cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An Optimal Prediction Function for the Normal Linear Model

Abstract A prediction density function g* for the normal linear model is derived. This function is shown to dominate three well-known prediction densities by first constructing a specified class of densities that includes these three and then proving that g* is the optimal member of this class in the sense of minimizing a criterion based on the Kullback—Leibler divergence. g* coincides with a Bayesian prediction density assuming diffuse prior.
Spread of an Exotic Fish-Gill Trematode: A Far-Reaching and Complex Problem

Abstract Centrocestus formosanus, the gill trematode, has caused serious losses among fish raised by tropical fish producers since the early 1980s and is believed to be harmful to wild fish populations, including the federally listed endangered fountain darter (Etheostoma fonticola), in the Comal River near San Marcos, Texas. The parasite appears to infect in many fishes from Hawaii, Florida, Texas, and Utah. The gill trematode has a complex life cycle involving definitive hosts (aquatic birds and occasionally some mammals) and intermediate hosts (aquatic snails and several fish species). In the United States, the green heron (Butorides virescens) and the great egret (Ardea alba) serve as definitive hosts. The first intermediate host, the red-rim melania (Melanoides tuberculatus), an exotic snail, has been found in 15 southern and western states. This snail exhibits resistance to desiccation, molluscicides, and disinfectants and has been documented to out-compete established mollusks. Both the gill tremat...
Technology trends to speed up the delivery of wall street data

Networking is having a profound and increasingly dominant role in modem financial markets. This talk will present an overview of electronic trading systems, trends in the underlying technologies, and areas of opportunity for researchers.
Identifying Grant Funding: Mentored Career Development and Transition Awards

NIH Career Development Awards are designed to provide outstanding, clinically trained professionals with salary support and protected time to pursue a course of intensive, mentored research experience necessary to achieve full scientific independence. The ideal candidate for a career development award is a health scientist nearing the completion of postdoctoral training or in the early years of a faculty position. The K series of NIH awards provide several options for mentored training that are appropriate for investigators interested in laboratory or clinical investigation in the biologic and medical sciences.
The value and complexity of collection arrangement for evidentiary work

Archives are invaluable resources for those interested in understanding past activities and events. What makes archival collections valuable as evidence is that they are organized in a way that connects the materials to their creators, their associated activities, and recordkeeping systems. In order to create this organization archivists engage in a complex process that involves arranging materials physically and intellectually. This arrangement focuses on documenting the original order of the materials and making them evident to secondary users. The time-consuming nature of this process has resulted in a massive backlog of unprocessed and thus unavailable collections, which represents an impediment to the investigative activities of scholars and researchers. To help alleviate such a situation, this article presents a novel approach to archival arrangement, using tabletop computers and digitized images. The article explains the project design and implementation and discusses the evaluation results. This work provides several major contributions to the field, including: a new system that allows archival collections to be arranged digitally, new methods and metrics for evaluating archival arrangements, a detailed analysis of the steps involved in archival arrangement and how they correlate with the final outcomes of the process, and a method for analyzing arrangements based on the topologies created by processing archivists.
SURVIVAL AFTER EXTRACORPOREAL CIRCULATION OF STORED ERYTHROCYTES TREATED WITH ACID-CITRATE-DEXTROSE (ACD) AND HEPARIN.

Summary Studies were performed with radiochromium tagged erythrocytes in 31 patients to evaluate 24 hour old stored blood treated with heparin and with ACD. The regression curves were the same as those obtained in control patients in whom stored heparin and ACD treated erythrocytes were injected following the completion of open heart operations. This study gave additional opportunity to demonstrate the safety and practicality of employing converted ACD stored blood for extracorporeal circulation.
Arylsulfonate-based nucleophile assisting leaving groups

The synthesis and unique reactivity of a series of arylsulfonate-based nucleophile assisting leaving groups (NALG) containing oligomeric ether units (including crown ethers) attached to the arylsulfonyl ring in the ortho orientation are described. The reactions of a variety of these ether-containing alkyl sulfonates with metal halides proceeded at substantially greater rates than electronically similar sulfonates. These ether-containing leaving groups also displayed marked selectivity for lithium halides relative to the corresponding sodium and potassium salts in nucleophilic displacement reactions.
Laser diode package-level performance optimization based on far field distribution

The modal field distribution from a semiconductor laser diode (LD) is a critical input parameter required for the optical design and performance analysis of transceiver modules. Information regarding the near field (NF) distribution is not always available from the LD manufacturer. However, far field (FF) angular distribution scans can be readily performed and effectively used to optimize the package-level performance of semiconductor lasers. We present a reconstruction of a LD FF angular distribution based on a set of experimental FF distribution scans performed in orthogonal directions. The reconstructed FF distribution is used in the optical design and packaging performance optimization of a semiconductor laser. We establish an Equivalent Far Field Gaussian (EFFG) definition of the LD FF angular distribution data, used as an analytical representation of the more complex LD FF angular distribution, simplifying performance analysis and optimization. The results obtained using EFFG, as well as with some other commonly used Gaussian beam approximations of the LD FF angular distribution are also presented and discussed.
A GRADUALLY UNMASKING METHOD FOR LIMITED DATA TOMOGRAPHY

