cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Classifying Wars by Type: Ethnic, Civilization, and the Civil Dimensions of Interstate Wars

Following recent work by Vasquez and Valeriano (2010), I seek here to further disaggregate wars by type according to different factors that may have an impact on theory construction. The goal of this work is to specify wars by type according to their properties so that one can seek to uncover the theoretical dimensions active in each war. The quest for a universal theory of war onset must be discarded in favor of dividing wars according to the number of parties fighting, the issues they fight over, and the foreign policy practices they engage in. This paper will seek to examine if the issue at stake and number of parties will determine if wars are fought among parties that have different ethnic, language, and civil components. Can the internal attributes of states beyond regime type help explain the path to war? Is there a certain class of war that typically determines when internal issues lead to conflict or are the internal dimensions of statehood important in the classification of war in the first place?
In Re 101 California Street: A Legal and Economic Analysis of Strict Liability for the Manufacture and Sale of 'Assault Weapons'

In the case In Re 101 California Street, the California Superior Court’s decision to allow the plaintiffs’ strict liability, common law negligence, and negligence per se counts past a motion to dismiss was a surprise to many in the legal community. In reaching his novel ruling, Judge Warren explained that this case differed from the “typical gun case.” He claimed to be basing his ruling on California Assembly’s “carefully considered legislative decision” to distinguish so-called assault weapons from other types of firearms, as evidenced by the Roberti-Roos Assault Weapons Control Act (AWCA) of 1989.This article critically examines the legal and economic theories underlying two California statutes crucial to the reasoning of 101 California Street: California Civil Code Rule 1714.4 which limits recovery by plaintiffs under a strict liability theory, and the AWCA, which the 101 California Street court uses to create an exception to California Civil Code Rule 1714.4 and to distinguish the case from existing legal precedent.Both other courts and the California Assembly have recognized the limits of the tort law system as a method of controlling the horrible tragedies caused by the use of firearms to facilitate crime. The court in 101 California Street should follow judicial precedent, as well as the legislative mandate set out in California Civil Code Rule 1714.4, by focusing on the action of the individual responsible for committing the crime rather than on remote third parties such as firearm manufacturers. Any other outcome will do little to curb crime, will arbitrarily punch law-abiding citizens, and will further strain this nation’s tort law system. Moreover, comprehensive analysis suggests little validity to the claim that the California Assembly’s passage of the AWCA provides a rational basis to depart from the common law precedent embodied in California Code Rule 1714.4, an entirely separate enactment specifically intended to govern the development of tort law.
Spatial Thinking in Education: Concepts, Development, and Assessment

Spatial thinking has always been a fundamental cognitive skill for competency in geography. However, interest in it has increased in recent years as technological advances have driven political and societal changes producing a renewed awareness of its importance. This is especially true in the context of geospatial technologies (GST). The growth, expansion, and power of GST demands a citizenry with well-developed spatial thinking skills. But research exploring spatial thinking in an educational context is scant.
Europe: The New Melting Pot? The Nanovic Institute for European Studies, University of Notre Dame

The University of Notre Dame has long figured importantly in migration studies in North America. Julian Samora, Father Theodore Hesbergh and so many others have endowed it with their energy and insight. Hence, it was fitting that on March 23-24, 1998, one of the first major conferences orga? nized by the newly created Nanovic Institute for European Studies would be consecrated to international migration. A special bonus for the conferees was a visit by Father Hesbergh who headed the influential Select Commission on Immigration and Refugee Policy among the many other highlights in his long and distinguished career. The now-retired former President of the University of Notre Dame spoke forcefully in support of a universal employment eligi? bility verification document and lamented Congress' failure to legislate one. The newly invested French Socialist Prime Minister Lionel Jospin had made several references to France as a melting pot in his inaugural address. Alec Hargreaves underscored how unusual and telling this choice of terms was. On the one hand, there is a deep-seated ambivalence about the United States, ranging from categorical rejection of race-conscious policies towards minorities, to be avoided at all costs, to a grudging admiration for the hyphenated American. Hargreaves sketched a typology of models of minor? ity and ethnic incorporation with the French Republic serving as a model of assimilation and homogenization of immigrants. Hence, the Prime Ministers choice of terms appeared to signal a departure. Hargreaves suggested that a certain convergence between the public poli? cies of various European states was occurring and that subnational and supra? national or transnational forces were reshaping the sovereign European state of yesteryear. In this context, important barriers to immigrant incorporation remained ? insecurity and socioeconomic segmentation. However, signifi-
Low-Income Housing Rental Assistance, Perceptions of Neighborhood Food Environment, and Dietary Patterns among Latino Adults: the AHOME Study

