cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Functional Morphology and Developmental Biology of Zebrafish: Reciprocal Illumination from an Unlikely Couple'

SYNOPSIS. Functional morphology has benefited greatly from the input of techniques and thinking from other disciplines. This has been especially productive in situations where each discipline has made significant contributions to a particular research topic. A combination of methodologies from functional morphology and developmental biology has allowed us to characterize feeding mechanics of first-feeding larval zebrafish (Danio rerio). Contrary to kinematic patterns commonly seen in adult teleosts, larval zebrafish showed no lateral abduction during the expansive phase of a suction-feeding event. Instead, dorsoventral expansion of the buccal chamber, more typical of patterns seen in primitive fishes, characterized the expansive phase. Moreover, a pronounced preparatory phase during which the buccal chamber is constricted by the protractor hyoideus was consistently seen in first-feeding larval kinematics. Key kinematic variables associated with first feeding correlated significantly with the hydrodynamic regime as measured by the Reynolds number. Using the tools of both functional morphology and developmental biology we have not only determined which cranial muscles are important for successful feeding but also uncovered important physiological differences in muscle structure. Muscles necessary for the rapid dorsoventral expansion of the head are composed primarily of fast-twitch fibers while those involved in more tonic contractions such as hyoid protraction have more slow-twitch muscle fibers. While most evolutionary developmental studies have examined mechanisms responsible for large evolutionary changes in morphology, we propose that the type of data uncovered in functional studies can lead to the generation of hypotheses concerning the developmental mechanisms responsible for smaller intra- and/or interspecific changes.
The Big Bang! In Search of the Illusive Internet Business Method Patent

This article examines the present approaches under Australian and Unites States law to register internet patents – that is, broadly speaking, patents on methods of doing business on the internet.
Using Photo-Elicitation to Explore Young Adult Perspectives on Coping with Type 1 Diabetes

Objective: Young adults with type 1 diabetes face multiple challenges managing their disease and navigating the life transitions of emerging adulthood. This places them at increased risk for poor health and psychological outcomes. The purpose of the present formative evaluation study was to assess the impact of diabetes on their lives and identify salient messages for health promotion using an online photo-elicitation technique. Research Design and Method: Thirty young adults participated by submitting photographs and written narratives describing how diabetes has impacted their lives. Results: Diabetes negatively impacts young adults’ social connections, identity, and self-perceptions; yet, mechanisms for coping and personal growth were identified among participants. Conclusions: Young adults with diabetes face significant challenges in coping with the disease; however, they are able to reframe their experience in positive ways using effective coping strategies, such as communicating with others who understand what life with diabetes is like and developing social connections. Stephanie T. Melton, M.A., M.P.H. L. Nicole Johnson, Dr.PH., M.P.H., M.A.
The Physiology of Insects—Metabolism

In undertaking to discuss, in symposium form, so comprehensive a subject as Insect Metabolism, the speaker is quite aware that he faces an ambitious task. The term metabolism embraces such a formidable array of fundamental processes, such as a complexity of interrelations with other vital phenomena, that from the point of view of boundaries alone this problem takes on symposium magnitude. Additional difficulty lies in the fact that insect metabolism, like the whole subject of Insect Physiology, does not as yet present a compact field. One must try to knit together the numerous contributions of comparative physiologists, biochemists, zoologists, entomologists and perhaps others, scattered widely throughout both foreign and domestic literature, if. he has hopes of doing justice by the field and at the same time making it present some semblance of coherence. Possibly in no other phase of insect physiology is there such a pressing need for that very necessary kind of scientific enterprise which every rapidly growing subject must have at intervals, namely, the bringing together into an assembled, integrated whole, the mass of material now extant. Such a complete taking of stock of results is invaluable not only as encouragement to younger investigators but as an impetus to research in the whole subject. It is my understanding that an underlying purpose of a symposium is to examine into the present status of the selected subject. If one looks through a miscellaneous mass of recent research it is usually possible to detect movements or centers of interest which can be used to indicate in a way the trends of latest developments in that particular field. In order to bring my paper within the necessary bounds of time, I shall attempt to trace a selected group of such movements, explaining in advance that it will not be possible here to give complete or uniform treatment to all.
High-Resolution X-Ray Characterization of Amorphous Semiconductor Multilayers

We discuss high-resolution x-ray diffraction measurements on a-Si:H/a-Ge:H periodic amorphous multilayers. Analysis of the data using the dynamical theory yields information on layer thicknesses and densities, interface and surface roughness, and structural defects such as layer thickness fluctuations.
Engineering Innovation in Biomedical Nanotechnology

The objective of this National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded undergraduate engineering training project is to introduce nanoscale science and engineering through an innovative use of a technical elective sophomore-level mechatronics course, followed by an Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET)-mandated senior-level engineering capstone design project. A unique partnership between University of Arizona’s department of surgery, its neurosurgical division, and the College of Engineering presents a creative environment, where medical residents serve as mentors for undergraduate engineering students in developing product ideas enabled by nanotechnology. Examples include: a smart ventricular peritoneal (VP) shunt with flow-sensing; a bio-resorbable inflatable stent for drug delivery, and a hand-held non-invasive eye tonometer. Results from the first year of the student projects, as well as qualitative assessment of their experience, is presented. Several institutional challenges were also identified.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Electronic Core Levels of the II B − VI A Compounds

X-ray induced electron-emission measurements were used to determine the energy levels of core electrons in ZnO, ZnS, ZnSe, ZnTe, CdO, CdS, CdSe, CdTe, HgS, HgSe, and HgTe. The investigated energy range extends from the bottom of the valence band to about 1200 eV below the Fermi level. Chemical shifts were determined by comparing our results with experimental values for the pure elements. These shifts are plotted as a function of the fractional ionicity values determined by Phillips and Van Vechten, Pauling, and Coulson. Spinorbit-splitting values were experimentally determined for the first time for several levels including the $\mathrm{Zn}3d$, $\mathrm{Cd}4d$, and $\mathrm{Hg}5d$ levels. Furthermore, our measured energy values for these levels are used to determine the absolute energy values of the initial and final states of transitions normally labeled ${d}_{2}$ in ultraviolet reflectivity and electron-energy-loss measurements. Our results for ZnSe and CdTe are compared with self-consistent relativistic orthogonalized-plane-wave calculations for the excitation energies of these compounds. Agreement with these theoretical calculations is best for the levels closest to the valence band and appears to be angular momentum dependent.
Demographic outcomes of diverse migration strategies assessed in a metapopulation of tundra swans

Migration is a prominent aspect of the life history of many avian species, but the demographic consequences of variable migration strategies have only infrequently been investigated, and rarely when using modern technological and analytical methods for assessing survival, movement patterns, and long-term productivity in the context of life history theory. We monitored the fates of 50 satellite-implanted tundra swans (Cygnus columbianus) over 4 years from five disparate breeding areas in Alaska, and used known-fate analyses to estimate monthly survival probability relative to migration distance, breeding area, migratory flyway, breeding status, and age. We specifically tested whether migratory birds face a trade-off, whereby long-distance migrants realize higher survival rates at the cost of lower productivity because of reduced time on breeding areas relative to birds that migrate shorter distances and spend more time on breeding areas. Annual migration distances varied significantly among breeding areas (1020 to 12720 km), and were strongly negatively correlated with time spent on breeding areas (r = −0.986). Estimates of annual survival probability varied by wintering area (Pacific coast, Alaska Peninsula, and Eastern seaboard) and ranged from 0.79 (95%CI: 0.70–0.88) to 1.0, depending on criteria used to discern mortalities from radio failures. We did not find evidence for a linear relationship between migration distance and survival as swans from the breeding areas with the shortest and longest migration distances had the highest survival probabilities. Survival was lower in the first year post-marking than in subsequent years, but there was not support for seasonal differences in survival. Productivity varied among breeding populations and was generally inversely correlated to survival, but not migration distance or time spent on breeding areas. Tundra swans conformed to a major tenet of life history theory, as populations with the highest survival generally had the lowest productivity. The lack of a uniform relationship between time spent on breeding areas and productivity, or time spent on wintering areas and survival, indicates that factors other than temporal investment dictate demographic outcomes in this species. The tremendous diversity of migration strategies we identify in Alaskan tundra swans, without clear impacts on survival, underscores the ability of this species to adapt to different environments and climatic regimes.
DISACCHARIDASE DEFICIENCIES AND THEIR NUTRITIONAL SIGNIFICANCE.

Diseases which appear to be due to deficiencies of intestinal disaccharide hydrolases are being increasingly recognized in children and adults.Primary and secondary deficiencies of sugar-splitting enzymes have been differentiated, the former probably being genetically determined inborn errors. Secondary deficiencies may follow either anatomic or functional damage of cells within the intestinal wall.At present, treatment of disorders due to sugar-splitting enzymes consists only of omitting from the diet sugar which the organism is unable to absorb.
Analysis on Dynamics of Coordination Manipulation for Two Free-flying Space Robots

The relationship between the speed and acceleration of free-flying space robot(FFSR) is analyzed.The dynamic equations of coordinated manipulation for two free-flying space robots and the calculating method of general force in each joint is established.Using the generalized Jacobian matrix to control the six degrees of freedom space robot is presented.Finally,the computer simulation verfies the effectiveness of the mothod.
Sliding mode control of power electronic converters

In this paper, the mathematical model of control system with power electronic converters is analyzed at first. Aiming at achieving anticipated wave of voltage and current and system dynamics, variable structure control theory is employed to modulate the switch mode of power electronic converters. In order to reduce chattering, fuzzy variable structure controller is designed. The simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Algorithmic safety measures for intelligent industrial co-robots

In factories of the future, humans and robots are expected to be co-workers and co-inhabitants in the flexible production lines. It is important to ensure that humans and robots do not harm each other. This paper is concerned with functional issues to ensure safe and efficient interactions among human workers and the next generation intelligent industrial co-robots. The robot motion planning and control problem in a human involved environment is posed as a constrained optimal control problem. A modularized parallel controller structure is proposed to solve the problem online, which includes a baseline controller that ensures efficiency, and a safety controller that addresses real time safety by making a safe set invariant. Capsules are used to represent the complicated geometry of humans and robots. The design considerations of each module are discussed. Simulation studies which reproduce realistic scenarios are performed on a planar robot arm and a 6 DoF robot arm. The simulation results confirm the effectiveness of the method.
Transferable tight-binding model for strained group IV and III-V materials and heterostructures

It is critical to capture the effect due to strain and material interface for device level transistor modeling. We introduce a transferable $s{p}^{3}{d}^{5}{s}^{*}$ tight-binding model with nearest-neighbor interactions for arbitrarily strained group IV and III-V materials. The tight-binding model is parametrized with respect to hybrid functional (HSE06) calculations for varieties of strained systems. The tight-binding calculations of ultrasmall superlattices formed by group IV and group III-V materials show good agreement with the corresponding HSE06 calculations. The application of the tight-binding model to superlattices demonstrates that the transferable tight-binding model with nearest-neighbor interactions can be obtained for group IV and III-V materials.
The Influence of Dose of Phenobarbital and Interval to Measurement on Concentration of Liver Enzymes in Barrows and Gilts

The administration of xenobiotics such as phenobarbital (PB) and chlorinated hydrocarbons to rats, mice and several other species has been shown to increase the level of hepatic mixed function oxidases. Experiments were conducted to establish the effect of dose of PB, sex of animals, and effect of interval from dose to measurement on concentration of hepatic enzymes in barrows and gilts 6 to 9 mo of age and weighing 100 to 120 kg. Animals given 1 or 2 g PB for 3 d had higher concentrations of microsomal protein cytochrome b5 and P-450 and NADPH cytochrome c reductase than control animals (P less than .01). Animals given 2 g PB had 3.5 times as much cytochrome P 450 as did controls. Barrows and gilts did not differ from each other in any variables measured (P less than .20). In a study of the time course of induction all animals given PB had higher levels of microsomal protein, cytochrome P-450 and reductase in 24 h than controls; however, cytochrome b5 was depressed on d 1 and was elevated by d 3. Concentration of cytochrome P-450 reached a maximum by d 7 (P less than .01); cytochromes b5 and c reductase reached a maximum by d 9 and 3, respectively (P less than .01). Levels of cytochrome P-450 were higher in gilts than in barrows on all days following PB treatment (P less than .04). Microsomal protein, cytochrome b5, cytochrome P-450 and reductase remained elevated for 6 d after the last treatment with PB.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Deduction of a calcium ion circuit affecting rooster sperm in vitro

Four premises for rooster sperm preservation were outlined previously. Understanding mitochondrial Ca cycling in terms of whole-cell Ca flux was one premise. The present work tested the hypothesis that sperm mitochondria can be damaged by intracellular as well as extracellular Ca. Sperm were washed by centrifugation through 12% (wt/vol) Sperm were washed by centrifugation through 12%(at/vol) Accudenz to procure sperm at a physiological concentration within a chemically-defined suspension. Five solutions were tested. Each solution contained 30 m glucose, and had an osmolality of 320 mmol/kg and a pH of 7.4. Washed sperm were diluted to 2.0 × 10 sperm/mL. Each replicate sperm suspension was cooled to 10°C. Sperm mobility was measured after 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, and 24 h. Data were plotted as a function of time in each experiment. Function type was confirmed by lack of fit analysis. A parabola with a maximum at 3.7 h was observed when sperm were suspended in 205 m taurine buffered with 50 m-tris[hydroxyl-methyl]methyl-2-amino-ethanesulfonic acid (TES). This effect was attributed to a Ca flux from the nuclear envelope into mitochondria. An exponential decay was observed when TES-buffered taurine contained 2 m Ca. This effect was attributed to mitochondrial Ca overload induced by uptake of extracellular Ca. Exponential decay also was observed when TES-buffered taurine contained a Ca chelator. This effect was attributed to a Ca flux from the nuclear envelope through mitochondria and then into an extracellular Ca sink. This possibility was supported by the response of sperm to thapsigargin. Specifically, inhibition of sarcoendoplasmic reticulum Ca-ATPase compromised sperm mobility relative to a buffer control. Finally, a 60 m phosphate buffer containing 2 m citrate yielded a linear relationship in contrast to the TES-buffered solutions tested. Sperm mobility after 24 h of storage in the phosphate buffer was 92% of that observed for prewashed sperm. The linear response was attributed to weak chelators providing resistance within a Ca circuit and thereby preventing mitochondrial Ca overload. Fertility, however, was compromised when hens were inseminated with mobile sperm recovered after either 8 or 24 h of storage at 10°C. In conclusion, sperm cell Ca homeostasis was proven to be critical for maintaining sperm mobility in vitro, but mitochondrial Ca uptake is not the sole phenomenon that compromises sperm function during in vitro storage.
Tangential interpolation-based eigensystem realization algorithm for MIMO systems

ABSTRACTThe eigensystem realization algorithm (ERA) is a commonly used data-driven method for system identification and reduced-order modelling of dynamical systems. The main computational difficulty in ERA arises when the system under consideration has a large number of inputs and outputs, requiring to compute a singular value decomposition (SVD) of a large-scale dense Hankel matrix. In this work, we present an algorithm that aims to resolve this computational bottleneck via tangential interpolation. This involves projecting the original impulse response sequence onto suitably chosen directions. The resulting data-driven reduced model preserves stability and is endowed with an a priori error bound. Numerical examples demonstrate that the modified ERA algorithm with tangentially interpolated data produces accurate reduced models while, at the same time, reducing the computational cost and memory requirements significantly compared to the standard ERA. We also give an example to demonstrate the limitations...
On Wisconsin: Madison and Points Left

The messy little war in Vietnam dashed far more than Kahn's career in nuclear studies: It exploded the consensus on which American Cold War vindicationism rested. By the late 1960s, consensus thinking in the United States had been under assault for some time, and on many issues besides foreign affairs. The domestic problems of the 1960s were no greater, objectively speaking, than those of the 1950s, but to the myriad reformers and would-be revolutionaries of the later decade, that was hardly a recommendation. The turbulence of the 1960s was largely a generational matter: Where the survivors of the Great Depression and World War II appreciated the peace and prosperity of the 1950s, their children, knowing nothing but peace and prosperity, found their parents’ world insufferably boring. Their parents’ tolerance for imperfection they took for hypocrisy; their parents’ desire for community, crushing conformism. The revolt of the 1960s wasn't entirely generational, of course. America did have some real problems. Poverty persisted, as Michael Harrington documented in The Other America. Prejudice and discrimination continued to typify treatment of African-Americans, who were taking their fate into their own hands and demanding an end to segregation. Women, in certain respects, suffered discrimination almost as crippling as that confronting blacks. But many of the complaints of the decade focused on the inner life, on matters that earlier would have seemed trivial. Paul Goodman captured the feeling in Growing Up Absurd when he lamented the alienation and ennui that condemned the middle class to an existence of respectable banality.
History of Lap Aroscopic Surgery

Laparoscopic surgery has a long and colorful history. Although most general surgeons, especially in the United States, have discovered this technology only recently with the advent of videolaparoscopy, extensive diagnostic and therapeutic laparoscopy has been accomplished throughout the twentieth century, especially in Europe. Since its origin in 1901 by Kelling to the development of the computer chip television camera in the late 1980s, the history of laparoscopy entails a chronicle of discovery, innovation, and rediscovery. An appreciation for this historical chronicle may actually provide surgeons with a secure foundation as they embark on the new era of videolaparoscopy.
Gender Differences in the Early Career Outcomes of College Graduates: The Influence of Sex-Type of Degree Field Across Four Cohorts

The presence of baccalaureates who have specialized in fields not traditional for their gender represents the potential momentum each cohort may contribute to labor-force integration and equity. I examine the extent to which this momentum is present and realized among four cohorts of baccalaureates from the late 1970s through the late 2000s. The results show that the potential equalizing effects of increasing gender equity in postsecondary education are not being fully developed or realized. Gender segregation of majors remains significant, and labor-market outcomes continue to be strongly associated with the sex type of a college graduate’s degree field. The negative relationship between female representation in a major and both the rate of full-time employment and earnings persisted across the four cohorts, and the negative gradient for earnings intensified. Educational use is slightly depressed among graduates in fields not traditional for their gender, and gender differences in earnings are already sizable within a year of graduation.
Analysis of the probability distribution of the baseline wander effect for baseband PAM transmission with application to gigabit Ethernet

Communication systems that employ baseband transmission (i.e. signal spectrum centered around 0 Hz) may suffer from the baseline wander (BLW) phenomenon. This phenomenon occurs when the signal has to pass through a highpass filter element in the transmission path (e.g. a transformer in the line interface). A long sequence of symbols with constant value should generate a signal with constant level, but the signal will decay towards zero due to the highpass element. An example of a communication standard where baseband transmission is used with a DC-coupled channel is Ethernet. It can be shown that for baseband pulse amplitude modulation (PAM), the baseline wander phenomenon increases the dynamic range of the signal by a factor of 2, in worst case. This increases the cost of the receiver (for example, another bit may be needed in the analog to digital converter). However, the signal will reach its extreme values with very low probability, so it seems wasteful to design for worst case. It may be more economical to design for a smaller dynamic range, but then there must be a way to understand the probability that the signal will exceed this range. This can be done by using the probability distribution of the signal in the presence of BLW, which is calculated approximately in this paper.
Quantum of culture

Its name is Quantum Cloud. Visitors to London cannot miss it when visiting the park next to the Millennium Dome or taking a cruise along the Thames. It rises 30 m above a platform on the banks of the river, and from a distance looks like a huge pile of steel wool. As you draw closer, you can make out the hazy, ghost-like shape of a human being in its centre. It is a sculpture, by the British artist Anthony Gormley, made from steel rods about a metre and a half long that are attached to each other in seemingly haphazard ways. Framed by the habitually grey London sky, it does indeed look cloud-like. But "quantum"?
Development of DC house prototypes as demonstration sites for an alternate solution to rural electrification

This paper presents the development of DC house prototypes that will serve as demonstration sites for an alternative solution to rural electrification. The DC house offers a distributed low-power low-voltage DC residential electricity rather than the legacy centralized AC system. DC house method therefore is a family-based approach that is scalable, affordable, and flexible. The DC house runs DC loads; thus, bypassing losses associated with the traditional AC system. The DC House may utilize human-powered energy sources, making it even more sustainable in producing off-grid electricity. The development of DC house prototypes in the U.S., Indonesia, and Philippines will be presented. Main components that make up the house will be described. Recent status of the prototype including the various projects that are being undertaken to complete the house will be discussed. Plans to enhance the DC house system and for its pilot project will also be summarized.
Mesoscale ocean fronts enhance carbon export due to gravitational sinking and subduction

Enhanced vertical carbon transport (gravitational sinking and subduction) at mesoscale ocean fronts may explain the demonstrated imbalance of new production and sinking particle export in coastal upwelling ecosystems. Based on flux assessments from 238U:234Th disequilibrium and sediment traps, we found 2 to 3 times higher rates of gravitational particle export near a deep-water front (305 mg C⋅m-2⋅d-1) compared with adjacent water or to mean (nonfrontal) regional conditions. Elevated particle flux at the front was mechanistically linked to Fe-stressed diatoms and high mesozooplankton fecal pellet production. Using a data assimilative regional ocean model fit to measured conditions, we estimate that an additional ∼225 mg C⋅m-2⋅d-1 was exported as subduction of particle-rich water at the front, highlighting a transport mechanism that is not captured by sediment traps and is poorly quantified by most models and in situ measurements. Mesoscale fronts may be responsible for over a quarter of total organic carbon sequestration in the California Current and other coastal upwelling ecosystems.
The influence of spatial variation of railroad track stiffness on the fatigue life

Railroad transportation is very important for the economic growth. The effective maintenance of railroad transportation is a critical factor for its economic sustainability. The high repetitive for...
Laboratory Services for Managing Thyroid Disease: Different and Common Viewpoints of American Thyroid Association Members and of Members of the Endocrine Division of the American Association for Clinical Chemistry.

We surveyed American Thyroid Association members and members of the Endocrine Division of the American Association of Clinical Chemistry as to what they perceived as priorities for thyroid laboratory services. The response rates were 16% and 25%, respectively. While there was agreement between the groups with regards to a number of items, there were also some differences, in particular with regards to diagnostic algorithms, optimization of result reporting, interest in the role of mass spectrometry and importance of accuracy and reproducibility of results. The survey thus provided insights beyond what might have been achieved by surveying the two groups in isolation. Collaborative surveys should be considered whenever the topic involves more than one professional group.
The Influence of Self-Efficacy on the Development of Entrepreneurial Intentions and Actions:

The contextual factors of entrepreneurship consist of social, political, and economic variables such as displacement, changes in markets, and government deregulation (Bird, 1988). Entrepreneurial i...
Ketogenic diet, high intensity interval training (HIIT) and memory training in the treatment of mild cognitive impairment: A case study

Alzheimer's disease (AD) deaths have increased by 89% since 2000. This alarming trajectory of neurological disease highlights the failure of current best practice. Deteriorating brain fuel supply is the nemesis of intact neurological health. Cerebral hypo-metabolism associated with AD occurs years before onset. Both the ketogenic diet and calorie restriction (fasting) lead to a compensatory rise in ketones to improve energy deficits in the brain derived from cerebral insulin resistance. Two forms of ketone bodies, β-hydroxybutyrate and acetoacetate, fuel the brain during starvation, fasting and strenuous exercise. Ketones are neuroprotective agents that shelter the aging brain from memory loss and neurodegeneration. Induced ketone production has been shown to ameliorate mitochondrial function, reduce the expression of apoptotic and inflammatory mediators and provide neuroprotection to cells (Lange et al., 2017). This case study highlights an innovative research design aimed at attenuating memory decline in a 57 year old female previously diagnosed with comorbid mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and metabolic syndrome (MetS). Mild cognitive impairment is a predementia syndrome known to precede AD (Michaud et al, 2017). The 12-week intervention included ketogenic nutrition protocol, high intensity interval training (HIIT) and memory training using the PEAK brain training app. Memory function was assessed via the MoCA (Montreal Cognitive Assessment) pre/post intervention. Physiological biomarkers for MetS including HOMA-IR(homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance), triglyceride/HDL ratio, HgA1c, fasting triglycerides and HDL were measured pre/post intervention. MoCA baseline score was 22/30 (MCI); post intervention score: 30/30 (normal). MetS biomarker improvements also reflected statistical significance.
Immunomodulation by Antiviral Agents

Most commonly clinical or subclinical viral infections are self-limited by the effective immune response of the host leading to recovery. Occasionally, the infectious process may continue uncontrolled contributing to the demise of the patient or resulting in a number of sequelae, if the patient survives. This unfavorable outcome in a number of viral infections (e.g., those associated with herpes virus) usually reflects immunoincompetence (e.g., in transplant, cancer and AIDS patients). Conversely, dysregulation of immune functions (e.g., in autoimmunity) may triggered during the aftermath of certain viral infections. Recently, accumulated knowledge about the molecular biology of viruses has opened the way to more rational approaches to the development of more potent and more selective antiviral agents. In fact, some of these compounds have already been licensed for clinical use. Nonetheless, some of these antivirals which effectively affect viral replication may also possess significant immunosuppressive activity. Only in a few instances have antiviral agents been investigated for this interaction with the immune system and no attempts have been made to assess their potential immunosuppressive effects in the wide variety of assay systems for measuring the level of immunoreactivity. A correlation between the minimal antiviral concentration of the chemotherapeutic agent required to inhibit virus replication in cell culture and its minimal immunosuppressive concentration measured by lymphocyte responsiveness to mitogens or specific viral antigens has revealed different levels of efficacy (i.e., highest antiviral effect and lowest immunosuppressive activity): highest level as in the case of acyclovir (ACV) and bromovinyldeoxiuridine (BVDU) for HSV-1; moderate level as in the case of trifluridine (TFT). There are other chemotherapeutic agents whose efficacy is presently being evaluated regarding their interaction with the immune system. Other aspects of the management of the patient with viral disease include the clinical evaluation of biologic antivirals (e.g., interferon) and immunoenhancing substances designed to act through immunopotentiation of normal host responses. These studies should take into account: 1) the effect of these antiviral agents on each immune parameter of the host, particularly that which plays a major role in the resistance against the virus concerned; and, 2) the ratio of minimal antiviral concentration to the minimal immunosuppressive concentration to identify those agents or dosages that may impair the host’s immune response and, therefore, delay rather than speed the recovery process.
Modelling and Optimization of a Flexible Manufacturing System

A flexible Manufacturing System (FMS) is simulated using SIMSCRIPT with five workstations. Jobs are assumed to enter and leave an input/output station. Three different types of jobs arrive at the input/output station with interarrivai times that are independent exponential random variables at a certain probability. Each job has a routing system before it leaves the manufacturing system. Service time for each task at a particular workstation is an independent exponential random variable. An Automated Guided Vehicle (AQV) is used to transport the jobs to the workstations. The AGV processes requests by jobs in a First In First Out (FIFO) basis. If the job transported by the AGV to a work station is found to be busy, the job will be placed in a single FIFO queue at that workstation. The FMS facility was simulated for 1000 hours and statistics were gathered for total delay for the jobs in queue, time average number of jobs in queue, average proportion of time that machines were idle, working, or blocked. Analysis were performed to optimize the number of AGVs required for transportation, job arrival rate in anticipation of the demand, and number of machines needed for uniform machine utilization. The results of the analysis are presented in the paper.
IMPROVED ASSESSMENT OF CONCRETE DAMS USING SONIC TOMOGRAPHY

Reclamation evaluates at least ten existing large concrete dams each year. The primary focus of these evaluations is to determine the dam’s ability to withstand a major earthquake or flooding conditions. The dam’s survival depends on the mechanical strength developed throughout the complex, discontinuous mass of the structure.
ℤ/2ℤ Invariants of the free fermion algebra

By using quantum vertex operators we study the invariance of the rank n free-fermion vertex algebra under the action of the group ℤ∕2ℤ and obtain its minimal generating set. When n = 1, it is well ...
Value relevance of customer-related intangible assets

Abstract This study examines the stock market's valuation of customer-related intangible assets for a sample of publicly-traded U.S. firms. Customer-related intangible assets are found to be positively associated with equity prices, but valued at a discount relative to goodwill. These results suggest that value-relevant information is lost if customer-related intangible assets are subsumed into goodwill rather than being reported separately. This evidence can be useful to standard setters potentially considering extending to public companies a recent FASB Accounting Standards Update allowing private companies not to recognize separately from goodwill certain customer-related intangible assets.
The landscape of intrinsic and evolved fluoroquinolone resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii includes suppression of drug-induced prophage replication

Abstract The emergence of fluoroquinolone resistance in nosocomial pathogens has restricted the clinical efficacy of this antibiotic class. In Acinetobacter baumannii, the majority of clinical isolates now show high-level resistance due to mutations in gyrA (DNA gyrase) and parC (Topo IV). To investigate the molecular basis for fluoroquinolone resistance, an exhaustive mutation analysis was performed in both drug sensitive and resistant strains to identify loci that alter the sensitivity of the organism to ciprofloxacin. To this end, parallel fitness tests of over 60,000 unique insertion mutations were performed in strains with various alleles in genes encoding the drug targets. The spectrum of mutations that altered drug sensitivity was found to be similar in the drug sensitive and double mutant gyrAparC background having resistance alleles in both genes. In contrast, introduction of a single gyrA resistance allele, resulting in preferential poisoning of Topo IV by ciprofloxacin, led to extreme alterations in the insertion mutation fitness landscape. The distinguishing feature of preferential Topo IV poisoning was induction of DNA synthesis in the region of two endogenous prophages, which appeared to occur in situ. Induction of the selective DNA synthesis in the gyrA background was also linked to enhanced activation of SOS response and heightened transcription of prophage genes relative to that observed in either the WT or gyrAparC double mutants. Therefore, the accumulation of mutations that result in the stepwise evolution of high ciprofloxacin resistance is tightly connected to suppression of hyperactivation of the SOS response and endogenous prophage DNA synthesis. Importance Fluoroquinolones have been extremely successful antibiotics. Their clinical efficacy derives from the ability to target multiple bacterial enzymes critical to DNA replication, the topoisomerases DNA gyrase and Topo IV. Unfortunately, mutations lowering drug affinity for both enzymes are now widespread, rendering these drugs ineffective for many pathogens. To undermine this form of resistance, we sought to understand how bacteria with target alterations differentially cope with fluoroquinolone exposures. We studied this problem in the nosocomial pathogen A. baumannii, which causes resistant, life-threating infections. Employing genome-wide approaches, we uncovered numerous pathways that could be exploited to lower fluoroquinolone resistance independently of target alteration. Remarkably, fluoroquinolone targeting of Topo IV in specific mutants caused dramatic prophage hyperinduction, a response that was muted in strains with DNA gyrase as the primary target. This work demonstrates that resistance evolution via target modification can profoundly modulate the antibiotic stress response, revealing potential resistance-associated liabilities.
High-repetition-rate diode-pumped Nd:YVO4 slab laser.

Q-switched pulse energies of approximately 1 mJ at repetition rates as high as 1 kHz have been obtained from an electro-optically Q-switched Nd:YVO4 slab oscillator that was side pumped by a five-bar diode-laser stack. High gain within the slab resulted in pulse durations of less than 5 ns and sub-15-ns buildup times. Thermal effects caused the beam profile to deteriorate gradually from diffraction limited at lower repetition rates to approximately 1.5 times diffraction limited at 1 kHz.
Lifting the Smokescreen: Detecting Underlying Anomalies During a DDoS Attack

While DDoS attacks have become an ever-growing threat in the last decade, a new variation is taking root in which the DDoS is used as a distraction or smokescreen to hide other malicious activity. This variation, which we call DDoS as a Smokescreen (DaaSS), often result in data theft and financial loss, and often are only detected because the theft is discovered independently, long after the attack has ceased. In this work, we set out to describe these attacks and present a novel approach to detect them using real-world network trace data. We present experimental results showing promise that DaaSS attacks can be detected in a manner conducive to practical deployment.
Detection Over Rapidly Changing Communication Channels Using Deep Learning

In this work, we demonstrate that deep learning algorithms can be trained for detection in rapidly changing channels, without any knowledge about the underlying channel models. This is achieved by training a deep learning algorithm called the sliding bidirectional recurrent neural network (SBRNN). The algorithm is trained using a dataset that is generated by transmitting a modulated data sequence (symbol sequence) over a parameterized Poisson channel, where the channel parameters are constant over each training sequence and then change for the next sequence. We show that although the SBRNN algorithm is trained using data where the channel state information (CSI) is constant over each sequence of symbols, it still performs well in rapidly changing channels, where the CSI changes on the order of the symbol duration.
Overseas Operation, Regulatory Lobbying, and Integrated Strategy of US Firms

How does a firm’s global expansion affect its political participation to shape its home-country regulatory policies? This question lies at the intersection of production globalization and corporate...
10-Year Update on Study Results Submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov

10-Year Update on ClinicalTrials.gov A decade after ClinicalTrials.gov launched a database for reporting results of clinical trials, the database includes results of approximately 36,000 trials. Th...
The digital dimensions of civic education: Assessing the effects of learning opportunities

Abstract This study examines the effects of online and offline civic learning opportunities on offline civic engagement and online political activity. It draws on panel data for high school students in Chicago Public Schools (N = 10,254). Youth who receive digital engagement learning opportunities (opportunities to learn how to create and share digital media tied to societal issues) become more likely to engage in online participatory politics, while youth who receive civically oriented digital consumption learning opportunities (opportunities to learn ways to judge the credibility of online content) become less likely to do so. Digital consumption learning opportunities are positively related to offline civic engagement. Offline civic learning opportunities have positive relationships with both offline civic engagement and online participatory politics. These findings provide evidence of the importance of these varied learning opportunities and of the degree to which these opportunities differ in their relationships with offline and online forms of participation.
Complex relationship between household wealth, location of residence, road crash injury incidence and injury severity in Uganda.

Background Limited evidence exists about associations between road crash injury and economic status in sub-Saharan Africa from large, population-based data sets. Existing studies generally do not incorporate fatal crashes. This study aims to understand the relationship between relative wealth and road crash injury and severity using population-representative cross-sectional data from Uganda’s 2016 Demographic and Health Survey . Methods One-year road crash risk was flexibly modelled as a function of wealth using fractional polynomial models, stratified by sex and rural/urban residence. Wealth was operationalised as 1/20th quantiles of the first principal component from a polychoric principal component analysis. Injury severity was coded as a three-level ordinal variable; associations with wealth were modelled with ordinal logistic regression on quintiles of relative wealth, stratified by residence. Results Overall, injury risk peaked in the upper middle of the wealth distribution. Rural resident injury risk increased monotonically with wealth. Urban resident risk had an upside-down U shape. Risk peaked in the distribution’s middle at about double the lowest levels. Only urban men had higher risk among the least wealthy than most wealthy (3.2% vs 1.7%; difference=1.5 percentage points, 95% CI 0.2 to 2.7). Among those with road crash injuries, greater relative wealth was associated with decreased likelihood of more severe injury (33.2 percentage points lower in the highest category than lowest, 95% CI 18.4 to 48.1) or death (5.9 percentage points, 95% CI −0.1 to 11.8) for urban residents but not rural residents. Conclusion Relationships between relative wealth and injury risk and severity are complex and different for urban and rural Ugandans.
Exact Reconstruction of Signals in Evolutionary Systems Via Spatiotemporal Trade-off

We consider the problem of spatiotemporal sampling in which an initial state \(f\) of an evolution process \(f_t=A_tf\) is to be recovered from a combined set of coarse spatial samples from varying time levels \(\{t_1,\dots ,t_N\}\). This new way of sampling, which we call dynamical sampling, differs from standard sampling since at any fixed time \(t_i\) there are not enough samples to recover the function \(f\) or the state \(f_{t_i}\). Although dynamical sampling is an inverse problem, it differs from the typical inverse problems in which \(f\) is to be recovered from \(A_Tf\) for a single time \(T\). In this paper, we consider signals that are modeled by \(\ell ^2({\mathbb Z})\) or a shift invariant space \(V\subset L^2({\mathbb R})\), and are evolving under the action of a spatial convolution operator \(A\), so that \(f_{n}=A^nf\). We provide sufficient conditions for the spatiotemporal sampling problem to be solvable. In special cases, we provide error analysis based on the spectral properties of the operator \(A\).
Academic Psychological Capital: A Novel Approach to Freshmen Retention:

Psychological capital (PsyCap) is uniquely positioned at the intersection between student and academic institution. College administrators should look to psychological capital, beyond just student ...
Chronic Fatigue After Thyroidectomy: A Patient-Centered Survey.

BackgroundFatigue after thyroidectomy is common, but there is a paucity of data regarding its prevalence and duration. We hypothesized that total thyroidectomy (TT) patients would have more long-te...
Acute and Delayed Intracranial Hemorrhage in Head-Injured Patients on Warfarin versus Direct Oral Anticoagulant Therapy.

Introduction: Direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) use for thrombosis treatment and prophylaxis is a popular alternative to warfarin. This study compares rates of traumatic intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) for patients on anticoagulant therapies and the effect of combined anticoagulant and antiplatelet therapies. Methods: A retrospective observational study of trauma patients was conducted at two level I trauma centers. Patients aged ≥18 years with preinjury use of an anticoagulant (warfarin, rivaroxaban, apixaban, or dabigatran) who sustained a blunt head injury within the past day were included. Patients were evaluated by head CT to evaluate for ICH. Results: Three hundred and eighty-eight patients were included (140 on warfarin, 149 on a DOAC, and 99 on combined anticoagulant and antiplatelet therapies). Seventy-nine patients (20.4%) had an acute ICH, while 16 patients (4.1%) had a delayed ICH found on routine repeat CT. Those on combination therapy were not at increased risk of acute ICH (relative risk [RR] 0.90, confidence interval [CI]: 0.56–1.44; P > 0.5) or delayed ICH (RR 2.19, CI: 0.84–5.69; P = 0.10) compared to anticoagulant use only. Those on warfarin were at increased risk of acute ICH (RR 1.75, CI: 1.10–2.78, P = 0.015), but not delayed ICH (RR 0.99, CI 0.27–3.59, P > 0.5), compared to those on DOACs. No delayed ICH patients died or required neurosurgical intervention. Conclusion: Patients on warfarin had a higher rate of acute ICH, but not delayed ICH, compared to those on DOACs. Given the low rate of delayed ICH with no resultant morbidity or mortality, routine observation and repeat head CT on patients with no acute ICH may not be necessary.