In limited data tomography, with applications such as electron microscopy, medical imaging, industrial non-destructive testing, etc., the scanning views are within an angular range that is either limited (i.e., less than the full 180deg) or sparsely sampled. In these situations, standard reconstruction algorithms produce reconstructions with notorious intrinsic artifacts. We propose a novel technique that gradually recovers (or "unmasks") the densities in the image, and whose implementation is based on the algebraic reconstruction techniques (ART). Using our method, we show that the artifacts are thus significantly reduced.
Systemic and mucosal immune responses in mice orally immunized with avirulent Salmonella typhimurium expressing a cloned Porphyromonas gingivalis hemagglutinin

Porphyromonas gingivalis produces a variety of virulence factors that may have a function in the periodontal disease process. Determination of the role of these various factors in pathogenesis and identification of a means for protecting the host from the destructive effects of this organism are areas of vigorous investigation. In this study we demonstrate the potential of avirulent Salmonella typhimurium strains to stimulate a specific systemic and mucosal immune response to a cloned P. gingivalis hemagglutinin (HagB). An avirulent strain of S. typhimurium, chi 4072, expressing the hagB gene of P. gingivalis 381 on the plasmid pDMD1 was intragastrically administered to BALB/c mice. These mice mounted a serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgA primary response against the hagB gene product and a mucosal immune response as measured by evaluation of saliva. IgA antibodies were also detected in bile. These results demonstrate the feasibility of using attenuated S. typhimurium strains as carriers of P. gingivalis virulence factors for subsequent evaluation of the systemic and mucosal immune response against these antigens. This system will provide a means for evaluating the virulence factors of P. gingivalis for their suitability in the construction of potential vaccines.
Linking Bluegill and Gizzard Shad Prey Assemblages to Growth of Age-0 Largemouth Bass in Reservoirs

Abstract Either gizzard shad Dorosoma cepedianum or bluegills Lepomis macrochirus dominate prey assemblages in many small (<100 ha) Ohio reservoirs. Because gizzard shad spawn early in the spring and their offspring grow rapidly, age-0 gizzard shad may be invulnerable to age-0 largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides thereby compromising this piscivore's growth and, potentially, recruitment. To test this hypothesis, we quantified growth, abundance, and diets of age-0 largemouth bass in reservoirs dominated by age-0 bluegills (one reservoir) or age-0 gizzard shad (two reservoirs) during June through early October 1992–1994. In the bluegill-dominated reservoir, age-0 largemouth bass grew slowly (about 0.04 g/d) during June through mid-August. Though age-0 bluegills became abundant after mid-August, contributing to rapid growth (about 0.2 g/d) of age-0 largemouth bass, these age-0 largemouth bass only reached small to moderate sizes by fall (range of mean wet weights, 3–7 g). In the reservoirs dominated by gizz...
The Impact of Active Herpes Simplex Virus Infection on Human Immunodeficiency Virus Load

The effect of a concurrent herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection on human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) load was evaluated. Sixteen subjects were identified with an active HSV infection and had pre-outbreak, acute-phase, and post-outbreak plasma (n = 16) and peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) (n = 8) samples for evaluation. All subjects were treated for an acute HSV outbreak with acyclovir for 10 days, followed by chronic prophylaxis. HIV-1 plasma RNA levels were determined by branched DNA, and intracellular HIV gag mRNA copy numbers were determined by quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction ELISA. Plasma virus load increased a median of 3.4-fold during the acute outbreak (range, 0- to 10-fold; P = .002), while post-outbreak levels (30-45 days after the appearance of lesions) remained above pre-outbreak, baseline levels in some subjects. Intracellular HIV gag mRNA increased during the outbreak as well. Thus, an acute HSV episode can result in increased HIV transcription and plasma virus load.
Dynamics of Flagellum- and Pilus-Mediated Association of Pseudomonas aeruginosa with Contact Lens Surfaces

