cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
EFFECTIVENESS OF WEARABLE DEFIBRILLATORS: SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND QUALITY OF EVIDENCE

Objectives The objectives of this systematic literature review were to identify all published literature on wearable defibrillators, assess the wearable defibrillator's efficacy and effectiveness in general and among specific patient groups, including post-myocardial infarction, post coronary artery bypass grafting or percutaneous coronary intervention, non-ischemic cardiomyopathy, and ischemic cardiomyopathy, and to evaluate the quality of evidence. Methods The search and synthesis was informed by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement, and the quality of evidence was evaluated using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation and the Newcastle Ottawa Scale. Results A total of thirty-six articles and conference abstracts from thirty-three studies were included in the review. It appears that wearable defibrillator use compared with no defibrillator use reduces the chance of ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation (VT/VF) associated deaths by an absolute risk reduction of approximately 1 percent, achieved by averting approximately 4/5th of all VT/VF associated deaths. The quality of evidence was low to very low quality, such that our confidence in the reported estimates is weak. Conclusions To validate beneficial results, further investigation using robust study designs conducted by independent researchers is warranted.
Micro-interactions with NFC-Enabled Mobile Phones

This paper coins the term micro-interactions to refer to the class of small exchanges between devices that occur almost instantaneously. For example, a mobile payment using near-field communication (NFC) is a micro-interaction. The arrival of NFC on smart phones makes possible a wide array of applications using micro-interactions, from sharing photos between a phone and a TV to checking a car into a valet parking service by touching two phones.
Cultural Values and Leadership Behavior in the U.S., Jamaica, and the Bahamas

As global companies access business opportunities in other countries, culture and leadership practices become critical issues. Thus, it was timely that this study examined the effects of national culture on leadership behavior of Americans, Jamaicans, and Bahamians. These countries were chosen because of Jamaicas and the Bahamas strong relationship with the United States (economic interdependence). MBA students attending classes in these countries and holding leadership positions within their respective organizations participated in the study. The results in addition to confirming other cross-cultural researchers work that the values and attitudes of individuals vary from country, also identifies that there are differences in leadership behavior across countries.
The Use of Perturbation with Monte Carlo Simulation Approach to Estimate the Reliability of the Space Shuttle Field Joints

The space shuttle Challenger disaster was brought on by a faulty design and a misunderstanding of reliability. The purpose of this article is to illuminate some shortcomings in the design and interpretations of the systems reliability. It will be shown that the evidence was in place, waiting for discovery long before the disaster, and the tools been available to better evaluate the reliability of the shuttle, the disaster may have never taken place. One such tool that will be discussed is the use of model perturbation with Monte Carlo simulation analysis to yield a better understanding of the structural physics that were at play during the disaster.
Discovery of 4-Amino-8-quinoline Carboxamides as Novel, Submicromolar Inhibitors of NAD-Hydrolyzing Enzyme CD38

Starting from the micromolar 8-quinoline carboxamide high-throughput screening hit 1a, a systematic exploration of the structure-activity relationships (SAR) of the 4-, 6-, and 8-substituents of the quinoline ring resulted in the identification of approximately 10-100-fold more potent human CD38 inhibitors. Several of these molecules also exhibited pharmacokinetic parameters suitable for in vivo animal studies, including low clearances and decent oral bioavailability. Two of these CD38 inhibitors, 1ah and 1ai, were shown to elevate NAD tissue levels in liver and muscle in a diet-induced obese (DIO) C57BL/6 mouse model. These inhibitor tool compounds will enable further biological studies of the CD38 enzyme as well as the investigation of the therapeutic implications of NAD enhancement in disease models of abnormally low NAD.
Full-Scale Testing of Shear Key Details for Precast Concrete Box-Beam Bridges

AbstractBox-beam bridge shear key connection designs are investigated by conducting full-scale structural tests. The authors’ evaluation included connection details, which are considered current good practice using high-strength nonshrink grout in combination with transverse posttensioning and novel details using ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC). The factors that affect shear key performance, including simulated traffic loading, thermal loads, level of transverse posttensioning, and different connection designs, are presented in this paper. A simplified model for calculating the transverse shear is proposed, and the possible transverse tensile force caused by eccentrically placed loads is discussed. The performances of different connection details are presented and compared. The findings of the research can be used to assist bridge owners in the use of this economical bridge type and can provide innovative solutions that advance state-of-the-practice in bridge construction.
A HIGH-EXTINCTION-RATIO AND LOW-LOSS SINGLE-MODE SINGLE-POLARIZATION OPTICAL FIBER

Single-mode single-polarization optical fibers (SPFs) /1/ which can guide only one polarization mode have many applications in polarizers/2/, fiber sensors, and coherent-transmission lines.
Cross-Rate Variation in the Intelligibility of Dual-Rate Gated Speech in Older Listeners.

