cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Practice guidelines and outcomes. Where are we headed

Major forces are at work within the health care system that drive the development of clinical standards or guidelines. This process must be tied in a "feedback-loop" system to a more accurate assessment of patient outcomes. There is a major controversy at the foundation of the process that is pitting the opinions from consensus panels of experts against the inability of individual physicians to accurately estimate the outcomes of different options through implicit systems. In many instances, the quality of medical evidence is poor. Many groups within organized medicine are attempting to write guidelines, and at least four major challenges must be confronted before guidelines are widely adopted by clinicians. A new federal agency may provide the necessary resources to focus the debate on guidelines. Guidelines may eventually enhance the quality of medical care.
Onychophagia: A nail-biting conundrum for physicians

Onychophagia, defined as habitual nail biting, is a common disorder affecting 20-30% of the population and all age groups. It may lead to significant psychosocial problems, have a negative impact on quality of life, and cause complications involving both the nail unit and the oral cavity. The objective of this paper is to review the prevalence, etiology, history, physical examination, complications and management of nail biting. Since onychophagia is a challenging disorder to treat, a multi-disciplinary approach should be taken involving dermatologists, internists, pediatricians, psychiatrists and dentists.
High-Performance Precoated Stationary Phases

This contribution provides an overview of the performance and retention characteristics of high-performance layers in the form of precoated plates for thin-layer chromatography. The dominant stationary phases are based on silica gel and chemically modified forms of silica gel with alkylsiloxane-bonded, 3-cyanopropylsiloxane-bonded, 3-aminopropylsiloxane-bonded, and spacer bonded propanediol surface treatments. Cellulose and esterified forms of cellulose represent minor use by comparison. Stationary phases for enantiomeric separations are largely based on the use of esterified forms of cellulose and reversed-phase layers impregnated with copper(II) complexes for ligand exchange chromatography. Sorbent properties that contribute to the performance of particle-packed layers are identified and the retention characteristics of the different sorbent types discussed.
Modern Information Retrieval : A Brief Overview

For thousands of years people have realized the importance of archiving and finding information. With the advent of computers, it became possible to store large amounts of information; and finding useful information from such collections became a necessity. The field of Information Retrieval (IR) was born in the 1950s out of this necessity. Over the last forty years, the field has matured considerably. Several IR systems are used on an everyday basis by a wide variety of users. This article is a brief overview of the key advances in the field of Information Retrieval, and a description of where the state-of-the-art is at in the field.
The contemporary American monologue: performance and politics

Eddie Paterson’s The Contemporary American Monologue proposes picking up where Deborah R. Geis, who passes the torch with her foreword, left off in Postmodern Theatric(k)s, her 1993 study of monolo...
High-order sideband generation: Effect of optical polarization

Continuous optical excitation of excitons in quantum wells driven by intense, monochromatic terahertz fields leads to high-order sideband generation. With optical and terahertz fields perpendicular, sideband generation is enhanced, leading to 60th-order and higher processes.
In Reply to Geoffrey Baird on: Utility of Antinuclear Antibody Screening by Various Methods in a Clinical Laboratory Patient Cohort.

The authors would like to thank Dr. Baird for his constructive comments regarding the calculation of sensitivity and specificity of antinuclear antibody (ANA)1 testing in our recent publication (1). The goal of this study was to compare the diagnostic utility of various ANA methods in a representative testing population. Studies of this type may be performed using a case-control design, where cases (patients with the disease) and controls (individuals without the disease) are randomly selected, or by using a collection of consecutive …
Association of cardiorespiratory fitness and adiposity with inflammatory biomarkers in young adults.

Objectives Cardiorespiratory fitness (fitness) has been inversely associated with inflammation, but whether the association is attributed to fitness itself or lower levels of adiposity remains uncertain in young adults. The purpose of this study was to determine the association of fitness and adiposity with inflammation in young adults. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted with 88 participants aged 20–34 years. Fitness was assessed by a submaximal treadmill walking test. Adiposity was assessed by body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC). Inflammation was measured by plasma C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) levels using immunoassays. Biological data were log10 transformed. A separate multiple regression analysis was conducted with each inflammatory biomarker as a dependent variable. Covariates (sex, oral contraceptive use, and education level) were adjusted. Results Fitness was inversely associated with log10 CRP after adjustment for covariates but not after adjusting for BMI or WC. Fitness was inversely associated with log10 IL-6 after adjustment for WC and covariates (β = −0.341, P = .049) but not after adjusting for BMI. Fitness × WC interaction (partial eta2 = 0.056, P = .033) indicated that high fitness was more strongly associated with low log10 IL-6 in young adults with high WC than those with low WC. Conclusions Although adiposity has a stronger association than fitness with CRP and IL-6, higher levels of fitness could be essential for maintaining low levels of IL-6, especially in the presence of high levels of central adiposity.
‘‘The Time Has Come,’’ the Editor Said to the Society

