cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Repeatability of Establishing Anatomical Coordinate Systems and the Initial Configuration of the Knee

Knee joint kinematics are a useful tool for diagnosing joint injury, assessing the effect of surgical procedures, and prescribing the correct rehabilitation protocols. Joint kinematics are measured using coordinate systems defined by anatomical landmarks. A change in location or orientation of these anatomical coordinate systems has been shown to affect the initial knee configuration and knee kinematics in all six degrees-of-freedom (DOF)[1–4]. Several methods have been utilized by researchers, but no universal methodology for determining the location and orientation of the anatomical coordinate systems has been established. The specific aim of this study was to compare the inter-observer repeatability of two methodologies for establishing anatomical coordinate systems and the initial configuration of the knee. The intra-observer repeatability of both methods was also determined to evaluate the effect of training level on establishing the anatomical coordinate systems.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Nickel Complexes for Robust Light-Driven and Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Production from Water

A series of nickel bis(chelate) complexes having square planar coordination are studied for light-driven and electrocatalytic hydrogen production from water. The complexes Ni(abt)2 (abt = 2-aminobenzenethiolate), Ni(mp)2 (mp = 2-mercaptophenolate) and Ni(mpo)2 (mpo = 2-mercaptopyridyl-N-oxide) are found to be active catalysts under light-driven conditions, using fluorescein (Fl) as the photosensitizer (PS) and triethanolamine (TEOA) as the sacrificial electron donor in water under basic pH (pH = 9.8). These molecular systems achieve a turnover number (TON) of ∼6000 (relative to catalyst) and are stable for more than 100 h under H2-generating conditions. When water-soluble CdSe quantum dots with tripodal S-donor capping agents are employed as PS and ascorbic acid (AA) is used as the sacrificial electron donor at pH 4.5, an active and robust system is obtained for the light-driven generation of H2 from aqueous protons. A TON of over 280 000 is achieved for the three active catalysts. These complexes are als...
Spatial learning and shelter selection by juvenile spotted pythons, Anteresia maculosus

-Spatial abilities are important in mediating natural behaviors in snakes, such as localization of refuges. Twelve spotted pythons (Anteresia maculosus) were trained to find the location of an escape hole in a circular arena, given a choice of eight holes. A snake was deemed to have learned the task if it found the goal on eight out of the last ten acquisition trials. Only half of the animals learned the task after 32 training sessions. Manipulation of sensory cues after training suggests that subjects differed in their responses to manipulations in the environment, suggesting the use of different cues to find the goal. Ten of 12 animals were also tested for shelter preferences. Snakes were given a choice of three different shelter sites (submerged, on the surface, or elevated) to determine the relevance of the arena escape task. Most snakes preferred elevated shelters and showed fidelity to shelters chosen on the first day. These results suggest that juvenile spotted pythons may be more motivated to seek elevated, instead of submerged, refuges, and this may account for the failure of half of the snakes to learn the spatial location task. rnal of Herpetology, Vol. 34, No. 4, pp. 5 5-587, 2000 right 2000 Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles atial Learning and Sh lter Selection by Juvenile Spot ed Pythons, Like most animals, snakes must rely on spatial abilities to find food sources and shelter effectively in their habitats. Most studies on spatial learning and memory have focused on rodents and birds (Bingman, 1990, 1992; Clayton and Krebs, 1992; Sherry et al., 1992). Studies on learning in reptiles have been conducted on turtles, tortoises, and lizards (reviewed in Burghardt, 1977; Brattstrom, 1978; Day et al., 1999), while snakes remain relatively unstudied. In the wild, snakes need to solve spatial tasks in order to find mates, foraging areas, ost animals, snakes must rely on spa4 Corresponding Author. and shelter. Field studies indicate that snakes are able to use celestial cues for orientation (Landreth, 1973; Newcomer et al., 1974; Lawson, 1989, 1994; Lawson and Secoy, 1991). In addition, displacement studies show that snakes actively select specific areas for shelter and can home to a hibernaculum or feeding s te (Noble and Clausen, 1936; Seibert and Hagen, 1947; Stickel and Cope, 1947; Hirth, 1966; Weatherhead and Robertson, 1990; Holtzman, 1998), suggesting that snakes must be able to orient themselves in their environment. Recent laboratory studies have also demonstrated that young corn snakes, Elaphe g. guttata, are able to learn to use and remember orientation cures to 575 This content downloaded from 157.55.39.147 on Sun, 07 Aug 2016 06:44:52 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms
Resistance in Bermudagrass to the Bermudagrass Mite

Eight accessions of bermudagrass, Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers., were evaluated for susceptibility to the bermudagrass mite, Eriophyes cynodoniensis Sayed, under hydroponic culture in the greenhouse. Mite populations failed to become established on FB-119 during an 8-mo experiment. ‘Tifway’ and FB-141 became infested in only 44 and 50%, respectively, of the plants. No difference in infestation level resulted from varied N levels available to the plants. FB-119 has been observed and sampled in field plots adjacent to bermudagrass mite infestations, for ca. 6 yr with no infestation of this eriophyid mite. Susceptible cultivars, however, had continual infestations. The hydroponic culture technique was satisfactory for holding and screening the accessions for resistance.
Estimating Optimal Labor Productivity: A Two-Pronged Strategy

