cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A comprehensive evolutionary classification of proteins encoded in complete eukaryotic genomes

Background: Sequencing the genomes of multiple, taxonomically diverse eukaryotes enables in-depth comparative-genomic analysis which is expected to help in reconstructing ancestral eukaryotic genomes and major events in eukaryotic evolution and in making functional predictions for currently uncharacterized conserved genes. Results: We examined functional and evolutionary patterns in the recently constructed set of 5,873 clusters of predicted orthologs (eukaryotic orthologous groups or KOGs) from seven eukaryotic genomes: Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila melanogaster, Homo sapiens, Arabidopsis thaliana, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Schizosaccharomyces pombe and Encephalitozoon cuniculi. Conservation of KOGs through the phyletic range of eukaryotes strongly correlates with their functions and with the effect of gene knockout on the organism's viability. The approximately 40% of KOGs that are represented in six or seven species are enriched in proteins responsible for housekeeping functions, particularly translation and RNA processing. These conserved KOGs are often essential for survival and might approximate the minimal set of essential eukaryotic genes. The 131 single-member, paneukaryotic KOGs we identified were examined in detail. For around 20 that remained uncharacterized, functions were predicted by in-depth sequence analysis and examination of genomic context. Nearly all these proteins are subunits of known or predicted multiprotein complexes, in agreement with the balance hypothesis of evolution of gene copy number. Other KOGs show a variety of phyletic patterns, which points to major contributions of lineage-specific gene loss and the 'invention' of genes new to eukaryotic evolution. Examination of the sets of KOGs lost in individual lineages reveals co-elimination of functionally connected genes. Parsimonious scenarios of eukaryotic genome evolution and gene sets for ancestral eukaryotic forms were reconstructed. The gene set of the last common ancestor of the crown group consists of 3,413 KOGs and largely includes proteins involved in genome replication and expression, and central metabolism. Only 44% of the KOGs, mostly from the reconstructed gene set of the last common ancestor of the crown group, have detectable homologs in prokaryotes; the remainder apparently evolved via duplication with divergence and invention of new genes. Conclusions: The KOG analysis reveals a conserved core of largely essential eukaryotic genes as well as major diversification and innovation associated with evolution of eukaryotic genomes. The results provide quantitative support for major trends of eukaryotic evolution noticed previously at the qualitative level and a basis for detailed reconstruction of evolution of eukaryotic genomes and biology of ancestral forms.
Limit theorems for iterated random functions

We study geometric moment contracting properties of nonlinear time series that are expressed in terms of iterated random functions. Under a Dini-continuity condition, a central limit theorem for additive functionals of such systems is established. The empirical processes of sample paths are shown to converge to Gaussian processes in the Skorokhod space. An exponential inequality is established. We present a bound for joint cumulants, which ensures the applicability of several asymptotic results in spectral analysis of time series. Our results provide a vehicle for statistical inferences for fractals and many nonlinear time series models.
The role of muscle loss in the age-related decline of grip strength: cross-sectional and longitudinal perspectives.

The decline of strength with age has often been attributed to declining muscle mass in older subjects. To investigate factors which might influence changes in strength across the life span, grip strength and muscle mass (as estimated by creatinine excretion and forearm circumference) were measured in 847 healthy volunteers, aged 20-100 years, from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. Cross-sectional and longitudinal results concur that grip strength increases into the thirties and declines at an accelerating rate after age 40. However, the grip strength of 48% of subjects less than 40 years old, 29% of individuals 40-59 years old, and 15% of subjects older than 60 did not decline during the average 9-year follow-up. Grip strength is strongly correlated with muscle mass (r = .60, p less than .0001). However, using multiple regression analysis, grip strength is more strongly correlated with age (partial r2 = .38) than muscle mass (partial r2 = .16). Additionally, a residuals analysis demonstrates that younger subjects are stronger and older subjects are weaker than one would predict based on their muscular size. Thus, while strength losses are partially explained by declining muscle mass, there remain other yet undetermined factors beyond declining muscle mass to explain some of the loss of strength seen with aging.
The maturation of mucus-secreting gastric epithelial progenitors into digestive-enzyme secreting zymogenic cells requires Mist1