Intelligibility of sentences gated with a single primary rate (0.5-8 Hz, 25-75% duty cycle) or gated with an additional concurrent rate of 24 Hz and a 50% duty cycle was examined in older normal-hearing and hearing-impaired listeners. With a stronger effect of age than hearing loss, intelligibility tended to increase with primary rate and duty cycle, but varied for dual-rate gating. Reduction in the total amount of speech due to concurrent 24 Hz gating had little effect on the intelligibility for the lowest and highest primary rates, but was detrimental for rates between 2 to 4 Hz, mimicking the pattern previously obtained from young normal-hearing listeners. The dual-rate intelligibility decrement with a 2 Hz primary rate significantly correlated with speech intelligibility in multi-talker babble, suggesting overlap of perceptual processes. Overall, findings reflect interaction of central and peripheral processing of speech occurring on different time scales.
Porcine somatotropic regulation of thymic weight, thymosin beta 4, and insulin-like growth factors in lean and obese swine.

Experiment 1 involved genetically lean and obese gilts and barrows injected for 42 d with 0, 2, or 4 mg/d of porcine somatotropin (pST; n = 96). Blood was collected at 0, 6, and 24 h after the initial pST injection and thereafter every 2 wk. Experiment 2 involved lean and obese gilts and barrows (n = 48) that were administered implants that released 0, 2, or 4 mg/d of pST for 42 d. Blood was collected at d 0, 7, 14, 28, and 42 of the study. Thymic weights and a final blood sample were collected at the end of the 42-d trial. Thymic weights increased (P < .01) with dose of pST in injected and implanted animals. Thymosin beta 4 increased (P < .05) in a pST dose-dependent manner in injected and implanted animals, but concentrations were increased more in implanted animals. Concentrations of thymosin beta 4 decreased or reached a plateau in gilts but continued to increase in barrows to the end of the trial. Thymosin alpha 1 concentrations were increased (P < .01) in barrows compared with gilts, but the concentrations were not related to dose of pST. Concentrations of pST in injected animals increased (P < .01) within 6 h after injection and had returned to basal concentrations by 24 h after injection. Concentrations of pST in implanted animals were dose-dependent (P < .05) and remained increased throughout the trial. Concentrations of IGF-I and -II were pST-dependent (P < .01) and increased throughout the trial period. Outside of the pST dose relationships, temporal changes in thymosin beta 4 were not highly related to changes in pST, IGF-I, or IGF-II. The pST dose-related increases in thymic weights and thymosin beta 4 concentrations are consistent with pST stimulation of the immune function in conjunction with overall increases of growth and efficiency of live weight gain in swine.
Waist-to-hip ratio showed a linear association with mortality in middle-aged men and women, but body mass index did not.

Source Citation Simpson JA, MacInnis RJ, Peeters A, et al. A comparison of adiposity measures as predictors of all-cause mortality: the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study. Obesity. 2007;15:994-10...
User comments on climate stories: impacts of anecdotal vs. scientific evidence

Stories about climate change garner passionate comments from readers, ranging from acclaim to invective. This research is the first to investigate the effects of the rhetorical strategies of deploying anecdotal versus scientific evidence in comments. A between-subjects experiment with a U.S. adult sample (N = 363) tested whether user comments that support or contradict a climate news story, using either anecdotal or scientific evidence, have an effect on message reception. Individual difference variables in audience members have been shown to moderate the effects of comments in previous research. Findings show that political ideology is an important moderator of effects, particularly on the perception of climate change risk and story credibility. And when looking at the reactions of people who have low need for cognition and are highly conservative, climate uncertainty was diminished when anecdotal evidence appeared in comments. Taken together, these findings indicate that, in the context of climate change communication, comments from users can influence whether a climate story is perceived as credible by certain readers and can also disrupt a story’s intended message, particularly if comments attempt to invoke scientific proof for their claims.
Diseases of Dairy Animals | Non-Infectious Diseases: Displaced Abomasum

Displacement of the abomasum of dairy cattle is a significant production disease seen predominantly in the transition cow. Significant losses of income and milk production are common. Annual incidence can exceed 4% in problem herds. The disease is not the outcome of a single event; instead it results from the culmination of risk factors that can occur in late pregnancy and early lactation. Maintaining adequate dry matter intake and a positive energy balance in the transition cow are considered paramount in the control of this disease problem. As a disease, displacement of the abomasum is a term that encompasses several different clinical syndromes. Displacement of the abomasum occurs when there is a shift in position of the abomasum from its normal location in the right ventral abdomen along either the left or right abdominal wall, subsequently creating a functional impairment in digestion. A further complication may occur when a right displacement becomes compromised by a ‘twist’ leading to a life-threatening situation. Surgical and nonsurgical methods of correction of the condition are described; however, the ultimate goal of any approach is the reduction in the incidence of abomasal displacements through careful management of the inciting and associated factors.
A New Species of Physalopteroides (Nematoda: Physalopteridae) in Emoia atrocostata (Squamata: Scincidae) from Peninsular Malaysia

