cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Of Yuppies and Housing: Gentrification, Social Restructuring, and the Urban Dream

The question of whether gentrification can and should be explained as the result of contemporary processes of social restructuring is considered. It has been proposed, in particular, that gentrification is caused by the rise of a ‘new middle class’, and this argument is evaluated in theoretical and empirical terms. There is, in fact, better evidence for the significance of women in the gentrification process, because of changing work patterns, changing patterns of reproduction, and the changing relationship between work and reproduction. In light of these arguments, issue is taken with the claim that gentrification is a ‘chaotic conception’ and it is suggested how, instead, the social restructuring that is currently being observed is closely related to an economic restructuring, and that both together involve a dramatic spatial restructuring of which ‘gentrification’ is one part. The new urban patterns now unfolding do involve the construction of ‘consumption landscapes’ in the city, and the emergence of ...
Ultra-stable organic fluorophores for single-molecule research

Fluorescence provides a mechanism for achieving contrast in biological imaging that enables investigations of molecular structure, dynamics, and function at high spatial and temporal resolution. Small-molecule organic fluorophores have proven essential for such efforts and are widely used in advanced applications such as single-molecule and super-resolution microscopy. Yet, organic fluorophores, like all fluorescent species, exhibit instabilities in their emission characteristics, including blinking and photobleaching that limit their utility and performance. Here, we review the photophysics and photochemistry of organic fluorophores as they pertain to mitigating such instabilities, with a specific focus on the development of stabilized fluorophores through derivatization. Self-healing organic fluorophores, wherein the triplet state is intramolecularly quenched by a covalently attached protective agent, exhibit markedly improved photostabilities. We discuss the potential for further enhancements towards the goal of developing “ultra-stable” fluorophores spanning the visible spectrum and how such fluorophores are likely to impact the future of single-molecule research.
Social Action, Service Learning, and Youth Development

Abstract University service-learning students worked with middle school youth, in a social change project, addressing positive youth development and civic engagement. Based on their knowledge of positive youth development theory and British Social Action they facilitated a weekly group in which the youth identified combatting oppression by teachers ( adultism ) for their project. They discussed the problem, designed surveys, analyzed the data, and presented their findings. The youth demonstrated individual competencies and connected with adults while they learned to work collectively in a community change project.
Highly Efficient VRM For Wide Load Range with Dynamic Non-Uniform Current Sharing

Multiphase converters are widely used especially in powering high-current loads. These converters are conventionally designed with symmetric phases and equal/uniform current sharing. This paper presents a multiphase VRM utilizing the concept of dynamic non-uniform current sharing between non-uniform phases. It is shown in this paper that high efficiency conversion can be achieved over wider load range with non-uniform phase design in multiphase converters and by utilizing the control scheme of dynamically varied non-uniform current sharing ratio between the interleaved phases. It is also shown that the proposed concept does not necessarily cause the increase in the size and cost of VRM design. The concept can be further expanded to the designs of other power stages such as AC-DC and PFC converters, bus converters and isolated or non-isolated converters. Theoretical and experimental results are provided in this paper, and they are compared with conventional symmetric designs with uniform current sharing.
Neonatal alcohol exposure impairs acquisition of eyeblink conditioned responses during discrimination learning and reversal in weanling rats

Discrimination and reversal of the classically conditioned eyeblink response depends on cerebellar-brainstem interactions with the hippocampus. Neonatal "binge" exposure to alcohol at doses of 5 g/kg/day or more has been shown to impair single-cue eyeblink conditioning in both weanling and adult rats. The present study exposed neonatal rats to acute alcohol intubations across different developmental periods (postnatal day [PND] 4-9 or PND7-9) and tested them from PND26-31 on discriminative classical eyeblink conditioning and reversal. A high dose of alcohol (5 g/kg/day) dramatically impaired conditioning relative to controls when exposure occurred over PND4-9, but produced mild or no impairments when delivered over PND7-9. These findings support previous claims that developmental exposure period plays a critical role in determining the deleterious effects of alcohol on the developing brain. A lower dose of alcohol (4 g/kg/day) delivered from PND4-9--lower than has previously been shown to affect single-cue eyeblink conditioning--also produced deficits on the discrimination task, suggesting that discrimination learning and acquisition of responding to CS+ during reversal may be especially sensitive behavioral indicators of alcohol-induced brain damage in this rat model.
A systematic review of the endoscopic repair of cerebrospinal fluid leaks.

