cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Automotive field failure analysis based on mileage — Feasibility & benefits

Most failures in the automotive systems depend on age and accumulated usage. Typically, these systems are covered under warranty for months-in-service (i.e. MIS/age) and a certain amount of usage (mileage) after the sales of the products. Warranty analysis of these systems enables manufacturers to understand field failures, and identify focus areas to make product improvements. Typically warranty analysis is performed based on MIS. However, mileage based warranty analysis has two added benefits — (1) some failures are, by their physical nature, related to mileage rather than age. Hence, mileage is a better indicator for observing and quantifying these failures. (2) Our observations also indicate that most vehicles leave warranty due to the mileage restrictions to the warranty coverage, rather than MIS. In such a scenario, mileage-based warranty calculations can provide us with early information. Warranty analysis based on mileage has been presented in the literature as a supplement to the traditional MIS based analysis. However, these are based on the following two major assumptions, and their validity has not been established yet: • The accumulation of miles is approximately linear with age. • The distribution of mileage accumulation rate in vehicles without any claims is same as that of vehicles which have at least one warranty claim. Using the real-time diagnostic data collected from Telematics systems, this work demonstrates that the above two assumptions are valid. As a result, we can achieve accurate warranty rates and take the advantage of early detection of problems using mileage. Early detection is based on high usage vehicles. We also demonstrate that the proportion of such vehicles is statistically significant, which enables mileage based analysis feasible earlier than age based analysis. This lead time is of crucial importance to the OEMs, especially close to the launch of new products, where they can identify and rectify field failures early.
The role of change facilitators in the implementation of alcohol SBI with public health nurses

Background The University of Alaska Anchorage partnered with the State of Alaska, Section of Public Health Nursing (PHN) to pilot routine alcohol screening and brief intervention (aSBI) in three of their 22 public health centers (PHCs) prior to system-wide dissemination. During this two-year project funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the university research team facilitated aSBI implementation through collaborative planning with PHN leadership, providing training for nurses to conduct aSBI, and maintaining contact with PHN staff. Nurses at the pilot sites participated in regular phone calls with members of the research team acting as change facilitators. A Plan-Do-Study-Act approach was used to refine implementation protocols throughout the pilot.
Improving links between literature and biological data with text mining: a case study with GEO, PDB and MEDLINE

High-throughput experiments and bioinformatics techniques are creating an exploding volume of data that are becoming overwhelming to keep track of for biologists and researchers who need to access, analyze and process existing data. Much of the available data are being deposited in specialized databases, such as the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) for microarrays or the Protein Data Bank (PDB) for protein structures and coordinates. Data sets are also being described by their authors in publications archived in literature databases such as MEDLINE and PubMed Central. Currently, the curation of links between biological databases and the literature mainly relies on manual labour, which makes it a time-consuming and daunting task. Herein, we analysed the current state of link curation between GEO, PDB and MEDLINE. We found that the link curation is heterogeneous depending on the sources and databases involved, and that overlap between sources is low, <50% for PDB and GEO. Furthermore, we showed that text-mining tools can automatically provide valuable evidence to help curators broaden the scope of articles and database entries that they review. As a result, we made recommendations to improve the coverage of curated links, as well as the consistency of information available from different databases while maintaining high-quality curation. Database URLs: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PubMed, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/, http://www.rcsb.org/pdb/
Pulmonary Hypertension in the Neonate

Persistent pulmonary hypertensin of the newborn (PPHN), a major clinical problem in the neonatal intensive care unit, can contribute significantly to morbidity and mortality in both term and preterm infants. Hypoxemic respiratory failure or PPHN can place newborns at risk for death, neurologic injury, and other morbidities. PPHN is categorized into parenchymal lung disease (meconium aspiration syndrome, respiratory distress syndrome, sepsis), idiopathic (or “black-lung”), and pulmonary hypoplasia (as seen in congenital diaphragmatic hernia). Treatment involves correction of factors that may promote vasoconstriction, mechanical ventilation to achieve optimal lung volume that may include high-frequency oscillatory ventilation, medical optimization of cardiac output and left ventricular function, and inhaled nitric oxide. A number of alternative and emerging pulmonary vasodilators are being investigated.
Racial disparity and socioeconomic status in association with survival in older men with local/regional stage prostate carcinoma: findings from a large community-based cohort.