Continuous regeneration of digestive enzyme (zymogen)-secreting chief cells is a normal aspect of stomach function that is disrupted in precancerous lesions (e.g. metaplasias, chronic atrophy). The cellular and genetic pathways that underlie zymogenic cell (ZC) differentiation are poorly understood. Here, we describe a gene expression analysis of laser capture microdissection purified gastric cell populations that identified the bHLH transcription factor Mist1 as a potential ZC regulatory factor. Our molecular and ultrastructural analysis of proliferation, migration and differentiation of the gastric unit in Mist1 -/- and control mice supports a model whereby wild-type ZC progenitors arise as neck cells in the proliferative (isthmal) zone of the gastric unit and become transitional cells (TCs) with molecular and ultrastructural characteristics of both enzyme-secreting ZCs and mucus-secreting neck cells as they migrate to the neck-base zone interface. Thereafter, they rapidly differentiate into mature ZCs as they enter the base. By contrast, Mist1 -/- neck cells differentiate normally, but ZCs in the mature, basal portion of the gastric unit uniformly exhibit multiple apical cytoplasmic structural abnormalities. This defect in terminal ZC differentiation is also associated with markedly increased abundance of TCs, especially in late-stage TCs that predominantly have features of immature ZCs. Thus, we present an in vivo system for analysis of ZC differentiation, present molecular evidence that ZCs differentiate from neck cell progenitors and identify Mist1 as the first gene with a role in this clinically important process.
"Yo Te Estoy Ayudando; Estoy Aprendiendo También/I Am Helping You; I Am Learning Too:" A Bilingual Family's Community of Practice during Home Literacy Events.

This case study examines one Honduran immigrant family’s community of practice during home literacy events. Data include field notes and audio and video recordings from six weeks of in-home observa...
Effect of lipid composition on the toxicity of trichlorobenzene isomers to diatoms. I. Short-term effects of 1,3,5-trichlorobenzene

Cultures ofCyclotella meneghiniana andMelosira varians were split into four flasks. Two flasks of each taxon were used for exposure experiments and two were used as controls. Exposure to 1,3,5-trichlorobenzene was initiated in one flask of each taxon in the 1 lth hour of the light period on a 16:8 h L/D regime. Another exposure was initiated four hours later in the same day (the 15th hour of the light period) in the second experimental flask of each taxon. These experiments were conducted at 15°C and 20°C for 2–4 days and were analyzed for lipid class composition.Cyclotella demonstrated some short-term changes in lipid class composition when exposures were initiated in the 11th hour of the light cycle at 20°C and in both exposures at 15°C. In contrast, short-term effects were only observed inMelosira when the exposure was initiated in the 11th hour of the light period at 20°C. Control cells demonstrated periodicities in lipid composition that appeared to be entrained with the light/dark cycle. The cultures that demonstrated toxicity effects were characterized by low triacylglycerol content, low neutral/polar lipid ratios, and a pattern of chlorophyll synthesis at the time of exposure. It is suggested that rapidly growing cells are more susceptible to short term effects of this trichlorobenzene isomer. Furthermore, timing of the initial exposure may alter toxicity results and this may be a consequence of lipid class composition at the time of exposure.
A fully-monolithic SiGe differential voltage-controlled oscillator for 5 GHz wireless applications

A fully integrated and differential SiGe VCO was designed for 5 GHz wireless applications. The measured phase noise is -98 dBc/Hz at 100 kHz offset off the 5 GHz carrier. It has a tuning range of 12.3% with a control voltage from 0 to 3 V, and a figure of merit of more than -180 dBc/Hz, The current drawn from 3 V is 5 mA for the core and 2.2 mA for the output buffers.
Fishing for Exactness

