cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of the vocal tract yielding sidewall on inverse filter analysis of the glottal waveform

Summary The inverse filter is a serial cascade of filter elements with a transfer function that cancels the effect of the poles of the vocal tract transfer function on the acoustic waveform to reveal the underlying glottal volume velocity waveform. Inaccuracies in the glottal wave reconstruction derived from an all-zero inverse filter can be attributed to deviations of the vocal tract transfer function from an all-pole model. Presented is an analysis of the error stemming from the effect of the yielding vocal tract sidewalls on the vocal tract transfer function. Predictions about the resulting artifacts in the estimated glottal volume velocity are derived from an acoustic model. These predictions are confirmed by applying a linear predictive coding (LPC) inverse filter analysis method to vowels synthesized using a transmission line model of the vocal tract containing yielding sidewall parameters as well as natural productions of nonnasalized vowels.
High-dimensional support union recovery in multivariate regression

We study the behavior of block l1/l2 regulation for multivariate regression, where a K-dimensional response vector is regressed upon a fixed set of p covariates. The problem of support union recovery is to recover the subset of covariates that are active in at least one of the regression problems. Studying this problem under high-dimensional scaling (where the problem parameters as well as sample size n tend to infinity simultaneously), our main result is to show that exact recovery is possible once the order parameter given by θl1/l2(n, p, s) : = n/ [2Ѱ(B*) log(p - s)] exceeds a critical threshold. Here n is the sample size, p is the ambient dimension of the regression model, s is the size of the union of supports, and Ѱ(B*) is a sparsity-overlap function that measures a combination of the sparsities and overlaps of the K-regression coefficient vectors that constitute the model. This sparsity-overlap function reveals that block l1/l2 regulation for multivariate regression never harms performance relative to a naive l1-approach, and can yield substantial improvements in sample complexity (up to a factor of K) when the regression vectors are suitably orthogonal relative to the design. We complement our theoretical results with simulations that demonstrate the sharpness of the result, even for relatively small problems.
Subchondral bone marrow edema in patients with degeneration of the articular cartilage of the knee joint.

Purpose: To retrospectively determine at magnetic resonance (MR) imaging the prevalence of subchondral bone marrow edema beneath arthroscopically proved articular cartilage defects. Materials and Methods: The study was performed in compliance with HIPAA regulations, and a waiver of informed consent was obtained from the institutional review board before the study was performed. The study consisted of 132 patients (70 men, 62 women; average age, 53 years) with articular cartilage defects of the knee joint who underwent MR imaging of the knee and subsequent arthroscopic knee surgery. At the time of arthroscopy, each articular cartilage lesion was graded by using the Noyes classification system. MR examinations were retrospectively reviewed to determine the size, depth, and location of subchondral bone marrow edema without knowledge of the arthroscopic findings. Pairwise Fisher exact tests and two-sample t tests were used to correlate MR imaging findings of subchondral bone marrow edema with the arthroscopic...
THE NATURE OF ANAPHYLATOXIN : STUDIES ON IMMUNITY. II.

1. The union of fresh serum of pregnant or immunized animals with the corresponding boiled protein (substratum) is accompanied by the formation of poisonous substances. 2. The poison originates from the serum as a result of its autodigestion, and not from the substratum. 3. The process of autodigestion may be determined by the specific or non-specific removal of the antitrypsin of the serum. 4. The poisons originating from the serum are toxic only for homologous animals. 5. The autodigestion of the serum, if allowed to proceed far enough, may go beyond the toxic stage. 6. The biological properties of these poisons indicate their close similarity to the anaphylatoxin, and suggest that the anaphylatoxin of Friedberger is a product of the autodigestion of serum, and not of the protein outside of the serum.
Triggered real-time MRI and cardiac applications.

Real-time interactive MRI is becoming the method of choice for many cardiac applications. One current limitation of real-time techniques is inaccurate slice registration during free-breathing. A simple "triggered real-time" imaging approach is proposed which enables the acquisition of synchronized and accurately registered real-time movie loops during short breathholds. Initial in vivo results demonstrate application to complete 4D ventricular function assessment and fully resolved flow imaging.
Stratospheric Aerosol Particles and Their Optical Properties