In an attempt to evaluate the efficiency of labor-intensive construction operations, project managers compare actual with historical productivity for equivalent operations. However, this approach towards examining productivity only provides a relative benchmark for efficiency and may lead to the characterization of operations as authentically efficient when in reality such operations may be only comparably efficient. Optimal labor productivitythe highest sustainable productivity achievable in the field under good management and typical field conditionscan provide an absolute benchmark for gauging performance. This optimal productivity level is lower than the productivity frontierthe theoretical maximum achieved under perfect conditionsbecause of system inefficiencies, which emerge due to factors outside the control/influence of project managers. Conversely, optimal labor productivity tends to be higher than actual labor productivitythe productivity achieved in the fieldbecause of operational inefficiencies, which are the result of suboptimal managerial strategies. Estimating the magnitude of these system and operational inefficiencies will help project managers determine optimal labor productivity. This paper develops a two-prong strategy for estimating optimal labor productivity. The first prong represents a top-down approach that estimates optimal productivity by introducing system inefficiencies into the productivity frontier. A Qualitative Factor Model is used to determine the impact of system inefficiencies. This top-down approach yields the upper level estimation of optimal labor productivity. The second prong is a bottom-up approach that determines optimal labor productivity by removing non-contributory work from actual productivity in a discrete event simulation. This bottom-up approach generates the lower level estimation of optimal labor productivity. An average of the upper and lower limits reveals the best estimate for optimal labor productivity. In conjunction with a relevant literature study and a discussion of the twoprong approach’s methodology, this paper ultimately analyzes data from a pilot study, presents results, and evaluates the feasibility of this two-prong strategy for estimating optimal labor productivity in construction operations.
[Epidemiology on reported people living with HIV/AIDS in Qingdao city from 2010 to 2014].

Objective To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of annual reported people living with HIV/AIDS (HIV/AIDS)in Qingdao city, Shandong province from 2010 to 2014 and to provide theoretical evidence for strategies on targeted prevention and control. Methods Information on annual reported HIV/AIDS and sentinel surveillance data from 2010 to 2014 was abstracted from the HIV/AIDS Comprehensive Response Information Management System (CRIMS). Statistical analysis was done by SPSS software. Results The number of annual reported HIV/AIDS increased from 2010 to 2014 in Qingdao, with the sex ratio as 10.8. Among all the patients, 77.1% were aged 20-39 years, 65.6% were unmarried, 67.6% graduated from high school or above. Homosexual contact was the major mode of transmission, and the prevalence of MSM increased yearly (P<0.05). Conclusions MSM appeared the major high risk population for AIDS epidemic in Qingdao. However, surveillance projects should also be strengthened among the female population with multiple sexual partners. Optimal prevention and control measures based on the characteristics of AIDS epidemic should be developed to explore the stern spread and epidemics of the disease, in Qingdao. Key words: HIV/AIDS; Epidemiological characteristics
The enzymic oxidation of d- and l-β-hydroxybutyrate

Abstract Both dextrorotatory and levorotatory forms of β-hydroxybutyric acid are oxidized aerobically by suspensions of rat liver and kidney particles (mitochondria). However the data clearly indicate that the initial stages of oxidation of the two isomers are quite different in liver, although ultimately both isomers are oxidized via the tricarboxylic acid cycle. The enzymic mechanisms involved in the primary dehydrogenation of the two isomers were examined in clear extracts of acetone-dried mitochondria. It was found that the l-isomer causes the reduction of DPN+, presumably by action of the already known l-specific DPN-linked β-hydroxybutyric dyhydrogenase, which of course does not attack the d-isomer. The d-isomer also causes reduction of DPN+ but only if the extracts are supplemented with ATP, Coenzyme A, and Mg++. Evidence is presented that d-BOH is capable of forming a CoA derivative at the expense of ATP: d-β- hydroxybutyrate + CoA ⤥ ATP d-β-hydroxybutyryl-CoA The extracts contain a dehydrogenase catalyzing reversibly the reduction of DPN+ by d-β-hydroxybutyryl-CoA d-β- hydroxybutyryl-CoA + DPN + ⤥ acetoacetyl-CoA + DPNH + H + . Reaction (1) is not stereochemically specific; both isomers form a CoA derivative. However the dehydrogenase catalyzing reaction (2) appears to be specific for d-β-hydroxybutyryl-CoA. The metabolic significance of the pathways taken by the two isomers of β-hydroxybutyrate are briefly discussed.
Aggregation of Heterogeneously Charged Colloids

