cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Attitudes of Retailers and College Educators Toward Fashion Retail Internships

This study examined the attitudes of retailers and college educators toward fashion retail internships to provide information useful in the development of meaningful and realistic retail internships. The attitudes were related to characteristics influencing retailer participation in internship programs, intern selection criteria used by retailers, prerequisite coursework to internships, and activities to which interns should be exposed. Groups compared in the study were (a) retailers and educators, (b) different types of stores (department, specialty, and discount), (c) chain and non-chain stores, and (d) main and branch stores. The results showed some significant differences in all the comparison groups. The major differences were related to the amount of exposure to buyer-related activities interns should receive versus manager and salesperson-related activities. Educators (compared to retailers), non-chain stores (compared to chain stores), and main (compared to branch) department stores indicated that...
Unique Distal Enhancers Linked to the Mouse Tnfsf11 Gene Direct Tissue-Specific and Inflammation-Induced Expression of RANKL

Receptor activator of nuclear factor κB ligand (RANKL) is expressed by a number of cell types to participate in diverse physiological functions. We have previously identified 10 distal RANKL enhancers. Earlier studies have shown that RL-D5 is a multifunctional RANKL enhancer. Deletion of RL-D5 from the mouse genome leads to lower skeletal and lymphoid tissue RANKL, causing a high bone mass phenotype. Herein, we determine the physiological role and lineage specificity of 2 additional RANKL enhancers, RL-D6 and RL-T1, which are located 83 and 123 kb upstream of the gene's transcriptional start site, respectively. Lack of RL-D6 or RL-T1 did not alter skeletal RANKL or bone mineral density up to 48 weeks of age. Although both RL-D5 and RL-T1 contributed to activation induction of T-cell RANKL, RL-T1 knockout mice had drastically low lymphocyte and lymphoid tissue RANKL levels, indicating that RL-T1 is the major regulator of lymphocyte RANKL. Moreover, RL-T1 knockout mice had lower circulating soluble RANKL, suggesting that lymphocytes are important sources of circulating soluble RANKL. Under physiological conditions, lack of RL-D6 did not alter RANKL expression. However, lack of RL-D5 or RL-D6, but not of RL-T1, blunted the oncostatin M and lipopolysaccharide induction of RANKL ex vivo and in vivo, suggesting that RL-D5 and RL-D6 coregulate the inflammation-mediated induction of RANKL in osteocytes and osteoblasts while lack of RL-D6 did not alter secondary hyperparathyroidism or lactation induction of RANKL or bone loss. These results suggest that although RL-D5 mediates RANKL expression in multiple lineages, other cell type- or factor-specific enhancers are required for its appropriate control, demonstrating the cell type-specific and complex regulation of RANKL expression.
The Impact of Fit between Anticipated and Actual Entry Mode Selection on Firm Performance: Evidence from China

International business researchers have extensively studied entry mode choice, but only a very few studies have examined whether anticipated entry modes by determinants would lead to higher firm performance. By analyzing approximately 17,000 foreign entries in seven industries into China from 1979 to 2004 we test the impact of determinants, such as host countries’ experience, cultural distance, industry asset intensity, resource commitment and location on entry modes choices into China. Furthermore, we examine how the fit between anticipated and actual entry modes selection affects firm performance. Findings indicate that firms who choose entry modes based on cultural distance and location advantages theories outperform other firms.
CONTINGENT ACTS OF REMEMBRANCE: ROYAL ANCESTORS OF CLASSIC MAYA COPAN AND QUIRIGUA

Classic Maya history is deeply political, and religious and political activities frequently inseparable. This essay advocates directly comparing mortuary practices over time for rulers at politically and economically linked centers. Most specifically it outlines an experimental model of how acts of remembrance in royal ancestor veneration articulate with local and regional politico-economic dynamics, and to do so with respect to acts attested in archaeological, bioarchaeological, textual, and iconographic sources. The particular case here pairs Classic-period Copan and Quirigua, where for centuries, the former was overlord to the latter. The evidence suggests that while treatment of royal ancestors draws on a set of established Maya practices, scale, elaboration and choice among those practices was contingent on the role each of the decedents held at particular points in political history, and the temporal orientation of those who commissioned remembrance acts.
Investigation on the Foodborne Bacteria Contamination in Commercial Food Products in Fuyang City