This review emphasizes those aspects of aerosol particles in the stratosphere that have not been covered by other reviews. This approach is not severely limiting because of the almost explosive increase in our knowledge of such particulate matter during the last few years. Furthermore, this review places special emphasis on the optical properties of the particles. Stratospheric particles have been investigated by remote optical means for at least 80 years, but not until about 1960 were such particles collected and examined. The particles consist largely of volcanic ash for periods of possibly a few months following major explosive volcanic eruptions, but at other times they consist largely of impure sulfuric acid which may be in the form of droplets or crystals. The sulfuric acid is believed to be formed largely by the oxidation and hydration of sulfur dioxide, much of which is introduced into the stratosphere by volcanic eruptions. There is considerable uncertainty as to whether the particle size distributions are unimodal or polymodal or whether the nature of the distribution varies markedly with time and space. The mixing ratio of the particles, at least of the larger ones in the 0.1- to 1µm-radius interval, is almost always greatest a few kilometers above the tropopause. However, this ‘layer’ is often highly structured. The particles may serve as catalysts for, or otherwise participate in, stratospheric chemical reactions. Stratospheric particles, by absorbing and scattering radiation from the sun and earth, can affect the atmosphere's radiation balance, thereby affecting the climate. Some numerical results concerning the amount of energy lost from an incident light beam as it propagates through a layer of uniformly distributed particles are presented. The results are shown as contours of constant values of the total percentage loss of energy due to extinction, scattering, and absorption for a vertically incident solar beam over a wide range of particle radii and imaginary refractive indices for real refractive indices of 1.4 and 1.5. The application of Mie scattering theory to the use of laser radar (lidar) is also described. Another major effect of the stratospheric aerosols is the denial of radiation to the region below the stratosphere. At the same time, they add energy to the stratosphere by the absorption of radiation. Various types of analytical models of climate change due to aerosols are discussed, and the energetic equilibrium of small particles in the atmosphere is also considered in some detail.
BSIMPD: a partial-depletion SOI MOSFET model for deep-submicron CMOS designs

BSIMPD, a physics-based SPICE model, is developed for bridging deep-submicron CMOS designs using partially-depleted SOI technologies. Formulated on top of the industry-standard bulk-MOSFET model BSIM3v3 for a sound base of scalability and robustness, BSIMPD captures SOI-specific dynamic behaviors with its built-in floating-body, self-heating and body-contact models. A parameter-extraction strategy is demonstrated, and the simulation efficiency is studied. The model has been tested extensively within IBM on state-of-the-art high speed SOI technologies. It has been implemented in many circuit simulators.
The Effect of Object and Event Orientation on Perception of Biological Motion

Detection and recognition of point-light walking is reduced when the display is inverted, or turned upside down. This indicates that past experience influences biological motion perception. The effect could be the result of either presenting the human form in a novel orientation or presenting the event of walking in a novel orientation, as the two are confounded in the case of walking on feet. This study teased apart the effects of object and event orientation by examining detection accuracy for upright and inverted displays of a point-light figure walking on his hands. Detection of this walker was greater in the upright display, which had a familiar event orientation and an unfamiliar object orientation, than in the inverted display, which had a familiar object orientation and an unfamiliar event orientation. This finding supports accounts of event perception and recognition that are based on spatiotemporal patterns of motion associated with the dynamics of an event.
Diffusible Ion Localization in Biological Tissue by Ion Microscopy

The ion microscope is a particularly sensitive analytical tool for the localization of ions such as sodium, potassium and calcium which are highly diffusible and of considerable interest in many biological systems. Histochemical information obtained from ion micrographs of samples processed by conventional methods of tissue preparation (chemical fixation, dehydration, embedding in plastic and thin sectioning) agrees well, in many cases, with microanalysis reported using other methods. However, the possibility of ion loss and redistribution introduced by the preparation method introduces some question as to the validity of ion distribution observed for ions not strongly bound to the biological matrix.
Thromboregulation by Endothelial Cells Significance for Occlusive Vascular Diseases

-During their 7- to 9-day lifespan in the circulation, platelets perform an ill-defined baseline function that maintains the integrity of the vasculature. In thrombocytopenic states, there is an increase in vascular permeability and fragility, which is presumably due to absence of this platelet function. In sharp contrast, biochemical or physical injury in the coronary, carotid, or peripheral arteries induces platelet activation and platelet recruitment, which can progress to thrombotic vascular occlusion. Because there is 1 death every 33 seconds from vascular occlusion in the United States, this problem has critical public health implications. In this review, we describe the characterization of a novel potential antithrombotic agent with a unique mode of action-biochemical "deletion" of ADP from an activated platelet releasate, which thereby inhibits platelet recruitment and further activation.
Geometric control of reduction potential in oxomolybdenum centers: implications to the serine coordination in DMSO reductase.