BACKGROUND Few studies have examined the outcomes for Hispanic men with prostate carcinoma and incorporated socioeconomic factors in association with race/ethnicity in affecting survival, adjusting for factors on cancer stage, grade, comorbidity, and treatment. METHODS We studied a population-based cohort of 61,228 men diagnosed with local or regional stage prostate carcinoma at age 65 years or older between 1992 and 1999 in the 11 SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results) areas, identified from the SEER-Medicare linked data with up to 11 years of followup. RESULTS Low socioeconomic status was significantly associated with decreasing survival in all men with prostate carcinoma. Those living in the community with the lowest quartile of socioeconomic status were 31% more likely to die than those living in the highest quartile (hazard ratio [HR] of all-cause mortality: 1.31; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.25–1.36) after adjustment for patient age, comorbidity, Gleason score, and treatment. The HR remained almost unchanged after controlling for race/ethnicity (HR: 1.32; 95% CI: 1.26–1.38). Compared with Caucasians, the risk of mortality in African American men was marginally significantly higher (HR: 1.06; 95% CI: 1.01–1.11) after controlling for education, and no longer significant after adjusting for poverty, income, or composite socioeconomic variable; the HR was lower for Hispanic men (HR: 0.80; 95% CI: 0.72–0.89) after adjustment for education and other socioeconomic variables. CONCLUSION Racial disparity in survival among men with local or regional prostate carcinoma was largely explained by socioeconomic status and other factors. Lower socioeconomic status appeared to be one of the major barriers to achieving comparable outcomes for men with prostate carcinoma. Cancer 2006. © 2006 American Cancer Society.
The DSP bottleneck

The stumbling blocks in development of a commercially usable software radio have been the availability of hardware, in particular the fast DSP required. As high performance ADCs have become available commercially, with the sample rates and spurious free dynamic ranges required, hybrid techniques using specialized digital hardware, operating under software control, have become more common. >
Preoperative Assessment of Geriatric Patients

The preoperative assessment of geriatric patients provides an excellent opportunity to evaluate the patient for perioperative risk factors such as frailty, functional status, nutritional status, cardiovascular and pulmonary status, and substance dependence. It also provides an overall clinical picture on which health care providers can base a framework to reduce these risk factors.
Patterns of Bovine Dairy Submissions to the California Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory System

Dairy cattle submissions to the California Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory System (CVDLS) were analyzed to determine submitter statistics. Eligible submissions were those received July 1, 1987 through December 31, 1989 for reasons other than regulatory brucellosis serology. A comprehensive list frame of California dairies was constructed from Brucella Ring Test information and served as the comparison population for the study. Analyses were performed based on geographic location, herd size, proximity to a CVDLS laboratory, and frequency of submission. Thirty-nine percent of the 2,490 California dairies in the reference population had submitted specimens greater than or equal to 1 time to the CVDLS during the study period. Twenty-three percent of the reference population had submitted greater than or equal to 2 times. Specimens were more likely to be submitted from larger herds than smaller herds. Larger dairies also submitted specimens more frequently. Dairies in the northern part of the state were more likely to submit specimens and submitted more frequently than southern herds when herd size was accounted for in the analysis. Mean submission rate (+/- SD) for the 970 submitting dairies was 1.4 (+/- 1.8) submissions/year. Forty-six percent of the dairies accounted for 80% of submissions, whereas only 14% of dairies accounted for 50% of all diagnostic dairy submissions.
Student-Created Digital Media and Engagement in Middle School History

In this study, student engagement during classroom activities was investigated where sixth graders created digital media projects using historical images. The study employed a qualitative design involving observations, student artifacts, and interviews while students were creating digital storyboards using a Web-based application developed for this research. Several patterns of student engagement were identified, such as time on task, level of detail, and extra effort, which subsequently led to the development of four distinct profiles among the students. Applications of these findings and directions for future studies are discussed.
What kinds of things are psychiatric disorders

This essay explores four answers to the question 'What kinds of things are psychiatric disorders?' Essentialist kinds are classes whose members share an essence from which their defining features arise. Although elegant and appropriate for some physical (e.g. atomic elements) and medical (e.g. Mendelian disorders) phenomena, this model is inappropriate for psychiatric disorders, which are multi-factorial and 'fuzzy'. Socially constructed kinds are classes whose members are defined by the cultural context in which they arise. This model excludes the importance of shared physiological mechanisms by which the same disorder could be identified across different cultures. Advocates of practical kinds put off metaphysical questions about 'reality' and focus on defining classes that are useful. Practical kinds models for psychiatric disorders, implicit in the DSM nosologies, do not require that diagnoses be grounded in shared causal processes. If psychiatry seeks to tie disorders to etiology and underlying mechanisms, a model first proposed for biological species, mechanistic property cluster (MPC) kinds, can provide a useful framework. MPC kinds are defined not in terms of essences but in terms of complex, mutually reinforcing networks of causal mechanisms. We argue that psychiatric disorders are objectively grounded features of the causal structure of the mind/brain. MPC kinds are fuzzy sets defined by mechanisms at multiple levels that act and interact to produce the key features of the kind. Like species, psychiatric disorders are populations with central paradigmatic and more marginal members. The MPC view is the best current answer to 'What kinds of things are psychiatric disorders?'
Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma in an Adolescent Male Presenting as Ureteral Stricture