ObjectivesTo provide an up-to-date review of the literature on the safety and efficacy of the endoscopic technique for cerebrospinal (CSF) leak repairs.Data SourcesPubMed, Medline/Old Medline, and ...
The relationship between cognitive ability and depression: a longitudinal data analysis

Purpose There is literature indicating cognitive ability and depression are related, but few studies have examined the direction of the relationship. This study examined the relationship between depression levels and cognitive abilities from adolescence to early adulthood.
The Use of Consumer-Generated Feedback in the Hotel Industry: Current Practices and Their Effects on Quality

Consumer-generated feedback is hard to ignore these days. Word-of-mouth has expanded beyond a customer’s immediate friends and family; with the help of technology it reaches thousands of current and prospective guests. In light of this, scholars and practitioners are exploring the subject of consumer-generated feedback. Today, most of the research regarding this subject focuses on the use of consumer-generated feedback to make purchase decisions. In contrast, the present study explores the use of such information for the purposes of improving hotel operations. This article examines the amount of value placed on consumer-generated feedback, the relative importance placed on positive and negative feedback, and its effects on perceived quality. Furthermore, this study inquires as to the specific uses given to consumer-generated feedback in the hotel industry. It is the researchers’ contention that valuing feedback has positive effects on perceived quality. The findings conclude that hotels can use consumer-g...
Frequent codon 12 Ki‐ras mutations in mouse skin tumors initiated by N‐methyl‐N′‐nitro‐N‐nitrosoguanidine and promoted by mezerein

The skin tumor initiators N-methy-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) and 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) differ in effectiveness when tumor formation is promoted by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA). Even at high doses, MNNG is less effective, producing fewer benign and malignant tumors with a longer latent period. In DMBA-initiated skin, 10 wk of TPA promotion produced a maximal tumor response. With MNNG, 20 wk of TPA promotion was required, producing nearly four times as many papillomas as 10 wk of promotion. Promotion of MNNG-initiated skin with mezerein induced the appearance of very rapidly-growing papillomas within 5 wk, 3 wk earlier than the first TPA-promoted papillomas. Thus, MNNG may induce a novel mutation resulting in a population of initiated cells that respond especially well to mezerein. Since ras mutations are common in experimental tumors in many tissues, we determined the frequency of activating mutations in the Ha-ras, Ki-ras, and N-ras oncogenes. Activating Ha-ras mutations were present in essentially all DMBA-initiated tumors and about 70% of MNNG-initiated tumors. No N-ras mutations were found in tumors lacking other ras mutations. Surprisingly, 41% of the papillomas arising in the first 11 wk in MNNG-initiated, mezerein-promoted mice bore mutations in codon 12 of the Ki-ras oncogene. Activating Ki-ras mutations were also found in more than 60% of squamous cell carcinomas and 40% of keratoacanthomas. Although mutations in Ha-ras are frequently detected in mouse skin tumors, mutations in Ki-ras are rare. This is the first report of mutated Ki-ras in skin tumors from mice initiated by MNNG. Mol. Carcinog. 27:298–307, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A project-based biochemistry laboratory promoting the understanding and uses of fluorescence spectroscopy in the study of biomolecular structures and interactions

A laboratory project for a first semester biochemistry course is described, which integrates the traditional classroom study of the structure and function of biomolecules with the laboratory study of these molecules using fluorescence spectroscopy. Students are assigned a specific question addressing the stability/function of lipids, proteins, or nucleic acids, and asked to design an experiment to answer the question using fluorescence methodologies. Students study phase equilibria and determine the critical micelle concentration of single chain amphiphiles, the melting point of multilamellar vesicles, and the melting points and thermodynamic constants (Keq, ΔG0, ΔH0 and ΔS0) for denaturation of ds-DNA and proteins. In addition, they examine binding properties of proteins. These laboratory experiments are designed to support student learning of the major themes of structure and function in the course.
Teaching Introductory Upper‐Level Religion and Theology Classes

The undergraduate study of religion is predominantly undertaken by non-majors who are meeting a general education requirement. This means that, while curricular discussions make important distinctions between the work of lower- and upper-division courses, many religion and theology faculty are teaching hybrid courses that we call “introductory upper-level courses.” These play an introductory role in general education while also serving the study of religion in a more advanced way. Attention to how these courses fit into multiple curricular goals will be important for the scholarship of teaching and learning in religious studies and theology. This essay draws on scholarship about introductory teaching and a survey of faculty about introductory upper-level courses to argue that the content of such courses should be understood as serving the study of religion at an advanced level, the context should be understood as introducing general education goals, and the goals for intellectual growth must strike a challenging balance between the two.
Science inquiry and writing for ELLs: A gateway for building understanding and academic language

ABSTRACTScience education is critical to prepare students with the skills they will need in an increasingly technologically driven society. Yet English language learners (ELLs) consistently struggle to stay on par with their native English-speaking peers in the science classroom. We know, however, that early intervention can prevent ELLs' future learning achievement gaps. In addition, providing ELLs the opportunity to engage in science inquiry and writing integrated activities can help build their academic language and conceptual understanding. In this article we illustrate a science inquiry and writing integrated lesson for young ELLs. In doing so, we discuss how a teacher planned, used, and assessed the science and literacy integrated lesson to scaffold her ELLs' academic language and conceptual understanding within the context of national standards
Entrepreneurial Politics And Foreign Policy