Two isomers (cis and trans) of (L1O)MoOCl2 have been synthesized and separated using the heteroscorpinate ligand L1OH, which possesses an N2O donor set. These geometric isomers differ in the orient...
Shear-Induced Mechanochemistry: Pushing Molecules Around

The molecular mechanisms by which mechanical energy accelerates a chemical reaction at sliding solid–solid interfaces are not well understood because of the experimental difficulties in monitoring chemical processes and their rates, and in controlling parameters such as interfacial temperature. These issues are addressed by measuring the shear-induced rate of methane formation from the decomposition of adsorbed methyl thiolate species on copper in ultrahigh vacuum (UHV), where the frictional heating is negligible. The effect of a constant force F on the energy profile for thiolate decomposition from density functional theory calculations is modeled by superimposing a linear potential, V(x) = −Fx. This enables the change in activation barrier to be calculated as a function of force. The mechanically induced reaction rate is measured by sliding a ball over a methyl thiolate-covered copper surface from the methane yield measured by a mass spectrometer placed in the UHV chamber. Molecular dynamics simulations...
Review of the Target-Specific Oral Anticoagulants in Development for the Treatment and Prevention of Venous Thromboembolism.

Anticoagulation therapy is often indicated for the treatment and prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE). Despite advances in anticoagulant management with parenteral anticoagulants and vitamin K antagonists, limitations to their use still exists, leading to investigation of alternative anticoagulants such as factor Xa inhibitors and direct thrombin inhibitors. To date, 3 target-specific oral anticoagulants (TSOACs) are Food and Drug Administration approved; several other agents are currently in development to optimize VTE management and minimize bleeding risks. The objective of this systematic review article is to provide clinicians an overview of the clinical evidence on the investigational TSOACs for the treatment and prevention of VTE. Of the agents in development, edoxaban holds the most promise due to robust data supporting its clinical benefit with a similar bleeding risk to currently approved agents. Clinicians should understand the TSOACs under investigation, since differences in pharmacokinet...
Flow Cytometry-Based Methods to Characterize Immune Senescence in Nonhuman Primates

Flow cytometry is an invaluable technique that can be used to phenotypically and functionally characterize immune cell populations ex vivo. This technology has greatly advanced our ability to gain critical insight into age-related changes in immune function, commonly known as immune senescence. Rodents have been traditionally used to investigate the molecular mechanisms of immune senescence because they offer the distinct advantages of an extensive set of reagents, the presence of genetically modified strains, and a short lifespan that allows for longevity studies of short duration. More recently, nonhuman primates (NHPs), and specifically rhesus macaques, have emerged as a leading translational model to study various aspects of human aging. In contrast to rodents, they share significant genetic homology as well as physiological and behavioral characteristics with humans. Furthermore, rhesus macaques are a long-lived outbred species, which makes them an ideal translational model. Therefore, NHPs offer a unique opportunity to carry out mechanistic studies under controlled laboratory conditions (e.g., photoperiod, temperature, diet, and medications) in a species that closely mimics human biology. Moreover similar techniques (e.g., activity recording and MRI) can be used to measure physiological parameters in NHPs, making direct comparisons between NHP and human data sets possible. In addition, the outbred genetics of NHPs enables rigorous validation of research findings that goes beyond proof of principle. Finally, self-selection bias that is often unavoidable in human clinical trials can be completely eliminated with NHP studies. Here we describe flow cytometry-based methods to phenotypically and functionally characterize innate immune cells as well as T and B lymphocyte subsets from isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in rhesus macaques.
Leukotriene modifiers in the treatment of asthma

So far, the inhaled steroids are the most potent topical anti-inflammatories; however, they have disadvantages on their correct administration and possible side effects. The leukotrienes: LTC4, LTD4 and LTE4 are agents that are related with the asthma, because they promote the eosinophils proliferation, the destruction of the bronchial epithelium, bronchial constriction, sanguineous vasodilatation, stimulation of the mucous-producing glands with hypersecretion and decrease of the ciliary motility. The leukotrienes modifiers possess an effect antiinflammatory in the bronchial asthma, demonstrated in diverse clinical studies and they have a beneficial effect in the remodelling of the airways. They can also have clinical applications in the COPD, allergic rhinitis and in the chronic urticaria; however to make wider recommendations of their therapeutic indications more studies they will be made.
Perfusion systems for cell cultivation.

Perfusion permits culture homogeneity rather than a feed-and-fast regime, and has permitted the development of bioreactors which have no gas headspace and significant scale-up of cell density. A wide range of culture systems has been reviewed with the emphasis on attached cells. The prime objective of using perfusion techniques is to achieve a controlled and homogeneous environment within the bioreactor. The use of perfusion to keep small fragments of tissue viable in microscope chambers developed in complexity between 1912 and 1970, culminating in Rose's dual-rotary circumfusion system. The cytogenerator also encouraged the development of perfusion systems for substrate or anchorage-dependent cells. The use of perfusion techniques carries this risk because of continuous entry and exit of materials from the reactor, often through vulnerable tubing in pumps, etc. Both the bioreactor and the associated equipment should be critically evaluated with this in mind.
High-throughput combinatorial study of the effect of M site alloying on the solid solution behavior of M 2 AlC MAX phases