Lymphoma may affect the ureter in cases of retroperitoneal involvement. We present a case of an adolescent male found to have non-Hodgkin lymphoma initially presenting as ureteral stricture evident on imaging. He was treated and responded to multiagent chemotherapy with resolution of both the lymphoma and the ureteral stricture. Although rare, non-Hodgkin lymphoma should be included in the differential diagnosis of pediatric patients with noncalculous, idiopathic ureteral strictures.
Using information scent to model the dynamic foraging behavior of programmers in maintenance tasks

In recent years, the software engineering community has begun to study program navigation and tools to support it. Some of these navigation tools are very useful, but they lack a theoretical basis that could reduce the need for ad hoc tool building approaches by explaining what is fundamentally necessary in such tools. In this paper, we present PFIS (Programmer Flow by Information Scent), a model and algorithm of programmer navigation during software maintenance. We also describe an experimental study of expert programmers debugging real bugs described in real bug reports for a real Java application. We found that PFIS' performance was close to aggregated human decisions as to where to navigate, and was significantly better than individual programmers' decisions.
ATP Synthase and the Actions of Inhibitors Utilized To Study Its Roles in Human Health, Disease, and Other Scientific Areas

ATP synthase, a double-motor enzyme, plays various roles in the cell, participating not only in ATP synthesis but in ATP hydrolysis-dependent processes and in the regulation of a proton gradient across some membrane-dependent systems. Recent studies of ATP synthase as a potential molecular target for the treatment of some human diseases have displayed promising results, and this enzyme is now emerging as an attractive molecular target for the development of new therapies for a variety of diseases. Significantly, ATP synthase, because of its complex structure, is inhibited by a number of different inhibitors and provides diverse possibilities in the development of new ATP synthase-directed agents. In this review, we classify over 250 natural and synthetic inhibitors of ATP synthase reported to date and present their inhibitory sites and their known or proposed modes of action. The rich source of ATP synthase inhibitors and their known or purported sites of action presented in this review should provide valuable insights into their applications as potential scaffolds for new therapeutics for human and animal diseases as well as for the discovery of new pesticides and herbicides to help protect the world's food supply. Finally, as ATP synthase is now known to consist of two unique nanomotors involved in making ATP from ADP and P(i), the information provided in this review may greatly assist those investigators entering the emerging field of nanotechnology.
Vector summation of end-point impedance in kinematically redundant manipulators

One way to control the mechanical interactions between a manipulator and its environment is by specifying the manipulator's end-point impedance. According to this view, the function of a controller is to determine the force that the controlled system should apply in response to an externally imposed state, i.e., to determine an output force field. The possibility of combining the output force fields generated by a number of separate controllers in order to approximate an arbitrary output field is considered for a kinematically redundant manipulator. The end-point force fields of a simulated kinematically redundant manipulator operated by a set of spring-link actuators is numerically derived. The results indicate that the linear superposition of end-point fields may provide a quite good approximation of the actual passive behavior. This offers a simple way for solving the ill-posed problems associated with the specification of end-point impedance fields in a kinematically redundant system.
What Constitutes a Fossil Mammal Community in the Early Miocene Santa Cruz Formation

ABSTRACT The late early Miocene Santa Cruz Formation of southern Argentina is one of the most productive fossil mammal-bearing formations in South America. Hundreds of species have been named from this formation, resulting in a clear overestimation of Santa Cruz mammal diversity. Recent paleoecological studies have attempted to minimize this problem by analyzing more restricted faunal lists based only on recently collected fossil samples. In some cases, this approach has excluded clearly recognizable Santa Cruz taxa. In this study, I use a family-level rarefaction analysis of the Yale Peabody Collection of Santa Cruz fossils to test whether such absences are likely due to smaller sample size or to other factors. I further attempt to reconcile these absences using distributional data from recent and historical Santa Cruz Formation collections. The rarefaction analysis indicates that most single-locality samples from the Santa Cruz Formation have lower familial diversity than expected based on the taxonomic...
Media richness or media naturalness? The evolution of our biological communication apparatus and its influence on our behavior toward E-communication tools

E-communication in businesses has been the target of intense research. The theoretical hypotheses that have informed the media richness hypothesis have been influential in some circles and have also been strongly attacked by social theorists. It is argued in this paper that this theoretical polarization involving advocates of the media richness hypothesis and social theorists is due to two problems. The first is that there is a wealth of empirical evidence that provides direct support for the notion that human beings prefer the face-to-face medium for a variety of business tasks that involve communication, which seems to provide support for the media richness hypothesis. The second problem is that the media richness hypothesis is built on a vacuum, as no underlying explanation was ever presented by media richness theorists for our predisposition toward rich (or face-to-face) media. The main goal of this paper is to offer a solution to these problems by providing an alternative to the media richness hypothesis, referred to here as media naturalness hypothesis, developed based on Darwin's theory of evolution. The media naturalness hypothesis argues that, other things being equal, a decrease in the degree of naturalness of a communication medium (or its degree of similarity to the face-to-face medium) leads to the following effects in connection with a communication interaction: (a) increased cognitive effort, (b) increased communication ambiguity, and (c) decreased physiological arousal. Like the media richness hypothesis, the media naturalness hypothesis has important implications for the selection, use, and deployment of e-communication tools in organizations. However, unlike the media richness hypothesis, the media naturalness hypothesis is compatible with social theories of behavior toward e-communication tools. Among other things, this paper shows that the media naturalness hypothesis (unlike its media richness counterpart) is compatible with the notion that, regardless of the obstacles posed by low naturalness media, individuals using those media to perform collaborative tasks may achieve the same or better task-related outcomes than individuals using media with higher degrees of naturalness.
Art and Temporality: Ricoeur’s Hermeneutic Approach