Patchy colloids are attractive as programmable building blocks for metamaterials. Inverse patchy colloids, in which a charged surface is decorated with patches of the opposite charge, are additionally noteworthy as models for heterogeneously charged biological materials such as proteins. We study the phases and aggregation behavior of a single charged patch in an oppositely charged colloid with a single-site model. This single-patch inverse patchy colloid model shows a large number of phases when varying patch size. For large patch sizes we find ferroelectric crystals, while small patch sizes produce cross-linked gels. Intermediate values produce monodisperse clusters and unusual worm structures that preserve finite ratios of area to volume. The polarization observed at large patch sizes is robust under extreme disorder in patch size and shape. We examine phase-temperature dependence and coexistence curves and find that large patch sizes produce polarized liquids, in contrast to mean-field predictions. Fi...
Laser Suture Lysis and Releasable Sutures

Since first being described by Cairns in 1968, trabeculectomy, with guarded filtration, has become the preferred surgical method of reducing intraocular pressure.1 The goal of trabeculectomy is to create a balance between aqueous humor inside the eye and the filtering conjunctival bleb. To establish this balance, a scleral flap must be created that is loose enough to allow outflow, but tight enough to prevent postoperative hypotony.2,3 A number of adverse events may occur with overfiltration from loose sutures, including shallow chambers, choroidals, suprachoroidal hemorrhages, maculopathy, and progressive cataract formation.2–8 Tight closure of the flap can avoid these complications but at the peril of achieving the desired intraocular pressure. To manage these dueling forces, laser suture lysis and the use of releasable suture are commonly employed.9
The Epiglottis: The Most Prominent Anatomical Structure in the Pharynx

Objectives: Controversy has continued for well over 100 years regarding the role of the epiglottis in deglutition. We describe the effect of isolated epiglottectomy on swallowing success.
LinSOS: Secure outsourcing of linear computations based on affine mapping

Linear computational problems emerge from various fields such as engineering and finance. Due to the large scale of these problems, they are often hard to be processed by resource-constrained devices. Thus, outsourcing becomes a natural solution. In this paper, we propose a Secure OutSourcing scheme (LinSOS) for Linear computations. The proposed scheme (LinSOS) is based on affine mapping and imposes only linear operations at local environment. As a result, the end-users can enjoy impressive computational gains from outsourcing. We also provide a verification scheme such that end-users can always receive valid results. Our extensive security and complexity analysis and performance comparison with existing schemes show that LinSOS is both secure and efficient.
Fatty Acid Oxidation

Abstract: Fatty acids are oxidized in mitochondria, and synthesized in the cytoplasm. Long-chain fatty acids must form an active intermediate, fatty acyl-CoA, before being oxidized inside mitochondria. Carnitine shuttles long-chain fatty acids across mitochondrial membranes. Fatty acids are both synthesized from and oxidized to a common compound, acetyl-CoA. Important enzymes in mitochondrial membranes that help prepare LCFAs for mitochondrial b-oxidation include acyl-CoA synthetase, carnitine palmitoyltransferase I (CPT-1), carnitine-acylcarnitine translocase (CAT), and carnitine palmitoyltransferase II (CPT-2). Peroxisomal b-oxidation is reserved for very long-chain fatty acids (C20 or longer), that are poorly handled by mitochondria. Oxidation is uncoupled from phosphorylation in peroxisomes. Cytoplasmic malonyl-CoA inhibits the rate-limiting enzyme in fatty acid oxidation.
A Conceptual Framework of Narrative Persuasion

Abstract. This article draws insights from several disciplines to propose an integrated perspective on mechanisms underlying narrative persuasion. One approach to narratives emphasizes a deictic shift into the narrative, resulting in an absorbed state of processing and a loss of one’s sense of self (e.g., transportation, narrative engagement, identification). Another approach focuses on processes to construct meaning from a narrative; that is, how narratives are actively compared with and applied to one’s life. The current work has conceptualized the relationship between these two broad processes as occurring in sequence, and as a pathway of narrative persuasion: A shift and absorption into the narrative leads to a process of reflecting on the narrative, which is antecedent to narrative influence.
Tolerability of Repeat Use of Blue Light Cystoscopy with Hexaminolevulinate for Patients with Urothelial Cell Carcinoma

Purpose: Hexaminolevulinate hydrochloride with blue light cystoscopy is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as an adjunct to white light cystoscopy for the detection of urothelial cell carcinoma. In this study we examined the tolerability of the repeat use of white light cystoscopy with blue light cystoscopy.Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of all patients who underwent white light cystoscopy with blue light cystoscopy using hexaminolevulinate hydrochloride during a 34-month period at 2 institutions. We compared the incidence of adverse events after initial and subsequent procedures. We grouped, graded and assigned the degree of attribution for all adverse events.Results: A total of 180 patients underwent 269 white light cystoscopy with blue light cystoscopy procedures. Of those 180 patients 118 (65%) underwent white light cystoscopy with blue light cystoscopy only 1 time. The other 62 (35%) patients underwent white light cystoscopy with blue light cystoscopy 2 ...
Improved modeling and fabrication techniques for capacitive micromachined ultrasonic Lamb wave transducers