Physalopteroides grismeri n. sp. (Spirurida, Physalopteridae) from the stomach of Emoia atrocostata (Squamata: Scincidae) collected in Peninsular Malaysia is described and illustrated. Physalopteroides grismeri n. sp. is the twentieth species assigned to the genus, the sixth from the Oriental region, and the first from Peninsular Malaysia. The new species is most similar to those species possessing symmetrical caudal alae, i.e., Physalopteroides agamae, Physalopteroides bahamensis, Physalopteroides dactyluris, Physalopteroides dryophisi, Physalopteroides geckonis, Physalopteroides grayiacola, Physalopteroides impar, Physalopteroides milneae, Physalopteroides minor, Physalopteroides quadridentatum, Physalopteroides tarentolae, Physalopteroides valdesi, Physalopteroides venancioi, and Physalopteroides versicoloris. Physalopteroides valdesi possesses 6 postcloacal papillae; P. dryophisi possesses 6–8 postcloacal papillae; P. grayiacola, P. geckonis, P. bahamensis, P. venancioi possess 8 postcloacal papillae; P. impar, P. minor, P quadridentatum possess 10 postcloacal papillae; P. milneae, P. agamae, P. dactyluris, P. versicoloris possess 12 postcloacal papillae; P. tarentolae and P. grismeri n. sp. possess 14 postcloacal papillae; however, spicules are absent in P. tarentolae, present in P. grismeri n. sp.
Vegetation in the Mekong Basin

Publisher Summary The topographic heterogeneity of the Mekong Basin produces highly variable mosaics of seasonal and total rainfall. Mean annual rainfall within the Mekong Basin varies from as little as 600 mm to 5000 mm or more in portions of the upper Annamite Range. Total rainfall generally shows a strong correlation with the seasonality of rainfall, with areas of lower rainfall exhibiting a longer dry season. The upper watershed of the Mekong River drainage in northwestern Yunnan, Tibet, and Qinghai Provinces of China provides a transition from tropical and subtropical forests of Southeast Asia to temperate forests to the north. Lower valleys below 1000 m elevation with relatively mesic conditions characteristically support semievergreen forest. The canopy exhibits a mixed dominance of both evergreen and deciduous broad-leaved species, with deciduous tree species attaining their major importance on drier valley slopes. A large area of the upper Mekong drainage at intermediate elevations is characterized by a dissected cover of subtropical conifer forest with Pinus yunnanensis occurring over a broad range but commonly at 1500–3000 m, and Pinus armandii at 2500–3000.
Paraoxonase 1, quorum sensing, and P. aeruginosa infection: a novel model.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a Gram-negative bacterium which exacts a heavy burden on immunocompromised patients, but is non-pathogenic in a healthy host. Using small signaling molecules called acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs), populations of P. aeruginosa can coordinate phenotypic changes, including biofilm formation and virulence factor secretion. This concentration-dependent process is called quorum sensing (QS). Interference with QS has been identified as a potential source of new treatments for P. aeruginosa infection. The human enzyme paraoxonase 1 (PON1) degrades AHL molecules, and is a promising candidate for QS interference therapy. Although paraoxonase orthologs exist in many species, genetic redundancy in humans and other mammals has made studying the specific effects of PON1 quite difficult. Arthropods, however, do not express any PON homologs. We generated a novel model to study the specific effects of PON1 by transgenically expressing human PON1 in Drosophila melanogaster. Using this model, we showed that P. aeruginosa infection lethality is QS-dependent, and that expression of PON1 has a protective effect. This work demonstrates the value of a D. melanogaster model for investigating the specific functions of members of the paraoxonase family in vivo, and suggests that PON1 plays a role in innateimmunity.
Amazon entrepreneurs: Women’s economic empowerment and the potential for more sustainable land use practices

Abstract This study focuses on the effects on rural women's empowerment of participation in collective microenterprises: access and decision-making power for land use, as well as on changes in their resource management practices. We explore a very specific effect of women’s empowerment on efforts to implement more sustainable livelihood practices by women participating in collective microenterprise activities. The study used a qualitative research design, carrying out semi-structured interviews with 65 rural women participants of eleven collective microenterprises in the Amazonian states of Para and Acre, Brazil. The results showed that women’s economic empowerment contributed to their strengthened capacity for adaptive governance in the household due to improvements in their awareness of environmental issues and practices used to manage forest resources; and greater access to resources and to decision-making power about land use.
Solution synthesis of few-layer 2H MX2 (M = Mo, W; X = S, Se)

Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) exhibit a wide range of properties depending on the chemistry of the transition metal element and the chalcogen, making them promising candidates for electronic applications. Current TMD thin films are either derived from bulk minerals, hence limited by the impurities, defects, and the availability of raw materials, or deposited using high vacuum or high reaction temperature processes. Here, we describe a versatile method to directly synthesize few-layer 2H MoS2, MoSe2, WS2, and WSe2 flakes from thermolysis of organometallic precursors in the presence of a chalcogen element using microwave-assisted heating. We study how the concentration of a reducing agent, 1,2-hexadecanediol, affects the chemical composition of TMDs using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The crystalline phase of these materials is determined as trigonal prismatic (2H) using Raman spectroscopy and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). Both STEM and atomic force microscopy (AFM) indicate that these flakes are a few layers thick (∼2 nm) with a relatively large lateral size (∼2 μm).
Abstract P334: Comparative Effectiveness of Left Ventricular Assist Devices as a Bridge to Heart Transplantation