“Ars longa, vita brevis”—an artful formulation that has itself had a long life—gives us a measure of the value of artistic creations in terms of their resistance to temporal erosion However, like all proverbs, it is subject to multiple and sometimes contradictory interpretations. In some cases of art, there is a deliberate effort to make the time (longevity) of an art work so brief as to be virtually instantaneous—e.g., the performance of short works of music, or a play by Samuel Beckett. In the visual arts, there is the “Happening” of a “Sixties” style work that can be construed as secular continuations extensions of the (temporary) processional events of medieval/renaissance liturgy (cf. paper by D. G. Scillia); or the differing styles of “performance art”. One can also consider in this category “installations,” in which a brief and active visile and (and sometimes audible) process—often involving interaction and physical entry—deliberately exahusts itself in a limited time-span, e.g., the works of Cristo.
An Endogenous Purified Peptide Modulates Ca2+ Channels in Neurons and Cardiac Myocytes

Transport of Ca2+ through membrane channels plays an important role in excitation-contraction coupling of cardiac and smooth muscle, in neurosecretion, and in neuronal signaling. The discovery that dihydropyridines can regulate voltage-activated Ca2+ channels (Fleckenstein et al. 1972) set the stage for studies on the structure and function of these channels and provided a biochemical probe useful in the search for possible endogenous modulators (EMs). Studies on the existence of endogenous Ca2+ -channel modulators were triggered by various reports providing electrophysiological and pharmacological evidence for the involvement of organic Ca2+ -channel antagonists in Ca2+ -channel regulation (Fleckenstein 1977; Janis and Diamond 1981; Tsien 1984). Supporting the idea of the possible existence of EMs were reports showing that sympathetic denervation of the heart up-regulated the dihydropyridine binding sites in this tissue (Skattebol1986) and that up-regulation of 3H-nitrendipine binding sites occurred in mouse brain after chronic treatment with morphine (Ramkumar and El-Fakahany1984). Janis et al. (1988) have reported that a number of endogenous substances alter Ca2+ -channel activity by either inhibiting 3H-dihydropyridine binding or modifying potential-dependent Ca2+ currents. For example, dynorphine A inhibited Ca2+ -channel activity, while calcitoninlike peptides enhanced the Ca2+ channel without altering 3H-dihydropyridine binding (Nohmi et al. 1985; Tsunoo et al. 1986; MacDonald and Merz 1987).
The Jehovah's Witnesses and Their Plan to Expand First Amendment Freedoms

In 1942, University of Pennsylvania law professors John E. Mulder and Marvin Comisky concluded that "seldom, if ever, in the past, has one individual or group been able to shape the course, over a period of time, of any phase of our vast body of constitutional law. But it can happen, and it has happened here. The group is Jehovah's Witnesses."1 Forty-five years later, William Shepard McAnninch, professor of law at the University of South Carolina, supported Mulder and Comisky's claim noting that the Witnesses have had "a profound and extensive impact on the development of our law."2 While this well-deserved praise speaks to the outcomes of Jehovah's Witness court cases, to most First Amendment scholars, the Witness successes in court, especially the Supreme Court, were accidental. Legal scholars have uniformly dismissed the Witnesses' methods for bringing about First Amendment cases, referring to their legal successes as mere unintended consequences of fanatical preaching. For example, legal scholar Bernard Schwartz noted that Jehovah's Witnesses, "who became involved in trouble with the law were only
Developmental stages and kairomones from the primary parasitoid Cotesia marginiventris (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) affect the response of the hyperparasitoid Mesochorus discitergus (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) to parasitized caterpillars

The hyperparasitoid Mesochorus discitergus (Say) discriminates among unparasitized Plathypena scabra (F.), Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), Pseudoplusia includens (Walker), and Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) caterpillars and those parasitized by the primary parasitoid Cotesia marginiventris (Cresson). M. discitergus females detect C. marginiventris within 1 h after parasitism of either P. scabra (green cloverworm) or S. frugiperda (fall armyworm). The time spent handling parasitized green cloverworms and fall army worms increases until after hatch of the C. marginiventris egg. C. marginiventris eggs did not appear to be suitable hosts for the hyperparasitoid, whereas first instars were. Therefore, the difference in handling times between caterpillars with egg or larval C. marginiventris may be related to the time a M. discitergus female needs to locate and parasitize a C. marginiventris larva. Results of injecting crude extracts from the C. marginiventris calyx region, or venom gland and venom reservoir, into fall armyworm larvae suggest that the venom gland extract causes changes in the hemocoel of fall armyworms that are used by M. discitergus as kairomones to discriminate between parasitized and unparasitized caterpillars. Our results do not exclude the possibility that calyx fluid too has kairomonal properties.
Surveillance analysis of diphtheria antibody levels in children 1-6 years in Baise city

