cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Using the Theory of Reasoned Action to examine the gambling behaviors of college athletes and other students.

USING THE THEORY OF REASONED ACTION TO EXAMINE THE GAMBLING BEHAVIOR OF COLLEGE ATHLETES AND OTHER STUDENTS Robert Gene Thrasher, Jr. May 3, 2006 Legal and illegal gambling opportunities are readily available to students on college campuses and surrounding areas (Saum, 1999). College students are at an age that is highly impressionable, experimental, and prime to taking risks while ignoring the potential consequences (Oster, 1992). Because of their desire for competition, college student athletes may be highly susceptible to the lure of gambling. While the rates of pathological gambling are high for college students, the rates for the subpopulation of college student athletes are posited to be even higher (Rockey, Beason, Lee, Stewart, & Gilbert, 1997). The general purpose of the current study was to examine the gambling behavior of college students and, in particular, college student athletes. Specifically, this study examined the relationships among subjective norms, gambling attitudes, gambling motivations, locus of control, and gambling intentions on the gambling behavior of college students. The goal of this study was to assess gambling in a specific population with easy access to gambling and to evaluate the adequacy of a modified Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) (Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980) for predicting gambling frequency and gambling behavior. Several studies have used the TRA to examine gambling behavior
Participatory-sensing-enabled efficient Parking Management in modern cities

A growing interest in Internet of things (IoT) paradigm has enabled a wide range of physical objects and environments to be monitored in fine detail by using pervasive sensing and communication devices. In this paper, we develop an IoT framework that targets one of the biggest challenges in modern cities, namely, Parking Management. Populating parking facilities with sensors imposes unwarranted installation and maintenance costs. In our system we eliminate the additional sensing or monitoring facilities, instead use participatory sensing paradigm to find, monitor and regulate parking. In our system volunteers collect and share information from their local environment using smart-devices. We link the user reputation scores to the reliability of user-provided data and determine parking availability and combine them with a reward model for incentives. The validation results through simulated as well as real participatory users have shown that our approach can yield accurate parking spot availability using user provided data.
Interactions Between Natural and Electrically Evoked Saccades.III. Is the Nonstationarity the Result of an Integrator Not Instantaneously Reset

In the monkey, fixed-vector saccades evoked by superior colliculus (SC) stimulation when the animal fixates can be dramatically modified if the stimulation is applied during or immediately after an initial natural saccade. The vector is then deviated in the direction opposite to the displacement just accomplished as if it were compensating for part of the preceding trajectory. Recently, it was suggested that the amplitude of the compensatory deviation is related to the amplitude of the initial saccade linearly, and that the ratio between the two decreases exponentially as stimulation is applied later. These two findings (spatial linearity and temporal nonstationarity) were invoked as evidence for the noninstantaneous resetting of a feedback integrator. Such an integrator is included in most models of saccade generation for the specific purpose of terminating a saccade when it has reached its intended goal. However, the hypothesis of a feedback integrator in the process of being reset implies that the exponential decay of the compensatory deviation is temporally linked to the end of the initial saccade. We analyzed the time course of this decay in stimulation experiments performed at 24 SC sites in two monkeys. The results show that if the start of the exponential decay of compensation is assumed to be linked to the end of the initial saccade, then the relation between the amount of compensatory deviation and the amplitude of the initial saccade is not linear. On the other hand, it is possible to show a linear relation if the measurements of compensatory deviation are made in terms of delay of stimulation from the saccade beginning. We conclude that stimulating the SC just after a visually guided saccade does not seem to test the properties of a feedback integrator. Whether such an integrator is or is not resettable is not likely to be decided by this approach. Conversely, as the nonstationarity of compensation is linked to the beginning of the saccade, the nonstationarity seems to represent a property of an event occurring at saccade onset. We suggest that this event, close to the input of the oculomotor apparatus, is the summation of the visual signal with a damped signal of eye position or displacement.
Multivariate and multiple permutation tests

Abstract In this article, we consider the use of permutation tests for comparing multivariate parameters from two populations. First, the underlying properties of permutation tests when comparing parameter vectors from two distributions P and Q are developed. Although an exact level α test can be constructed by a permutation test when the fundamental assumption of identical underlying distributions holds, permutation tests have often been misused. Indeed, permutation tests have frequently been applied in cases where the underlying distributions need not be identical under the null hypothesis. In such cases, permutation tests fail to control the Type 1 error, even asymptotically. However, we provide valid procedures in the sense that even when the assumption of identical distributions fails, one can establish the asymptotic validity of permutation tests in general while retaining the exactness property when all the observations are i.i.d. In the multivariate testing problem for testing the global null hypothesis of equality of parameter vectors, a modified Hotelling’s T 2 -statistic as well as tests based on the maximum of studentized absolute differences are considered. In the latter case, a bootstrap prepivoting test statistic is constructed, which leads to a bootstrapping after permuting algorithm. Then, these tests are applied as a basis for testing multiple hypotheses simultaneously by invoking the closure method to control the Familywise Error Rate. Lastly, Monte Carlo simulation studies and an empirical example are presented.
Homosexuals in the Armed Forces: A Comment on Generalizability

