cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Barriers to Technology Adoption by Baccalaureate Nursing Faculty

Mobile learning, or the ability to utilize technology in the classroom, is slowly growing in popularity as a technique to assist in acquisition of knowledge and achievement of obtaining learning outcomes. However, challenges remain related to comfort level for both the student and instructor. The research will assist in identifying methods to increase the use of mobile technology in the classroom, and perhaps lead to further study in shifting the paradigm in the nursing classroom from traditional pedagogy, to one that meets the needs of the future student. Extending an original study, an exploratory design was used with descriptive statistics to measure central tendency, frequency and variation as noted in the original study to determine if a relationship or association existed. Convenience sampling was utilized with the modified survey tool distributed through Survey Monkey to twenty institutions offering baccalaureate nursing programs within the Appalachian College Association. A total scores variable was calculated, and parametric tests, specifically the one-way variance (ANOVA) was conducted. Demographic variables were compared to determine if there were any significant differences in central tendencies between the mean, median and the mode, and to note any variability or variance using the standard deviation from the mean related to rank and teaching experience and the impact on technology adoption.
Abstract P109: Patterns of Statin Prescription Among Privately Insured Commercial and Medicare Patients

Background: Statins are considered to play an important role in reducing coronary heart disease (CHD) risk. There are currently 6 statins available in the U.S. market and more than 193 million stat...
Phenotype prediction for mucopolysaccharidosis type I by in silico analysis

Mucopolysaccharidosis type I (MPS I) is an autosomal recessive disease due to deficiency of α-L-iduronidase (IDUA), a lysosomal enzyme that degrades glycosaminoglycans (GAG) heparan and dermatan sulfate. To achieve optimal clinical outcomes, early and proper treatment is essential, which requires early diagnosis and phenotype severity prediction. To establish a genotype/phenotype correlation of MPS I disease, a combination of bioinformatics tools including SIFT, PolyPhen, I-Mutant, PROVEAN, PANTHER, SNPs&GO and PHD-SNP are utilized. Through analyzing single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) by these in silico approaches, 28 out of 285 missense SNPs were predicted to be damaging. By integrating outcomes from these in silico approaches, a prediction algorithm (sensitivity 94%, specificity 80%) was thereby developed. Three dimensional structural analysis of 5 candidate SNPs (P533R, P496R, L346R, D349G, T374P) were performed by SWISS PDB viewer, which revealed specific structural changes responsible for the functional impacts of these SNPs. Additionally, SNPs in the untranslated region were analyzed by UTRscan and PolymiRTS. Moreover, by investigating known pathogenic mutations and relevant patient phenotypes in previous publications, phenotype severity (severe, intermediate or mild) of each mutation was deduced. Collectively, these results identified potential candidate SNPs with functional significance for studying MPS I disease. This study also demonstrates the effectiveness, reliability and simplicity of these in silico approaches in addressing complexity of underlying genetic basis of MPS I disease. Further, a step-by-step guideline for phenotype prediction of MPS I disease is established, which can be broadly applied in other lysosomal diseases or genetic disorders.
Abstract 5916: Proton-sensor GPR4 potentiates intestinal inflammation in the DSS-induced colitis mouse model

Inflammation and tissue acidosis are two factors that co-exist in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and can contribute to increased risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) development. GPR4 is a proton-sensing G protein-coupled receptor that can be activated by extracellular acidosis through several histidine residues and subsequently signal through downstream G-protein pathways. Recently, GPR4 has been shown to be activated by acidosis and can increase the expression of numerous inflammatory and stress response genes in vascular endothelial cells (ECs) and has functionally increased EC-leukocyte adhesion. Subsequently, genetic and small molecule approaches for the inhibition of GPR4 activity have reduced endothelial cell inflammation. In this study, we examined the role of GPR4 in intestinal inflammation using a dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis mouse model. We observed that GPR4 mRNA expression was increased in mouse and human IBD tissues when compared to control intestinal tissues. To determine the function of GPR4 in intestinal inflammation, wild-type and GPR4-deficient mice were treated with 3% DSS for acute and chronic time points for the induction of colitis. Our results showed that the severity of colitis was decreased in GPR4-deficient DSS-treated mice in comparison to wild-type DSS-treated mice. Clinical parameters, macroscopic disease indicators, and histopathological features were less severe in the DSS-treated GPR4-deficient mice than the DSS-treated wild-type mice. Inflammatory gene expression, endothelial adhesion molecule expression, leukocyte infiltration, and isolated lymphoid follicle (ILF) formation were reduced in intestinal tissues of DSS-treated GPR4-null mice. In summary, our results suggest GPR4 potentiates intestinal inflammation as the absence of GPR4 ameliorates intestinal inflammation in the DSS-induced colitis mouse model. Use of GPR4 inhibitors could prove a valuable therapeutic in the reduction of intestinal inflammation and subsequent CRC development. Note: This abstract was not presented at the meeting. Citation Format: Edward J. Sanderlin, Nancy R. Leffler, Kvin Lertpiriyapong, Qi Cai, Heng Hong, Vasudevan Bakthavatchalu, James G. Fox, Joani Z. Oswald, Calvin R. Justus, Elizabeth A. Krewson, Dorcas O’Rourke, Li V. Yang. Proton-sensor GPR4 potentiates intestinal inflammation in the DSS-induced colitis mouse model [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 5916. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-5916
The Erdős Paradox