This paper discusses improvements in the theoretical and experimental framework of capacitive micromachined ultrasonic Lamb wave transducers. Theoretically, a new method for the analysis of these Lamb wave devices is proposed using the electro-mechanical capabilities of ANSYS, a commercial finite element package. The model used in these simulations has been verified by comparing its predictions when configured as a clamped transducer to those predicted by the standard equivalent circuit model; the input impedances obtained using the two methods agree to within 1%. This method performs harmonic and transient analyses to predict device performance metrics in the presence of electrostatic forces. Experimentally, this paper introduces a new manufacturing process for the fabrication of Lamb wave devices using CMUT wafer bonding technology. Devices have successfully been built using this technique and preliminary results show significantly improved uniformity in membrane to membrane performance and successful Lamb wave propagation between transducers. The membranes fabricated are 1 cm long and 60 /spl mu/m wide have an insertion loss of 16.2 dB near 2.6 MHz.
Dielectric studies of artemia cysts using time domain spectroscopy

There exists today a great deal of controversy regarding the physical state of water in biological systems. A question is whether or not the water in these systems may be assumed to behave according to the fundamental postulates of dilute solution theory. The resolution of this controversy will help determine which of the basic theories of cellular function is more realistic.
Datasets2Tools, repository and search engine for bioinformatics datasets, tools and canned analyses.

Biomedical data repositories such as the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) enable the search and discovery of relevant biomedical digital data objects. Similarly, resources such as OMICtools, index bioinformatics tools that can extract knowledge from these digital data objects. However, systematic access to pre-generated ‘canned’ analyses applied by bioinformatics tools to biomedical digital data objects is currently not available. Datasets2Tools is a repository indexing 31,473 canned bioinformatics analyses applied to 6,431 datasets. The Datasets2Tools repository also contains the indexing of 4,901 published bioinformatics software tools, and all the analyzed datasets. Datasets2Tools enables users to rapidly find datasets, tools, and canned analyses through an intuitive web interface, a Google Chrome extension, and an API. Furthermore, Datasets2Tools provides a platform for contributing canned analyses, datasets, and tools, as well as evaluating these digital objects according to their compliance with the findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR) principles. By incorporating community engagement, Datasets2Tools promotes sharing of digital resources to stimulate the extraction of knowledge from biomedical research data. Datasets2Tools is freely available from: http://amp.pharm.mssm.edu/datasets2tools .
Superhydrophobic and superhydrophilic functionalized surfaces by picosecond laser texturing

The study of laser textured surfaces has been carried out in the pursuit of superhydrophobic and superhydrophilic functional surfaces on stainless steel and silicon carbide substrate materials, respectively. The theoretical aspects of laser texturing a surface were investigated in order to understand how replication of micro- and nanoscale features could be achieved by high intensity picosecond pulsed laser systems. A series of laser parameters, pre-processing, and post-processing steps were developed to achieve contact angles of 152° as well as 0° on stainless steel and silicon carbide substrates, respectively. The substrates were used to demonstrate functional characteristics such as water repellency, self-cleaning, water adhesion, and dispersion of water using micro-capillary forces.
Transgenic Bioart, Animals, and the Law

This chapter considers aspects of the complex relationship between law and transgenic bioart, which is the genetic alteration of living beings as a type of performance art. Transgenic bioart is ambiguously situated in relation to bioengineering and law. As a type of “scientific” endeavor, bioengineering receives preferential treatment under several laws, including anticruelty statutes, but art does not consistently receive similarly favorable treatment. Thus, deciding whether a particular transgenic bioart project is “art” or “science” becomes a necessary, but surprisingly difficult, interpretive exercise if one is seeking to protect animals. That difficulty arises not only because of the nature of transgenic bioart but also because of variance in the type of collaborative relationships that exist between bioartists and scientists. There is no case law on the subject of whether or when transgenic bioart in general or some specific projects are considered “scientific,” and it is difficult to predict whether or how specific anticruelty statutes would be applied. However, one thing is clear: the law has not thus far impeded any bioartistic endeavor even when such endeavors result in the suffering of sentient animals. To date, bioartists have faced only one legal challenge, which concerned the acquisition of biological materials and not the nature of the project itself. Laws could be enacted or interpreted with the result of curtailing bioartistic manipulation of nature, despite First Amendment protections of expressive speech, if doing so is considered necessary to protect “compelling governmental interests.” However, there would have to be sufficient social and political will to do so. That social and political will to protect nature, including animals and the environment, cannot originate in law because law, first and foremost, protects those interested in exploiting nature. Exploitation of nature is so deeply entrenched in law that legal reform can, at this point, only follow and complement societal change in the direction of respecting and protecting nature.1
Authoring Multi-Actor Behaviors in Crowds With Diverse Personalities