Federal rental assistance programs, in the form of the traditional public housing program and the Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCVP—formerly known as Section 8), are designed to reduce the economic rental burden for low-income residents. While residents using federal housing vouchers, which allow low-income residents in public housing to move out of public housing to rent-subsidized homes, have been found to be have better cardiovascular outcomes compared to the cardiovascular outcomes of low-income public housing residents, the mechanisms explaining these associations remains an understudied area. The aim of this study is to assess whether residents participating in HCVP or unassisted residents had greater access to healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables, and less access to unhealthy foods such as fast food and sugar sweetened beverages, when compared to residents living in public housing (referent group). The Affordable Housing as an Obesity Mediating Environment (AHOME) study is a cross-sectional study of Latinos residing in low-income housing in the Bronx, NY (n = 362). Participants were interviewed to assess food patterns and perceptions of neighborhood environment. The analytic sample was primarily female (74.5 %) with a mean age of 46.4 years (SD = 14.68). Residents participating in HCVP had similar availability of fruits and vegetables in the home compared to residents receiving no assistance or public housing residents. HCVP participants consumed more fast food (β = 0.34; CI = 0.10–0.58) but had similar sugar sweetened beverage consumption compared to public housing residents. Unassisted residents had more fast food consumption (β = 0.25; CI = 0.01–0.49) but less sugar sweetened beverage consumption (β = −0.52; CI = −0.76–−0.28) than public housing residents. Perceptions of neighborhood food environment were not significantly associated with dietary patterns. This study shows variability in consumption of sugar sweetened beverage consumption and fast food consumption, but not in availability of fruits and vegetables, across residents participating in HCVP, public housing residents, and unassisted residents. Evaluating the health benefits associated with low-income housing mobility programs, such as HCVP, requires examining how housing may influence dietary patterns above and beyond an individual’s socioeconomic position.
Do different time-horizons in volatility have any significance for the emerging markets?

Abstract This paper investigates the influence of U.S. stock market over emerging markets in terms of volatility and volatility of volatility (VOV) at different time horizons. It finds that spillover from the U.S. to emerging markets exists for VOV in a longer term.
Enhanced immunity in a mouse model of malignant glioma is mediated by a therapeutic ketogenic diet

Glioblastoma multiforme is a highly aggressive brain tumor with a poor prognosis, and advances in treatment have led to only marginal increases in overall survival. We and others have shown previously that the therapeutic ketogenic diet (KD) prolongs survival in mouse models of glioma, explained by both direct tumor growth inhibition and suppression of pro-inflammatory microenvironment conditions. The aim of this study is to assess the effects of the KD on the glioma reactive immune response. The GL261-Luc2 intracranial mouse model of glioma was used to investigate the effects of the KD on the tumor-specific immune response. Tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells, CD4+ T cells and natural killer (NK) cells were analyzed by flow cytometry. The expression of immune inhibitory receptors cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) and programmed death 1 (PD-1) on CD8+ T cells were also analyzed by flow cytometry. Analysis of intracellular cytokine production was used to determine production of IFN, IL-2 and IFN- in tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T and natural killer (NK) cells and IL-10 production by T regulatory cells. We demonstrate that mice fed the KD had increased tumor-reactive innate and adaptive immune responses, including increased cytokine production and cytolysis via tumor-reactive CD8+ T cells. Additionally, we saw that mice maintained on the KD had increased CD4 infiltration, while T regulatory cell numbers stayed consistent. Lastly, mice fed the KD had a significant reduction in immune inhibitory receptor expression as well as decreased inhibitory ligand expression on glioma cells. The KD may work in part as an immune adjuvant, boosting tumor-reactive immune responses in the microenvironment by alleviating immune suppression. This evidence suggests that the KD increases tumor-reactive immune responses, and may have implications in combinational treatment approaches.
Selection and Application of Medicaogo Sativa cv.Yumu No.1

Medicaogo sativa cv.Yumu No.1 was selected from introduced varieties by bulk-population selection. The results showed that this variety produced high dry matter yield and had hot-humid tolerance, erect, root branching and other characteristics. The average annual dry matter yield of 15.0 t/hm2was produced, and 22.4% crude protein content of whole plant flowering period, crude fiber content of 23.1%, 2.3% crude fat, and 7.7% crude ash content were detected. Yumu No.1 can be used for forage, hay production, and suitable for planting in humid areas in southwest of China.
STEM-10L-myc EXPRESSION PROMOTES HUMAN NEURAL STEM CELL MULTIPOTENCY