The great Hungarian mathematician Paul Erdős was born in Budapest on March 26, 1913. He died alone in a hospital room in Warsaw, Poland, on Friday afternoon, September 20, 1996. It was sad and ironic that he was alone, because he probably had more friends in more places than any mathematician in the world. He was in Warsaw for a conference. Vera Sos had also been there, but had gone to Budapest on Thursday and intended to return on Saturday with Andras Sarkozy to travel with Paul to a number theory meeting in Vilnius. On Thursday night, Erdős felt ill and called the desk in his hotel. He was having a heart attack and was taken to a hospital, where he died about 12 h later. No one knew he was in the hospital. When Paul did not appear at the meeting on Friday morning, one of the Polish mathematicians called the hotel. He did not get through, and no one tried to telephone the hotel again for several hours. By the time it was learned that Paul was in the hospital, he was dead.
RAPID: In-Memory Analytical Query Processing Engine with Extreme Performance per Watt

Today, an ever increasing amount of transistors are packed into processor designs with extra features to support a broad range of applications. As a consequence, processors are becoming more and more complex and power hungry. At the same time, they only sustain an average performance for a wide variety of applications while not providing the best performance for specific applications. In this paper, we demonstrate through a carefully designed modern data processing system called RAPID and a simple, low-power processor specially tailored for data processing that at least an order of magnitude performance/power improvement in SQL processing can be achieved over a modern system running on today's complex processors. RAPID is designed from the ground up with hardware/software co-design in mind to provide architecture-conscious extreme performance while consuming less power in comparison to the modern database systems. The paper presents in detail the design and implementation of RAPID, a relational, columnar, in-memory query processing engine supporting analytical query workloads.
Tonic Neuromuscular Processing Affects Postural Adaptation Differently in Aging and Parkinson's Disease.

The combination of phasic and tonic neuromuscular processes are involved in the maintenance of normal upright posture. The latter is of particular importance in some pathologies, such as Parkinson's Disease (PD), which is known by one of its cardinal symptoms-tonic dysfunction (i.e., rigidity). Changes in tonic function may also occur during healthy aging. In this investigation, somatosensory input was manipulated by changing the support surface orientation for prolonged periods of quiet stance (QS). The aim was to shed light on how long-term tonic responses called postural lean after-effects are affected by aging and age-related neuropathology. Forty one participants were tested: 19 healthy young (25±5 years), 13 healthy older (63±8 years), and 9 adults with PD (63±5 years). Baseline conditions were eyes-closed QS on a stable surface or standing on an unstable, sway-referenced (SR) surface. Four experimental conditions combined two types of toes-up ramp tilt adaptation (120 s of toes-up static 7° tilt or sinusoidal 7° ± 3° tilt) with two types of post-adaptation (120 s of QS or SR). Results revealed postural after-effects during post-adaptation QS showing significant anterior COP shift for both young and older adults (p 0.06, n.s.). Compared to young, postural after-effects in older adults showed longer decay constants and did not return to baseline COP within the 120 s post-adaptation period (p < 0.05). Postural after-effects during SR, which appeared as toes-up surface tilt were highly significant in healthy populations (p = 0.001), but took longer to develop in PD. Younger adults showed significantly larger dorsiflexion (p < 0.01) and faster decay constants than older adults (p < 0.05). In summary, (1) postural after-effects decayed to baseline when post-tilt surface was stable but were retained and even grew larger post-adaptation in the SR surface conditions in all groups, (2) postural after-effects differed between healthy age groups, (3) PD showed less adaptation to surface changes. Differences in size and decay of after-effects between healthy and PD groups suggest tonic neuromuscular processes play a role in how adaptable postural control is to changing surface conditions and this is affected by healthy aging and basal ganglia function.
Patterns of amiodarone-induced thyroid dysfunction in infants and children.

