cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adults with Healthier Dietary Patterns Have Healthier Beverage Patterns

There is an absence of research examining associations between food and beverage intake patterns and most research has centered on soft drinks, whereas research on overall beverage patterns is absent. Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 99–02 for adults aged 19 y and older, we independently examined beverage and food intake patterns, as well as their interrelations. Cluster analysis generated mutually exclusive intake patterns for beverages and foods. Multinomial logistic regression models provided the odds of a given beverage pattern for each food pattern; we then compared the probability of a given beverage pattern for each food pattern. Six beverage and 6 food patterns emerged. Beverage patterns revealed that calorically sweetened, noncaloric, and diet beverages tended to be consumed independently of one another. Being in the Snacks and High-Fat Foods cluster increased the odds of being in the Coffee and Soda (odds ratio (OR): 1.62 [95% CI: 1.27–2.06]) or Nutrients and Soda (OR: 1.51 [95% CI: 1.14–2.00]) beverage clusters and decreased the odds of being in the Water and Tea (OR: 0.51 [95% CI: 0.52–0.97]) cluster relative to the odds of being in the Water, Coffee, and Tea cluster. The opposite was true for the Vegetable pattern. Furthermore, persons who had a healthier food pattern had a higher probability of having a noncaloric beverage pattern than persons who did not. Increasing awareness of both the contribution of calorie-containing beverages to overall energy intake and dietary patterns associated with these beverages helps inform policies targeted at reducing energy intake in the population. J. Nutr. 136: 2901–2907, 2006.
The lipopeptide antibiotic paenibacterin binds to the bacterial outer membrane and exerts bactericidal activity through cytoplasmic membrane damage

Paenibacterin is a broad-spectrum lipopeptide antimicrobial agent produced by Paenibacillus thiaminolyticus OSY-SE. The compound consists of a cyclic 13-residue peptide and an N-terminal C15 fatty acyl chain. The mechanism of action of paenibacterin against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus was investigated in this study. The cationic lipopeptide paenibacterin showed a strong affinity for the negatively charged lipopolysaccharides (LPS) from the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria. Addition of LPS (100 μg/ml) completely eliminated the antimicrobial activity of paenibacterin against E. coli. The electrostatic interaction between paenibacterin and LPS may have displaced the divalent cations on the LPS network and thus facilitated the uptake of antibiotic into Gram-negative cells. Paenibacterin also damaged the bacterial cytoplasmic membrane, as evidenced by the depolarization of membrane potential and leakage of intracellular potassium ions from cells of E. coli and S. aureus. Therefore, the bactericidal activity of paenibacterin is attributed to disruption of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria and damage of the cytoplasmic membrane of both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. Despite the evidence of membrane damage, this study does not rule out additional bactericidal mechanisms potentially exerted by paenibacterin.
Work In Progress: Speaking Out on the Chilly Classroom Climate - Women Engineering Students Tell All

Presented here are preliminary results of a qualitative research study seeking to find out what it is about the engineering classroom environments that women students find unappealing. These findings are important in guiding faculty and administrators in presenting engineering classes which are equitable to both male and female students. Such changes are critical for long term impacts on recruitment, retention and graduation of more women in this field.
Challenges and opportunities of Ångstrom-level analysis

The IBM aberration corrected STEM is intended to obtain electronic structure by EELS from defects and interfaces in semiconductor device structures. It consists of three elements: a Nion aberration corrector to obtain a 0.08 nm probe size at 120 kV, an EELS spectrometer having about 60 meV resolution, optimized for electronic structure measurements, and a gun monochromator designed for high brightness transmission to allow EELS analysis using the small probe. Initial experience with the corrector shows that the probe is now easily reproduced if the corrector optics are carefully managed.
Reversibility of cyclization of the tetrahymena rRNA intervening sequence: implication for the mechanism of splice site choice

Abstract The Tetrahymena rRNA intervening sequence (IVS) excises itself from the pre-rRNA and then mediates its own cyclization. We now find that certain di- and trinucleotides with free 3′ hydroxyl groups reopen the circular IVS at the cyclization junction, producing a linear molecule with the oligonucleotide covalently attached to its 5′ end. This linear molecule recyclizes with release of the added oligonucleotide. Thus the IVS RNA, like an enzyme, lowers the activation energy for both forward and reverse cleavage-ligation reactions. Certain combinations of pyrimidines are required for circle reopening. The most reactive oligonucleotide is UCU. This sequence resembles those preceding the major and minor cyclization sites in the linear IVS RNA (UUU and CCU) and the 5′ splice site in the pre-rRNA (UCU). We propose that an oligopyrimidine binding site within the IVS binds the sequences upstream of each of these target sites for cleavage-ligation.
Intra-arterial thrombectomy improves functional outcome when administered up to 6 h after stroke

