cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An RNA Oligonucleotide Corresponding to the Polypyrimidine Region of the Rat α1(I) Procollagen Promoter Forms a Stable Triplex and Inhibits Transcription

Abstract In this report we demonstrate formation of a triplex structure by an antiparallel RNA oligonucleotide corresponding to the 21 bp polypurine-pyrimidine stretch from −141 to −162 of the rat α1(I) procollagen promoter with a K d of 0.1-0.2 μM. The formation of triplexes by the triplex forming oligoribonucleotide (ORN) was also observed under physiological conditions. In vitro transcription run-off experiments showed that triplex formation results in inhibited transcription from the rat α1(I) procollagen gene. Our results demonstrate a novel approach for down-regulation of procollagen gene transcription in vivo.
Residue Traces for Certain Algebras of Fourier Integral Operators

Abstract In this paper a trace functional is defined for certain algebras of Fourier integral operators (including, for instance, the algebra of Toeplitz operators on the boundary of a strictly pseudoconvex domain) and it is shown that vanishing of this trace characterizes commutators in each of these algebras.
Environment and health: 6. Endocrine disruption and potential human health implications.

During the past 50 years, tens of thousands of chemicals have been synthesized and released into the general environment. Some of these chemicals inadvertently interfere with hormone function in animals and, in some cases, humans. The public health implications of these so-called endocrine
A random-threshold decision rule for known signals with additive amplitude-bounded nonstationary random interference

The robust single-sample randomized decision rule for known signals in independent, unknown-mean, amplitude-bounded, additive noise is extended to a two-stage suboptimal multisample decision rule for independent finite-sample-size (M) nonstationary measurement sequences (x/sub 1/, . . ., x/sub M/). The first stage is a robust single-sample decision rule using N random thresholds; the second stage is the M-sample sign detector with N randomly chosen sample thresholds. This random-threshold detector, for a given number of thresholds N, is shown to be an equalizer decision rule for a class of nonstationary symmetrical noise; moreover, the equalizer rule P/sub e/ performance is a lower bound on independent, asymmetrical noise performance. The set of random-threshold detectors (N>1), when combined with the modified sign detector (N=1), forms a family of equalizer-rule multisample detectors for known signals in nonstationary bounded-amplitude noise where the choice of N and corresponding performance depend only on the ratio of bounded noise range to signal separation S/sub 1/-S/sub 0/. >
Fiber interactions in a twisted fiber structure under tension

This paper deals with the critical role fiber interactions play in determining the strength of twisted fiber structures such as yarns and ropes made of continuous filaments. Fiber interactions can be viewed from a wider perspective. First, the fact that the strength of a fiber bundle is in general lower than the fiber strength implies the influence among fibers through load sharing during the fracture of the fiber bundle, which reduces the strength of the bundle as a whole. On the other hand, the fiber fragmentation phenomenon taking place in a fiber structure, which is also attributed to the fiber interactions, has been proved to yield a synergetic effect in system strength. The fragmentation only occurs in a twisted structure in which lateral pressure generated by the tensile loading leads to multiple breaks in individual filament via inter-fiber friction. The ultimate strength of the system is determined by the minimum length (also called the critical length) of the filament fragments which in turn is controlled by many factors including the twist level and filament properties. In all of previous analysis, the critical length used is the value derived under a normally implicit assumption that the fragmentation process has reached the saturated stage. As a result, for a given twisted structure, this critical length will be constant, and the strength of the system thus becomes length-independent. The author has found that in the real cases, there are many variables which affect the fragmentation process adversely so that a saturated fragmentation state is rarely realized, hence resulting the strength-length dependence experimentally observed.
Hypothalamic thyrotropin-releasing hormone mRNA responses to hypothyroxinemia induced by sleep deprivation.

Sleep deprivation in rats results in progressive declines in circulating concentrations of both total and free thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) without an expected increase in plasma thyroi...
Multimodality in a Mobile Learning Environment

The aim of this paper is to investigate the use of multimodal interfaces as an opportunity for students involved in mobile learning activities to enhance their didactic experience. The MoULe (Mobile and Ubiquitous Learning) system, a technological platform that we developed in order to support on-site learning experiences through handheld devices, allows the students to read and modify the educational content available on a e-learning platform, and to record new information during on site activities, by using different multimedia formats, such as textual notes, annotated audio and photos. Each student can use his/her handheld device to store these notes, or s/he can publish them on the server using a wireless connection. Afterwards, the published notes can be shared amongst the students and used to construct wiki pages. In this paper we analyse conditions under which the multimodality can support the student/learning environment interaction and, consequently, enhance the learning process.
CD4 + T cells are required during priming but not the effector phase of antibody-mediated IFN-γ-dependent protective immunity against pulmonary Francisella novicida infection

CD4 + T cells are required during priming but not the effector phase of antibody-mediated IFN-γ-dependent protective immunity against pulmonary Francisella novicida infection
Discovery of the family: From the inside to the outside