Background Heart Rhythm Society guidelines recommend obtaining thyroid function tests (TFTs) at amiodarone initiation and every 6 months thereafter in adults, with no specific pediatric recommendations. Untreated hypothyroidism in young children negatively affects brain development and somatic growth, yet the optimal screening frequency for pediatric patients remains unclear, and limited data exist on pediatric amiodarone-induced thyroid dysfunction. Objective The purpose of this study was to describe the patterns of amiodarone-induced thyroid dysfunction in pediatric patients. Methods We established a retrospective cohort of 527 pediatric patients who received amiodarone between 1997 and 2017. We defined amiodarone therapy lasting 3–30 days as “short term” and >30 days as “long term.” Results The final cohort (n = 150) consisted of 27 neonates (18%), 25 infants (16%), 27 young children (18%), and 71 children (47%). Of the children in whom TFTs were checked, half (50.8%) developed a thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) value above the reference for age. Neonates had the highest median peak TSH values in both short- and long-term groups: 23.5 mIU/L (interquartile range 11.4–63.1) and 28.8 mIU/L (interquartile range 11.4–34.4), respectively. Although concurrent use of inotropic support was significantly associated with lower initial TSH values, no variable related to cardiac illness or type of heart disease was associated with peak TSH values. Conclusion Neonates and infants receiving amiodarone had more thyroid dysfunction with greater degrees of TSH elevation than older children. TSH elevations occurred early, even with short-term exposure. Given the concern for brain development and growth in hypothyroid children, our results suggest the need for more rigorous pediatric-specific thyroid monitoring guidelines.
Maximizing order or harm? Arrests among a social network of people who inject drugs in a large urban city

Encountering the criminal justice system at the first point of entry---an arrest---is associated with heightened HIV and Hepatitis risk behavior among people who inject drugs (PWIDS). Intervening s...
Dipylidium caninum Infection.

Dipylidium caninum Infection A 2-year-old girl presented with perianal itching and worms in the stool. She was found to have a Dipylidium caninum infection.
Supporting Parent-Child Collaborative Learning through Haptic Feedback Displays

Haptic feedback displays are an emerging technology that have the potential to enhance how children and their parents interact with and learn about science concepts. Yet, we know little about how to design haptic feedback applications for science learning or how children and their parents make use of these interactive features. This paper presents the design and evaluation of TCircuit, an application for a variable friction touch-screen display (i.e., Tanvas Tablet) that enables parent-child dyads to feel electric current flowing through a circuit diagram by touching the display. We describe results from a formative design study with 10 parent-child dyads that reveal which texture patterns and mappings are most appropriate for representing the concept of electrical current through haptic feedback. We also report results of a comparative study with 40 parent-child dyads in a museum setting. Our analysis shows that dyads in the haptic condition performed slightly better when predicting their answers to learning tasks. However, we found that haptic feedback introduced new complexities for how dyads perceived and discussed the exhibit content. We discuss the potential for haptic feedback displays to support science learning, particularly in collaborative settings, and design considerations for future systems.
Laser–Raman spectroscopy (Communication arising): Images of the Earth's earliest fossils?

The criticism by Pasteris and Wopenka of our use of laser–Raman imagery to investigate the carbonaceous make-up of extremely ancient fossils1 focuses only on their Raman signature; however, our interpretation that the carbonaceous matter that makes up these specimens is biogenic is based on several lines of evidence, of which Raman spectroscopy is only one.
Introduction to Group Actions on Trees

Recall that a metric tree T is a metrically complete nonempty geodesic metric space where each geodesic triangle is a tripod. In particular, every two points in T are connected by unique geodesic segment. Vertices (or branch points) of T are the points x ϵ T such that there are at least three geodesic segments in T emanating from x whose interiors are disjoint. A nondegenerate tree is a tree that contains more than one point. We shall consider isometric actions of groups G on trees T. The pair of a tree T and an action of G on T is called a G-tree. A G-tree is called minimal if there is no -G-invariant subtree in T differenct from T. A G-tree is called trivial in this case.) The action is called small if the stabilizer of any nondegenerate arc is a virtually nilpotent subgroup of G. In this case, we will say that the G-tree T is small. Two G-trees are said to be isomorphic if there is a G-equivariant isometry between therse trees.
P300 Neighborhood violent crime and HIV transmission risk: a temporal and spatial exploration of their association

Background Experiencing violence, both exposure and victimization, has been associated with negative health outcomes including increased mental health problems and sexual risk behaviors. This ecological analysis aimed to explore the ecologic relationship between aggregate violent crime and HIV transmission risk at the census tract level, including effects of spatial dependence. Methods Violent crime data reported with address of the incident by the Baltimore Police Department as well as HIV viral load information for those with reported addresses and a viral load of >400 copies/mL collected by the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene were geocoded and aggregated to the census tract level. Community viral load (CVL) was calculated as the prevalence of uncontrolled viral load in each tract. A negative binomial regression model was used to test the association between violent crime events and CVL, including spatial lag from shared-boundary census tracts as well as mean age, proportion male, labor force participation, educational attainment, and residential instability as key covariates. Results The annual violent crime rate in Baltimore City in the 5-year period from 2012–2016 was 29.5 per 1,000 population; rates varied widely between census tracts, ranging from 2 to 189.4 per 1,000. The mean CVL was 4.27 per 1,000 population, with a range from 0 to 18.8 by census tract. In the adjusted model, a 100-unit increase in violent crimes was associated with a 19% increase in CVL (RR: 1.19, 95% CI: 1.13, 1.27). Conclusion Our study shows a statistically significant association between violent crime rates and HIV transmission risk in local areas. This study highlights the need for community-level interventions aimed to address effects of violence exposure in order to effectively combat the ongoing HIV epidemic among vulnerable populations in urban settings. Disclosure No significant relationships.
Releasing the lockdown in the UK Covid-19 epidemic: a stochastic model