Left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) have evolved to be more frequently utilized in patients with advanced congestive heart failure as a bridge to heart transplantation. In the era of limited healthcare resources and diminishing funding for innovative technologies, there is little data to evaluate the comparative effectiveness of LVADs in comparison to more conventional heart failure therapies leading to heart transplantation without mechanical circulatory support. Objective. To evaluate the clinical outcomes, complications, length of stay, financial impact and satisfaction of patients with advanced heart failure undergoing heart transplantation as part of a comprehensive heart failure program with or without LVAD as a bridge to transplant (BTT). Methods We retrospectively reviewed 25 patients undergoing heart transplantation from 2009–2010 (12 patients without LVAD, 13 with LVAD as BTT). Inpatient hospital, financial and clinic records were reviewed to evaluate length of stay, morbidity, mortality, DRG assignment, insurance status, charges and cost, reimbursement and patient satisfaction. All patients received surveys assessing their satisfaction with the mechanical circulatory support and transplant program. Results There were 14 males and 11 females (avg age 54 ).In the non- LVAD group, 9 patients fell into DRG 1 ,3 were in DRG 2;in the LVAD group, 10 patients fell in DRG 1, 3 patients were in DRG 2.Complications occurring in the LVAD patients included pneumonia (2),CVA, depression, rejection and bowel perforation ;in the non-LVAD patients pneumonia, pulmonary embolus, aspergillosis, peri-rectal abscess and failure to thrive; Mortality at 1 year occurred in 2 patients after LVAD; 1 patient after transplant without LVAD. All patients responded that they were very satisfied with the advanced heart failure program whether they received LVAD prior to transplant or not Conclusions Transplant recipients with advanced heart failure have comparable clinical outcomes after transplant whether they required LVAD implantation prior to transplant. Perioperative care algorithms focused on reduction of common post-operative complications resulting in significant financial impact (ie pulmonary), should be developed to address these issues.
Summary of the latest extensions to the electromagnetic field solver package FEKO

This paper summarises the latest extensions to the electromagnetic field solver package FEKO. Advanced parallelisation options for full wave methods (MLFMM, FDTD), speed improvements for cable harness modelling, extensions to the asymptotic RL-GO solver, and improved mode tracking for CMA are discussed.
Association of Fat Grafting With Patient-Reported Outcomes in Postmastectomy Breast Reconstruction

Importance Fat grafting has proven to be a useful adjunct to breast reconstruction for the treatment of contour irregularities and volume deficits, but the proposed US Food and Drug Administration regulations may severely limit the ability of plastic surgeons to continue its use in this clinical context. Objective To determine whether fat grafting is associated with patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in patients undergoing breast reconstruction. Design, Setting, and Participants A longitudinal, multicenter, prospective cohort study was conducted between February 1, 2012, and July 31, 2016, at the 11 sites associated with the Mastectomy Reconstruction Outcomes Consortium Study. Eligible patients included women 18 years or older presenting for breast reconstruction after mastectomy with 2 years or more of follow-up. All primary procedure types (implant based and flap based) were eligible. Patients were excluded if they had not completed breast mound reconstruction by 1 year after starting reconstruction. Interventions Fat grafting as an adjunct to breast mound reconstruction. Main Outcomes and Measures Primary end points were patient-reported outcome measures as assessed by the validated BREAST-Q survey, with higher scores on a 0- to 100-point scale indicating better health-related quality of life. Survey subscales included breast satisfaction, as well as psychosocial, physical, and sexual well-being. Patient-reported outcomes were compared between those who received and did not receive fat grafting. Results A total of 2048 women were included (mean [SD] age, 49.4 [10] years), with 165 (8.1%) undergoing fat grafting between years 1 and 2. One year postoperatively, patients who later underwent fat grafting reported significantly lower breast satisfaction (adjusted mean difference [AMD], −4.74; 95% CI, −8.21 to −1.28; P = .008), psychosocial well-being (AMD, −3.87; 95% CI, −7.33 to −0.40; P = .03), and sexual well-being (AMD, −5.59; 95% CI, −9.70 to −1.47; P = .008), compared with those who did not receive subsequent fat grafting. Following the procedure, the fat-grafted cohort reported similar breast satisfaction (AMD, −0.68; 95% CI, −4.42 to 3.06; P = .72), psychosocial well-being (AMD, −0.59; 95% CI, −3.92 to 2.74; P = .73), and sexual well-being (AMD, −2.94; 95% CI, −7.01 to 1.12; P = .15) 2 years postoperatively. Conclusions and Relevance Fat grafting may improve breast satisfaction, psychosocial well-being, and sexual well-being in patients undergoing breast reconstruction.
Piloted Quality Control Techniques Using the Plastic Mold Compaction Device for Cement Stabilized Materials

