cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
What's with the Attitude? Identifying Sentences with Attitude in Online Discussions

Mining sentiment from user generated content is a very important task in Natural Language Processing. An example of such content is threaded discussions which act as a very important tool for communication and collaboration in the Web. Threaded discussions include e-mails, e-mail lists, bulletin boards, newsgroups, and Internet forums. Most of the work on sentiment analysis has been centered around finding the sentiment toward products or topics. In this work, we present a method to identify the attitude of participants in an online discussion toward one another. This would enable us to build a signed network representation of participant interaction where every edge has a sign that indicates whether the interaction is positive or negative. This is different from most of the research on social networks that has focused almost exclusively on positive links. The method is experimentally tested using a manually labeled set of discussion posts. The results show that the proposed method is capable of identifying attitudinal sentences, and their signs, with high accuracy and that it outperforms several other baselines.
Enhancing Middle-Level General Music: Suggestions from the Literature

n his book Teaching Music in the Secondary Schools, Charles Hoffer reported a lack of consensus among music educators when considering the essential components of a middle-level general music course.' Today, this condition persists. The increasingly diverse nature of students and schools makes a singular, model curriculum for middlelevel general music virtually impossible. Differences in schools' grade configuration, scheduling structure, unique local requirements, and student achievement and behavior inhibit widespread adoption of any one model.2 Middle-level general music, then, continues to depend on sensitive teachers to use professional judgment when identifying content, methods, and materials appropriate for instruction.3 Despite endless possibilities, however, curriculum exemplars for middle-level general music remain noticeably absent in our nation's schools.4 One obstacle preventing music specialists from developing exemplary curricula is a lack of training. Indeed, few colleges and universities require specialized methods courses that prepare teachers for work in middle-level general music classrooms. Consequently, it is not uncommon to find a guitar-playing teacher who devotes all instructional time to passing his affinity on to students. Similarly, successful conductors, more comfortable in front of performing groups, often direct their general music classes as if they were choral or instrumental ensembles, ia la Whoopi Goldberg in Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit. This phenomenon is hardly surprising considering that "nearly all new music education majors come directly through the middle and high school performing group pipeline,"5 having never participated in a secondary general music class themselves. But more often than not, tracing the history and development of Western music (or a specific genre, e.g., rock and roll) remains the default curriculum used by teachers of middle-level general music. Without specialized training or personal experience, teachers understandably gravitate toward curricula that reflect their personal interests and strengths. Unfortunately, these unidimensional models fail to capture the true essence of music, and serve mostly to stifle student interest.'
Human Monocytes Infected with Yersinia pestis Express Cell Surface TLR9 and Differentiate into Dendritic Cells

TLR9 recognizes DNA sequences containing hypomethylated CpG motifs and is a component of the innate immune system highly conserved during eukaryotic evolution. Previous reports suggested that the expression of TLR9 is restricted to plasmacytoid dendritic cells and B lymphocytes. Our results indicate that low levels of TLR9 are present on the cell surface of freshly isolated human monocytes, and expression is greatly increased by infection with Yersinia pestis. Enhanced cell surface TLR9 coincided with elevated levels of cytoplasmic TLR9 and recruitment of MyD88. Infected monocytes differentiated into mature dendritic cells, expressed IFN-α, and stimulated proliferative and cytotoxic T cell responses specific to Y. pestis. Furthermore, uninfected B cells and monocytes both increased cell surface TLR9, CD86, and HLA-DR in response to treatment with CpG-containing oligonucleotides, whereas cell surface TLR9 was down-modulated on infected dendritic cells by the addition of agonist oligonucleotide. Our results suggest that increased expression of TLR9 on the surface of infected cells may serve a role as an activation signal to other cells of the immune system.
Identifying Critical Issues and Problems In Technology Education Using A Modified-Delphi Technique

The need to plan for the future is critical to the overall health of any organization. However, planning is often biased by the opinions of a select group of individuals who may not possess the knowledge and/or empirical data to formulate a plan that could address the most critical current and future concerns and issues facing the agency/institution. Most educational planning is designed for the short term (i.e., semesters, academic year) and involves establishing specific policies and procedures, often having little to do with vital targets that could be made operational for the medium and long range futures of the institution/agency. Strategic planning on the other hand, is designed to aid decision makers in making important changes based on strategically driven decisions (Goodstein, Nolan, & Pfeiffer, 1992). That is, in order to make strategic decisions, a strategic plan must be in place. Therefore, strategic planning is “the process by which the guiding members of an organization envision its future and develop the necessary procedures and operations to achieve that future” (Goodstein, et.al., 1992, p. 3).
The Pendubot: a mechatronic system for control research and education