Abstract Background In a classic epidemic, the infected population has an early exponential phase, before slowing and fading to its peak. Mitigating interventions may change the exponent during the rising phase and a plateau can replace a peak. With interventions comes the risk that relaxation causes a second-wave. In the UK Covid-19 epidemic, infections cannot be counted, but their influence is seen in the curve of the mortality data. This work simulated social distancing and the lockdown in the UK Covid-19 epidemic to explore strategies for relaxation. Methods Cumulative mortality data was transposed 20 days earlier to identify three doubling periods separated by the 17th March - social distancing, and 23rd March - lockdown. A set of stochastic processes simulated viral transmission between interacting individuals using Covid-19 incubation and illness durations. Social distancing and restrictions on interactions were imposed and later relaxed. Principal Findings Daily mortality data, consistent with that seen in the UK Covid-19 epidemic to 24th April 2020 was simulated. This output predicts that under a lockdown maintained till early July 2020, UK deaths will exceed 31,000, but leave a large susceptible population and a requirement for vaccination or quarantine. An earlier staged relaxation carries a risk of a second-wave. The model allows exploration of strategies for lifting the lockdown. Interpretation Social distancing and the lockdown have had an impressive impact on the UK Covid-19 epidemic and saved lives, caution is now needed in planning its relaxation.
Emerging from tabloid scandal: Dr. U.K. Mayo's Vegetable Vapor extends nitrous oxide's anesthetic duration.

Abstract Urial K. Mayo (1816–1900) was a successful Boston dentist who was plagued by personal scandal. In 1883 he patented extending the duration of nitrous-oxide anesthesia with an alcoholic tincture of hops and poppies.
Astrocyte Glutamate Uptake and Signaling as Novel Targets for Antiepileptogenic Therapy

Astrocytes regulate and respond to extracellular glutamate levels in the central nervous system (CNS) via the Na+-dependent glutamate transporters glutamate transporter-1 (GLT-1) and glutamate aspartate transporter (GLAST) and the metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR) 3 and mGluR5. Both impaired astrocytic glutamate clearance and changes in metabotropic glutamate signaling could contribute to the development of epilepsy. Dysregulation of astrocytic glutamate transporters, GLT-1 and GLAST, is a common finding across patients and preclinical seizure models. Astrocytic metabotropic glutamate receptors, particularly mGluR5, have been shown to be dysregulated in both humans and animal models of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). In this review, we synthesize the available evidence regarding astrocytic glutamate homeostasis and astrocytic mGluRs in the development of epilepsy. Modulation of astrocyte glutamate uptake and/or mGluR activation could lead to novel glial therapeutics for epilepsy.
Mediators and Moderators of the Association Between Perceived Stress and Episodic Memory in Diverse Older Adults.

Objective: Stress is a risk factor for numerous negative health outcomes, including cognitive impairment in late-life. The negative association between stress and cognition may be mediated by depressive symptoms, which separate studies have identified as both a consequence of perceived stress and a risk factor for cognitive decline. Pathways linking perceived stress, depressive symptoms, and cognition may be moderated by sociodemographics and psychosocial resources. The goal of this cross-sectional study was to identify modifying factors and enhance understanding of the mechanisms underlying the stress–cognition association in a racially and ethnically diverse sample of older adults. Method: A linear regression estimated the association between perceived stress and episodic memory in 578 older adults (M age = 74.58) in the Washington Heights-Inwood Columbia Aging Project. Subsequent models tested whether depressive symptoms mediated the stress–memory relationship and whether sociodemographics (gender, race, and ethnicity) or perceived control moderated these pathways. Results: Independent of sociodemographics and chronic diseases, greater perceived stress was associated with worse episodic memory. This relationship was mediated by more depressive symptoms. Higher perceived control buffered the association between stress and depressive symptoms. There was no significant moderation by gender, race, or ethnicity. Conclusion: Depressive symptoms may play a role in the negative association between perceived stress and cognition among older adults; however, longitudinal analyses and studies using experimental designs are needed. Perceived control is a modifiable psychological resource that may offset the negative impact of stress.
Ideological cross-pressures or random error? An analysis of spatially inconsistent voting in the US House and US Senate

Theoretical and empirical models of congressional voting assume that legislators vote with the sole purpose to move policy closer to their ideologically ideal point. While NOMINATE correctly classi...
Co-optimization of wastewater treatment plants interconnected with smart grids