Some highway agencies make heavy use of cement-stabilized materials (i.e., soil-cement) for subbase and base pavement layers. Recently, several soil-cement studies have been funded by highway agencies. Through one of these studies, the plastic mold compaction device (PM Device) was developed, which is designed to compact 2:1 height/diameter specimens inside plastic molds. The most novel aspect of the PM Device is the potential to interface mechanistic-empirical pavement design, laboratory mixture design, and construction quality control/quality assurance (QC/QA) activities. To date, the PM Device has been evaluated with respect to design activities, but little work has been performed to evaluate the PM Device’s effectiveness as a tool during construction. This paper focuses on three pilot projects in which the PM Device was evaluated as a potential QC/QA tool. The PM Device demonstrated merit as a QC/QA tool for A-2-4 classified materials, but the current PM Device does have particle size limitations. The PM Device produced consistent specimen densities with a predetermined compactive effort, provided an indication of cement content of field-mixed material via unconfined compressive strength testing, and correlated favorably with field cores in a limited assessment. The investigations presented need to be supplemented by additional projects to develop a framework for the PM Device to be implemented into an agency QC/QA program.
Body Composition in Children with Chronic Illness: Accuracy of Bedside Assessment Techniques.

Objective To evaluate the accuracy of estimated fat mass and fat-free mass from bedside methods compared with reference methods in children with chronic illnesses. Study design Fat mass and fat-free mass values were obtained by skinfold, bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and deuterium dilution method in children with spinal muscular atrophy, intestinal failure, and post hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Spearman's correlation and agreement analyses were performed between (1) fat mass values estimated by skinfold equations and by DXA and (2) fat-free mass values estimated by BIA equations and by DXA and deuterium dilution methods. Limits of agreement between estimating and reference methods within ±20% were deemed clinically acceptable. Results Fat mass and fat-free mass values from 90 measurements in 56 patients, 55% male, and median age of 11.6 years were analyzed. Correlation coefficients between the skinfold-estimated fat mass values and DXA were 0.93-0.94 and between BIA-estimated fat-free mass values and DXA were 0.92-0.97. Limits of agreement between estimated and DXA values of fat mass and fat-free mass were greater than ±20% for all equations. Correlation coefficients between estimated fat-free mass values and deuterium dilution method in 35 encounters were 0.87-0.91, and limits of agreement were greater than ±20%. Conclusion Estimated body composition values derived from skinfold and BIA may not be reliable in children with chronic illnesses. An accurate noninvasive method to estimate body composition in this cohort is desirable.
Adaptationist and Nativist Positions on Language Origins: A Critique

One cannot argue against some of the mechanisms underlying language being innately structured. The questions remain whether these mechanisms arose from: point mutations directly affecting cortical structure, changes correlated with shifts in developmental timing, and/or natural selection on non linguistic systems of behavior; and if such change(s) resulted in cognitive processes without precedent in other primates.
Mitochondrial function in normal and hypoxic states of the myocardium.

The relationships among isometric tension development, the oxidation-reduction states of pyridine nucleotides and cytochrome c, and the oxygenation state of myoglobin have been assessed using the arterially perfused rabbit interventricular septum under different conditions of contraction rate, perfusate [Ca2+] and pH, catecholamine stress, and hypoxia. Hypoxia was produced either by decreasing oxygen availability with maintained flow (high-flow hypoxia) or by decreasing the flow rate (ischemia). Under normoxic conditions, increased work caused a fall of the cytosolic adenine nucleotide phosphorylation potential, ΔG (ATP)c, an oxidation of the pyridine nucleotides, and a reduction of cytochrome c; the opposite occurred with decreased work. Thus, the redox potential span from NADH to cytochrome c, ΔG h , varied with the energy demand such that ΔG h and ΔG (ATP)c changed in the same direction. Under hypoxic conditions, all respiratory components became more reduced, and myoglobin was partially deoxygenated. The percentage change of developed tension under hypoxic conditions was approximately proportional to the percentage change of oxidized cytochrome c. When high-flow hypoxia and ischemia were compared at the same rates of oxygen delivery, the developed tension at any level of cytochrome c reduction was always lower with ischemia than with high-flow hypoxia. This difference was attributed to the low intracellular pH of ischemic tissue. Myoglobin deoxygenation was linearly related to cytochrome c reduction under all conditions of hypoxia, indicating steep oxygen gradients. The results support the concept of heterogeneous oxygenation of the tissue with mixed populations of aerobic and anaerobic mitochondria in the hypoxic state. In the full aerobic state, the control of mitochondrial respiration in situ appears similar to that of isolated mitochondria.
Prolonged environment-induced hyperthermia alters autophagy in oxidative skeletal muscle in Sus scrofa

