cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Age, Stigma, Adherence and Clinical Indicators in HIV-Infected Women.

Stigma has become a gendered phenomenon that affects increasing numbers of HIV-infected women worldwide. This study examined the role of age as a possible moderator of the relationship between stigma and antiretroviral therapy adherence, CD4% and viral load among 120 HIV-infected women. A secondary analysis was conducted using data from the Keeping Healthy and Active with Risk Reduction and Medication Adherence (KHARMA) Project, an National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded randomized controlled trial to improve Antiretroviral treatment (ART) adherence and reduce risky behaviors in HIV-infected women at five clinical sites in a South-eastern city from 2005 to 2008. Stigma was measured using the Perceived Personal Stigma of Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) scale. Among participants 50 years old, age was not significantly associated with viral load, stigma or CD4%, and there was no significant association between stigma and CD4% (r=.07, p=.70). These findings indicate the need for further study regarding this potential moderating effect and possible interventions to address the susceptibility of younger women to the harmful effects of stigma.
An App a Day Keeps the Doctor…Informed: User Evaluation of a Patient Mobile Health Application and Clinician Dashboard

Data collection through mobile applications, or apps, is increasing due to the growing adoption of smartphones. The BreathEasy project used a smartphone application for collecting asthma patients’ observations of daily living and a clinician dashboard to increase communication and understanding between patients and their clinicians. After a 6-month trial, these researchers collected evaluation data of these two systems from patients and clinicians through focus groups and the System Usability Scale. Here we present our findings on the user experiences of both patients and clinicians, as well as the perceived usability of the systems used. Their evaluations and recommendations will help improve future systems for these populations.
Reactive oxygen species augment triggered activity in cardiac melanocyte-like cells

Rationale: We identified a population of cardiac melanocyte-like cells (CMLCs) in mice and humans that are electrically excitable and contribute to atrial arrhythmias in response to reactive oxygen species (ROS) when missing the melanin synthesis enzyme dopachrome tautomerase (Dct). While atrial arrhythmias in Dct-null mice were partially suppressed by ROS scavengers, it is not clear if triggered activity in response to ROS differs between CMCLs and atrial myocytes. Objective: Determine if ROS influences triggered activity in CMLCs differently than in atrial myocytes. Methods and Results: Calcium transients and action potentials were elicited from atrial myocytes and CMCLs isolated from wild-type and Dct-null mice under whole-cell current clamp control using Fura-2, with and without 20 uM hydrogen peroxide. At baseline, delay in the calcium transient upstroke from the action potential in Dct-null CMLCs was 2.3±1.5 ms compared to 2.8±1.7 ms for wild-type CMCLs, and 4.7±2.1 ms for wild-type atrial myocytes compared to 4.5±2.5 ms for Dct-null atrial myocytes. With hydrogen peroxide, the delay in the calcium transient upstroke from the action potential in Dct-null CMLCs was 0.6±0.7 ms compared to 1.1±0.9 ms for wild-type CMCLs, and 3.0±1.8 ms for wild-type atrial myocytes compared to 3.3±2.0 ms for Dct-null atrial myocytes. Also, a significantly higher number of delayed afterdepolarizations were observed in Dct-null MCLCs versus wild-type CMLCs, and atrial myocytes had the fewest DADs in response to hydrogen peroxide. Conclusions: Hydrogen peroxide augments intracellular calcium release and delayed afterdepolarizations more in Dct-null and wild-type CMLCs compared to atrial myocytes. Vickas V. Patel, J Cell Sci Ther 2013, 4:4 http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2157-7013.S1.024
Correlation of Serum Free Light Chain Levels with Other Parameters in Myeloma.

Abstract Estimation of serum free light chains (SFLC; SFKLC - kappa, SFLLC - lambda, SFKLR - kappa:lambda ratio; normal 0.26–1.65.) is useful in selected patients with non-secretory myeloma, and in light chain disease with anuric renal failure. Its utility in other clinical situations is unclear. 489 SFLC levels in 135 myeloma patients were analyzed to see if there was a significant correlation between them and other, more conventional immunologic parameters such as serum total light chain (STLC; STKLC - kappa, STLLC - lambda) levels and immunoglobulin (Ig) levels. The underlying premise was that lack of significant correlation would suggest potential value of SFLC independent of standard tests, whereas significant correlation would suggest questionable independent value of SFLC. The table below shows SFLC and STLC levels and ratios. Parameter Median (range) Correlation with SFKLC Correlation with SFLLC Correlation with free k:l ratio SFKLC 14.4 (0.59–11525) SFLLC 18.2 (0.72–10100) Free k:l ratio 0.83 (0–1211.76) STKLC 745 (11–8810) r=0.08; P=0.07 STLLC 256 (11.6–11000) r=0.11; P=0.01 Total k:l ratio 2.51 (0–245) r=0.12; P=0.008 Poor correlation between free and total results within each light chain subtype (Figure 1 - log scale) and between free and total ratios (Figure 2- log scale) suggests that SFLC values provide information that is independent of STLC values because STLC values cannot be used to predict SFLC values. Download : Download high-res image (108KB) Download : Download full-size image Download : Download high-res image (108KB) Download : Download full-size image The table below shows correlation between Ig and SFLC/STLC levels. For these analyses, the total Ig of the specific heavy chain subtype and SFLC/STLC of the specific light chain subtype were studied (IgG and SFKLC with IgG kappa monoclonal protein, IgA and STLLC with IgA lambda monoclonal protein, etc). Very strong correlation between STLC and Ig levels suggests that STLC values do not provide information that is independent of Ig levels. On the other hand, poor correlation between SFLC and Ig levels suggests that SFLC values do provide information that is independent of Ig values. Monoclonal protein SFLC correlation STLC correlation IgG kappa r=0.04; P=0.66 r=0.89; P IgG lambda r=0.13; P=0.51 r=0.99; P IgA kappa r=0.49; P=0.004 r=0.77; P IgA lambda r=-0.04; P=0.89 r=0.94; P These data show that SFLC estimation provides information that is independent of standard quantitative serologic tests used in plasma cell dyscrasias. However, rigorous prospective evaluation of the test is needed to see if this additional information is of any clinical relevance in settings other than non-secretory disease and light chain disease with anuria.
Altered miRNA expression in aniline-mediated cell cycle progression in rat spleen.