Objective The present study was conducted to find out the status of immunity against diphtheria after DPT(Diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus vaccine) vaccination in children aged from 1 to 6 years in Baise city,Guangxi to provide a scientific basis for the development of strategies for diphtheria control and prevention.Methods This survey was carried out in the 12 counties of the Baise city,5 villages were selected from different locations(east,west,north,south and center) in each county.150 permannent residential children were selected and serum samples were collected to detect diphtheria antibodies in each county,30 children were divided into 6 age groups,5 children in each group in each villege.Results 1 800 children were investigated,1 682 children's diphtheria IgG(DTIgG) ≥0.01 IU/mL,the protection rate was 93.44%,the average content for DTIgG was 0.16 IU/mL in detected children.Conclusion The outcome of DPT vaccination is well developed among children 1-6 years in Baise city,and a solid immune barrier has been maintained.A diphtheria epidemic is not likely to occur in coming years in the city in predication.
Application of Dynamic On-demand Loading Algorithm in GIS Map

Aiming at the problem of much data redundancy,slow data loading of traditional data loading algorithm,according to status of map showing technology and user need,this paper presents a dynamic on-demand loading algorithm.It blocks graphic element and establishes sub-block index to achieve rapid querying,loading and showing.Test and analysis results show that the algorithm reduces amount of loading data and data redundancy to a large extent,and improves the data loading rate.
Biocompatible and High Stiffness Nanophotonic Trap Array for Precise and Versatile Manipulation

The advent of nanophotonic evanescent field trapping and transport platforms has permitted increasingly complex single molecule and single cell studies on-chip. Here, we present the next generation of nanophotonic Standing Wave Array Traps (nSWATs) representing a streamlined CMOS fabrication process and compact biocompatible design. These devices utilize silicon nitride (Si3N4) waveguides, operate with a biofriendly 1064 nm laser, allow for several watts of input power with minimal absorption and heating, and are protected by an anticorrosive layer for sustained on-chip microelectronics in aqueous salt buffers. In addition, due to Si3N4’s negligible nonlinear effects, these devices can generate high stiffness traps while resolving subnanometer displacements for each trapped particle. In contrast to traditional table-top counterparts, the stiffness of each trap in an nSWAT device scales linearly with input power and is independent of the number of trapping centers. Through a unique integration of microcirc...
An aqueous normal-phase chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry method for determining unbound brain-to-plasma concentration ratio of AZD1775, a Wee1 kinase inhibitor, in patients with glioblastoma

A rapid, sensitive, and robust aqueous normal-phase chromatography method coupled with tandem mass spectrometry was developed and validated for the quantitation of AZD1775, a Wee-1 inhibitor, in human plasma and brain tumor tissue. Sample preparation involved simple protein precipitation with acetonitrile. Chromatographic separation was achieved on ethylene bridged hybrid stationary phases (i.e., Waters XBridge Amide column) under an isocratic elution with the mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile/ammonium formate in water (10mM, pH 3.0) (85:15,v/v) at a flow rate of 0.8mL/min for 5min. The lower limit of quantitation (LLOQ) was 0.2ng/mL of AZD1775 in plasma and tissue homogenate. The calibration curve was linear over AZD1775 concentration range of 0.2-1000ng/mL in plasma and tissue homogenate. The intra- and inter-day precision and accuracy were within the generally accepted criteria for bioanalytical method (<15%). The method was successfully applied to assess the penetration of AZD1775 across the blood-brain tumor barrier, as assessed by the unbound brain-to-plasma ratio, in patients with glioblastoma.
Inhibition of tissue repair by spironolactone: role of mineralocorticoids in fibrous tissue formation.