I was appointed by the Board of Directors of SPIE in 1990 to be your editor and to start my responsibilities with Volume 30, to be published in 1991. The initial appointment was for three years with the option for three one-year extensions. I am completing my sixth year with this volume—1996.
The Future of Primary Care for Older Adults

The future of primary care for older adults will be determined in large part by four factors: demographics, the senior care workforce, innovation, and funding.
Temperature dependent elastic properties of γ-phase U - 8 wt% Mo

Abstract Polycrystalline elastic moduli and stiffness tensor components of γ-phase U – 8 wt% Mo have been determined by resonant ultrasound spectroscopy in the temperature range of 25–650 °C. The ambient temperature elastic properties are compared to results measured via other experimental methods and show reasonable agreement, though there is considerable variation of these properties within the literature at both the U – 8 wt% Mo composition and as a function of Mo concentration. The Young's modulus of U – 8 wt% Mo measured in this study decreases steadily with temperature at a rate that is slower than trends previously observed at similar Mo concentrations, though the difference is not statistically significant. This first measurement of the temperature dependent elastic stiffness tensor of a polycrystalline U-Mo alloy clarifies that the behavior of the Young's modulus is due to a strongly weakening C 11 polycrystalline stiffness tensor component, along with milder decreases in C 12 and C 44 . The unique partially auxetic properties recently predicted for single-crystalline U-Mo are discussed in regard to their possible impact on the polycrystalline behavior of the alloy.
Indicating ontology data quality, stability, and completeness throughout ontology evolution: Research Articles

Many application areas today make use of ontologies. With the advent of semantic Web technologies, ontology based systems have become widespread. Developing an ontology is part of the necessary early development of an ontology-based system. Since the validity and quality of the ontology data directly affects the validity and quality of the system using the ontology, evolution of the ontology data directly affects the evolution and/or maintenance of the ontology-based systems that depend on and employ the ontology data. Our research examines the quality, completeness, and stability of ontology data as ontologies evolve. We propose a metrics suite, based on standard software quality concepts, to measure the complexity and cohesion of ontology data. First we theoretically validate our metrics. Then we examine empirically whether our metrics determine ontology data quality, by comparing them to human evaluator ratings. We conclude that several of our metrics successfully determine ontology complexity or cohesion. Finally, we examine, over evolving ontology data, whether our metrics determine ontology completeness and stability. We determine that various metrics reflect different kinds of changes. Our experiments indicate our metrics' measure ontology stability and completeness; however, interpretation of specific metrics values and the interaction of different metrics requires further study. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Reduced twinning and surface roughness of Bi2Se3 and Bi2Te3 layers grown by molecular beam epitaxy on sapphire substrates

The authors investigate the structural properties of Bi2Se3 and Bi2Te3 topological insulator layers grown on sapphire (0001) substrates by molecular beam epitaxy, using various pregrowth optimization methods. Samples of Bi2Se3 grown on sapphire with a particular combination of pregrowth surface treatment steps showed evidence of greatly reduced twinning and significantly reduced surface roughness. Evidence of twinning, and its suppression by the appropriate choice of pregrowth steps, is obtained from x-ray diffraction Φ-scan measurements as well as atomic force microscopy (AFM) images. Improved surface roughness is also evident from the AFM images. Growth of Bi2Te3 on sapphire exhibited similar reduced twinning by the application of the pregrowth surface preparation steps, although the surface roughness was significantly greater than that of Bi2Se3. Additional improvements in surface roughness of the Bi2Te3 were achieved by growing the Bi2Te3 on a Bi2Se3 buffer layer.
Defining Diffusion Pathways in Intercalation Cathode Materials: Some Lessons from V2O5 on Directing Cation Traffic

The invention of rechargeable batteries has dramatically changed our landscapes and lives, underpinning the explosive worldwide growth of consumer electronics, ushering in an unprecedented era of electric vehicles, and potentially paving the way for a much greener energy future. Unfortunately, current battery technologies suffer from a number of challenges, e.g., capacity loss and failure upon prolonged cycling, limited ion diffusion kinetics, and a rather sparse palette of high-performing electrode materials. Here, we discuss the origins of diffusion limitations in oxide materials using V2O5 as a model system. In particular, we discuss constrictions in ionic conduction pathways, narrow energy dispersion of conduction band states, and the stabilization and self-trapping of polarons as local phenomena that have substantial implications for introducing multiscale compositional and phase heterogeneities. Strategies for mitigating such limitations are discussed such as reducing diffusion path lengths and the ...
Endometrial Hyperplasia as a Cause of Secondary Postpartum Hemorrhage in a Post Caesarean Section Patient