While engineers, economists, and doctors can often prescribe a remedy for an undesirable situation by inference from a general theoretical construct, the architects of foreign policies rarely, if ever, have had such an advantage. Yet, the availability of a general theoretical construct could yield numerous benefits. To the degree that the theory were reliable and general, the foreign-policy maker would be able to deal with a wide range of concerns with confidence, at a minimum cost. For such a theory would allow him to know precisely what information would be needed to analyze the situation and how the information could be used to infer a prescription which would, with a high probability, get the desired results.
Multi-Objective Optimization of Conceptual Design of Communication Satellites with a Two-Branch Tournament Genetic Algorithm

In spacecraft design, many specialized state-of-theart design tools are employed to optimize the performance of various subsystems. However, there is no structured system-level concept-definition process. Consequently, designers usually compromise some mission goals to satisfy only one primary design objectives. In this study, the conceptual stage of the spacecraft design process is formulated into a multiobjective discrete optimization problem. Such a problem is well suited for solution with a Genetic Algorithm, which is a global search technique that performs optimization-like tasks. The use of multiobjective design allows the designer to evaluate different design alternatives across the whole set of design objectives. This work addresses two key design objectives for the spacecraft design process: the minimization of total launch mass and the maximization of spacecraft overall reliability. To predict values for the objective and constraint functions, a satellite design tool, which includes a satellite sizing model and a deterministic reliability model, was built and integrated with a genetic algorithm that employs a two-branch tournament to address the dual objective problem. The multi-objective approach was successful in determining sets of discrete design parameters that would minimize the launch mass as well as maximize the reliability of a geostationary communications satellite, using specified payload requirements.
An Integrated Optical Coherence Microscopy Imaging and Optical Stimulation System for Optogenetic Pacing in Drosophila melanogaster

We developed an integrated optical pacing and optical coherence microscopy imaging system, and demonstrated for the first time optogenetic pacing in Drosophila melanogaster at different developmental stages, including larva, pupa and adult flies.
Characterizing the concentration of pathogen occurrence across meat and poultry industries

Raw meat and poultry contamination frequency demonstrably varies across establishments within an industry. The degree to which more contaminated establishments contribute to the overall production of contaminated products by the entire industry is rarely explored in quantitative microbial risk assessments. We use Lorenz curves and Gini coefficients to describe the degree of concentration of contamination within the industry for several product-pathogen combinations. The analysis is based on beta distributions fit to Salmonella sampling data for comminuted chicken, comminuted turkey, chicken parts, and comminuted beef and beef carcasses, as well as for Campylobacter in chicken and turkey. We also explore empirically-derived Lorenz curves. Lorenz curves for nine product-pathogen pairs suggest the pattern of contamination ranges from highly dispersed across the industry (e.g., Salmonella-comminuted chicken, Gini=0.19) to highly concentrated within a small part of the industry (e.g., Salmonella-beef carcass pre-chill, Gini=0.77). Generally, an inverse relationship between an industry's average contamination frequency and its Gini coefficient is observed across these examples. Also, illustrative empirical Lorenz curves are biased relative to the fitted curves because of a substantial number of empirical results with point estimates of zero. Large Gini coefficients may suggest that risk management should focus on just that part of the industry with high contamination frequencies, while small Gini coefficients might suggest that risk management should be more dispersed and holistic across the industry. We discuss monitoring Gini coefficients across time, as well as other applications of these methods, as useful adjuncts to food safety risk assessments.
Advance of Soil Nematodes Communities in Wetland Ecosystem

The present situation of soil nematodes communities in wetland ecosystem is introduced.The research of soil nematodes communities in the delta swamp,salt marsh,stream riparian,intertidal zone,coastal wetland and rice field is summarized.The prospects of soil nematodes in wetland ecosystem are put forward.
Is glans penis width a risk factor for complications after hypospadias repair

Summary Introduction Recent studies have suggested that a smaller glans penis size may be associated with a higher likelihood of complications after hypospadias repair. Accurate identification of risk factors other than the well-understood variable of meatal location would allow development of better prognostic models and individualized risk stratification. Objective To test the hypothesis that a smaller width of the glans penis predicts adverse outcomes after hypospadias surgery. Methods Prospectively recorded clinical data were reviewed from a single-institution registry of primary hypospadias repairs performed between 2011 and 2014. Follow-up records were examined for occurrence of complications. Urethroplasty complications were defined to include meatal stenosis, dehiscence, urethrocutaneous fistula, urethral stricture, and/or urethral diverticulum. The subset of meatal stenosis and dehiscence were regarded as glanular complications. Regression analyses were performed to determine association between glans width and occurrence of complications. Because pre-operative androgen stimulation is known to increase glans penis size, separate subgroup analyses were included of patients with and without pre-operative use of testosterone cream. Results A total of 159 patients met criteria for inclusion in the study cohort: 140 patients underwent a single-stage repair, while 19 patients had a two-stage repair. The median glans penis width was 15 mm (range 10–22). Eighty-four patients (53%) received testosterone cream pre-operatively and had a significantly wider glans penis than the 75 patients who did not (median 15.5 vs 14 mm; P Twenty-four patients (15%) had one or more urethroplasty complications, including 11 (7%) with glanular complications. Overall, there was no statistically significant association between glans width and urethroplasty complications ( P = 0.26) or glanular complications ( P = 0.90) (Summary Table). Subgroup analyses of patients with and without pre-operative testosterone also revealed no significant associations between glans width and complications. Conclusions Glans penis width was not a risk factor for complications after hypospadias repair. This finding differs from the results of other recent studies and encourages further research into the value of measuring penile parameters in patients undergoing hypospadias repair. Summary Table . Association of glans width (mm) and complications after hypospadias repair, overall and stratified by pre-operative testosterone use. Odds ratio (95% CI) for all urethroplasty complications Odds ratio (95% CI) for glanular complications Overall ( n = 159) 1.12 (0.92–1.35) P = 0.26 1.02 (0.78–1.33) P = 0.90 With pre-operative testosterone ( n = 84) 1.03 (0.79–1.33) P = 0.84 1.03 (0.72–1.51) P = 0.84 Without pre-operative testosterone ( n = 75) 1.14 (0.83–1.57) P = 0.41 0.88 (0.54–1.45) P = 0.63
A case of Bordetella holmseii endocarditis in an asplenic pediatric patient.