ABSTRACT Flagella and pili are appendages that modulate attachment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to solid surfaces. However, previous studies have mostly reported absolute attachment. Neither the dynamic roles of these appendages in surface association nor those of attachment phenotypes have been quantified. We used video microscopy to address this issue. Unworn, sterile, soft contact lenses were placed in a laminar-flow optical chamber. Initial lens association kinetics for P. aeruginosa strain PAK were assessed in addition to lens-surface association phenotypes. Comparisons were made to strains with mutations in flagellin (fliC) or pilin (pilA) or those in flagellum (motAB) or pilus (pilU) function. PAK and its mutants associated with the contact lens surface at a constant rate according to first-order kinetics. Nonswimming mutants associated ∼30 to 40 times slower than the wild type. PAK and its pilA mutant associated at similar rates, but each ∼4 times faster than the pilU mutant. Lens attachment by wild-type PAK induced multiple phenotypes (static, lateral, and rotational surface movement), each showing only minor detachment. Flagellin (fliC) and flagellar-motility (motAB) mutants did not exhibit surface rotation. Conversely, strains with mutations in pilin (pilA) and pilus retraction (pilU) lacked lateral-surface movement but displayed enhanced surface rotation. Slower surface association of swimming-incapable P. aeruginosa mutants was ascribed to lower convective-diffusion-arrival rates, not to an inability to adhere. Flagellum function (swimming) enhanced lens association, attachment, and rotation; hyperpiliation hindered lens association. P. aeruginosa bound through three different adhesion sites: flagellum, pili, and body. Reduction of bacterial attachment to contact lenses thus requires blockage of multiple adhesion phenotypes.
Automated synthesis, characterization, and structural analysis of oligonucleotide C-3'-radical precursors.

Abstract C-3′-Acyl-3′-xylothymidine-containing oligonucleotides have been designed and synthesized for their use as radical precursors in the study of oxidative DNA damage initiated by a C-3′-radical. These oligomers were efficiently obtained using automated DNA synthesis techniques based on H -phosphonate chemistry. CD spectra and melting curves of the synthesized oligonucleotides were compared to those of their unmodified and xylomodified counterparts. The conformational analysis and hybridization studies indicate that the combination of the photolabile acyl group and the inversion of configuration at the sugar has no profound effect on the overall conformation of C-3′-acyl-2′-deoxy-3′-xylonucleotides as compared to their natural analogues. These systems should provide excellent tools for the elucidation of DNA damage processes.
New high conductivity lead (Pb)-free conducting adhesives

Solder interconnection technology is currently in need of alternatives to address environmental issues associated with lead (Pb) abatement, and elimination of fluxes and flux cleaning solvents, and technical challenges related to extending to fine pitch assembly. Electrically conducting adhesive technology is one of the alternatives being actively considered in this context. The most common conductive adhesive used today is an epoxy resin filled with fine silver particles. Silver particles provide electrical conduction, while epoxy provides adhesive bonding of the components to a substrate. This material has several limitations such as low electrical conductivity, low joint strength, increase in contact resistance upon thermal cycling, and silver migration. In order to overcome these limitations, a new formulation is proposed based on alternative Pb-free conducting filler powders and tailored polymer resins. This new material provides a metallurgical bonding as well as polymer adhesive bonding leading to an increase in joint strength and in electrical conductivity. Several potential applications of these adhesive materials such as glass-to-board connection in LCD packaging, SMT package assembly to PCB, and direct chip attachment to a high density card are discussed.
Cross Talk between the Cell Wall Integrity and Cyclic AMP/Protein Kinase A Pathways in Cryptococcus neoformans

ABSTRACT Cryptococcus neoformans is a fungal pathogen of immunocompromised people that causes fatal meningitis. The fungal cell wall is essential to viability and pathogenesis of C. neoformans, and biosynthesis and repair of the wall is primarily controlled by the cell wall integrity (CWI) signaling pathway. Previous work has shown that deletion of genes encoding the four major kinases in the CWI signaling pathway, namely, PKC1 , BCK1 , MKK2 , and MPK1 results in severe cell wall phenotypes, sensitivity to a variety of cell wall stressors, and for Mpk1, reduced virulence in a mouse model. Here, we examined the global transcriptional responses to gene deletions of BCK1 , MKK2 , and MPK1 compared to wild-type cells. We found that over 1,000 genes were differentially expressed in one or more of the deletion strains, with 115 genes differentially expressed in all three strains, many of which have been identified as genes regulated by the cyclic AMP (cAMP)/protein kinase A (PKA) pathway. Biochemical measurements of cAMP levels in the kinase deletion strains revealed significantly less cAMP in all of the deletion strains compared to the wild-type strain. The deletion strains also produced significantly smaller capsules than the wild-type KN99 strain did under capsule-inducing conditions, although the levels of capsule they shed were similar to those shed by the wild type. Finally, addition of exogenous cAMP led to reduced sensitivity to cell wall stress and restored surface capsule to levels near those of wild type. Thus, we have direct evidence of cross talk between the CWI and cAMP/PKA pathways that may have important implications for regulation of cell wall and capsule homeostasis. IMPORTANCE Cryptococcus neoformans is a fungal pathogen of immunocompromised people that causes fatal meningitis. The fungal cell wall is essential to viability and pathogenesis of C. neoformans, and biosynthesis and repair of the wall are primarily controlled by the cell wall integrity (CWI) signaling pathway. In this study, we demonstrate that deletion of any of three core kinases in the CWI pathway impacts not only the cell wall but also the amount of surface capsule. Deletion of any of the kinases results in significantly reduced cellular cyclic AMP (cAMP) levels, and addition of exogenous cAMP rescues the capsule defect and some cell wall defects, supporting a direct role for the CWI pathway in regulation of capsule in conjunction with the cAMP/protein kinase A pathway.
Social Interaction, Loneliness, and Emotional Well-Being among the Elderly:

This study examines the effects of interaction with different types of role partners on the emotional well-being (morale) of older persons, and the extent to which these effects are mediated by subjective feelings of social integration (loneliness). Hypotheses regarding the differential effects of friendship and kinship on these emotional states are developed and tested on a sample of 2872 respondents aged 55 and over. Consistent with the hypotheses, loneliness has a major negative effect on morale, and transmits large proportions of the effects of social integration measures. Feelings of loneliness are reduced, and morale increased, by interaction with friends and, to a lesser extent, neighbors. Interaction with children and grandchildren has no such effects.
Aerocapture Ballutes Versus Aerocapture Tethers for Exploration of the Solar System

Previous literature indicates that aerocapture with ballutes may provide significant mass advantages over traditional propulsive orbit capture. The possibility of using ballutes in the exploration of the atmosphere-bearing bodies in the solar system is considered, includingVenus, Earth,Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Titan, Uranus, andNeptune. The mass cost of ballute aerocapture is compared with propulsive capture and with previous work in which tethers are used for aerocapture in solar system exploration. Although both ballute and tether technologies require further analysis in the areas of structures, materials, and guidance, both systems offer attractive advantages over aerocapture with aeroshells and over propulsive capture.
Active Learning-Based Elicitation for Semi-Supervised Word Alignment

Semi-supervised word alignment aims to improve the accuracy of automatic word alignment by incorporating full or partial manual alignments. Motivated by standard active learning query sampling frameworks like uncertainty-, margin- and query-by-committee sampling we propose multiple query strategies for the alignment link selection task. Our experiments show that by active selection of uncertain and informative links, we reduce the overall manual effort involved in elicitation of alignment link data for training a semi-supervised word aligner.
Identification of FIR Wiener systems with unknown, noninvertible, polynomial nonlinearities

Wiener systems consist of a linear dynamic system whose output is measured through a static nonlinearity. In this paper we study the identification of single-input single-output Wiener systems with finite impulse response and polynomial nonlinearities. Our approach is to use multi-index notation to first solve a least squares problem to estimate products of the coefficients of the nonlinearity and the impulse response of the linear system. We then present four methods to extract the coefficients of the nonlinearity and impulse response: direct algebraic solutions, a singular value decomposition, a multi-dimensional singular value decomposition, and a prediction error optimization approach.
Prioritizing Wetland Restoration Sites: A Review and Application to a Large-Scale Coastal Restoration Program

Wetland restoration has emerged as an important tool for counteracting and restoring lost ecological services resulting from urban and agricultural development. Over the last 20 years, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) modeling has also become a powerful mechanism for prioritizing potential wetland restoration sites across a variety of geographic scales. Although numerous studies have created GIS-based models for a variety of uses, no one has comprehensively analyzed and compared models to determine best practices and inform future site selection efforts. We performed a comprehensive literature review of GIS-based wetland prioritization models. We found no congruency between stated objectives, specific variables and metrics, and respective weighting and scoring systems. We then performed a case study, applying these findings to explore potential improvements to the spatial decision support system (SDSS) used by the Mississippi Coastal Improvement Program (MsCIP; USA), a large-scale coastal restoration project aimed at improving the resiliency and reducing flood risk after significant damage from Hurricane Katrina (2005). This case study draws on several state-of-the-art practices in the literature to retroactively study potential improvements in the SDSS’s flexibility and accuracy in identifying potential wetland restoration sites. Our findings suggest improvements for wetland restoration prioritization models (including consistent variable use and ground-truthing) that could better direct future federal initiatives, as well as a wide range of domestic and international wetland restoration programs.
A Water Velocity Sensor for the Measurement of Three Dimensional Turbulence

This paper discusses the Mk IV version of the original three-dimensional drag sphere velocity probe developed jointly by staff at the National Water Research Institute and Canadian industry. The sensor is intended for field turbulence studies; it has a bandwidth of 75 Hz and a spatial resolution of 27 cm at a SNR (on a turbulent length scale) of 10. The performance of this latest improved version is evaluated on the basis of the results obtained from various tests and calibrations performed with static forces and in the Canada Centre for Inland Waters' towing tank facility. Force, flow and temperature sensitivity coefficients are presented and discussed. Flow vector measurement errors resulting from residual, second-order non-linearities are minimized by the redundancy of the defining transfer function equations. Work is currently in progress to further reduce these residual effects. Nevertheless, this sensor provides a useful measurement capability for the oceanographic and limnological communities.
Northward expansion of a marine parasite: Testing the role of temperature adaptation

Abstract The known range of the eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) parasite, Perkinsus marinus, expanded into the northeastern United States in the early 1990s. We used both in vitro and in vivo data to test the hypothesis that the northward expansion was associated with a low-temperature adapted strain of the parasite. In vitro proliferation of nine P. marinus isolates from three geographic sites, Massachusetts and New Jersey in the new range, and South Carolina in the historic southern range, was measured at seven temperatures (5 to 35 °C) using a tetrazolium blue dye assay. We wanted to determine if there were between- and within-geographic location differences in the P. marinus proliferation rate, and if so, whether they were associated with temperature. We found no evidence of low-temperature adaptation based on the fact that net proliferation rates for isolates from all three geographic locations were similar at temperatures from 5 to 20 °C. On the other hand, at temperatures of 25 to 35 °C, the South Carolina isolates exhibited higher proliferation rates than the northern isolates suggesting possible high-temperature adaptation of parasite strains that are routinely exposed to higher temperatures. Although there was significant within-location variation among isolates, the data tended to group together by geographic location supporting the hypothesis that there is an important regional component to the proliferation rate of P. marinus isolates. A survey of published data showed that the temperature at which in vivo proliferation was first observed in oysters at sites from the Gulf of Mexico to Massachusetts was typically between 20 and 23 °C with no evidence of a geographic cline. These results lend support to the hypothesis that the recent warming trend in the northeastern US is the most likely explanation for the P. marinus range extension.
The Effect of Performance Standards on Health Care Provider Behavior: Evidence from Kidney Transplantation

Performance standards are designed to ensure a basic level of quality, and through public reporting of firm performance, encourage firms to compete on quality thus allowing the market to determine the optimal level of quality. In markets with substantial excess demand, however, demand effects may be insufficient to induce any change in firm behavior and enforcement may be required to ensure high quality. Even with enforcement, quality still may not improve at underperforming firms if gaming the system is less costly than improving quality. We test whether information alone or with regulatory enforcement improves outcomes or elicits gaming behavior in our study of 266 kidney transplant centers between 2001 and 2012. In a context of excess demand induced by price controls, we show that information alone has no impact and enforcement may actually increase market inefficiencies; firms respond to costly quality requirements, not by improving quality, but by reducing supply, which exacerbates the disequilibrium between supply and demand, and by cream-skimming, which reduces access to transplantation among sicker patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Imprinting community college computer science education with software engineering principles

Although the two-year curriculum guide includes coverage of all eight software engineering core topics, the computer science courses taught in Alabama community colleges limit student exposure to the programming, or coding, phase of the software development lifecycle and offer little experience in requirements analysis, design, testing, and maintenance. We proposed that some software engineering principles can be incorporated into the introductory-level of the computer science curriculum. Our vision is to give community college students a broader exposure to the software development lifecycle. For those students who plan to transfer to a baccalaureate program subsequent to their community college education, our vision is to prepare them sufficiently to move seamlessly into mainstream computer science and software engineering degrees. For those students who plan to move from the community college to a programming career, our vision is to equip them with the foundational knowledge and skills required by the software industry. To accomplish our goals, we developed curriculum modules for teaching seven of the software engineering knowledge areas within current computer science introductory-level courses. Each module was designed to be self-supported with suggested learning objectives, teaching outline, software tool support, teaching activities, and other material to assist the instructor in using it.
Quantum Computing and Its Potential for Turbulence Simulations

A tutorial is provided of quantum computing (QC) and the way it has made significant speed-up in various simulations. A review will also be provided of the large eddy simulation (LES) of turbulent flows via the stochastic filtered density function (FDF) methodology. The potentials of the quantum speed-up in FDF simulation via QC appear to be significant. This can results to a revolutionary means by which turbulence simulations can be conducted in future.
Study on adsorption-desorption kinetic characteristics of flavonoids from bamboo leaves with macroporous resins

Four kinds of macroporous resins were selected to compare their performances in adsorbing and desorbing flavonoids in bamboo leaves.The optimal absorbent material for flavonoids in bamboo leaves was decided.Experimental results showed that AB-8 resin possessed higher absorption and desorption capacity.The optimum parameters for separation were as follows: the range of the sample pH was 5.0 at the flow rate 1mL/min;the optimal solution for the adsorption was 60% ethanol with 4BV at the flow rate of 1.5 mL/min.The purity of flavonoids was 54.16%.
How accurate are our assumptions about our students' background knowledge?

Teachers establish prerequisites that students must meet before they are permitted to enter their courses. It is expected that having these prerequisites will provide students with the knowledge an...
Operational Radiation Protection

This chapter addresses the operational radiological surveillance aspects of a light water reactor radiation protection (RP) program. Operational aspects include those functions associated with daily surveillance and maintenance activities in support of plant operations. Those activities typically associated with operational radiation protection functions at the working level are presented. These activities include performance of radiological surveys, radiological signposting, demarcation of radiological areas, access control, preparation of radiation work permits and job coverage activities.
The Multiagent Analysis of Social Progress in Energy Behavior: The System Dynamics Methodology

Global warming represents a serious threat to human civilization. $\text{CO}_2$ emissions have been considered to be the main basis for the incredible increase in the earth's surface temperature in recent years. Most emissions result from human activities and are associated with the energy industry. Thus, developing an extensive framework of effective agents for managing this situation and the various relationships involved is important. Accordingly, this paper aims to provide a comprehensive system dynamics model, which is based on the systems thinking approach, to address the issue of global warming, in terms of households' energy consumption behaviors. The proposed model provides a broad overview of key agents affecting energy consumption, including government/public sector, households, and power industry. This model is verified by simulating different scenarios.
Posttraumatic Adaptation after the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: the Unique Role of Coping and Oil Contact on Community Members’ Stress

Background: After the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) in the U.S. Gulf Coast community rose quickly. Objective: With the chronic course of PTSS a concern, the current research investigated the usefulness of assessing oil contact as a way to identify community members with clinical levels of PTSS. Secondly, the study looked at differences between persons with oil contact and with no contact on posttraumatic stress and coping styles, as well as the relation between coping styles on posttraumatic stress. \Design: Using purposive sampling, community members (n = 213, 69.6 % women) from oil spill impacted areas were surveyed using the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Checklist-Civilian and the Brief COPE. Method: Community members were grouped by self-reported contact with oil (contact n = 63; no contact n = 150). Results: Individuals who had direct contact with the oil reported higher levels of PTSS, as well as greater use of avoidant and problem-focused coping styles. Avoidant emotion-focused coping was more strongly related to posttraumatic stress than other coping styles. In addition, an interaction was observed such that use of this coping style exacerbated the effect of oil contact on PTSS. Conclusions: Individuals coming into contact with the oil form a high risk group. Additionally, coping behaviors requiring avoidance may need to be re-directed in conjunction with removing barriers that hinder posttraumatic adaptation.
Cibeles en el Palacio de los Soviets. Debates sobre monumentalidad en la Guerra Civil Española

RESUMENEn junio de 1937, la fuente de la Cibeles desaparecio de Madrid cubierta en una piramide de ladrillos, cemento y arena, que la ocultaba al mismo tiempo que la protegia de los bombardeos. Meses despues, en noviembre, los maestros falleros construyeron en Valencia una replica de la misma, que transportaron a la Union Sovietica como regalo de una doble conmemoracion: el primer aniversario de la Batalla de Madrid y el vigesimo de la Revolucion bolchevique. La diosa-icono de Madrid desaparecia de la calle Alcala y reaparecia en el pais de los soviets. El presente articulo recrea esta intervencion en la Cibeles para analizar diferentes actitudes de la Republica en Madrid sobre proteccion patrimonial, particularmente en la orbita (filo-)comunista. En lugar de abordar el salvamento del Prado, ampliamente estudiado, centro el analisis en la proteccion de los monumentos, cuya investigacion academica sigue siendo escasa. Demuestro que las practicas proteccionistas se desarrollaron en paralelo a diversos debat...
BSW and MSW Students' Opinions about and Responses to the Death of Freddie Gray and the Ensuing Riots: Implications for the Social Justice Emphasis in Social Work Education.

AbstactIn April 2015, a Black man, Freddie Gray, died in police custody in Baltimore, Maryland. A day of rioting followed. These events provided the researcher with the opportunity to ascertain social work students’ opinions about and actions in response to these occurrences and their implications for the social justice mission of the social work profession. Students expressed a commitment to social justice and reported that it was emphasized in their education. A significant minority indicated that the Gray case was not addressed in any of their social work classes or in their field practicum. Although respondents reported that the Gray case further enhanced their commitment to the principle of social justice, few engaged in any sort of activity in response to Gray’s death and the unrest either at the time of the events or 6 months later. Implications for social work education are discussed.
A longitudinal investigation of the psychological health of United States Air Force base communities

The longitudinal course of the psychological health (PH) of United States Air Force (USAF) base communities in relation to risk and demographic factors was studied over a 5-year period. PH (clinically significant hazardous drinking, prescription drug misuse, depressive symptoms, suicidal thoughts and behaviors, intimate partner violence [IPV] and child abuse) and risk (personal and family adjustment, workplace adjustment, broader community adjustment) and demographic factors (age and gender distribution) were operationalized at the aggregate level for bases (N = 77) as measured in three large scale surveys of USAF active duty members. Bases whose members collectively exhibited greater levels of risk collectively experienced greater initial problems with alcohol and drug use, depression, suicidality, and physical IPV. Hazardous drinking more quickly increased at bases whose members were younger and more male, and at those with poorer initial aggregate personal adjustment and workplace adjustment. The challenges of studying the community-level course of PH are highlighted.
Language Complexity, Belief-consistency and the Evaluation of Policies

Policy proposals often contain complex legal, technical, or scientific jargon, making it difficult for people to evaluate their favorability toward the policy. We proposed one experiment testing th...
Dry eye: pharmacological approaches, effects, and progress.

Purpose: The effects of available pharmaceuticals on the tear film and ocular surface in dry eye are reviewed and the progress that has been made in dry eye treatment is discussed. Methods: Pharmaceuticals are examined with regard to their effect on physical and morphological events or milestones in the natural history of dry eye disease. Results: Dry eye disease evolves cumulatively over time through a sequence of four events: 1) decreased tear production or increased tear film evaporation (increased tear osmolarity); 2) decreased conjunctival goblet-cell density; 3) increased corneal epithelial desquamation; and, finally, 4) destabilization of the cornea-tear interface. In the 1970s, demulcents were introduced to decrease tear film instability. More recently, preservative-free solutions have been shown to decrease corneal desquamation. The newest pharmaceutical available today is known as TheraTears TM (ATF); in pre-clinical studies it restores conjunctival goblet cells. On the horizon are medications such as 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX), which directly stimulate tear production. Conclusions: As our understanding of the pathogenesis and natural history of dry eye disease has improved, pharmaceuticals have been designed to act at earlier and more crucial points in the disease process. We are now entering a new era in dry eye treatment with the introduction of the first agent that can reverse the basic events of dry eye surface disease.
Description Logics Emerge from Ivory Towers.

Description logic (DL) has existed as a field for a few decades yet somewhat recently have appeared to transform from an area of academic interest to an area of broad interest. This paper provides a brief historical perspective of description logic developments that have impacted their usability beyond just in universities and research labs and provides one perspective on the topic. Description logics (previously called terminological logics and KL-ONE-like systems) started with a motivation of providing a formal foundation for semantic networks. The first implemented DL system – KL-ONE – grew out of Brachman’s thesis [Brachman, 1977]. This work was influenced by the work on frame systems but was focused on providing a foundation for building term meanings in a semantically meaningful and unambiguous manner. It rejected the notion of maintaining an ever growing (seemingly adhoc) vocabulary of link and node names seen in semantic networks and instead embraced the notion of a fixed set of domain-independent “epistemological primitives” that could be used to construct complex, structured object descriptions. It included constructs such as “defines-an-attribute-of” as a built-in construct and expected terms like “hasemployee” to be higher-level terms built up from the epistemological primitives. Higher level terms such as “has-employee” and “has-part-time-employee” could be related automatically based on term definitions instead of requiring a user to place links between them. In its original incarnation, this led to maintaining the motivation of semantic networks of providing broad expressive capabilities (since people wanted to be able to represent natural language applications) coupled with the motivation of providing a foundation of building blocks that could be used in a principled and well-defined manner. KL-ONE provided an important first step in description l ogic history and since then, many systems have been
Accelerator-Based Ultrasensitive Mass Spectrometry

This chapter will describe a new mass spectrometry technique involving charged particle accelerators normally used for basic research in nuclear science. The work has mainly employed tandem electrostatic accelerators but important contributions to the field have also been made using cyclotrons. The limitations of conventional mass spectrometry will be described, followed by an explanation of how these limitations are circumvented with the accelerator-based method. The technique can be used for both stable and radiocative isotopes and, in the latter case, the limitations of the conventional method of detection by the measurement of radioactive decay will be discussed. Following this the measurements made to date of a number of radioactive elements, particulary of cosmogenic origin, and of stable elements will be described including a description of the application of such measurements in such diverse fields as archaeology, anthropology, hydrology, geology, meteoritics, and astrophysics. The modification of existing accelerators for improved operation in this field will be described and this will be followed by a discussion of accelerators presently under construction to be dedicated exclusively for mass spectrometry. The article will conclude with a discussion of some possible future applications of the new technique.
Approaches to Supportive Care

Head and neck cancer is associated with ­substantial symptom and function loss. It is critical to understand the depth and breadth of issues face by patients in order to maximize quality of life. Symptoms and functional deficits may be secondary to either the cancer or its treatment. The mechanism of toxicity varies depending on the extent of tumor involvement, the site of tumor, treatment modality, and host factors. Toxicity is usually categorized as acute (occurring within 3 months of therapy) or late (occurring 3 months or after therapy). In addition, it is also important to distinguish local versus systemic toxicities. Although head and neck cancer therapy is associated with significant system effects, data pertaining to these toxicities are lacking. Thus, this chapter reviews the selected critical supportive care issues localized to the head and neck region. This includes: mucositis, nutrition, dysphagia, xerostomia and hyposalivation, oral health issues, and radiation dermatitis.
Convex Adversarial Collective Classification