Commentary on: Berkhemer OA, Fransen PS, Beumer D, et al., MR CLEAN Investigators. A randomized trial of intraarterial treatment for acute ischemic stroke. N Engl J Med 2015;372:11–20[OpenUrl][1][CrossRef][2][PubMed][3][Web of Science][4]. Ischaemic stroke is a common cause of death and disability worldwide. Intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) reduces disability when administered up to 4.5 h after symptom onset. In severe strokes, when a proximal large vessel occlusion is present, recanalisation rates with tPA are low. Intra-arterial (IA) thrombectomy techniques, particularly stent-retriever devices, have much higher recanalisation rates. IA therapy may be used either as an adjunct to tPA in patients presenting within 4.5 h or as monotherapy in patients with an exclusion criteria to tPA. This trial aimed to determine if IA therapy, administered up to 6 h after symptom onset, improved … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DN%2BEngl%2BJ%2BMed%26rft.volume%253D372%26rft.spage%253D11%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1056%252FNEJMoa1411587%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F25517348%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1056/NEJMoa1411587&link_type=DOI [3]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=25517348&link_type=MED&atom=%2Febmed%2F20%2F6%2F209.atom [4]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=000347100800005&link_type=ISI
The use of a mechanical model to describe the stiffness and damping characteristics of the knee joint in healthy adults.

Background and Purpose. Stiffness is a common clinical complaint but is rarely quantified by clinicians. The purpose of this study was to determine the reliability of a relaxed oscillation test that yields stiffness and damping coefficients of the knee. These coefficients describe the knee joint's resistance to bending and the time-dependent nature of that resistance. Subjects and Methods. Effects of age, gender, and knee position on these coefficients were assessed in 96 healthy volunteers aged 20 to 79 years. Measures were based on the premise that the knee joint can be modeled as a damped spring. Oscillations of the knee were recorded using an electrogoniometer with the knee oscillating through about 45 and 75 degrees of knee flexion. Results. Intraclass correlation coefficients revealed moderate to high reliability in the measurements taken three times in the same test session and on three separate days. Analysis of variance showed significant increases in stiffness and damping coefficients in the male subjects as compared with the female subjects. Analysis of variance also suggested an age effect on stiffness coefficients at the 75-degree test position, with decreasing stiffness with age. Both stiffness and damping coefficients were significantly smaller when measured at the 75-degree test position compared with the 45-degree position (Student's t test). Conclusion and Discussion. These results demonstrate a reliable method of measuring knee joint stiffness, and they correlate well with known morphological differences related to age and gender. This measure may prove to be more useful in evaluating the function of the knee than more commonly used assessments. It may also lead to a better understanding of how the knee functions in such activities as locomotion.
Generating geo-referenced terrain for army simulation programs using RUGUD

Our team is assessing the value of creating and using computer generated, high-resolution, "geo-referenced," terrain databases in Army modeling and Simulation. Our team has successfully produced a terrain database using the Rapid Unified Generation of Urban Databases (RUGUD) program through the use of provided elevation, imagery, and shape-file data. Our team also developed value measures which we are currently using to assess the value of RUGUD and its outputs to Army simulations and provide feedback to the Simulation and Training Technology Center (STTC) on our findings. Our in-progress-reviews and engagements with the STTC have allowed us to alter our value modeling as the project progresses to allow for mutual benefit from the work of our team. Our team regularly provides the STTC with our findings to provide them with active feedback.
Statement before the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs, on 'Why Are Veterans Waiting Years on Appeal?: A Review of the Post-Decision Process for Appealed Veterans’ Disability Benefits Claims'

The fundamental challenge for the veterans benefits system today, including the appellate process, is system effects. That is the term academics use to describe the problem that occurs in large systems when the number of rules grows so large that the system stops producing the desired result, even though each individual rule can be defended as making a positive contribution to the goal. We have long passed the point of critical mass where the sum total is too complex for adjudicators at every level to keep straight, much less for untrained veterans to understand. A better appellate system – and a better adjudication system in general – needs to move away from trying to deal with millions of veterans with millions of rules, and instead focus on finding the smallest number of rules that will fulfill the goal of creating a truly veteran-friendly system that is capable of delivering timely and accurate results. An improved appellate process needs to contribute to this paradigm shift. In a system suffering from system effects, there are no magic bullets. The problem of complexity can be solved only by dramatic change. Because the large number of rules is the central challenge, a great number of individual parts must be critically examined and streamlined. These are just a few suggestions that I have proposed in the past, and are just the beginning of a larger project that must include all the stakeholders. Most importantly, changes must be rigorously tested with real veterans to make sure that they understand and benefit from the system that is supposed to be friendly and paternalistic toward them. Everyone wants the system to provide better results, but at this point more rules increase delay, not quality. Less process and more effectiveness are the true answers.
Contact Resistivity of NiPtSi on n-doped Silicon Activated by Laser Annealing