Multi-actor simulation is critical to cinematic content creation, disaster and security simulation, and interactive entertainment. A key challenge is providing an appropriate interface for authoring high-fidelity virtual actors with feature-rich control mechanisms capable of complex interactions with the environment and other actors. In this chapter, we present work that addresses the problem of behavior authoring at three levels: Individual and group interactions are conducted in an event-centric manner using parameterized behavior trees, social crowd dynamics are captured using the OCEAN personality model, and a centralized automated planner is used to enforce global narrative constraints on the scale of the entire simulation. We demonstrate the benefits and limitations of each of these approaches and propose the need for a single unifying construct capable of authoring functional, purposeful, autonomous actors which conform to a global narrative in an interactive simulation.
Energy Storage for Electrified Aircraft: The Need for Better Batteries, Fuel Cells, and Supercapacitors

There is a growing trend toward electrification of aircraft for various market segments related to air travel. The major drivers for this include increased efficiency, reduced emissions, and lower operating costs. In the electrified aircraft concept, the fan is driven by an electric motor whereas, in a conventional aircraft, a gas turbine engine drives the fan.
Results: Behaviors and Experiences with Internal and External Memory

In this chapter, we continue reporting the results of our comprehensive survey study on the interplay of internal and external memory in everyday life and how that is changing in the early twenty-first century (N = 476 Mechanical Turk participants). We report the descriptive statistics for questions about behaviors and experiences with internal memory and external memory. Specific topics include low-tech strategies, taking notes, reasons for external memory retrieval failures, passwords, phone numbers, backup practices, social media, and photos. Overall, results show that, for many, technology plays a large and increasing role in supporting human memory. We also introduce a distinction between episodic external memory and semantic external memory, which we will further address in Chapters 4 and 8.
CHAPTER 5 – Diagnostics Equipment and Methods

This chapter presents an overview of the experimental techniques used in optical diagnostics. Both incoherent and coherent light sources are used in optical diagnostics. The specific requirements of spatial and temporal coherence of the "coherent" laser sources depend on the application. Broadband incoherent light is available from discharge lamps and glowbars (thermal radiation). In many applications, these sources are spectrally narrowed by using a monochroma tor or transmission filter (dielectric, colored glass, holographic, etc.). The wavelength of the radiation can be tuned by sending it through a monochromator to disperse it (so that a narrow spectral band can be selected) and by scanning it. "Spectroscopic" forms of diagnostics examine the interaction as a function of wavelength, often by using spectrally tuned radiation from these incoherent sources; spectroscopic analysis with these sources is common in transmission/absorption and ellipsometry, reflectometry, and modulated reflectance spectroscopies.
Cost-effectiveness Analysis of Bariatric Surgery for Patients With Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis Cirrhosis

Importance Obesity is the most common risk factor for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), the progressive form of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease that can lead to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Weight loss can be an effective treatment for obesity and may slow the progression of advanced liver disease. Objective To assess the cost-effectiveness of bariatric surgery in patients with NASH and compensated cirrhosis. Design, Setting, and Participants This economic evaluation study used a Markov-based state-transition model to simulate the benefits and risks of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (SG), laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (GB), and intensive lifestyle intervention (ILI) compared with usual care in patients with NASH and compensated cirrhosis and varying baseline weight (overweight, mild obesity, moderate obesity, and severe obesity). Patients faced varied risks of perioperative mortality and complications depending on the type of surgery they underwent. Data were collected on March 22, 2017. Main Outcomes and Measures Life-years, quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), costs (in 2017 $US), and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) were calculated. Results Demographic characteristics of the patient population were based on a previously published prospective study (n = 161). Patients in the model were 41.0% female, and the base case age was 54 years. Compared with usual care, SG was associated with an increase in QALYs of 0.263 to 1.180 (bounds of ranges represent overweight to severe obesity); GB, 0.263 to 1.207; and ILI, 0.004 to 0.216. Sleeve gastrectomy was also associated with an increase in life-years of 0.693 to 1.930; GB, 0.694 to 1.947; and ILI, 0.012 to 0.114. With usual care, expected life-years in overweight, mild obesity, moderate obesity, and severe obesity were 12.939, 11.949, 10.976, and 10.095, respectively. With usual care, QALY in overweight was 6.418; mild obesity, 5.790; moderate obesity, 5.186; and severe obesity, 4.577. Sleeve gastrectomy was the most cost-effective option for patients across all weight classes assessed: ICER for SG in patients with overweight was $66 119 per QALY; mild obesity, $18 716 per QALY; moderate obesity, $10 274 per QALY; and severe obesity, $6563 per QALY. A threshold analysis on the procedure cost of GB found that for GB to be cost-effective, the cost of the surgery must be decreased from its baseline value of $28 734 by $4889 for mild obesity, by $3189 for moderate obesity, and by $2289 for severe obesity. In overweight patients, GB involved fewer QALYs than SG, and thus decreasing the cost of surgery would not result in cost-effectiveness. Conclusions and Relevance Bariatric surgery could be highly cost-effective in patients with NASH compensated cirrhosis and obesity or overweight. The findings from this analysis suggest that it can inform clinical trials evaluating the effect of bariatric procedures in patients with NASH cirrhosis, including those with a lower body mass index.
Estratégias para a permanência na educação básica e na educação superior