Abstract Prolonged heat stress represents a continuing threat to human health and agricultural production. Despite the broad, negative impact of prolonged hyperthermia little is known about underlying pathological mechanisms leading to negative health outcomes, which has limited the development of etiological interventions and left clinicians and producers with only cooling and rehydration strategies. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the extent to which prolonged environment-induced hyperthermia altered autophagy in oxidative skeletal muscle in a large animal model, serving the dual purpose of accurately modeling human physiology as well as agricultural production. We hypothesized that prolonged hyperthermia would induce autophagy in skeletal muscle, independent of the accompanying caloric restriction. To test this hypothesis pigs were treated as follows: thermoneutral (20 °C), heat stress (35 °C), or were held under thermoneutral conditions but pair-fed to the heat stress group for seven days. Upon euthanasia the red portion of the semitendinosus was collected. We found that prolonged hyperthermic exposure increased oxidative stress without a corresponding change in antioxidant enzyme activities. Hyperthermia prevented initiation of autophagy despite increased markers of nucleation, elongation and autophagosome formation. However, p62 relative protein abundance, which is inversely correlated with autophagic degradation, was strongly increased suggesting suppressed degradation of autophagosomes. Markers of mitophagy and mitochondrial abundance were largely similar between groups. These data indicate that faulty autophagy plays a key role in hyperthermic muscle dysfunction.
Transactional Sex and Preferences for Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Administration Modalities Among Men Who Have Sex With Men (MSM)

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an important biomedical human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention tool gaining more popularity among Parisian men who have sex with men (MSM) who engage in tr...
Relações Treonina: Lisina em Dietas Para Frangos de Corte na fase inicial

Dois experimentos foram realizados com o objetivo de determinar a exigencia de treonina e a relacao treonina: lisina (Tre:Lis) digestivel para frangos da linhagem Cobb. Sendo no primeiro experimento foram utilizadas 280 aves recebendo diferentes niveis de treonina na fase pre-inicial (1 a 7 dias), e na fase inicial (8 a 21 dias) passaram a receber racao unica ate o termino do experimento. No segundo experimento, foram utilizadas 280 aves, sendo fornecida na fase pre-inicial racao unica com o mesmo nivel de treonina, e no setimo dia de idade as aves passaram por processo de pesagem para inicio do periodo experimental na fase inicial (8 a 21 dias) recebendo racoes com diferentes niveis de treonina. Os experimentos foram conduzidos em delineamento inteiramente casualizado, com quatro niveis de treonina digestivel na fase pre-inicial e inicial, com os niveis de (0,852%, 0,952%, 1,052% e 1,152%) e (0,763%, 0, 863%, 0,963% e 1,063%), cinco repeticoes e 14 aves por parcela em cada experimento. No primeiro experimento, nao foi observado efeito (p>0,05) dos diferentes niveis de treonina digestivel sobre os resultados de peso final, consumo de racao, ganho de peso e conversao alimentar para frangos na fase de 1 a 7 dias de idade com diferentes niveis de treonina. Da mesma forma, no segundo experimento, nao foi observado efeito (p>0,05) dos diferentes niveis de treonina digestivel sobre os resultados de peso final, consumo de racao, ganho de peso e conversao alimentar para frangos na fase de 8 a 21 dias de idade com diferentes niveis de treonina. Recomenda – se para a fase pre - inicial o requerimento em treonina e lisina digestivel de 0,852% e 1,310% com relacao treonina: lisina de 65% e para a fase inicial o requerimento em treonina e lisina digestivel de 0,763% e 1,174% com relacao treonina: lisina de 65%.
Composition and Biosynthesis of Lignocellulosic Biomass

As alluded to in Chapters 1 and 3, the large-scale production of ethanol and other green chemical feedstocks will rely heavily on the processing of lignocellulosic biomass. The processing efficiency of lignocellulosic biomass depends on its chemical composition. This chapter will focus on what lignocellulosic biomass is, how the different constituents of lignocellulosic biomass are synthesized and assembled in a highly functional composite – the cell wall – and what is known about the genetics and biochemistry of cell wall biosynthesis.
A plague in prostitution: HIV and AIDS in Thailand.

Religion culture socioeconomics political factors and even geography play important roles in the spread of HIV in Thailand. The author discusses these factors emphasizing the role of Thailands significant commercial sex trade. Politics poverty and geography together form much of the basis of the patterns of HIVs spread throughout Thailand. Although 80% of the Thai population lives in rural areas the Thai government since the 1950s has invested disproportionately large amounts of resources in the urban sector at the expense of rural areas. Opportunities for economic gain and overall advancement are therefore greater in urban centers. Girls and young women of predominantly poor rural households therefore migrate to Thai cities to work in brothels. As prostitutes they make without education better wages than they could working in factories. After buying what they need to accommodate their urban lifestyles the women may send money in support of their rural-based families as well as to monasteries and temples. These latter contributions are made in keeping with Theravada Buddhism the predominant faith which regards female prostitutes are very low on the cosmological scale in the quest for nirvana both because they are women and they come from poor families. It is hoped that by contributing to the faith ones karma will be improved thus allowing return in the next lifetime as a man preferably wealthy. There are an estimated 80000-1000000 prostitutes in Thailand. Each may have sexual intercourse with up to twenty clients per day. Their clients include international tourists as well as local Thai men. At least 450000 Thai men visit prostitutes daily with at least 75% of Thai men having had paid sex at least once. One researcher found that 72% of the low-class prostitutes were HIV-seropositive while another examination of a few brothels found all prostitutes to be infected. 50% of Thai men reported in a 1990 study that they never use a condom 26% had multiple sex partners in the preceding six months and 86% believed that there is only a small chance of contracting AIDS. This high prevalence of HIV infection among prostitutes frequent sexual intercourse and lack of condom use in Thailand is ideal for the continued spread of HIV throughout the population. Men from hill tribes who have sex with prostitutes and use IV drugs also help take HIV into the most remote areas of Thailand.
Applying Hardiness to Teaching and Counseling