Reducing specific contact resistivity of the silicide to silicon interface is advantageous to achieve high planar density and high drive current FET devices. Measuring the differential resistivities at different low voltage bias conditions of four terminal Kelvin test structures with a range of contact sizes has proven particularly effective in characterizing the linearity behavior and specific contact resistivity. This study shows that adding laser activation annealing for an n+ doped silicon contacted by a standard NiPt silicide is found to significantly improve the contact electrical properties. Initial results with only rapid thermal anneal activation show a size dependence of the contact resistivity with non-linear behavior exhibiting maximum resistance at zero bias, and contact resistivities ranging from 4×10-8 Ω-cm2 to 4×10-7 Ω-cm2. Adding laser anneal after the rapid thermal anneal gives ohmic behavior, for contact down to 50nm in size, with a specific contact resistivity of 1×10-8 Ω-cm2. The metal-to-silicide contact resistance was measured separately using a novel test structure and it was confirmed to be negligible. We describe our device structure, our experimental methodology, and the implications of our results for future devices.
CNS Disease as the Presenting Feature in Four Cases of Juvenile Dermatomyositis (P07.218)

Objective: Presentation of four cases of juvenile dermatomyositis with CNS involvement as the initial feature. Background There are very few case reports in the literature of CNS involvement with JD. There are even fewer cases reported in which the initial presentation of CNS vasculitis and demyelinating disease develops into more recognizable JD. Design/Methods: Four patient cases are presented. Results: We present case reports of four patients who presented with CNS lesions and various degrees of encephalopathy who later progressed to meet clinical criteria for the diagnosis of juvenile dermatomyositis. The first patient we report is a 13 year old male who presented with demyelinating lesions of the spinal cord and optic nerves. He went on to develop weakness of the lower extremities. The second patient, a 6 year old female, initially presented with a viral meningitis, and then went on to develop a myriad of brain lesions on MRI. A third patient, a 9 year old female presented with seizures and encephalopathy. She had both cortical and subcortical brain lesions that showed both inflammation and hemorrhage. The final patient, a 16 year old girl presented with demyelinating lesions of the brain stem and spinal cord. All four of the patients went on to develop proximal muscle weakness, primarily of the lower extremities and had muscle biopsies demonstrating perifascisular atrophy and inflammatory changes consistent with juvenile dermatomyositis. All of these patients responded well to immunosuppressive therapy and made substantial recoveries. Conclusions: These reports should encourage investigation into autoimmune disease in general and JD in particular when cases of CNS disease of unknown etiology present in pediatric patients. There are implications for both prognosis and treatment when the disease course is recognized early. Disclosure: Dr. Lee has nothing to disclose. Dr. Bishop has nothing to disclose. Dr. Vedanarayanan has nothing to disclose.
Morphology of Abdominal Segments Eight and Nine of the Female Tobacco Hornworm, Manduca sexta (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae)

This study details the morphology of abdominal segments 8 and 9 of the female tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta (L.). Externally, striking features are the extensive intersegmental membrane between segments 8 and 9 permitting extension of the 9th segment and the highly developed field of sensory receptors on the papillae anales. Internally, the large sensory nerve extending from the papillae anales to the terminal ganglion, the pheromone gland, the apodemes for extension of the ovipositor, and the highly developed musculature and innervation of the vagina are notable. The highly innervated anal papillae show the importance of sensory reception in oviposition, and the apodemes, musculature, and nerves of the vagina are evidence of a precise motor control over oviposition. Collectively, the high degree of development of these structures reflects their significance for this insect.
Academe: A Profession Like No Other

This chapter draws on the wealth of scholarly literature on the academic profession to reflect on the intersection between the human experience and the transfer of knowledge at the global, disciplinary, and individual levels. Altbach’s contributions to this literature are highlighted, including his analysis of globalization and the “centers-peripheries of learning” framework. The discussion will also review the unique power and responsibilities that come with being in the academic profession, and how one professor with the right mix of personal and professional attributes can produce an array of positive impacts on the lives of countless others.
Corticotropin releasing factor type-1 receptor antagonism in the dorsolateral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis disrupts contextually conditioned fear, but not unconditioned fear to a predator odor

The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) plays a critical role in fear and anxiety. The BNST is important for contextual fear learning, but the mechanisms regulating this function remain unclear. One candidate mechanism is corticotropin-releasing-factor (CRF) acting at CRF type 1 receptors (CRFr1s). Yet, there has been little progress in elucidating if CRFr1s in the BNST are involved in different types of fear (conditioned and/or unconditioned). Therefore, the present study investigated the effect of antalarmin, a potent CRFr1 receptor antagonist, injected intracerebroventricularly (ICV) and into the dorsolateral BNST (LBNST) during single trial contextual fear conditioning or exposure to the predator odor 2,5-dihydro-2,4,5-trimethylthiazoline (TMT). Neither ICV nor LBNST antalarmin disrupted unconditioned freezing to TMT. In contrast, ICV and LBNST antalarmin disrupted the retention of contextual fear when tested 24h later. Neither ICV nor LBNST antalarmin affected baseline or post-shock freezing-indicating antalarmin does not interfere with the early phases of contextual fear acquisition. Antalarmin did not (1) permanently affect the ability to learn and express contextual fear, (2) change responsivity to footshocks, or (3) affect the ability to freeze. Our findings highlight an important role for CRFr1s within the LBNST during contextually conditioned fear, but not unconditioned predator odor fear.
Postoperative vascular complications and risk factors in percutaneous coronary intervention via radial artery

