cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Large‐scale computer simulation of fully developed turbulent channel flow with heat transfer

Recently, with the advent of supercomputers, there has been considerable interest in the use of direct numerical simulation to obtain information about turbulent shear flow at low Reynolds number. This paper presents a pseudospectral technique to solve the full three-dimensional time-dependent Navier-Stokes and advection-diffusion equations without the use of subgrid-scale modelling. The technique has not been previously used for fully developed turbulent channel flow simulation and is based on methods applied in other contexts. The emphasis of this paper is to provide a reasonably detailed account of how the simulation is done rather than to present new calculations of turbulence. The details of an algorithm for turbulent channel flow simulation and the grid and time step sizes needed to integrate through transient behaviour to steady state turbulence have not been published before and are presented here. Results from a Cray-2 simulation of fully developed turbulent flow in a channel with heat transfer are presented along with a critical comparison between experiment and computation. The first- and second-order moments agree well with experimental measurements; the agreement is poor for higher-order moments such as the skewness and flatness near the walls of the channel. Detailed information given about the effects of spatial grid resolution on a computed results is important for estimating the size of the computation required to study various aspects of a turbulent flow.
Elevated levels of recombinational DNA repair in human somatic cells expressing the Saccharomyces cerevisiae RAD52 gene

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae RAD52 gene was introduced into the human fibrosarcoma-derived cell line HT1080. Transfected cell lines that expressed the yeast transgene catalyzed inter-plasmid homologous DNA recombination at frequencies approx. 12-fold higher than did control cells. Additional experiments revealed that yeast RAD52 gene expression increased the level of resistance to the DNA damaging agents diepoxybutane, and methyl methanesulfonate, but did not alter sensitivity to ultraviolet radiation. These results indicate that the S. cerevisiae Rad52 protein can function in a human somatic cell background and provide support for the idea that a homologous recombination-based DNA repair process functions in mammalian somatic cells.
Shared control between human and machine: haptic display of automation during manual control of vehicle heading

In this paper, a paradigm for shared control is described in which a machine's manual control interface is motorized to allow a human and an automatic controller to simultaneously exert control. The manual interface becomes a haptic display, relaying information to the human about the intentions of the automatic controller while retaining its role as a manual control interface. The human may express his control intentions in a way that either overrides the automation or conforms to it. The automatic controller, by design, aims to create images in the mind of the human of fixtures in the shared workspace that can be incorporated into efficient task completion strategies. The fixtures are animated under the guidance of an algorithm designed to automate part of the human/machine task. Results are presented from 2 experiments in which 11 subjects completed a path following task using a motorized steering wheel on a fixed-base driving simulator. These results indicate that the haptic assist through the steering wheel improves lane keeping by at least 30% reduces visual demand by 29% (p<0.000!) and improves reaction time by 18 ms (p=0.0009).
Effects of aerobic and/or resistance training on body mass and fat mass in overweight or obese adults

Recent guidelines on exercise for weight loss and weight maintenance include resistance training as part of the exercise prescription. Yet few studies have compared the effects of similar amounts of aerobic and resistance training on body mass and fat mass in overweight adults. STRRIDE AT/RT, a randomized trial, compared aerobic training, resistance training, and a combination of the two to determine the optimal mode of exercise for obesity reduction. Participants were 119 sedentary, overweight or obese adults who were randomized to one of three 8-mo exercise protocols: 1) RT: resistance training, 2) AT: aerobic training, and 3) AT/RT: aerobic and resistance training (combination of AT and RT). Primary outcomes included total body mass, fat mass, and lean body mass. The AT and AT/RT groups reduced total body mass and fat mass more than RT ( P < 0.05), but they were not different from each other. RT and AT/RT increased lean body mass more than AT ( P < 0.05). While requiring double the time commitment, a program of combined AT and RT did not result in significantly more fat mass or body mass reductions over AT alone. Balancing time commitments against health benefits, it appears that AT is the optimal mode of exercise for reducing fat mass and body mass, while a program including RT is needed for increasing lean mass in middle-aged, overweight/obese individuals.
Adaptive control of physiological systems with offset estimation

In many applications of control engineering in physiological systems, the output level corresponding to no input (i.e. the offset) is unknown and time-varying. Adaptive controllers that do not account for output offset may fail when presented with such systems. Furthermore, the standard least-squares technique for offset compensation during adaptive control may fail. To overcome these problems a floating identifier (FI) was developed. It removes DC components from the input/output data before model dynamics estimation. After estimation, the DC components are used to determine the offset. The FI is a shell around the parameter identification algorithm and can be used with most ARMA (autoregressive moving-average) type system identifiers. Computer simulations and animal experiments have been used to compare an adaptive controller coupled to the FI with the same controller coupled to two other standard least-squares identifiers. The animal experiments involved control of mean arterial pressure in the anesthetized dog by sodium nitroprusside. Phenylephrine is used as a disturbance. >
Neural Regulation of Renal Tubular Sodium Reabsorption and Renin Secretion: Integrative Aspects