Statistical methods for automatically identifying dependent word pairs (i.e. dependent bigrams) in a corpus of natural language text have traditionally been performed using asymptotic tests of significance. This paper suggests that Fisher's exact test is a more appropriate test due to the skewed and sparse data samples typical of this problem. Both theoretical and experimental comparisons between Fisher's exact test and a variety of asymptotic tests (the t-test, Pearson's chi-square test, and Likelihood-ratio chi-square test) are presented. These comparisons show that Fisher's exact test is more reliable in identifying dependent word pairs. The usefulness of Fisher's exact test extends to other problems in statistical natural language processing as skewed and sparse data appears to be the rule in natural language. The experiment presented in this paper was performed using PROC FREQ of the SAS System.
Distributed biochar and bioenergy coproduction: a regionally specific case study of environmental benefits and economic impacts

Biochar has been advocated as a method of sequestering carbon while simultaneously improving crop yields and agro-ecosystem sustainability. It can be produced from a wide variety of biomass feedstocks using different thermochemical conversion technologies with or without the recovery of energy coproducts, resulting in chars of differing quality and a range of overall system greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation outcomes. This analysis expands on previous sustainability studies by proposing a mechanistic life cycle GHG and economic operating cost assessment model for the coproduction of biochar and bioenergy from biomass residue feedstocks, with a case study for north-central Colorado presented. Production is modeled as a continuous function of temperature for slow pyrolysis, fast pyrolysis, and gasification systems. Biochar environmental benefits (C sequestration, N2O suppression, crop yield improvements) are predicted in terms of expected liming value and recalcitrance. System-level net GHG mitigation is computed, and net returns are estimated that reflect the variable economic costs of production, the agronomic value of biochar based on agricultural limestone or fertilizer displacement, and the value of GHG mitigation, with results compared to the alternate use of char for energy production. Case study results indicate that slow pyrolysis systems can mitigate up to 1.4 Mg CO2eq/Mg feedstock consumed, provided a favorable feedstock is utilized, production air pollutant emissions are mitigated, and energy coproducts are recovered. The model suggests that while financial returns are generally greater when char is consumed for energy (biocoal) than when used as a soil amendment (biochar), chars produced through high-temperature conversion processes will have greater GHG-mitigation value as biochar. The biochar scenario reaches economic parity at carbon prices as low as $50/Mg CO2eq for optimal scenarios, despite conservative modeling assumptions. This model is a step toward spatially explicit assessment and optimization of biochar system design across different feedstocks, conversion technologies, and agricultural soils.
Lack of Direct Effects of Agrochemicals on Zoonotic Pathogens and Fecal Indicator Bacteria

ABSTRACT Agrochemicals, fecal indicator bacteria (FIB), and pathogens frequently contaminate water simultaneously. No significant direct effects of fertilizer, atrazine, malathion, and chlorothalonil on the survival of Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, Salmonella enterica, human polyomaviruses, and adenovirus were detected, supporting the assertion that previously observed effects of agrochemicals on FIB were indirect.
Customer Acquisition Promotions and Customer Asset Value

Abstract In this article, the author addresses the question of how a firm's acquisition efforts influence the composition of the customer portfolio. The first part of the research is a conceptual model that illustrates how customer uncertainty provides an explanation for why promotionally acquired customers have lower repurchase rates and smaller lifetime values. The second part of the research involves empirical analyses of customer-level data from a newspaper and an online grocer. In both data sets, acquisition discount depth is negatively related to repeat-buying rates and customer asset value. For example, a 35% acquisition discount results in customers with about one-half the long-term value of non–promotionally acquired customers.
Iconoclastic Textuality: The Ecclesiastical Proust Archive

David Greetham encouraged the theoretical and methodological flexibility toward text that led me down the path of digital humanities. His introduction of archival and textual theories inspired the Ecclesiastical Proust Archive, an open-ended, experimental project investigating the nature of digital textuality as it embodies the massive A la recherche du temps perdu . In a few short examples, this article lays out some of the ways in which the project takes shape, including a multimedia database, semantic taxonomy, network graphing, and topic modeling.
Diseases and Disorders Associated with Excess Body Weight