Abstract The purpose of this article is to show how some links among various models of individual and family relationships begin to constitute a science of intimate relationships. Convergences and differences among these models require their comparative evaluation in the laboratory as well as in primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention. Examples from a theory of personality socialization in the family are given to illustrate how links between theory and practice can be achieved through replicable measures in the laboratory, enrichment programs in primary prevention, programmed distance writing in secondary prevention,and psychotherapeutic tasks in tertiary prevention.
Citizenship Status, Poverty, and Government Transfers for Families With Children

Using annual American Community Survey data for Nevada from 2000 to 2003, this study examines the role that citizenship status plays in shaping immigrant families' chances of living in poverty as well as their chances of receiving selected social benefits. Key findings suggest that citizen children with noncitizen caretakers are more likely to experience poverty as well as to receive lunch subsidies and less likely to receive cash assistance than citizen children with naturalized caretakers. Noncitizen children with noncitizen caretakers have a greater chance of living in poverty and are less likely to receive cash assistance than citizen children are.
Dynamics of SEN Virus Infection among Injection Drug Users

SEN virus (SENV) is a recently discovered group of DNA viruses whose members (SENV-D and SENV-H) are linked to posttransfusion hepatitis. Of 397 injection drug users (IDUs) in Baltimore, Maryland, SENV-D infection was detected by polymerase chain reaction in serum samples from 130 (32.7%) and SENV-H infection in 149 (37.5%). Of 41 IDUs in whom SENV-D DNA was initially detected, retesting for viral persistence a median of 9.3 years later detected SENV-D in 25 (61.0%), whereas SENV-H was detected on retesting in only 14 (26.9%) of 52 IDUs in whom the virus was originally found. Reinfection was apparent (>5% nucleotide difference) in 77.8% of IDUs who repeatedly tested positive for SENV-D DNA and in 55.6% of those who repeatedly tested positive for SENV-H DNA. Among Baltimore IDUs, SENV-D and SENV-H infections are common and dynamic, including both viral clearance and reinfection. The clinical significance of SENV infection in this setting remains unknown.
Intracellular calcium stores drive slow non-ribbon vesicle release from rod photoreceptors

Rods are capable of greater slow release than cones contributing to overall slower release kinetics. Slow release in rods involves Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release (CICR). By impairing release from ribbons, we found that unlike cones where release occurs entirely at ribbon-style active zones, slow release from rods occurs mostly at ectopic, non-ribbon sites. To investigate the role of CICR in ribbon and non-ribbon release from rods, we used total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (TIRFM) as a tool for visualizing terminals of isolated rods loaded with fluorescent Ca2+ indicator dyes and synaptic vesicles loaded with dextran-conjugated pH-sensitive rhodamine (pHrodo). We found that rather than simply facilitating release, activation of CICR by ryanodine triggered release directly in rods, independent of plasma membrane Ca2+ channel activation. Ryanodine-evoked release occurred mostly at non-ribbon sites and release evoked by sustained depolarization at non-ribbon sites was mostly due to CICR. Unlike release at ribbon-style active zones, non-ribbon release did not occur at fixed locations. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching of endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-tracker dye in rod terminals showed that ER extends continuously from synapse to soma. Release of Ca2+ from terminal ER by lengthy depolarization did not significantly deplete Ca2+ from ER in the perikaryon. Collectively, these results indicate that CICR-triggered release at non-ribbon sites is a major mechanism for maintaining vesicle release from rods and that CICR in terminals may be sustained by diffusion of Ca2+ through ER from other parts of the cell.
Design of early warning flood detection systems for developing countries

In developing countries, flooding due to natural disasters such as hurricanes and earthquakes results in massive loss of life and property. Warning communities of the incoming flood provides an effective solution to this by giving people sufficient time to evacuate and protect their property. However, the range of early warning system solutions introduces a tangle of conflicting requirements including cost and reliability, and creates several interesting problems from factors as diverse as technological, social, and political. The complexity of these systems and need for autonomy within the context of a developing country while remaining maintainable and accessible by non-technical personnel provides a challenge not often solved within developed countries, much less the developing. After describing this problem, the paper discusses a proposed solution for the problem, initial experiments in implementing the solution, and lessons learned through that work.
Generalizing Capacity: New Definitions and Capacity Theorems for Composite Channels