Cameron, Cameron, and Proctor (1988) report a survey of public attitudes relevant to the integration of homosexual males into the US armed forces. I am not certain that such a survey should have any bearing on public policy. I agree with the framers of the Declaration of Independence that human rights are inalienable, nor a gift of government or society, and also with Mill (1859) that if the rights of the minority are dependent upon the good will of the majority, the minority have no real rights at all. Therefore, I will limit my commenn to the generalizability rather than the implications of their results. A sample survey is of value only if it is generalizable to some population of interest. This survey is clearly intended to be genetalizable to the U.S. population, but is it? Part of the data arise from what the authors describe as "a national random sample." In fact, this sample was drawn from five metropolitan areas-Los Angeles, Denver, Omaha, Louisville and the District of Columbia-plus two pilot samples in Bennett, NE and Rochester, NY. Are these seven cities representative of the entire US? Can the populous northeast be represented by the "small pilot" sample in Rochester? Is Bennett, NE adequate representation for all of nonmetropolitan America? Most results come from a separate s w e y conducted in Dallas. Is Dallas representative of the USA as a whole? The authors justify this by pointing to the "correspondence of the responses of the Dallas and national samples" to a set of common questions. This would be a more impressive argument, of course, if the national sample icself were more dearly representative. While the similarity does seem "evident," ir has not been statistically tested and the cynical reader will wonder if enhancing the evidentness of the similarity may have motivated the collapsing of response categories i n the reporting of these results. In any case, these shared questions are quite different from those asked only of the Dallas sample, so similarities of these attirude5 can not be equated with a similarity of all attitudes. I would not be surprised if the views of the US public were much like those reported by Cameron, Cameron, and Proctor, but the authors have not provided informadon generalizable to the US population.
Next-Generation Sequencing Reveals Restriction and Clonotypic Expansion of Treg Cells in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis.

Objective Treg cell-mediated suppression of Teff cells is impaired in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA); however, the basis for this dysfunction is incompletely understood. Animal models of autoimmunity and immunodeficiency demonstrate that a diverse Treg cell repertoire is essential to maintain Treg cell function. The present study was undertaken to investigate the Treg and Teff cell repertoires in JIA. Methods Treg cells (CD4+CD25+CD127(low) ) and Teff cells (CD4+CD25-) were isolated from peripheral blood and synovial fluid obtained from JIA patients, healthy controls, and children with Lyme arthritis. Treg cell function was measured in suppressive assays. The T cell receptor β chain (TRB) was amplified by multiplex polymerase chain reaction and next-generation sequencing was performed, with amplicons sequenced using an Illumina HiSeq platform. Data were analyzed using ImmunoSEQ, International ImMunoGeneTics system, and the Immunoglobulin Analysis Tools. Results Compared to findings in controls, the JIA peripheral blood Treg cell repertoire was restricted, and clonotypic expansions were found in both blood and synovial fluid Treg cells. Skewed usage and pairing of TRB variable and joining genes, including overuse of gene segments that have been associated with other autoimmune conditions, was observed. JIA patients shared a substantial portion of synovial fluid Treg cell clonotypes that were private to JIA and not identified in Lyme arthritis. Conclusion We identified restriction and clonotypic expansions in the JIA Treg cell repertoire with sharing of Treg cell clonotypes across patients. These findings suggest that abnormalities in the Treg cell repertoire, possibly engendered by shared antigenic triggers, may contribute to disease pathogenesis in JIA.
Odds and Ends

We have detailed the major players in a quantitative research report. Now we attend to the supporting roles, most of which bookend the major sections of your report. The Title Page and Abstract appear before your Introduction. In-text citations appear within the body of your research report. References (also called Works Cited or Bibliography), Tables and Figures, and Appendices follow the final section of your report (i.e., the Discussion or Conclusion).
ELEMENTARY THEORY OF A GAS DISCHARGE

This chapter focuses on the elementary theory of a gas discharge. The simplest model that includes interactions is the Lorentz gas. In this model, it is assumed that the electrons are free to move in a stationary uniform background of ions and neutrals that provide a viscous damping force. The electrons are assumed to interact with each other only through the space charge fields. The chapter discusses the Langevin equation and its application. The solution of Langevin equation provides the directed motion of an average electron that is assumed to be representative of all of the electrons in the discharge. The results for one electron is multiplied by the density of electrons, and the result is assumed to represent the gas discharge as a whole. Moreover, the equations obtained for the conductivity and dielectric constant are useful for obtaining good approximations of the actual behavior of a gas discharge in the area of investigation involving the propagation of electromagnetic waves through ionized media.
Differential games, finite-time partial-state stabilisation of nonlinear dynamical systems, and optimal robust control

