 19 strains of HP, including 5 CagA+ strains. Results The methanol extract of ginger rhizome inhibited the growth of all 19 strains in vitro with a minimum inhibitory concentration range of 6.25-50 micrograms/ml. One fraction of the crude extract, containing the gingerols, was active and inhibited the growth of all HP strains with an MIC range of 0.78 to 12.5 micrograms/ml and with significant activity against the CagA+ strains. Conclusion These data demonstrate that ginger root extracts containing the gingerols inhibit the growth of H. pylori CagA+ strains in vitro and this activity may contribute to its chemopreventative effects.
On Conceptual Change in Biology: The Case of the Gene

The current situation in philosophy of science generally, and in philosophy of biology in particular, is most unsatisfactory. There are at least three general problems that many philosophers thought themselves near to solving twenty years ago, only to find that the anticipated solutions have come unglued. These are (1) the problem of characterizing and understanding the dynamics of conceptual change in science; (2) he problem of understanding the interrelationships among theories including particularly the reduction of one theory to another); and (3) he problem of scientific realism (i.e., the problem of how seriously to take the claims of theoretical science or, at least, of some theoretical scientists, to be describing the world literally--in terms of such theoretical entities as genes and protons, DNA molecules, and quarks). This general situation has significant effects on the philosophical study of particular sciences. In philosophy of biology, for example, although one finds a large number of elegant studies of particular topics, the sad fact is that there is no generally satisfactory large-scale synthesis n sight. We have no agreed-on foundation, no generally acceptable starting point from which to delimit and resolve the full range of theoretical problems of interest to scientists and philosophers regarding biology. This chapter provides a preliminary report on a new approach to conceptual change, together with a sketch of its application to important biological subject matter. The approach offers some promise of providing satisfactory framework, compatible with scientific realism, for detailed, studies of particular scientific developments. Before I sketch in some of the relevant philosophical background, it will be useful to indicate how various concepts of the gene will enter the discussion. It is now 84 years since Mendel's work was rediscovered. Within fifteen years of that event, say with the publication of The Mechanism of Mendelian Heredity by T. H. Morgan and his coworkers in 1915, the main elements of the classical theory of the gene were fairly well established. A nearly constant series of improvements and refinements in that theory grounded in good part in laborious but fascinating experimental work, resulted in considerable revision of that theory. Indeed, the accumulated changes run so deep that some have characterized this historical process as one in which Mendelian genetics was replaced by a series of improved successors which can be grouped under the label transmission genetics. (For one example, cf. Hull, 1974, chap. 1.) This extended process, both in its theoretical and its empirical aspects helped prepare the way for what is usually considered to be (to use the vogue label) a scientific revolution brought on by the
Foxes and hounds

With the completion of the dog genome sequence the first step has been taken in understanding one of the most remarkable, and mysterious, phenomena in biology: domestication.
Problems with the defuzzification method and a new representation using Lukasiewicz logic

We show that the common defuzzification method has some major deficiencies in regard to certain formal logical properties among rules like AND-equivalence, contrapositive-equivalence, chaining-property, etc. To correct this problem, we present a new method for representing a function y=g(x) using a rule set based on Lukasiewicz's logic L/sub /spl aleph//. The method introduces two sets of normalized fuzzy concepts. >
A comparison of the available phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors in the treatment of erectile dysfunction: a focus on avanafil.

Background Numerous pathways can lead to erectile dysfunction (ED) in patients, with some patients having multiple causes. Regardless of the etiology, ED has been successfully treated in many patients with the advent of oral phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors (PDE5Is). With the release of avanafil, there are currently four PDE5I options available, and choosing between them should be based on patient-specific considerations and preferences.
An ultrastructural study of bone cells: the occurrence of microtubules, microfilaments and tight junctions.

Bone cells of calvaria from young mice were studied at the ultrastructural level. Microtubules were demonstrated in both osteoblasts and osteocytes in the cell body, but not in the cell processes. Instead, the cytoplasm of cell processes is filled with bundles of 50 to 70 A microfilaments, running parallel to the long axis of the process. Where two cell processes meet, the cell membranes form a tight junction. These junctions are found between osteocytes, between osteocytes and osteoblasts, and between bodies of osteoblasts on the cell surface. The cell processes usually meet side-to-side, thus forming an extended tight junction. The junctions between osteoblasts are short and are believed to be spot-like. Inside the bone scarcely any extracellular space is visible. The likelihood of intracellular transport is discussed.
PRESSURE POLITICS REVISITED: THE ANTI‐ABORTION CAMPAIGN*

This article focuses on the anti-abortion campaign as an extreme example of pressure group operations. After a review of the history of the abortion controversy, the recent activities of anti-abortion groups are assessed in the state of Pennsylvania. A comparison to the Anti-Saloon League is examined, and the article concludes with speculations about the probable consequences and future of such closely defined single interest groups.
The Coevolution of Sustainable Strategic Management in the Global Marketplace

Sustainable strategic management emerged from the coevolution of strategic thinking in today’s sustainability challenging business environment. Business ecosystems, designed to create socially and ...