1. Jeanne M. Stoddard, MHS, MT(ASCP)[⇑][1] 1. College of Health Professions, Grand Valley State University, Grand Rapids, MI 1. Address for Correspondence: Jeanne M. Stoddard, MHS, MT(ASCP), Assistant Professor, Medical Laboratory Science Program Director, College of Health Professions, Grand Valley State University, 430 Cook DeVos Center for Health Sciences, 301 Michigan St NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, (616) 331-3304, stoddarj{at}gvsu.edu INTRODUCTION A 9-year-old male patient with congenital dextrocardia and congenital asplenia history was seen in the emergency room due to parental concern for dehydration as a result of gastritis of five day duration. Previously, in 2006, the patient had mitral valve replacement and a pace maker implanted. The patient was admitted as a result of the current emergency room visit when the physician suspected endocarditis due to the patient's asplenia, artificial heart valve, and fever. An echocardiogram was performed. The echocardiogram was negative and showed no vegetations. A CBC was ordered on the patient. Results showed an elevated WBC count of 19.4 x 103/μL. (Table 1) Ten blood cultures were drawn during the patient's admission; three were positive. The first positive blood culture grew bacteria after three days incubation in the aerobic bottle. The second positive blood culture was drawn six days later and took 3.6 days for growth to occur. The third positive blood culture, drawn 4 days after the second, took 2.5 days to become positive. Blood culture Gram stain results showed presence of small to moderate sized gram negative rods. Subsequent plate growth indicated that the organism grew best on Chocolate agar, appearing after 72 hours and was catalase negative. No growth was observed on MacConkey agar at three days. bioMerieux automated VITEK® 2 identification of the organism, grown from the blood, suggested Bordetella species. Organism identification was also obtained using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry (VITEK® MS) instrumentation, which was undergoing validation studies at the time, and was… [1]: #corresp-1
The Multivariate Normal Distribution

This chapter focuses on the multivariate normal distribution. It presents a density for the multivariate normal distribution. It sometimes occurs that one is confronted with a situation in which there are n normally distributed random variables which are not independent. Because their joint density in this case is not the product of individual or marginal densities, the problem arises of obtaining a suitable definition of what one might call a multivariate normal distribution. Every marginal distribution of a multivariate normal distribution is also multivariate normal. The matrix of a quadratic form is always considered to be symmetric. A quadratic form is called positive definite or positive semidefinite if its matrix has that property. The rank of a quadratic form is the rank of its matrix. The chapter discusses Cochran's theorem and describes a proof of the independence of the sample mean and sample variance for a normal population.
North Korea: Blackmailing Rogue

The United States’ decades-long engagement of North Korea yielded little beyond Pyongyang’s broken promises, frustrating artful dodges, and its relentless pursuit of nuclear weaponry. Far more than any of the other post–Cold War rogue states, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) practiced brinkmanship, broadcast saber-rattling threats, and yet scored a series of diplomatic successes against the United States. Washington and its close ally, the Republic of Korea (ROK), or South Korea, many times worked for accommodation with the DPRK. The two allies frequently offered Pyongyang inducements, which seemingly reinforced its bad behavior. Washington donated food shipments through the UN’s World Food Program, which delivered the relief packages to the North. The ROK repeatedly turned its cheek to DPRK slaps while it offered generous aid to Pyongyang. It financed an industrial zone, ran tourist excursions into the North, and donated mammoth food and humanitarian assistance—all for naught. The DPRK refused to halt its nuclear arming or to open itself entirely to international arms inspections. In fact, its belligerency intensified over the years.
Poincaré’s Theory of Meaning