ABSTRACTTwo-player zero-sum differential games are addressed within the framework of state-feedback finite-time partial-state stabilisation of nonlinear dynamical systems. Specifically, finite-time partial-state stability of the closed-loop system is guaranteed by means of a Lyapunov function, which we prove to be the value of the game. This Lyapunov function verifies a partial differential equation that corresponds to a steady-state form of the Hamilton–Jacobi–Isaacs equation, and hence guarantees both finite-time stability with respect to part of the system state and the existence of a saddle point for the system's performance measure. Connections to optimal regulation for nonlinear dynamical systems with nonlinear-nonquadratic cost functionals in the presence of exogenous disturbances and parameter uncertainties are also provided. Furthermore, we develop feedback controllers for affine nonlinear systems extending an inverse optimality framework tailored to the finite-time partial-state stabilisation pr...
The use of the FLACC pain scale in pediatric patients undergoing adenotonsillectomy.

Abstract Objectives 1) Determine the usage rate of opioid pain medication after adenotonsillectomy (T&A). 2) Review the use of the Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability (FLACC) pain scale for T&A patients 3) Determine the rate of postoperative physician contacts for pain related complaints. Methods A retrospective case series review was performed on 125 pediatric patients undergoing T&A and subsequent 23-hour postoperative observation at an academic tertiary care center from June–August of 2015. Postoperative pain scores using the FLACC pain scale, the utilization of opioid pain medications, and the number of postoperative contacts for pain were recorded. Results Average age of patients was 5.7 years and 50% were female. 90% of T&A's were performed for adenotonsillar hypertrophy. The post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage rate was 4%. 70 (56%) patients required postoperative opioid pain medication, with (30) 43% of these patients requiring more than one dose. The mean number of opioid doses was 1.64 ± 0.9 and was not related to age, weight or gender. FLACC scores were highly associated (spearman correlation 0.77) with the amount of opioid medication given. Mean FLACC scores decreased over time after T&A. 20% of patients contacted a physician for unsatisfactory pain control postoperatively with 6% requiring emergency department visits and 14% contacting the office via phone call. Conclusions A significant portion of pediatric patients undergoing T&A require postoperative opioids for pain control. The FLACC scale is a valuable way of quantifying post-operative T&A pain in pediatric patients. Despite routine pain management postoperatively, a significant proportion of patients require contact with a physician postoperatively for pain management.
Intravesical formalin for hemorrhagic cystitis: A contemporary cohort.

Introduction: Hemorrhagic cystitis presents a difficult clinical challenge, yet data regarding treatment options is sparse. Here, we sought to evaluate outcomes of a contemporary cohort of patients treated with intravesical formalin for hemorrhagic cystitis. Methods: We identified a retrospective cohort of eight patients managed with formalin for hemorrhagic cystitis from 2000‒2014. All patients failed prior measures, including bladder irrigation, clot evacuation, and other intravesical agents. Treatment success was defined as hematuria resolution during the given hospitalization without use of additional invasive therapies. We also evaluated treatment complications and additional treatments following hospital dismissal. Results: Etiology of cystitis was radiation for malignancy in all cases. The formalin concentration ranged from 1‒4%, with escalation used in treatment failures. Five patients (62.5%) received a single dose of 1% formalin, two patients received two doses, and one patient received three doses. Notably, intraoperative cystography identified vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) in 50.0% of patients. Six patients (75.0%) achieved treatment success, with a median time to resolution of four days (range 1‒17 days). Of those refractory to formalin, one was managed with indwelling nephrostomy tubes and one underwent cystectomy. Median followup was eight months. Of the responders, two eventually required cystectomy, one for recurrent hematuria and one for recalcitrant bladder neck contracture and bladder dysfunction. The remaining four patients (50%) required no additional therapy. Conclusions: Formalin remains an important tool for treating refractory hemorrhagic cystitis, with roughly 75.0% of patients requiring no additional therapy prior to hospital discharge. Notably, there is a risk of bladder dysfunction following formalin.
XX. An account of the repeating circle, and of the altitude and azimuth instrument; describing their different constructions, the manner of performing their principal adjustments, and how to make observations with them; together with a comparison of their respective advantages

(1822). XX. An account of the repeating circle, and of the altitude and azimuth instrument; describing their different constructions, the manner of performing their principal adjustments, and how to make observations with them; together with a comparison of their respective advantages. The Philosophical Magazine: Vol. 60, No. 292, pp. 102-113.
Monitoring Manhattan's traffic at 5 intersections?