The theme of this article aims to discuss strategies to reduce dropout rates in the Basic and Higher Education. The objective is to discuss strategies of good practices for the permanence of students. The qualitative-quantitative methodology recovers analysis of literature and documentary analysis of Brazilian government agencies and surveys of world rankings, including quantitative data. The results focus on the following strategies: Valorization of Knowledge from the Experience; Education for the Production of Meaning; Consolidation of Policies of the Ministry of Education (MEC) in the School-University integration; Definition of the Policy of initial and continuing teacher training; Valorization of the Teaching Profession; and Humanization of educational relations. The complexity of the topic requires a wide debate in the involvement of all subjects involved in educational processes. Only with effective public policies in education can we guarantee better rates, percentages and greater added value, tangible and intangible in the educational sphere.
Spherical Aberration in Long Wavelength Holography

Images reconstructed from long wavelength holograms have aberrations as a result of large construction to reconstruction wavelength ratios. For many practical recording geometries, these aberrations of which spherical aberration is often the largest may seriously degrade image resolution.
Osteogenesis Imperfecta Surgical Management of the Femur and Knee

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) has a wide range of presentations and oftentimes presents with recurrent femur fractures and/or significant femoral bowing. The concern with femoral bowing is that as children begin to pull to stand, weight bear, cruise, and walk, they are at an increased risk of femur fractures as there are significant tension stresses across the bowed area. Femur fractures, no matter the age or underlying diagnosis, are extremely painful, and in our opinion, avoiding these significantly painful and potentially traumatic experiences is one of the main goals of surgical treatment for patients with OI, as well as decreasing the need for post-fracture immobilization, which causes further osteoporosis, weakness, and stiffness.
Application of data linkage techniques to Pacific Northwest commercial fishing injury and fatality data

Commercial fishing consistently has among the highest workforce injury and fatality rates in the United States. Data related to commercial fishing incidents are routinely collected by multiple organizations which do not currently coordinate or automatically link data. Each data set has the potential to generate a more complete picture to inform prevention efforts. Our objective was to examine the utility of using statistical data linkage methods to link commercial fishing incident data when personally identifiable information is not available. In this feasibility study, we identified true matches and discrepancies between de-identified data sets using the Python Record Linkage Toolkit. Four commercial fishing data sets from Oregon and Washington were linked: the Commercial Fishing Incident Database, the Vessel Casualty Database, the Nonfatal Injuries Database, and the Oregon Trauma Registry. The data sets each covered different date ranges within 2000–2017, containing 458, 524, 184, and 11 cases respectively. Several data linkage classifiers were evaluated. The Naive-Bayes classifier returned the highest number of true matches between these small data sets. A total of 41 true matches and 8 close matches were identified, of which 29 were determined to be duplicates. In addition, linkage highlighted 4 records that were not commercial fishing cases from Oregon and Washington. The optimum match parameters were the date, state, vessel official number, and number of people on board. Statistical data linkage enables accurate, routine matching for small de-identified injury and fatality data sets such as those in commercial fishing. It provides information needed to improve the accuracy of existing data records. It also enables expanding and sharpening details of individual incidents in support of occupational safety research.
Existential Humility and the Critique of Civil Religion in Augustine’s Political Theology

In this chapter I explore Augustine’s political theology, with a focus on his critique of civil religion. The ancient Greek, Roman, and Jewish polities adopted a divine patronage model in their understanding of the relationship of the city of man to the gods or God. The chapter contends that Augustine’s rejection of the divine patronage is central to understanding his political thought. Rooted in an understanding of God’s providence and Christ’s inauguration of an otherworldly kingdom, Augustine develops a striking theodicy that ballasts his radical denial of the divine patronage model of the civitas terrena. Augustine posits the need for statesmen to cultivate existential humility in their understanding of the divine providence in relationship to polity.
Hepatic Vein Balloon Occlusion to Mitigate the Heat Sink Effect during Percutaneous Liver Ablation

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) commonly affects patients with cirrhosis. Patients with early-stage disease may be treated with surgery, liver transplantation, and locoregional therapy (e.g., thermal ablation and chemoembolization). The treatment efficacy of thermal ablation can be limited by factors such as proximity to adjacent vessels, which may create a heat sink effect. The heat sink effect can be mitigated by intravascular balloon occlusion. Our case report demonstrates the utility of balloon occlusion during thermal ablation of HCC adjacent to the right hepatic vein complicated by hepatic vein thrombosis.
Analysis of the Influences of Inflation, Measured by Percentage Change in CPI, and Other Economic Variables on Stock Performance

This paper aims to explore the correlation between how some macroeconomic and microeconomic variables, especially the Consumer Price Index (CPI), predict stock performance. CPI is an index measuring the price level of goods and services consumers buy, with social security benefits and inflation tied to this index (Little, 2012). This study derives the expected return in the stock market as a result of fluctuations in percentage change in CPI, which is defined as inflation. This article is available in The Park Place Economist: http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/parkplace/vol21/iss1/20
Counters and Timers