Several preclinical studies indicate that neural stem cells can limit or reverse CNS damage by cell replacement, regeneration or delivery of various factors and therapeutic agents to sites of degeneration or tumor. Allogeneic NSC lines have several advantages over autologous ones, including "off the shelf" usage, greater availability to patients, and cost effectiveness. Genetic modification of NSCs for immortalization and retention of stem cell properties with c-myc or v-myc gene has been shown to be clinically useful in trials for stroke (ReNeuron), and brain tumors (Aboody et al). Here, we propose to express L-myc variants in human fetal brain derived NSCs, to extend NSC lifespan and stem cell characteristics. We have isolated and grown NSCs from freshly dispersed 10 week old human fetal brain tissue and propagated in culture. We then transduced these cells with retroviral vectors containing the L-myc gene. NSCs stably expressing L-myc gene (hNSC.Lmyc) were isolated for further characterization. hNSC.Lmyc cells propagated through passage 15, demonstrating a normal karyotype, expression of stem cell markers (Sox-2, A2B5 and nestin) and low expression of differentiation markers (Olig 2 and vimentin) in vitro. We have also demonstrated that hNSC.Lmyc cells retain their tumor-specific migratory abilities in vitro and in vivo for longer periods of time as compared to untransduced primary NSC pools. We further characterized these hNSC.Lmyc cells for gene expression profiling and genome wide DNA sequencing analysis. Somatic mutation analysis comparing early and late passages of hNSC.Lmyc cells showed no change in the genomic sequences. hNSC.Lmyc cells were able to self renew and differentiate into neurons, oligodendrocytes and astrocytes in vitro. In this study we generated and characterized hNSC.Lmyc line that has potential therapeutic use in numerous central nervous system (CNS) diseases.
In Vitro Study on Effect of Germinated Wheat on Human Breast Cancer Cells

This research investigated the possible anticancer effects of germinated wheat flour (GWF) on growth and apoptosis of human breast cancer cells. In a series of in vitro experiments, estrogen-receptor-positive (MCF-7) and -negative (MDA-MB-231) cells were cultured and treated with GWF that was obtained after a three-day germination. The GWF significantly reduced the growth of both of MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells. In analysis with a flow cytometer, the GWF significantly up-regulated apoptosis of both cell lines. These results indicate that GWF induced apoptosis and inhibited growth of the human breast cell lines, thereby demonstrating its potential inhibition of breast cancer cell proliferation.
Infant mortality by cause: a comparison of underlying and multiple cause designations.

Through the use of unique data for the 1980–1982 birth cohorts in the State of Florida, USA, the present analysis examines the extent of variability in the social, economic, and demographic characteristics of decedents when grouped by detailed cause of infant death, across four models for identifying cause of death. The analysis first compares cause-of-death-specific infant, neonatal, and postneonatal mortality between each of the four cause-of-death models. Next, interest shifts to an examination of the variability among decedents, specific to cause of death, in a range of background, proximate, and immediate determinants of infant health and survival. Variability is evident in cause-specific mortality rates as well as in decedent characteristics across the cause-of-death models. These findings suggest that more attention be given to the mode of identifying cause of death in studies of infant mortality.
Equity Traps Redux: Inequitable Access to Foreign Language Courses for African American High School Students.

ABSTRACTAlthough much of the current educational research literature on achievement gaps has focused on core curricular areas in public schools, few have focused on racially identifiable gaps in non-core areas such as high school foreign languages. These achievement, and thus advancement, gaps often result in the under-representation of students of color in higher level foreign language classes. This can have long-range negative consequences for students, such as lacking the foreign language credits needed for admission into major universities. Thus, in this qualitative study, we researched the perceptions of teachers, counselors, and school leaders at a racially diverse urban high school in central Texas concerning the enrollment, achievement, and advancement of African American students in high school foreign language courses. The results indicate that equity traps—deficit views, racial erasure, and paralogical beliefs and behaviors—advanced over a decade ago (McKenzie & Scheurich, 2004) are continuing ...
Controller and Observer design for cubic systems

In this article we study the design of controllers and observers for nonlinear systems. The approach is that adopted in Karahan[8]. The truncated Taylor series of the system are used as an approximation and the design is made for the truncated series. The flight control system studied in Garrard-Jordan[1] is used as an example.
Mcl-1 inhibitors: a patent review

ABSTRACTIntroduction: The myeloid cell leukemia−1 (MCL-1) protein is one of the key anti-apoptotic members of the B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) protein family. Over-expression of MCL-1 has been closely related to tumor progression as well as to resistance, not only to traditional chemotherapies but also to targeted therapeutics including BCL-2 inhibitors such as ABT-263. Therefore, there has been extensive research and development in the last decade in both academic and industrial settings to address this unmet medical need.Areas covered: This review covers the research and patent literature of the past 10 years in the field of discovery and development of small-molecule inhibitors of the MCL-1 anti-apoptotic protein.Expert opinion: Small-molecule strategies to disrupt the protein-protein interactions between MCL-1 and its pro-apoptotic counterparts, such as BAK and BIM, have recently emerged. Several small-molecules based on different scaffolds describe promising in vitro data as MCL-1 selective inhibitors. ...
Toward an Integrated Decision-Making Model for Consumer Electronic