Abstract Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and smart grids of urban systems are in a strong nexus. Energy consumption of WWTPs will directly impact the economy of the smart grids, while the energy forecast, marketing, and resource allocation of smart grids will affect the economy of WWTPs. As such, these two critical infrastructures need to be operated and managed cooperatively to maximize the mutual economic benefits. In this paper, a mixed integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) co-optimization model is developed to address the day-ahead economic dispatch problem of smart grids embedded with interdependent links among wastewater treatment plants and smart grids. The energy demand of WWTPs is optimized by minimizing the energy consumption of the aeration module, mixed liquor pumping, primary clarifier’s influent pumping, secondary clarifier’s sludge pumping, and mixing devices that are integrated in the dynamic economic dispatch problem of smart grid. Additionally, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and total Kjedhal nitrogen (TKN) concentrations of the treated wastewater is also incorporated in the economic dispatch problem to ensure of the high quality of the WWTP’s effluent. Electricity consumption of the buildings is also added as a constraint to the economic dispatch, serving as a dynamic load for smart grid. Case studies are conducted to examine the impact of wastewater flow rate, influent BOD and TKN concentrations, battery efficiency, and end-of-day battery’s state of the charge constraints on economic dispatch of the smart grid. The results show that total operational cost and energy consumption of the integrated WWTP-smart grid is increased only by 3.4% and 1.75%, respectively, as the daily influent flow rate and BOD & TKN concentrations are increased from their minimum to maximum thresholds.
Optimal time-differentiated pricing for a competitive mixed traditional and crowdsourced event parking market

Abstract An event-based parking pricing problem, the Crowdsourced Event Parking Market Pricing Problem, is proposed wherein parking lot owners and others who are willing to rent out privately owned spaces compete to attract drivers who are looking for available parking spaces. Each parking location owner’s problem is modeled as a bi-level program, where the upper-level parking garages, individuals and consolidators (the players) compete for customers, setting their prices to maximize revenue given the response of the lower-level followers. The lower-level followers choose their parking locations based on the utilities they derive from the spaces, which is a function of the proximity of the spaces to their destinations, parking fees and crowdedness. Prices are set as a function of the time of reservation. Reservation-time based pricing enables price differentiation for late comers either in the form of lower prices to attract last-minute customers when excess spaces are anticipated or higher-pricing if few spaces are expected to remain empty. A multi-period, stochastic Equilibrium Problem with Equilibrium Constraints (EPEC) formulation of the Crowdsourced Event Parking Market Pricing Problem is presented, and a diagonalization method with embedded gradient ascent approach for solution of individual player Mathematical Programs with Equilibrium Constraints (MPECs) is proposed for its solution. Both supply- and demand-side uncertainties are explicitly modeled. Solutions provide competitive parking prices set by reservation time for each parking facility, whether the facility involves a large parking garage or single parking space owner. Numerical experiments were conducted to illustrate the proposed concepts and assess the potential impact of crowdsourced parking spaces on the parking market. The results show that social welfare increases by more than 5% when crowdsourced parking locations account for 7% of the parking market. Results from additional numerical experiments show that ignoring stochasticity results in revenue loss for all parking owners. The developed techniques aim to facilitate existing and new parking facility owners to participate in crowdsourced event-parking markets.
Learning Dynamics in Social Networks

This paper proposes a tractable model of Bayesian learning on large random networks where agents choose whether to adopt an innovation. We study the impact of the network structure on learning dynamics and product diffusion. In directed networks, all direct and indirect links contribute to agents' learning. In comparison, learning and welfare are lower in undirected networks and networks with cliques. In a rich class of networks, behavior is described by a small number of differential equations, making the model useful for empirical work.
Moving from Illness to wellness: an important goal of home care.

ABSTRACT For many clients in home care with chronic illness the real work of getting well involves learning to adjust to chronic illness and to disability. Learning to adjust to disability by maximizing the abilities and qualities that are present can mean overcoming otherwise very significant problems while still maintaining a high quality of life. Home care providers play an important role in helping clients and their families optimize functioning to do the real work of getting “well.”
Cavitation Control by Aeration of High-Velocity Jets

To prevent cavitation erosion, air may be introduced along the underside and sides of a jet before the jet comes in contact with downstream concrete surfaces. Model studies of chute offsets, air slots, and deflectors were conducted to determine methods to aerate the jet and provide recommendations for altering two existing structures and designing new structures. A single test facility was used to model existing structures at Palisades and Navajo Dams and proposed structures at Pueblo, Crystal, and Teton Dams. Wall air vent slots combined with a floor deflector were developed for use immediately downstream from the gate frames in the two existing structures. Wall and floor air vent offsets away from the flow at the end of the frame were developed for new structures. These investigations, supplemented by general tests, formed the basis for guidelines developed for design of future air-entraining devices to protect flow surfaces from cavitation erosion.
Androgen regulation of the ocular secretory immune system

The principal tissue involved in secretory immune system of the eye is the lacrimal gland [l].This tissue, which is the origin of tear IgA and secretory component (SC) [2,3], possesses a high density of IgA plasma cells, a smaller population of IgG- and IgM-containing cells and a diverse array of T lymphocytes [4,5]. In addition, acinar and ductal cells produce SC [6,7], which appears to regulate the binding and transport of polymeric IgA into tears against an apparent concentration gradient [8,9].
Bioaerosols in Agricultural and Outdoor Settings

Sources of Airborne Fungi Dispersal Mechanisms Transport in the Atmosphere Deposition Types of Fungal Spores in the Air Spora Keywords: aerosols; airborne microorganisms; bioaerosols: agricultural settings; bioaerosols, outdoor
The effect of migration on ages at vital events: a critique of family reconstitution in historical demography.