Frequency- or phase-analog signals are often generated naturally. Even when the signal is first an amplitude analog signal, conversion to frequency-analog or phase analog signals simplifies the noise isolation and voltage-level isolation between transducer and microcomputer. Moreover, several hardware and software techniques, including those that use a counter/timer like the 'A4 counter/timer system, can be used to measure or generate frequency-analog signals. The counter/timer is a very useful and attractive I/O device for measuring or generating frequency- or phase- analog signals. It is useful in generating square waves, pulses, and timing interrupts; it can measure events, frequency, period, and pulse width; and it can monitor period or pulse width to interrupt the computer if too long a value is noticed. It is very attractive because a single wire sends the signal to or from the counter/timer.
Parkinson's disease transgenic mitochondrial cybrids generate Lewy inclusion bodies

Many models of Parkinson's disease (PD) have succeeded in replicating dopaminergic neuron loss or α-synuclein aggregation but not the formation of classical Lewy bodies, the pathological hallmark of PD. Our cybrid model of sporadic PD was created by introducing the mitochondrial genes from PD patients into neuroblastoma cells that lack mitochondrial DNA. Previous studies using cybrids have shown that information encoded by mitochondrial DNA in patients contributes to many pathogenic features of sporadic PD. In this paper, we report the generation of fibrillar and vesicular inclusions in a long-term cybrid cell culture model that replicates the essential antigenic and structural features of Lewy bodies in PD brain without the need for exogenous protein expression or inhibition of mitochondrial or proteasomal function. The inclusions generated by PD cybrid cells stained with eosin, thioflavin S, and antibodies to α-synuclein, ubiquitin, parkin, synphilin-1, neurofilament, β-tubulin, the proteasome, nitrotyrosine, and cytochrome c. Future studies of these cybrids will enable us to better understand how Lewy bodies form and what role they play in the pathogenesis of PD.
A Purine Signal for Functional Hyperemia in Skeletal and Cardiac Muscle

Publisher Summary This chapter presents the evidence for the participation of purine compounds adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and adenosine in functional hyperemia of skeletal and cardiac muscle. In skeletal muscle, functional hyperemia exhibits an initial increase in blood flow that can be detected within a second of the onset of exercise. This increase occurs under normoxic conditions. The release of ATP from depolarizing muscle membranes is responsible for this fast phase of ﬂow increase. Further dilation is proportional to the frequency of motor impulses and the number of motor units contracting, which in turn would indicate the degree of total amount of membrane depolarization occurring. Subsequent increase in blood ﬂow is sustained by the release of both ATP and adenosine in response to the increasing hypoxic stimulus, following the increasing oxygen demand. In cardiac muscle, a powerful trigger for a purine signal seems to be hypoxia, which can set off the release of ATP within a few seconds of onset.
Dynamic Survivable Resource Pooling in FPGA-based Distributed Robotics System

Dynamic Survivable Resource Pooling (DSRP) is a new mechanism to improve the survivability and reliability in distributed robotics systems. DSRP is based on a virtual backbone (VB), which is a highly distributed, scalable and survivable network, formed and maintained through one-hop beacons among mobile robots. We implement the DSRP mechanism in our FPGA-based distributed robotics system and demonstrate its effectiveness in a search-and-rescue scenario, where robots cooperate to provide the rescuer with a set of pictures to build a panoramic view of the disaster site.
Coronaviruses: Molecular Biology

Coronaviruses (CoVs) are enveloped, positive-strand RNA viruses with characteristic spike glycoproteins that project outward like the rays of the sun ( corona – Latin for ‘crown’), when visualized by electron microscopy. CoV are classified, together with the toroviruses, in the family Coronaviridae and the order Nidovirales . All nidoviruses have a common genome organization and generate a nested set ( nido – Latin for ‘nest’) of 3′ co-terminal mRNAs. CoVs have been isolated from a variety of species, including birds, livestock, domestic animals, and humans. CoV infections can cause respiratory, gastrointestinal, and neurologic disease, depending on the strain of the virus and the site of infection. Importantly, CoVs have been shown to cross species barriers and have emerged from animal reservoirs to infect humans and cause severe disease. The CoV responsible for an outbreak of severe acute respiratory disease (SARS-CoV) in 2002–03 likely originated as a bat coronavirus which, during replication in an intermediate host (such as the palm civet), evolved to be able to infect humans efficiently. SARS-CoV infected over 8000 people with approximately 10% mortality rate before it was controlled by public health measures of isolation of infected individuals and contacts. Middle East Respiratory Syndrome CoV (MERS-CoV), first reported in 2012, is likely transmitted from camels to humans with potentially fatal consequences. To date, there are no approved vaccines or direct acting antiviral drugs to combat coronavirus infections in humans. The emergence or re-emergence of CoVs from animal reservoirs is a potential concern for public health.
System and conflict: toward a symbiotic reconciliation