ABSTRACTThe study proposes an integrated comprehensive consumer decision-making model by extending the customer value, satisfaction, and loyalty framework to include customer experience as an antecedent to creating value and enhancing satisfaction toward technology continuance intention. Our study incorporates perspectives from information systems (IS) and service marketing, where customer value (hedonic and utilitarian) theory and literature on customer experience with perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness as its dimensions are found to be drivers of technology continuance intention for consumer electronics. In addition, partial least squares results from 370 smartphone users indicate that within consumer electronics, price negatively moderates the relationship between utilitarian value and satisfaction but not with hedonic value and satisfaction. Contributions of findings and implications are discussed to provide references for consumer electronic firms in IS and service marketing.
MINIATURIZED TECHNIQUES FOR IMViC TESTS

A miniaturized method for performing IMViC tests is proposed. Twenty-four gram-negative bacterial species and strains were tested by use of miniaturized and conventional methods; the results were comparable. The miniaturized method effects saving of time, space, materials, and effort.
Proportion of Orofacial Clefts Attributable to Recognized Risk Factors

Objective:Estimate the population attributable fraction (PAF) for a set of recognized risk factors for orofacial clefts.Design:We used data from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study. For rec...
Sub-channel allocation in green powered heterogeneous cognitive radio networks

This paper aims at maximizing the sum rate of secondary users (SUs) in Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM)-based Heterogeneous Cognitive Radio (CR) Networks by considering some practical limitations such as various traffic demands of SUs, interference constraint and imperfect spectrum sensing. The CR system operates in a slotted mode, in which the SUs have no power supplies and harvest energy from ambient radio signal. Assuming SUs operate in a time switching fashion, the time slot is partitioned into three non-overlapping parts devoted for energy harvesting, spectrum sensing and data transmission. Then, the general problem of sum rate maximization is formulated as a mixed integer programming task. Since this problem is intractable, we propose a sub-channel allocation scheme based on a factor called Energy Figure of Merit to approximately satisfy SUs' rate requirements. Then, the integer constraints of the optimization problem are removed and the problem can be reduced to a convex optimization task. Considering the trade-off between fractions of the time slot, we focus on finding the optimal structures of SUs that maximize the total throughput while guaranteeing the rate requirements of both real-time (RT) and non-real-time (NRT) SUs. The numerical results validate the effectiveness and efficiency of our sub-channel allocation method as well as performance gain of the optimal structure.
The Association of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Identity Facets With Smoking Dependence Motives.

Introduction Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) adults have higher rates of smoking than heterosexual adults. LGB individuals face unique stressors, including challenges associated with having a LGB identity. The extent to which these unique stressors are related to dependence motives in LGB adult smokers, however, has not been previously explored. The current study was conducted to redress these gaps. Methods Participants (N = 52; Mage = 42.8; 55.8% Black/African American) were recruited from the local community. Identity facets were measured by the Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Identity Scale (LGBIS). Dependence motives were measured by the Brief Wisconsin Inventory of Smoking Dependence Motives. Linear multiple regressions were calculated with the predictors of seven LGBIS subscales for primary and secondary dependence motives, respectively. Results Primary dependence motives (core nicotine dependence features) were predicted by affirmation of LGB identity (β = 0.44). Secondary dependence motives (eg, taste, cognitive/affective enhancement) were predicted by uncertainty of LGB identity (β = 0.43). Conclusions LGB identity affirmation was associated with primary dependence motives, suggesting that a positive view of one's sexual orientation is a risk factor for dependence. It may be that identity affirmation is related to stronger involvement with the LGB community, which has smoking-friendly norms. Identity uncertainty was associated with secondary dependence motives; this unique identity challenge may represent a stressor contributing to smoking dependence. Findings can help explain the higher rate of smoking in LGB populations and offer avenues to better tailor smoking cessation interventions. Implications The current study is the first to examine multidimensional aspects of LGB identity in explaining smoking dependence motives among LGB adults. Results reveal that LGB identity challenges are associated with dependence motives, suggesting that interventions targeting these challenges may be help reduce LGB smoking disparities. Specifically, reducing identity uncertainty may help reduce smoking dependence. Though identity affirmation was a smoking dependence correlate, it is counterproductive to reduce affirmation, given its association with other positive health outcomes. Rather, interventions to change LGB community norms around smoking appear warranted, given the documented high overlap between affirmation and community affiliation.
Throughput optimization in multi-hop wireless networks with reconfigurable antennas