We consider three capacity definitions for composite channels with channel side information at the receiver. A composite channel consists of a collection of different channels with a distribution characterizing the probability that each channel is in operation. The Shannon capacity of a channel is the highest rate asymptotically achievable with arbitrarily small error probability. Under this definition, the transmission strategy used to achieve the capacity must achieve arbitrarily small error probability for all channels in the collection comprising the composite channel. The resulting capacity is dominated by the worst channel in its collection, no matter how unlikely that channel is. We, therefore, broaden the definition of capacity to allow for some outage. The capacity versus outage is the highest rate asymptotically achievable with a given probability of decoder-recognized outage. The expected capacity is the highest average rate asymptotically achievable with a single encoder and multiple decoders, where channel side information determines the channel in use. The expected capacity is a generalization of capacity versus outage since codes designed for capacity versus outage decode at one of two rates (rate zero when the channel is in outage and the target rate otherwise) while codes designed for expected capacity can decode at many rates. Expected capacity equals Shannon capacity for channels governed by a stationary ergodic random process but is typically greater for general channels. The capacity versus outage and expected capacity definitions relax the constraint that all transmitted information must be decoded at the receiver. We derive channel coding theorems for these capacity definitions through information density and provide numerical examples to highlight their connections and differences. We also discuss the implications of these alternative capacity definitions for end-to-end distortion, source-channel coding, and separation.
A New Cohomology Theory of Orbifold

Based on the orbifold string theory model in physics, we construct a new cohomology ring for any almost complex orbifold. The key theorem is the associativity of this new ring. Some examples are computed.
Cyclization of 5-amino-1-β-d-ribofuranosylimidazole-4-carboxamide (AICA-riboside): A review

The synthesis of various purine nucleosides by cyclization of AICA-riboside(5-amino-1-β-D-ribofuranosylimidazole-4-carboxamide) is described. A variety of cyclization reactions provide new synthetic routes to inosine and guanosine. In this review, emphasis will be placed on the synthesis of the latter.
A Situation-aware Access Control based Privacy-Preserving Service Matchmaking Approach for Service-Oriented Architecture

Service matchmaking is an important process in the operation of Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) based systems. In this process, information from both service providers and requestors are used. How to protect the privacy of participating parties during the matchmaking process imposes a challenge. In this paper, a privacy- preserving service matchmaking approach is presented to support semantic-based service matchmaking and avoid privacy leakages to untrusted parties. The approach uses situation-aware access control (SA-AC) mechanism to ensure the appropriate disclosure and use of private information by modeling, specifying and enforcing SA-AC policies. It provides an owner-centric mechanism for both service providers and requestors in SOA-based systems to protect their private information during service matchmaking.
Investigating Reflective Cracking Mechanisms in Grid-Reinforced Asphalt Specimens: Use of Four-Point Bending Notched Beam Fatigue Tests and Digital Image Correlation

The main purpose of this research was to examine the effects of interfacial conditions on the reflective cracking-related failure mechanisms of fiberglass grid-reinforced asphalt concrete beams using four-point bending notched beam fatigue tests (NBFTs). This study also aimed to determine whether conventional stiffness-based failure criteria could be used to rank the performance of grid-reinforced beam specimens. For these objectives to be fulfilled, asphalt concrete interfaces were reinforced with two types of fiberglass grid, G12.5 and G25, with and without a tack coat. The tack coats used in this study were PG 64-22 asphalt binder, SS-1 emulsion, and a highly polymer-modified tack coat. Also, two types of mixtures, with 9.5-mm and 12.5-mm nominal maximum aggregate sizes, were included in the testing plan. The beam fatigue tests were conducted at 20°C, and digital image correlation was used to measure the displacements and strains. The results suggest that different interlayer conditions do not reflect ...
The Effects of Free-Living Physical Activity on Mortality After Coronary Artery Disease Diagnosis.

Background Previous research demonstrates greater survival among coronary artery disease (CAD) patients who engage in cardiac rehabilitation. No national prospective studies, however, have examined the effects of objectively measured free-living physical activity on mortality among CAD patients, which is important because only 25% of eligible cardiac patients participate in cardiac rehabilitation. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the association between objectively measured free-living physical activity on all-cause mortality among a national sample of CAD patients. Hypothesis We hypothesize that free-living physical activity will be inversely associated with all-cause mortality risk among CAD patients. Methods Data from the 2003 to 2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used, with follow-up through 2011. Physical activity was assessed over 7 days during waking hours using the ActiGraph 7164 accelerometer. Results Among the 256 CAD adults (representative of 6.5 million CAD patients in the United States), 68 died over the follow-up period (26.56%). The median follow-up period was 76.5 months (interquartile range = 62–91 months). After adjustment, for every 60-minute increase in daily free-living physical activity, CAD patients had a 16% reduced risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio: 0.84, 95% confidence interval: 0.72-0.97). Conclusions Free-living objectively measured physical activity is associated with greater survival among CAD patients in the United States. If confirmed by future research, development of strategies to not only increase participation in supervised cardiac rehabilitation, but also increase participation in free-living physical activity, are needed.
Cardiovascular Interventions in the Modern Age : The Million Dollar Man

This image was obtained from an 84-year-old male with a history of diabetes, heart failure, coronary artery disease, severe mitral regurgitation, sick sinus syndrome, and atrial fibrillation. Here, a single fluoroscopic still image of the patient’s left chest illustrates the extent of his
Characterization of monocrotaline pyrrole-induced DNA cross-linking in pulmonary artery endothelium