Efferent renal sympathetic nerve activity plays an important role in the regulation of renal function. Via its direct influence on renal tubular sodium reabsorption throughout the entire mammalian nephron, alterations in efferent renal sympathetic nerve activity represent an important physiological contribution to the overall role of the kidney in the regulation of external sodium balance and the defense against sodium deficit and surfeit. Abnormalities of this mechanism can lead to inappropriate renal sodium retention and augmentation of renin secretion, two factors which are capable of contributing to the development and maintenance of hypertension.
Prevention of Progression in Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance

Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) is a common premalignant plasma cell proliferative disorder with a lifelong risk of progression to multiple myeloma. Because myeloma is an incurable malignancy, strategies to delay or prevent progression in high-risk patients are of considerable importance.
Streptozotocin-induced diabetes impairs Mg2+ homeostasis and uptake in rat liver cells.

Male Sprague-Dawley rats rendered diabetic by streptozotocin injection presented 10 and 20% decreases in total hepatic Mg2+ content at 4 and 8 wk, respectively, following diabetes onset. This decre...
Development of an Aeroelastic Code Based on an Euler / Navier-Stokes Aerodynamic Solver

This paper describes the development of an aeroelastic code (TURBO-AE) based on an Euler/Navier-Stokes unsteady aerodynamic analysis. A brief review of the relevant research in the area of propulsion aeroelasticity is presented. The paper briefly describes the original Euler/Navier-Stokes code (TURBO) and then details the development of the aeroelastic extensions. The aeroelastic formulation is described. The modeling of the dynamics of the blade using a modal approach is detailed, along with the grid deformation approach used to model the elastic deformation of the blade. The work-per-cycle approach used to evaluate aeroelastic stability is described. Representative results used to verify the code are presented. The paper concludes with an evaluation of the development thus far, and some plans for further development and validation of the TURBO-AE code.
Attachment tHAIRapy A Culturally Relevant Treatment Paradigm for African American Foster Youth

Culturally competent, ethnically relevant treatment strategies are needed to address the attachment needs of foster youth in the child welfare system. Hair is a fundamental element in the lives of ...
Segmental duplications mediate novel, clinically relevant chromosome rearrangements

Copy number studies have led to an explosion in the discovery of new segmental duplication-mediated deletions and duplications. We have analyzed copy number changes in 2419 patients referred for clinical array comparative genomic hybridization studies. Twenty-three percent of the abnormal copy number changes we found are immediately flanked by segmental duplications ≥10 kb in size and ≥95% identical in direct orientation, consistent with deletions and duplications generated by non-allelic homologous recombination. Here, we describe copy number changes in five previously unreported loci with genomic organization characteristic of NAHR-mediated gains and losses; namely, 2q11.2, 7q36.1, 17q23, 2q13 and 7q11.21. Deletions and duplications of 2q11.2, deletions of 7q36.1 and deletions of 17q23 are interpreted as pathogenic based on their genomic size, gene content, de novo inheritance and absence from control populations. The clinical significance of 2q13 deletions and duplications is still emerging, as these imbalances are also found in phenotypically normal family members and control individuals. Deletion of 7q11.21 is a benign copy number change well represented in control populations and copy number variation databases. Here, we discuss the genetic factors that can modify the phenotypic expression of such gains and losses, which likely play a role in these and other recurrent genomic disorders.
How Many Highly Skilled Foreign-Born are Waiting in Line for U.S. Legal Permanent Residence?

While the United States welcomes foreign-born students and trainees and, less warmly, temporary workers such as H-1B visa holders, it places an array of requirements, obstacles, and delays upon persons who would like to make the U.S. their permanent home. The number of people in the queue for legal permanent residence (LPR) is, however, difficult to ascertain. This paper estimates the number of highly skilled foreign-born persons waiting for LPR via the three main employment-based categories, separately by whether they are living in the United States or abroad, as well as the number of family members. We find that as of the end of FY 2006 there were about half a million employment-based principals awaiting LPR in the United States, together with over half a million family members, plus over 125 thousand principals and family members waiting abroad. These numbers dwarf the visas available annually – 120,120 plus any not used in the family preferences – suggesting that the long delays in gaining legal permanent residence are a visa number problem, not an administrative processing problem, as many believe. The backlog thus cannot be eliminated without a large change in public policy. The delay in gaining legal permanent residence could contribute to the decision of many highly skilled foreign-born to leave the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Supporting universal quantification in a two-dimensional database query language