In multi-hop wireless networks (MWNs), interference and connectivity are two key factors that affect end-to-end network throughput. Traditional omni-directional antennas and directional antennas either generate significant interference or provide poor network connectivity. Reconfigurable antenna (RA) is an emerging antenna technology that can agilely switch among many different antenna states including radiation patterns, so as to suppress interference and maintain high connectivity at the same time. In this work, we systematically exploit the pattern diversity and fast reconfigurability of RAs to enhance the throughput of MWNs. We first propose a novel link-layer model that captures the dynamic relations between antenna pattern, link coverage and interference. Based on our model, a throughput optimization framework is proposed by jointly considering pattern selection and link scheduling. Our problem is formulated as a mixed integer non-linear programming problem. The superiority of reconfigurable antennas compared with traditional omni-directional and directional antennas is both theoretically proven, and validated through extensive simulations.
Beginning with the Symptom: Incorporating Mindfulness in the Treatment of Substance Misuse

Integrating mindfulness-based practices with a harm reduction approach can be particularly useful in the treatment of substance misuse and co-occurring disorders. This chapter focuses on the theory and application of mindfulness practices to address substance use and other risky behaviors from a harm reduction perspective (Bowen et al. 2010). Conceptualizing substance misuse as stemming from the complex interaction of biopsychosocial factors that leads one to self-medicate requires that we adopt a highly individualized approach that is attuned to the goals and needs of each person (Murphy and Khantzian in Psychotherapy and substance abuse. Guilford, New York, 1995; Tatarsky in Harm reduction psychotherapy. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc, Lanham, 2007). Mindfulness practices are uniquely suited to helping people across the spectrum of substance use issues as it provides a framework observing one’s experiences with curiosity and kindness and enhances the development of self-regulation capacities. Working from a harm reduction approach, with its emphasis on collaboration and empowerment helps clients explore the types of changes they wish to make and supports them in attaining their goals. Clinical examples and a case discussion are provided to illustrate this integrative approach.
Surgical innovation for obstetric fistula patients.

Browning et al describe procedures for prevention of incontinence in women undergoing obstetric fistula (OF) repair or treatment of women who have residual incontinence after successful fistula closure. Their premise is that scarring and decreased elasticity of the anterior vagina results in opposing forces on the urethra thereby causing incontinence—the so called Integral Theory. By employing a rotational skin flap from the adjacent thigh, the vaginal wall elasticity is restored. Their technique does not include the fascial portion of the flap which is widely considered to be important for preservation of the blood supply. They also describe the restoration of the pubo-urethral ligament using a pubococcygeal sling or rectus sheath and recreation of the urethra with bladder smooth muscle when necessary. Browning has previously described success with the pubococcygeal sling procedure (Browning BJOG, 2004; 111: 357-61) for the prevention of post-operative incontinence, but this goes a step further in terms of surgical complexity and improved early outcomes. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Within-session behavioral contrast?

No within-session contrast was found with a mult FR EXT schedule that produced positive behavioral contrast between sessions. The absence of within-session contrast agrees with an earlier study by Reynolds (1968) and poses a difficulty for response-rate interpretations of behavioral contrast.
Using Heart Rate and Accelerometry to Define Quantity and Intensity of Physical Activity in Older Adults.

Background Physical activity (PA) prevents disease and promotes longevity; yet, few older adults meet the recommended daily guidelines. Wearable PA and heart rate monitors provide the opportunity to define age-related differences in the absolute and relative intensity of daily activities, and provide insight into the underlying factors influencing PA in older adults. Methods Participants in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (n = 440, 52% male, aged 31 to 88 years) completed a clinical assessment and wore an Actiheart monitor in the free-living environment. The association between age and minutes per day in sedentary, light, moderate, and vigorous PA was assessed using relative intensity, as defined by heart rate reserve, and absolute intensity using activity count thresholds. Results In cross-sectional analyses, time spent in sedentary and light activities as defined by relative intensity did not differ across age (p > 0.05), whereas time spent in moderate and vigorous relative PA was higher for each 1 year increase in age (p < .01). Using absolute intensity PA thresholds, older adults registered fewer activity counts per day with more sedentary time and lesser amounts of light, moderate, and vigorous PA (p < .05). Persons with higher relative and lower absolute PA intensity had poorer functional performance and higher subclinical disease indicators. Conclusions These findings suggest that time spent in moderate or higher intensity activities may not be lower with age after considering changes in physiology, functional ability, and subclinical disease burden and highlight the need for more age- and ability-specific PA research to inform future interventions and public health guidelines.
Optimizing Outcome from Facial Cosmetic Injections and Promoting Realistic Expectations

A clear realistic understanding by a patient of likely outcomes of facial cosmetic injections improves the likelihood of an optimal outcome and patient satisfaction. Patients should embrace the idea that they are not merely passive subjects but can and should take an active role in facilitating their preparation for and recovery from the procedure by taking measures to decrease bruising and swelling. Attention to the specific cutaneous changes that occur after the procedure leaves them more alert to the signs of potential adverse effects and better prepared to contact the clinic in such circumstances. Bruising is a prominent mild side effect of facial cosmetic injections and a good example of one that patients can be advised to address on their own. While rare, more serious adverse events are possible. During the consent process, photographs of such scenarios should be presented to patients so that they know what specifically warrants an emergency call to the clinic. It is incumbent on the practitioner to provide as much detailed information as possible to manage patient expectations. For the patient, diligently following recommended pre- and post-procedural practices increases the likelihood of the desired outcome.
A Role for Transcription in Antibody Switch Recombination

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the role for transcription in antibody switch recombination. Several tantalizing clues suggest that transcription may play a role in class switching. Before switching, transcriptional activation is specifically initiated from promoters located in or near the switch regions that are to be involved in the DNA recombination. Even though these promoters are conserved, they are deleted by switch recombination and never participate in the synthesis of antibody polypeptides. Recent studies predict that this transcription would promote supercoiling of the switch-region DNA. As switch regions contain an abundance of sequences that have the potential to form alternative secondary structures when supercoiled, the transcriptional activation might induce the formation of alternative DNA structures in the recombination sites. As these alternative structures would contain single-stranded stretches that would be complementary to their RNA transcripts, the RNA could anneal with those sites and stabilize the alternative structures. Supercoiling of the IgA switch region (Sα) results in the formation of an intramolecular DNA triplex within Sα. Transcription of supercoiled Sa-containing plasmids enhances the formation of supercoil-relaxing structures in that switch region, and the RNA transcripts anneal with their templates and stabilize the topoisomers that result from the formation of alternative DNA structures.
Main-memory requirements of big data applications on commodity server platform

The emergence of big data frameworks requires computational and memory resources that can naturally scale to manage massive amounts of diverse data. It is currently unclear whether big data frameworks such as Hadoop, Spark, and MPI will require high bandwidth and large capacity memory to cope with this change. The primary purpose of this study is to answer this question through empirical analysis of different memory configurations available for commodity server and to assess the impact of these configurations on the performance Hadoop and Spark frameworks, and MPI based applications. Our results show that neither DRAM capacity, frequency, nor the number of channels play a critical role on the performance of all studied Hadoop as well as most studied Spark applications. However, our results reveal that iterative tasks (e.g. machine learning) in Spark and MPI are benefiting from a high bandwidth and large capacity memory.
Identifying the Underlying Assumptions of an Interdisciplinary Collaboration on Curriculum Development

This reflective analysis focuses on a successful interdisciplinary collaboration between two academics from two different areas of expertise, chemistry and education, who worked together on a curriculum development project. The authors identify three underlying assumptions integral to their successful partnership (being ready for learning, having a commitment to collaborative learning, and seeing each other as peers) and state that their partnership led to new ways of knowing and learning. This article is framed within the field of adult learning and development, and views the authors as learners, thus offering insights into understanding the value of interdisciplinary research partnerships in higher education.
Exploring an Instructional Model for Designing Modules for Secondary Mathematics Teachers in an Abstract Algebra Course

In this paper, we elaborate on a theoretically motivated instructional model for designing modules for secondary mathematics teachers in an abstract algebra course. We illustrate this model by elaborating on two modules, Functions and k-Product Property, and report some findings from a small-scale study with two secondary mathematics teachers. Findings indicate the potential utility of the instructional model for influencing teaching practice, with various types of instructional changes being identified. We then discuss implications for the teaching of advanced content courses, such as abstract algebra, as they relate to secondary teacher education.
Associations of medium and long chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids with blood pressure in Hispanic and non-Hispanic smokers and nonsmokers.

Summary Epidemiology studies and clinical trials have shown that omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) are inversely associated with blood pressure. We sought to determine the influence of cigarette smoking and Hispanic ethnicity on this association. Age- and sex-matched smokers and nonsmokers (n = 98) 19–50 years old lacking cardiovascular disease were recruited. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP, DBP), heart rate, HbA1c, lipids, BMI, and RBC fatty acids were measured. The omega-3 index (percent eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acid, EPA+DHA, in RBCs) was significantly lower in smokers (Smokers: 3.19 ± 0.86%; Nonsmokers, 3.88 ± 1.05%, p = 0.001) and Hispanics (Hispanic 3.32 ± 0.93%; Non-Hispanic, 3.82 ± 1.03%, p = 0.006). DHA exhibited a significant inverse association with BP in both smokers and nonsmokers, while alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) exhibited a significant positive association with BP only in smokers. Multiple regression analyses showed that BMI, DHA, smoking status, and smoking status*ALA interaction significantly predicted SBP (p
Developing Seed Transfer Zones

To manage breeding programs, we must optimize adaptations to economic constraints and biological conditions. Although a single variety would ideally be well adapted to all environments, such a condition rarely exists for breeding programs in most species. Important genotype × environment (G × E) interactions usually exist, resulting from changes in relative performance rank among genotypes, so that genotypes and environments must be specified separately (Gregorius and Namkoong 1986). As a consequence, seed sources are usually subdivided into zones within which rank changes are minimal. Even when there are no changes in ranking in individual traits, multiple trait indices can result in rank changes among sources (Namkoong 1985, Namkoong and Johnson 1987), thus generating the need for many breeding zones.
Association of Atrial Fibrillation and Postoperative Right Ventricular Failure after Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background Right ventricular failure (RVF) remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common arrhythmia in advanced heart failure patients undergoing LVAD implantation. Studies have shown that AF is a predictor for RVF in decompensated heart failure patients. Little is known about the association between AF and risk of developing RVF early after LVAD implantation. Method We performed a comprehensive literature search through March 2019 using MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus and the Cochrane Library. Included studies were prospective or retrospective cohort studies that compared the risk of developing postoperative RVF or use of emergent/unplanned right ventricular assist device (RVAD) after LVAD implantation in patients with and without AF. We calculated the pooled odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) and I2 statistic using the random-effect model. Results Nine studies were included in the analysis. The pooled prevalence of AF was 31%. Postoperative RVF after LVAD implantation was reported in 6 studies involving 1,575 patients (581 AF, 994 non-AF) and unplanned RVAD implantation was reported in 6 studies involving 2,089 patients (640 AF, 1449 non-AF). The incidence of postoperative RVF was 37% and 32% in patients with and without AF, respectively. The incidence of unplanned RVAD implantation was 15% and 12% in patients with and without AF, respectively. There is a significant association between AF and postoperative RVF (OR=1.29, 95%CI=1.03-1.61: p=0.03) but not between AF and unplanned RVAD implantation (OR=1.29, 95%CI=0.96-1.75: p=0.09) (See Figure 1). Conclusions Our meta-analysis suggests that concomitant AF was common in patients undergoing LVAD implantation. The presence of AF is associated with an increased risk of postoperative RVF but not unplanned RVAD support following LVAD implantation.
Applications of Kaolin Protect Fruiting Vegetables from Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)

The brown marmorated stink bug Halyomorpha halys (Stal) is a serious pest of many horticultural crops in the United States, and organic growers, in particular, have very few effective control options. We evaluated the efficacy of two commercially available natural products, kaolin and essential oils (rosemary oil and peppermint oil), to reduce H. halys feeding on tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) and pepper (Capsicum anuum L.). Laboratory choice tests were conducted assessing stink bug occurrence on a cherry tomato fruit placed atop a freshly picked Paulownia tomentosa (Thunberg) Steudel leaf that was treated with either kaolin or essential oils compared to an untreated control of the same food within the same cage. Significantly fewer H. halys nymphs and adults occurred on kaolin-treated fruit and leaves than an untreated control, whereas there was no significant difference between the essential oils and the control. In a field experiment, kaolin applications to peppers resulted in significantly less stink bug-injured fruit than the untreated control in all harvests. In one of two harvests in 2014 and in one of the three harvests in 2015, the essential oil treatment reduced the percentage of stink bug-injured fruit versus the untreated control. Natural repellents or deterrents such as kaolin have a great potential for reducing H. halys feeding in horticultural crops and may provide a management option in organic production systems.
The Sequence of Physical and Cognitive Impairment and the Association with Mortality Among Unimpaired Older Mexican Adults.

Background Many older adults become physically and cognitively impaired. However, it is unclear whether unimpaired older adults are more likely to become physically or cognitively impaired first and if this sequence impacts mortality risk. Methods Data came from the Mexican Health and Aging Study. The sample included 1,283 participants aged ≥60 years who were physically and cognitively unimpaired in 2001. Multinomial logistic regression was used to estimate probabilities of being unimpaired, cognitively impaired only, physically impaired only, or cognitively-physically impaired in 2003. Proportional hazard models were used to estimate mortality risk through 2015 according to physical and cognitive status in 2003. Results The probabilities for being unimpaired, physically impaired only, cognitively impaired only, and cognitively-physically impaired in 2003 were 0.45, 0.22, 0.19, and 0.13, respectively. Older age, female sex, and arthritis were associated with significantly greater probability of becoming physically impaired only than cognitively impaired only in 2003. Cognitive impairment only (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.42, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.09-1.85) in 2003 but not physical impairment only (HR = 1.22, 95% CI = 0.94-1.58) was associated with greater mortality than being unimpaired in 2003. Cognitively-physically impaired participants had higher mortality risk than participants who were physically (HR = 1.58, 95% CI = 1.18-2.12) or cognitively (HR = 1.36, 95% CI = 1.01-1.84) impaired only. Discussion The likelihood of becoming only physically or cognitively impaired over 2 years varies by demographic and health characteristics. The mortality risk for unimpaired older adults who become cognitively impaired only is similar to those who become physically impaired only. Research should determine if the sequence of cognitive and physical impairments is associated with other outcomes.
A learning-based control framework for cable-driven parallel robots with unknown Jacobians:

Cable-driven parallel robots have been studied by many researchers in the past decades. The Jacobian of a cable-driven parallel robot may not be determined in some applications such as rehabilitati...
2 – Behavior Therapy

Publisher Summary Behavior therapy is a general field of health improvement that deals with learned, undesirable emotional and physical behavioral responses. These undesirable responses have been practiced so much that they have become personal habits. However, the people who have these undesirable habits believe that they have little or no satisfactory control over them. Behavior therapy consists of a diverse collection of many different behavioral, as opposed to medicinal, regimens. Before beginning behavior therapy, it is important for patients/clients to be evaluated to determine if they have a learned behavioral problem alone, one plus an unrelated medical problem, a learned behavior problem as a part of a psychosomatic disorder, or a medical problem that just appears to have been learned. Behavioral assessment has three other goals, including defining the target behavioral problems; identifying the cognitive habits that are maintaining those behavioral problems; and making it possible to objectively measure therapeutic progress. To ensure the most comprehensive therapeutic results, the therapist gets a detailed personal and medical history. Effective behavior therapy produces weekly therapeutic progress, for which the popular self-assessment and objective behavioral monitoring forms are usually adequate. If weekly therapeutic progress is not happening, the patient/client should be reassessed for overlooked medical or psychiatric problems or for problems with therapeutic involvement or misunderstanding.
Factors Influencing the Condition of Sewer Pipes: State-of-the-Art Review

AbstractWastewater infrastructure systems deteriorate over time due to a combination of physical and chemical factors. Failure of these critical structures can cause major social, environmental, an...
Drunk driving and deterrence: exploring the reconceptualized deterrence hypothesis and self-reported drunk driving

This article partially examines Stafford and Warr’s reconceptualized model of deterrence by investigating the relationship between punishment, punishment avoidance, perceived certainty and severity...
Optimization of the Reax force field for the lithium–oxygen system using a high fidelity charge model

Studies using molecular dynamics (MD) have long struggled to simulate the failure modes of materials, predicting unrealistically high ductility and failing to capture brittle fracture. The primary cause of this shortcoming is an inadequate description of bond breaking. While reactive force fields such as ReaxFF show improvements compared to traditional force fields, the charge models used yield unphysical partial charges, especially during dissociation of ionic bonds. This flaw may be remedied by using the atom-condensed Kohn-Sham density functional theory (DFT) approximated to a second order (ACKS2) charge model for determining partial charges. In this work, we present a new ACKS2-enabled Reax force field for fracture simulations of lithium oxide systems, which was obtained by training against an extensive set of DFT, multireference configuration interaction (MRCI), and MRCI+Q reference data using genetic optimization techniques. This new force field significantly improves the bond breaking behavior, but still cannot fully capture the brittle fracture in MD simulations, suggesting more research is needed to improve simulation of brittle fracture.
Cobimaximal mixing with Dirac neutrinos

Abstract If neutrinos are Dirac, the conditions for cobimaximal mixing, i.e. θ 23 = π / 4 and δ C P = ± π / 2 in the 3 × 3 neutrino mixing matrix, are derived. One example with A 4 symmetry and radiative Dirac neutrino masses is presented.
Sparse Multi-Term Disjunctive Cuts for the Epigraph of a Function of Binary Variables

We propose a new method for generating cuts valid for the epigraph of a function of binary variables. The proposed cuts are disjunctive cuts defined by many disjunctive terms obtained by enumerating a subset $I$ of the binary variables. We show that by restricting the support of the cut to the same set of variables $I$, a cut can be obtained by solving a linear program with $2^{|I|}$ constraints. While this limits the size of the set $I$ used to define the multi-term disjunction, the procedure enables generation of multi-term disjunctive cuts using far more terms than existing approaches. Experience on three MILP problems with block diagonal structure using $|I|$ up to size 10 indicates the sparse cuts can often close nearly as much gap as the multi-term disjunctive cuts without this restriction and in a fraction of the time.
A taxonomy of parallel strategies for deduction

This paper presents a taxonomy of parallel theorem-proving methods based on the control of search (e.g., master–slaves versus peer processes), the granularity of parallelism (e.g., fine, medium and coarse grain) and the nature of the method (e.g., ordering-based versus subgoal-reduction). We analyze how the different approaches to parallelization affect the control of search: while fine and medium–grain methods, as well as master-slaves methods, generally do not modify the sequential search plan, parallel-search methods may combine sequential search plans (i>multi-search) or extend the search plan with the capability of subdividing the search space (i>distributed search). Precisely because the search plan is modified, the latter methods may produce radically different searches than their sequential base, as exemplified by the first distributed proof of the i>Robbins theorem generated by the i>Modified Clause-Diffusion prover i>Peers-mcd. An overview of the state of the field and directions for future research conclude the paper.