This chapter concerns hardiness training in adolescence and adulthood. In this, it covers primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention. Primary and secondary prevention emphasizes hardiness assessment and training in schools. Hardiness assessment and training in counseling emphasizes tertiary prevention. Also covered is the approach to obtaining school approval for a hardiness training course, and the validation of this approach is important in this. Hardiness assessment and training in counseling emphasizes help in overcoming conformism, vegetativeness, nihilism, and adventurousness. The specifics of this approach are covered, along with case studies.
Methods in drug abuse models: comparison of different models of methamphetamine paradigms

Methamphetamine (METH) is a widely abused psychomotor stimulant. Investigating the effects of METH use on the brain has been applied in different animal models, including rats, mice, and nonhuman primates. Human abuse of METH occurs in different paradigms ranging from episodes of binge abuse to chronic abuse over years; different animal models have been established to replicate these various patterns of human behavior. In this chapter, we discuss the different models of METH abuse, including the acute model which assesses the immediate effects of METH on the brain and chronic exposure model which simulates the more common long-term use observed in humans; additionally, two other relevant models, escalating dose paradigm and METH self-administration, are examined. In comparing the models, this chapter briefly considers the METH-induced neurotoxic effects associated with each METH administration paradigm and the behavioral changes observed.
Safety data from a phase II randomized trial of radium-223 dichloride (Ra-223) plus enzalutamide (Enza) vs. Enza alone in men with metastatic castration refractory prostate cancer (mCRPC).

5057Background: Ra-233, a bone targeting alpha radiopharmaceutical, and Enza, are approved for mCRPC. Per SWOG0421, the subset of men with mCRPC with the highest bone metabolism marker levels had i...
Fundamental Supermultiplet in Twelve Dimensions

We discuss a set of local fields which provide the on-shell massless states expected for the fundamental linear representation of supersymmetry in twelve dimensions. We recover the states of the anticipated N=16, S=4, massless supermultiplet upon reduction to four dimensions. Using algebraic methods, we also construct ghost arrays which permit the covariant quantization of each of the gauge fields in the set.
Parallelized Natural Extension Reference Frame: Parallelized Conversion from Internal to Cartesian Coordinates

The conversion of polymer parameterization from internal coordinates (bond lengths, angles, and torsions) to Cartesian coordinates is a fundamental task in molecular modeling, often performed using the natural extension reference frame (NeRF) algorithm. NeRF can be parallelized to process multiple polymers simultaneously, but is not parallelizable along the length of a single polymer. A mathematically equivalent algorithm, pNeRF, has been derived that is parallelizable along a polymer's length. Empirical analysis demonstrates an order-of-magnitude speed up using modern GPUs and CPUs. In machine learning-based workflows, in which partial derivatives are backpropagated through NeRF equations and neural network primitives, switching to pNeRF can reduce the fractional computational cost of coordinate conversion from over two-thirds to around 10%. An optimized TensorFlow-based implementation of pNeRF is available on GitHub at https://github.com/aqlaboratory/pnerf © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Order and disorder in the British Navy, 1793–1815: control, resistance, flogging and hanging: by Thomas Malcomson, Woodbridge, Boydell Press, 2016,xi+304 pp., 2 b/w maps, £75 (hardback), ISBN: 978-1-78327-119-1

Naval historians have long tried to overcome the idea that life on board warships in the age of sail consisted of little more than rum, sodomy and the lash. And that this anarchic mixture of pervas...
Collection Development and the Historical Record: Are We Forgetting Monographs as Primary Sources?

AbstractContemporary academic libraries’ collection development practices are influenced by limited space, complicated access models, and shrinking budgets that are competing for interests in print...
The Microcomputer as a Laboratory Aid for Visually Impaired Science Students

Visually impaired college students have been hampered in their efforts to pursue careers in science and technology because few adaptations have been developed to help them perform laboratory experi...
Not all information in visual working memory is forgotten equally

To improve maintenance of task-relevant information in visual working memory (VWM), previously encoded, but no longer relevant, information can be suppressed or forgotten. However, it is unclear whether a cue directing attention to a subset of stimuli leads to complete forgetting for non-cued stimuli. The current study utilized a novel method of testing to-be forgotten information to determine if the effectiveness of forgetting differs depending on the type of encoded stimuli. Participants performed a directed forgetting change detection task, and importantly, the changed stimulus could be a novel stimulus or a to-be-forgotten stimulus. Stimulus type (colors, objects, or shapes) was manipulated across two experiments. Results suggest that a cue benefits memory for to-be-remembered information, but performance is not equivalent to never encoding to-be-forgotten information. Furthermore, the type of encoded information impacts the extent of forgetting.
Hope at the Frontier: Firefly and the Value of Space Exploration