In this work, a systematic investigation of the alloying behavior on the $M$ sublattice of ${M}_{2}\mathrm{AlC}$, where $M$ is Ti, V, Zr, and Hf with elements in the first transition metal row as well as Ca and Sc is carried out via a combination of alloy theoretic approaches and density functional theory for 41 alloy systems. The cluster expansion formalism is used to explore the configurational space in ternary MAX phases. On the basis of their solid-solution behavior, the alloys are classified into three regimes: phase separation, weak ordering, and strong ordering. Observed trends are investigated in terms of indicators at the electronic and structural levels. For the systems showing ordering, the ordered structures are identified and their structural and electronic properties are investigated. The likelihood of some of the systems to exist as solid solutions at finite temperature is discussed.
HAMR near field transducers based on microcavity disk lasers

This paper presents a design for a near field transducer (NFT) for heat assisted magnetic recording. The envisioned device is a microcavity disk laser that is proximate to a metallic needle. The optical excitation of the end of the needle from modes within the laser is carried to the surface of the medium along the needle and localized within the medium as a hot spot. Aspects of the design which are examined and optimized include the optical efficiency, i.e. the fraction of emitted optical power delivered to the FWHM of the hot spot (∼10%), the ratio of temperature in the medium to that in the needle (4x) and possible routes to fabricating a realistic structure using a flip chip material transfer process.
FIRE or ICE for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation?—perspectives from the largest randomized evaluation of cryoballoon and radiofrequency ablation to date

For patients with symptomatic paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF), radiofrequency (RF) catheter ablation is now a common procedure worldwide and its cornerstone is the point-by-point electrical isolation of the pulmonary veins (PVI) (1).
Taste: Vertebrates—Psychophysics

Narrowly viewed, taste is limited to sweet, salt, sour, bitter and savory/umami sensations. Perceptually, taste combines with other sensory inputs to produce complex flavor sensations from ingested stimuli (e.g., foods, beverages, medications, tobacco products). Progress in psychophysics—the study of relationships between physical stimuli and perceptual experiences—permits characterization of normal variation and variation associated with damage or exposures. Psychophysical methods allow us to fully understand genetic, molecular and neurochemical processes involved in taste sensation. Via psychophysics, we can measure how taste variation influences our preferences for and behaviors toward ingested stimuli, and ultimately our health and quality of life.
TREMATODE LIFE CYCLES INVOLVING WILD MAMMALS OF NORTHWESTERN NORTH AMERICA

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the trematode life cycles involving wild mammals of Northwestern North America. It describes five life cycles of trematodes of wild mammals, all of which involve changing hosts in fast-running water. Nanophyetus salmincola, adult in dogs, coyotes, and mink, develops to microcercous creeping cercariae in Oxytrema silicula (Pleroceridae) and emerges into the stream, producing copious masses of thick mucus upon which the cercariae cling. Acanthatrium oregonense and Allassogonoporus marginalis develop in either Oxytrema silicula or Flumenicola virens. Two heterophyid life cycles are similar, but with an interesting alternate reduction in hosts required in one. Euryhelmis squamula in Oregon has been found in Mustela vison. The snail host is the nearly microscopic Bythinella hemphilli found only in quiet seepage areas near fast cold streams.
Catheter-Directed Therapy for Acute Submassive Pulmonary Embolism: Summary of Current Evidence and Protocols

Treatment of acute submassive pulmonary embolism (PE) with thrombolytic therapy remains an area of controversy. For patients who fail or who have contraindications to systemic thrombolysis, catheter-directed therapy (CDT) may be offered depending on the patient's condition and the available institutional resources to perform CDT. Although various CDT techniques and protocols exist, the most studied method is low-dose catheter-directed thrombolytic infusion without mechanical thrombectomy. This article reviews current protocols and data on the use of CDT for acute submassive pulmonary embolism.
Generation of human brain region–specific organoids using a miniaturized spinning bioreactor

Human brain organoids, 3D self-assembled neural tissues derived from pluripotent stem cells, are important tools for studying human brain development and related disorders. Suspension cultures maintained by spinning bioreactors allow for the growth of large organoids despite the lack of vasculature, but commercially available spinning bioreactors are bulky in size and have low throughput. Here, we describe the procedures for building the miniaturized multiwell spinning bioreactor SpinΩ from 3D-printed parts and commercially available hardware. We also describe how to use SpinΩ to generate forebrain, midbrain and hypothalamus organoids from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs). These organoids recapitulate key dynamic features of the developing human brain at the molecular, cellular and structural levels. The reduction in culture volume, increase in throughput and reproducibility achieved using our bioreactor and region-specific differentiation protocols enable quantitative modeling of brain disorders and compound testing. This protocol takes 14-84 d to complete (depending on the type of brain region-specific organoids and desired developmental stages), and organoids can be further maintained over 200 d. Competence with hiPSC culture is required for optimal results.
Leveraging Objects for Privatizing Military Housing through Information Technology