A technique for specifying universal quantification and existential quantification (combined with negation) in a two-dimensional graphical database query language is proposed. Unlike other approaches that provide set operators to simulate universal quantification, this technique allows a direct representation of universal quantification. The authors present syntactic constructs for specifying universal and existential quantifications, two-dimensional translation of universal quantification to existential quantification (with negation), and translation of existentially quantified two-dimensional queries to relational queries. The resulting relational queries can be processed directly by many existing database systems. Traditionally, universal quantification has been considered a difficult concept for typical database programmers. The authors claim that this technique renders universal quantification easy to understand. To substantiate this claim, they provide a simple, easy-to-follow guideline for constructing universally quantified queries. >
Coherent optical intersatellite crosslink systems

Key system and technology issues for heterodyne laser intersatellite communication systems are reviewed, including telescope/aperture, laser transmitter, and heterodyne receiver technology; spatial acquisition and tracking; optical/mechanical/thermal analysis design; and modulation/demodulation coding. It is concluded that heterodyne technology with semiconductor lasers has evolved to the point where it is now feasible to implement heterodyne systems for approximately 100 Mb/s with a single-laser transmitter of modest power (30 mW) and with small aperture (20 cm). It is suggested that technology advances, particularly in the areas of higher power laser sources, will extend system capabilities beyond 1 Gb/s in the future. >
NUCLEAR INTRON SEQUENCES FOR PHYLOGENETICS OF CLOSELY RELATED MAMMALS: AN EXAMPLE USING THE PHYLOGENY OF MUS

DNA sequence data from 2 nuclear introns (mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase intron 7 and acid phosphatase type V intron 2) were collected for 9 taxonomic units of rodents, 8 of which were in the genus Mus. Data were used to infer phylogenetic history of the 9 taxa, which was then compared with a consensus phylogeny taken from previous literature. In general, the nuclear intron data provided strong support (bootstrap proportions > 80) for relationships accepted in the consensus tree. The intron data disagreed with previous mitochondrial data in that 2 M. m. domesticus sequences were paraphyletic with respect to M. m. castaneus and M. m. musculus. This paraphyly, if real, likely reflects the longer lineage-sorting time of the nuclear genome compared with the mitochondrial genome. Introns seem to provide an attractive source of nuclear DNA sequence data for phylogenetic analysis, but mitochondrial data are likely to be superior for very recent divergences.
Percentage of REM sleep is associated with overnight change in leptin

Sleep contributes importantly to energy homeostasis, and may impact hormones regulating appetite, such as leptin, an adipocyte-derived hormone. There is increasing evidence that sleep duration, and reduced rapid eye movement sleep, are linked to obesity. Leptin has central neural effects beyond modulation of appetite alone. As sleep is not a unifrom process, interactions between leptin and sleep stages including rapid eye movement sleep may play a role in the relationship between sleep and obesity. This study examined the relationship between serum leptin and rapid eye movement sleep in a sample of healthy adults. Participants were 58 healthy adults who underwent polysomnography. Leptin was measured before and after sleep. It was hypothesized that a lower percentage of rapid eye movement sleep would be related to lower leptin levels during sleep. The relationship between percentage of rapid eye movement sleep and leptin was analysed using hierarchical linear regression. An increased percentage of rapid eye movement sleep was related to a greater reduction in leptin during sleep even when controlling for age, gender, percent body fat and total sleep time. A greater percentage of rapid eye movement sleep was accompanied by more marked reductions in leptin. Studies examining the effects of selective rapid eye movement sleep deprivation on leptin levels, and hence on energy homeostasis in humans, are needed.
Control of Eukaryotic Protein Synthesis by Phosphorylation

Phosphorylated proteins as physiological effectors may have a much broader role than previously assumed. Many specific regulatory signals may activate one or more protein kinase that phosphorylate and thereby modulate the activity of key enzymes in various pathways. The sarcoma gene of avian sarcoma virus appears to code for a protein kinase that may disrupt normal differentiation to cause transformation in vitro and sarcoma induction in vivo [1]. Examples of other kinase systems are considered in a recent review article [2]. Some hormones and neurotransmitter substances are known to act through cAMP-dependent protein kinases to regulate carbohydrate and lipid metabolism as well as the characteristics of the cell’s surface. However, recent work has focused on cAMP-independent protein kinases. Regulation of virus assembly provides a clear example of a cAMP-independent kinase system. Phosphorylation of viral core protein, p12, changes its ability to bind to viral RNA in either Rauscher leukemia virus [3] or simian sarcoma-associated virus [4]. Translational regulation of protein synthesis provides another example of a pathway that is regulated by cAMP-independent protein kinases. Here we will consider regulation of protein synthesis by cAMP-independent protein kinases with emphasis on examples in which a correlation between phosphorylation and inhibition of peptide initiation can be demonstrated.
Role of renal sympathetic nerve activity in prenatal programming of hypertension