In this paper we describe the Pendubot, a mechatronic device for use in control engineering education and for research in nonlinear control and robotics. This device is a two-link planar robot with an actuator at the shoulder but no actuator at the elbow. With this system, a number of fundamental concepts in nonlinear dynamics and control theory may be illustrated. The Pendubot complements previous mechatronic systems, such as the Acrobot and the inverted pendulum of Furuta.
The Bees of Alberta VII

Female . Length about 7 mm., anterior wing 6.5 ; robust, without much hair, the abdomen bare and shining, without hair bands, but the mesopleura with rather abundant greyish-white hair; head and thorax dark green, the thorax posteriorly and at its sides almost black; mandibles black, faintly reddish apically; margin of clypeus black; face shining green; mesothorax dark, more bluish green, dull in front, shining posteriorly; scutellum steel-blue, postscutellum black, but metathorax, seen from above, olive green; legs and abdomen black; antennae black; tegulae dark brown, with minute punctures, only seen under microscope; clypeus flattened in middle, with several longitudinal grooves; front dull; vertex shining blue; mesothorax without distinct sculpture as seen under a lens, but with minute rather sparse punctures on a minutely lineolate surface; scutellum strongly bigibbous, the elevations shining; area of metathorax large, dull, with a shining margin, plications strong on basal half; posterior truncation sharply bounded; wings conspicuously reddish, stigma and nervures dull red ; second cubital cell large, receiving recurrent nervure near end; hair on inner side of hind tarsi pale reddish; hind spur with four very long oblique spines, and a fifth rudimentary one; abdomen without evident punctures, as seen under lens, the microscope shows excessively minute scattered ones.
A high-throughput screen for aggregation-based inhibition in a large compound library.

High-throughput screening (HTS) is the primary technique for new lead identification in drug discovery and chemical biology. Unfortunately, it is susceptible to false-positive hits. One common mechanism for such false-positives is the congregation of organic molecules into colloidal aggregates, which nonspecifically inhibit enzymes. To both evaluate the feasibility of large-scale identification of aggregate-based inhibition and quantify its prevalence among screening hits, we tested 70 563 molecules from the National Institutes of Health Chemical Genomics Center (NCGC) library for detergent-sensitive inhibition. Each molecule was screened in at least seven concentrations, such that dose−response curves were obtained for all molecules in the library. There were 1274 inhibitors identified in total, of which 1204 were unambiguously detergent-sensitive. We identified these as aggregate-based inhibitors. Thirty-one library molecules were independently purchased and retested in secondary low-throughput experime...
Angiotensin II type 1 receptor blocker-induced immune thrombocytopenia: a case report

Introduction The development of thrombocytopenia after a dose increase in losartan and subsequently after switching the patient to valsartan is reported.
Tmix: a tool for generating realistic TCP application workloads in ns-2

In order to perform realistic network simulations, one needs a traffic generator that is capable of generating realistic synthetic traffic in a closed-loop fashion that "looks like" traffic found on an actual network. We describe such a traffic generation system for the widely used ns-2 simulator. The system takes as input a packet header trace taken from a network link of interest. The trace is "reverse compiled" into a source-level characterization of each TCP connection present in the trace. The characterization, called a connection vector, is then used as input to an ns module called tmix that emulates the socket-level behavior of the source application that created the corresponding connection in the trace. This emulation faithfully reproduces the essential pattern of socket reads and writes that the original application performed without knowledge of what the original application actually was. When combined with a network path emulation component we have constructed called DelayBox, the resulting traffic generated in the simulation is statistically representative of the traffic measured on the real link. This approach to synthetic traffic generation allows one to automatically repro-duce in ns the full range of TCP connections found on an arbitrary link. Thus with our tools, researchers no longer need make arbitrary decisions on how traffic is generated in simulations and can instead easily generate TCP traffic that represents the use of a net-work by the full mix of applications measured on actual network links of interest. The method is evaluated by applying it to packet header traces taken from campus and wide-area networks and comparing the statistical properties of traffic on the measured links with traffic generated by tmix in ns.
SOCIAL LOCATION AND GENDER-ROLE ATTITUDES: A Comparison of Black and White Women

Theorists have posited that investment in production has a radical impact on women's gender-role attitudes, whereas investment in reproduction exerts a conservative influence. Informed by an interactive approach to understanding the effects of racism and sexism, this article explores the commonalities and differences in Black and White women's gender-role attitudes, and assesses the applicability to Black women of the investment-in-production and investment-in-reproduction hypothesis. The data in part supported the contention that this hypothesis would be more valid for White than Black women. The article concludes that the exclusion of race (and class) from our analyses impedes and distorts the development of feminist theory.
Prescription Opioids. II. Metabolism and Excretion Patterns of Hydrocodone in Urine Following Controlled Single-Dose Administration