Monocrotaline pyrrole (MCTP) is a putative, toxic metabolite of the pyrrolizidine alkaloid, monocrotaline (MCT). When given intravenously to rats, it produces a delayed and progressive injury to th...
Metabolic Plasticity in Cancer Cells: Reconnecting Mitochondrial Function to Cancer Control

Anomalous increase in glycolytic activity defines one of the key metabolic alterations in cancer cells. A realization of this feature has led to critical advancements in cancer detection techniques such as positron emission tomography (PET) as well as a number of therapeutic avenues targeting the key glycolytic steps within a cancer cell. A normal healthy cell’s survival relies on a sensitive balance between the primordial glycolysis and a more regulated mitochondrial bioenergetics. The salient difference between these two bioenergetics pathways is that oxygen availability is an obligatory requirement for mitochondrial pathway while glycolysis can function without oxygen. Early observations that some cancer cells up-regulate glycolytic activity even in the presence of oxygen (aerobic glycolysis) led to a hypothesis that such an altered cancer cell metabolism stems from inherent mitochondrial dysfunction. While a general validity of this hypothesis is still being debated, a number of recent research efforts have yielded clarity on the physiological origins of this aerobic glycolysis phenotype in cancer cells. Building on these recent studies, we present a generalized scheme of cancer cell metabolism and propose a novel hypothesis that might rationalize new avenues of cancer intervention.
Drooling in Parkinson's disease: A randomized controlled trial of incobotulinum toxin A and meta-analysis of Botulinum toxins

Abstract Introduction Botulinum toxins are a therapeutic option for drooling in Parkinson’s Disease (PD). The aims of this study were to: 1. evaluate the efficacy of incobotulinum toxin A for drooling in PD. 2. Perform a meta-analysis of studies of Botulinum toxins for drooling in PD. Methods 1. Primary study: Randomized, double blind, placebo controlled, cross over trial. Incobotulinum toxin (100 units) or saline was injected into the parotid (20 units) and submandibular (30 units) glands. Subjects returned monthly for three evaluations after each injection. Outcome measures were saliva weight and Drooling Frequency and Severity Scale. 2. Systematic review of literature, followed by inverse variance meta-analyses using random effects models. Results 1. Primary Study: Nine of 10 subjects completed both arms. There was no significant change in the primary outcome of saliva weight one month after injection in the treatment period compared to placebo period (mean difference, gm ± SD: −0.194 ± 0.61, range: −1.28 to 0.97, 95% CI −0.71 to 0.32). Secondary outcomes also did not change. 2. Meta-analysis of six studies demonstrated significant benefit of Botulinum toxin on functional outcomes (effect size, Cohen’s d: −1.32, CI −1.86 to −0.78). The other studies used a higher dose of Botulinum toxin A into the parotid glands. Conclusions This study did not demonstrate efficacy of incobotulinum toxin A for drooling in PD, but lacked precision to exclude moderate benefit. The parotid/submandibular dose-ratio may have influenced results. Studies evaluating higher doses of incobotulinum toxin A into the parotid glands may be useful.
Effect of morphine on serum gonadotropin concentrations in postpartum beef cows.

Morphine (M), an opioid agonist, was administered to postpartum (PP) Angus cows to investigate opioid modulation of gonadotropin secretion. In Exp. 1, eight PP cows (36.9 +/- 2.3 d) received either M (1 mg/kg; n = 4) or saline solution (S) (n = 4) via i.v. injection 36 h after calf removal. Morphine decreased (P less than .01) the number of serum LH pulses (3.0 +/- 1.1 pre- vs .3 +/- .3 post-pulses/h) and, compared with pretreatment values (3.3 mg/ml), decreased (P less than .05) mean LH at 105 min (2.1 ng/ml) through 270 min 1.9 ng/ml +/- .4). Serum prolactin (PRL) increased (P less than .01) following M from 16.4 ng/ml to a peak of 59.3 ng/ml (+/- 3.9). Serum FSH concentrations were unaffected. In Exp. 2, M (.31 mg/kg i.v. injection followed by .15 mg/(kg.h) infusion; n = 6) or S (n = 6) treatments were given for 7 h beginning 36 h after calf removal. Serum LH was similar between groups during the pretreatment and the first 6 h of infusion, but M decreased (P less than .001) the number of serum LH pulses (.44 +/- .09 vs .06 +/- .04 pulses/h). Morphine increased (P less than .05) serum PRL. It is concluded that M differentially modulated gonadotropin secretion in the cow such that PRL increased, LH decreased and FSH was unchanged.
A comparative assessment of coronary artery calcification on chest CT scans of patients referred to a cardio-oncology clinic