Demographic rates of historical populations have usually been calculated using only data from stayers alone. Can they be extrapolated to the population as a whole? Ruggles has recently pointed out, using both logic and a computer simulation, that stayers experience vital events earlier in life than movers due to migration censorship: those who experience them later in life have often migrated away from the community being studied. We show that stayers do indeed marry and die at younger ages than do movers, using a genealogical database on the American North (1620–1880). These differences are caused, however, both by migration censorship and by genuine differences between the two groups and the places they lived. Therefore changes over time among stayers are not good indicators of changes in the population as a whole because they are affected by changing migration rates. Thus no simple “correction factor” can be extrapolated to estimate the general population; neither stayers (nor movers) constitute a “baseline” or “normal” process: both must be considered together in order to gain an accurate picture of the population as a whole.
High Performance Sockets and RPC over Virtual Interface (VI) Architecture

Standard user-level networking architecture such as Virtual Interface (VI) Architecture enables distributed applications to perform low overhead communication over System Area Networks (SANs). This paper describes how high-level communication paradigms like stream sockets and remote procedure call (RPC) can be efficiently built over user-level networking architectures. To evaluate performance benefits for standard client-server and multi-threaded environments, our focus is on off-the-shelf sockets and RPC interfaces and commercially available VI Architecture based SANs. The key design techniques developed in this research include credit-based flow control, decentralized user-level protocol processing, caching of pinned communication buffers, and deferred processing of completed send operations. The one-way bandwidth achieved by stream sockets over VI Architecture was 3 to 4 times better than the same achieved by running legacy protocols over the same interconnect. On the same SAN, high-performance stream sockets and RPC over VI Architecture achieve significantly better (between 2-3x) latency than conventional stream sockets and RPC over standard network protocols in Windows NT TM 4.0 environment. Furthermore, our high-performance RPC transparently improved the network performance of Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM) by a factor of 2 to 3.
Water Saving Irrigation in Rice Cultivation with Particular Reference to Alternate Wetting and Drying Method: An Overview

In the context of global energy crisis and water scarcity, rice production system is undergoing changes with the strategy to produce more rice with lesser amount of water. Water saving technology has therefore, been developed and increasingly adopted to irrigate rice in different countries. Impact of alternate wetting and drying (AWD) irrigation as a water saving technique on rice yield, water productivity and environment has been overviewed in this paper. On-farm trials were conducted during the years 2007 and 2008 to validate the adaptability of AWD method of irrigation in Boro rice-variety BRRI dhan29. The trials were conducted at different locations of Gazipur, in which three farmers’ plots of rice were irrigated following AWD method, which were then compared with another 3 farmers’ plots of rice irrigated in conventional method maintaining 3-5 inches of standing water throughout. The trials have revealed that AWD method saved about 365 mm irrigation water (about 27%) over the conventional irrigation practice. However, there was no adverse effect of AWD- irrigation on grain yields of rice. AWD method as perceived by farmers, although reduced irrigation cost, resulted in more weed infestation and was associated with more weeding cost. Following the impressive results of the validation trials, the demonstrations were conducted in the farmers’ fields of different districts during boro 2009. In general, the demonstrations were successful to impress the farmers about AWD-irrigation as a water saving and low-cost irrigation method. However assurance of timely availability of irrigation is a precondition for farmers to adopt the technique and weed management using appropriate herbicides is necessary for adoption of the technology.
microRNA Expression in Prospectively Collected Blood as a Potential Biomarker of Breast Cancer Risk in the BCFR

Background/Aim: Current breast cancer risk assessment models have moderate discriminatory ability. We evaluated whether microRNA (miRNA) expression profiles in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) could be a useful biomarker of risk in high-risk women. Materials and Methods: Next-generation sequencing evaluated miR expression in PBMCs of 20 women who were unaffected at the time of recruitment and later diagnosed with breast cancer and 20 unaffected women. Results: Out of the 5 miRNAs identified as potential risk markers, miR-144-3p, miR-451a, miR-144-5p and miR-183-5p were up-regulated, while miR-708-5p was down-regulated. We then evaluated these miRs in 28 additional case/control pairs using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (PCR). None of the results in the validation sample were statistically significant possibly due to the much longer interval between blood collection and diagnosis in the validation set. Conclusions: Differentially expressed miRNAs from PBMCs may be potential non-invasive biomarkers for breast cancer prediction. Larger prospective studies are required to confirm whether our findings with specific miRNA loci were related to timing before diagnosis.
Quantitative Amino Acid Analysis