Space is often defined as the final frontier. Historically, the development of the American frontier was an important pursuit that not only expanded the physical boundaries of the nascent nation, but led to the development of uniquely American values that came from overcoming the challenges associated with frontier life. As we begin to expand into the final frontier, it is likely that this pursuit will have a similar affect on the culture of a spacefaring humanity. Firefly, the 2002 television series created by Joss Whedon, draws out the analogy between space exploration and the frontier. Following the crew of a spaceship, Serenity, Whedon explores the kinds of values that are associated with life at the frontier, and reimagines them in a new context. This examination serves as a useful reminder of the consequences of exploration, and the possible effects it could have on defining a new culture.
Data-Driven Detection of Sensor-Hijacking Attacks on Electrocardiogram Sensors

In this chapter, we build a detector for identifying sensor-hijacking attacks that alter sensor readings in a Wearable Medical Internet of Things (WMIoT). A sensor-hijacking attack targets medical devices in a WMIoT and makes them generate arbitrary user health state information. A sensor-hijacking attack is very dangerous because it can be mounted stealthily on unsuspecting WMIoT users. We focus on sensor-hijacking attack on one of the most commonly collected vital signs from a person, the electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor. Using sensor-hijacking attack to alter ECG measurements can have profound consequences for the user, as an adversary can easily make a person who is experiencing cardiac arrhythmia appear to be normal and thus cause immediate or long-term harm to their health. To detect sensor-hijacking-based alterations of the ECG measurements, our approach leverages the idea that multiple physiological signals based on the same underlying physiological process (e.g., cardiac process) are inherently related to each other, i.e., have common features. Any surreptitious alteration of one of the signals will not be reflected in the other reference signal (s) in the group. We describe an ECG alteration detector that uses arterial blood pressure (ABP) measurements as reference. The advantages of using a distinct reference signals are: (1) It does not require redundant ECG sensors to operate, (2) it adapts to the changing physiology of the user and does not depend on historical trends, and (3) it does not require instrumentation on other hardware modifications of the devices to work. In this work, we describe a temporal ECG alteration detector. Analysis of our detector shows promising results with over \(\sim \)97% accuracy in detecting even subtle ECG alterations for both healthy users and those with cardiac conditions, within 5 s of the occurrence of the sensor-hijacking attack.
Temporal dynamics of stream fish assemblages and the role of spatial scale in quantifying change.

Spatial grain of studies of communities is often based on arbitrary convention. Few studies have examined how spatial scaling of grain size affects estimates of compositional change over time, despite its broad implications.Fish assemblage structure was compared between 1974 and 2014 at 33 sampling locations in the Muddy Boggy River drainage, USA. The two main objectives for this comparison were to quantify change in assemblage structure and to test for a relationship between compositional change and spatial scale. Spatial scale was manipulated by pooling assemblage data into a continuous range of groups, which increased in size from K = 33 pairs (i.e., local scale) to K = 1 pair (i.e., global scale), via clustering algorithm based on pair-wise fluvial distance.Local assemblages (stream reaches) varied in the degree of assemblage change over time (range = 0.10-0.99 dissimilarity; mean = 0.66). The global assemblage (drainage), however, remained relatively similar. A discontinuity in the relationship between compositional change and spatial scale occurred at K = 15 (mean dissimilarity = 0.56; p = .062), and this grouping is roughly the size of the headwater/tributary drainages (i.e., stream order ≤ 3) in the study system.Spatial scale can impact estimates of biodiversity change over time. These results suggest assemblages are more dynamic at individual stream reaches than at the scale of the entire drainage. The decline in assemblage change at the spatial scale of K = 15 deserves further attention given the marginal significance, despite a small sample size (n = 15). This pattern could suggest regional and meta-community processes become more important in shaping assemblage dynamics at the scale of headwater drainages, whereas the factors responsible for driving individual stream reach dynamics (e.g., stochasticity) become less important. Defining assemblages at a larger scale will result in different estimates of species persistence. Biodiversity monitoring efforts must take the effect of spatial scaling into consideration.
Ecological Survey of Unknown Ladybug Species (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in Mineola, TX

Ladybugs are commonly used as biological control agents against aphids, and typically not found to be invasive. However, the use of these insects might have had a negative effect by creating an invasive pest, Harmonia axyridis. It was hypothesized that the species observed in the area is H. axyridis because of the coloring and circumstances surrounding the collection. It was hypothesized that, at the time of the collection, around 200 ladybug carcasses could be found inside the building. Collection took place on Thursday, March 15, 2018 between the hours of 1:00 and 2:00 PM in Co Rd 3276, Mineola, TX (32.736248, -95.341007). Specimens were collected through careful handling with tweezers, and then placed into a single container. There was an actual value of 273 specimens inside the area. Using the accuracy formula, it was discovered that the estimated value was 73.260073% accurate. It was also hypothesized that all the collected organisms would be from the same species, however with the decay of the insects (greater than 3 weeks), it was difficult to determine, but the organisms presumably all belong to H. axyridis. All the ladybugs collected were found near doors, windowsills, or window panes. It was extremely rare to discover an insect in the middle of the surveyed region, dead or alive.