Is it possible to monitor the entire traffic in Manhattan at a few intersections? This paper proposes a series of sampling, recovery and representation techniques based on graph signal processing to handle complex, nonsmooth graph signals. We validate our proposed techniques on Manhattan's taxi pickups during the years of 2014 and 2015. We are able to approximately recover the taxi-pick activities in Manhattan by sampling at only 5 selected intersections. The same techniques can be applied to monitor other types of traffic data.
Diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging of liver: Principles, clinical applications and recent updates

Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), a functional imaging technique exploiting the Brownian motion of water molecules, is increasingly shown to have value in various oncological and non-oncological applications. Factors such as the ease of acquisition and ability to obtain functional information in the absence of intravenous contrast, especially in patients with abnormal renal function, have contributed to the growing interest in exploring clinical applications of DWI. In the liver, DWI demonstrates a gamut of clinical applications ranging from detecting focal liver lesions to monitoring response in patients undergoing serial follow-up after loco-regional and systemic therapies. DWI is also being applied in the evaluation of diffuse liver diseases such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, hepatic fibrosis and cirrhosis. In this review, we intend to review the basic principles, technique, current clinical applications and future trends of DW-MRI in the liver.
Trabecular bone microstructure is impaired in the proximal femur of human immunodeficiency virus-infected men with normal bone mineral density.

Background There is evidence that human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and antiretroviral therapy (ART) are independent risk factors for osteoporosis and fracture which is not solely explained by changes in bone mineral density. Thus, we hypothesized that the assessment of trabecular microstructure might play an important role for bone quality in this population and might explain the increased fracture risk. In this study, we have assessed bone microstructure in the proximal femur using high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as well as in the extremities using high resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) in HIV-infected men and healthy controls and compared these findings to those based on areal bone mineral density (aBMD) derived from dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) which is the standard clinical parameter for the diagnosis of osteoporosis. Methods Eight HIV-infected men and 11 healthy age-matched controls were recruited and informed consent was obtained before each scan. High-resolution MRI of the proximal femur was performed using fully balanced steady state free precession (bSSFP) on a 3T system. Three volumes of interest at corresponding anatomic locations across all subjects were defined based on registrations of a common template. Four MR-based trabecular microstructural parameters were analyzed at each region: fuzzy bone volume fraction (f-BVF), trabecular number (Tb.N), thickness (Tb.Th), and spacing (Tb.Sp). In addition, the distal radius and distal tibia were imaged with HR-pQCT. Four HR-pQCT-based microstructural parameters were analyzed: trabecular bone volume fraction (BV/TV), Tb.N, Tb.Th, and Tb.Sp. Total hip and spine aBMD were determined from DXA. Results Microstructural bone parameters derived from MRI at the proximal femur and from HR-pQCT at the distal tibia showed significantly lower bone quality in HIV-infected patients compared to healthy controls. In contrast, DXA aBMD data showed no significant differences between HIV-infected patients and healthy controls. Conclusions Our results suggest that high-resolution imaging is a powerful tool to assess trabecular bone microstructure and can be used to assess bone health in HIV-infected men who show no differences to healthy males by DXA aBMD. Advances in MRI technology have made microstructural imaging at the proximal femur possible. Further studies in larger patient cohorts are clearly warranted.
Xenon adsorption on geological media and implications for radionuclide signatures.

Abstract The detection of radioactive noble gases is a primary technology for verifying compliance with the pending Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. A fundamental challenge in applying this technology for detecting underground nuclear explosions is estimating the timing and magnitude of the radionuclide signatures. While the primary mechanism for transport is advective transport, either through barometric pumping or thermally driven advection, diffusive transport in the surrounding matrix also plays a secondary role. From the study of primordial noble gas signatures, it is known that xenon has a strong physical adsorption affinity in shale formations. Given the unselective nature of physical adsorption, isotherm measurements reported here show that non-trivial amounts of xenon adsorb on a variety of media, in addition to shale. A dual-porosity model is then discussed demonstrating that sorption amplifies the diffusive uptake of an adsorbing matrix from a fracture. This effect may reduce the radioxenon signature down to approximately one-tenth, similar to primordial xenon isotopic signatures.
Synthesis and Stereochemical Assignment of Arenolide

The convergent synthesis of candidate stereoisomers of the natural product arenolide was accomplished using recently developed catalytic boron-based reactions. Comparison of the spectral data for candidate structures with that reported for the authentic natural product revealed the likely stereostructure of the natural compound.
Destruction of Plutonium and Other Nuclear Waste Materials Using the Accelerator-Driven Transmutation of Waste Concept

Each large nuclear power plant produces about 300 kilograms of actinides and about 120 kilograms of long-lived fission product wastes per year, with major constituents in terms of potentially dangerous radiation. The plutonium is a basic end-product of the reactor cycle using uranium fuel, and is considered especially troublesome in terms of its potential damage to humans either directly or by clandestine conversion to nuclear weapons.
Genetic differences of combining sites of insulin antibodies and importance of C-terminal portion of the A chain to biological and immunological activity of insulin.

Using an insoluble insulin complex, it was possible to demonstrate that antibodies to insulin produced in individual animals are directed towards different portions of the insulin molecule. Furthermore, using the antisera from two different inbred strains of guinea pigs and their F1 and F2 offspring, evidence is presented for the genetic control of combining site configurations of antibodies to insulin produced in guinea pigs. The importance of different portions of the insulin molecule to biological and immunological activity was investigated. The attachment of125I to insulin (reportedly to the tyrosines at positions 14 and/or 19 of the A chain) seems to impair both the biological and immunological activity of insulin. The distribution of antibody-bound and free125I-insulin was found to be different from the distribution of non-labeled insulin. Relatively pure125I-insulin was separated from non-labeled insulin by acrylamide gel electrophoresis, and was found to have markedly reduced immunological reactivity in the immune hemolysis inhibition assay. It was concluded that antibodies to insulin exist which cannot react with iodinated insulin. Furthermore, when tested in the rat adipose tissue assay, purified125I-insulin preparations had little or no biological activity. Conversely, mono-substituted fluorescein-labeled insulin (purified on acrylamide gel electrophoresis) appears to retain full immunological and biological competence. Fluorescein is thought to attach to the N-terminal phenylalanine of the B chain and/or to the N-terminal glycine of the A chain. It is concluded that these two residues contribute little to the biological and immunological integrity of insulin. Studies of this nature aid in elucidating the surface configuration of insulin, and thereby may contribute to an understanding of its tertiary structure.
Spoilage of Fruits and Vegetables

Spoiled food may be defined as food that has been damaged or injured so as to make it undesirable for human consumption. Food spoilage may be caused by insect damage, physical injury of various kinds such as bruising and freezing, enzyme activity, or microorganisms. Only that caused by microorganisms will be treated here.
Recommending Specific Oral Diets Based on Passing the Yale Swallow Protocol

This chapter discusses the rationale and implementation of recommending specific oral diets based on passing the Yale Swallow Protocol. The combined results of a brief cognitive assessment, an oral mechanism examination, and a 3-ounce water swallow challenge were synthesized into a cohesive protocol. The Yale Swallow Protocol provides the clinician with a more nuanced and richer patient-oriented perspective on which to make timely and safe oral diet recommendations.
Estrogen-2-hydroxylase in the rat. Distribution and response to hormonal manipulation.

Abstract Estrogen-2-hydroxylase activity in various rat tissues was surveyed. While the liver, followed by brain, had the highest enzyme activity, nearly all tissues investigated in the male rat possessed 2-hydroxylase activity. Neither the ovary nor the virgin uterus, however, could synthesize 2-hydroxy-estrogens in vitro . Enzyme activities in the male brain and liver were higher than in corresponding female tissues. In the male rat, cytochrome P-450 inducers did not alter brain estrogen-2-hydroxylase activity, but castration caused a fall in enzyme activity in both the brain and liver. Liver estrogen-2-hydroxylase activity was decreased in both hyperthyroid and hypothyroid rats.
Use of Monoclonal Antibodies in Neurobiology and Neurooncology

Neuroimmunology is a comparatively new field; the recent application and widespread use of hybridoma methodology in the neurosciences has contributed much by “uncovering” new biochemical moieties not previously defined by heteroantisera.
The influence of different deep-sea coral habitats on sediment macrofaunal community structure and function.

Deep-sea corals can create a highly complex, three-dimensional structure that facilitates sediment accumulation and influences adjacent sediment environments through altered hydrodynamic regimes. Infaunal communities adjacent to different coral types, including reef-building scleractinian corals and individual colonies of octocorals, are known to exhibit higher macrofaunal densities and distinct community structure when compared to non-coral soft-sediment communities. However, the coral types have different morphologies, which may modify the adjacent sediment communities in discrete ways. Here we address: (1) how infaunal communities and their associated sediment geochemistry compare among deep-sea coral types (Lophelia pertusa, Madrepora oculata, and octocorals) and (2) do infaunal communities adjacent to coral habitats exhibit typical regional and depth-related patterns observed in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM). Sediment push cores were collected to assess diversity, composition, numerical abundance, and functional traits of macrofauna (>300 µm) across 450 kilometers in the GOM at depths ranging from 263-1,095 m. Macrofaunal density was highest in L. pertusa habitats, but similar between M. oculata and octocorals habitats. Density overall exhibited a unimodal relationship with depth, with maximum densities between 600 and 800 m. Diversity and evenness were highest in octocoral habitats; however, there was no relationship between diversity and depth. Infaunal assemblages and functional traits differed among coral habitats, with L. pertusa habitats the most distinct from both M. oculata and octocorals. These patterns could relate to differences in sediment geochemistry as L. pertusa habitats contained high organic carbon content but low proportions of mud compared to both M. oculata and octocoral habitats. Distance-based linear modeling revealed depth, mud content, and organic carbon as the primary factors in driving coral infaunal community structure, while geographic location (longitude) was the primary factor in functional trait composition, highlighting both the location and ecological differences of L. pertusa habitats from other coral habitats. Enhanced habitat structural complexity associated with L. pertusa and differences in localized hydrodynamic flow may contribute to the dissimilarities in the communities found among the coral types. Our results suggest a decoupling for infaunal coral communities from the typical depth-related density and diversity patterns present throughout soft-sediment habitats in the GOM, highlighting the importance of deep-sea corals in structuring unique communities in the nearby benthos.
Mental Health and Substance Use-Related Hospitalizations Among Women of Reproductive Age in Illinois and Wisconsin.

Introduction:Mental health and substance use are growing public health concerns, but established surveillance methods do not measure the burden of these conditions among women of reproductive age. ...
The telomere gestational clock: increasing short telomeres at term in the mouse.

Background The biologic mechanism(s) regulating the length of gestation are currently poorly understood. After peaking at the blastocyst stage, the average telomere lengths have been reported to shorten during the remainder of gestation in the placenta and fetal membranes in both human and mouse pregnancies, thereby providing a potential countdown biologic clock. These previous studies have reported changes in the average telomere lengths, whereas it has now been shown that the shortest telomeres, not the average telomere lengths, are the mediators of telomere dysfunction which limits cellular survival and results in aging. Objective These studies sought to assess for the first time a significant increase in short telomeres in the fetal membrane and placental tissue near the end of pregnancy in the mouse. Study Design Placental and fetal membrane tissues were harvested from timed-pregnant CD-1 mice on gestational days 14–18 prior to the onset of parturition. Telomere lengths were determined for 30 DNA samples (5 each for gestational days 14, 16, and 18 from placentas and fetal membranes) using a commercial high-throughput quantitative fluorescence in situ hybridization technique. Quantitative measurements of representative short telomeres (ie, 3 kb and 5 kb telomere fragments) were performed for 29–30 DNA samples (4–7 each for gestational days 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18 from placentas, fetal membranes, and maternal liver) using a real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction modification of the classic telomere restriction fragment technique. Results The median telomere lengths of fetal membrane tissue decreased from gestational days 14–18 (18,705–16,364 kb) and were significantly shorter than telomeres in placental tissue (P Conclusion These mouse studies have demonstrated that the distribution of telomere lengths in fetal membrane and placental tissues are skewed toward shorter lengths and that the quantity of representative short telomeres increase significantly prior to parturition. The telomere gestational clock is a novel hypothesis supported by several preliminary mouse studies and interesting associations in human pregnancies between maternal conditions and telomere lengths. (eg, stress, education, pollution, neighborhood quality, and race). As such, the current hypothesis generating study provides a foundation for future research regarding the potential role for a telomere-based biologic clock that determines gestational length in human and other mammalian pregnancies.
Vigilante Innovation (VIX): case study on the development of student skills through a team-based design process and environment

Many undergraduate students majoring in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields lack experience in collaborative thinking, limiting their effectiveness as they enter careers in academic and industrial environments. The SyBBURE Searle Undergraduate Research Program has incorporated a team-based design component into its curriculum to fill this gap in training. This design framework, called Vigilante Innovation (VIX) to highlight its emphasis on self-initiation and action, has evolved into a multi-semester-long group undertaking that combines just-in-time training in entrepreneurship and project design with student-driven collaborations aimed at solving a real-world problem. We hypothesize that this framework provides a hands-on, realistic workplace simulation task through which students can develop an understanding of teamwork. Using a case-study approach, we discuss the development of the VIX design framework since its inception in 2014 and assess the impact of the VIX framework on student learning and growth using a student survey from 2016 to 2017 and student interviews from 2018. A flexible approach, an annualized project timeline, a student-driven prototyping space, and self-selecting project areas emerged as key contributors to the successful implementation of the VIX design and to deepened student learning. The diversity of VIX teams, the self-reported success of student projects, and student interviews indicate that students who participate in VIX possess an in-depth understanding of team-based strategies. These findings support the VIX framework as an effective method of providing undergraduates in STEM fields with efficient and meaningful exposure to the team-based entrepreneurial skills that are vital in their future careers. Additional work is needed to determine if this approach has a long-term impact on student success in team-based environments. The website vigilanteinnovation.com houses a customizable, freely available version of the design guide for educators and innovators alike.
Phenotypic Heterogeneity in Particle Size is a Viral Mechanism of Persistence