The presence and burden of coronary artery calcium (CAC) is a strong predictor of cardiovascular events. In an effort to gain insight into the utility of CAC for coronary artery disease (CAD) screening in cancer patients with heart disease, we sought to determine the presence and burden of CAC detected on routine chest CT in patients referred to a cardio-oncology clinic, comparing them to a conventional cardiology clinic with the general population as controls. Patients from the cardio-oncology clinic, general cardiology clinic, and the general clinic population at Rush University Medical Center who had a chest CT as part of their previous treatment were identified. Each CT scan was evaluated for presence, extent, and severity of CAC by 3 independent readers. In multivariate analysis, when compared with cardio-oncology clinic, CAC was more prevalent in the CT scans of cardiology patients (p = 0.04), but not the general clinic population (p = 0.5); CAC extent (p = 0.05) and severity (p = 0.05) was significantly higher in the cardiology patients but the extent (p = 0.05) and severity (p = 0.92) was similar in the general clinic population. Despite being matched by age and sex, controlling for other major cardiovascular risk factors, patients referred to our cardio-oncology clinic had similar and less prevalent/severe CAC burden compared with the general population and conventional cardiology clinics respectively. Whether this translates to less utility of CAC for CAD screening, or to less overall coronary events in a cardio-oncology clinic, is of interest.
Celebrating “Progress”?: Art, Ambivalence, and Vanessa Helder's Grand Coulee Suite

This article explores Washington artist Vanessa Helder's Grand Coulee Suite, twenty-two watercolors created during the construction of the Grand Coulee Dam. Helder's Precisionist style challenged landscape painting traditions that depicted the American West as a pristine or sublime wilderness, untouched by civilization. the uneasy silence and precise details in her work force viewers to grapple with the effects of technology on the land and the relationship between people and the environment. Now housed at Spokane's Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, Helder's Grand Coulee Suite suggests an ambivalent view surrounding western development, hydropower, and technology in New Deal America.
Selective Perioperative Administration of Pasireotide is More Cost-Effective Than Routine Administration for Pancreatic Fistula Prophylaxis

In a randomized trial, pasireotide significantly decreased the incidence and severity of postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF). Subsequent analyses concluded that its routine use is cost-effective. We hypothesized that selective administration of the drug to patients at high risk for POPF would be more cost-effective. Consecutive patients who did not receive pasireotide and underwent pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) or distal pancreatectomy (DP) between July 2011 and January 2014 were distributed into groups based on their risk of POPF using a multivariate recursive partitioning regression tree analysis (RPA) of preoperative clinical factors. The costs of treating hypothetical patients in each risk group were then computed based upon actual institutional hospital costs and previously published relative risk values associated with pasireotide. Among 315 patients who underwent pancreatectomy, grade B/C POPF occurred in 64 (20%). RPA allocated patients who underwent PD into four groups with a risk for grade B/C POPF of 0, 10, 29, or 60% (P < 0.001) on the basis of diagnosis, pancreatic duct diameter, and body mass index. Patients who underwent DP were allocated to three groups with a grade B/C POPF risk of 14, 26, or 44% (P = 0.05) on the basis of pancreatic duct diameter alone. Although the routine administration of pasireotide to all 315 patients would have theoretically saved $30,892 over standard care, restriction of pasireotide to only patients at high risk for POPF would have led to a cost savings of $831,916. Preoperative clinical characteristics can be used to characterize patients’ risk for POPF following pancreatectomy. Selective administration of pasireotide only to patients at high risk for grade B/C POPF may maximize the cost-efficacy of prophylactic pasireotide.
Elementary Teachers’ Perspectives on the Use of Multicultural Literature in Their Classrooms

T his qualitative study set out to determine how multicultural literature was used and perceived by US elementary school teachers, and how the beliefs of teachers shape perceptions, selection, interpretation, and the teaching of multicultural literature (Ketter & Lewis, 2001). Twenty-six (26) elementary school teachers across the country responded to this study. A n invitational email with a web-survey hyperlink was utilized. V ariables pertaining to p articipant background, definition, selection acquirement and application of “multicultural” literature, the elementary school community and district mandates were addressed in the web survey. Findings revealed that all participants used multicultural literature sometime during the school year. The majority of participants were Caucasian females teaching in suburban schools, which did not have a mandated multicultural curriculum. Regardless of mandates, the majority applied a “narrow” definition for multicultural literature using the words “cultural”, “race,” and “nationality.” Other findings indicated that elementary school teachers used multicultural literature more frequently when they had strong administrative support, regardless of their students’ or their own ethnicity.
Utilize old coordinates: faster doubly stochastic gradients for kernel methods

To address the scalability issue of kernel methods, random features are commonly used for kernel approximation (Rahimi and Recht, 2007). They map the input data to a randomized low-dimensional feature space and apply fast linear learning algorithms on it. However, to achieve high precision results, one might still need a large number of random features, which is infeasible in large-scale applications. Dai et al. (2014) address this issue by recomputing the random features of small batches in each iteration instead of pre-generating for the whole dataset and keeping them in the memory. The algorithm increases the number of random features linearly with iterations, which can reduce the approximation error to arbitrarily small. A drawback of this approach is that the large number of random features slows down the prediction and gradient evaluation after several iterations. We propose two algorithms to remedy this situation by "utilizing" old random features instead of adding new features in certain iterations. By checking the expected descent amount, the proposed algorithm selects "important" old features to update. The resulting procedure is surprisingly simple without enhancing the complexity of the original algorithm but effective in practice. We conduct empirical studies on both medium and large-scale datasets, such as ImageNet, to demonstrate the power of the proposed algorithms.
Type of oral solid medication packaging and medication preparation time in nursing homes: A direct observation study.