The armed services must provide its personnel with acceptable housing at minimum cost within the vicinity of military installations. To achieve these housing objectives, the Department of Defense (DOD) has entered into experimental joint ventures with private developers to construct attractive housing projects on military installation property, with some of the projects reserved for military personnel. To support the analysis of the joint ventures, the DOD needed a methodology that would help officials evaluate the feasibility and cost implications of the housing projects. A decision support system, called the Housing Revitalization Support Office System (HRSOS), has been developed to provide the necessary support. The HRSOS architecture is based on a combination of database, econometric, simulation, and decision support techniques. Its deployment can help the Department of Defense to realize significant economic and management benefits. Future enhancements, motivated by the challenges from the current system, promise to increase the power of HRSOS and to further improve the DODâ€™s ability to manage its housing projects. To obtain the benefits, the HRSO experience suggests that system design, development, and implementation should be a team effort through an adaptive design strategy. It also indicates that an integrated suite of software development and implementation tools, offering rapid prototyping, computer assisted software engineering, and object-oriented analysis, can promote this strategy. The strategy is likely to work well in a hybrid project-technology virtual organizational form that is established and administered by the practicing top manager.
Introduction to Environmental Systems Engineering

Environmental systems engineering is broadly concerned with the planning and management of water, air, and land resources. Environmental engineering has evolved over the past two decades from traditional, cost minimization design problems to problems typified by conflicting engineering, environmental, and economic objectives and constraints. The evolution of environmental engineering from sanitary engineering and the problems associated with wastewater treatment design has been caused in part by the recognition that environmental problems are multi-disciplinary problems. The evaluation of regional water quality or the conjunctive management of groundwater and surface water resources are environmental planning and management problems-problems involving engineering design, resource economics and environmental analysis. The decision-making in these types of problems involves a hierarchy of engineering activities that range from the design of an individual pumping well in a groundwater basin to controlling reservoir releases to satisfy municipal, industrial, or agricultural water demands. All of these decisions are ultimately based on an understanding of how the environmental system (the groundwater basin or stream or river) responds to, or is affected by the engineering decisions.
Non-Stranger Identification: How Accurately Do Eyewitnesses Determine If a Person is Familiar

The extensive research literature on eyewitness memory has been restricted to memory for strangers. This study assessed how accurately people can recognize individuals they have casually seen before, and whether this determination is affected by the cross-race effect and exposure time to the test picture. One hundred and fifty seven Asian and non-Hispanic White high school students in a small private high school viewed yearbook pictures of (a) graduated students who were seniors when participants were freshman (“familiar”) or (b) unfamiliar individuals, and responded whether each target individual was familiar. Recognition accuracy was surprisingly low. The mean hit rate was .45. The mean false alarm rate was .28; 28% of unfamiliar individuals were misidentified as familiar. Further, the cross-race effect was not evidenced in these results. An eyewitness’s report that he can recognize a perpetrator because he has seen him casually in the past is of dubious reliability.
Modularity in Design and Manufacturing: Application to Commercial Aircraft

The note discusses the modularization of design, and the modularization of manufacturing in the commercial aerospace industry. It is intended to be taught with the case, "Boeing 737 Industrial Footprint: The Wichita Decision," HBS No. 612-036.Learning Objective:Provide the technical background for modularity as applied to commercial aerospace.
Epidemiology and Field Control of PVY and PLRV

Viral diseases of potatoes can cause significant yield and quality losses for the commercial producer but are of particular concern to the seed potato producer. Potato virus Y (PVY) and Potato leafroll virus (PLRV) are the most common of the 28 viral diseases known to infect potato (Salazar, 1996). Current season (primary) infection with PVY causes little yield loss (Hane and Hamm, 1999; Salazar, 1996) especially if initial infection occurs after flowering. Quality loss caused by PVY results from an increase in the number of undersized tubers (Hane and Hamm, 1999). With PLRV, primary infection rarely reduces yield (Beemster and Rozendaal, 1972) but it can affect tuber quality by causing phloem net necrosis. Net necrosis is expressed in tubers as a darkening of the vascular bundle that becomes more pronounced during storage. Net necrosis is particularly severe in the cultivars Russet Burbank, Norgold Russet, and Green Mountain (Douglas and Pavek, 1972), the former being the most widely grown cultivar in the U.S.
Photoluminescence Imaging vs. Transient Photoconductance Characterization at High Injection: Case of mc-Si

Band-to-band photoluminescence (PL) imaging is one of the experimental techniques widely used to assess nonradiative recombination rates at a fixed incident light intensity. Minority carrier lifetimes in semiconductors such as mc-Si are also affected by optical injection levels These can be measured by transient photoconductance (TPC). In this paper, PL imaging of shunts and TPC lifetime results for incident intensities of up to 50 Suns are compared for multiple samples of mc-Si.
Ancient Marketing Practices: The View from Talmudic Times