Influenza virus particles span ~55-nm to ~30-μm in length, but the role of filamentous particles remains elusive. Filaments package at most a single genome, but display on their surfaces disproportionately more hemagglutinins (HAs). During cell entry, 3-5 neighboring HAs form a fusion cluster, delivering the genome across the endosomal membrane. Here we identify influenza filaments as viral persisters increasing the probability of fusion-cluster formation and cell entry under HA-directed selective pressure. When HA function is limited, filamentous particles fuse more rapidly and more efficiently than do spherical ones, but their infectious advantage derives from their enhanced fusion efficiency rather than from rate effects. Filaments are refractory to extreme HA inactivation, presenting a built-in reservoir of particles that can adapt to any condition limiting HA function.
Free Vibration of Tall Buildings using Energy Method and Hamilton’s Principle

In a framed-tube tall building, shear wall systems are the most efficient structural systems for increasing the lateral load resistance. A novel and simple mathematical model is developed herein which calculates the natural frequencies of such tall buildings. The analyses are based on a continuous model, in which a tall building structure is replaced by an idealized cantilever beam that embodies all relevant structural characteristics. Governing equations and the corresponding eigen-problem are derived based on the energy method and Hamilton’s principle. Solutions are obtained for three examples; using the separation of variables technique implemented in MATLAB. The results are compared to SAP2000 full model analysis; and they indicate reasonable accuracy. The computed natural frequencies for structures 50, 60 and 70 storey buildings were over-estimate 7, 11 and 14 percent respectively. The computed errors indicate that the proposed method has acceptable accuracy; and can be used during the initial stages of designing of tall buildings; it is fast and low cost computational process.
Pediatric dog bite outcomes: infections and scars.

Background There is little consensus on the management of dog bite victims. Few studies have examined long-term patient outcomes. This study was designed to evaluate two outcomes: infection and unfavorable scar formation. Methods A retrospective study of dog bite cases from January 2013 to May 2016 was conducted at our level I pediatric trauma center. Forty-five patients were identified who received definitive repair and had long-term follow-up for reasons other than rabies vaccination. Variables recorded were wound characteristics including presence of tissue loss, location in the hospital of the wound repair procedure, personnel performing the repair, postrepair infection, and a binary assessment of unfavorable scar formation. Results Unfavorable scarring was not significantly related to either repair location or personnel. Rate of infection was not significantly related to repair location. However, infection rate was significantly related to personnel performing the repair (p=0.002), with 8 of 11 (73%) infections after repair by emergency physicians compared with surgeons. Discussion The presence of infection was significantly related to bedside repair by emergency physicians. The data are suggestive of differences in wound preparation and repair technique between emergency department and surgical personnel. Standardizing technique could reduce infectious complications and long-term morbidity associated with repairing dog bites and other contaminated wounds. A robust and practical classification system for dog bite wounds would be helpful in stratifying these wounds for research comparison and healthcare triage. Level of evidence The level of evidence for this retrospective study is level III.
Commentary on Gilad Rabinovitch's "Unplayed Galant Melodies, the Ubiquity of the Rarest Interval, and the Heyday of the Major Mode."

This is a commentary accompanying Rabinovitch (2019), situating the research within some previous work on scale theory.
Toward a Spectrally Efficient FSK Direct Antenna Modulation

Antennas in platforms where the physical dimensions are significantly smaller than the wavelength of the frequency of interest are limited to narrowband operations. A technique that enables transmission of such signals through narrowband antennas is called Direct Antenna Modulation (DAM). DAM utilizes switching circuitry to directly modulate the antenna at its maximum energy moments synchronized with the input RF signal. In this paper, we propose a method of attaining higher-order, N, frequency shift keyed, NFSK, modulation through a high Quality-factor electrically small antenna to achieve higher bit rates and better spectral efficiency within an instantaneous bandwidth. A DAM antenna transmitting a frequency shift keyed signal using four carrier frequencies, 4FSK, was designed, prototyped, and measured. Its electrical size is $0.018\lambda \times 0.02\lambda $ . A pseudorandom 8-bit and 16-bit sequence were transmitted through the 4FSK DAM antenna and received in the far-field. The results show that such a topology provides a roadmap in attaining even higher modulation orders, thus, higher spectral efficiency.
A Performance Evaluation and Quality Control Method of Opening Closing Coil Used for Gas-Insulated Switchgear