The ongoing epidemic of prescription opioid abuse in the United States has prompted interest in semi-synthetic opioids in the federal workplace drug testing program. This study characterized the metabolism and disposition of oxycodone (OC) in human urine. Twelve healthy adults were administered a single oral 20 mg dose of OC in a controlled clinical setting. Urine specimens were collected at timed intervals up to 52 h and analyzed by liquid chromatography –tandem mass spectrometry (limit of quantitation: 50 ng/mL) for OC, oxymorphone (OM), noroxycodone (NOC) and noroxymorphone (NOM) with and without enzymatic hydrolysis. OC and NOC appeared in urine within 2 h, followed by OM and NOM. Peak concentrations of OC and metabolites occurred between 3 and 19 h. Mean peak concentrations in hydrolyzed urine were in the following order: NOC > OC > OM > NOM. Only OM appeared to be excreted extensively as a conjugated metabolite. OC concentrations declined more quickly than NOC and OM. At a cutoff concentration of 50 ng/mL, detection times were approximately 30 h for OC and 40 h for NOC and OM. Some specimens did not contain OC, but most contained NOC, thereby facilitating interpretation that OC was the administered drug; however, five specimens contained only OM. These data provide information that should facilitate the selection of appropriate test parameters for OC in urine and assist in the interpretation of test results.
Ethyl pyruvate inhibits hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction and attenuates pulmonary artery cytokine expression.

Hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction is a common consequence of acute lung injury and may be mediated by increased local production of proinflammatory cytokines. Ethyl pyruvate is a novel anti-inflammatory agent that has been shown to down-regulate proinflammatory genes following hemorrhagic shock; however, its effects on hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction are unknown. We hypothesized that ethyl pyruvate would inhibit hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction and down-regulate pulmonary artery cytokine expression during hypoxia. To study this, isometric force displacement was measured in isolated rat pulmonary artery rings ( n = 8/group) during hypoxia (95% N 2 /5% CO 2 ) with or without prior ethyl pyruvate (10 m m ) treatment. Following 60 min of hypoxia, pulmonary artery rings were analyzed for tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1 mRNA via reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Ethyl pyruvate inhibited hypoxic pulmonary artery contraction (4.49 ± 2.32% versus 88.80 ± 5.68% hypoxia alone) and attenuated the hypoxic up-regulation of pulmonary artery tumor necrosis factor and interleukin-1 mRNA ( P
The role of renin-angiotensin system in regulating fibrinolytic balance: Potential mechanism in prevention of myocardial infarction

Over the last two decades, there has been an impressive growth of experimental and clinical evidence defining a role for the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in the development of ischemic cardiovascular disease. It is now widely appreciated that activation of the RAS is associated with a vascular toxicity that is independent of its effects on blood pressure. This association predicted the cardiovascular risk among treated hypertensive patients. A long-term prospective trial by Alderman et al. examined the relationship between the renin-sodium profile and subsequent myocardial infarction in >1,700 patients entering a hypertension control program. After an average of 8.3 years of follow-up, the risk of myocardial infarction (MI) increased nearly 5-fold in patients with a high renin-sodium profile at baseline compared to those with a low profile, despite equivalent success in managing hypertension (1). Another prospective study by the same group demonstrated that plasma renin activity (PRA), without monitoring urinary sodium, also predicted the risk of MI in 2902 hypertensive patients during an average of 3.6 years follow-up (2). There was, for every 2 unit increase in PRA, an overall 25% increase in MI incidence. These observations fueled the hypothesis that pharmacological interruption of the RAS reduces the risk of ischemic heart disease.
Simulation of the Sampling Distribution of the Mean Can Mislead

Although the use of simulation to teach the sampling distribution of the mean is meant to provide students with sound conceptual understanding, it may lead them astray. We discuss a misunderstanding that can be introduced or reinforced when students who intuitively understand that “bigger samples are better” conduct a simulation to explore the effect of sample size on the properties of the sampling distribution of the mean. From observing the patterns in a typical series of simulated sampling distributions constructed with increasing sample sizes, students reasonably—but incorrectly—conclude that, as the sample size, n, increases, the mean of the (exact) sampling distribution tends to get closer to the population mean and its variance tends to get closer to ඃ烟 ! ඃ烜, where ඃ烟 ! is the population variance. We show that the patterns students observe are a consequence of the fact that both the variability in the mean and the variability in the variance of simulated sampling distributions constructed from the means of N random samples are inversely related, not only to N, but also to the size of each sample, n. Further, asking students to increase the number of repetitions, N, in the simulation does not change the patterns.
The joint contribution of neighborhood poverty and social integration to mortality risk in the United States.