Quantitative amino acid analysis is an important tool for many scientific areas ranging from the characterization of recombinant proteins to the description of food proteins for nutritional assessment. Quantitative amino acid analysis is often overlooked in many laboratories due to the difficulties involved in obtaining reliable amino acid composition data. Fortunately, for protein chemists, the creation of protein chemistry core laboratories devoted mainly to protein sequence analysis and peptide synthesis has provided new instrumentation that yields the necessary precision. In addition, for food scientists, it has become clear that for the description of food proteins, the nitrogen content alone simply does not provide sufficient information about the nutritional adequacy of these proteins, and as a result, a growing number of nutrition laboratories are undertaking amino acid analysis. This unit describes the information that can be derived from quantitative amino acid analysis and gives examples of the calculations that are needed.
Modernity's prometheus

(1993). Modernity's prometheus. Western Journal of Communication: Vol. 57, Ideology and Communication, pp. 139-146.
Juvenile hormone: Evidence for a role in the feeding rhythm ofOncopeltus fasciatus (Dallas)

The diurnal feeding rhythm of female milkweed bugs was damped when fed nonhost seeds. Juvenoid treatment partially restored the normal rhythm. Precocene II-treated milkweed seed-fed females fed arrhythmicly during the light phase without reduced total feeding activity. This effect was largely prevented by simultaneous treatment with JH III.
Application of reverse osmosis to automotive electrocoat paint wastewater recycling

Abstract Field and bench-scale reverse osmosis experiments on wastewater derived from automotive electrocoat paint operations are reported. Field experiments were performed continuously over a six-month interval using a reverse osmosis unit equipped with cellulose acetate membranes. An operating pressure of 3100 kPa (450 psi) and a temperature of 24–27°C was maintained. These RO experiments were unusual for two reasons. First, certain solutes in the feedwater were allowed to permeate through the membrane along with water. This was done to permit solute recycling and reuse. Since these solutes (ethyl, butyl and hexyl glycol ethers) were present in a 3% total concentration in the feedstream, their permeation through the membrane eliminated a flux reduction mechanism. This would arise from the increased upstream osmotic pressure if these solutes were concentrated. Second, the experiments were performed under conditions where colloidal lead was present. This caused limited membrane fouling which was controlled via weekly cleaning with dilute lactic acid. Some supporting bench-scale RO experiments were carried out to probe factors influencing this RO application.
Chronic Pediatric Pain

P ediatric chronic pain has been an increasingly significant problem over the last 5 years. It is estimated to occur in 15% to 30% of school-age children [1]. Pain is not only a significant emotional stressor for the family unit but also an expensive one. Lost work from parental absences to care for the child as well as increasing costs of health care use are significant. There is increasing evidence that the development of chronic pain in childhood may lead to chronic pain as an adult. The behavioral consequences of school absences, changed peer relationships, effects on social activities, and effects on family interactions affect the child, his siblings, and his future. It is important to recognize that in the pediatric population, nonorganic factors may be as important as organic factors in maintaining pain and that both need to be addressed. Because all pain involves neurosensory changes and may involve altered pain processing, the use of ‘‘organic’’ or ‘‘medical’’ versus ‘‘nonorganic’’ is probably artificial. While most parents prefer a biologic explanation for pain, a multifactorial approach to pain management usually leads to the best results. Each pediatric age seems to have a significant area of pain during specific ages. Infants frequently have colic. Stomach ache and headache are frequent chronic complaints in young childrenwhodo notwish to leave the home and go to school, and can usually be handled by the pediatrician. Headaches and musculoskeletal pains are commonly seen in adolescents [2]. The authors discuss problems that frequently occur in preteens and adolescents. Frequent presenting chronic complaints include headache, abdominal pain, musculoskeletal pain (including back pain), and limb pain thought to be complex regional pain syndrome. Cancer survivors with ongoing neuropathic pain are an increasingly large group, a result of the improved cancer cure rates. A few patients have genetic illnesses
Polyethylene wear in cases using femoral stems of similar geometry, but different metals, porous layer, and modularity

Abstract In this report, 83 total hip arthroplasties in 75 patients with femoral stems of similar geometry but different metals, porous surfaces, and femoral head-neck design were compared at a mean follow-up of 66 months (range, 40–104 months). One type of acetabular component and polyethylene were implanted in all hips. The femoral stem was monoblock in 25 hips, and in 58 it had a modular head-neck piece; 70 stems had chrome-cobalt heads, and 13 heads were titanium. Equally satisfactory clinical results were obtained with either type of femoral implant (i.e., modular and monoblock). The calculated average annual linear polyethylene wear was significantly higher for the titanium stems with a plasma-spray porous surface and chrome-cobalt head on a Morse taper than the chrome-cobalt, beaded, monoblock stems (0.22 mm/year vs 0.07 mm/year, P P = .09). Gross corrosion was present on the taper surfaces of an autopsy-retrieved femoral implant with a modular cobalt-chrome head on a titanium stem. Particles of chromium 3-orthophosphate were present at the taper rim and in the periarticular tissues.
First Report of Two Curtoviruses in Spinach and Common Beet in Arizona