The Talmud, completed approximately 1,500 years ago, is the compilation of Jewish oral law. In it, we find reflected many of the marketing practices of ancient Babylonia and Israel. This paper demo...
Microstructural characterization of pure Mg and AZ31B processed by ECAE

Abstract Samples of 99.9% pure magnesium (Mg) and one of its common alloys, AZ31B, were processed using Equal Channel Angular Extrusion (ECAE) at 250 °C and 200 °C, respectively, and characterized using Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD). Both materials were found to have a largely uniform and homogeneous average grain size throughout the fully processed region of the bar, with AZ31B having a smaller average grain size, and grain size increasing slightly for both samples along the length of the bar, from back to front. Grain misorientation distribution plots display a peak around 30° associated with recrystallization. It was also found that both pure Mg and AZ31B obtained a basal fiber texture imparted by processing along the 4BC route, but pure Mg showed significant variations in the orientation of the basal poles and exhibited texturing of the prismatic plane in several instances.
Duration of US Residence and Obesity Risk in NYC Chinese Immigrants

We evaluated whether duration of time in the US is associated with obesity risk in NYC Chinese immigrants. We analyzed cross-sectional survey data on 2072 men and women. Duration of US residence was categorized into ≤5, 6–15, and 15 years and over. Obesity was defined using WHO Asian standards: BMI of 27.5 kg/m2 or greater. Diet and physical activity (PA) were assessed as potential explanatory variables. After adjusting for covariates, increased time in the US was associated with an increased obesity risk (OR 1.49; 95 % CI 1.06, 2.08 for 15 years or more vs. ≤5 years); and in separate analysis, with having reported no work related PA (OR 0.76; 95 % CI 0.59, 0.99). Findings suggest that increased time living in the US is associated with an increased obesity risk, a finding possibly explained by a shift to more sedentary lifestyle characteristic of the transition of immigrants to the US.
Genome-Wide Identification of lncRNAs During Rice Seed Development

Rice seed is a pivotal reproductive organ that directly determines yield and quality. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been recognized as key regulators in plant development, but the roles of lncRNAs in rice seed development remain unclear. In this study, we performed a paired-end RNA sequencing in samples of rice pistils and seeds at three and seven days after pollination (DAP) respectively. A total of 540 lncRNAs were obtained, among which 482 lncRNAs had significantly different expression patterns during seed development. Results from semi-qPCR conducted on 15 randomly selected differentially expressed lncRNAs suggested high reliability of the transcriptomic data. RNA interference of TCONS_00023703, which is predominantly transcribed in developing seeds, significantly reduced grain length and thousand-grain weight. These results expanded the dataset of lncRNA in rice and enhanced our understanding of the biological functions of lncRNAs in rice seed development.
The confidence gap: Findings for women in plastic surgery

Abstract Background In a surgical field, where surgeons are, “sometimes wrong, but never in doubt,” lack of confidence can have detrimental effects on career advancement. In other fields there is evidence that a gap exists between women and men in the amount of confidence they display, and that confidence is a proxy for success. Methods This study used the General Self Efficacy Scale and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale confidence surveys to assess self confidence amongst female trainees and attending plastic surgeons, to search for baseline characteristics associated with higher confidence scores. Results Of the 73 participants, protective factors associated with increased female plastic surgeon confidence include age, parity, more advanced academic status, and mentorship. Conclusions In order to matriculate into a surgical training program, there must be a measure of confidence and resiliency, but further work needs to be done to identify and address gender gaps in training and early academic careers.
Capitalism’s Two Major Justifications Dismissed, and the Incentivized Complicity of the Bought and Paid for Politicians to Ignore, and Even Encourage, the Risky/Costly Behavior of the Economic Oligarchs

In socializing, via bailouts, downside costs and allowing the privatization of upside profits, not only does government underwrite capitalist’s risking of their capital, but militates against the optimal deployment of resources to the most efficient, who would otherwise be victors of the neo-Darwinian struggle for survival. Furthermore, it is labor, whether intellectual (i.e. managerial, executive, design, creative, etc.) or/and physical, which turns resources into valuable goods and services. All of which raises the question as to why capitalism per se, should derive profit (at the expense of wages) from wealth production at all? While government complicity in this, and in entering into delayed or non-prosecution agreements even when the financial elite engage in the most egregious criminal behavior, raises questions of democratic accountability.
Adaptive Multi-Region Network For Medical Image Analysis