In Chapters 4 and 7 I argued that Poincare’s theory of predicativity is a consequence of his constructivist account of what is required in order to define a set. More generally, it is a consequence of his theory of meaning. The central component of Poincare’s theory of meaning is the notion of ‘verifiability in principle’. This notion is, however, far from clear; and we must now enquire as to whether it is coherent. The notion of ‘verifiability in principle’ is one of the cornerstones of Poincare’s philosophy of mathematics (and of science, in general). If either it or the more basic notion of ‘in principle possible’ (for instance, in ‘constructible in principle’, ‘provable in principle’, ‘decidable in principle’) cannot be regarded as possessing a clear, definite sense (as the strict finitist argues), then Poincare’s philosophy as a whole is in danger of losing all significance. The argument of this chapter is that Poincare’s weak ‘verificationist’ theory of meaning is coherent, and when interpreted in the light of his background theory of the synthetic a priori, provides a stable position from which to fend off strict finitist attacks. Moreover, it provides a viable foundation for analysis.
Proximity Interactions among Basal Body Components in Trypanosoma brucei Identify Novel Regulators of Basal Body Biogenesis and Inheritance

The basal body shares similar architecture with centrioles in animals and is involved in nucleating flagellar axonemal microtubules in flagellated eukaryotes. The early-branching Trypanosoma brucei possesses a motile flagellum nucleated from the basal body that consists of a mature basal body and an adjacent pro-basal body. Little is known about the basal body proteome and its roles in basal body biogenesis and flagellar axoneme assembly in T. brucei Here, we report the identification of 14 conserved centriole/basal body protein homologs and 25 trypanosome-specific basal body proteins. These proteins localize to distinct subdomains of the basal body, and several of them form a ring-like structure surrounding the basal body barrel. Functional characterization of representative basal body proteins revealed distinct roles in basal body duplication/separation and flagellar axoneme assembly. Overall, this work identified novel proteins required for basal body duplication and separation and uncovered new functions of conserved basal body proteins in basal body duplication and separation, highlighting an unusual mechanism of basal body biogenesis and inheritance in this early divergent eukaryote. IMPORTANCE The basal body in the early-branching protozoan Trypanosoma brucei nucleates flagellum assembly and also regulates organelle segregation, cell morphogenesis, and cell division. However, the molecular composition and the assembly process of the basal body remain poorly understood. Here, we identify 14 conserved basal body proteins and 25 trypanosome-specific basal body proteins via bioinformatics, localization-based screening, and proximity-dependent biotin identification. We further localized these proteins to distinct subdomains of the basal body by using fluorescence microscopy and superresolution microscopy, discovered novel regulators of basal body duplication and separation, and uncovered new functions of conserved basal body proteins in basal body duplication and separation. This work lays the foundation for dissecting the mechanisms underlying basal body biogenesis and inheritance in T. brucei.
A Case of Herpes Zoster and Meningitis in a Twice-Vaccinated Healthy Adolescent

Since the adoption of the varicella-zoster virus (VZV) vaccine, the incidence of varicella infections of all types has declined. Although uncommon, local cutaneous herpes zoster secondary to vaccine-strain VZV has been well documented in healthy children. However, there are few reports of vaccine-strain VZV central nervous system disease in this same population. We present a case of a previously healthy twice-VZV vaccinated 14-year-old girl who presented with rash and headache who was found to have herpes zoster complicated by meningitis. Cerebrospinal fluid polymerase chain reaction confirmed zoster infection secondary to reactivation of vaccine-strain VZV. Her disease course and response to therapy are reviewed.
The Association between Regional Fat Distribution and Acute Mountain Sickness in Young Hikers

Acute mountain sickness (AMS) can occur upon rapid ascent from low to high altitude. This study examined the association between central adiposity and the development of AMS in young adults during a high-altitude hike. Total and regional body fat were measured at sea level using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Within 24 h of arriving in Cusco, Peru (3 400 meters) participants embarked on a 14-mile hike across the Andes Mountain range in southern Peru. Symptoms of AMS were assessed using the Lake Louise score at 24 h (3 400 meters), 29 h (4 100 meters), 34 h (3 800 meters) and 53 h (2 900 meters). 14 participants (mean age 21±2 years; women: 11, men: 3) completed the study. The number of participants exhibiting at least mild AMS increased from 6 (54%) at 3 400 meters to 9 (64%) at 3 800 meters. A higher AMS score at 4 100 meters was associated with greater android (r=0.72, p
Connecting the Present to the Past: Furthering the Research on Bilingual Education and Bilingualism

The authors of this chapter review empirical studies that have been conducted in bilingual education to propose a future research agenda that incorporates the most recent evidence on the effectiven...
Understanding the Effects of Endorsements in Scientific Crowdfunding

Understanding the factors that persuade backers to donate to research projects has become increasingly important with the rising popularity of scientific crowdfunding. Although there are many similarities between enterprise and scientific crowdfunding, some factors differentiate these two forms of crowdfunding. One such factor is the use of endorsements. The endorsement helps backers gain trust based on expert opinions about the competency of the researchers and the usefulness of the projects. We analyzed 810 endorsements from scientific campaigns posted on Experiment.com and derived a taxonomy of topics discussed in the endorsements. A regression analysis revealed that when endorsers explained the skills of the campaign owners, the probability of success of the campaign improved; on the contrary, when endorsers reiterated the goal of the project, the campaign was less likely to succeed. We conclude with design implications formulated from our findings to better support scientific crowdfunding.
Bi-$s^*$-concave distributions