SummaryWhat is known and objective Medication administration is a substantial portion of the workday in nursing homes, with the medication preparation step being the most time-consuming. However, little is known about how medication preparation time is affected by the type of packaging used for oral solid medications (ie, tablets/capsules). We examined the effects of two types of packaging. As fewer steps are associated with strip packaging compared to bingo card packaging, we hypothesized that the increase in medication preparation seconds per resident with each additional oral solid medication would be smaller when strip packaging was used. Methods A total of 430 medication preparations conducted by eight nurses during the regularly scheduled morning medication administration period in two nursing homes—using strip packaging and bingo card packaging, respectively—were observed. Each medication preparation observation was matched to its corresponding medication administration record and observations averaged across resident. Using the resident sample (N=149), we estimated three regression models (adjusting the standard errors for the clustering of resident by nurse). The first model regressed medication preparation seconds on the number of oral solid medications. The second model added the type of packaging used and the control variables (type of unit [long-term care, post-acute care], the number of one-half pills and the dosage form diversity in the preparation). To test our hypothesis, the third model added an interaction term between the number of oral solid medications and the type of packaging used. Results and discussion As hypothesized, all else equal, the number of oral solid medications tended to increase medication preparation time per resident in both nursing homes, but the increase was smaller in the strip packaging nursing home (P<.05). Each additional oral solid medication in the bingo card packaging nursing home increased medication preparation by an average of 13 seconds (b=13.077), whereas each oral solid medication administered in the strip packaging nursing home increased medication preparation by an average of only 8 seconds (13.077−5.092=7.985). This is a difference on average of about 5 seconds per oral solid medication. What is new and conclusion To our knowledge, we were the first to examine the effect of type of oral solid medication packaging on medication preparation time in nursing homes. Type of packaging matters. The time saved using strip packaging (vs bingo card packaging) has implications for quality of care and the movement towards person-centred care in the nursing home sector. Nurses (or other staff tasked with medication preparation) in nursing homes using strip packaging potentially have more time to devote to nurturing a relationship with the resident. However, time saved in medication preparation by strip packaging is counterproductive if a serious error results. Thus, future studies should investigate the effects of type of packaging on medication preparation errors.
Resisting and Persisting: Identity Stability Among Adolescent Readers Labeled as Struggling:

This phenomenological case study explores the persistence of high school readers labeled as struggling as they described their responses to recurring, consistent, externally originating challenges ...
The Mind of Norman Bethune

Norman Bethune, a Canadian surgeon who died in 1939 in a remote village in China during World War II, had a most unusual kind of fame. Virtually unknown in his home country of Cana-da, Bethune’s name is known to almost every Chinese schoolchild; his eulogy written by Mao Tsetung is mandatory
A Prostate Cancer Risk Element Functions as a Repressive Loop that Regulates HOXA13

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the leading cancer among men in the United States, with genetic factors contributing to ∼42% of the susceptibility to PCa. We analyzed a PCa risk region located at 7p15.2 to gain insight into the mechanisms by which this noncoding region may affect gene regulation and contribute to PCa risk. We performed Hi-C analysis and demonstrated that this region has long-range interactions with the HOXA locus, located ∼873 kb away. Using the CRISPR/Cas9 system, we deleted a 4-kb region encompassing several PCa risk-associated SNPs and performed RNA-seq to investigate transcriptomic changes in prostate cells lacking the regulatory element. Our results suggest that the risk element affects the expression of HOXA13 and HOTTIP, but not other genes in the HOXA locus, via a repressive loop. Forced expression of HOXA13 was performed to gain further insight into the mechanisms by which this risk element affects PCa risk.
Friedrich Max Müller & the Sacred Books of the East, by Arie L. Molendijk, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2016, xii + 230 pp., US $105.00 (hardcover), ISBN 978 0 1987 8423 4

For those of us who began our studies of Asia in the mid-20th century, the Sacred Books of the East were still the Holy Grail of texts in translation. Even the essential Sources of Indian Tradition...
Tracer Transport Probes Relaxation and Structure of Attractive and Repulsive Glassy Liquids