GIS (Gas-Insulated Switchgear) has been widely used in power systems due to its high capacity, high reliability and environmental friendliness. The opening/closing coil used for GIS is the core component of the operating mechanism in GIS, by driving the ejector to perform a series of actions to complete the opening or closing action of the circuit breaker. However, due to the lack of relevant test standards and quality control, the quality of opening/closing coils on the market is intermingled, and faults occur frequently in the operation of power grid. This paper selects opening/closing coils used by 11 mainstream GIS suppliers and conducts a number of properties tests, including electric performance test, operating life test, alternating moisture and temperature test, and coil current characteristic test. By analyzing and comparing test results, this paper analyze the key parameters of opening/closing coil that affects temperature rise of the current flow test, discusses the impact of the operating life test and the alternating moisture and temperature test on coil current characteristic of the closing coil, and extracts the performance evaluation indicators that can characterize opening/closing coil, that provided suggestions for the material and product quality control strategy of power grid management department.
Spin coherent states and stochastic hybrid path integrals

Stochastic hybrid systems involve a coupling between a discrete Markov chain and a continuous stochastic process. If the latter evolves deterministically between jumps in the discrete state, then the system reduces to a piecewise deterministic Markov process (PDMP). Well known examples include stochastic gene expression, voltage fluctuations in neurons, and motor-driven intracellular transport. In this paper we use coherent spin states to construct a new path integral representation of the probability density functional for stochastic hybrid systems, which holds outside the weak noise regime. We use the path integral to derive a system of Langevin equations in the semi-classical limit, which extends previous diffusion approximations based on a quasi-steady-state reduction. We then show how in the weak noise limit the path integral is equivalent to an alternative representation that was previously derived using Doi-Peliti operators. The action functional of the latter is related to a large deviation principle for stochastic hybrid systems.
Teacher Development Over Time: Practical Activities for Language Teachers, by Woodward, T., Graves, K., and Freeman, D.

Regular reflection has long been celebrated in the field of education as a teacher practice that supports professional development. Advocates of reflective teaching often focus on reflection as a t...
Abdominal Wall Transplantation

Abdominal wall vascularized composite allotransplantation (AW-VCA) is a relatively young field within transplantation with 21 reported cases to date in the last decade. All AW-VCAs have been performed on patients undergoing either simultaneous multivisceral transplantation (MVT) or intestinal transplantation (IT). The two approaches to AW-VCA described are macrovascular and microvascular approaches. While at the time that this review is written, only three institutions have performed this procedure; their outcomes have shown low allograft loss. In addition, acute rejection of the abdominal wall graft was uncommon and successfully treated with standard measures. A comparison of each institution’s operative technique, maintenance immunosuppression regimen, and rejection management provide insight regarding the feasibility of AW-VCAs. AW-VCA has proven to serve as a viable option for patients undergoing multivisceral or intestinal transplantation with a donor and recipient size mismatch. Further experience with AW-VCA will aid in better defining its indications and help standardize technique and management.
Lithium in mania clinical trials and controlled studies

The chapter reviews the major studies of lithium as a treatment for the manic phase of manic-depressive illness. It is not our purpose here to catalogue every one of the more than 40 studies and clinical reports dealing with the lithium treatment of over 1000 patients which have appeared in the world literature since the original discovery of lithium’s antimanic properties more than 20 years ago (Cade, 1949). Rather, we will review the major open and single-blind studies and then focus on two groups of recent controlled studies comparing lithium to placebo and to chlorpromazine in the treatment of mania. In addition to their obvious practical significance, the recent studies comparing lithium to chlorpromazine are of special importance because they bear on the question of the specificity of lithium against the manic syndrome—a question that has theoretical implications for the underlying pathophysiology of mania.
Combination of attentional and spatial working memory deficits in Bálint–Holmes syndrome

This study aims to investigate whether attention and spatiotemporal integration deficits are dissociated in patients with bilateral posterior cortical atrophy (PCA), and whether it is their combination that leads to a severe clinical handicap. We recorded performance and ocular behavior of four PCA patients and four age-matched controls in visual search and counting tasks. We measured the percentage of targets detected and the mean detection time in a "pop-out" search. We also compared counting ability when a set of dots is presented briefly (in healthy individuals, the automatic deployment of attention over space allows a fast estimation of quantity) or for unlimited duration (favoring sequential counting, hence spatiotemporal integration). All patients showed reduced deployment of attention over space (simultanagnosia), resulting in increased visual search times and underestimations of the number of briefly presented dots. Only two patients showed ocular revisiting behavior that caused frequent omissions in visual search and overestimations of the number of dots presented for unlimited duration. The impairment to deploy attention is considered here as a bilateral covert attention deficit. Disorganized ocular exploration appears to be independent and is hypothesized to result from processes maintaining a salience map over time (spatial working memory) and especially across saccades.
Skeletal muscle weakness and fatigue in old age: underlying mechanisms.

Although muscle atrophy, decline in muscle strength, and physical frailty are widely accepted as inevitable concomitants of old age (Kaldor & DiBattista, 1979), the underlying causes are not known. Consequently, the degree to which these changes are preventable and treatable is unclear. Understanding the mechanisms involved may assist in the interpretation of the causes of instability and falls that are common for elderly people.