Excess body weight is a very serious problem, especially in North America and Europe. It has been referred to as a "pandemic" since it has progressively increased over the past several decades. Moreover, excess body weight significantly increases the risk of numerous diseases and clinical disorders, including all-cause mortality, coronary and cerebrovascular diseases, various cancers, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, liver disease and asthma, as well as psychopathology, among others. Unfortunately, overweight and obesity are now common in both young children and adolescents. Although the causes of excess body weight are multi-factorial, the most important factors are excess caloric intake coupled with limited energy expenditure. Therefore, lifestyle modification can significantly reduce the risk of morbidity and mortality and thereby increase longevity and improve the quality of life.
European Corn Borer (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae): Yield Losses and Damage in Popcorn in Relation to Hybrid and Stage of Plant Development

During a 2-year period, two popcorn hybrids (Iopop 12 and Indiana AES experimental hybrid 8365) were infested with European corn borer (ECB), Ostrinia nubilalis (Hubner), egg masses at five plant-growth stages (mid-whorl, late whorl, tassel emergence, anthesis, and 14 days after anthesis). Six levels of infestations were used (none, natural, 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 egg masses per plant). Considerable yield loss occurred in Iopop 12 from as few as 0.5 egg masses per plant at all plant-growth stages. Yield losses in hybrid 8365 were significant but less than in Iopop 12. Yield potential of Iopop 12 was greater than that of hybrid 8365, but potential yield losses and damage from ECB infestation were also greater. ECB infestation had no effect on popping expansion of either hybrid.
Epidemiology of 577 pediatric firearm fatalities: a 2-year review of the National Trauma Data Bank

The purpose of this study was to delineate the epidemiology of pediatric firearm injuries, including ethno-demographic patterns with impact on years of potential life lost (YPLL). A 2-year review of the National Trauma Data Bank (2007 to 2008) was conducted. Firearm fatalities in records of patients younger than 18 years were identified. Data were analyzed by demographic and injury characteristics and YPLL was calculated by ethnicity. A total of 577 deaths were identified in the pediatric group. Blacks accounted for 49.7 per cent of the fatalities; Hispanics, 19.2 per cent; whites, 17.7 per cent, and other ethnicity, 13.4 per cent. Median Injury Severity Score was 25 with a median Glasgow Coma Scale score of 3. Traumatic brain injury was present in 84.2 per cent of the records. Assault accounted for 72.8 per cent, self-inflicted injury 12.7 per cent, and unintentional injuries were 8.2 per cent. Most firearm fatalities occurred at home (33.6%). By emergency department (ED) disposition, 29.3 per cent died in the ED, 32.9 per cent were admitted to the intensive care unit, and 30.0 per cent taken to the operating room. Blacks had a total of 17,446 YPLL, Hispanics 6,776 YPLL, and whites 6,718 YPLL. Pediatric firearm fatalities still remain an important public health concern. Inclusive gun control policies focused on primary prevention of accidental injuries may be more effective in mitigating its impact. Language: en
Promoting the Leadership Development of Girls through Physical Education and Sport

Leadership is a powerful life skill that influences the future of our local, national and global communities. Despite the many positive and productive changes observed in the leadership opportunities for women and girls, they remain highly under-represented in positional leadership roles. The leadership development and empowerment of women and girls has become an increasingly popular topic in books, websites and “strong girl” advertisement campaigns. At a grassroots level, physical educators and coaches must attend to these efforts in novel ways, as physical education and sport provide unique opportunities to develop leadership skills. This article discusses recommendations grounded in both the academic literature and professional practice, including: (1) embracing leadership diversity and deconstructing gender stereotyping, (2) building networking and mentorship, and (3) encouraging girls to use their voice and exercise leadership skills. Specific practical suggestions and a vignette are also provided to...
Regulation of hypoxia-inducible factor HIF1α through metabolic and oxidative pathways.