Dynamic coupling of small penetrants to slow, cooperative relaxations within crowded cells, supercooled liquids, and polymer matrices has broad consequences for applications ranging from drug delivery to nanocomposite processing. Interactions between the constituents of these and other disordered media alter the cooperative relaxations, but their effect on penetrant dynamics remains incompletely understood. We use molecular dynamics simulations to show that the motions of hard-sphere tracer particles probe differences in local structure and cooperative relaxation processes in attractive and repulsive glassy liquid matrices with equal bulk packing fractions and long-time diffusivities. Coupling of the tracer dynamics to collective relaxations in each matrix affects the shape of tracer trajectories, which are fractal within the repulsive matrix and more compact in the attractive. These results reveal that the structure of relaxations controls penetrant transport and dispersion in cooperatively relaxing systems and provide insight into dynamical heterogeneity within glassy liquids.
Pioneer Neurons and Interneurons in the Developing Subplate: Molecular Markers, Cell Birthdays, and Neurotransmitters

Subplate neurons are essential for the development of cortical axon pathways, including thalamocortical innervation as well as the formation of some cortico-cortical and descending cortical efferent connections. Previous evidence suggests that the critical subplate neurons are early-born “pioneer” neurons, which extend the first axons out of the cortex to subcortical forebrain regions. However, pioneer neurons are not the only type of neuron in the subplate layer. The subplate contains both glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons, some of which are transitory due to either ongoing cell migration or subsequent cell death. We have studied the cellular composition of the subplate in developing mouse and human cortex by retrograde axon tracing, cell birthdating, and immunohistochemical analysis of specific markers. Our results indicate that pioneer neurons are early-born glutamatergic neurons that express transcription factor Tbr1, transgene golli-lacZ, and other markers. In contrast, GABAergic interneurons in the subplate do not make subcortical (pioneer) axon projections, but instead migrate tangentially and radially through the subplate layer, express transcription factor Dlx, and are born both early and late in corticogenesis. Subplate neurons are essential in development of the initial cortical connectivity, and it is thus important to distinguish between the different cell types present in this compartment, using molecular markers. The subplate in humans appears to contain a similar diversity of neuron types as in mice, but is markedly thicker than in mice, as confirmed by the broad band of Tbr1 expression extending below the cortical plate in humans.
Vulnerability assessment of reinforced concrete structures for fire and earthquake risk

Abstract: This chapter provides an overview on the performance and vulnerability of structures in fire and earthquake. Two main scenarios of fire and earthquake are explored: (1) when a structure is damaged first by an earthquake and then exposed to a fire (fire following an earthquake) and (2) when a structure is damaged by a fire and therefore its residual seismic capacity needs to be assessed and inspected. Three case studies are presented: one for the fire following an earthquake scenario and two case studies for the second scenario. A large-scale, six-storey reinforced concrete building, previously tested on a shaking table, was selected and numerically evaluated for the scenario of the fire following an earthquake. The results of the analysis show that damage to the structural elements, during an earthquake, could result in degradation of the concrete mechanical properties and could increase heat transfer to the structural elements and therefore lower its residual fire resistance. Two reinforced concrete columns tested previously in fire were chosen and numerically assessed for their residual seismic resistance. Furthermore, a reinforced concrete column was experimentally tested in a fire and then tested under both axial and lateral load to evaluate and inspect its residual lateral load capacity. The results from these two studies indicate that a fire could considerably reduce lateral and axial load capacity as well as ductility of the structures. Finally, some of the research gaps in this area are identified and future studies recommended.
The good, the bad, and the ugly: A corpus linguistics analysis of US newspaper coverage of Latinx, 1996–2016:

We examine how the US print media portray Latinos and Hispanics, drawing on computer-assisted coding of 185,244 articles in 17 American newspapers between 1996 and 2016. We explore the prevalence o...
Support Vector Regression Assisted Auxiliary Particle Filter based Remaining Useful Life Estimation of GaN FET

Reliability of Gallium Nitride (GaN) power semiconductor transistors are extremely important to uncover its immense possibility in high power conversion applications. Accurate remaining useful life (RUL) estimation ensures robust operational reliability of GaN FET in high power applications. Fault precursor trajectory based RUL estimation methods results in large estimation error due to both hybrid tendency of the trajectories and presence of measurement noise. Tracking and projecting fault precursor trajectory for RUL estimation is another crucial challenge when the system condition changes suddenly. In this paper, an epsilon support vector regression ( $\boldsymbol{\varepsilon}$ -SVR) aided auxiliary particle filter (APF) is applied for RUL estimation of GaN field-effect transistor (FET). On-state resistance $(\boldsymbol{R}_{\boldsymbol{DS},\boldsymbol{ON}})$ is used as the fault precursor for this study. $\boldsymbol{R}_{\boldsymbol{DS},\boldsymbol{ON}}$ of GaN FETs show dynamic characteristics during switching operation and results in false alarm in degradation identification. However, Steady state $\boldsymbol{R}_{\boldsymbol{DS},\boldsymbol{ON}}$ shows strong relationship with degradation. In this paper, a signal conditioning circuit is used to acquire $\boldsymbol{R}_{\boldsymbol{DS},\boldsymbol{ON}}$ with proper resolution. $\boldsymbol{\varepsilon}$ -SVR-assisted-APF also accurately estimates the RUL when operating condition changes suddenly. The failure region of GaN FET is modeled which shows the failure probability after $\boldsymbol{R}_{DS, ON}$ reaches the threshold value. The effectiveness of $\boldsymbol{\varepsilon}$ -SVR-assisted-APF is validated using accelerated ageing data under power cycling test.
A Systematic Evaluation of Asthma Management Apps Examining Behavior Change Techniques.