Objective To analyze the postoperative vascular complications and risk factors in percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI) via radial artery.Methods The clinical data of 419 patients,who underwent PCI via radial artery in Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital during January and December2012,were retrospectively analyzed.Results Postoperative vascular complications occurred in 165patients(39.4%),including topoparensthesia in 127 cases(30.3%); different levels of pain in 79(18.9%); bleeding in 68(16.2%); swelling in 43(10.3%); blister in 16(3.8%).No arteriovenous fistula and pseudoaneurysm occurred in this series.Conclusion The postoperative vascular complications of percutaneous coronary intervention via radial artery are associated with many factors and proper measures should be taken to reduce its complications.
The Application of RFID Technology at Engine Assemble Line

This paper takes an engine assemble line as a research object and introduce RFID technology as well as structure of RFID system. Introduce the idiographic application of RFID Technology at engine assemble line,include:the net structure ,the application elements and operation process. In the end,it gives a vision about the advantage that RFID are used at engine assemble line and the value of RFID deeply involved into the enterprises.
Pediatric blunt abdominal trauma: current management

Purpose of reviewNonoperative management of pediatric blunt abdominal injury has changed significantly in the last few years.Recent findingsImproved resource utilization in the diagnosis of pediatric abdominal injury has been described. Hemodynamic status, rather than grade of injury, now guides car
Classification of Adnexal Adhesions: A Proposal and Evaluation of Its Prognostic Value *

A system of classification of adnexal disease is proposed. Hysterosalpingography is important to determine tubal patency (stage I) and to distinguish between the presence of rugae in early fillage of the ampullae (stage II) and their absence (stage III or IV). Diagnostic laparoscopy under general anesthesia with the double-puncture technique is recommended to inspect the ovaries thoroughly and to put adhesions on a stretch for evaluation of thin, avascular adhesions (A) and thick, vascularized adhesions (B). The extent of adnexal disease can be classified as stage I minimal if most or all of the ovarian surface is visible; stage II, over 50% of the ovary is visible; stage III, less than 50% of the ovary is visible; Stage IV, no ovarian surface is visible. Each adnexum should be described separately. The worst aspect of each adnexum should be described. The best adnexal classification should be used in describing the patient for purposes of comparing surgical treatments. Using this approach, the authors describe a gradient from stage I (best prognosis) to stage IV (poorest) in a personal series of 99 tuboplasties over a 10-year period.
Gene-Directed Enzyme Prodrug Cancer Therapy

Despite great achievements in cancer chemotherapy, restricting the toxic effects of chemotherapeutic agents to tumor cells in order to enhance efficacy and reduce side effects remains a major challenge. To overcome this challenge, suicide gene therapy or gene-directed enzyme prodrug therapy (GDEPT), which is an alternative two-step process to conventional cancer treatment methods, is investigated. A gene that expresses a nontoxic enzyme in cancer cells is first delivered to cancer cells, followed by systemic administration of a prodrug that can be converted into a toxic compound by the enzyme. Factors that could impact the success of GDEPT include the level of enzyme expression at the target site, the efficiency of prodrug conversion into toxic drug, and the ability of drug to diffuse into neighboring cells. This chapter describes some of the most widely used enzyme/prodrug systems in preclinical and clinical trials along with various methods of cell targeting for GDEPT.
AMP-Activated Protein Kinase α1 in Macrophages Promotes Collateral Remodeling and Arteriogenesis in Mice In Vivo

Objective— AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), an energy and redox sensor, is activated in response to various cellular stresses, including hypoxia, nutrient deprivation, oxidative stress, and fluid shear stress at the site of vessel blockade. The activation of AMPK is involved in angiogenesis. However, it is unknown whether AMPK can influence arteriogenesis. Here, we demonstrate the contribution of macrophage AMPK to arteriogenesis and collateral remodeling and their underlying mechanisms in well-characterized in vivo and in vitro models. Approach and Results— AMPKα1, AMPKα2 knockout and wild-type littermates underwent femoral artery ligation. Collateral arteriogenesis was monitored in wild-type, global AMPKα1 knockout, or macrophage-specific AMPKα1 knockout mice, with or without hindlimb ligation. Compared with wild-type mice with ligation, global AMPKα1 knockout mice displayed significant reduction in blood flow recovery and impaired remodeling of collateral arterioles. Similar impairments were observed in macrophage-specific AMPK α1 knockout mice after hindlimb ligation. Mechanistically, we found that AMPKα1 promotes the production of growth factors, such as transforming growth factor β, by directly phosphorylating the inhibitor of nuclear factor κB kinase alpha, resulting in an nuclear factor κB–dependent production of growth factors Conclusions— Our findings suggest a novel role for macrophage AMPKα1 in arteriogenesis and collateral remodeling and indicate that AMPKα1 activation might be beneficial for recovery from occlusive vascular disorders.
Advances and Challenges in Conducting Research with Diverse and Vulnerable Populations in a Healthcare Setting: Reducing Stigma and Increasing Cultural Sensitivity