Objective To investigate the food contamination caused by foodborne bacteria in Fuyang,establish the database of foodborne bacteria and provide suggestions for the prevention of foodborne diseases.Methods Salmonella,Listeria monocytogenes,EHEC O157∶H7,Staphylococcus aureus,Campylobacter jejuni and Vibrio parahaemolyticus were isolated and detected according to the methods provided by National Foodborne Diseases Surveillance handbook and GB4789-2,3,9.Results A total of 31 foodborne bacteria strains were isolated and detected from 129 food samples,the overall detection rate was 24.81%(32/129).The respective detection rate of Staphylococcus aureus,Salmonella,Listeria monocytogenes and EHEC O157∶H7 were 90.00%(18/20),2.32%(3/129),3.67%(4/109) and 1.51%(1/66).The detection rate of Vibrio parahaemolyticus from fishery product was 40.00%(4/10)and the detection rate of Campylobacter jejuni from poultry product was 40.00%(4/10).Conclusion The investigation showed that the contamination of commercial food caused by foodborne bacteria was severe in Fuyang city.The raw milk,raw meat,cooked meat and vegetables were the main foods contaminated by foodborne bacteria.Therefore,preventive measures should be strengthened to control foodborne disease.
DNA Scrunching in the Packaging of Viral Genomes.

The motors that drive double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) genomes into viral capsids are among the strongest of all biological motors for which forces have been measured, but it is not known how they generate force. We previously proposed that the DNA is not a passive substrate but that it plays an active role in force generation. This “scrunchworm hypothesis” holds that the motor proteins repeatedly dehydrate and rehydrate the DNA, which then undergoes cyclic shortening and lengthening motions. These are captured by a coupled protein–DNA grip-and-release cycle to rectify the motion and translocate the DNA into the capsid. In this study, we examined the interactions of dsDNA with the dodecameric connector protein of bacteriophage ϕ29, using molecular dynamics simulations on four different DNA sequences, starting from two different conformations (A-DNA and B-DNA). In all four simulations starting with the protein equilibrated with A-DNA in the channel, we observed transitions to a common, metastable, highly scrunc...
Decreased Self-Appraisal Accuracy on Cognitive Tests of Executive Functioning Is a Predictor of Decline in Mild Cognitive Impairment.

Objective: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in older individuals is associated with increased risk of progression to dementia. The factors predicting progression are not yet well established, yet cognitive performance, particularly for memory, is known to be important. Anosognosia, meaning lack of awareness of one’s impaired function, is commonly reported in dementia and is often also a feature of MCI, but its association with risk of progression is not well understood. In particular, self-appraisal measures provide an autonomous measure of insight abilities, without the need of an informant. Method: The present study examined the utility of self-appraisal accuracy at baseline for predicting cognitive decline in 51 patients using an informant-free assessment method. Baseline task performance scores were compared to self-assessments of performance to yield a discrimination-score (DS) for tasks tapping into memory and executive functions. Results: Linear regression revealed that a larger DS for executive function tasks in MCI predicted functional decline, independent of age, education, and baseline memory and executive task scores. Conclusions: These findings indicate that objective estimates of self-appraisal can be used to quantify anosognosia and increase predictive accuracy for decline in MCI.
Excision of the Urogenital Diaphragm: A Method of Repair of the Completely Obstructed Membranous Urethra

AbstractA 15-year experience with 16 patients who suffered complete rupture of the membranous urethra and obliteration of the apex of the dislocated prostate gland is described. In 2 cases repair was done immediately after the injury. The technique is described. Entrance into the perineum follows the path of the bulbous urethra rather than that of the rectal wall. After the bulbous urethra is mobilized the urogenital diaphragm is excised. The end of the bulbous urethra is approximated to the mobilized distal half of the prostate, via the shortest route between the 2 organs.
Controlled Shot Peening to Prevent Fatigue and Stress Corrosion Cracking

SummaryControlled Shot-Peening is a pre-stressing technique conducted to impart a residual compressive stress of known magnitude and depth to metallic materials. The technique is used by aerospace, automotive, agricultural, marine, offshore, medical, chemical and mining industries to prevent surface failures.Nearly all component failures in any industry are surface related whether they be fatigue, stress corrosion, fretting, galling, spoiling or intergranular corrosion, and can be influenced beneficially by surface cold work, being related to surface stress, hardness and/or roughness.This paper describes how the process is conducted, with details of the compressive stress, hardness and surface roughness induced; how the process has developed and where the future lies with the latest computer monitored techniques. These latest control techniques enable Shot-Peening to be used as a design tool, as well as a remedial treatment.
Inferring the Mutational History of a Tumor Using Multi-state Perfect Phylogeny Mixtures.

Phylogenetic techniques are increasingly applied to infer the somatic mutational history of a tumor from DNA sequencing data. However, standard phylogenetic tree reconstruction techniques do not account for the fact that bulk sequencing data measures mutations in a population of cells. We formulate and solve the multi-state perfect phylogeny mixture deconvolution problem of reconstructing a phylogenetic tree given mixtures of its leaves, under the multi-state perfect phylogeny, or infinite alleles model. Our somatic phylogeny reconstruction using combinatorial enumeration (SPRUCE) algorithm uses this model to construct phylogenetic trees jointly from single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) and copy-number aberrations (CNAs). We show that SPRUCE addresses complexities in simultaneous analysis of SNVs and CNAs. In particular, there are often many possible phylogenetic trees consistent with the data, but the ambiguity decreases considerably with an increasing number of samples. These findings have implications for tumor sequencing strategies, suggest caution in drawing strong conclusions based on a single tree reconstruction, and explain difficulties faced by applying existing phylogenetic techniques to tumor sequencing data.
The T Cell-Specific Adapter Protein Functions as a Regulator of Peripheral but not Central Immunological Tolerance

In this chapter we have discussed both new and published data that show that the TSAd adapter protein regulates peripheral but not central T cell tolerance. As a regulator of peripheral tolerance, TSAd appears to function in both the cytoplasm and nucleus of T cells to regulate synthesis of IL-2 and, hence, apoptotic death. TSAd is not required for thymic selection processes despite the fact that TSAd is well expressed in DP thymocytes where such processes take place. Recent data show that several of the signaling pathways regulated by TSAd in peripheral T cells are not similarly regulated by TSAd in thymocytes, consistent with its lack of influence upon thymic selection. The basis for this uncoupling of TSAd in thymocytes remains to be determined.
Adverse Events During Invasive EEG Recordings

Researchers in the Department of Paediatric Neurosurgery and Epilepsy Unit, Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, UK analyzed the hospital charts of 95 children operated on between 1995 and 2009 for medication-resistant focal epilepsy and requiring presurgical intracranial monitoring of the EEG.
Blind channel estimation of underwater acoustic waveguide impulse responses using marine mammal vocalizations

Some techniques for underwater passive acoustic localization make use of estimates for the direct and/or interface-reflected acoustic arrival times of an acoustic source at one or more underwater hydrophones. This estimation task can be difficult for non-impulsive sound sources, such as humpback whales, due to later arrivals being masked by earlier ones. In linear system analysis, the impulse response of a system is the system output when the input is an impulse (i.e., a short duration, large bandwidth signal). The impulse response of a system contains information about the propagation environment, and expresses how a source signal interacts with the environment to yield the output waveform (e.g., that recorded by a hydrophone). The recording of a relatively impulsive call (e.g., a sperm whale click) approximates the impulse response between the whale and hydrophone. In recordings of such a call, arrival time estimation can be straightforward. For non-impulsive calls, if the source waveform is known, the impulse response can be estimated through techniques such as deconvolution or cross-correlation. The case of unknown, non-impulsive calls is particularly challenging. However, given the wealth of information present in the impulse response, we seek to estimate impulse responses even in these adverse conditions. Blind channel estimation (BCE) is the process of estimating the set of impulse responses between a single (frequently, unknown) source and multiple receivers, and can potentially help estimate direct and interface-reflected arrival times for non-impulsive marine mammal vocalizations since the impulse responses can be analyzed rather than the waveforms or spectra. In this paper, we look at simulation and measured-data results using marine mammal vocalizations to estimate underwater acoustic impulse responses.
Information Technology in the Global Strategy of a Multinational Bank from an Emerging Economy

Based on a survey and extended interviews with 78 domestic and international managers of a leading bank in India, this paper identifies some problems encountered with the utilization of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) by this enterprise in its global marketing strategy. A comparative analysis of the survey responses reveal recognizable differences among managers within and outside India concerning the problems and prospects of ICT as an instrument of global business strategy. Twenty problems that can diminish the influence of ICT in this strategy are identified and classified into four categories: Infrastructure, Regulation and Restrictions, Training and Culture, and Financial Constraints. The study finds that ICT has assisted the bank in maintaining its global competitiveness but the international managers of the bank do not agree that it has generated any competitive advantage. Using a qualitative methodological approach, this paper systematically explores the problems and prospects of ICT as an important supporting factor in the global strategy of a multinational bank from India. Keywords: Global Information Technology, Information Technology Strategy, Multinational banking
Post-War Economic Tendencies in the United States

If the period of United States business-cycle history which lies between the summer of 1945 and the summer of 1952 were sufficiently far removed to be of interest merely in its broad outline, not in its details, it might be possible to characterize the period by a few statements such as the following: (1) Taken as a whole, the period was one of readjustment from hot war to a condition of cold war (plus local armed conflicts), rather than from war to peace in any usual sense. This process took a detour; it first moved from war toward peace and from there to cold war. The detour was short, that is to say, the process moved very rapidly. By the end of the period it had not come to an end.
Privacy Risks in Vehicle Grids and Autonomous Cars

Traditionally, the vehicle has been the extension of the manual ambulatory system, docile to the drivers' commands. Recent advances in communications, controls and embedded systems have changed this model, paving the way to the Intelligent Vehicle Grid. The car is now a formidable sensor platform, absorbing information from the environment, from other cars (and from the driver) and feeding it to other cars and infrastructure to assist in safe navigation, pollution control and traffic management. The next step in this evolution is just around the corner: the Internet of Autonomous Vehicles. Like other important instantiations of the Internet of Things (e.g., the smart building, etc), the Internet of Vehicles will not only upload data to the Internet with V2I. It will also use V2V communications, storage, intelligence, and learning capabilities to anticipate the customers' intentions and learn from other peers. V2I and V2V are essential to the autonomous vehicle, but carry the risk of attacks. This paper will address the privacy attacks to which vehicles are exposed when they upload private data to Internet Servers. It will also outline efficient methods to preserve privacy.
Why Isn’t Health a Priority?

This study helps bridge the existing divide between the knowledge on health news reporting in mainstream mass media and health reporting in media outlets serving Native American populations in the United States. The current work presents the first survey of journalists working in Native-serving media outlets to identify role conceptions, perceived importance, and actual practices of health reporting. Aided in data collection by the Native American Journalists Association, findings indicate journalists (N = 100) place a high value on their role as disseminators of culturally relevant health information. However, results conflict in regard to the prioritization of health news reporting. Although journalists recognize health news should be a top priority, they point to a general lack of will from news leadership to make it an organizational priority. Additionally, results show that although journalists have comfort and confidence in health-related reporting, access to qualified sources remains an area for op...
Incorporation of purine analogs into the nucleotide pools of human erythrocytes.

For the past decade this laboratory has devoted much of its attention to an examination of various facets of purine metabolism in human erythrocytes. These cells do not have the complete pathway for the de novo synthesis of purines and do not make nucleic acids. On the other hand, they have an active nucleotide metabolism and contain the salvage enzymes, hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase (HGPRTase), adenine phosphoribosyl transferase (APRTase) and adenosine kinase. In view of the fact that the activities of certain enzymes of purine metabolism are quite high (e.g., purine nucleoside phosphorylase occurs at a level of about 15 umolar units/ml of erythrocytes) and the total mass of erythrocytes in the adult human being is in excess of two liters, it appears that these cells play an important and perhaps not yet fully appreciated role in the whole body economy of purines in man. Therefore, we believe that the human erythrocyte provides a very useful model system for the examination of purine metabolism in man as well as for investigations of the action of certain purine and purine nucleoside antimetabolites, many of which are important in medicine.
Theoretical Determination of Optimal Material Parameters for ZnCdTe/ZnCdSe Quantum Dot Intermediate Band Solar Cells

Intermediate band solar cells (IBSCs) are designed to enhance the photovoltaic efficiency significantly over that of a single-junction solar cell as determined by the Shockley–Queisser limit. In this work we present calculations to determine parameters of type-II Zn1−xCdxTe/Zn1−yCdySe quantum dots (QDs) grown on the InP substrate suitable for IBSCs. The calculations are done via the self-consistent variational method, accounting for the disk form of the QDs, presence of the strained ZnSe interfacial layer, and under conditions of a strain-free device structure. We show that to achieve the required parameters relatively thick QDs are required. Barriers must contain Cd concentration in the range of 35–44%, while Cd concentration in QD can vary widely from 0% to 70%, depending on their thickness to achieve the intermediate band energies in the range of 0.50–0.73 eV. It is also shown that the results are weakly dependent on the barrier thickness.
Simulations in acoustics and vibration education: What is the appropriate ratio of ``learning to make'' and ``learning to use'' for undergraduate students?

Within most undergraduate engineering curricula in the US, there is room for perhaps one or two acoustics and vibrations-related courses, which are generally offered as technical electives rather than as required classes. Numerical computation is also taught in one or two (typically required) courses. Yet, in the current environment, very powerful commercial simulation packages are available that can be used to solve complex real-world problems. Since there is no room in the current curriculum to teach both aspects fully, this begs the question, “What is the most appropriate mix of teaching?” Should one focus on the fundamentals, such that students learn the basics of various solution methods, but suffer limited exposure to the solution of real-world applications, or should one focus on the use of specific software packages that can solve real-world problems? These issues are explored and various examples are presented in hopes to further discussion of this topic in the community.
A new model of wheezing severity in young children using the validated ISAAC wheezing module: A latent variable approach with validation in independent cohorts

Background The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Children (ISAAC) Wheezing Module is commonly used to characterize pediatric asthma in epidemiological studies, including nearly all airway cohorts participating in the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) consortium. However, there is no consensus model for operationalizing wheezing severity with this instrument in explanatory research studies. Severity is typically measured using coarsely-defined categorical variables, reducing power and potentially underestimating etiological associations. More precise measurement approaches could improve testing of etiological theories of wheezing illness. Methods We evaluated a continuous latent variable model of pediatric wheezing severity based on four ISAAC Wheezing Module items. Analyses included subgroups of children from three independent cohorts whose parents reported past wheezing: infants ages 0-2 in the INSPIRE birth cohort study (Cohort 1; n = 657), 6-7-year-old North American children from Phase One of the ISAAC study (Cohort 2; n = 2,765), and 5-6-year-old children in the EHAAS birth cohort study (Cohort 3; n = 102). Models were estimated using structural equation modeling. Results In all cohorts, covariance patterns implied by the latent variable model were consistent with the observed data, as indicated by non-significant χ2 goodness of fit tests (no evidence of model misspecification). Cohort 1 analyses showed that the latent factor structure was stable across time points and child sexes. In both cohorts 1 and 3, the latent wheezing severity variable was prospectively associated with wheeze-related clinical outcomes, including physician asthma diagnosis, acute corticosteroid use, and wheeze-related outpatient medical visits when adjusting for confounders. Conclusion We developed an easily applicable continuous latent variable model of pediatric wheezing severity based on items from the well-validated ISAAC Wheezing Module. This model prospectively associates with asthma morbidity, as demonstrated in two ECHO birth cohort studies, and provides a more statistically powerful method of testing etiologic hypotheses of childhood wheezing illness and asthma.
"Lestat, C'est Moi": Anne Rice's Revelation of Self Through The Vampire Chronicles

In lieu of an abstract, below is the article's first paragraph. To most, the word "vampire" conjures visions of Halloween, of old black and white horror movies, of Bela Lugosi whispering "I vant to suck your blood." Yet for Anne Rice, this view of the vampire is much too limiting; true, her series of five Vampire Chronicles does focus mainly around the dark hero, Lestat, who is indeed, a blood-sucking "monster." However, The Vampire Chronicles are far more than a collection of murderous escapades; they are, symbolically, a "chronicle" of the author's spiritual journey from her concern with commenting on social dynamics in the first installment, Interview with the Vampire, to her own personal confrontation with the religious experience and redemption in the last, Memnoch the Devil. This article is available in The Review: A Journal of Undergraduate Student Research: http://fisherpub.sjfc.edu/ur/vol1/iss1/6 "Lestat, C' est Moi": Anne Rice's Revelation of Self Through The Vampire Chronicles
An Interpretation of Jacques Ellul’s Dialectical Method

For the past fifty years Jacques Ellul has carried out a sustained investigation and critique of the nature, development, and social implications of modern technique.1 Much of the difficulty that has been associated with interpreting Ellul’s thought2 can be traced to a general lack of understanding of his method. It is my view that a deeper understanding of Ellul’s method would show that his thought warrants serious reexamination. The purpose of this paper, then, is to attempt to describe Ellul’s dialectical method.
TUTORIAL ON SIGNAL PROCESSING AND PATTERN RECOGNITION IN NONDESTRUCTIVE EVALUATION OF MATERIALS

Signal processing and pattern recognition are now playing a key role to meet the greatly increased requirements in nondestructive evaluation (NDE) of materials. After a review of current signal processing and pattern recognition activities in NDE, the discussion is focused on an interactive NDE software package which is used to demonstrate many functions of signal processing and pattern recognition in NDE.
Arrested developments: CDK4/6 inhibitor resistance and alterations in the tumor immune microenvironment

The uncontrolled proliferation of cancer cells has led to the development of small-molecule inhibitors to target cell-cycle progression. Palbociclib, ribociclib, and abemaciclib are ATP-competitive inhibitors of cyclin-dependent kinases 4/6 (CDK4/6), which function early within the G1 phase of the cell cycle. Recently, CDK4/6 inhibitors have gained FDA approval in postmenopausal estrogen receptor (ER)-positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative breast cancer and testing in other cancer types is underway. However, resistance to CDK4/6 inhibitors frequently develops. In addition, targeting CDK4/6 may augment the action of immune checkpoint blockade agents. Here, we review recent studies that provide the preclinical rationale for treatment combinations and schedules that include CDK4/6 inhibitors. Furthermore, we discuss inhibitor effects on tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes as a preclinical rationale for targeting CDK4/6 in combination with anti-PD-1 or anti-CTLA-4 antibodies.
Graphene Based Optical Interconnects

Abstract By electrically tuning the Fermi level in graphene, it is possible to change its optical absorption in a broad range of wavelengths extending from the terahertz to the near-infrared (IR). This tunability enables the realization of graphene-based reconfigurable optoelectronic devices, e.g., ultrafast electro-absorption modulators, photodetectors, phase shifters, and so on. At IR frequencies, including the 1550-nm telecommunications band, both intraband and interband transitions become significant in graphene and can contribute to its optical absorption. In this chapter, we will discuss graphene, its optical properties, and the mechanisms behind the operation of graphene-based waveguide-integrated optoelectronic devices. Although our discussion will be mainly targeted toward modulator applications, most of the described principles can also be extended to other devices such as photodetectors. When considering that graphene is an atom-thick material, its optical response results truly remarkable. For instance, by placing graphene on top of a silicon ridge waveguide, it is possible to achieve a broadband electro-absorption modulation of 0.09 dB/µm based on monolayer graphene and a modulation depth of 0.16 dB/µm based on double-layer structures. Furthermore, we will also review emerging design approaches that can enable superior device performance, in particular we will discuss designer metamaterial approaches for the design of graphene-based optical modulators with reduced footprint.
Opioid Misuse Among HIV-Positive Adults in Medical Care: Results From the Medical Monitoring Project, 2009-2014.

Background:People living with HIV are prescribed opioids more often and at higher doses than people who do not have HIV, and disproportionately experience risk factors for substance use disorder, which suggests they could be at increased risk of the misuse of opioids. Researchers also suggest that o
Temperature-controlled power modulation compensates for heterogeneous nanoparticle distributions: a computational optimization analysis for magnetic hyperthermia

Purpose: To study, with computational models, the utility of power modulation to reduce tissue temperature heterogeneity for variable nanoparticle distributions in magnetic nanoparticle hyperthermi...
The prevalence of modern contraceptive use and its associated socio-economic factors in Ghana: evidence from a demographic and health survey of Ghanaian men.

Abstract Objective This study estimated the prevalence of modern contraceptive use (MCU) and the sociodemographic factors associated with MCU among sexually active men in Ghana. The study is informed by the Health Belief Model, which is used as a conceptual framework for understanding MCU. Study design This was a cross-sectional study of 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey data. Methods Analysis was limited to 3373 men who reported being sexually active within the 24-months prior to the survey data collection. Descriptive statistics, Chi-squared test, and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to estimate the prevalence of MCU and the associated factors affecting contraception use. Results The sexually active men ranged in age from 15 to 59 years of whom 26.20% used modern contraceptives. Men who had discussed family planning with a health worker were more likely to use contraceptives compared with men who did not (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.54; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.14–2.08). Men who were undecided about having additional children were more likely to be using modern contraception compared with men who wanted more children (AOR = 1.85; 95% CI = 1.06–3.22). Men with at least a primary education were more likely to use contraception compared with men with no education (AOR = 1.80; 95% CI = 1.23–2.63). Finally, men with multiple sexual partners were more likely to use contraception compared with men with a single sexual partner (AOR = 1.42; 95% CI = 1.09–1.85). Conclusion There was a low prevalence of MCU among sexually active Ghanaian men. MCU was associated with factors such as education and age.
Fibrin-Genipin Hydrogel for Cartilage Tissue Engineering in Nasal Reconstruction:

Objectives Nasal reconstruction is limited by the availability of autologous cartilage. The aim is to investigate an adhesive biomaterial for tissue engineering of nasal cartilage by evaluating mechanical properties of hydrogels made of fibrin crosslinked with genipin as compared to native tissue. Methods Hydrogels of fibrin, fibrin-genipin, and fibrin-genipin with extracellular matrix (ECM) particles were created and evaluated with mechanical testing to determine compression, tensile, and shear properties. Rabbit nasal septal cartilage was harvested and tested in these modalities for comparison. Transmission electron microscopy characterized hydrogel structure. Results Fibrin-genipin gels had higher compressive, tensile, and shear moduli compared to fibrin alone or fibrin-genipin with ECM. However, all hydrogel formulations had lower moduli than the rabbit nasal septal cartilage. Electron microscopy showed genipin crosslinking increased structural density of the hydrogel and that cartilage ECM created larger structural features with lower crosslinking density. Conclusion The addition of genipin significantly improved mechanical properties of fibrin hydrogels by increasing the compressive, tensile, and shear moduli. The addition of cartilage ECM, which can add native structure and composition, resulted in decreased moduli values. Fibrin-genipin is a bioactive and biomechanically stable hydrogel that may offer promise as a scaffold for cartilage tissue engineering in nasal reconstruction, yet further augmentation is required to match material properties of native nasal cartilage.
Research on Offline Transaction Model in Mobile Payment System

Mobile payment is a killer wireless network service in the e-commerce. Currently, the typical e-commerce modes based on mobile payment still encounter the problems to meet consumers’ daily needs such as: supporting the macro payment, supporting the offline transaction, improving the validity of payment. This paper puts forward an Offline transaction e-commerce system model based on mobile payment which includes the offline POS terminal, mobile device, payment center. The key idea of this model is using the mobile device as a medium to transfer the offline terminals’ transaction voucher and payment center’s payment confirmation to complete the transaction. In this model, the transaction voucher, a random generated ID on the offline POS terminal, is signed by the digital signature technology on the payment center to generate the payment confirmation. And the digital signature verification of payment confirmation, which applies the emerging ID-based cryptography for key agreement and authentication, is the guarantee of the validity in offline transaction. The offline transaction model based on mobile payment saves the costs of wiring and also makes the transaction process more convenient.
Absolute Measurable Spaces: The absolute property

A measure space M( X, μ ) is a triple ( X, μ, (X, μ) , where μ is a countably additive, nonnegative, extended real–valued function whose domain is the σ–algebra (X, μ) of subsets of a set X and satisfies the usual requirements. A subset M of X is said to be μ–measurable if M is a member of the μ–algebra M(X, μ). For a separable metrizable space X , denote the collection of all Borel sets of X by B(X) . A measure space M(X, μ) is said to be Borel if B(X) ⊂ M(X, μ) , and if M ∈ M(X, μ) then there is a Borel set B of X such that M ⊂ B and μ(B) = μ(M) 1 . Note that if μ(M) , then there are Borel sets A and B of X such that A ⊂ M ⊂ B and μ(B \ A) = 0. Certain collections of measure spaces will be referred to often – for convenience, two of them will be defined now. N otation 1.1 (MEAS ; MEAS finite ). The collection of all complete, σ–finite Borel measure spaces M(X, μ) on all separable metrizable spaces X will be denoted by MEAS. The subcollection of MEAS consisting of all such measures that are finite will be denoted by MEAS finite .
Molecular signatures for inflammation vary across cancer types and correlate significantly with tumor stage, gender and vital status of patients

Cancer affects millions of individuals worldwide. One shortcoming of traditional cancer classification systems is that, even for tumors affecting a single organ, there is significant molecular heterogeneity. Precise molecular classification of tumors could be beneficial in personalizing patients9 therapy and predicting prognosis. To this end, here we propose to use molecular signatures to further refine cancer classification. Molecular signatures are collections of genes characterizing particular cell types, tissues or disease. Signatures can be used to interpret expression profiles from heterogeneous samples. Large collections of gene signatures have previously been cataloged in the MSigDB database. We have developed a web-based Signature Visualization Tool (SaVanT) to display signature scores in user-generated expression data. Here we have undertaken a systematic analysis of correlations between inflammatory signatures and cancer samples, to test whether inflammation can differentiate cancer types. Inflammatory response signatures were obtained from MsigDB and SaVanT and a signature score was computed for samples associated with 7 different cancer types. We first identified types of cancers that had high inflammation levels as measured by these signatures. The correlation between signature scores and metadata of these patients (gender, age at initial cancer diagnosis, cancer stage, and vital status) was then computed. We sought to evaluate correlations between inflammation with other clinical parameters and identified four cancer types that had statistically significant association (p-value
Nonfamily Juvenile Abduction

Nonfamily juvenile abduction (NFJA) is infrequent even though the incidents are often sensationalized and exaggerated by the media, which often portray child abduction as an epidemic (Miller et al. 2008; Beyer and Beasley 2003; Shutt et al. 2004; Moscowitz and Duvall 2011). The media devotes a great deal of attention to child abductions, including high-profile cases, such as the Elizabeth Smart, Jaycee Dugard, and Danielle van Dam kidnappings, creating fear and anger in parents and members of the public (Miller et al. 2008). For example, Eichelberger et al. (1990) discovered that parents in their survey were more concerned about the risk that their children would be kidnapped and abuse drugs than suffering from physical injury in childhood.
Vagrant Facts: The Use of Archives as Cultural Heritage and Knowledge Production

Traditionally, archives constitute the authority of facts. This view has been challenged by recognising archives, not as sites of knowledge retrieval but knowledge production, and by questioning archivists and archival practice as neutral, objective, and impartial. This contradiction also applies when considering the relationship between archives and cultural heritage. The traditional view that would regard public documents as cultural heritage contrasts the relationship that includes a more progressive definition of cultural heritage as traces and expressions from the past that are attributed value and are being used today, since nothing is cultural heritage in itself. Hence, it could be assumed that studying aspects that affect the use of archives could provide a wider understanding of the knowledge production that permeates the relationship between archives and cultural heritage. This paper reports a user study, with a participatory design, where 13 heritage master’s students performed a task that involved reflecting on their own research processes when using archives regarding vagrancy in late nineteenth-century Gothenburg. In the user study, aiming at gaining a wider understanding of the cognitive processes and epistemological aspects involved in using archives, the observations made by the students in their ethnographic and reflexive research process were analysed. From the analysis of the students’ reports, certain tendencies emerged that could be wider understood by their connections with previous research, for example within media theory.
Design and Implementation of RAP - a Randomized Asynchronous Protocol for Data Aggregation in Wireless Sensor Networks

We consider a distributed deployment of sensors and a network of wireless relay nodes designed to operate in an environment in which there exists neither a stable energy source nor a global clock to which the network (sensor, relay, and gateway) nodes can synchronize. For such an environment, we design and implement a randomized asynchronous protocol (RAP) for aggregating data at the gateway. The protocol is based on the randomized sleeping of nodes in an asynchronous manner, taking advantage of the birthday paradox to ensure eventual communication. We present an approximate mathematical analysis and develop a simulation model to study the performance of the protocol under different sleep parameters: specifically, the duration of the random sleep times of the transmitter and the receiver. We show that a low average data transfer time can be achieved with low energy usage. We implemented the protocol on an Adafruit Feather 32u4 board, including a number of optimization to further improve the performance and minimize energy usage. Finally, we deployed a wireless sensor network for distributed temperature monitoring of aquaculture research at the Center of Aquatic Biology and Aquaculture (CABA) of University of California, Davis.
Thermal risk prediction methodology for conceptual design of aircraft equipment bays

Abstract Early thermal analysis is becoming increasingly important, in particular for more electric, hybrid electric or all electric aircraft in combination with novel vehicle concepts. Traditionally, aircraft thermal analyses are performed later in the design process, when the aircraft system architecture is already defined, which can lead to costly modifications and delays late in the design process. Thus, assessing thermal risk during the conceptual design phase represents a way to anticipate changes in the design process. This research paper presents an innovative approach using dimensionless numbers to predict system thermal risk for the conceptual design of aircraft equipment bays. The article presents two realistic case studies, a business jet aft equipment bay and a rotorcraft nose equipment bay. The validation with computational fluid dynamic simulations demonstrates novel the capabilities of this thermal risk assessment. In summary, the proposed approach will improve the definition of thermal requirements during the aircraft conceptual design phase and will reduce the risk of potential thermal issues later in the design process.
The Development and Pilot-Testing of the Autism Attitude Acceptance Scale: An Instrument Measuring Autism Acceptance

Background: Although previous studies have measured attitudes about autism to understand ways to ameliorate stigmatized beliefs, nonautistic individuals' acceptance of autism is still not well unde...
Healthcare and education networks interaction as an indicator of social services stability following natural disasters.

Healthcare and education systems have been identified by various national and international organizations as the main pillars of communities’ stability. Understanding the correlation between these main social services institutions is critical to determining the tipping point of communities following natural disasters. Despite being defined as social services stability indicators, to date, no studies have been conducted to determine the level of interdependence between schools and hospitals and their collective influence on their recoveries following extreme events. In this study, we devise an agent-based model to investigate the complex interaction between healthcare and education networks and their overall recovery, while considering other physical, social, and economic factors. We employ comprehensive models to simulate the functional processes within each facility and to optimize their recovery trajectories after earthquake occurrence. The results highlight significant interdependencies between hospitals and schools, including direct and indirect relationships, suggesting the need for collective coupling of their recovery to achieve full functionality of either of the two systems following natural disasters. Recognizing this high level of interdependence, we then establish a social services stability index, which can be used by policymakers and community leaders to quantify the impact of healthcare and education services on community resilience and social services stability.
Medial Olivocochlear Reflex Effect on Cochlear Response in Humans: Elicitor Side and Level.

Background Understanding the functional differences between crossed and uncrossed medial olivocochlear (MOC) neurons has been of interest to researchers for decades. Previous reports revealed conflicting results about which MOC pathway, crossed or uncrossed, is stronger in humans. Both crossed and uncrossed MOC neurons synapse at the base of the outer hair cells (OHCs) in each ear. OHCs generate the cochlear microphonic, which is a major contributor to the cochlear response (CR) Purpose The current study investigated the effects of eliciting the crossed and uncrossed MOC reflex (MOCR) on CR in humans with three levels of noise. Research Design Normal-hearing, young adults (n = 16) participated in this study. The CR was recorded using 500 Hz tone-burst stimuli presented at 80 dB nHL. To examine the crossed and uncrossed MOCR, CR was recorded without and with continuous ipsilateral or contralateral broadband noise (BBN) at three levels (40, 50, and 60 dB SPL). Data Analysis Analysis of the CR was completed using the amplitude of the response extracted using fast Fourier transform. Statistical analysis was completed using repeated measures analysis of variance and post-hoc analysis. Results Compared with baseline, the presentation of BBN, specifically contralaterally, resulted in CR enhancement with no significant difference as a function of the three BBN levels. Greater enhancement of the CR amplitude was observed with contralateral than ipsilateral BBN elicitor. Conclusions The current findings suggest that a contralateral elicitor of the uncrossed MOC pathway results in a larger CR amplitude enhancement compared with an ipsilateral elicitor of the crossed MOC pathway, regardless of the elicitor level. Eliciting the MOCR appears to modulate the OHCs function. Furthermore, assessing the MOCR with the 500 Hz CR with BBN elicitors at moderate levels should separate its effects (i.e., increase response amplitude) from those associated with the middle ear muscle reflex (i.e., reduce response amplitude).