Mineralocorticoids have been implicated in promoting fibrous tissue formation in various organs. In the present study, we sought to address the potential contribution of mineralocorticoids to fibrous tissue formation using a skin pouch model which has proved valuable for the analysis of inflammatory and wound healing responses. Skin pouches were induced in rats by administration of a phorbol ester, croton oil (0.5 ml of a 1% solution). After 2 weeks, rats were killed and intact pouch tissue collected. Pouch weights of control and aldosterone-treated (0.75 μg/h via osmotic minipump) rats were similar (3.33 ± 0.44 g vs. 3.70 ± 0.28 g respectively). However, pouch weights were reduced by more than 50% in spironolactone-treated (25 mg/day powdered in food) animals (1.62 ± 0.22 g and 1.27 ± 0.23 g respectively in aldosterone and spironolactone alone groups). To ascertain the effects of different treatments on collagen accumulation, hydroxyproline concentration was measured. Compared with controls, hydroxyproline concentration was significantly reduced following spironolactone treatment (17.1 ± 0.08 vs. 7.5 ± 2.0 μg/mg dry wt, respectively, p < 0.01). This response to spironolactone was negated by coadministration of aldosterone (hydroxyproline concentration was 18.6 ± 2.1 μg/mg dry wt). Following bilateral adrenalectomy, spironolactone reduced pouch weight and hydroxyproline concentration, which was not the case for adrenalectomy alone. Two week aldosterone administration in uninephrectomized rats on high salt diet was deemed ineffective in modulating pouch development (pouch wet wts were 3.48 ± 0.4 g vs. 3.00 ± 0.19 g in controls and aldosterone-treated rats, respectively). Mineralocorticoid receptor expression in pouch tissue was demonstrated by RT/PCR. Furthermore, NADP+-dependent 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1 (11β-HSD1) activity was detected in pouch tissue, together with lower levels of NAD+-dependent 11β-HSD2. Spironolactone (p < 0.05) significantly reduced 11β-HSD1 activity compared with controls. Thus, fibrous tissue possesses requisite components of MC action, and antagonism of mineralocorticoid receptors by spironolactone attenuates its formation. Pouch formation is under the influence of circulating MC and, we would like to propose, is also mediated through corticosteroids generated de novo at the site of tissue repair.
Intersectionality and the Culture of Science

This chapter focuses on operationalizing the concept of “science and engineering culture” in the broader context of national cultures, in this case Chinese, and identifying the influences of national cultures on the transformation of science and engineering professions. Gender plays a key role that intersects with both national and science and engineering culture, yet it has been largely overlooked. Discussions in this chapter will shed light on how gender, nationality, class, and other issues interact with science and engineering culture.
Attribute Portfolio Distance: A Dynamic Time Warping-Based Approach to Comparing and Detecting Common Spatiotemporal Patterns Among Multiattribute Data Portfolios

Frequently questions we ask cannot be answered by simply looking at one indicator. To answer the question asking which countries are similar to one another economically over the past 20 years is not just a matter of looking at trends in gross domestic product (GDP) or unemployment rates; “economically” encompasses much more than just one or two measures. In this chapter, we propose a method called attribute portfolio distance (APD) and a variant trend only APD (TO-APD) to address questions such as these. APD/TO-APD is a spatiotemporal extension of a data-mining algorithm called dynamic time warping used to measure the similarity between two univariate time series. We provide an example of this method by answering the question, Which countries are most similar to Ukraine economically from 1994–2013?
Clustered underwater ad-hoc networks in the presence of interference

The paper considers the performance of clustered underwater acoustic ad-hoc networks in the presence of interference. We assume a uniform distribution of nodes over a finite area. The cluster-to-cluster channel is modeled as a Ricean fading channel. We adopt a communication theoretic approach and study the interdependence of the sustainable number of cluster-to-cluster hops through the network, end-to-end frame error probability, power and bandwidth allocation. We find that the network's ability to provide full connectivity may be limited from below by coverage and from above by interference. The network may be coverage-limited when the number of nodes in the network is small, and interference-limited when the number of nodes is high. Numerical examples are presented that illustrate the results of the analysis.
An evaluation of repetitive summer horticultural oil sprays on selected woody landscape plants

Abstract In order to evaluate the effect of repetitive verdant horticultural oil sprays on plant growth and appearance, 32 different species/cultivars of shade trees, evergreens, and woody shrubs w...
Shooter's Touch: Skill Mastery in Basketball through Skill-Appropriate Progressions

Developing the ability to shoot a basketball takes more than just chunking up a few shots in the gym each day. What many people do not realize is the number of hours of practice involved in becoming proficient. Go to any local gymnasium and you will find young players thrusting the ball toward the rim from behind the 3-point line with little or no technique. In many cases, their parents, coaches and friends are supportive of their inappropriate methodology as long as the occasional shot goes in. However, from a coaching education or physical education perspective, this is an ineffective method of developing the skill of shooting. This article discusses ways to help coaches and parents teach appropriate technique for developing shooter's touch through skill mastery. Included is a list of progressive stations that can be measured by an adult or the player as they progress from one shooting spot to another. In addition, task extensions are added for additional advancement of the shooter's skills beyond spot ...
Lower airway dimensions in pediatric patients—A computed tomography study