This chapter focuses on ethical and methodological considerations for conducting health research with diverse and vulnerable populations. We summarize the literature on ethics and research methodology for four groups: (1) racial and ethnic minorities, (2) sexual orientation and gender minorities, (3) prisoners, and (4) individuals with chronic illnesses or limitations. We will address these four groups by addressing the following questions: (1) what are important historical and ethical considerations for research with diverse and vulnerable populations and (2) what are important methodological considerations for research with diverse and vulnerable populations?
Productive Mis-mappings: Critical Disorientations on the University of South Carolina’s Historic Horseshoe

Located at the heart of the University of South Carolina campus is the historic Horseshoe—originally the South Carolina College campus (est. 1801)—a site whose construction during the antebellum years relied on enslaved labor. Ghosts of the Horseshoe is a cross-College, collaborative “critical interactive” for iPad that features the Horseshoe campus and endeavors to make visible this unacknowledged history. The application uses as its dedicated navigational interface a historic 1884 Sanborn Fire Insurance map of the site; participants can also activate a Google Map overlay of the site and determine its degree of opacity with respect to the archival map image. Importantly, however, the two maps do not actually “map” onto each other. This serves as a first mis-mapping of several mis-mappings. This article considers how such mis-mappings, involving geo-locative contingencies, representational disjunctions, and potential dis-locations, mediate site-specific explorations and, as such, make possible alternative...
Carbon nanotube complementary logic with low-temperature processed end-bonded metal contacts

CNT-based complementary logic using low-temperature processed end-boned metal contacts are demonstrated. This new form of end-bonded contact is made by carbon dissolution into metal contacts with high carbon solubility (e.g., Ni and Co), which requires only low annealing temperature (400−600 °C). As-fabricated end-bonded Ni contacts serve as robust p-type contacts to CNTs and perform better than standard Pd side-bonded contacts at scaled dimensions. In addition, stable NFETs are converted from PFETs using Al 2 O 3 as an n-type physicochemical doping layer. CMOS inverters are further built with end-bonded contacts for both PFETs and NFETs, featuring the smallest contact size thus far for CNT inverters. These new findings could pave the way to realizing CNT-based scalable CMOS technology.
Next-generation sequencing (NGS) in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (panNETs): Defining differentiation and grade genetically.

291Background: Advances in tumor sequencing technology have improved our understanding of the genetic basis of panNETs. Whole exome sequencing of well differentiated (WD) panNETs demonstrated changes in chromatin remodeling genes; in poorly differentiated (PD) neuroendocrine carcinomas, changes along the TP53/RB signaling pathways have been observed. We sought to validate these observations in clinical practice. Methods: This prospective study (NCT01775072) used the MSK-IMPACT (Memorial Sloan Kettering-Integrated Mutation Profiling of Actionable Cancer Targets) assay to do NGS on panNETs in the routine practice setting. MSK-IMPACT is an assay providing full exon coverage of 410 cancer related genes, detecting base substitutions, small indels, copy number changes, and select gene rearrangements. Results: Results are available in 89 tumor samples from 78 patients (mean patient age 53, 58% female); 31 tumors (35%) low grade, 35 tumors (39%) intermediate grade, and 23 tumors (26%) high grade; 5 patients (6%) ...
The Benefits of Multilingualism to the Personal and Professional Development of Residents of the US

In the past two decades, new research on multilingualism has changed our understanding of the consequences of learning and using two or more languages for cognition, for the brain, and for success and well-being across the entire lifespan. Far from the stereotype that exposure to multiple languages in infancy complicates language and cognitive development, the new findings suggest that individuals benefit from that exposure, with greater openness to other languages and to new learning itself. At the other end of the lifespan, in old age, the active use of two or more languages appears to provide protection against cognitive decline. That protection is seen in healthy aging and most dramatically in compensating for the symptoms of pathology in those who develop dementia or are recovering from stroke. In this article we briefly review the most exciting of these new research developments and consider their implications.
The HITECH Era in Retrospect.

The HITECH Act has played an invaluable role in accelerating the adoption of electronic health records throughout the United States. But along the way, the effort to computerize health care lost the hearts and minds of clinicians.
An analytical approach for positioning error and mode shape analysis of n – legged parallel manipulator

ABSTRACTPrecise part positioning on a parallel manipulator is a challenging task for industries where positioning errors can restrict achieving the required quality of the part. However, in the literature, the positioning errors of the parallel manipulator are not explored extensively. In this paper, the main focus was to find out positioning errors of the parallel manipulator caused while machining. Lagrange formulation is used as part of the proposed analytical model to calculate the positioning errors of the platform under external forces. Moreover, the proposed generalised algorithm gives the positioning error of ‘n’ legged manipulator for any initial orientation of the platform, along with, eigenvalues and corresponding eigenvectors of the manipulator. The results are validated with software-based finite element analysis and by solving a numerical study from the literature. This approach can also be used for optimisation of design variables for minimum positioning error of the Gough–Stewart Platform.
Ethical and Social Justice Foundations of Policy and Policy Research Related to School-Based Counseling

This chapter presents a paradigm that examines and integrates the ethical and social justice underpinnings of policy research for school-based counseling. The paradigm positions school-based counseling as a contributor to the well-being of children as global citizens as part of the Sustainable Development Goals and more specifically Education 2030. The paradigm examines ethical and social justice perspectives relative to the practices and belief system of the researcher and evaluator, the cultural competence needed to effectively engage diverse global contexts, international perspectives on research ethics that impact children, methods of entering the policy process, and directions for the future of school-based counseling that support the well-being of children as global citizens in peaceful and sustainable societies.
Shock compression of strongly correlated oxides: A liquid-regime equation of state for cerium(IV) oxide

The shock Hugoniot for full-density and porous ${\mathrm{CeO}}_{2}$ was investigated in the liquid regime using ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations with Erpenbeck's approach based on the Rankine-Hugoniot jump conditions. The phase space was sampled by carrying out NVT simulations for isotherms between 6000 and 100 000 K and densities ranging from $\ensuremath{\rho}=2.5$ to $20\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}\mathrm{g}/{\mathrm{cm}}^{3}$. The impact of on-site Coulomb interaction corrections $+U$ on the equation of state (EOS) obtained from AIMD simulations was assessed by direct comparison with results from standard density functional theory simulations. Classical molecular dynamics (CMD) simulations were also performed to model atomic-scale shock compression of larger porous ${\mathrm{CeO}}_{2}$ models. Results from AIMD and CMD compression simulations compare favorably with Z-machine shock data to 525 GPa and gas-gun data to 109 GPa for porous ${\mathrm{CeO}}_{2}$ samples. Using results from AIMD simulations, an accurate liquid-regime Mie-Gr\"uneisen EOS was built for ${\mathrm{CeO}}_{2}$. In addition, a revised multiphase SESAME-type EOS was constrained using AIMD results and experimental data generated in this work. This study demonstrates the necessity of acquiring data in the porous regime to increase the reliability of existing analytical EOS models.
Kernel partial correlation: a novel approach to capturing conditional independence in graphical models for noisy data

ABSTRACTGraphical models capture the conditional independence structure among random variables via existence of edges among vertices. One way of inferring a graph is to identify zero partial correlation coefficients, which is an effective way of finding conditional independence under a multivariate Gaussian setting. For more general settings, we propose kernel partial correlation which extends partial correlation with a combination of two kernel methods. First, a nonparametric function estimation is employed to remove effects from other variables, and then the dependence between remaining random components is assessed through a nonparametric association measure. The proposed approach is not only flexible but also robust under high levels of noise owing to the robustness of the nonparametric approaches.
Interaction of a dinoflagellate neurotoxin with voltage-activated ion channels in a marine diatom

Background The potent neurotoxins produced by the harmful algal bloom species Karenia brevis are activators of sodium voltage-gated channels (VGC) in animals, resulting in altered channel kinetics and membrane hyperexcitability. Recent biophysical and genomic evidence supports widespread presence of homologous sodium (Na+) and calcium (Ca2+) permeable VGCs in unicellular algae, including marine phytoplankton. We therefore hypothesized that VGCs of these phytoplankton may be an allelopathic target for waterborne neurotoxins produced by K. brevis blooms that could lead to ion channel dysfunction and disruption of signaling in a similar manner to animal Na+ VGCs. Methods We examined the interaction of brevetoxin-3 (PbTx-3), a K. brevis neurotoxin, with the Na+/Ca2+ VGC of the non-toxic diatom Odontella sinensis using electrophysiology. Single electrode current- and voltage- clamp recordings from O. sinensis in the presence of PbTx-3 were used to examine the toxin's effect on voltage gated Na+/Ca2+ currents. In silico analysis was used to identify the putative PbTx binding site in the diatoms. We identified Na+/Ca2+ VCG homologs from the transcriptomes and genomes of 12 diatoms, including three transcripts from O. sinensis and aligned them with site-5 of Na+ VGCs, previously identified as the PbTx binding site in animals. Results Up to 1 µM PbTx had no effect on diatom resting membrane potential or membrane excitability. The kinetics of fast inward Na+/Ca2+ currents that underlie diatom action potentials were also unaffected. However, the peak inward current was inhibited by 33%, delayed outward current was inhibited by 25%, and reversal potential of the currents shifted positive, indicating a change in permeability of the underlying channels. Sequence analysis showed a lack of conservation of the PbTx binding site in diatom VGC homologs, many of which share molecular features more similar to single-domain bacterial Na+/Ca2+ VGCs than the 4-domain eukaryote channels. Discussion Although membrane excitability and the kinetics of action potential currents were unaffected, the permeation of the channels underlying the diatom action potential was significantly altered in the presence of PbTx-3. However, at environmentally relevant concentrations the effects of PbTx- on diatom voltage activated currents and interference of cell signaling through this pathway may be limited. The relative insensitivity of phytoplankton VGCs may be due to divergence of site-5 (the putative PbTx binding site), and in some cases, such as O. sinensis, resistance to toxin effects may be because of evolutionary loss of the 4-domain eukaryote channel, while retaining a single domain bacterial-like VGC that can substitute in the generation of fast action potentials.
Gender, Social Roles, and Mental Health: An Epidemiological Perspective