Prenatal insults, such as maternal dietary protein deprivation and uteroplacental insufficiency, lead to small for gestational age (SGA) neonates. Epidemiological studies from many different parts of the world have shown that SGA neonates are at increased risk for hypertension and early death from cardiovascular disease as adults. Animal models, including prenatal administration of dexamethasone, uterine artery ligation and maternal dietary protein restriction, result in SGA neonates with fewer nephrons than controls. These models are discussed in this educational review, which provides evidence that prenatal insults lead to altered sodium transport in multiple nephron segments. The factors that could result in increased sodium transport are discussed, focusing on new information that there is increased renal sympathetic nerve activity that may be responsible for augmented renal tubular sodium transport. Renal denervation abrogates the hypertension in programmed rats but has no effect on control rats. Other potential factors that could cause hypertension in programmed rats, such as the renin-angiotensin system, are also discussed.
Immunostimulatory (CpG) DNA-Based Therapies for the Treatment of Allergic Disease

Accumulating experimental data outline the potential use of CpG-ODN (i.e., TLR9 ligand) as an effective intervention for the prevention and treatment of allergic disorders. As discussed below, we propose that immunotherapy with CpG-ODN can be applied through two distinct strategies: (1) vaccination and (2) immunomodulation. CpG-ODN-based vaccination provides a long-term, allergen-specific, therapeutic efficacy as well as improved safety compared to conventional allergen vaccination (i.e., desensitization). In contrast, immunomodulation by CpG-ODN provides a short-term, allergen non-specific therapeutic efficacy that prevents allergic reactions in experimental models of allergic asthma, rhinitis, and conjunctivitis. The administration of CpG-ODN as immunomodulator intervenes in the sequential acquisition of allergic sensitization (e.g., Th2 phenotype spread) and organ pathology (e.g., airway remodeling). Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), the rate-limiting enzyme of tryptophan catabolism, is induced by CpG-ODN and mediates, in part, these immunomodulatory and therapeutic effects. We propose that the insight gained from these two types of interventions in experimental models of allergy can help in the design of effective therapeutics for various human allergic diseases.
Scabies and lice.

Scabies and pediculosis, two commonly encountered infestations both having an incidence that is on the rise, are discussed in detail in this article with special emphasis given to their symptomatology, pathogenesis, and treatment.
Superiority of the University of Wisconsin solution over simple crystalloid for extended heart preservation: A study of left ventricular pressure-volume relationship

To compare the effects of the University of Wisconsin solution with those of an extracellular crystalloid solution, Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate, as cardiac preservation media, we studied 35 adult dogs in an isolated heart preparation. Four groups of seven hearts were preserved in University of Wisconsin solution for 6 or 12 hours or in Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate solution for 6 or 12 hours. An additional group of seven hearts with no ischemia was used for a control group. In the four preservation groups, hearts were arrested by electrolyte solution (Normosol with potassium chloride, 20 mEq/L, added, 4° C), flushed with 200 ml of the preservation solution, and then stored in the same solution at 1° to 2° C. The hearts were mounted on an isolated heart preparation equiped with a computer-controlled servo-pump system that used a mock arterial system to modulate the aortic input impedance presented to the left ventricle. Left ventricular pressure-volume loops were measured on-line for 2 hours of reperfusion with autologous warm oxygenated blood. Elastance was derived from the end-systolic pressure-volume relationship, and diastolic compliance was derived from the end-diastolic pressure-volume relationship. The total left ventricular performance was assessed by the preload recruitable stroke work area, the slope, and its x-intercept, all of which derived from the stroke work (pressure-volume area)-end-diastolic volume relationship. Extended global ischemia had more deleterious effects on the end-diastolic than the end-systolic pressure-volume relationship. In confirmation with other studies, elastance did not accurately reflect the level of ventricular contractile dysfunction because of the significant amount of diastolic dysfunction. The preservation of myocardial systolic and diastolic functions, as demonstrated by the preload recruitable stroke work area and diastolic compliance, was better in the University of Wisconsin solution groups than in the Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate solution groups after 6 and 12 hours of preservation. In addition, 6 hours of preservation with University of Wisconsin solution maintained normal systolic and diastolic functions as compared with those of the control group. Preservation with University of Wisconsin solution prevented any myocardial edema formation; by contrast, this was significantly increased after 12 hours in Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate solution. Groups preserved with University of Wisconsin solution had less reperfusion injury as evidenced by the release of coronary sinus creatine kinase during reperfusion; they also had improved oxygen use during reperfusion. This study demonstrated that the University of Wisconsin solution is excellent in preserving myocardial systolic and diastolic functions after 6 hours and appears to be acceptable for up to 12 hours of storage. It is superior to the extracellular type of solutions such as the Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate solution. (J T horac C ardiovasc S urg 1992;103:980-92)
The CD8beta ectodomain contributes to the augmented coreceptor function of CD8alphabeta heterodimers relative to CD8alphaalpha homodimers