We introduce a new shape-constrained class of distribution functions on R, the bi-$s^*$-concave class. In parallel to results of Dumbgen, Kolesnyk, and Wilke (2017) for what they called the class of bi-log-concave distribution functions, we show that every s-concave density f has a bi-$s^*$-concave distribution function $F$ and that every bi-$s^*$-concave distribution function satisfies $\gamma (F) \le 1/(1+s)$ where finiteness of $$ \gamma (F) \equiv \sup_{x} F(x) (1-F(x)) \frac{| f' (x)|}{f^2 (x)}, $$ the Csorgő - Revesz constant of F, plays an important role in the theory of quantile processes on $R$.
Inhibition of angiogenesis by a common herb: Ocimum sactum

4109 Ocimum sanctum (OS), also known as holy basil, or tulsi, has been used in European and Asian countries, mainly India, as a medicinal herb since ancient times. Experimental evidence has shown it to possess chemopreventive, radiation protecting, and free radical scavenging properties. We prepared crude aqueous extract from the leaves of OS and performed in vitro and in vivo studies. Our results show that OS extracts inhibited breast cancer cell (MDA-MB-435) migration towards Matrigel significantly at 0.1 and 0.2% concentrations (w/v). Similarly, it inhibited the migration of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) towards galectin-3 at a concentration of 0.2% (w/v). However, no significant inhibition in migration was observed at the same concentration towards Matrigel and fibronectin indicating the specificity of inhibition. OS extract also inhibited the induction of cycloxygenase COX-2 in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells treated with tetradecanoyl phorbol acetate (TPA). In vitro capillary tube formation in the 3 dimensional cultures of HUVEC on Matrigel was inhibited by the leaf extracts at 0.02, 0.05 and 0.1% concentrations (w/v). Matrigel plug assay using MDA-MB-231 cells in the presence or absence of 0.01 and 0.1% OS leaf extracts showed a significant reduction in the number of blood vessels and COX-2 expression. Our results suggest that OS leaf extract can be used as an anti-tumorigenic and anti-angiogenic agent in breast cancer models.
Toxicity of Liver-Directed Therapies for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

The purpose of this review is to outline the various toxicities of liver-directed therapy approaches employed for treatment of liver-limited hepatocellular carcinoma. The covered topics span toxicities related to ablative and transarterial treatment approaches, including radiofrequency and microwave ablation, cryoablation, percutaneous ethanol injection, transarterial chemoembolization, and yttrium-90 radioembolization. Both common entities, such as postablation, and post(radio)embolization syndrome and hepatotoxicity, as well as uncommon topics (nontarget organ damage, cryoshock, infections, bile duct injuries) are described. Appropriate treatments for management of these side effects are suggested.
Examining associations between thought-action fusion and state mental contamination following an in vivo thought induction task

Abstract Intrusive thoughts can evoke an internal cue of distress known as mental contamination and thought-action fusion (TAF) is a potentially important individual difference variable for understanding the experience of mental contamination following intrusive thoughts. A large sample of college students ( N = 320) completed a thought-induction task to examine how (a) TAF relates to three indices of state mental contamination (dirtiness, number of perceived dirty body locations, urge to neutralize); (b) state mental contamination relates to in vivo TAF-relevant appraisals (morality, likelihood); and (c) TAF relates to the accessibility of cleansing-related concepts. TAF positively related to post-task dirtiness, number of perceived dirty locations, and the urge to neutralize. The three indices of state mental contamination positively related to in vivo morality and likelihood appraisals, with TAF positively relating to the accessibility of cleansing-related concepts. These relations generally remained intact while statistically controlling for pre-task dirtiness, religiosity, negative affect, disgust proneness, and obsessive-compulsive symptom severity. Differential relations between TAF and state mental contamination emerged when examining two separate TAF dimensions (moral, likelihood). Study results further indicate that TAF is relevant for understanding mental contamination and related phenomena experienced following intrusive thoughts.
A destination development by building a brand image and sport event tourism: a case of Sport City USA

While visitors look for a complete ‘experience’ and select travel destinations on the basis of the total set of destination attributes, individual suppliers that operate independently usually marke...
The APOL1 Long-Term Kidney Transplantation Outcomes Network-APOLLO.