Abstract Purpose A well-established literature has shown that social integration strongly patterns health, including mortality risk. However, the extent to which living in high-poverty neighborhoods and having few social ties jointly pattern survival in the United States has not been examined. Methods We analyzed data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1988–1994) linked to mortality follow-up through 2006 and census-based neighborhood poverty. We fit Cox proportional hazards models to estimate associations between social integration and neighborhood poverty on all-cause mortality as independent predictors and in joint-effects models using the relative excess risk due to interaction to test for interaction on an additive scale. Results In the joint-effects model adjusting for age, gender, race/ ethnicity, and individual-level socioeconomic status, exposure to low social integration alone was associated with increased mortality risk (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.42, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.28–1.59) while living in an area of high poverty alone did not have a significant effect (HR: 1.10; 95% CI: 0.95–1.28) when compared with being jointly unexposed. Individuals simultaneously living in neighborhoods characterized by high poverty and having low levels of social integration had an increased risk of mortality (HR: 1.63; 95% CI: 1.35–1.96). However, relative excess risk due to interaction results were not statistically significant. Conclusions Social integration remains an important determinant of mortality risk in the United States independent of neighborhood poverty.
Neurocognitive correlates of young drivers' performance in a driving simulator

PURPOSE: Differences in neurocognitive functioning may contribute to driving performance among young drivers. However, few studies have examined this relation. This pilot study investigated whether common neurocognitive measures were associated with driving performance among young drivers in a driving simulator. METHODS: Young drivers (19.8 years (standard deviation [SD] = 1.9; N = 74)) participated in a battery of neurocognitive assessments measuring general intellectual capacity (Full-Scale Intelligence Quotient, FSIQ) and executive functioning, including the Stroop Color-Word Test (cognitive inhibition), Wisconsin Card Sort Test-64 (cognitive flexibility), and Attention Network Task (alerting, orienting, and executive attention). Participants then drove in a simulated vehicle under two conditions-a baseline and driving challenge. During the driving challenge, participants completed a verbal working memory task to increase demand on executive attention. Multiple regression models were used to evaluate the relations between the neurocognitive measures and driving performance under the two conditions. RESULTS: FSIQ, cognitive inhibition, and alerting were associated with better driving performance at baseline. FSIQ and cognitive inhibition were also associated with better driving performance during the verbal challenge. Measures of cognitive flexibility, orienting, and conflict executive control were not associated with driving performance under either condition. CONCLUSIONS: FSIQ and, to some extent, measures of executive function are associated with driving performance in a driving simulator. Further research is needed to determine if executive function is associated with more advanced driving performance under conditions that demand greater cognitive load.Copyright © 2016 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Language: en
A Case of Post-infectious Disseminated large sized multiple Pneumatoceles secondary to Staphylococcal sepsis

Pulmonary pneumatoceles are thin-walled, air-filled cysts that develop within the lung parenchyma. A 2 month old baby girl was admitted with Staphylococcal skin infection of the right arm. Incision & drainage with Fasciotomy was done. On day 4 of admission, baby had progressive respiratory distress. Initial X-ray was suggestive of pneumothorax. Blood culture yielded methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus. In view of clinical worsening inspite of antibiotic cover, CT scan was done which revealed multiple pneumatocele with bilateral lung cysts. This report emphasizes the importance of considering postinfectious pneumatoceles in the differential diagnosis in children with progressive respiratory distress with acute deterioration.
Environment Sensitive Embedding Energies of Impurities, and Grain Boundary Relaxation in Iron

Impurities, such as H, P, S, B, etc, have a very low solubility in iron, and therefore prefer to segregate at the grain boundaries (GBs). In order to analyze the energetics of the impurities on the iron GB, the LMTO calculations were performed on a simple 8-atom supercel 1 emulating a typical (capped trigonal prism) GB environment. The so-called “environment-sensitive embedding energies” were calculated for H, B, C, N, O, Al, Si, P, and S, as a function of the electron charge density due to the host atoms at the impurity site. It was shown that, at the electron charge density typical of a GB, B and C have the lowest energy among the analyzed impurities, and thus would compete with them for the site on the GB, tending to push the other impurities off the GB. The above energies were then used in a modified Finnis-Sinclair embedded atom approach for calculating the equilibrium interplanar distances in the vicinity of a (111) σ3 tilt GB plane, both for the clean GB and that with an impurity. These distances were found to be oscillating, returning to the equilibrium spacing between (111) planes in bulk BCC iron by the 10th-12th plane off the GB plane. H, B, C, N and O actually dampen the deformation wave (making the oscillation amplitudes less than in the clean GB), while, Al, Si, P and S result in an increase of the oscillations. The effect of B, C, N and O may be interpreted as cohesion enhancement; this conclusion supports our earlier first-principles results [1] on B and C.
Notes on Agrilus with Descriptions of Two New Species (Buprestidae: Coleoptera)

It is the idea in this paper to figure the male genitalia of the North American species of Agrilus not illustrated to date. Since the Agrili are quite selective as to host, records of capture may lead to a more definite establishment of plants in which the species breed.
The N–B Interaction through a Water Bridge: Understanding the Chemoselectivity of a Fluorescent Protein Based Probe for Peroxynitrite

Boronic acid and esters have been extensively utilized for molecular recognition and chemical sensing. We recently reported a genetically encoded peroxynitrite (ONOO(-))-specific fluorescent sensor, pnGFP, based on the incorporation of a boronic acid moiety into a circularly permuted green fluorescent protein (cpGFP) followed by directed protein evolution. Different from typical arylboronic acids and esters, the chromophore of pnGFP is unreactive to millimolar concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The focus of this study is to explore the mechanism for the observed unusual chemoselectivity of pnGFP toward peroxynitrite over hydrogen peroxide by using site-directed mutagenesis, X-ray crystallography, (11)B NMR, and computational analysis. Our data collectively support that a His residue on the protein scaffold polarizes a water molecule to induce the formation of an sp(3)-hybridized boron in the chromophore, thereby tuning the reactivity of pnGFP with various reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS/RNS). Our study demonstrates the first example of tunable boron chemistry in a folded nonnative protein, which offers wide implications in designing selective chemical probes.
Intermittent flow AFS determination of trace arsenic and antimony in drinking water

Objective:To establish a method for rapid detection of trace arsenic and antimony in drinking water.Methods: Hydride-atomic fluoresce in determination of trace arsenic and antimony in water were performed.Results: In the optimized conditions,the detection limit for arsenic was 0.012 μg/L,recovery rate was 97.1% to 102.6% and relative standard deviation was less than 1.0%,the detection limit for antimony was 0.012 μg/L,recovery rate was 95.4% to 101.4% and relative standard deviation was less than 0.8%.Conclusion: The method is simple,rapid,accurate and sensitive.The instrument is stable for promoting the use.
Benzodiazepines are Prescribed More Frequently to Patients Already at Risk for Benzodiazepine-Related Adverse Events in Primary Care.

Background Benzodiazepine use is associated with adverse drug events and higher mortality. Known risk factors for benzodiazepine-related adverse events include lung disease, substance use, and vulnerability to fracture.
ECTOPIC PREGNANCY: A SEVENTEEN-YEAR REVIEW.

Abstract 1. 1. The diagnosis and management of 699 consecutive cases of tubal or interstitial pregnancy during a 17 year period has been reviewed. 2. 2. Previous pelvic infection or operation appear to be predisposing factors. 3. 3. The use of culdocentesis as an out-patient procedure was emphasized as being the single most important diagnostic procedure. 4. 4. Salpingectomy was the most commonly employed operative procedure, although the incidence of associated hysterectomy has increased to 42.5 per cent during the last 5 years. 5. 5. There was one death in the entire series, giving a mortality rate of 0.14 per cent during a 17 year period.
The Role of the Laboratory in Screening Patients for Open Heart Surgery

Patients scheduled for open heart surgery should have a tube of clotted blood submitted as early as possible to the blood bank laboratory for ABO, RH phenotype, cell typ ing and irregular ant ibody detection and identif ication. Thus, depending on the type of patient surgery and extracorporeal pump needs or size, appropriate units of ACD blood less than four days old can be collected and readily available the day of the scheduled operat ion.
Purification of Recombinant 2XMBP Tagged Human Proteins from Human Cells

The ability to purify an intact, functional protein or protein complex is an essential step in biochemical characterization studies. Challenges in purification arise when proteins are of low abundance or are unstable resulting in low yields or poor in vitro activity. In this protocol we describe a method to purify active, recombinant human proteins fused to a tandem MBP tag after expression in human 293T cells.
Public Figure Attacks in the United States, 1995–2015

An archival descriptive study of public figure attackers in the United States between 1995 and 2015 was undertaken. Fifty-six incidents were identified, primarily through exhaustive internet searches, composed of 58 attackers and 58 victims. A code book was developed which focused upon victims, offenders, pre-attack behaviors including direct threats, attack characteristics, post-offense and other outcomes, motivations and psychological abstracts. The average interrater agreement for coding of bivariate variables was 0.835 (intraclass correlation coefficient). The three most likely victim categories were politicians, judges, and athletes. Attackers were males, many with a psychiatric disorder, most were grandiose, and most had both a violent and nonviolent criminal history. The known motivations for the attacks were often angry and personal, the most common being dissatisfaction with a judicial or other governmental process (23%). In only one case was the primary motivation to achieve notoriety. Lethality risk during an attack was 55%. Collateral injury or death occurred in 29% of the incidents. Only 5% communicated a direct threat to the target beforehand. The term "publicly intimate figure" is introduced to describe the sociocultural blurring of public and private lives among the targets, and its possible role in some attackers' perceptions and motivations. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Restoring the function of SMAD4 in specific missense mutations

C285 SMAD4 is an essential intracellular mediator of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling and functions as a tumor suppressor. Inactivation of SMAD4 has been implicated in a number of tumor types, most notably in pancreatic cancers where SMAD4 is inactivated in 53% of tumors. Recent work done to map mutations and identify mutational hot spots of SMAD4 in pancreatic cancer cell lines and xenografts has provided insight into the nature of some of these inactivations. It has been found that 63% of inactivations are due to homozygous deletions, 23% due to nonsense or frameshift mutations and 13% due to missense mutations (Clin. Cancer Res 2004; 10:1597-1604). We hypothesize that a subset of missense mutations may not affect the integrity or function of the SMAD4 protein product, however the missense mutated protein product is still ubiquitinated and targeted for enhanced degradation. Attempts to identify methods of degradation of SMAD4 have identified two ubiquitin (E3) ligases specific for SMAD4, SCFβ-TrCP1 and SCFSkp2. β-TrCP1 and Skp2 are both F-box proteins responsible for substrate recognition. In this study we attempted to protect missense mutated SMAD4 from enhanced degradation by using a siRNA-based approach to silence the F-box proteins required for SMAD4 recognition. We propose that using this approach, we can screen known missense mutations in SMAD4 and identify specific missense mutations whose function can be rescued by protecting them from degradation. Following up such mutations with potent ubiquitin (E3) ligase inhibitors or inhibitors of F-box protein interactions can provide a new line of therapy for patients whose tumors have such mutations. (This work was supported by a NCI grant P01CA109552)
Optimization Models for the Design of Vegetative Filter Strips for Stormwater Runoff and Sediment Control

Vegetative filter strips (VFS) are an effective methodology for runoff management and control of sediment flow and soil erosion, particularly for large urban parking lots, and for irrigation water management. An optimization model for the design of vegetative filter strips for runoff management, that minimizes the amount of land required for the strips, is developed herein. The resulting optimization model is based upon the kinematic wave equation for overland sheet flow along with equations defining the cumulative infiltration and infiltration rate. The nonlinear programming (NLP) optimization model has been applied using the General Algebraic Modeling System (GAMS). The runoff management model is extended for the control of sediment. These new models provide flexibility for site-specific conditions and are a step forward in the development of new design methodologies for stormwater and irrigation flow management. The optimization models have been applied using a sensitivity analysis of parameters such as different soil types, rainfall characteristics etc., performed to validate the model. Results of the example model applications indicate the usefulness of the models for practical applications in the field. To our knowledge this is the first optimization model developed for the design of vegetative filter strips for runoff and sediment control.
Niche pork: Comparing pig performance and understanding producer benefits, barriers and labeling interest

Opportunities for alternative swine production and marketing are emerging across the value chain. Given the developing nature of the differentiated pork industry, measurements of niche performance and success are not yet fully known. For this reason, the objectives of this study were to determine performance metrics across all major life phases for niche pork production and compare such metrics with national averages of conventional commodity pork production. Additionally, this study aimed to quantify producers’ reasoning and barriers to successfully raising niche swine. Niche meat producers in the USA self-identified for this study (n = 176); their swine production had alternative characteristics that included small- to mid-sized farms, farrow-to-finish operations, heritage breeds, housing with bedding and outdoor or pasture access, no use of antibiotics (sub-therapeutic for growth promotion or no antibiotics ever), vegetarian feed, diverse agricultural enterprises and alternative marketing avenues. This study focused on the metric categories regarding reproduction, mortality, culling and growth characteristics. The niche system produced approximately 15% fewer weaned piglets per bred sow per year than the conventional system due to fewer breeding cycles, smaller litters and higher piglet mortality in alternative production. Similarly, niche production finished 12% fewer hogs per bred sow per year than conventional production. Regarding age benchmarks of finishing and breeding, the niche system averaged 18 additional days to finish hogs at a standardized market weight of 124 kg. Likewise, niche production gilts were first bred at 283 days, whereas conventional production breeds gilts at 225 days. All directly comparable metrics were found to be statistically significant with 95% confidence for the one-sample test of means. Regarding farmer attitudes toward niche pork, survey participants shared personal reasons for raising swine and barriers to successful niche production. Choosing niche over commodity swine, participants’ reasons were grouped into three intra-related categories: (1) farm and producer viability, (2) animal and environmental welfare, and (3) consumer preference and taste. Despite these benefits, participants were faced with numerous challenges, which were organized into four intra-related categories: (1) alternative production requirements, restrictions and knowledge; (2) access and affordability of credit and inputs; (3) alternative supply chain for processing, marketing and customers; and (4) non-niche production competition and governmental policies. In sum, the success of these niche pork operations equates to high welfare for the pigs, economic viability for the operation, personal enjoyment for the farmer, customer satisfaction with meat flavor and quality, and responsible environmental practices, inclusive of many components of an alternative food system.
Minimally invasive and open gallbladder cancer resections: 30- vs 90-day mortality

Background Minimally invasive surgery is increasingly used for gallbladder cancer resection. Postoperative mortality at 30 days is low, but 90-day mortality is underreported. Methods Using National Cancer Database (1998–2012), all resection patients were included. Thirty- and 90-day mortality rates were compared. Results A total of 36 067 patients were identified, 19 139 (53%) of whom underwent resection. Median age was 71 years and 70.7% were female. Ninety-day mortality following surgical resection was 2.3-fold higher than 30-mortality (17.1% vs 7.4%). There was a statistically significant increase in 30- and 90-day mortality with poorly differentiated tumors, presence of lymphovascular invasion, tumor stage, incomplete surgical resection and low-volume centers ( P Conclusions Ninety-day mortality following gallbladder cancer resection is significantly higher than 30-day mortality. Postoperative mortality is associated with tumor grade, lymphovascular invasion, tumor stage, type and completeness of surgical resection as well as type and volume of facility.
Periodontal disease and its connection to systemic biomarkers of cardiovascular disease in young American Indian/Alaskan natives.

BACKGROUND Periodontal disease has been shown to be associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD). No known studies evaluate the relationship between periodontal disease status and biomarkers of CVD risk in the American Indian/Alaskan Native (AI/AN) population despite their disproportionately high rates of poor oral health and cardiovascular disease-related outcomes. This study compared levels of interleukin (IL)-6 and C-reactive protein (CRP) across increasing severity of periodontal disease status among younger adults between the ages of 21 and 43 years. METHODS Plasma levels of IL-6 and CRP were measured in adult participants (ages 21 to 43 years) as part of a study of periodontal disease and CVD risk among an AI/AN population in southern California (n = 59). Periodontal evaluations were performed and disease status was classified into three categories based on highest probing depth (none/mild: < 3 mm; moderate: 4 to 5 mm; severe: ≥6 mm). Participants with known systemic disease or active infection were excluded. RESULTS Severe periodontitis was significantly associated with increased levels of IL-6 compared with those with none or mild periodontitis before controlling for other variables (P = 0.02), but lacked significance after controlling for sex, BMI, smoking status, and high-density lipoprotein (P = 0.09). Moderate periodontal disease was positively associated with IL-6 levels after controlling for potential confounders (P = 0.01). Periodontal status was not associated with CRP, before or after adjusting for covariates. CONCLUSIONS In this otherwise healthy AI/AN adult sample, moderate periodontal disease compared with none or mild periodontal disease was associated with increased levels of IL-6. High levels of CRP found in this population warrant further research.
Development of an embedded system course to teach the Internet-of-Things

In this paper, we present the development of new course modules in the field of embedded systems, dedicated to teaching students about the internet-of-things. We discuss important issues in creating hands-on labs for students in such a course, along with the experience of teaching this course at the graduate level. We expect other instructors interested in this area to benefit from our experience. We also offer suggestions for adapting this course at the undergraduate level. Our main finding is that students are very excited to learn about cutting-edge technologies, including fast growing programming languages and platforms. Specific hands-on laboratory exercises were developed on the Raspberry Pi platform in Python to teach students about the end-to-end processing involved in acquiring, analyzing, storing and transmitting temperature sensor data. These lab exercises provided students with a detailed understanding of the end-to-end processing involved in internet-of-things applications, including sensory data acquisition, storage, transmission, retrieval and analytics. The lab exercises made the course material accessible and engaging. This addresses one of the barriers to students entering and staying in STEM fields, which is the perceived dullness of the material taught.
Point-of-care cardiac ultrasound in the emergency department

Bedside ultrasound can be a useful tool for emergency medicine physicians. It can enhance the physical examination by providing valuable information when undiagnosed, acutely ill patients present. Patients with cardiac disease can present to the emergency department with nonspecific symptoms that are difficult to recognize. Bedside cardiac ultrasound evaluation can help identify life-threatening conditions and help guide care. This chapter describes the technique of performing a bedside cardiac ultrasound assessment and highlights some key clinical scenarios where it may be beneficial.
An Approach to the Mapping of Active Sites by Affinity Lableing

Publisher Summary This chapter presents an approach to the mapping of active sites by affinity lableing. Using this approach, the specific affinity lableing of the active sites of a purified heterogeneous antihapten antibody preparation was carried out with a suitable 3H-lableed reagent, and the H and L chains were separated. The intrachain disulfides of the lableed chains were then fully reduced in 6 M guanidinium chloride and alkylated with 14C-iodoacetate. Each chain preparation was then put through an Edman-type amino acid sequencer for about 120 cycles, through the variable segments of the chains. At each cycle, the 3H and 14C released were monitored, but the PTH amino acids were not identified. The 14C released defines the positions of the two conserved cysteine residues in the variable regions of human and mouse H and L chains and of any additional variable regions cysteines in rabbit H and L chains.
Temporal Control of TNFα Signaling by Miz1