Automated diagnosis of significant abnormalities (or lesions) from radiology images has been well exploited in Deep Learning (DL) because of the ability to model sophisticated features. However, a deep neural network should be trained on a huge amount of data to infer the parameter values. Unfortunately, for the problems in lesion diagnosis, there is only a limited amount of data annotated in a manner that is suitable to learn powerful deep models. Moreover, the lesion in the radiology image is often vague and hard to identify without expert knowledge. In this paper, we focus on previous challenges in the automated diagnosis and propose the approach named Adaptive Multi-region Network (AdapNet). The key idea is that we adaptively encode the similarity of lesions in different context regions through margin-max learning strategy, which incorporates the metrics learned on those regions to enhance the effectiveness of the model. Our experiments show that the proposed method can effectively obtain superior performance compared to the existing methods, on the DeepLesion data sets.
Laboratory evaluation of the effects of particle size and composition on the performance of integrated devices containing Plantower particle sensors

Particle size and particle composition are two important variables that potentially affect the performance of low-cost sensors that quantify airborne particle concentrations. In order to investigat...
Differentiating Between Tight Junction-Dependent and Tight Junction-Independent Intestinal Barrier Loss In Vivo.

The intestinal barrier is an essential component of innate host defense. The single layer of epithelial cells that line the intestine must balance barrier function with both active, transcellular and diffusive, paracellular transport. Tight junctions, which link adjacent cells, form a selectively permeable seal that defines both paracellular transport and barrier properties. Molecules can cross tight junctions by either of two distinct routes, termed pore and the leak pathways, that differ in capacity, charge-selectivity, size-selectivity, and responses to physiological and pathophysiological stimuli. A third intestinal permeability route, the unrestricted pathway, reflects loss of the epithelial barrier, as occurs with mucosal damage, is independent of paracellular and transcellular pathways, and is neither charge- nor size-selective.The most commonly used approach for measuring intestinal permeability in vivo involves gavage of FITC-4 kDa dextran and analysis of the quantity recovered in serum. Unfortunately, this method cannot distinguish between leak and unrestricted pathways, as 4 kDa dextran can cross both. Moreover, 4 kDa dextran is too large to cross the pore pathway and, therefore, provides no information regarding this paracellular flux route. Here we describe a multiplex method that allows simultaneous, independent analysis of each pathway.
Reflexive engagement with social meanings through registers

Abstract The paper investigates the interactional processes through which English as a Second Language (ESL) learners enter the realm of social meaning through features of registers. The study takes up discussions of heteroglossia in educational settings. Through an ethnographic perspective, using various sources of data such as classroom discourse, course blogs and interviews, the study uncovers two practices through which the participants reflexively grapple with socially indexical meanings: A). labeling and typifying registers and B). negotiating and deploying their social meanings. These two practices are shown to be mediated by an emphasis on academic language in the English program, language ideologies, processes of alignment and positioning and participant trajectories. The findings suggest that reflexive engagement with register indexicals is a pervasive aspect of second language learning and can be leveraged as a learning resource.
Apophatic Animality: Lautréamont, Bachelard, and the bliss of metamorphosis

This essay examines animality through an analysis of Les Chants de Maldoror, an obscure but influential nineteenth-century text by the Comte de Lautreamont. Drawing upon the work of Gaston Bachelard as well as the apophatic tradition in Christian mysticism, Les Chants de Maldoror can be read as a text that complicates the boundary between animality and spirituality, producing an “apophatic animality” that ultimately impacts the poetics of the text itself.
On Suboptimal Alignments of Biological Sequences

It is widely accepted that the optimal alignment between a pair of proteins or nucleic acid sequences that minimizes the edit distance may not necessarily reflect the correct biological alignment. Alignments of proteins based on their structures or of DNA sequences based on evolutionary changes are often different from alignments that minimize edit distance. However, in many cases (e.g. when the sequences are close), the edit distance alignment is a good approximation to the biological one. Since, for most sequences, the true alignment is unknown, a method that either assesses the significance of the optimal alignment, or that provides few “close” alternatives to the optimal one, is of great importance.
Musculoskeletal symptoms, postural disorders and occupational risk factors: correlation analysis.

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSD) include a list of inflammatory and degenerative diseases charac- terized by the presence of musculoskeletal symptoms, compensatory posture changes and functional disabilities. The objective of this study was to evaluate the kinetic/functional characteristics of textile plant workers, their level of exposure to risk factors and the contribution these make to musculoskeletal symptoms. The sample of 42 workers answered the Nordic Questionnaire and the Job Factors Questionnaire. The kinetic/functional characteristics of each worker were verified by a blinded evaluator. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson's correlation. Musculoskeletal symptoms were more prevalent in the spinal region and upper limbs. The exposure levels to risk factors were identified as a serious problem. Postural disorders, musculoskeletal symptoms and risk factors were correlated (P � 0.05).
Agonist-dependent phosphorylation and nuclear dephosphorylation of glucocorticoid receptors in intact cells.