Molecular genetics has altered our understanding of the epidemiology and treatment of CKD; >30% of blacks with ESKD have apoL1 gene ( APOL1 )–associated disorders, including FSGS, HIV-associated nephropathy, sickle cell nephropathy, severe lupus nephritis, and solidified glomerulosclerosis with
Safety and efficacy of levofloxacin 1.5% eyedrops in nonhuman primates having penetrating keratoplasty: Clinical and laboratory findings

Purpose To determine the safety and efficacy of levofloxacin 1.5% eyedrops. Setting Tulane University Delta Research Primate Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. Methods Ten monkeys had preoperative slitlamp examinations, photographs, and confocal microscopy. Levofloxacin 1.5% or control eyedrops were given 4 times a day in both eyes for 2 days and every 5 minutes for the hour before surgery and 4 times a day in both eyes for 1 week. Confocal microscopy, slitlamp examination, and slitlamp photography were repeated preoperatively. Intraoperative aqueous humor and corneal biopsies were taken. Results There were no differences between groups in slitlamp examinations, slitlamp photography, confocal microscopy, or histology; the mean levofloxacin level in the aqueous humor was 4.49 μg/mL ±1.59 SD and in the corneal biopsies, 103.85 ± 51.48 μg/g. Conclusion Levofloxacin 1.5% drops given on a typical perioperative schedule to monkeys having penetrating keratoplasty showed no clinical or histological signs of toxicity and reached corneal issue levels well over the minimum inhibitory concentrations for all known ocular pathogens.
Anxiety, Depression, and Their Comorbidity: An Experience Sampling Test of the Helplessness-Hopelessness Theory

This prospective study applied the experience sampling method to test the helplessness-hopelessness theory of anxiety and depression (Alloy, Kelly, Mineka, & Clements, 1990). Forty-four subjects with attributional styles at high or low risk for depression were signaled five times daily by electronic pagers to provide reports of negative events, attributions, and anxious and depressed moods. Consistent with the theory, causal attributions of stability and globality explained increases in depressed mood immediately after negative events. Attributional style predicted these causal attributions but did not directly explain changes in postevent depressed mood. Despite support for more established components of the theory, no support was found for newer aspects concerning the relationship of control attributions to anxious mood. The implications for understanding the helplessness-hopelessness theory and anxiety and depression comorbidity are discussed.
Chemical and Biological Aspects of the Inhibition of Red Blood Cell Sickling by Cyanate

The underlying cause of sickle disease has been shown to be due to the presence of an abnormal hemoglobin in the red blood cell - hemoglobin S (Pauling et al., 1949). When fully oxygenated this hemoglobin behaves much like hemoglobin A, since most of the oxygenated cells from patients with sickle cell disease show normal morphology. There is a variable percentage of the cells that remain sickled even when oxygenated and these are referred to as irreversibly sickled cells.
Improving Physical Activity Through Adjunct Telerehabilitation Following Total Knee Arthroplasty: Randomized Controlled Trial Protocol.

Background Physical activity remains low and nearly unchanged from preoperative levels following total knee arthroplasty (TKA), and this is thought to underlie long-term functional limitations, secondary health problems, and higher health care costs after TKA. Objective Our objective is to determine whether a telehealth-based intervention could improve physical activity and functional outcomes after TKA. Design The design is a 2-arm, parallel, assessor-blinded, randomized controlled trial with baseline, midintervention, postintervention, and 6-month follow-up assessments. Setting The setting is one academic medical center and one Veterans Affairs health care system. Participants One hundred US military veterans (aged 50-85 years) scheduled for unilateral TKA will participate in this study. Intervention The telehealth-based intervention to change physical activity behavior will be delivered through 10 sessions each of 30 minutes over a 12-week period. Participants will be provided with a wearable physical activity monitor to receive feedback on step count and guide goal-setting. Control participants will receive telehealth-based education on nonbehavioral aspects of health for the same frequency and duration as the intervention group. For both groups, telehealth sessions will occur concurrently with standardized outpatient rehabilitation. Measurements The primary outcome will be change in physical activity, assessed as daily step counts measured using an accelerometer-based sensor. Secondary outcomes will be measured using the Life-Space Assessment questionnaire and change in physical function (30-Second Chair-Stand Test, Timed "Up & Go" Test, Six-Minute Walk Test, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index, and Veterans RAND 12-Item Health Survey). Limitations Participant and interventionist blinding is not possible. Conclusions This trial will assess the efficacy of a novel behavior-change intervention to improve physical activity and physical function in patients after TKA. Effective physical activity behavior change could provide clinicians with a technique to augment current practice and resolve poor physical activity outcomes, long-term health problems, and high costs following TKA.
Challenges to the conceptualization and measurement of resilience in HIV research.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the conceptualization and measurement of resilience in HIV research. Terms related to resilience and HIV were searched in three databases to identify peer-...
Meeting Medicare requirements for transitional care: Do stroke care and policy align?