There are multiple causes of prolonged and persistent postpartum bleeding. The common etiologies include uterine atony, endometritis and retained products of conception. Uncommon causes described in literature include uterine artery pseudoaneurysm, placental site nodule and uterine scar dehiscence. Endometrial hyperplasia causing persistent per vaginal bleeding postpartum has yet to be reported in literature. The rarity of this condition may be attributed to the underlying pathogenesis. Endometrial hyperplasia is caused by unopposed estrogen and it is well established that pregnancy decreases the risk of endometrial hyperplasia. We present a case report of a 42-year-old lady found to have complex endometrial hyperplasia during evaluation for persistent per vaginal bleeding 3 months post Caesarean section. J Med Cases. 2018;9(6):183-186 doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/jmc3064w
Ares: a framework for quantifying the resilience of deep neural networks

As the use of deep neural networks continues to grow, so does the fraction of compute cycles devoted to their execution. This has led the CAD and architecture communities to devote considerable attention to building DNN hardware. Despite these efforts, the fault tolerance of DNNs has generally been overlooked. This paper is the first to conduct a large-scale, empirical study of DNN resilience. Motivated by the inherent algorithmic resilience of DNNs, we are interested in understanding the relationship between fault rate and model accuracy. To do so, we present Ares: a light-weight, DNN-specific fault injection framework validated within 12% of real hardware. We find that DNN fault tolerance varies by orders of magnitude with respect to model, layer type, and structure.
Management, Husbandry, and Colony Health

Publisher Summary Chinchillas (Chinchilla laniger) have proven to be a practical animal model because of their small size, ease of handling, long life span (12–20 years), and relative freedom from diseases that interfere with research. This chapter provides a review of the housing system, husbandry, nutrition, and record keeping requirements of chinchillas. Chinchillas are housed in either solid-bottom or suspended (metal or plastic) cages. The recommended ventilation rate of 10–15 air changes per hour is usually appropriate for rooms housing chinchillas. Records should function to meet regulatory requirements, aid in providing adequate husbandry and veterinary care, and facilitate research objective. Chinchillas consume between 4–5% of their body weight daily when offered a complete pelleted diet. Maintaining chinchillas in a laboratory setting is easily accomplished because their care and husbandry are similar to that of rabbits and other hystricomorph rodents.
22Na+ Efflux from Normal and ob/ob Mouse Islets of Langerhans

Previous studies have produced differing results for the effect of glucose on 22Na+ efflux from islets. Interpretation of 22Na+ efflux data is difficult due to compartmentalization and the high concentration of Na+ in the extracellular space. An attempt has been made to resolve the problem using a triple-label method, with tracer loading in the perifusion chamber. This method was used to compare 22Na+ efflux rate in normal and ob/ob mouse islets. 3H-sucrose was used as an extracellular space marker and 86Rb+ as a ‘control’ isotope, representing K+, and present predominantly in the intracellular compartment, in addition to 22Na+. 3H-sucrose efflux showed two rate constants: one due to the chamber (about 2 min-1; confirmed by blank chamber experiments) and one due to the islet extracellular space (about 0.3 min-1). The efflux of 22Na+ and 86Rb+ could each be described by three rate constants, the first two being equivalent to the sucrose rate constants and the third being due to efflux across the cell membrane. In the absence of glucose, the 22Na+ rate constant was 0.06 min-1 and the 86Rb+ rate constant was 0.03 min-1. Glucose had no significant effect on 22Na+ efflux from normal or ob/ob islets but decreased 86Rb+ efflux as expected. Permeabilities (Pj) of Na+ and Rb+ were calculated from steady-state efflux data and membrane potentials.
Abstract 3348: The role of SOX2 in promoting resistance to AR-targeted therapies in prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer in men, with approximately 181,000 new cases diagnosed in 2016. Due to the central role of the androgen receptor (AR) in prostate development and more importantly prostate cancer cell survival and proliferation, strategies targeting AR have been the mainstay therapy for over 70 years. However, despite potent inhibition of AR pathway activation, many patients develop castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Second-line therapies, such as enzalutamide, has increased overall survival in CRPC, but resistance to these therapies inevitably emerges, suggesting that other pathways apart from AR signalling are contributing to the failure of treatments. We have previously demonstrated that SOX2 [SRY (sex determining region Y)-box 2] is an AR-repressed gene that is expressed in a large percentage of high Gleason grade prostate tumours, as well as in most metastases. Additionally, expression of SOX2 within a castration-sensitive cell line is sufficient to enable castration-resistant tumor formation in vivo, and enzalutamide resistance in vitro. In prostate cancer, SOX2 is not found with its normal stem cell co-factors, NANOG and OCT4, leading to the hypothesis that SOX2 is interacting with a novel co-factor in prostate cancer to regulate expression of genes promoting castration-resistance. A chromatin-immunoprecipitation experiment in a castration-resistant prostate cancer cell line was performed to determine if SOX2 binds the same genes and activates similar pathways in prostate cancer as in embryonic stem cells. Approximately half of the SOX2 bound genes in the CRPC cell line were shared with the embryonic stem cell line, and these genes are involved in signalling pathways and maintenance of stem cell pluripotency; the genes bound uniquely in the CRPC cell line are present in pathways involved with metabolic processes. To identify potential binding partners of SOX2, computational analysis of the sites bound by SOX2 in the promoter regions of target genes determined the FOXA1 motif is within close proximity to the SOX2 motif, and the physical interaction of these proteins was confirmed through co-immunoprecipitation. Further understanding of SOX2 target genes and the pathways that SOX2 activates in the presence of enzalutamide will be crucial to identify mechanisms of resistance and enable the development of novel therapies for castration-resistant prostate cancer. Citation Format: Larischa de Wet, Anthony Williams, Marc Gillard, Steve Kregel, Tzintzuni Garcia, Erin McAuley, Ryan Brown, Donald Vander Griend. The role of SOX2 in promoting resistance to AR-targeted therapies in prostate cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3348.
Parent Instrumentality for Adolescent Eating and Activity.