AbstractAniline exposure is associated with toxicity to the spleen, however, early molecular events in aniline-induced cell cycle progression in the spleen remain unknown. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been implicated in tumor development by modulating key cell cycle regulators and controlling cell proliferation. This study was, therefore, undertaken on the expression of miRNAs, regulation of cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) in an experimental condition that precedes a tumorigenic response. Male SD rats were treated with aniline (1 mmol/kg/day by gavage) for 7 days, and expression of miRNAs, cyclins and CDKs in rat spleens were analyzed. Microarray and/or qPCR analyses showed that aniline exposure led to significantly decreased miRNA expression of let-7a, miR-24, miR-34c, miR-100, miR-125b, and greatly increased miR-181a. The aberrant expression of miRNAs was associated with significantly increased protein expression of cyclins A, B1, D3 and E. Furthermore, remarkably enhanced expression of CDKs like...
Enantioselective Additions of Stabilized Carbanions to Imines Generated from α-Amido Sulfones By Using Lipophilic Salts of Chiral Tris(1,2-diphenylethylenediamine) Cobalt(III) Trications as Hydrogen Bond Donor Catalysts

The enantiopure salt ∆-[Co((S,S)-dpen)3]3+ 2Cl–BArf – [BArf = B(3,5-C6H3(CF3)2)4] is an effective hydrogen bond donor catalyst (10 mol%, r.t., CH2Cl2) for enantioselective additions of dialkyl malonates to Boc-derivatized aryl imines generated from sulfones [ArCH(SO2Ph)NHBoc] in the presence of K2CO3 (ten examples, 91–97% isolated yields, 87–99% ee). The diastereomeric salt Λ-[Co((S,S)-dpen)3]3+ 2Cl–BArf20 – [BArf20 – = B(C6F5)4 –] is similarly applied to additions of nitroalkanes (four examples, 89–93% isolated yields, 79–91% ee). Precautions to exclude air or moisture are unnecessary.
Reductive Decarboxylative Alkynylation of N-Hydroxyphthalimide Esters with Bromoalkynes.

A new method for the synthesis of terminal and internal alkynes from the nickel-catalyzed decarboxylative coupling of N-hydroxyphthalimide esters and bromoalkynes is presented. This reductive cross-electrophile coupling is the first to use a C(sp)−X electrophile, and appears to proceed via an alkynylnickel intermediate. The internal alkyne products are obtained in yields of 41–95 % without the need for a photocatalyst, light, or a strong oxidant. The reaction displays a broad scope of carboxylic acid and alkyne coupling partners, and can tolerate an array of functional groups, including carbamate NH, halogen, nitrile, olefin, ketone, and ester moieties. Mechanistic studies suggest that this process does not involve an alkynylmanganese reagent and instead proceeds through nickel-mediated bond formation.
Multivariate Analyses of Balance Test Performance, Vestibular Thresholds, and Age.

We previously published vestibular perceptual thresholds and performance in the Modified Romberg Test of Standing Balance in 105 healthy humans ranging from ages 18 to 80 (1). Self-motion thresholds in the dark included roll tilt about an earth-horizontal axis at 0.2 and 1 Hz, yaw rotation about an earth-vertical axis at 1 Hz, y-translation (interaural/lateral) at 1 Hz, and z-translation (vertical) at 1 Hz. In this study, we focus on multiple variable analyses not reported in the earlier study. Specifically, we investigate correlations (1) among the five thresholds measured and (2) between thresholds, age, and the chance of failing condition 4 of the balance test, which increases vestibular reliance by having subjects stand on foam with eyes closed. We found moderate correlations (0.30-0.51) between vestibular thresholds for different motions, both before and after using our published aging regression to remove age effects. We found that lower or higher thresholds across all threshold measures are an individual trait that account for about 60% of the variation in the population. This can be further distributed into two components with about 20% of the variation explained by aging and 40% of variation explained by a single principal component that includes similar contributions from all threshold measures. When only roll tilt 0.2 Hz thresholds and age were analyzed together, we found that the chance of failing condition 4 depends significantly on both (p = 0.006 and p = 0.013, respectively). An analysis incorporating more variables found that the chance of failing condition 4 depended significantly only on roll tilt 0.2 Hz thresholds (p = 0.046) and not age (p = 0.10), sex nor any of the other four threshold measures, suggesting that some of the age effect might be captured by the fact that vestibular thresholds increase with age. For example, at 60 years of age, the chance of failing is roughly 5% for the lowest roll tilt thresholds in our population, but this increases to 80% for the highest roll tilt thresholds. These findings demonstrate the importance of roll tilt vestibular cues for balance, even in individuals reporting no vestibular symptoms and with no evidence of vestibular dysfunction.
Perceptions of general and postpresidential election discrimination are associated with loss of control eating among racially/ethnically diverse young men.