SummaryBackground The aim of this study was to obtain lower airway dimensions in children by means of computed tomography (CT). Methods Chest CT scans from 195 pediatric patients (118 boys/77 girls) aged 0.04-15.99 years were analyzed. Tracheal and bronchial lengths, anterior-posterior and lateral diameters, as well as cross-sectional area were assessed at the following levels: mid trachea, right proximal and distal bronchus, proximal bronchus intermedius, and left proximal and distal bronchus. Mediastinal angles of tracheal bifurcation were measured. Data were analyzed by means of linear and polynomial regression plots. Results The strongest correlations were found between tracheal and bronchial diameters and age as well as between tracheal and bronchial lengths and body length. All measured airway parameters correlated poorly to body weight. Bronchial angles revealed no association with patient's age, body length, or weight. Conclusion This comprehensive anatomical database of lower airway dimensions demonstrates that tracheal and bronchial diameters correlate better to age, and that tracheal and bronchial length correlate better to body length. All measured airway parameters correlated poorly to body weight.
Host cell transcriptome modification upon exogenous HPV16 L2 protein expression

// Xinwei An 1 , Yuhan Hao 2,3 and Patricio I. Meneses 1 1 Department of Biological Sciences, Fordham University, Bronx, New York, United States of America 2 Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America 3 Applied Bioinformatics Laboratories, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, United Sates of America Correspondence to: Patricio I. Meneses, email: // Keywords : HPV16 L2, transcriptome modification, RNA sequencing, cell cycle, Rb & Cdc2, Pathology Section Received : August 31, 2017 Accepted : September 15, 2017 Published : October 12, 2017 Abstract Human papillomavirus type 16 minor capsid protein L2 has been shown to assist in the initial entry and intracellular trafficking events leading to nuclear translocation of the viral genome. During our investigations of L2 function, we observed that expression of L2 in a keratinocyte cell line (HaCaT) resulted in phenotypic changes. In this manuscript, we present data that expression of the L2 protein in this cellular model system HaCaTs resulted in a shift from G0/G1 phase to mitotic S phase, as well as a reduced amount of retinoblastoma protein (Rb) and an increase in Cdc2 phosphorylation. We performed genome-wide host cell mRNA sequencing and identified 2586 differentially expressed genes upon HPV16 L2 expression. Via machine learning and protein network analysis, genes involved in cellular differentiation and proliferation were highlighted as impacted by L2. Our results have implications for the role of L2 at the viral production stages when the virus needs to prevent cellular differentiation while maintaining the cells ability to replicate DNA. Our study suggests a potential novel function of the L2 protein, as a regulator of cellular gene transcription.
Targeted treatments for hidradenitis suppurativa: a review of the current literature and ongoing clinical trials

Purpose: Targeted, immune-modulating drugs are at the forefront of therapy for HS, and a comprehensive clinical trial registry is needed to facilitate data pooling and clinical efficacy comparison....
Management of pain in end-stage renal disease patients: Short review

Pain management in end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients is a complex and challenging task to accomplish, and effective pain and symptom control improves quality of life. Pain is prevalent in more than 50% of hemodialysis patients and up to 75% of these patients are treated ineffectively due to its poor recognition by providers. A good history for PQRST factors and intensity assessment using visual analog scale are the initial steps in the management of pain followed by involvement of palliative care, patient and family counseling, discussion of treatment options, and correction of reversible causes. First line should be conservative management such as exercise, massage, heat/cold therapy, acupuncture, meditation, distraction, music therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy. Analgesics are introduced according to WHO guidelines (by the mouth, by the clock, by the ladder, for the individual, and attention to detail) using three-step analgesic ladder model. Neuropathic pain can be controlled by gabapentin and pregabalin. Substitution/addition of opioid analgesics are indicated if pain control is not optimal. Commonly used opioids in ESRD patients are tramadol, oxycodone, hydromorphone, fentanyl, methadone, and buprenorphine. Methadone, fentanyl, and buprenorphine are the ideal analgesics in ESRD. However, complex pain syndrome requires multidrug analgesic regimen comprising opioids, non-opioids, and adjuvant medication, which should be individualized to the patient to achieve adequate pain control.
Peptide Uptake Is Essential for Borrelia burgdorferi Viability and Involves Structural and Regulatory Complexity of its Oligopeptide Transporter