In this paper, we present a novel method for robustly performing collective classification in the presence of a malicious adversary that can modify up to a fixed number of binary-valued attributes. Our method is formulated as a convex quadratic program that guarantees optimal weights against a worst-case adversary in polynomial time. In addition to increased robustness against active adversaries, this kind of adversarial regularization can also lead to improved generalization even when no adversary is present. In experiments on real and simulated data, our method consistently outperforms both nonadversarial and non-relational baselines.
Opioids and Other Analgesics

The opioids hold a unique place amongst addictive substances in that they have a critical and indispensable role in medical treatment. This is as true today as it was in ancient times, for despite medical advances, palliation is still needed, and there are no better drugs than the opioids for treating severe pain and suffering. Recreational use of opioids, once as opium, has an established place in human history and is more prevalent today than ever because of a number of geopolitical and societal factors (Administration USDE. Automation of Reports and Consolidated Orders System (ARCOS), Retail Drug Summary Report; http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/arcos/retail_drug_summary/index.html; Associated Press Analysis. http://wwwihtcom/articles/ap/2007/08/20/america/NA-FEA-GEN-US-World-of-Painphp). That these two often conflicting roles for opioids exist presents real difficulty in terms of how these drugs should be used and controlled so as to help patients and not harm them. This chapter will explore some of the issues surrounding opioid pain therapy, and how opioid addiction impacts this.
Use of social media like Facebook in learning and teaching immunology at college of pharmacy: synergy or rivalry? (EDU1P.217)

It is proven that today’s students spend majority of their time on Facebook. To help students stay more focused on studying a Facebook group about Immunology was created. It was hypothesized that Facebook will create an interest and impulse for first year pharmacy students to help increase participation in the class and help understand key concepts of Immunology. For those students that are visual learners and seem to struggle with understanding key concepts of immunology, uploading videos can help them with grasping this knowledge.The purpose of this project was to determine if creating a Facebook group would be beneficial for the Pharmacy Year 1 (P-1) class to help them get a better understanding of the Immunology through videos. The P1 class had the option of watching the videos and completing the surveys. While the results were promising in the first week, they slowly depleted as the study proceeded. After the second week there were numerous surveys completed that were not in favor of the videos or topic discussions. This trend continued until the last week of the study where it was not approved by the vast majority of the students. Based upon this research we concluded that Facebook did create an initial interest especially for visual learners but that seemed to wane away over time. Students were unable to remain focussed over time during the length of Immunology course. They preferred textbook reading and interactive discussion among small groups more than Facebook.
Security Analysis of the Multi-stage Protocol

This chapter analyzes intercept-and-resend and photon number splitting attacks in the multi-stage multi-photon protocol. It lays down the conditions under which the multi-stage multi-photon protocol can approach the strength of a quantum-secure protocol. The material presented in this chapter is based on the authors’ work previously published in [16].
Enabling tools for Toxoplasma glycobiology

Infection by the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii is a major health risk owing to its chronic nature, ability to reactivate to cause blindness and encephalitis, and high prevalence in human populations. Like nearly all eukaryotes, Toxoplasma glycosylates many of its proteins and lipids and assembles polysaccharides. Unlike most eukaryotes, Toxoplasma divides and differentiates in vacuoles within host cells. While their glycans resemble canonical models, they exhibit species-specific variations that have inhibited deeper investigations into their roles in parasite biology and virulence. The genome of Toxoplasma encodes a suite of likely glycogenes expected to assemble a range of N-glycans, O-glycans, a C-glycan, GPI-anchors, and polysaccharides, along with their requisite precursors and membrane transporters. To facilitate genetic approaches to investigate the roles of specific glycans, we mapped probable connections between 59 glycogenes, their enzyme products, and the glycans to which they contribute. We adapted a double-CRISPR/Cas9 strategy and a mass spectrometry-based glycomics workflow to test these relationships, and conducted infection studies in fibroblast monolayers to probe cellular functions. Through the validated disruption of 17 glycogenes, we also discovered novel Glc0-2-Man6-GlcNAc2-type N-glycans, GalNAc2- and Glc-Fuc-type O-glycans, and a nuclear O-Fuc type glycan. We describe the guide sequences, disruption constructs, and mutant strains, which are freely available to practitioners for application in the context of the relational map to investigate the roles of glycans in their favorite biological processes.
Indexing neoliberal ideology and political identities in a racially diverse business community

This article examines the relationship between everyday talk, the reproduction of political ideology and the interactional accomplishment of situated identities through analyzing how institutional ...
Should Research Participants Be Notified About Results of Currently Unknown but Potential Significance

In the past 20 years there has been increasing recognition that clinical research results be communicated to study participants after completion of the research study. At a minimum, research result...