Background Parent-adolescent interactions have health implications for adolescents. Parents can be instrumental to healthy eating by purchasing fruits and vegetables or refraining from purchasing hedonic (low nutrient, high energy-dense) foods. Parents can be instrumental to healthy activity by modeling exercise behavior or discouraging sedentary activities. Purpose This research leverages theory on goal pursuit within relationships to investigate whether parents are instrumental to adolescents' eating and activity. Methods Using a national sample of 1,556 parent-adolescent dyads, we conducted dyadic analyses to examine whether parent instrumentality (both parent-perceived and adolescent-perceived) for healthy behaviors was associated with adolescent engagement in those behaviors. We examined whether the link between parent instrumentality and adolescent BMI was mediated by parent instrumentality. We also explored whether parent instrumentality was associated with parent behaviors and parent BMI. Results Greater adolescent-perceived parent instrumentality was associated with greater fruit and vegetable consumption and physical activity, and lower sedentariness. Parent-perceived parent instrumentality was associated with greater adolescent fruit and vegetable consumption, less hedonic eating, and more activity. Mediation modeling suggests that adolescent BMI is partially attributable to parent instrumentality for activity. Instrumental parents also engage in healthier behaviors, some of which in turn are associated with lower parent BMI. Conclusions Findings have implications for the promotion of healthy eating and activity patterns among adolescents. Parental instrumentality for behavior may be an important target for interventions to improve adolescent health, and interventions may be most successful in facilitating adolescent behavior change if they target both parent- and adolescent-perceived parent instrumentality.
A CyclinB2-Cas9 fusion promotes the homology-directed repair of double-strand breaks

The discovery of clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats (CRISPR), a defense system against viruses found in bacteria, launched a new era in gene targeting. The key feature of this technique is the guiding of the endonuclease Cas9 by single guide RNAs (sgRNA) to specific sequences, where a DNA lesion is introduced to trigger DNA repair. The CRISPR/Cas9 system may be extremely relevant for gene therapy, but the technique needs improvement to become a safe and fully effective tool. The Cas9-induced double-strand break (DSB) is repaired by one of two pathways, the error-prone Non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) or the high-fidelity Homology Direct Repair (HDR). Shifting the repair of the DSB to HDR is challenging, given the efficiency of NHEJ. Here we describe an engineered protein approach to increase knock-in efficiency by promoting the relative increase in Cas9 activity in G2, the phase of the cell cycle where HDR is more active. Cas9 was fused to the degradation domain of proteins known to be degraded in G1. The activity of two chimeric proteins, Geminin-Cas9 and CyclinB2-Cas9, is demonstrated, as well as their cell-cycle-dependent degradation. The chimeras shifted the repair of the DSBs to the HDR repair pathway compared to the commonly used Cas9. The application of cell cycle specific degradation tags could pave the way for more efficient and secure gene editing applications of the CRISPR/Cas9 system.
Air Pollution and Angioedema.

ObjectiveTo identify environmental factors that may precipitate angioedema.Study DesignCase series with chart review.SettingAn urban tertiary care medical center.Subjects and MethodsAfter instituti...
Targeting Non-coding RNA Sensitizes Cancer Cells to Drugs.

Recently, Costales and colleagues (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2019;141:2960–2974) reported a bivalent small molecule inhibitor of primary miRNA (pri-miR)-515. Perturbation of pri-miR-515 results in the upregulation of HER2 protein levels, rendering HER2– breast cancer cells more sensitive to Herceptin treatment. This strategy represents a novel pharmacological approach to selectively modulating disease-relevant proteins in tumor cells.
Reconsidering osteoarthritis as a skeletal indicator of age at death.

Objectives Osteoarthritis (OA) generally increases with age, but it is a complex, multifactorial disease. This study investigated whether obesity, physical activity, and antemortem trauma preclude the use of OA for skeletal age estimation. Materials and methods The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and all appendicular joints were scored for skeletal indicators of OA in 408 modern European-Americans (Bass Collection, TN). Binomial generalized linear models (GLMs) assessed the contributions of self-reported demographic data to OA, including: age; body mass index (BMI); and metabolic values for physical activities. Repeated resampling tested whether observed mean OA scores for joints with trauma consistently exceeded mean scores for unaffected joints. Single-variable GLM probit models were generated for OA presence/absence data in relevant joints. Results Age was the only statistically significant predictor of OA in most multivariable GLMs. Occupation and age were both significant predictors of male hand OA; BMI was the only significant predictor of female ankle OA. Trauma significantly affected OA in most joints. Age cut-offs calculated from the single-variable probit models (representing ages of transition to "OA present") ranged from 29.7 to 77.3 years (90%) and 32.7 to 96.6 years (95%), but were problematic for the male TMJ. Discussion Ankle OA should not be used to age females; TMJ OA should not be used to age males. For other joints, using OA to inform age estimates appears valid (in absence of antemortem trauma). While skeletal evidence of OA is not a primary age indicator, its presence can refine age ranges and provide essential age data in fragmentary cases.
Initial Responses of Dung Beetle Communities to Bison Reintroduction in Restored and Remnant Tallgrass Prairie

Restoration is a critical component of grassland conservation worldwide, but grassland management requires disturbances that maintain the habitat. Further, successful restorations need to support not just a vegetative community, but also a diverse community of other organisms that contribute to a range of ecosystem functions. Large herbivore grazers like American bison (Bison bison) can be an important part of these management strategies, but their role in functions like nutrient cycling relies in part on dung beetles (Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae and Aphodiinae, and Geotrupidae), which provide valuable ecosystem services by removing and burying dung. We evaluated dung beetle community responses and dung decomposition in restored and remnant prairies shortly (1.5 y) after bison reintroduction. Dung beetle abundance was significantly greater where bison were present, where prescribed fire had been applied in the past year, and in older restorations and remnants. These same environmental characteristics also shifted the composition of beetle communities, but not total community biomass, as the increased abundance was driven by small-bodied species. Dung decomposition varied with bison presence and site age, with the highest rates of decomposition in an old restoration with bison present. These results indicate that dung beetle communities are capable of rapidly responding to bison introduction, a promising sign that land managers may be able reestablish ecosystem-level processes driven by large grazers in restored grasslands.
Structural Geology: A Quantitative Introduction

Tackling structural geology problems today requires a quantitative understanding of the underlying physical principles, and the ability to apply mathematical models to deformation processes within the Earth. Accessible yet rigorous, this unique textbook demonstrates how to approach structural geology quantitatively using calculus and mechanics, and prepares students to interface with professional geophysicists and engineers who appreciate and utilize the same tools and computational methods to solve multidisciplinary problems. Clearly explained methods are used throughout the book to quantify field data, set up mathematical models for the formation of structures, and compare model results to field observations. An extensive online package of coordinated laboratory exercises enables students to consolidate their learning and put it into practice by analyzing structural data and building insightful models. Designed for single-semester undergraduate courses, this pioneering text prepares students for graduates studies and careers as professional geoscientists.
Live-Cell FRET Imaging of Phosphorylation-Dependent Caveolin-1 Switch.

The detection of dynamic conformational changes in proteins in live cells is challenging. Live-cell FRET (Forster Resonance Energy Transfer) is an example of a noninvasive technique that can be used to achieve this goal at nanometer resolution. FRET-based assays are dependent on the presence of fluorescent probes, such as CFP- and YFP-conjugated protein pairs. Here, we describe an experimental protocol in which live-cell FRET was used to measure conformational changes in caveolin-1 (Cav-1) oligomers on the surface of plasmalemma vesicles, or caveolae.
Prediction of Loneliness in Older Adults Using Natural Language Processing: Exploring Sex Differences in Speech.

Abstract Objective The growing pandemic of loneliness has great relevance to aging populations, though assessments are limited by self-report approaches. This paper explores the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology to evaluate interviews on loneliness, notably, employing natural language processing (NLP) to quantify sentiment and features that indicate loneliness in transcribed speech text of older adults. Design Participants completed semi-structured qualitative interviews regarding the experience of loneliness and a quantitative self-report scale (University of California Los Angeles or UCLA Loneliness scale) to assess loneliness. Lonely and non-lonely participants (based on qualitative and quantitative assessments) were compared. Setting Independent living sector of a senior housing community in San Diego County. Participants Eighty English-speaking older adults with age range 66–94 (mean 83 years). Measurements Interviews were audiotaped and manually transcribed. Transcripts were examined using NLP approaches to quantify sentiment and expressed emotions. Results Lonely individuals (by qualitative assessments) had longer responses with greater expression of sadness to direct questions about loneliness. Women were more likely to endorse feeling lonely during the qualitative interview. Men used more fearful and joyful words in their responses. Using linguistic features, machine learning models could predict qualitative loneliness with 94% precision (sensitivity = 0.90, specificity = 1.00) and quantitative loneliness with 76% precision (sensitivity = 0.57, specificity = 0.89). Conclusions AI (e.g., NLP and machine learning approaches) can provide unique insights into how linguistic features of transcribed speech data may reflect loneliness. Eventually linguistic features could be used to assess loneliness of individuals, despite limitations of commercially developed natural language understanding programs.
Experimental effects of acute exercise on forgetting.

Objective Prior research has evaluated the effects of acute exercise on episodic memory function. These studies have, on occasion, demonstrated that acute exercise may enhance both short- and long-term memory. It is uncertain as to whether the acute exercise improvements in long-term memory are a result of acute exercise attenuating declines in long-term memory, or rather, are driven by the enhancement effects of acute exercise on short-term memory. The present empirical study evaluates whether the decline from short- to long-term is influenced by acute exercise. This relationship is plausible as exercise has been shown to activate neurophysiological pathways (e.g., RAC1) that are involved in the mechanisms of forgetting. Methods To evaluate the effects of acute exercise on forgetting, we used data from 12 of our laboratory's prior experiments (N = 538). Across these 12 experiments, acute exercise ranged from 10 to 15 mins in duration (moderate-to-vigorous intensity). Episodic memory was assessed from word-list or paragraph-based assessments. Short-term memory was assessed immediately after encoding, with long-term memory assessed approximately 20-min later. Forgetting was calculated as the difference in short- and long-term memory performance. Results Acute exercise (vs. seated control) was not associated with an attenuated forgetting effect (d = 0.10; 95% CI: -0.04, 0.25, P = 0.17). We observed no evidence of a significant moderation effect (Q = 6.16, df = 17, P = 0.17, I2 = 0.00) for any of the evaluated parameters, including study design, exercise intensity and delay period. Conclusion Across our 12 experimental studies, acute exercise was not associated with an attenuated forgetting effect. We discuss these implications for future research that evaluates the effects of acute exercise on long-term memory function.
Nonprofit vs. For-Profit: Allocation of Beds and Access to Care in U.S. Nursing Homes

Motivated by empirical observations of U.S. nursing homes, we formulate a queueing network model to study nursing homes' bed allocation decisions and the resulting access to care for economically disadvantaged populations. To distinguish nonprofit from for-profit nursing homes, we incorporate altruism into a nonprofit nursing home's objective function to capture resident welfare including the blocking cost of high-margin Medicare residents and the waiting cost of low-margin Medicaid residents. Nursing homes can allocate a fixed number of beds among Medicare-dedicated, Medicaid-dedicated, and flexible beds. This model makes three predictions. First, it is generally suboptimal to allocate Medicaid-dedicated beds. Second, when the Medicaid arrival rate is sufficiently high, nonprofit nursing homes would allocate more Medicare-dedicated beds than their for-profit counterparts, thereby providing lower access to care for the Medicaid population. Third, when the Medicare arrival rate is sufficiently low, nonprofit nursing homes would allocate fewer Medicare-dedicated beds than their for-profit counterparts, thereby providing higher access to care for the Medicaid population. These theoretical predictions are validated by empirical observations of U.S. nursing homes and by a difference-in-differences (DID) analysis exploring nursing home ownership conversions from nonprofit to for-profit. Taken together, our theoretical and empirical findings inform the public that the growth of the for-profit nursing home segment does not necessarily hurt the access to care for the Medicaid population, and surprisingly, under high Medicaid demand, for-profit nursing homes might provide higher access to care than their nonprofit counterparts.
Effect of Coach Feedback and Awareness of Head Impact Exposure on Practice Structure in Youth Football.

With the concern of concussion risk and repetitive head impacts in youth football, organizations have adopted rules that limit contact during practice. However, rule changes are not ubiquitous amon...
Mobile projective augmented reality for collaborative robots in construction

Abstract Augmenting virtual construction information directly in a physical environment is promising to increase onsite productivity and safety. However, it has been found that using off-the-self augmented reality (AR) devices, such as goggles or helmets, could potentially cause more health, safety, and efficiency concerns in complex real-world construction projects, due to the restricted field of view and the non-negligible weight of those devices. To address these issues, we propose a mobile projective AR (MPAR) framework in which the AR device is detached from human workers and carried by one or more mobile collaborative robots (co-robots). MPAR achieves glassless AR that is visible to the naked eye using a camera-projector system to superimpose virtual 3D information onto planar or non-planar physical surfaces. Since co-robots often need to move during the operation, we design algorithms to ensure consistent mobile projection with two major components: projector pose estimation and projection image generation. For planar surfaces, MPAR is achieved by a homography-based pose estimation and image warping. For non-planar surfaces, MPAR uses iterative closest point (ICP) for pose estimation and common graphics pipelines to generate projection images. We conducted both qualitative and quantitative experiments to validate the feasibility of MPAR in a laboratory setting, by projecting 1) as-planned building information onto a planar surface, and 2) as-built 3D information onto a piece-wise planar surface. Our evaluation demonstrated centimeter-level projection accuracy of MPAR from different distances and angles to the two types of surfaces.
Work-in-Progress–—Language, Culture, and Heritage: The VR Experience The Book of Distance and Teaching the Family Folklore Project

This work-in-progress paper argues that the virtual reality (VR) experience The Book of Distance has important pedagogical applications, to the humanities curriculum most notably for classes in folklore and mythology. It models best practices in the collection, presentation, and analyses of family folktales. The Book of Distance reinforces a realization of the deep importance of family narratives, and the concomitant importance of contextualizing those narratives with a historical context.
Comfort control and improved thermostat location in conference rooms and academic working spaces

Abstract The challenge of comfort control within commercial and academic spaces was explored in an attempt to determine what would be the optimum location and type of measurement over different occupancies and different seasons of the year. A computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulation using Reynolds-averaged, RNG k – e turbulence model was set up. It was verified by physical measurements of temperature and flow behavior within a commercial conference room containing a large external window and that was conditioned by an active chilled beam. Experimental measurements, supplemented by simulation, indicated a large, seasonal-varied deviation between the temperature measured by a wall-mounted thermostat and the average comfort conditions around occupants of the room. CFD results and post-processed predicted mean vote (PMV) values showed that having the thermostat located near the humans in the middle of the room (over a table in this case) improved the thermal comfort conditions compared to having it on a wall opposite the external window (PMV of 1.1 as compared to 1.8 for an Andover, MA summer scenario, respectively). The major causes of the deviations were the convective and infrared heat transfer from the window surface as well as the solar gains to the room interior. The wall thermostat errors could be moderated by including temperature measurements at the window surface as an additional input in the control algorithm. This conclusion was confirmed by experiments in a dormitory room and a large shared academic workspace.
Simultaneous acoustic monitoring uncovers evidence of biodiversity loss and overlooked temporal variation in a threatened Amazonian bird community

O_LIBirds are frequently used as indicator taxon in ecology, but traditional surveys are prone to error and largely inadequate in the dense, speciose tropical forests where they are most needed. Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) has the potential to address many of these pitfalls, providing unique advantages for both long-term monitoring and rapid biodiversity assessment. Here, we evaluate the effectiveness of PAM for characterizing spatiotemporal variation in avian species richness, diversity, vocal activity, and community composition in the Amazon basin global biodiversity hotspot. C_LIO_LIWe employed an array of ten autonomous recording units (ARUs) spanning edge, degraded, and interior forest at a reserve on the deforestation frontier of Madre de Dios, Peru, a region featuring some of the richest, most complex avian assemblages on Earth. Recordings from 21 dawn-hours across three days at seven sites were manually annotated by a single observer. C_LIO_LIARUs and manual annotation performed well as an inventory method, especially for midstory and understory species. Sites in edge and degraded habitats featured significantly lower avian species richness, Shannon diversity, and vocal activity levels than in the forest interior, patterns that replicate the findings of prior high-effort avian censuses in the region. We observed significant temporal variation between days; at all featured sites, vocal activity was highest on January 20th and lowest on January 31st. C_LIO_LIWe demonstrated that novel annotation-generated metrics can work as effective proxies for abundance data and per-capita song rate, correlating with diversity indices and efficiently characterizing habitats at a level of detail unobtainable with human observers. Generalist species were significantly overrepresented in the soundscapes of interior forest, relative to their contributed share of species richness, and interior specialists were underrepresented, suggesting that the entire 191ha site is degraded. The between-days temporal variation that we documented, almost certainly overlooked without simultaneous monitoring, may obfuscate or distort the results of traditional surveys. C_LIO_LISynthesis & Applications. We propose that PAM should become a cornerstone of biodiversity research. The standardization advantages demonstrated in this study, permanent storage, multi-taxa applications, and potential of automated identification make bioacoustics an ideal methodological avenue for guiding management and policy under rapid global change. C_LI
A new concept: control of early pregnancy by steroid hormones originating in the preimplantation embryo.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the part of pregnancy that extends from fertilization through implantation of the blastocyst. The embryo during this period is referred to as the preimplantation embryo (PIE). PIE has the capacity to synthesize steroid hormones which are prime regulators of the following phenomena: (1) morula to blastocyst transformation, (2) shedding and dissolution of the zona pellucida, (3) implantation of the blastocyst, and (4) a variety of as yet undefined metabolic activities in morulae and blastocysts. By starting at the morula stage and continuing through the blastocyst stage, the PIE has the capacity to synthesize steroid hormones. These “PIE steroids,” whose targets are the PIE itself and the uterus are essential for the maintenance of early pregnancy. An ability of the PIE to synthesize steroid hormones is interesting, as the only organs in mammals known to have this ability are ovary, testis, and adrenal. The steroids in blastocysts are synthesized by the blastocysts or are transported into them from the uterine lumen, which is known to contain steroids. The chapter also describes the histochemical methods used for determining the activity of 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β-HSD).
Developing Family-Centered Models of Genetic Services