Borrelia burgdorferi is an extreme amino acid (AA) auxotroph whose genome encodes few free AA transporters and an elaborate oligopeptide transport system (B. burgdorferi Opp [BbOpp]). BbOpp consists of five oligopeptide-binding proteins (OBPs), two heterodimeric permeases, and a heterodimeric nucleotide-binding domain (NBD). Homology modeling based on the crystal structure of liganded BbOppA4 revealed that each OBP likely binds a distinct range of peptides. Transcriptional analyses demonstrated that the OBPs are differentially and independently regulated whereas the permeases and NBDs are constitutively expressed. A conditional NBD mutant failed to divide in the absence of inducer and replicated in an IPTG (isopropyl-β-d-thiogalactopyranoside) concentration-dependent manner. NBD mutants grown without IPTG exhibited an elongated morphotype lacking division septa, often with flattening at the cell center due to the absence of flagellar filaments. Following cultivation in dialysis membrane chambers, NBD mutants recovered from rats not receiving IPTG also displayed an elongated morphotype. The NBD mutant was avirulent by needle inoculation, but infectivity was partially restored by oral administration of IPTG to infected mice. We conclude that peptides are a major source of AAs for B. burgdorferi both in vitro and in vivo and that peptide uptake is essential for regulation of morphogenesis, cell division, and virulence.IMPORTANCEBorrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, is an extreme amino acid (AA) auxotroph with a limited repertoire of annotated single-AA transporters. A major issue is how the spirochete meets its AA requirements as it transits between its arthropod vector and mammalian reservoir. While previous studies have confirmed that the B. burgdorferi oligopeptide transport (opp) system is capable of importing peptides, the importance of the system for viability and pathogenesis has not been established. Here, we evaluated the opp system structurally and transcriptionally to elucidate its ability to import a wide range of peptides during the spirochete's enzootic cycle. Additionally, using a novel mutagenesis strategy to abrogate opp transporter function, we demonstrated that peptide uptake is essential for bacterial viability, morphogenesis, and infectivity. Our studies revealed a novel link between borrelial physiology and virulence and suggest that peptide uptake serves an intracellular signaling function regulating morphogenesis and division.
Gradient-based optimization for regression in the functional tensor-train format

Abstract Predictive analysis of complex computational models, such as uncertainty quantification (UQ), must often rely on using an existing database of simulation runs. In this paper we consider the task of performing low-multilinear-rank regression on such a database. Specifically we develop and analyze an efficient gradient computation that enables gradient-based optimization procedures, including stochastic gradient descent and quasi-Newton methods, for learning the parameters of a functional tensor-train (FT). We compare our algorithms with 22 other nonparametric and parametric regression methods on 10 real-world data sets and show that for many physical systems, exploiting low-rank structure facilitates efficient construction of surrogate models. We use a number of synthetic functions to build insight into behavior of our algorithms, including the rank adaptation and group-sparsity regularization procedures that we developed to reduce overfitting. Finally we conclude the paper by building a surrogate of a physical model of a propulsion plant on a naval vessel.
crsra: A package for cleaning and analyzing coursera research export data

Due to the fundamental differences between traditional education and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and the ever-increasing popularity of MOOCs more research is needed to understand current and future trends in education. Although research in the field has rapidly grown in recent years, one of the main challenges facing researchers remains to be the complexity and messiness of the data. Therefore, it is imperative to provide tools that pave the way for more research on the new subject of MOOCs. This paper introduces a package called crsra based on the statistical software R to help clean and analyze massive loads of data provided by Coursera. The advantages of the package are as follows: a) faster loading and organizing data for analysis, b) an efficient method for combining data from multiple courses and even across institutions, and c) provision of a set of functions for analyzing student behaviors.
A Unified Approach to Difference Sets with gcd(V,N) > 1

The five known families of difference sets whose parameters (v, k, λ; n) satisfy the condition gcd(v, n) > 1 are the McFarland, Spence, Davis-Jedwab, Hadamard and Chen families. We survey recent work which uses recursive techniques to unify these difference set families, placing particular emphasis on examples. This unified approach has also proved useful for studying semi-regular relative difference sets and for constructing new symmetric designs.
Infancy and Childhood

When considering patterns of lifetime calcium intake, most attention has been paid to ensuring adequate intakes during puberty and thereafter. This is rational because the greatest total amount of calcium is accreted to the skeleton during puberty, and optimizing peak bone mass and osteoporosis prevention are crucial in enhancing the bone health of a large portion of the population. From a pediatric perspective, however, infancy and early childhood can be a time at which calcium issues are also important, primarily to ensure that overt deficiency and rickets do not occur, but also to develop good dietary habits for later adolescence and adulthood. In this chapter, we will consider three time periods in infancy and early childhood and what is known regarding calcium nutrition during these periods. These three are (1) early life in premature infants, (2) the first 6 mo of life in full-term infants, and (3) 6 mo to 8 yr of age. Each of these poses unique challenges to our understanding of calcium needs. Although there is not a sudden change in needs at the boundaries between these life periods, they nevertheless are useful when considering calcium requirements.
Radome Electromagnetic Design

Radomes are enclosures for antennas. Most radomes are hollow dielectric shells although some contain perforated metallic layers or metallic reinforcing structures. Radomes are used with large antennas on the earth’s surface to reduce wind loading and to prevent accumulation of ice or snow; these radomes usually have spherical contours. Many aircraft and missiles have radomes; some are blunt, but a nose radome may be pointed to reduce aerodynamic drag. See Fig. 1. Although a radome may perform a useful function, it can degrade an electronic system connected to the enclosed antenna. Radomes reduce radar range because they reflect and attenuate incident waves. They also cause errors in determining the direction of a reflecting object or radiating source; in missiles, this directional error significantly affects the accuracy of guidance. Radomes also can increase radar clutter by reflections that are analogous to multipath. These effects on systems constitute the electromagnetic performance of a radome. A radome’s electromagnetic performance is described by four parameters. They are as follows: