cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SVM in oracle database 10g: removing the barriers to widespread adoption of support vector machines

Contemporary commercial databases are placing an increased emphasis on analytic capabilities. Data mining technology has become crucial in enabling the analysis of large volumes of data. Modern data mining techniques have been shown to have high accuracy and good generalization to novel data. However, achieving results of good quality often requires high levels of user expertise. Support Vector Machines (SVM) is a powerful state-of-the-art data mining algorithm that can address problems not amenable to traditional statistical analysis. Nevertheless, its adoption remains limited due to methodological complexities, scalability challenges, and scarcity of production quality SVM implementations. This paper describes Oracle's implementation of SVM where the primary focus lies on ease of use and scalability while maintaining high performance accuracy. SVM is fully integrated within the Oracle database framework and thus can be easily leveraged in a variety of deployment scenarios.
The lengths of admixture tracts.

The distribution of admixture tract lengths has received considerable attention, in part because it can be used to infer the timing of past gene flow events between populations. It is commonly assumed that these lengths can be modeled as independently and identically distributed (iid) exponential random variables. This assumption is fundamental for many popular methods that analyze admixture using hidden Markov models. We compare the expected distribution of admixture tract lengths under a number of population-genetic models to the distribution predicted by the Wright–Fisher model with recombination. We show that under the latter model, the assumption of iid exponential tract lengths does not hold for recent or for ancient admixture events and that relying on this assumption can lead to false positives when inferring the number of admixture events. To further investigate the tract-length distribution, we develop a dyadic interval-based stochastic process for generating admixture tracts. This representation is useful for analyzing admixture tract-length distributions for populations with recent admixture, a scenario in which existing models perform poorly.
Transcription factor MEF2C suppresses endothelial cell inflammation via regulation of NF-κB and KLF2

Endothelial cells play a major role in the initiation and perpetuation of the inflammatory process in health and disease, including their pivotal role in leukocyte recruitment. The role of pro-inflammatory transcription factors in this process has been well-described, including NF-κB. However, much less is known regarding transcription factors that play an anti-inflammatory role in endothelial cells. Myocyte enhancer factor 2 C (MEF2C) is a transcription factor known to regulate angiogenesis in endothelial cells. Here, we report that MEF2C plays a critical function as an inhibitor of endothelial cell inflammation. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α inhibited MEF2C expression in endothelial cells. Knockdown of MEF2C in endothelial cells resulted in the upregulation of pro-inflammatory molecules and stimulated leukocyte adhesion to endothelial cells. MEF2C knockdown also resulted in NF-κB activation in endothelial cells. Conversely, MEF2C overexpression by adenovirus significantly repressed TNF-α induction of pro-inflammatory molecules, activation of NF-κB, and leukocyte adhesion to endothelial cells. This inhibition of leukocyte adhesion by MEF2C was partially mediated by induction of KLF2. In mice, lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced leukocyte adhesion to the retinal vasculature was significantly increased by endothelial cell-specific ablation of MEF2C. Taken together, these results demonstrate that MEF2C is a novel negative regulator of inflammation in endothelial cells and may represent a therapeutic target for vascular inflammation.
A high-frequency annular-array transducer using an interdigital bonded 1-3 composite

This paper reports the design, fabrication, and characterization of a 1-3 composite annular-array transducer. An interdigital bonded (IB) 1-3 composite was prepared using two IB operations on a fine-grain piezoelectric ceramic. The final composite had 19-μm-wide posts separated by 6-μm-wide polymer kerfs. A novel method to remove metal electrodes from polymer portions of the 1-3 composite was established to eliminate the need for patterning and aligning the electrode on the composite to the electrodes on a flexible circuit. Unloaded epoxy was used for both the matching and backing layers and a flexible circuit was used for interconnect. A prototype array was successfully fabricated and tested. The results were in reasonable agreement with those predicted by a circuit-analogous model. The average center frequency estimated from the measured pulse-echo responses of array elements was 33.5 MHz and the -6-dB fractional bandwidth was 57%. The average insertion loss recorded was 14.3 dB, and the maximum crosstalk between the nearest-neighbor elements was less than -37 dB. Images of a wire phantom and excised porcine eye were obtained to show the capabilities of the array for high-frequency ultrasound imaging.
Rituximab therapy for juvenile-onset systemic lupus erythematosus

Rituximab (RTX), an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, has been proposed for use in the therapy of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We present the initial long-term experience of the safety and efficacy of rituximab for treatment of SLE in children. Eighteen patients (mean age 14 ± 3 years) with severe SLE were treated with rituximab after demonstrating resistance or toxicity to conventional regimens. There was a predominance of female (16/18) and ethnic African (13/18) patients. All had lupus nephritis [World Health Organization (WHO) classes 3–5] and systemic manifestations of vasculitis. Clinical disease activity of the SLE was scored with the SLE-disease activity index 2K (SLEDAI-2K). Patients were followed-up for an average of 3.0 ± 1.3 years (range 0.5 to 4.8 years). B-cell depletion occurred within 2 weeks in all patients and persisted for up to 1 year in some. Clinical activity scores, double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) antibodies, renal function and proteinuria [urine protein to creatinine ratio (Upr/cr)] improved in 93% of the patients. Five patients required multiple courses of RTX for relapse, with B-cell repopulation. One died of infectious endocarditis related to severe immunosuppression. In conclusion, our data support the efficacy of rituximab as adjunctive treatment for SLE in children. Although rituximab was well tolerated by the majority of patients, randomized controlled trials are required to establish its long-term safety and efficacy.
Researching Initiatives and Referendums: A Guide for Florida

SUMMARY In Florida, direct democracy at the state level consists entirely of the initiative method of amending the State constitution. This constitutional provision was partly a response to the State's history of obstacles to affording equitable legislative representation to all its citizens, a struggle with roots dating back to the Reconstruction era. The State constitution, governing statutes and regulations, and the Division of Elections Web site serve as the primary sources of information and guidance for those interested in the process of amending the State constitution by citizen-sponsored initiative.
Adhesion-dependent Protein Tyrosine Phosphorylation in Neutrophils Treated with Tumor Necrosis Factor

Human neutrophils (PMN) respond to tumor necrosis factor (TNF) by releasing their granules, reorganizing their cytoskeleton, and massively secreting hydrogen peroxide. This response is dependent on adhesion to extracellular matrix proteins and expression of CD11b/CD18 integrins (Nathan, C., S. Srimal, C. Farber, E. Sanchez, L. Kabbash, A. Asch, J. Gailit, and S. D. Wright. 1989. J. Cell Biol. 109:1341-1349). We investigated the role of tyrosine phosphorylation in the response of PMN to TNF. PMN adherent to protein-coated surfaces but not suspended PMN showed tyrosine phosphorylation of several proteins (approximately 150, approximately 115, approximately 75, and approximately 65 kD) in response to TNF. Tyrosine phosphorylation was evident 5 min after addition of TNF and lasted at least 2 h. The tyrosine kinase inhibitors K252a, genistein and ST638 suppressed tyrosine phosphorylation and blocked hydrogen peroxide production in a reversible manner at low concentrations. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors also blocked the spreading of PMN in response to TNF. Dihydrocytochalasin B did not inhibit tyrosine phosphorylation, but in its presence phosphorylation was rapidly reversed. By immunocytochemistry, the majority of tyrosine phosphoproteins were localized to focal adhesions. Thus TNF-induced tyrosine phosphorylation depends on adhesion of PMN to extracellular matrix proteins, and participates in the transduction of the signals that direct the cells to spread on a biological surface and undergo a respiratory burst.
The occurrence of floods and the role of climate variations from 1880 in Calabria (Southern Italy)

Abstract. In this paper, we present a methodological approach based on a comparative analysis of floods that occurred in a wide region over a long period and the climatic data characterising the same period, focusing on the climate trend. The method simplifies the comparative analysis of several time series by defining some indexes (e.g. the monthly, bi-monthly, and ... m-monthly indexes of precipitation, temperature, wet days and precipitation intensity and the monthly flood number) that can be used to study phenomena such as floods that are characterised by spatial and temporal variability. The analysis was used to investigate the potential effect of climate variation on the damaging floods trend. The approach was tested for the Calabria region (Italy) using historical flood and climatic data from 1880 to 2007. The results showed that the number of floods was correlated with the monthly indexes of precipitation, wet days, and daily precipitation intensity. The following trends were recognised: decreasing precipitation and wet days, almost constant precipitation intensity, increasing temperature, and linearly increasing floods. A second-order polynomial trend analysis showed a slight decrease in floods since the seventies, which might be explained by the favourable climatic conditions during the period and/or the effect of increasing awareness of flood vulnerability.
Developing Whole-Systems Competency in Higher Education To Meet Emerging Market Demand and Societal Sustainability

We live in an age of increasing complexity, uncertainty, and ambiguity, which poses formidable challenges across the breadth of human societies. These challenges can be seen as three interlocking crises: 1.) unsustainable sys tems that lead to increasingly complex societal needs; 2.) business and organizational changes that result in new demand for specific skills; and 3.) a rigid, linear model for higher education. This article suggests that because the crises are synergistically interconnected, reform in higher education will also help address the other challenges. An approach to education based on whole-systems competency (WSC) as an integrated platform to general education and traditional disciplinary training, would promote building the skills necessary to meet growing market demands (employability), which can concomitantly meet increasing societal needs (sustainability). Based on this premise, the College of Charleston surveyed local organizations in Charleston, South Carolina, to test organizational behavior on sustainability. Original survey data indicated that recent college graduates are deficient in specific skills that are increasingly demanded by employers. Based on the results of this research, the Office of Sustainability (OOS) at the College of Charleston created a program to enhance professional development and leadership to address some of the skill deficiencies revealed by the survey. While such programs can augment needed critical skills, integrating WSC as a systemic part of the educational process will require additional program changes and broader institutional support.
Heart age differentials and general cardiovascular risk profiles for persons with varying disabilities: NHANES 2001–2010

Abstract Background Persons with disabilities are at risk for secondary conditions, including allostatic load contributing to cardiovascular disease. The General Cardiovascular Risk Profile (GCRP) estimates cardiovascular disease risk for individuals. The GCRP variables are present in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) for the Healthy People 2010 decade. Objective/Hypothesis The objective of this study was to compare persons with varying disabilities versus persons without disabilities on GCRP cardiovascular disease risk estimates across the Healthy People 2010 decade. Methods Weighted cross-sectional one-way Analyses of Variance (ANOVA) and non-parametric Kruskal–Wallis analyses compared persons with each of eight disability types versus persons without disabilities for point estimate GCRP heart vascular age differential and Cox regression model ten-year risk estimate in each NHANES survey year for 2001–2010. Results Persons with mobility or vision disabilities had significantly ( p Conclusions With higher CVD risk among persons with disabilities, there is a clear need for increased interventions to benefit the health of persons with disabilities. The GCRP represents a valuable, simple measurement that uses routinely collected examination data. Physicians and nurses can use the GCRP to make immediate CVD assessments and to provide point-of-contact counseling to patients with and without disabilities.
Insulin disrupts β-adrenergic signalling to protein kinase A in adipocytes

Hormones mobilize intracellular second messengers and initiate signalling cascades involving protein kinases and phosphatases, which are often spatially compartmentalized by anchoring proteins to increase signalling specificity1. These scaffold proteins may themselves be modulated by hormones2,3,4. In adipocytes, stimulation of β-adrenergic receptors increases cyclic AMP levels and activates protein kinase A (PKA)5, which stimulates lipolysis by phosphorylating hormone-sensitive lipase and perilipin6,7,8. Acute insulin treatment activates phosphodiesterase 3B, reduces cAMP levels and quenches β-adrenergic receptor signalling9. In contrast, chronic hyperinsulinaemic conditions (typical of type 2 diabetes) enhance β-adrenergic receptor-mediated cAMP production10. This amplification of cAMP signalling is paradoxical because it should enhance lipolysis, the opposite of the known short-term effect of hyperinsulinaemia. Here we show that in adipocytes, chronically high insulin levels inhibit β-adrenergic receptors (but not other cAMP-elevating stimuli) from activating PKA. We measured this using an improved fluorescent reporter and by phosphorylation of endogenous cAMP-response-element binding protein (CREB). Disruption of PKA scaffolding mimics the interference of insulin with β-adrenergic receptor signalling. Chronically high insulin levels may disrupt the close apposition of β-adrenergic receptors and PKA, identifying a new mechanism for crosstalk between heterologous signal transduction pathways.
Application of fermi-antenna array for radar respiration measurement

This paper presents the design of Fermi antenna array with improved gain for radar respiration measurement. A six-element Fermi antenna array working at 5.8 GHz is optimally designed and integrated with the respiration radar system. Specifically, to easily feed the antenna array as well as reduce the total size of the array system, a feeding network based on 0-degree phase shifters is employed along with suitable impedance transformers. The whole system is proposed to function as a radar sensor for respiration rate measurement, which is known as a promising non-contact and non-invasive approach for lung cancer radiotherapy. The measurement results verify the improved performance of the proposed system for radar respiration measurement in motion-adaptive lung cancer radiotherapy.
Improved in vivo endothelialization of prosthetic grafts by surface modification with fibronectin.

Abstract Endothelial cell growth in vitro is enhanced by coating with fibronectin the surface on which cells grow. Similar coating of prosthetic arterial grafts may promote in vivo graft endothelialization if graft patency is not adversely affected. In each of 15 dogs, two fibronectin-coated polytetrafluoroethylene grafts and two grafts that were not coated were implanted. One graft in each pair was seeded with autologous endothelial cells, so that four different grafts were studied in each animal: a coated, seeded graft; a coated graft that was not seeded; a seeded graft that was not coated; a graft that was neither coated nor seeded. At 2, 4, and 8 weeks, grafts from five animals were examined for patency, surface endothelialization, and indium 111 platelet reactivity. After seeding, surface coverage by endothelium of coated grafts was more complete and more rapid than in uncoated grafts (64% ± 23% vs 31% ± 13% at 4 weeks, p p = 0.06), but patency was not adversely affected. Thus fibronectin coating of prosthetic grafts promotes surface endothelialization in vivo without altering graft patency. (J VASC SURG 1988;8:476-82.)
AC-pulse modulated electrohydrodynamic jet printing and electroless copper deposition for conductive microscale patterning on flexible insulating substrates

This paper presents a novel micro-manufacturing method for fabrication of electrical features and patterns on highly insulating substrates and flexible substrates based on high-resolution AC-pulse modulated electrohydrodynamic jet (e-jet) printing of silver nanoink as seed layer followed by electroless copper deposition. Traditional ink jet printing method is limited in printing resolution which is determined by dimension of printing nozzle and dimension of droplets. Traditional e-jet printing has the disadvantage of residual charge problem especially for highly insulating substrates which cannot dredge remained charge of printed droplets, resulting in distorted electrostatic field and low printing controllability. Meanwhile, for printing of liquid phase ink, feature resolution contradicts with the required thickness, which is a key factor of conductivity of printed patterns. In this paper, a novel AC-modulated e-jet printing technique is applied to neutralize charges on substrates by switching polarity of consequent droplets for direct printing of high-resolution conductive silver patterns on insulating substrates. Electroless copper deposition is introduced in the fabrication process to solve the thickness problem of the resulting features. Variables of fabrication process, including amplitude and frequency of AC-pulsed voltage, plotting speed, curing temperature, number of layers, concentration of solution for copper growth, were identified to achieve reliable and conductive printed patterns. Sub-20?m silver tracks with resistivity about 3.16 times of bulk silver were successfully fabricated. We demonstrated that ac-pulse modulated e-jet printing followed by electroless copper deposition can produce high resolution conductive patterns with improved thickness on insulating substrates and flexible substrates, which can be applied to direct printing and micro scale patterning for flexible electronics and wearable devices applications.
The semiotics of learning Korean at home: an ecological autoethnographic perspective

This autoethnographic study examines how I re-learn Korean in, and through, interactions with family members at home. The analysis, which is informed by language ecology and sociocultural concepts of development, shows how semiotic and human resources, including material objects and more proficient speakers, play a mediating role in how I deal with the social and linguistic challenges of re-learning Korean. My findings uncover how temporally displaced events are interconnected and demonstrate that language learning can follow a non-linear trajectory. The paper ends with a number of methodological observations regarding the benefits of investigating language learning from an ecological, autoethnographic perspective.
Examining the multidimensional structure of impulsivity in daily life

Abstract Impulsivity is a key personality and psychopathology construct that is best conceptualized as multidimensional. The UPPS model is a comprehensive multidimensional framework which defines four impulsivity facets: negative urgency, lack of premeditation, lack of perseverance, and sensation seeking. Although these facets have unique predictive value in laboratory based correlational studies, the validity and expression of these facets have not been examined in daily life. The present study employed experience sampling methodology (ESM) to examine associations of UPPS impulsivity facets with affect, cognition, and behavior in daily life in a non-clinical sample of 299 young adults. The impulsivity facets were differentially expressed in daily life. Negative urgency was associated with negative affect, poor sense of self, and thought disruption; lack of premeditation was associated with negative but energetic affect; lack of perseverance was characterized by difficulty putting forth effort and completing activities; and sensation seeking was associated with positive affect and enjoying oneself. All UPPS facets with the exception of sensation seeking were associated with increased troublesome behavior in daily life. Overall, these results support the validity of the multidimensional UPPS model of impulsivity in daily life and suggest that ESM is a useful tool for examining the expression of impulsivity.
MBE-Grown IV-VI Semiconductor Structures for Thermal Conductivity Measurements

IV-VI semiconductor structures grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) have been used to measure the cross-plane thermal conductivity of PbSe and PbSe/PbSnSe/PbSe multiperiod superlattice (SL) materials. Continuous wave photoluminescence (PL) measurements were used to determine epilayer temperatures localized to multiple quantum well (MQW) light emitting layers on top of various IV-VI materials structures. These data combined with finite element analysis (FEA) were used to extract cross-plane thermal conductivity values for different materials designs. Structures consisting of PbSe/PbSnSe/PbSe SL materials with multiple periodicities exhibited cross-plane lattice thermal conductivity values as low as 0.30 W/mK, a significant reduction relative to the 1.9 W/mK value for bulk PbSe. This work shows that lattice thermal conductivity reduction offers a highly viable approach for improving thermoelectric materials performance.
Perioperative considerations in outpatient surgery.

Outpatient surgery has progressed over the last century to become the most popular form of management of the operative patient. Patient selection and preparation are particularly important to ensure a successful outcome after outpatient surgery. Knowledge of the problems presented by specific patients (e.g., physical status, postoperative pain, duration of operation, and patient age) is particularly important to improve the changes of success. Preparing patients for outpatient surgery includes preoperative screening, appropriate preoperative lab testing, compliance with revised fasting guidelines, as well as pharmacologic preparation. Attention is to the multitude of factors involved in caring for these patients is essential to decrease morbidity, cancellation rates, and unexpected hospital admission rates and will hopefully improve outcomes.
Assessing mental health and violence on college campuses using the vulnerability model.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Violence on college campuses has become increasingly more common than in previous years. Nearly 73% of students with a mental health condition living on campus experience a mental health crisis. College students arriving on campuses today come with different needs, expectations for services, and with different risk factors than in previous years. Advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) in college health settings have the ability to recognize these changing trends and assist with improving the mental health of this population. METHODS: A critical analysis of an exemplar college campus is explored using the vulnerability model to assess risks that can lead to unnecessary and preventable violence on college campuses. The vulnerability model is a comprehensive approach utilized to guide an assessment to identify both individual and community risk factors influencing health and healthcare environments. CONCLUSIONS: The use of the vulnerability model illustrated in this article reveals its usefulness in identifying the risk and needs for this population. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: APRNs and student health centers are positioned well to utilize the vulnerability model in assessing the needs of college campuses to improve outcomes of students.©2016 American Association of Nurse Practitioners. Language: en
Mutagenesis of the 3'42 nucleotide host protein binding element of the MHV 3'UTR.

The mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) genome is a 32kb message sense single stranded RNA. Studies with defective interfering RNAs have shown that the 3′ terminal 447nt are required for replication (Kim et al., 1993; Lin et al., 1993). Previous studies have identified two host protein binding elements within the 3’ terminal 166nt of the 3′UTR. The first of these is located at nucleotides 154-129 [assigning position 1 to the first nucleotide 5′ of the poly (A)] tail and the second is located within the 3′ terminal 42 nucleotides (Liu et al, 1997; Yu and Leibowitz, 1995). Both elements contain the conserved motif UGAARNGAAGUU which is required for host protein binding and for DI RNA replication (Yu and Leibowitz, 1995; Liu et al., 1997). In the present study we further identify nucleotides involved in host protein binding and explore the role of RNA secondary structure in this process.
The Troubled Congress

For most Americans today, Congress is our most frustrating political institution. Legislation is the product of a process marked by controversy, frequent delay, partisanship, and bargaining. Even some members of Congress are uncomfortable with the sharp rhetoric and wheeling and dealing that are hallmarks of legislative politics. They are among the most severe critics of the institution. Nevertheless, Congress is important to understand. No other national legislature has greater power than the Congress of the United States. Its daily actions affect the lives of all Americans and many people around the world. It checks the exercise of power by the president, the courts, and the bureaucracy. If you want to understand the forces influencing your well being, you must understand Congress. Congress is not easy to understand. Its sheer size – 535 members and more than 25,000 employees – is bewildering. Its system of parties, leaders, committees, and procedures, built up over 200 years, is remarkably complex and serves as an obstacle to public understanding. Congress is always changing. It changes because it is a remarkably permeable institution. New problems, whatever their source, invariably create new demands on Congress. Elections bring new members who often alter the balance of opinion in the House and Senate. Elections also frequently bring a change in majority party control of Congress, which leads to a transfer of agenda control on the floor and in committees from one party to another. In addition, each new president asks for support for his policy program. Members of Congress often respond to these demands by passing new legislation. However, as lawmakers pursue their personal political goals, compete with one another for control over policy, and react to pressure from presidents, their constituents, and lobbyists, they sometimes seek to gain advantage or to remove impediments to action by altering the procedures and organization of Congress itself. The result is nearly continuous change within the institution.
Underutilization of Coronary Artery Disease Testing Among Patients Hospitalized With New-Onset Heart Failure

Abstract Background Although ischemic coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common etiology of heart failure (HF), the extent to which patients with new-onset HF actually undergo an ischemic work-up and/or revascularization is not well defined. Objectives This study sought to analyze the patterns of testing for ischemic CAD and revascularization in patients with new-onset HF. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study using Truven Health MarketScan Commercial and Medicare databases from 2010 to 2013. The occurrence of noninvasive and invasive ischemic CAD testing and revascularization procedures were examined among patients with new inpatient HF diagnoses during the index hospitalization and within 90 days of admission. Results Among 67,161 patients identified with new-onset HF during an inpatient hospitalization, only 17.5% underwent testing for ischemic CAD during the index hospitalization, increasing to 27.4% at 90 days. Among patients with new-onset HF, only 2.1% underwent revascularization during the index hospitalization for HF; by 90 days, the revascularization rate had increased to 4.3%. Of the tests performed for ischemic CAD, stress testing (nuclear stress testing or stress echocardiography) was performed in 7.9% of new-onset HF patients during the index hospitalization (14.6% within 90 days), whereas coronary angiography was performed in 11.1% of patients during the index hospitalization (16.5% within 90 days). In adjusted analyses, HF patients carrying a baseline diagnosis of CAD had greater odds of noninvasive ischemic testing (odds ratio: 1.25; 95% confidence interval: 1.17 to 1.33; p Conclusions The majority of patients hospitalized for new-onset HF did not receive testing for ischemic CAD either during hospitalization or within 90 days, which suggests significant underutilization of ischemic CAD assessment in new-onset HF patients.
Serving the Choctaw cause: Robert M. Jones, sovereignty, and pragmatic diplomacy during the American Civil War

ABSTRACTThis article examines how the Choctaw Nation aligned with the Confederacy while remaining a united, autonomous nation during the American Civil War. Rather than being hapless or coerced, Choctaw leaders demonstrated clear comprehension, agency, and pragmatism in their wartime efforts. In particular, Choctaw political leaders like Robert M. Jones reveal the Choctaws’ larger efforts to protect their national sovereignty and defend their homelands. Moreover, the actions of Jones and other Choctaws during the war highlight the critical role that sovereign tribal nations played in the American Civil War.
Assessment of near-nadir correlation characteristics over water bodies using interferometric SAR: Implications for the swot mission

This paper introduces the use of an airborne interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) to estimate water surface decorrelation times at Ka-Band. Such an assessment is directly relevant to the upcoming Surface Water and Ocean Topography mission, especially for surface water bodies such as lakes and rivers since the surface decorrelation may limit the spatial resolution achievable by the mission to delineate water spatial boundaries. Initial assessments indicate decorrelation times consistent with limited published observations for the ocean and fresh water bodies (several milliseconds). However, there are challenges both in terms of the phenomenology and in the instrument sensitivity to longer decorrelations.
Modifying the risk of recurrent preterm birth: influence of trimester-specific changes in smoking behaviors

Background Women with at least 1 prior occurrence of premature birth often have demographic and medical risk factors that are not modifiable. However, smoking cessation could be a targeted intervention in which a woman with a history of premature birth may be able to reduce her future risk of recurrence. Objective This study aims to assess how trimester-specific smoking patterns influence the risk of recurrent premature birth. Study Design This was a population-based retrospective cohort study of singleton nonanomalous live births in Ohio, 2006–2012 using vital statistics birth records. This analysis was limited to women with at least 1 prior premature birth. Rates of birth Results We analyzed the outcomes of 36,432 women with a prior premature birth who subsequently delivered at 20–42 weeks. One third of women with a prior premature birth smoked during pregnancy. Of smokers, 16% quit early in the first trimester, 7% quit in the second, 5% quit in the third trimester, and 72% smoked throughout pregnancy. The rate of recurrent premature birth in nonsmokers was high 28% in this cohort. Smoking in pregnancy with cessation in the first or second trimester was not significantly associated with an increase in recurrent premature birth rates (first trimester, 29% adjusted odds ratio, 0.97 [95% confidence interval, 0.9–1.1], and second trimester, 31% adjusted odds ratio, 1.10 [95% confidence interval, 0.9–1.3], respectively). However, quitting late in pregnancy (third trimester) was associated with a high rate (43%) of delivery Conclusion Smoking cessation in pregnancy and its relationship to preterm birth has been studied extensively, and it is widely accepted that smoking in pregnancy increases preterm birth rates. However, this study provides novel information quantifying the risk of recurrent preterm birth and stratifies the increased risk of recurrent preterm birth by trimester-specific smoking behavior. Although women with even 1 prior premature birth are at an inherently high risk of recurrence, women who stopped smoking early in the first 2 trimesters experienced similar preterm birth rates compared with nonsmokers. However, delayed smoking cessation or smoking throughout pregnancy significantly increased recurrent premature birth risk. Smoking cessation is a potential modifiable risk factor for recurrent preterm birth in high-risk pregnancies. This study highlights the importance of early pregnancy smoking cessation in those at especially high risk, women with a prior preterm birth.
Abstract W P387: Neurological Correlates Of Brain Function After Acute Stroke--A Dense Array EEG Study

INTRODUCTION: Measures of brain function can complement assessment of injury to inform clinical decision-making after stroke, but the most useful metrics remain uncertain. An acute stroke alters brain function in widespread areas. We therefore reasoned that a whole brain measure of brain function would be better related to behavioral deficits than a regional measure of brain function. METHODS: In 24 patients hospitalized for acute stroke, resting EEG (256 leads) was recorded for 3 min at the bedside and analyzed offline. Two EEG measures of brain function were extracted: [1] whole brain connectivity, which found the EEG frequency (from 1-30 Hz) and seed point (from among the 256 leads) that best fit whole brain coherence with total NIHSS scores, using a partial least squares regression model; and [2] regional brain activity, which found the EEG frequency and lead where spectral power was most strongly correlated with total NIHSS scores. Analyses were repeated focused on NIHSS motor subscores (Q4-6). All models were validated using a leave-one-out approach. RESULTS: The 24 patients were age 60.9±13.1yr, 3.5 ± 2.9 d post-onset (range 3hr-12d), and were studied in settings that included ER, ICU, and stroke ward. Whole brain EEG connectivity explained a large fraction of the variance in total NIHSS scores (r^2=0.72); this was achieved in the 2-4 Hz range, with seed over ipsilesional motor cortex, and with model predicting higher NIHSS score when this seed had greater coherence with contralesional frontal/motor regions. Regional brain activity, by comparison, explained a smaller fraction of variance (r^2=0.51), with maximal correlation between total NIHSS and regional EEG power found using a lead over contralesional motor cortex, at 2 Hz. Similar results for whole brain EEG connectivity were obtained when modeling NIHSS motor subscores in the 14 subjects with motor deficits (validated r^2=0.71). CONCLUSIONS: Dense array EEG recordings could be obtained early after stroke, rapidly and reliably, and at the bedside in widespread hospital settings. Whole brain connectivity measures corresponded to behavioral state better than measures of regional brain activity do. Results support the utility of EEG as a bedside method for evaluating brain functional status after stroke.
A Pilot Study of the Effects of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy on Positive Affect and Social Anxiety Symptoms.

Randomized controlled trials have demonstrated that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) is efficacious in reducing residual depressive symptoms and preventing future depressive episodes (Kuyken et al., 2016). One potential treatment effect of MBCT may be improvement of positive affect (PA), due to improved awareness of daily positive events (Geschwind, Peeters, Drukker, Van Os, & Wichers, 2011). Considering social anxiety disorder (SAD) is characterized by diminished PA (Brown, Chorpita, & Barlow, 1998; Kashdan, 2007), we sought to determine whether MBCT would reduce social anxiety symptoms, and whether this reduction would be associated with improvement of PA deficits. Adults (N = 22) who met criteria for varied anxiety disorders participated in a small, open-label trial of an 8-week manualized MBCT intervention. Most participants presented with either a diagnosis (primary, secondary, or tertiary) of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) (N = 15) and/or SAD (N = 14) prior to treatment, with eight individuals meeting diagnostic criteria for both GAD and SAD. We hypothesized participants would demonstrate improvements in social anxiety symptoms, which would be predicted by improvements in PA, not reductions in negative affect (NA). Results of several hierarchical linear regression analyses (completed in both full and disorder-specific samples) indicated that improvements in PA but not reductions in NA predicted social anxiety improvement. This effect was not observed for symptoms of worry, which were instead predicted by decreased NA for individuals diagnosed with GAD and both decreased NA and increased PA in the entire sample. Results suggest that MBCT may be efficacious in mitigating social anxiety symptoms, and this therapeutic effect may be linked to improvements in PA. However, further work is necessary considering the small, heterogeneous sample, uncontrolled study design, and exploratory nature of the study.
Immigration Trends in Atlantic Canada

Unlike some provinces, such as Ontario, the Atlantic Provinces are immigrant scarce; immigrants comprise less than 4 % of the regional population compared to the national average of about 18 %.
Legislative Restrictions on Abortion

More anti-abortion legislation was passed in the United States in 2011 than in any other year since 1973.
Terrestrial Paradise in the Greek Life of Adam and Eve

The Greek Life of Adam and Eve is dense with more than three dozen references to παράδeισος, yet paradise in the Greek Life has received scant attention. This article, which comprises the first sus...
The effect of working fluid properties on the performance of a miniature free piston expander for waste heat harvesting

Abstract Power generation from waste heat sources at the miniature length scales may be generated by using phase change working fluids (liquid-to-vapor) in a traditional boiler-expander-condenser-pump system. This paper builds on our prior work of boiler and expander design by investigating the effects of working fluid properties on an expander unit based on a Free Piston (FPE) architecture. Here, using first principles, a lumped-parameter model of the FPE is derived by idealizing the FPE as a linear spring-mass-damper system. Moreover, a linear-generator model is incorporated to study the effects on useful power output from the FPE directly. As a result, insight into the thermodynamic processes within the FPE are detailed and general recommendations for working fluid selection are established. They include: (1) to achieve a higher FPE efficiency, it is desirable for a working fluid to have high specific heat ratio, and (2) a peak output voltage of about 20 V AC and peak output power of around 2 W can be generated by coupling a centimeter-scale electromagnetic energy converter to the FPE. Overall, this effort shows the promise of reliable miniature thermal power generation from low temperature waste heat sources.
Report of the committee on chemistry of natural waters, 1933–34

The personnel of this Committee during the past year, practically the same as during the previous year, has been as follows: C. S. Howard, Chairman—United States Geological Survey, Washington, D.C. L. C. Case—Gypsy Oil Company, Tulsa, Oklahoma. W. D. Collins—United States Geological Survey, Washington, D.C. H. F. Flynn—United States Engineer Office, 35 South Ninth Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. W. P. Kelley—University of California, Riverside, California. Alfred C. Lane—Tufts College, Tufts College, Massachusetts. Augustus Locke—477 Mills Building, San Francisco, California. R. D. Leitch—United States Bureau of Mines, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. H. T. Logan—United States Bureau of Standards, Washington, D.C. Thomas S. Lovering—United States Geological Survey, Washington, D.C. Thomas E. Means—111 Sutter Street, San Francisco, California. F. B. Plummer—University of Texas, Austin, Texas. J. W. Sale—United States Food and Drug Administration, Washington, D.C. C S. Scofield—Bureau of Plant Industry, Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. Thomas G. Thompson—University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.
Tunable catalyst-controlled syntheses of β- and γ-amino alcohols enabled by silver-catalysed nitrene transfer

Carbon–hydrogen bond functionalization methods are important tools for efficiently upgrading simple precursors to more valuable compounds. The ubiquity of amines in pharmaceuticals and natural products has led to considerable interest in strategies for the selective amidation of C–H bonds in a tunable manner. An ongoing challenge involves achieving control in situations where targeted bonds have varying bond strengths or similar steric/electronic environments. Herein, we report two complementary silver catalysts that are capable of selecting between β- or γ-C–H bonds that reside in similar steric/electronic environments, overriding a reaction at a weaker C–H bond in favour of a stronger one and activating primary C–H bonds. The mild conditions, low cost of silver, good yields and easy purification make this approach ideal for late-stage functionalizations to furnish valuable 1,2- and 1,3-aminoalcohols from easily prepared carbamate esters. One of the major challenges in C–H functionalization is to achieve selectivity when multiple bonds of similar reactivity are present. Now, a method to selectively amidate sterically and electronically similar β- or γ-C–H bonds that utilize different silver catalysts is reported, giving access to valuable 1,2- and 1,3-aminoalcohols.
Interprotein electron transfer biohybrid system for photocatalytic H2 production.

Worldwide there is a large research investment in developing solar fuel systems as clean and sustainable sources of energy. The fundamental mechanisms of natural photosynthesis can provide a source of inspiration for these studies. Photosynthetic reaction center (RC) proteins capture and convert light energy into chemical energy that is ultimately used to drive oxygenic water-splitting and carbon fixation. For the light energy to be used, the RC communicates with other donor/acceptor components via a sophisticated electron transfer scheme that includes electron transfer reactions between soluble and membrane bound proteins. Herein, we reengineer an inherent interprotein electron transfer pathway in a natural photosynthetic system to make it photocatalytic for aqueous H2 production. The native electron shuttle protein ferredoxin (Fd) is used as a scaffold for binding of a ruthenium photosensitizer and H2 catalytic function is imparted to its partner protein, ferredoxin–NADP+-reductase (FNR), by attachment of cobaloxime molecules. We find that this 2-protein biohybrid system produces H2 in aqueous solutions via light-induced interprotein electron transfer reactions (TON > 2500 H2/FNR), providing insight about using native protein–protein interactions as a method for fuel generation.
Release of glucose repression of oxidative phosphorylation in Escherichia coli B by cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate.

Abstract Growth of Escherichia coli B in media containing glucose and 2.5 – 5 m M cyclic adenosine 3′,5′-monophosphate (cAMP) yields cells capable of full oxidative phosphorylation while growth in media containing glucose without cAMP produces cells capable of less than 10% of full phosphorylation efficiency. Lower concentrations of cAMP result in cells capable of intermediate efficiency. The rate of growth in glucose-cAMP cultures is less than in glucose medium and the rate of respiration of cells obtained from glucose-cAMP cultures is less than that of controls without cAMP in proportion to the amount of cAMP present. Unlike the respiration of cells derived from non-repressive media the respiration of glucose-cAMP cells is inhibited by 2,4-dibromophenol.
Language-specific numerical estimation in bilingual children

Abstract We tested 5- to 7-year-old bilingual learners of French and English (N = 91) to investigate how language-specific knowledge of verbal numerals affects numerical estimation. Participants made verbal estimates for rapidly presented random dot arrays in each of their two languages. Estimation accuracy differed across children’s two languages, an effect that remained when controlling for children’s familiarity with number words across their two languages. In addition, children’s estimates were equivalently well ordered in their two languages, suggesting that differences in accuracy were due to how children represented the relative distance between number words in each language. Overall, these results suggest that bilingual children have different mappings between their verbal and nonverbal counting systems across their two languages and that those differences in mappings are likely driven by an asymmetry in their knowledge of the structure of the count list across their languages. Implications for bilingual math education are discussed.
Bonding in metal disilicides Ca Si 2 through Ni Si 2 : Experiment and theory

Synchrotron radiation photoemission experiments with the disilicides of Ti, V, Nb, Cr, Fe, Co, and Ni are combined with self-consistent augmented-spherical-wave calculations of the density of states for metal silicides from Ca-Si to Cu-Si. These results demonstrate the importance of silicon $p$---metal $d$ bond formation extending to \ensuremath{\sim}6 eV below ${E}_{F}$ for all transition metals. Experiment and theory are combined to show the movement of the nonbonding $d$ states from above ${E}_{F}$ for Ca-Si to well below ${E}_{F}$ for Cu-Si. At the same time, the antibonding Si $p$ and Si $s$ states are shown to be relatively insensitive to the particular metal atom in the silicide series.
Association of Sleep Duration and Variability With Body Mass Index: Sleep Measurements in a Large US Population of Wearable Sensor Users.

This cohort study examines sleep and demographic data from wearable activity tracking devices to assess for an association of sleep duration and variability with body mass index.