Within the lymphoid compartment, CD8 is expressed either as an alphaalpha homodimer or as an alphabeta heterodimer. Prior functional characterization of CD8alpha transfectants has demonstrated that CD8alphaalpha homodimers can reconstitute T cell responses in the absence of the CD8beta subunit. In order to now examine the role of CD8beta in TCR recognition, the CD8alpha cDNA alone or in combination with CD8beta cDNA was transfected into the mouse T cell hybridoma, N15wt, specific for VSV8/Kb. Comparison of antigen-induced IL-2 production reveals that CD8alphabeta+ transfectants are 100-fold more sensitive in molar terms of peptide than CD8alphaalpha+ transfectants. This enhancement of IL-2 production is independent of CD8alpha or CD8beta cytoplasmic tails as demonstrated by analysis of cytoplasmic deletion mutants CD8alpha'beta, CD8alphabeta', and CD8alpha'beta'. These results indicate that the ectodomain of the CD8beta chain greatly enhances the coreceptor function of the CD8alphabeta molecule, at least for certain class I MHC restricted alphabeta TCRs.
Microwave Imaging Using a Disordered Cavity with a Dynamically Tunable Impedance Surface

When coupled to a tuning mechanism, a disordered medium provides a powerful means for shaping electromagnetic waveforms. The authors leverage this functionality to conduct volumetric computational imaging: A deformed cavity is outfitted with tailored, irregular surfaces, and its microwave resonant modes are projected into an imaging domain to retrieve the scene's spatial information. This approach could be applied to biomedical imaging, security screening, or wireless power transfer or telecommunications.
Associations Between Blood Pressure and Outcomes Among Blacks in the Jackson Heart Study

BackgroundIn 2014, new hypertension guidelines liberalized blood pressure goals for persons 60 years and older. Little is known about the implications for blacks. Methods and ResultsUsing data from...
Kinship appeals and conservation social marketing

Increasing environmental problems and the need to obtain public support to help address them make effective appeals in conservation fundraising campaigns indispensable. However, social marketing messages based on data, characteristics of focal species, self-interest, and moral responsibility tend to work best on targeted, and so limited, audiences. As conservation organizations reach out to broader audiences, they will require strategies that appeal to more potential donors. This paper argues that use of kinship symbolism to describe non-human species should make conservation marketing campaigns more effective. Evolutionary theories of altruism predict the power of kinship-recognition cues in encouraging and reinforcing sacrifice in non-kin, unreciprocated contexts, and these cues can be manipulated in marketing campaigns to protect threatened species and resources. People often behave altruistically toward “fictive” kin, and the labeling of non-humans as kin in many traditional, small-scale societies appears to be associated with environmental resource management. Characterizing non-human species, and even non-living resources, as kin to humans in marketing campaigns may promote a willingness to contribute to conservation-related causes.
Academic Achievement by Graduates from For-Profit and Nonprofit Institutions: Evidence from CPA Exam Performance.

ABSTRACTThis study shows that graduates from nonprofit educational institutions outperform graduates from for-profit institutions on the four sections of the certified public accountant (CPA) exam. Specifically, it (1) documents univariate differences in CPA exam scores, score distributions, pass rates, and time to complete the CPA exam; (2) investigates the differences in a multivariate context; and (3) examines the robustness of the results to various levels of control for student differences.
Impact of Low-Dose Ketamine on the Usage of Continuous Opioid Infusion for the Treatment of Pain in Adult Mechanically Ventilated Patients in Surgical Intensive Care Units

Background:Ketamine at subanesthetic doses has been shown to provide analgesic effects without causing respiratory depression and may be a viable option in mechanically ventilated patients to assis...
Fuel consumption model for heavy duty diesel trucks: Model development and testing

Abstract A simple, efficient, and realistic fuel consumption model is essential to support the development of effective eco-freight strategies, including eco-routing and eco-driving systems. The majority of the existing heavy duty truck (HDT) fuel consumption models, however, would recommend that drivers accelerate at full throttle or brake at full braking to minimize their fuel consumption levels, which is obviously not realistic. To overcome this shortcoming, the paper applies the Virginia Tech Comprehensive Power-based Fuel consumption Model (VT-CPFM) framework to develop a new model that is calibrated and validated using field data collected using a mobile emissions research laboratory (MERL). The results demonstrate that the model accurately predicts fuel consumption levels consistent with field observations and outperforms the comprehensive modal emissions model (CMEM) and the motor vehicle emissions simulator (MOVES) model. Using the model it is demonstrated that the optimum fuel economy cruise speed ranges between 32 and 52 km/h with steeper roads and heavier trucks resulting in lower optimum cruise speeds. The results also demonstrate that the model generates accurate CO 2 emission estimates that are consistent with field measurements. Finally, the model can be easily calibrated using data collected using non-engine instrumentation (e.g. Global Positioning System) and readily implemented in traffic simulation software, smartphone applications and eco-freight programs.
Trump Order Mandating Deportation for Health Service Use: Not Legally Sufficient.

An editorial is presented which addresses the legal aspects of a draft executive order from U.S. President Donald Trump's administration which threatens deportation and denial of immigration status for immigrants that utilize America's public health services, and it mentions the author's claim that the draft order will scare immigrants and prevent them from seeking medical care. U.S. immigration law and the practices of the nation's Department of Homeland Security are addressed.
Emotional Realism, Affective Labor and Politics in the Arab Fandom of Game of Thrones

This article examines the Game of Thrones (GoT) fan phenomena in the Arab world. Although I contextualize GoT as a commodity within HBO’s global ambitions to attract a global audience, I study GoT Arab fans as an organized interpretive online community. I examine the Arabic fan Facebook page “Game of Thrones‒Official Arabic Page” (GoT-OAP), which has over 240,000 followers, as a case study of cultural production and consumption by fans. Based on interviews with members of the administration staff of the GoT-OAP Facebook page, as well as textual analysis of the page’s posts, I ask: How is fan culture around GoT produced in the Arab world? How are the boundaries between being fans, media producers, and consumers negotiated? Are there connections between the themes of GoT and the current unrest across the Arab region? If so, how are they articulated? Through emotional realism and hybridity, I show that Arab fans find ways to negotiate their fandom of GoT with their local context and lived experiences.
The “Green Revolution”, Ethics and Engineering in the USA

Ethical behavior applied to any activity within our society is, in the final analysis, the responsibility of each of the individuals involved in that activity. The “Green Revolution”, which erupted in the U.S.A. resulted in conditions which presented difficult ethical decisions to individuals and organizations working on ecological/environmental questions. The problems posed are best observed in an examination of the enforcement of the U.S.A. Clean Water Act where construction workers, the media, regulators, lawyers, politicians, environmentalists, treatment facility operators, scientists, engineers, academics and scientific/technical organizations all substantially benefited. Unfortunately this legislation does not require ecological or net environmental improvement. It requires equitable distribution of the costs of compliance throughout the nation. This has encouraged nonscientific standards and criteria, and a narrow focus, which have in turn resulted in both nonresponsible environmental results, and costs such that other important ecological/societal needs cannot be funded. All societies, whether developing or industrialized, must conserve their resources by utilizing scientific/economic methods to attack clean water and similar problems if they are to really improve their ecology/environment. Since this procedure is minimally used in the U.S.A., what should or can be the ethical positions of the many individuals and groups now benefiting by the present flawed system?
The Sustainable Development Goal for Urban Sanitation: Africa's Statistical Tragedy Continues?

Sanitation delivery in the urban areas of sub-Saharan African countries has been a chronic issue, particularly difficult to tackle. Under the Millennium Development Goals, the sanitation target in urban sub-Saharan Africa was missed by a wide margin and witnessed almost no improvement. After 2 years of review, the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme published a new measure of access to sanitation as a baseline for the Sustainable Development Goals. There are a number of improvements in the new measure. However, despite the improvements, the new measure continues to be characterized by an important flaw: it continues to disregard how shared toilet facilities contribute towards the SDG sanitation target. As a result, the new measure does not indicate whether progress is being made in low-income urban areas where a large number of households rely on shared sanitation; nor does it provide a goal that can be achieved in cities of the poorest countries over the measurement period. But, its most egregious failing is that it directs resources towards investments which will often fail cost/benefit tests. In sum, it is not a surprise that a Working Group recommended that the measure should be changed to include some shared facilities. Following the Working Group’s recommendation would have avoided the adverse consequences of continued reliance on a key component of the methodology used for monitoring sanitation improvements under the Millennium Development Goals. The paper discusses the limitations of this methodology in the context of urban sub-Saharan Africa, where current sanitation conditions are seriously lacking, and the significant future urban population growth will add more pressure for the delivery of vital sanitation services.
Adapting to Multiple Affective States in Spoken Dialogue

We evaluate a wizard-of-oz spoken dialogue system that adapts to multiple user affective states in real-time: user disengagement and uncertainty. We compare this version with the prior version of our system, which only adapts to user uncertainty. Our analysis investigates how iteratively adding new affect adaptation to an existing affect-adaptive system impacts global and local performance. We find a significant increase in motivation for users who most frequently received the disengagement adaptation. Moreover, responding to disengagement breaks its negative correlations with task success and user satisfaction, reduces uncertainty levels, and reduces the likelihood of continued disengagement.
Strategies to Prevent Readmission in High-Risk Patients with Diabetes: the Importance of an Interdisciplinary Approach

Patients with diabetes are known to have higher 30-day readmission rates compared to the general inpatient population. A number of strategies have been shown to be effective in lowering readmission rates. A review of the current literature revealed several strategies that have been associated with a decreased risk of readmission in high-risk patients with diabetes. These strategies include inpatient diabetes survival skills education and medication reconciliation prior to discharge to send the patient home with the “right” medications. Other key strategies include scheduling a follow-up phone call soon after discharge and an office visit to adjust the diabetes regimen. The authors identified the most successful strategies to reduce readmissions as well as some institutional barriers to following a transitional care program. Recent studies have identified risk factors in the diabetes population that are associated with an increased risk of readmission as well as interventions to lower this risk. A standardized transitional care program that focuses on providing interventions while reducing barriers to implementation can contribute to a decreased risk of readmission.
The Botany, Chemistry and Pharmacology of Qat

Probably the most recurrent error in the literature on qat, aside from its mistransliteration as “khat,” is the common designation of it as a “narcotic.” As the Latin root of this commonly misused word indicates, the term narcotic refers to a drowsiness-producing quality such as is typical of the opiates. But the most important experiential effect of qat is precisely the opposite. Like its close relatives the amphetamines, this substance stimulates mental alertness, wakefulness, and later, insomnia.
Axonal Regeneration and Recovery From Chronic Central Nervous System Injury

Damage to the adult brain or spinal cord commonly produces persistent dysfunction without recovery. To replace lost neurons, stem cells, trophic factors, and transplantation of neural-competent cells might be relevant. Treatment of dysfunction based on the disconnection of surviving neurons requires the axonal regeneration from remaining neurons and a degree of plasticity in neuronal connectivity. Those neurological conditions in which axonal regeneration and plasticity are most relevant are reviewed here. Recent scientific advances are likely to lead to the development of a novel group of therapeutics targeting axonal regeneration for the recovery of function in chronic neurological dysfunction.
Single and Double Star Astrometry with the Mark III Interferometer

Present construction of large multi-element optical interferometers is based on experience with several pioneering instruments, a very successful one being the Mark III interferometer on Mt. Wilson, California. With it, over the last few years, some 26 spectroscopic binaries were resolved at separations as small as 3 milliarcseconds (mas) and orbital elements have been derived. In addition, the installation of vacuum delay-lines and multi-color fringe-detection allowed the derivation of dispersion-corrected geometrical delays of stars, which were used to determine relative stellar positions over wide angles with a precision of about 20 mas. We present and discuss recent results with respect to the determination of stellar positions, distances, masses, and luminosities.
Transforming Sequences Associated with Atherosclerotic Plaque DNA

Proliferation of smooth muscle cells is considered to be essential to the development of atherosclerotic plaques. The stimulus to proliferation is unknown. According to the monoclonal hypothesis, which equates plaques with benign smooth muscle cell tumors. plaques arise via mutational or viral events rather than in response to tissue injury. Here, we provide direct evidence that molecular events heretofore associated only with tumor cells are common to plaque cells as well. We employed a DNA-mediated gene transfer assay that relies on the incorporation and expression of dominant, transforming DNA sequences by NIH 3T3 fibroblasts. Three distinct groups of human coronary artery plaque (hCAP) DNA samples transfected into NIH 3T3 cells gave rise to transformed foci. Each focus represents the clonal outgrowth of a single transformed cell. Foci were scored double blind by at least two investigators 24 days after transfection. Foci were picked individually from the primary transfectants and grown in mass culture. The DNA from cloned foci was employed successfully in a second round of transfection. The efficiency of focus formation with hCAP DNA was one-third to one-half of that for the positive control. T24 DNA. Focus DNA hybridized to nick-translated Ki-ras or Ha-ras probes failed to detect human fragments of these genes. For each of nine clones, primary focus cells were injected into male nu - /nu - mice (5 × 106 cells/mouse; five mice/group). Large oval-round tumors (>15 mm diameter) representing five different clones arose in 6/42 mice. These results are significantly different (χ2 = 4.67. p < 0.05) from those (0/30) obtained in control mice injected with untreated NIH 3T3 cells. DNA extracted from the tumors hybridized to the repetitive human ALU sequence. In summary, our results, which provide direct experimental support for the monoclonal hypothesis, demonstrate that hCAP DNA contains transforming sequences(s) that can be transmitted serially in vitro and are associated with tumor formation in vivo. DNA sequences that behave this way in cancer cells are called oncogenes. By analogy, we propose that one or more atherogenes plays a similar role in plaque cells.
Is another genetic revolution needed to offset climate change impacts for US maize yields

Predictions of future food supply under climate change rely on projected crop yield trends, which are typically based upon retrospective empirical analyses of historical yield gains. However, the estimation of these trends is difficult given the evolving impact of agricultural technologies and confounding influences such as weather. Here, we evaluate the effect of climate change on United States (US) maize yields in light of the productivity gains associated with the period of rapid adoption of genetically engineered (GE) seeds. We find that yield gains on the order of those experienced during the adoption of GE maize are needed to offset climate change impacts under the business-as-usual scenario, and that smaller gains, such as those associated with the pre-GE era in the 1980s and early 90s, would likely imply yield reductions below current levels. Although this study cannot identify the biophysical drivers of past and future maize yields, it helps contextualize the yield growth requirements necessary to counterbalance projected yield losses under climate change. Outside of the US, our findings have important implications for regions lagging in the adoption of new technologies which could help offset the detrimental effects of climate change.
Increasing influenza immunization rates among healthcare providers in an ambulatory-based, University Healthcare Setting☆.

OBJECTIVE Despite its 'best practice' status as an intervention to combat healthcare-related influenza, many healthcare personnel (HCP) do not seek vaccinations themselves. The objective of this study was to achieve the Healthy People [HP] 2020's influenza vaccination goal of 90% among our HCP. DESIGN The study utilized the model for improvement, consisting of Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles. Each influenza season served as a PDSA cycle until the HP 2020 vaccination goal was achieved. The quality improvement (QI) study was conducted over four influenza seasons (i.e. 2014-15; 2015-16; 2016-17 and 2017-18). SETTING The study's setting was an ambulatory-based, university health center within a suburban university located in central New Jersey. PARTICIPANTS Adapting the National Vaccine Advisory Committee's definition of HCP, clinical and non-clinical staff members (n = 110) participated in the QI-study. INTERVENTIONS QI-interventions were centered on staff education/outreach, improved accessibility to influenza vaccines and frequent communication to staff over several PDSA cycles. MAIN OUTCOME & RESULTS The QI-interventions significantly increased our overall vaccination coverage on our influenza vaccination status survey from 70.2% (2011-14 influenza seasons; n = 102) to 84.9% (2014-15 influenza season; n = 93) in PDSA 1, and 91.1% (2015-16 influenza season; n = 90) in PDSA cycle 2 (χ2 = 309.53, P < 0.001). Vaccination rates remained above the 90% performance goal during our quality control/assurance measuring periods (i.e. the 2016-18 influenza seasons). CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates that influenza vaccination coverage can significantly improve among HCP through the application of concurrent and multifaceted QI-interventions.
Connectivity Tracking Methods for a Network of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

The communication links shared among a team of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) can be represented as a Laplacian matrix. The second smallest eigenvalue of the matrix, known as algebraic connectivity, is a metric typically used to measure the connectivity of UAVs. Algebraic connectivity represents the robustness of the communication network. For an increasing number of UAV applications, varying levels of connectivity at different points throughout the duration of a mission are needed to meet operational requirements. Thus, the ability to track and obtain a desired connectivity profile over the course of a mission is critical. This work compares four different methods for increasing or decreasing the connectivity for a team of UAVs by adding or removing communication links between UAVs. A connectivity tracking algorithm was developed using these methods to track a profile of varying connectivity over time and an analysis of the results is provided.
Deciphering Chinese Censorship: Introducing CensorScout and the Weibo Censorship Dashboard

We present CensorScout and the Weibo Censorship Dashboard, two pilot applications that make several steps toward increased transparency into censorship on Weibo and provide valuable — albeit limited — information regarding the state of Chinese Internet censorship. In doing so, we also introduce an open-source system that bypasses Weibo’s stringent authentication and authorization requirements and allows the collection of Weibo data en masse. We begin this paper by outlining the history of censorship in China both before and after the introduction of the Internet. Drawing from our own research and that of others, we then present an overview of censorship on Weibo and explain how to circumvent many of its anti-transparency measures at a technical level.
Does evidence support "banking/extending sleep" by shift workers to mitigate fatigue, and/or to improve health, safety, or performance? A systematic review.

Abstract Background Sleep deprivation is common in shift work occupations, including safety-sensitive occupations. While extending sleep prior to scheduled shifts (i.e., “banking sleep”) may be an intuitive strategy for fatigue mitigation, the evidence behind this strategy is unclear. Methods We performed a systematic review of literature retrieved in searches of four databases. We examined agreement between two independent screeners, abstracted key findings, reviewed and synthesized findings, and evaluated the quality of evidence using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology. The Cochrane Collaboration's risk of bias tool was used to evaluate bias of individual studies. We reported findings as prescribed by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. Results Of the 3007 records screened, five met inclusion criteria. The inter-rater agreement for inclusion/exclusion was high (κ = 0.87). One study addressed patient safety outcomes. Four studies assessed the impact of banking sleep on performance, five assessed measures of acute fatigue, and three evaluated banking sleep on indicators of health. All five studies presented a very serious risk of bias and the quality of evidence was very low. Given these caveats, the findings, in aggregate, support banking sleep as a strategy to improve indicators of performance and acute fatigue. Conclusions This systematic review identifies gaps in research of shift workers on the efficacy of banking sleep as a fatigue risk management strategy. The available evidence supports banking sleep prior to shiftwork as a strategy for improved patient safety, performance, and reducing acute fatigue.