Curtoviruses can cause severe financial losses for growers of leafy greens such as spinach and common beets. Research is currently underway to determine if these viruses are established in weeds an...
An overview of infection control strategies for equine facilities, with an emphasis on veterinary hospitals

Infection control entails preventing or minimizing exposure to infectious agents or optimizing resistance to infection at the individual and population levels should exposure occur. The degree to which each of these strategies is applied varies according to the attributes of the disease agent and the population at risk. In developing an infection control, biosecurity, or biocontainment plan, it is important to decide which agent or agents are to be controlled, the method by which they might be introduced to the individual or population, and methods by which they might spread once at a farm or veterinary clinic.
EFFECTS OF CHANGES IN EXTRACELLULAR pH ( ▵ pH) ON ISOLATED, PRESSURIZED NEWBORN RESISTANCE VESSELS

EFFECTS OF CHANGES IN EXTRACELLULAR pH ( ▵ pH) ON ISOLATED, PRESSURIZED NEWBORN RESISTANCE VESSELS
Pyroelectric electron emission from a thin film of PbZr x Ti 1−x O 3 on a nanofabricated cathode

We report pyroelectric emission from thin films of crystalline PbZr0.8Ti0.2O3 (PZT) on nanometer-sharp tips. The epitaxial PZT films are 30 nm thick and grown directly on batch fabricated single-crystal silicon tips. Pyroelectric emission occurs for heating rates ≥ 50 °C/min in a 20 V/μm external field, and for electric field strengths ≥ 6.7 V/μm when heated at 100 °C/min. The emitted electric charge is reasonable when compared to the theoretical maximum charge for this PZT film and these testing parameters. We calculate that a heating rate of 4.0×107 °C/min is necessary for unassisted pyroelectric emission.
Superdeformed bands in 191Tl.

High spin states in the [sup 191]Tl nucleus have been populated via the [sup 159]Tb ([sup 36]S,4[ital n]) reaction at 165 MeV. Two weakly populated rotational bands have been observed with properties (energy spacings and dynamic moments of inertia) very similar to those of other superdeformed bands in the [ital A][similar to]190 region. The two bands can be interpreted as signature partners which exhibit some signature splitting for rotational frequencies [h bar][omega][ge]0.2 MeV. They are interpreted within the framework of cranked Woods-Saxon calculations as being based on the proton [ital i][sub 13/2]([Omega]=5/2) intruder orbital, in agreement with pairs of superdeformed bands seen in neighboring odd Tl nuclei.
Sociodemographic predictors of suicide means in a population-based surveillance system: Findings from the National Violent Death Reporting System

Abstract Background Multivariate studies of specific suicide means are relatively rare, given the logistical challenges associated with the low base rate of suicide in the general population. Thus, information on individual characteristics associated with specific suicide means remains relatively wanting. The current study provided the largest examination to date of sociodemographic characteristics associated with different means of lethality among suicide decedents, using data from a multi-state population-based surveillance system. Methods Multivariate logistic regression was used with data for 20,577 suicide decedents in the National Violent Death Reporting System from 2003 to 2005. Results Firearm decedents were more likely male, elderly, non-Hispanic white, married, veterans, and born in the U.S. Hanging and suffocation decedents were more likely male, young, racial/ethnic minorities, never married, non-veterans, and foreign-born. Decedents that jumped from heights were more likely female, older, non-Hispanic black, never married, non-veterans, and foreign-born. Decedents who used sharp instruments were more likely older, never married, and foreign-born. Self-poisoned decedents were more likely female, middle-age, non-Hispanic white, and not married. Regarding specific poisons, alcohol was more likely to be used by middle-age decedents; gas by males, elderly, and married individuals; over-the-counter drugs by females, adolescents, and foreign-born decedents; prescription drugs by females, middle-aged, and U.S. born individuals; and street drugs by males and racial/ethnic minorities. Limitations The data were drawn from 18 states and so cannot be regarded as nationally representative. Conclusions Substantial sociodemographic variability exists across different suicide means. Recognition of this variability may help to tailor prevention efforts involving means restriction.
Behavior-based analysis of knowledge dissemination channels in operations management

One essential requirement for the development and vitality of a discipline is a network of channels for knowledge dissemination. These channels, such as scholarly journals, furnish not only a means for knowledge sharing, but also for knowledge generation by the discipline's community of researchers. In the field of operations management (OM), there have been several studies that have sought to rank journals relevant to OM research, using opinion surveys, citation analyses, and author affiliations. However, each of these methods has some limitations. This paper adopts a new approach for discerning journal publication patterns in the OM field. It is based on an examination of the actual publishing behaviors of all full-time, tenured OM researchers at a sizable set of leading research universities in the US. This behavior-based methodology provides three metrics that individually, and in tandem, give a basis for rating publication outlets for OM research in terms of their relative importance. The ratings can be used by scholars and administrators to assist in monitoring, disseminating, and evaluating OM research outlets.