Abstract This article reports the findings of an exploratory, multi-method study conducted for a state health authority to examine stakeholder perceptions of existing genetic services and service ideals using survey and focus group methodologies. A web-based survey of medical providers and allied health professionals (N = 567) examined the knowledge needed by service providers to deliver competent genetic care. A second web-based survey of programs (N = 15) viewed as potential partners in the delivery of genetic services was conducted to explore the potential for interagency coordination, the family-centered nature of these services, existing training, and general agency ideals and values. Focus groups were also conducted with 4 groups of families and 3 groups of service providers to explore their perceptions of current and ideal services. The strategies yielded important information around service needs, resource issues, barriers to service, psychological issues, and education and information needs relat...
The protective effect of hyperbaric oxygenation in experimentally produced cerebral edema and compression.

Publisher Summary Recent studies indicate that hyperbaric oxygenation may be beneficial in the management of ischemic disorders of the brain. Other reports have appeared suggesting that hyperbaric oxygenation has a protective effect in cerebral trauma. The cerebral vasoconstriction caused by hyperbaric oxygenation combination with increased available oxygen are factors which might be of value in the treatment of cerebral edema. The purpose of the present study has been to evaluate the effect of hyperbaric oxygenation on cerebral edema and compression produced by acutely and slowly expanding intracranial space-occupying lesions. In the present study, duration of treatments and atmospheric pressures used were arbitrarily chosen to avoid oxygen toxicity. It seems likely that a superior treatment schedule can be developed. Hyperbaric oxygenation appears to decrease the mortality of experimentally produced cerebral edema and compression. Mechanisms involved may be related to the dual effect of hyperbaric oxygenation in increasing available oxygen while decreasing cerebral blood flow by vasoconstriction.
Rare-earth-doped chalcogenide glasses as infrared sources

There is a growing demand for mid- and far-infrared (IR) sources for use in a number of applications including chemical sensing and IR countermeasures.
CC and CO transformations in ketenylidene cluster compounds

Abstract Molecular transition metal carbonyl cluster compounds provide a convenient way to synthesize, stabilize, and analyze species with potential relevance to heterogeneous catalysis. Thus metal clusters provide useful data concerning the structure and chemistry of a variety of ligands, including carbides, acetylenes, and carbonyls bound to multiple metal atoms.
Changes in intracellular acidic compartments in sea urchin eggs after activation

Abstract Acridine orange (AO) was used as a vital probe for looking at acidic intracellular compartments in sea urchin eggs. This weak base is concentrated by acidic compartments, shifting its fluorescence from green to red due to the formation of dye aggregates. Fertilization or parthenogenetic activation with ionophore A23187 resulted in the appearance of orange fluorescent granules of sizes ranging from 1 to 2 μm at the cortical region of the egg. In one species of sea urchin (Lytechinus pictus), these granules migrate inward before cell division and associate with the forming mitotic apparatus. Treatments that discharge the transmembrane pH gradient (NH4Cl, nigericin, monensin, and acidic external pH) eliminate the orange fluorescence, indicating they are acidic compartments. Spectrofluorimetric measurements showed a decrease in monomer fluorescence accompanying egg activation which is reversible by similar treatments as seen with the fluorescence microscopic observations. Stratified eggs which were subsequently fertilized had acidic granules concentrated at the centripetal pole. This allowed the electron microscopic identification of the granules and showed they are present in the unfertilized egg, although not able to concentrate the AO. Activation of eggs in the absence of Na+ prevented the cytoplasmic alkalinization and also inhibited the appearance of acidic granules. The results indicate that the internal pH rises after egg activation triggers the acidification of these granules. Their possible functions, as in intracellular pH regulation, are discussed.
The naive perception of masculinity-femininity on the basis of expressive cues

Abstract Groups of naive judges rated 18 videotaped stimulus persons on masculinity, femininity, “dominance, assertiveness,” and “compassion, sensitivity to others.” Stimulus persons were broken down by sex and sex-typing—half were male, half female—and within sexes one third were classified as masculine, feminine, and androgynous on the basis of their scores on the Bem Sex Role Inventory. Two experiments are reported in which groups of judges rate stimulus persons on the basis of such different expressive information as videotaped pictures and recorded voices, videotaped pictures alone, videotaped bodies, videotaped heads, recorded voices, and still photos. The results showed: (1) Judges reliably rated masculinity-femininity from largely expressive cues: (2) judgments of masculinity-femininity were not predominantly determined by judgments of sex role-related traits: (3) the naive judgment of masculinity-femininity significantly corresponded to stimulus subjects' assessed sex roles; (4) stimulus subjects (particulary males) showed a consistent display of masculinity-femininity across expressive channels; and (5) judges used different expressive cues in judging masculinity-femininity in males and females. These results are related to broader questions concerning the relation between expressive behavior and personality.