The pro-inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor (TNFα) regulates a wide range of biological activities, including inflammation, immune responses, apoptosis, and tumorigenesis mainly through its cytoplasm membrane receptor TNF-R1 complex 1 [6,7], which activates downstream effectors such as NF-κB, caspases and JNK. However, the control of TNF-R1 complex 1 activity is incompletely understood. We report here that the transcription factor zinc finger protein Mizl selectively inhibits TNFα-induced JNK activation in a transcription-independent manner and has to be removed upon TNFα stimulation. Our results suggest a de-repression model for TNFα-induced JNK activation.
Frequency and Intensity of Hurricanes Within Florida’s Threat Zone

This chapter examines historical hurricanes within Florida’s threat zone; a 1,000 km radius around 26∘N latitude and 82∘W longitude. The area is visited by hurricanes from May through December with a peak in September. Threats come from hurricanes originating or passing over the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea, and the Bahamas. On average, three hurricanes every 2 years and one major hurricane every other year occur in the threat zone. Hurricane Wilma in 2005 is the strongest hurricane in the record with a peak intensity of 78.4 m s− 1. This is approximately a one-in-20 year event for the threat zone as a whole. The region can expect hurricane wind intensities of 60.8 m s− 1 (58.3–63.3) (90% CI), on average, once every 2 years. There appears to be no upward or downward trend in the frequency of hurricanes within the region, but the intensity of hurricanes is on the rise. The rise could be related to recent (since 1980) warming ocean temperatures in the Caribbean, but a simple linear regression model finds no statistically significant signal. Hurricanes over and around Florida are intensifying and decaying more rapidly than in the past. Explanations for these changes are lacking but they suggest a bias in risk models that assume a stationary hurricane climate over and around Florida.
Single mutation at a highly conserved region of chloramphenicol acetyltransferase enables isobutyl acetate production directly from cellulose by Clostridium thermocellum at elevated temperatures.

Esters are versatile chemicals and potential drop-in biofuels. To develop a sustainable production platform, microbial ester biosynthesis using alcohol acetyltransferases (AATs) has been studied for decades. Volatility of esters endows high-temperature fermentation with advantageous downstream product separation. However, due to the limited thermostability of AATs known, the ester biosynthesis has largely relied on use of mesophilic microbes. Therefore, developing thermostable AATs is important for ester production directly from lignocellulosic biomass by the thermophilic consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) microbes, e.g., Clostridium thermocellum. In this study, we engineered a thermostable chloramphenicol acetyltransferase from Staphylococcus aureus (CATSa) for enhanced isobutyl acetate production at elevated temperatures. We first analyzed the broad alcohol substrate range of CATSa. Then, we targeted a highly conserved region in the binding pocket of CATSa for mutagenesis. The mutagenesis revealed that F97W significantly increased conversion of isobutanol to isobutyl acetate. Using CATSa F97W, we demonstrated direct conversion of cellulose into isobutyl acetate by an engineered C. thermocellum at elevated temperatures. This study highlights that CAT is a potential thermostable AAT that can be harnessed to develop the thermophilic CBP microbial platform for biosynthesis of designer bioesters directly from lignocellulosic biomass.
Microstructure-sensitive computational multiaxial fatigue of Al 7075-T6 and duplex Ti-6Al-4V

Abstract Multiaxial fatigue experiments are expensive and typically require specialized equipment and specimens, but they are essential to support fatigue design of components that experience multiaxial stress states. To leverage limited experimental data, we pursue parametric simulations regarding the influence of multiaxial strain state on extreme value distributions (EVDs) of fatigue crack formation driving force in realistic microstructures. Ensembles of Statistical volume elements (SVEs) for both Al 7075-T6 and Ti-6Al-4V polycrystalline microstructures are subjected to multiaxial cyclic straining to compute EVDs of Fatigue Indicator Parameters (FIPs) that serve as computable surrogate measures of the driving force for fatigue crack formation.
Introduction to Perinatal Palliative Care

Perinatal palliative care is a growing field that emerged out of the need to provide better care for families facing the devastating experience of a life-limiting fetal condition. Like other palliative care, it requires an interdisciplinary team approach, connecting all the providers who care for these families from obstetrics, genetic counseling, neonatology, palliative care, nursing, and any other needed specialists. It need not to be limited to those families faced with the most severe fetal conditions but can benefit those with uncertain diagnoses or prognoses who may have a complex course. Having a care coordinator can help facilitate the parents’ information-gathering, decision-making, parenting, and memory-making with the ultimate goal of parents feeling supported, their needs met, and ultimately having no regrets. This chapter sets the stage for the rest of the book.