The social roles men and women occupy may account for gender differences in rates of psychiatric disorder. Women are thought to have poorer experiences within any given role (role strain theory), have more conflicts among their different roles (role-configuration theory), or have fewer role opportunities available to them (role accumulation hypothesis) compared to men. These theories are examined in a community sample (n = 4,745, 52% females and 48% males; Caucasian [84.2%], Hispanics [10.0%], African Americans [3.8%], Native American [1.4%], Asian [0.6%], and Pacific Islander [0.1%]). No gender differences in the overall rate of DSM, psychiatric disorders were found; however, differences were found for specific disorders. Although multiple roles were generally found to be associated with lower rates of disorders for both men and women, some role combinations were associated with a higher rate of disorders. The possibility that roles may be associated with both stressors and protective factors is discussed.
Polymers for Multifunctional Applications: Some General Considerations

This chapter emphasizes the interdependence of chemistry, microstructure and processing in relation to achieving control over multifunctional polymer properties. The unique properties imparted to polymers by liquid crystalline order are addressed, together with conditions that promote such order. Nonlinear optical behavior, especially second harmonic generation, is highlighted as an example of a physical property to be optimized, and some background physics is discussed. Advantages of progressing from organic polymers to organometallic and inorganic polymers are introduced.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and hypersensitivity reactions

In March 1983, reports of deaths from anaphylactoid reactions resulted in the recall of zomepirac from market. Zomepirac is chemically closely related to tolmetin and, even prior to these results, a disproportionate number of reports of hypersensitivity reactions had been received by the US Food and Drug Administration regarding tolmetin [1]. In response to these initiatives, a pair of studies was undertaken [2,3].
Hippocampal volume measurements using magnetic resonance imaging in normal young adults

Volumetric analysis of brain magnetic resonance images (MRIs) measures structural changes associated with neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders. Several studies investigated the hippocampus specifically, reporting degrees of atrophy in such disorders. However, the range of normal hippocampal volumes must be known to assess atrophy. In tracings of T1 oblique slice and three-dimensional MRIs in 24 normal subjects reported here, the average volume of right and left hippocampus was 2.90 cm3 and 2.78 cm3, respectively. On paired analysis, this difference was significant. The literature indicated these volumes are in the middle of a wide range of hippocampal volumes (1.73-5.68 cm3) in both MRI-based and histology-based studies. This wide variation can be explained by differing hippocampal boundary definitions; technical factors of image processing, segmentation, and display; sample heterogeneity; and interoperator differences.
Academics Alone Together: Liberal Arts Graduate Students’ Writing Networks

Graduate writers who develop networks of writing are positioned to enter into the larger discourse community during and after graduate work. Our study surveyed graduate writers in the humanities about the sources of writing feedback they use and how much they trust or fear those sources. The results indicate that graduate students do employ a variety of sources and strategically assess when and how to use those sources. Still, many graduate students do not get frequent feedback on their writing, and others believe “we take what we get” in writing feedback. Student services who serve graduate students should work in conjunction with graduate program administrators and advisors to encourage students to develop effective networks of writing feedback, including important peer networks.
Taste Perception and Caffeine Consumption: An fMRI Study.

Caffeine is ubiquitous, yet its impact on central taste processing is not well understood. Although there has been considerable research on caffeine’s physiological and cognitive effects, there is a paucity of research investigating the effects of caffeine on taste. Here we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate group differences between caffeine consumers and non-consumers in blood-oxygenation-level-dependent (BOLD) activation during hedonic evaluation of taste. We scanned 14 caffeine consumers and 14 caffeine non-consumers at 3 Tesla, while they rated three tastes: caffeine (bitter), sucrose (sweet), and saccharin (sweet with bitter after taste), in aqueous solutions. Differences in BOLD activation were analyzed using voxel wise independent samples t-tests within Analysis of Functional Neuroimage (AFNI). Results indicated that during the hedonic evaluation of caffeine or sucrose, caffeine non-consumers had significantly greater activation in neuronal areas associated with memory and reward. During the hedonic evaluation of saccharin, caffeine consumers had significantly greater activation in areas associated with memory and information processing. The findings suggest caffeine consumption is associated with differential activation in neuronal areas involved in reward, memory, and information processing. Further research on intensity and hedonics of bitter and sweet stimuli in caffeine consumers and non-consumers will be of great interest to better understand the nature of differences in taste perception between caffeine consumers and non-consumers.
Duality in KN → πλ, πΣ