Objective The purpose of this study was to examine the association between young men's perceived experiences with discrimination, both general and following the 2016 presidential election, and their loss of control (LOC) eating. The degree to which men identified with their ethnic identity was evaluated as a moderator. Method The sample included 798 men (18–30 years; M = 24.0 ± 3.6) who identified as African American (n = 261), Asian/Asian American (n = 266), or Hispanic/Latino (n = 271). Participants completed an online survey of items assessing demographic characteristics; perceived discrimination; perceptions of race-related discrimination following the 2016 U.S. presidential election; ethnic identity; and LOC eating. Results After adjusting for income, education, generational status and body mass index, perceived discrimination was positively associated with LOC eating frequency in African American and Hispanic/Latino men (ps < .01). Ethnic identity was inversely associated with LOC eating frequency in Hispanic/Latino men (p < .001). In Asian/Asian American men, perceived discrimination was only associated with more LOC eating among those with a low ethnic identity (p < .001). Higher levels of perceived discrimination following the presidential election were uniquely associated with more frequent LOC eating (p < .01) only among Asian/Asian American men who were not born in the United States or whose parents were not born in the United States. Discussion LOC eating may partially explain known associations between discrimination and heightened risk for obesity and chronic diseases among African American and Hispanic/Latino men. Asian/Asian American men's LOC eating may be linked to postpresidential election and general experiences with racial discrimination, particularly if they report a low sense of belonging to their ethnic group.
The cyclical behavior of R&D investment during the Great Recession

This paper investigates the cyclicality of research and development (R&D) activities during the Great Recession period by incorporating the role of credit constraints, using the Great Recession period as a natural case study. Recession period is a good setting in which to identify cyclicality and eliminate endogeneity issues that have been discussed in the literature. Using firm-level data on non-federally funded, high-technology firms in the USA, this paper shows that firms without bond ratings had more procyclical R&D investments than those firms with bond ratings. I also test whether capital or inventory investments of firms that also do R&D are procyclical. I find that firms without bond ratings adjust their inventories more rapidly compared to capital and R&D investments, when they are hit by a bad shock.
Finite element steady periodic beam propagation analysis of mode instability in high power fiber amplifiers.

A finite element steady periodic scalar beam propagation method suited to treating mode instability in amplifiers incorporating fibers with complicated design features is presented and demonstrated on test cases. These incorporate large pitch photonic crystal fibers with confined and down-doped cores in co-pumped and counter-pumped configurations. Seed power fluctuations and slight launch misalignment are proposed and implemented as a noise source to seed the instability. Down doping the confined core by −7.0E-5 was found to increase the instability threshold by 25% in the co-pumped case and 9% in the counter-pumped case. The increase in threshold is correlated with the suppression of higher frequency components of intensity gratings associated with the instability.
E. gracilis RNA polymerase I: a zinc metalloenzyme.

Abstract E. gracilis DNA dependent RNA polymerase I has been purified to homogeneity. α-amanitin, over the concentration range 0.05 to 200 μg/ml, does not affect its activity, consistent with its being classified as an RNA polymerase I. Based on a molecular weight of 624,000 daltons the enzyme contains 2.2 g atom of Zn but no Mn, Cu, Fe, as determined by microwave excitation emission spectrometry. Zinc is essential for activity since the chelating agent, 1,10-phenanthroline, inhibits enzymatic function but its non-chelating analogue, 4,7-phenanthroline is ineffective. Thus, like the RNA polymerase II, zinc is a catalytically essential component of E. gracilis RNA polymerase I (1).
A NOTE ON MALMQUIST'S THEOREM ON FIRST-ORDER DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a note on Malmquist's theorem on first-order differential equations. Malmquist showed that if R(z, y(z)) is a rational function of z andy(z) and if the equation(D): y'(z) = R(z, y(z)) has a solution y(z) that is meromorphic in the wholeplane, then eithery(z) is a rationalfunction orR(z,y(z))is a polynomial in y(z) of degree ≤2.From this and a growth argument, it can be shown that if y (z) is a transcendental meromorphic solution of (E) with finitely many poles, then R (z, y (z)) must be a linearfunction in y (z). Based on Nevanlinna's theory of meromorphic functions, it is shown that the above conclusion stil lholds when the coefficients inR(z, y(z)) are replaced by arbitrary meromorphicfunctions and the solutions y(z) considered are meromorphic functions having relatively small number of poles, with growth rate much faster than all the coefficients.
What makes young children active game players; ethnographic case study