The systems and conflict approaches are often viewed as incompatible, if not contradictory. While the former emphasizes system integration, consensus, and harmony, the latter connotes lack of consensus, and perhaps even system dissolution. This paper shows that rather than being contradictory, consensus and conflict are in fact complementary in some ways. Further, they can coexist simultaneously within a system. Every system has, at a given time, some level of both consensus and conflict (although one or the other may be very low, it is still probably above zero). While functionalists have long viewed system integration as "functional" and conflict as "dysfunctional," we also see conflict as "functional," as it combats lethargy and obsolescence, and spurs needed change and growth. However, while both conflict and integration coexist in a system, their interrelationship is complex, and sometimes very difficult to analyze. This paper demonstrates the complementary of system integration and conflict through explication of the simultaneous interrelationships of three analytical models: the global-mutable-immutable distinction, the three-level model, and the Q-R distinction. Through this analysis we show that integration and conflict not only are complementary, but are in fact symbiotic, and need each other.
ADS-B to link-16 gateway demonstration: investigation of a low cost ADS-B option

A system was demonstrated as a prototype that provides the advantages of automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) for the military, yet totally avoids military aircraft modifications. The system was demonstrated on operational United States Air Force (USAF) aircraft using ADS-B equipped general aviation aircraft as the source. The demonstration was conducted in 2003. The result of the demonstration was highly positive commentary from engineers and the pilots. Although significant work remains prior to full fielding and operations, a decision was made to incorporate the prototype into a future datalinks concept.
The Role of Competitive Bidding in the Market for Initial Attest Engagements

This paper investigates the effects of competitive bidding on clients' and service providers' decisions. We examine the determinants of clients' decisions to choose private negotiations (i.e., only one bidder) versus competitive bidding (i.e., multiple bidders) and the effect of that choice on the bidding firm's engagement planning and bid pricing decisions. The data used to conduct this examination include actual evaluations of prospective clients for whom the participating firm's personnel decided to issue an engagement bid during 1997 and 1998. Our findings reveal various cost-benefit tradeoffs involved in clients' decisions to choose private negotiations versus competitive bidding. Results also show that competitive bidding is associated with an increase in planned engagement effort, an increase in the use of quality-enhancing personnel allocations, and reduced fee rates.
Design of quiet efficient propellers

A numerical computation scheme has been developed to determine the sound generated by propellers. A comparison of these calculations to the noise data taken in the flight test of a propeller driven aircraft shows good agreement. The method is then applied in a parametric study of fixed pitch propellers designed to reduce noise. All these techniques reduce noise while maintaining shaft speed so that the method presented here may be used in a retrofit option for the general aviation fleet.
Natural killer (NK) cells but not NK T cells attenuate renal fibrosis after acute kidney injury (AKI). (IRC8P.480)

Renal fibrosis is the common pathway of various kidney diseases that lead to progressive renal failure and end stage renal disease. NK and NK T cells have been linked to regulating fibrosis in several different organ systems. However, there is debate as to whether they are pro-fibrotic or anti-fibrotic. To determine their role in renal fibrosis, mice were administered PK136 mAb (200μg i.p), which depletes both NK and NKT cells, twice weekly for 14 days starting 5 days after 26 minutes of unilateral kidney ischemia-reperfusion (uIRI) or folic acid (250 mg/kg, i.p.). In both models, compared to IgG-treated mice, kidneys of mice treated with PK136 had increased fibrosis as assessed by Masson’s Trichrome and mRNA expression of collagen 1 and α-SMA. This suggests that NK/NKT depletion increases extracellular matrix deposition and myofibroblast number. This may be due to changes in the kidney microenvironment as kidneys of PK136-depleted mice had decreased expression of IFN-γ and increased expression of IL-10 and TGF-β compared to IgG-treated mice. We next subjected Jα18-/- and CD1d-/- mice to unilateral IRI to determine the specific role of NKT cells in renal fibrosis. Compared to wild-type mice, Jα18-/- and CD1d-/- mice subjected to uIRI demonstrated no increase in fibrosis, thus we conclude that the that NK but not NKT cells attenuate renal fibrosis after AKI. Further investigation will focus on determining the mechanism by which NK cells regulate fibrosis within the kidney.
Online Customization and Enrollment Application Network (OCEAN)

This paper introduces the Online Customization and Enrollment Application Network (OCEAN), developed in the School of Engineering at the University of Bridgeport. OCEAN is an interactive web-based application for graduate programs, concentrations, certificates and courses across the Schools of Engineering, Business and Education that allows prospective and current students to customize their preferences in the course selection process depending on the targeted graduate concentrations, degrees, and/or dual degree programs.
Media diversity and communications policy: Impact of VCRs and satellite TV

Abstract Videocassettes and satellite-delivered television programmes are having a profound effect on existing communication policies in the world. Set up to protect local media industries and preserve native cultures, communication policies are being threatened by both legal and illegal uses of the VCR and communication satellite. Because the VCR has not been considered a mass medium and the piracy of broadcast signals is illegal, most nations have not accounted for the impact of foreign films and television programmes flooding their borders. A desire for more media diversity is cited as the prime reason for the popularity of the content carried by these new technologies.