Abstract We have tested the duality diagram predictions for the reactions K N →πΣ and K N→πΣ in the energy region 1500MeV E cm πΛ amplitudes are consistent with the predictions, but the exotic I t = 3 2 amplitudes in K − p → π + Σ − do not show local averaging to zero. Within the limited size of our energy interval the I t = 1 2 and the helicity non-flip amplitudes show better local averaging than the I t = 3 2 and the flip amplitudes.
Pressed copper and gold-plated copper contacts at low temperatures – A review of thermal contact resistance

Abstract Cryogenic systems that use cryocoolers with conduction cooling for attaining temperatures of 4.2 K and below routinely employ mechanically pressed components of copper to form the heat conduction path. To aid the design of such systems, the present paper reviews thermal contact resistance data of pressed copper-copper and gold-plated copper-copper contacts from nearly twenty measurement programs that span across past fifty years. Relevant theoretical models of thermal contact resistance are briefly reviewed and compared with the experimental data. Gold-plated copper contacts display reasonable trend with the models, which may serve as a design reference for such contacts. A few measurement techniques are also summarized that enable quick characterization of thermal contacts at low temperatures.
Tackling Weaknesses in Students’ Financial Analysis Capabilities: A Value-Based Exercise for Strategic Management Courses:

Appraising firm performance is an important aspect of the strategic management process. Unfortunately, many students in strategic management courses do not have adequate financial analysis skills t...
Evidence for prescribed NK cell Ly49 developmental pathways in mice

Previous studies of NK cell inhibitory Ly49 receptors suggested their expression is stochastic. However, relatively few studies have examined this stochasticity in conjunction with activating Ly49 receptors. We hypothesized that the expression of activating Ly49 receptors is not stochastic and is influenced by inhibitory Ly49 receptors. We analyzed NK cell clusters defined by combinatorial expression of activating (Ly49H, Ly49D) and inhibitory (Ly49I, Ly49G2) receptors in C57BL/6 mice. Using the product rule to evaluate the interdependencies of the Ly49 receptors, we found evidence for a tightly regulated expression at the immature NK cell stage, with the highest interdependencies between clusters that express at least one activating receptor. Further analysis demonstrated that certain NK clusters predominated at the immature (CD27+CD11b-), transitional (CD27+CD11b+) and mature (CD27-CD11b-) NK cell stages. Using parallel in vitro culture and in vivo transplantation of sorted NK clusters, we discovered non-random upregulation of Ly49 receptors, suggesting that prescribed pathways of NK cluster differentiation exist. Our data infer that upregulation of Ly49I is an important step in NK cell maturation. Ki-67 expression and cell counts confirmed that immature NK cells proliferate more than mature NK cells. We found that MHC-I is particularly important for regulation of Ly49D and Ly49G2, even though no known MHC-I ligand for these receptors is present in B6 mice. Our data indicate that the regulatory systems controlling the expression of both activating and inhibitory Ly49 receptors are non-stochastic and support the idea that NK cell clusters develop in a non-random process correlated to their maturation stage.
Health Recommendations and Selection in Health Behaviors

Consider a case in which a new research finding links a health behavior with good health outcomes. A possible consequence is take-up of this behavior among individuals who engage in other positive health behaviors. If this occurs, later analyses of observational data may be biased by the change in selection. This paper evaluates these dynamic biases in empirical settings. Using data from vitamin supplementation and diet, I show that selection responds endogenously to health recommendations. These results highlight how spurious findings on health behaviors can be self-reinforcing.
Influence Paths for Characterizing Subject-Verb Number Agreement in LSTM Language Models

LSTM-based recurrent neural networks are the state-of-the-art for many natural language processing (NLP) tasks. Despite their performance, it is unclear whether, or how, LSTMs learn structural features of natural languages such as subject-verb number agreement in English. Lacking this understanding, the generality of LSTM performance on this task and their suitability for related tasks remains uncertain. Further, errors cannot be properly attributed to a lack of structural capability, training data omissions, or other exceptional faults. We introduce *influence paths*, a causal account of structural properties as carried by paths across gates and neurons of a recurrent neural network. The approach refines the notion of influence (the subject’s grammatical number has influence on the grammatical number of the subsequent verb) into a set of gate or neuron-level paths. The set localizes and segments the concept (e.g., subject-verb agreement), its constituent elements (e.g., the subject), and related or interfering elements (e.g., attractors). We exemplify the methodology on a widely-studied multi-layer LSTM language model, demonstrating its accounting for subject-verb number agreement. The results offer both a finer and a more complete view of an LSTM’s handling of this structural aspect of the English language than prior results based on diagnostic classifiers and ablation.