Young children’s digital game play tends to be discouraged and policed, and controlled by adults, who nevertheless give their young children mobile phones and hand held game devices to keep them occupied. The purpose of this study is to uncover the tactics used by three-year-old children as digital game players and the strategies used by their parents to put limits on this play. The method is an ethnographic case study of six families having a three-year-old child playing digital games on a daily basis. This study shows that threeyear-old children are active, avid digital gamers, and also adept at employing a range of tactics to gain access to opportunities to play.
Tulp3 Is a Ciliary Trafficking Gene that Regulates Polycystic Kidney Disease

The primary cilium is an organelle essential for cell signaling pathways. One of the most common human genetic diseases is autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), which is caused by mutations in the PKD1 or PKD2 genes that encode Polycystin 1 and 2 (PC1/2), transmembrane proteins that translocate to the cilium. Mutations in genes that disrupt ciliogenesis also cause kidney cysts as part of a "ciliopathic" disease spectrum. The molecular mechanisms that link cilia function with renal cystic diseases are not well understood, and the mechanistic relationship between ADPKD and ciliopathic PKD is not known. Here we identify the gene Tubby-like protein-3 (Tulp3) as a key regulator of renal cystic disease from a forward genetic screen in the mouse. Mice homozygous for a hypomorphic missense mutation within the conserved Tubby domain of Tulp3 develop cysts at late embryonic stages, leading to severe postnatal loss of kidney function. In contrast to other ciliopathic disease models, Tulp3 mutations do not affect ciliogenesis. Instead, we demonstrate that Tulp3 is essential for the trafficking of the Joubert syndrome-associated small GTPase Arl13b into kidney cilia. We show that reduction of Pkd1 dosage promotes cystogenesis in the Tulp3 conditional ciliopathic PKD model. However, in an adult model of ADPKD utilizing inducible conditional Pkd1 deletion, concomitant removal of Tulp3 surprisingly ameliorates cystic disease. Therefore, Tulp3 controls distinct ciliary pathways that positively or negatively regulate cystogenesis depending on the cellular context.
Abstract 250: Endothelial functional Regulation by Enhancer-Associated Long Non-Coding RNAs

Vascular endothelium constitutes the critical interface between circulating blood and vessel wall. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are important regulators in gene expression and chromotin remodelin...
Correction to: Risk stratification with vasodilator stress SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging in patients with elevated cardiac biomarkers

The following error (highlighted in bold below) appears in the Results section of the Abstract: A total of 503 patients were followed for an average of 33.6 ± 16.2 months, with a mean age of 69.3 years; 53.7% male; and a majority (88.7%) of them undergoing vasodilator stress. A significant increase in all-cause mortality was seen based on the severity of TPD results for all vasodilators (P < .0001) and regadenoson (P < .0001). Similar prognostic ability was seen for all-cause (this should actually be cardiac) mortality. This association was maintained even after adjustment for cardiac risk factors, previous coronary disease, and troponin quartiles. MPI results (stress TPD and LVEF) added to traditional cardiac risk factors, and troponin values resulted in a significant incremental increase in the ability to predict all-cause and cardiac mortality, and stress TPD remained independently predictive for both all-cause and cardiac mortality in a multivariate model.
Roles and Challenges of Technology in Corporate Social Responsibility

Many believe that Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is irrelevant and bad for businesses, while others swear of its strategic importance for the overall growth of local and global economies. This paper examines the impact of technology on corporates morals and social responsibility. Companies like GE and Nike direct resources and strategies to strengthen the environment and local and global communities. Through improving education programs and investing in technology, these companies attempt to fulfill their social responsibilities to all communities. Companies use corporate social responsibility to build a reputation and a brand name. Through technology exports, the world’s economy is synchronized. Creating and sharing technology enhances the world’s productivity and economy, mainly because developing countries are incapable of investing much in R&D. As the infusion of technology contributes to the growth of the global economy, the question remains to what degree the technological breakthroughs create ethical and moral concerns when exploring new frontiers, and to what degree scientists consider the social and ethical consequences when testing and investigating. This paper explores some of the ethical, social, and legal circumstances related to different controversial research fields to include creating the atomic bomb, human cloning, and the research of synthetic biology science.
Multi-Scale Fish Segmentation Refinement and Missing Shape Recovery

Image processing and analysis techniques have drawn increasing attention since they enable a non-extractive and non-lethal approach to collecting fisheries data, such as fish size measurement, catch estimation, regulatory compliance, species recognition, and population counting. Measuring fish size accurately requires reliable image segmentation. Major challenges that can easily affect the segmentation include blurring of image areas due to water drops on the camera lens and parts of a fish body being out of the camera view. In this paper, we address each of these issues with an innovative and effective contour-based segmentation and a missing shape recovery method from an arbitrary initial segmentation. The refinement is processed from the coarse level to the fine level. At the coarse level, we align the entire fish contour of the initial segmentation with trained representative contours by using iteratively reweighted least squares (IRLS). At finer levels, we iteratively refine contour segments to represent poorly segmented or missing shape parts. This method addresses the problems listed above and generates promising results with highly robust segmentation performance and length measurement.
“I Can Relate”: Survivor Leadership Supporting Women Transitioning Out of the Sex Trade:

In this article, the authors examine the value of survivor leaders in organizations helping women transition out of the sex trade and how organizations can best utilize survivor leaders. They inter...
Air-Launched. Low-SWaP, Space-Capable Sounding Rocket

With the goal of being the first civilian university to reach space, The Stanford Student Space Initiative's Spaceshot Team (SSI Spaceshot) has designed a custom rocket-balloon (rockoon) system to achieve an apogee height of greater than 100 km (i.e. to cross the Karman Line, a widely-accepted definition of the boundary of space), while demonstrating a cheap, low Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP), suborbital launch technology. Suborbital launch represents a high-potential space for growth in aerospace as it provides a high-value market for aerospace research and a low-cost, lower-risk opportunity for agents with less capital to access space. Technologies such as this open-source rocket-balloon system provide an incredible opportunity to democratize space and provide access to aerospace to all. Leveraging the experience of an international-award-winning rockets team, a world-record-breaking high-altitude balloon team, and members who have built satellites, high-voltage DNA synthesizers, and more, SSI is building an integrated rocket-balloon system. The system consists of a zero-pressure balloon platform which will carry a 20 kg rocket with a commercial-off-the-shelf motor to 27 km. At that height, the rocket will launch to reach a final expected apogee of 125 km. Although the underlying architecture has been verified and tested for decades, from NASA to modern space startups, SSI's design is heavily optimized to be low SWaP, affordable, and accessible as an open-source platform. In the process of creating an efficient, effective design in this problem space, SSI has created custom composites designed for the hypersonic thermal load, designed robust payload bays to survive high-shock, and investigated different stability methods for high-altitude, low-atmospheric-density launches. This project hopes to advance the emerging field of accessible aerospace by publishing our simple and achievable design for suborbital launch technology.
Enteric Fistula Treatment and Management: Results of an Institutional Inpatient Treatment Protocol.

Introduction Enterocutaneous fistulae (ECF) are abnormal communications between the gastrointestinal tract and skin that may occur following an abdominal operation and result in significant morbidity and even mortality. Standardized care of patients with ECF has not been implemented at the majority of tertiary hospitals. We sought to evaluate the benefits of a multidisciplinary team utilizing an evidence-based clinical treatment protocol for inpatient management of ECF. Methods We performed an Institutional Review Board-approved retrospective analysis of outcomes after the implementation of an evidence-based clinical treatment protocol for patients admitted with ECF to the acute care surgical service at a large academic medical facility. Patients managed prior to the established protocol were considered part of the pre-protocol cohort (pre) while patients managed following implementation were included in the postprotocol cohort (post). A review of all eligible patients' hospital and clinic medical records was performed. Results In the pre cohort (n = 6), the average length of stay was 37 days, ranging from 16-67 days, with a 16% spontaneous closure rate and 60% requiring operative management for closure. A single patient was not offered surgery due to significant comorbidities. The post cohort (n = 13) demonstrated an average length of stay of just 16 days, ranging from 4 to 28 days, with an 84% spontaneous closure rate and 16% requiring operative closure. Conclusion Utilization of a standardized treatment approach results in high spontaneous closure rates with a decreased hospital length of stay.
Histological studies on the genusFucus

1. Vegetative tissues ofFucus have been fixed and embedded using new methods which greatly improve the resolution of histological detail. 2. The mature thallus consists of an outer layer of columnar epidermal cells, several underlying layers of parenchyma, and a medullary region of branched primary filaments and elongated secondary fibres embedded in a metachromatic matrix. The holdfast is made up of an outer calluslike cortex and a medulla of thick-walled fibres also embedded in metachromatic extracellular material. 3. The growing point of the thallus lies at the base of an apical groove. In the plants examined which were rapidly growing, there is a group of 4 to 8 apical initials. 4. The results of toluidine blue staining and the PAS reaction indicate that the alginic acid and fucoidin of the extracellular matrix are synthesized within the cells and secreted through the plasma membrane. 5. The polarized epidermal cells are apparently specialized for the secretion of polysaccharides to the outside of the plant. 6. The results of toluidine blue staining suggest that there are possibly 3 different types of polyphenol-containing vesicles present. Two of these types are found in the cells of the thallus and the third is confined to cells of the holdfast.
Coefficient Estimates of Bi-Starlike and Bi-Convex Functions with Respect to Symmetrical Points Associated with the Second Kind Chebyshev Polynomials

In this paper, by making use the second kind Chebyshev polynomials, we introduce and study a certain class of bi-starlike and bi-convex functions with respect to symmetrical points defined in the open unit disk. We find upper bounds for the second and third coefficients of functions belong to this class.
A taxonomy of masculinities in Frances Trollope’s Domestic Manners of the Americans (1832) and Anthony Trollope’s North America (1862)

This essay examines how North American models of masculinity are defined, compared, and occasionally endorsed in Frances Trollope’s Domestic Manners of the Americans (1832) and Anthony Trollope’s N...
The role of health anxiety in the experience of perceived stress across the menstrual cycle.

Background: Hormonal variation throughout the menstrual cycle influences physiological and psychological symptoms, although not for all women. Individual differences in health anxiety (HA) might he...
Sharing Sovereignty in the Streets: International Policing in Fragile States

Bolstering basic law enforcement is a major aim of most contemporary peacekeeping missions. In some cases, when local police forces have failed, governments have allowed international personnel to ...
Cesarean Delivery in a Patient With Body Mass Index Over 100: Continuous Spinal Anesthesia in Two Consecutive Deliveries.

Anesthetic implications for morbidly obese parturients have been well described; however, the literature has not yet clarified whether there are additional or unique concerns if the body mass index (BMI) rises farther above the so-called super morbid obesity level: BMI >50 kg/m2. There have only been a few case reports focusing on patients with BMI close to or above 100. Parturients with BMI significantly greater than 50 are uncommon, but they represent an increasing proportion among the morbidly obese. In this report, we present the use of continuous spinal anesthesia in consecutive cesarean deliveries for a patient with a BMI of 102 at her first delivery and 116 at her second. For both deliveries, an intrathecal catheter dosing incrementally provided effective anesthesia with a cumulative dose of hyperbaric bupivacaine 12 mg, fentanyl 15 mcg, and morphine 100 mcg given in 0.25-ml increments over 12 minutes, with 0.25-ml sterile saline flushes between doses. While dosing the catheter, the patient was gradually lowered to a 30° semi-recumbent position for surgery. This strategy minimized the risk of high spinal block or respiratory distress. She did not develop any postdural puncture headache (PDPH). This case report offers an extreme example and provides estimates towards adjusting staffing, equipment, location, timing, positioning, anesthetic technique, and dosing for cesarean deliveries in patients with very high BMI levels.
Hybrid interpenetrating hydrogel network favoring the bidirectional migration of tenocytes for rotator cuff tendon regeneration

Replenishment of tenocytes to the injury site is an ideal strategy to improve healing response and accelerate the tendon ECM regeneration. The present study focused on the synthesis and characterization of a hybrid hydrogel scaffold system poly(propylene-fumarate)-alginate-polyvinyl alcohol-acrylic acid (PAPA) using poly(propylene-fumarate) (PPF), alginate, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and acrylic acid and the in vitro investigation of bidirectional mobility of swine shoulder tenocytes (SST) for its potential application in rotator-cuff tendon regeneration. IR analysis revealed the presence of alginate, PPF and PVA segments on the surface, SEM and AFM analyses revealed the porous and nano-topographical features of PAPA, respectively, swelling was 712.6 ± 84.21% with the EWC (%) of 87.59 ± 1.26 having the diffusional exponent and swelling constant 0.551 and 1.8, respectively. PAPA was biodegradable, cytocompatible and supported long-term survival of SSTs. SEM imaging revealed the adhesion, colonization, and sheet formation of SSTs within the PAPA hydrogel network. The SSTs seeded on the PAPA scaffolds were peculiar for their bidirectional migration as the anterograde movement was completed in 9 days whereas the retrograde infiltration occurred up to the depth of 198 μm. These findings suggest the promising translational potential of PAPA scaffold system in the management of rotator cuff tendon injury.
Evaluating the Impact of Increased Pollinator Habitat on Surrounding Agricultural Systems

Agricultural intensification has majorly changed ecosystem functioning and aided in the reduction of global biodiversity. While agriculture requires increased reliance on animal pollination, pollinator populations have declined. To combat this, adding pollinator habitat into agricultural landscapes is increasingly common, but many questions remain about its functionality and impact on agroecosystems, particularly in pollinator-independent crops. Our study uses pollinator habitats planted on experimental research stations to evaluate their impact on pollinator communities within a nearby cropping system (soybeans) and the resulting yield. We found the species composition of pollinator communities within the habitat to be significantly different than the communities in soybeans. Even still, we identified more than 30 bee species visiting soybean flowers and verified that a subset of these species had actively collected soybean pollen. Bees from soybean fields planted adjacent to the habitat had more habitat pollen types present, while some species had more non-habitat types present when in the negative control sites. The presence of habitat had a positive effect on some yield measurements with adjacent soybean sites having 6.52% heavier seeds per plant on average. These findings demonstrate that pollinator habitat can be an important resource for supporting pollinators and highlights the importance of considering pollinator habitat in pollinator-independent crops, as they may still benefit from and be attractive to pollinator communities.
THE EFFECT OF RADIOPHOSPHORUS DECAY ON CISTRON FUNCTION IN BACTERIOPHAGE T4. I. LONG-RANGE AND SHORT-RANGE HITS