Background Mobile health (mHealth) apps have the potential to facilitate asthma self-management by including medication reminders, allowing self-monitoring of symptoms, improving access and quality of information communicated with provider, and providing educational resources to patients and parents. Many apps exist for asthma management; however, the extent to which apps include evidence-based behavior change strategies has not been examined. Objective To review the content and quality of mHealth asthma management apps that are available to patients. Methods Asthma apps were identified using a systematic search process. Twenty-three apps were coded for presence or absence of behavior change techniques (BCTs) using the taxonomy of BCTs as defined by Abraham and Michie in 2008. Quality ratings were also determined for each app using the Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS). Results The number of BCTs each app used ranged from 1 to 11 (mean, 4). BCTs that were most commonly used were instruction, behavior-health link, self-monitoring, feedback, teach to use prompts/cues, consequences, and others' approval. Overall app quality based on MARS scores ranged from 2.45 to 4.50 (mean, 3.32). Two apps, Kiss myAsthma and AsthmaMD, used at least 8 BCTs and had high quality ratings. Conclusions Kiss myAsthma and AsthmaMD used at least 8 BCTs and had good quality scores.
A Cache Based DoS Attack on Real Information Centric Networking System

Network security is an ongoing major problem in today's Internet world. Even though there have been simulation studies related to denial of service and cache attacks, studies of attacks on real networks are still lacking in the research. In this work, the effects of cache attacks in real information-centric networking systems were investigated. Cache attacks were implemented in real networks with different cache sizes and with Least Recently Used, random and First In First Out algorithms to fill the caches in each node. The attacker hits the cache with unpopular content, making the user request that the results be fetched from web servers. The cache hit, time taken to get the result and number of hops to serve the request were calculated with real network traffic. The results of the implementation are provided with the consideration of different topologies and are compared with existing simulation results.
Radar-Based Human-Motion Recognition With Deep Learning: Promising applications for indoor monitoring

Deep learning (DL) has shown tremendous promise in radar applications that involve target classification and imaging. In the field of indoor monitoring, researchers have shown an interest in DL for classifying daily human activities, detecting falls, and monitoring gait abnormalities. Driving this interest are emerging applications related to smart and secure homes, assisted living, and medical diagnosis. The success of DL in providing an accurate real-time accounting of observed humanmotion articulations fundamentally depends on the neural network structure, input data representation, and proper training. This article puts DL in the context of data-driven approaches for motion classification and compares its performance with other approaches employing handcrafted features. We discuss recent proposed enhancements of DL classification performance and report on important challenges and possible future research to realize its full potential.
Overcoming Resistance to PARP Inhibition

PARP inhibitors are one of the success stories of targeted cancer therapy. In the last few years, these drugs have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of breast and ovarian cancers. PARP inhibitors are useful in the treatment of DNA double-strand break repair deficient tumors such as those with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations. In this chapter, we discuss the pathophysiology of breast and ovarian cancers in association with DNA repair and genomic instability. We focus our discussion on the use of PARP inhibitors in these malignancies. We also discuss how the tumors gain resistance to these agents, including utilizing strategies such as restoration of homologous recombination-mediated DNA double-strand break repair pathway and stabilization of replication forks. We review possible approaches for overcoming resistance to PARP inhibitors including targeting protein kinases and alternate signaling pathways, exploiting cell cycle regulation, and drug pumps. We end with the benefits of novel therapies, their limitations and work that remains to be done.
Innovation in Employee Selection: Tracing the Use of Hugo Münsterberg’s Test for Motormen

Hugo Munsterberg pioneered innovative employee assessment techniques to improve safety in the electric railway industry. His experiments with motormen or trolley operators in the United States shed light on employee testing relating to workplace safety and employee well-being. This chapter charts the development of Hugo Munsterberg’s selection test for motormen within the United States. It traces the test’s life-cycle from its beginning at Boston Elevated Railway Company to its use at Dallas Consolidated Electric Street Railway and Milwaukee Electric Railway and Light Company. This chapter draws on archival correspondence, conference proceedings, published articles, and texts to map the course of Hugo Munsterberg’s test for motormen. The conclusion reached in this chapter is that Munsterberg’s test, although enlightening in its design and purpose, was too much in its infancy to draw definite conclusions about its efficacy. Field trials at Dallas Consolidated Electric Street Railway and Milwaukee Electric Railway and Light Company show his test successfully eliminated accident-prone motormen during the employee selection process in some instances. His railway simulation method also influenced the designs adopted by other test developers who advanced occupational testing in the electric railway beyond Hugo Munsterberg’s death in 1916.