Objective This study (1) describes transitional care for stroke patients discharged home from hospitals, (2) compares hospitals9 standards of transitional care with core transitional care management (TCM) components recognized by Medicare, and (3) examines the association of policy and hospital specialty designations with TCM implementation. Methods Hospitals participating in the Comprehensive Post-Acute Stroke Services (COMPASS) Study provided data on their hospital, stroke patient population, and standards of transitional care. Hospital-reported transitional care strategies were compared with the federal TCM definition (2-day follow-up, 14-day visit, non-face-to-face services). We examined the associations of TCM billing, stroke center certification, and Magnet nursing excellence designation with TCM implementation. Results Transitional care varied widely among 41 hospitals in North Carolina and no one strategy was universally applied or provided across hospitals. One third of hospitals met the TCM definition (37% provided telephone follow-up, 76% provided face-to-face provider follow-up, all provided a type of non-face-to-face support). There were no differences between groups (TCM met/not met) in hospital characteristics or transitional care resources and processes. Stroke center certification, Magnet designation, and use of TCM billing codes were not different for hospitals that did and did not meet the TCM definition. Conclusions There was substantial variation in the provision of strategies supporting stroke patients9 transition home from the hospital. Supportive stroke care transitions are essential when more than 50% of stroke patients are discharged home and more than half experience moderate to severe strokes. More research is needed to identify drivers of TCM uptake. Clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT02588664.
19.5 Digital Leakage Compensation for a Low-Power and Low-Jitter 0.5-to-5GHz PLL in 10nm FinFET CMOS Technology

As the push for low-power, low-jitter, and low-area phase-locked loop (PLL) design [1] continues in the 10nm node and beyond, the leakage from various sources could become an issue in the applications where the reference clock frequency is low and the static phase error is required to be close to zero at all process corners and temperatures. The impacts of leakage currents on analog PLLs are the increase of static phase error, higher jitter and reference spur. To mitigate the leakage sensitivity in analog PLL designs, digital PLLs have been designed [2–3], but they often exhibit higher power consumption and higher jitter due to quantization noise, and require high-performance voltage regulators or supply-noise cancellation techniques [4] due to their high sensitivity to power-supply noise. To compensate for the leakage current in analog PLLs, analog compensation circuits are proposed [5–6], but it is impossible to achieve zero or low phase error across PVT corners.
Impacts of administering prostaglandin F2α analogue 24 h prior to progesterone insert removal on expression of estrus in beef females

Abstract Two experiments investigated the effects of administering prostaglandin (PG) F2α analogue 24 h prior to controlled internal drug release (CIDR) device removal in beef females assigned to GnRH-based synchronization protocols. In Exp. 1, 305 nulliparous heifers received 100 µg of GnRH and a CIDR containing 1.38 g of progesterone (P4) on day 0. Heifers were randomly assigned to receive 500-µg of cloprostenol on day 6 (PG6, n = 155) or day 7 (PG7, n = 150). The CIDR was removed on day 7, and heifers were monitored for estrus activity for 84 h after CIDR removal using detection patches. Heifers were artificially inseminated (AI) 12 h after being detected in estrus. Heifers that were not in estrus by 84 h after CIDR removal received GnRH (100 µg) and were inseminated 12 h later. Estrus expression was greater in PG6 vs. PG7 heifers at 48 h, but greater in PG7 vs. PG6 heifers at 60 h (P = 0.09) and 72 h (P
Harnessing retroreflective transportation infrastructure for intelligent vehicle positioning

Abstract The popularity of intelligent transportation system (ITS) applications urges the development of vehicle positioning system that satisfies the availability, precision and accuracy requirements. Lane level (the exact lane on the road) positioning or even in-lane level (the exact location within the lane) positioning are expected in all driving environments at all times. In addition to the existing vehicle positioning technologies, such as Global Positioning System (GPS), terrestrial radio (e.g., cell phone, AM, FM and digital TV) and feature-based sensors (e.g., vision, LiDAR and RADAR), we propose a complementary vehicle positioning system based on ubiquitous retroreflective transportation infrastructures. Low-cost photodiodes are mounted on the headlights to sense the retroreflected optical signals from on-road safety device, such as raised pavement marker (RPM). A liquid crystal display (LCD) shutter is installed on the RPM to distinguish the retroreflected light signals from different RPMs and from the environmental reflection. By sensing the angle-of-arrival of the retroreflected light beam from the RPMs (i.e., landmarks), the vehicle realizes lane level positioning based on triangulation. Advanced positioning solution is proposed by integrating dead reckoning and Kalman filter to advance the lane level positioning to in-lane level positioning. Extensive experimental results reveal that the proposed vehicle positioning system achieves sub-meter level location accuracy.
The acquired immunodeficiency syndrome epidemic: issues for health care professionals. Ninth annual National Foundation for Infectious Diseases lecture.

I would like to thank both the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases and the Association for Practitioners in Infection Control for asking me to address the participants of the APIC Annual Conference. I will first review the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) virus and the spectrum of illness that it produces. Next, I will review the current magnitude of the AIDS epidemic in the United States, including the so-called risk groups for AIDS, the routes of transmission of the AIDS virus within these groups, the risk to the health care worker taking care of patients with AIDS, and some other issues of special concerns for health care workers. Finally, I will discuss how our lack of effective therapy or vaccine for AIDS is causing us to reconsider our role as health care workers and as concerned citizens.