Abstract Phosphorylation and dephosphorylation has been suggested to influence the function of glucocorticoid receptors, but evidence for hormone-dependent changes in the phosphorylation state under physiological conditions is lacking. Here we show that in intact WEHI-7 mouse thymoma cells, labeled for 18-20 h with [32P]orthophosphate and [35S]methionine, glucocorticoids rapidly increase the average number of phosphates on the steroid-binding protein approximately from three to five. This stimulation is agonist-dependent since the antiglucocorticoid RU 486 (17 beta-hydroxy-11 beta,4-dimethylaminophenyl-17 alpha-propynyl estra-4,9-diene-3-one) has no effect by itself and blocks the cortisol-induced phosphorylation. Furthermore, the salt-unextractable nuclear bound receptors lose at least two phosphates compared to cytosolic and nuclear extractable forms. These results show for the first time that these hormone-dependent transcription regulators undergo agonist-induced phosphorylation and dephosphorylation which may affect their activity.
Completions of rings of invariants and their divisor class groups

Let k be a field and let A = be a normal graded subring of the full ring of polynomials R = k[X 1 , · · ·, X n ] (where R always is graded via total degree and A 0 = k ). R. Fossum and the author [F-G] observed that the completion Â at the irrelevant maximal ideal of A is isomorphic to the subring of the formal power series ring R = k[[X 1 , · ·., X n ]] and, moreover, that Â is a ring of invariants of an algebraic group whenever A is.
Necessity, Volition, and Love: On the Necessity of Ideals

FREEDOM, INDIVIDUALITY, AND NECESSITY Our culture places a very high value on a certain ideal of freedom according to which a person is to have varied alternatives available in the design and conduct of his life. For a long time we have been fundamentally committed to encouraging a steady expansion of the range of options from which people can select. This commitment has been rather lavishly provided with technological, institutional, and ideological support. Moreover, it has become morally entrenched: we admire individuals and societies that promote freedom, and we deplore practices or circumstances that impair it. The more a society leaves it up to its members to determine individually the direction of their energies and the specification of their goals, and the more reasonable possibilities it offers them, the more enlightened and humane we consider it. Our conception of ideal freedom is limited, to be sure, by considerations of legitimacy. Even those most enthusiastically devoted to freedom acknowledge that some courses of action are morally or in other ways unacceptable. As time has gone on, however, these constraints have been progressively relaxed. Corresponding to the proliferation of possibilities engendered by increasing technological and managerial sophistication, there has been a steady and notable weakening of the ethical and social constraints on legitimate choices and courses of action. Thus the expansion of freedom has affected not only what can be done but what is permissible as well.
Evaluation of burn severity in vivo in a mouse model using spectroscopic optical coherence tomography

Clinical management of burn injuries depends upon an accurate assessment of the depth of the wound. Current diagnostic methods rely primarily on subjective visual inspection, which can produce variable results. In this study, spectroscopic optical coherence tomography was used to objectively evaluate burn injuries in vivo in a mouse model. Significant spectral differences were observed and correlated with the depth of the injury as determined by histopathology. The relevance of these results to clinical burn management in human tissues is discussed.
NADH oxidase activity of rat liver plasma membrane activated by guanine nucleotides

Abstract The activity of a hormone- and growth-factor-stimulated NADH oxidase of the rat liver plasma membrane responds to guanine nucleotides, but in a manner that differs from that of the classic trimeric and low-molecular-mass monomeric G-proteins. In the absence of added bivalent ions, both GTP and GDP as well as guanosine 5'-[gamma-thio]triphosphate (GTP[gamma-S]) but not guanosine 5'[beta-thio]diphosphate (GDP[beta-S]) stimulate the activity over the range 1 microM to 100 microM. Other di- and tri-nucleotides also stimulate, but only at concentrations of 100 microM or higher. Added bivalent ions are not required either for NADH oxidation or guanine nucleotide stimulation. Bivalent ions (Mg2+ > Mn2+ > or = Ca2+) alone stimulate only slightly at low concentrations and then inhibit at high concentrations. The inhibitions are augmented by GDP or GTP [gamma-S] but not by GTP. Although the activity is the same, or less, in the presence of 0.5 mM MgCl2, GTP at 1-100 nM and other nucleotides at 0.1 mM or 1 mM still stimulate in its presence. The NADH oxidase is activated by mastoparan but aluminum fluoride is weakly inhibitory. Cholera and pertussis toxins elicit only marginal responses. Both the Mg2+ and the GDP and GTP[gamma-S] inhibitions (but not the GTP stimulations) shift to higher concentrations when the membrane preparations are first solubilized with Triton X-100. The results suggest a role for guanine nucleotides in the regulation of plasma membrane NADH oxidase, but with properties that differ from those of either trimeric or the low-molecular-mass G proteins thus far described.