The effect of disintegration of incorporated 32P atoms on the functional survival of different viral cistrons was investigated by infecting non-permissive host bacteria jointly with a non-radioactive rII or am T4 mutant and with highly 32P-labeled T4 am+ wild-type phage, and then following upon radioactive decay the loss of ability of the wild type to complement growth of the conditionally lethal mutant phage in the same cell. These experiments showed that the function of each of eleven different viral cistrons is abolished by 32P decay at about half the rate of loss of viability of the whole phage. The relative 32P decay sensitivity of one-half cannot represent the functional inactivation of about half of the viral genome by each lethal 32P disintegration, since the ability of the wild-type phage to complement a variety of am double mutants is lost only slightly faster than, and never at twice, the rate of loss of complementation of single am mutants. Nevertheless, the sensitivity of multiple cistron function does increase as more and more am mutant cistrons are brought into play, until in the case of complementation of a sextuple am mutant, joint functional survival of six cistrons is lost at 0.8 the rate of loss of viability of the whole am+ phage. These observations can be interpreted by postulating two types of lethal 32P disintegrations, long-range hits that cause functional inactivation of the whole, and short-range hits that inactivate only part of the viral genome. Analysis of the results from this point of view shows that about half of the lethal 32P hits are of the short-range type if decay proceeds either at −196°C or at + 4°C. The frequency of short-range hits is sharply reduced, however, if the free radical trap AET‡ is present during decay at 4°C, suggesting that short-range hits represent radiochemical lesions, in the production of which free radicals play an important part. Calculation of the fraction of all 32P disintegrations that inactivates a given cistron by short-range hits shows that this fraction is equal to about half the total share of the whole genome represented by that cistron. This coincidence leads to the notion that half the 32P disintegrations occurring within the confines of a viral cistron produce sub-lethal damage preventing its functional expression, unless the damage had first been erased by a repair process which can proceed in the infected cell. Short-range hits would then correspond to lesions in the viral DNA that render non-erasable, and thus permanently fix, all sublethal cistron damages that have already occurred, or may yet occur, upon further decay.
An RFID-based technology for electronic component and system Counterfeit detection and Traceability

The vulnerabilities in today's supply chain have raised serious concerns about the security and trustworthiness of electronic components and systems. Testing for device provenance, detection of counterfeit integrated circuits/systems, and traceability are challenging issues to address. In this paper, we develop a novel RFID-based system suitable for electronic component and system Counterfeit detection and System Traceability called CST. CST is composed of different types of on-chip sensors and in-system structures that provide the information needed to detect multiple counterfeit IC types (recycled, cloned, etc.), verify the authenticity of the system with some degree of confidence, and track/identify boards. Central to CST is an RFID tag employed as storage and a channel to read the information from different types of chips on the printed circuit board (PCB) in both power-off and power-on scenarios. Simulations and experimental results using Spartan 3E FPGAs demonstrate the effectiveness of this system. The efficiency of the radio frequency (RF) communication has also been verified via a PCB prototype with a printed slot antenna.
Granular Activated Carbon, Bacteriology of

Properties of GAC Colonization of GAC Biological Filtration The Persistence of Pathogens and Indicator Organisms on GAC Release of Bacteria and Colonized Particles from GAC Filters Disinfection of Attached Bacteria Implications for Distribution Systems Keywords: activated carbon; drinking water; water treatment plants
Doing the Right Thing: An Empirical Study of Attorney Negotiation Ethics

The code of ethical conduct for lawyers -- the American Bar Association’s Model Rules of Professional Conduct (the “Model Rules”) -- legitimizes a certain amount of dissembling and misdirection in the negotiation realm, only prohibiting legal negotiators from making fraudulent misrepresentations about material matters. To determine if attorneys are meeting this low standard, the authors surveyed practicing lawyers and asked them if they would agree to engage in a fraudulent pre-litigation settlement scheme if a client requested them to do so. Nearly one-third of the respondents indicated they would agree to the client’s overtures, and only half indicated that they would refuse the client’s overtures, thereby following the Model Rules. Follow-up questioning suggested several reasons for these results: there appears to be substantial misunderstanding as to what constitutes a fraudulent misrepresentation, there seems to be considerable confusion surrounding the rule’s operative term “material fact,” and it appears that some of the attorneys believe that other legal rules, including other portions of the Model Rules, either gave them permission or required them to engage in the fraudulent negotiation scheme. To rectify these apparent misunderstandings among practicing lawyers, the article offers three interdependent means for improving lawyer negotiation ethics – rule clarification, education, and increased rule enforcement.
Power Law Correlations in DNA Sequences

Introduction Awide variety of natural phenomena is characterized by power law behavior of their parameters. This type of behavior is also called scaling. The first observation of scaling probably goes back to Kepler who empirically discovered that squares of the periods of planet revolution around the Sun scale as cubes of their orbits radii. This empirical law allowed Newton to discover his famous inverse-square law of gravity. In the nineteenth century, it was realized that many physical phenomena, for example diffusion, can be described by partial differential equations. In turn, the solutions of these equations give rise to universal scaling laws. For example, the root mean square displacement of a diffusing particle scales as the square root of time. In the twentieth century, power laws were found to describe various systems in the vicinity of critical points. These include not only systems of interacting particles such as liquids and magnets but also purely geometric systems, such as random networks. Scaling is also found to hold for polymeric systems, including both linear and branched polymers.4 Since then, the list of systems characterized by power laws has grown rapidly including models of rough surfaces, turbulence and earthquakes. Empirical power laws are found to characterize also many physiological, ecological, and socio-economic systems. These facts give rise to the increasingly appreciated “fractal geometry of nature”. A major puzzle concerning genomes of eukaryotic organisms, is that the large percent of their DNA is not used to code proteins or RNA. In human genome, this “junk” DNA constitutes 97% of the total genome length which is equal to 3 billion nucleotides also called base-pairs (bp). The role of non-coding DNA is poorly understood. It seems that it evolves by its own laws not restricted by a specific biological function. These laws are based on probabilities of various mutations and as such resemble the laws governing other complex systems listed above. In this chapter, I will review the degree to which power laws can characterize fluctuating nucleotide content of the DNA sequences, see also a critical review of W. Li.16 The term “long range correlations” is often misunderstood, implying some mystical long-range interactions or information propagation in space. Therefore, I will start with a brief introduction in the theory of critical phenomena, in which this concept has been developed. An impatient reader can jump directly to section “Correlation Analysis of DNA Sequences”.
Mechanism of Increase in Steatorrhea With Calcium and Magnesium in Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency: An Animal Model

We used a rat model to investigate the phenomenon of increased steatorrhea associated with administration of calcium or magnesium containing antacids in humans with pancreatic insufficiency. Adult male rats with bile and pancreatic duct ligation were fed test meals containing 56 mumol [14C]triolein (0.5 ml), synthetic human bile (1.0 ml, 100 mumol bile salts, 75% glycine and 25% taurine conjugates, and 14.5 mumol lecithin), pancreatic enzymes (0.5 ml), and antacids (1.0 ml). The percent lipid malabsorbed when antacids were fed in addition to the test meal was: control 19.3 +/- 1%, NaHCO3 15.3 +/- 1% (P less than 0.05 vs. control), Al(OH)3 18.3 +/- 2%, Mg(OH)2 38.2 +/- 2% (p less than 0.001 vs. control), and CaCO3 42.4 +/- 1% (p less than 0.001 vs control). With NaCl, Al(OH)3, and NaHCO3 the malabsorbed fat was primarily triolein, whereas with Ca++ or Mg++ the majority of the lipid recovered was oleic acid. Calcium or magnesium administration was associated with precipitation of glycine-, but not taurine-, conjugated bile salts in the small intestine. When calcium was administered to animals in which the bile consisted entirely of glycine-conjugated bile salts, the lipid recovered (64.0 +/- 3% malabsorption) was almost entirely triolein suggesting reduced lipolysis. These studies suggest that these divalent cations exert their deleterious effect on replacement enzyme therapy by formation of poorly soluble calcium or magnesium soaps and precipitation of glycine conjugated bile salts.
Initiation of calorie restriction in middle-aged male rats attenuates aging-related motoric decline and bradykinesia without increased striatal dopamine

Aging-related bradykinesia affects ∼ 15% of those reaching age 65 and 50% of those reaching their 80s. Given this high risk and lack of pharmacologic therapeutics, noninvasive lifestyle strategies should be identified to diminish its risk and identify the neurobiological targets to reduce aging-related bradykinesia. Early-life, long-term calorie restriction (CR) attenuates aging-related bradykinesia in rodents. Here, we addressed whether CR initiation at middle age could attenuate aging-related bradykinesia and motoric decline measured as rotarod performance. A 30% CR regimen was implemented for 6 months duration in 12-month-old male Brown-Norway Fischer 344 F1 hybrid rats after establishing individual baseline locomotor activities. Locomotor capacity was assessed every 6 weeks thereafter. The ad libitum group exhibited predictably decreased locomotor activity, except movement speed, out to 18 months of age. In contrast, in the CR group, movement number and horizontal activity did not decrease during the 6-month trial, and aging-related decline in rotarod performance was attenuated. The response to CR was influenced by baseline locomotor activity. The lower the locomotor activity level at baseline, the greater the response to CR. Rats in the lower 50th percentile surpassed their baseline level of activity, whereas rats in the top 50th percentile decreased at 6 weeks and then returned to baseline by 12 weeks of CR. We hypothesized that nigrostriatal dopamine tissue content would be greater in the CR group and observed a modest increase only in substantia nigra with no group differences in striatum, nucleus accumbens, or ventral tegmental area. These results indicate that initiation of CR at middle age may reduce aging-related bradykinesia, and, furthermore, subjects with below average locomotor activity may increase baseline activity. Sustaining nigral dopamine neurotransmission may be one component of preserving locomotor capabilities during aging.
Emotional Concerns and Treatment of Male Partners of Female Sexual Abuse Survivors

Many men are discovering that they are involved with women who were sexually abused as children. However, male partners of female sexual abuse survivors have thus far received little attention in the literature. As these men increasingly seek treatment with concerns of their own, social workers must become familiar with their emotional experiences and treatment needs. This article outlines the major concerns expressed by 20 male partners of sexual abuse survivors. These concerns included conflicts about expressing needs, frustration with various aspects of their relationships, guilt and shame at having feelings, questions about how to deal with relatives, and sexual issues. The author recommends a treatment approach that combines attention to both the individual's and the couple's concerns and uses insight and the safety of the therapeutic relationship to promote growth. The importance of further outreach to partners of women who were sexually abused as children and the need for increased attention to other partner populations are highlighted.