Fifth AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research, Nov 12-15, 2006 A115 Upregulation of transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF1) has been linked to inflammation, poor prognosis in many cancers, and decreased susceptibility of tumors to radiotherapy. In hypoxia, the HIF1α protein accumulates intracellularly and leads to the activation of several hundred genes involved in cell proliferation, metabolism and angiogenesis. Considering its activity, the HIF1 pathway looks increasingly attractive as a target of therapeutic studies. Independently, antioxidants have shown promise in lowering the risk of some cancers. The mechanism of how different antioxidants and reactive oxygen species influence HIF1 expression has drawn interest and debate. Here we present an experimentally-based computational model of HIF1α protein degradation in normoxia, that represents how pro- and antioxidants likely affect the HIF1 pathway. We use the model to demonstrate effects on HIF1α expression from four compounds influenced by cellular oxidation-reduction and involved in HIF1α hydroxylation. The model consists of kinetic equations mapping the molecular steps in HIF1α degradation in normoxia, HIF1α synthesis in chronic hypoxia, and effects of the enzyme and cofactors involved in the HIF hydroxylation pathway. Kinetic values were estimated from in vitro studies, and results were validated by comparison to a series of independent experimental data. Input is cellular oxygen level, and output is HIF1α levels in the nucleus in relation to necessary intermediate reactions {including reactions with prolyl hydroxlylase, iron, 2-oxoglutarate, ascorbate, succinate, and von Hippel Lindau ligase}. The model was expanded to represent two possible mechanisms of how reactive oxygen species interact in the HIF1 pathway: 1) reactive oxygen species induce HIF1α by lowering free cellular oxygen and their effects can be silenced by antioxidants; and 2) in some cells with damaged mitochondria, the opposing effect (reactive oxygen species decreasing HIF1 activity) is possible through increased iron and 2-oxoglutarate, cofactors in HIF1α degradation. Using this model, we demonstrate how ascorbate, iron, 2-oxoglutarate and succinate would alter HIF1α expression, both dependently and independently of oxidative-reductive properties and reactive oxygen species. We show how these compounds affect adaptation to chronic hypoxia, taking into account possible changes in succinate and reactive oxygen species levels associated with increased anaerobic metabolism and oxidative phosphorylation in cancer. Results offer insight into the pro- and antioxidant effects of four compounds present in the HIF1 pathway. The model demonstrates potential molecular mechanisms for use in cancer prevention, and repression of angiogenesis and inflammatory signaling regulated by HIF1α expression.
Cyclic AMP-dependent phosphorylation modifies the gating properties of L-type Ca2+ channels in bovine adrenal chromaffin cells.

We investigated the effects of cAMP-dependent phosphorylation on the voltage- and time-dependent gating properties of Ca2+ channel currents recorded from bovine adrenal chromaffin cells under whole-cell voltage clamp. Extracellular perfusion with the membrane-permeant activator of cAMP-dependent protein kinase, 8-bromo(8-Br)-cAMP (1 mM), caused a 49%, 29%, and 21% increase in Ca2+ current (ICa) amplitudes evoked by voltage steps to 0, +10, and +20 mV respectively (mean values from eight cells, p≤0.05). Analysis of voltage-dependent steady-state activation (m∞) curves revealed a 0.70±0.27 charge increase in the activation-gate valency (zm) following 8-Br-cAMP perfusion. Similar responses were observed when Ba2+ was the charge carrier, where zm was increased by 1.33±0.34 charges (n=8). The membrane potential for half activation (V1/2) was also significantly shifted 6 mV more negative for IBa (mean, n=8). The time course for IBa (and ICa) activation was well described by second-order m2 kinetics. The derived time constant for activation (τm) was voltage-dependent, and the τm/V relation shifted negatively after 8-Br-cAMP treatment. Ca2+ channel gating rates were derived from the (τm) and m ∞ 2 values according to a Hodgkin-Huxley type m2 activation process. The forward rate (αm) for channel activation was increased by 8-Br-cAMP at membrane potentials ≥0 mV, and the backward rate (βm) decreased at potentials ≤ +10 mV. Time-dependent inactivation of ICa consisted of a slowly decaying component (τh ≈ 300 ms) and a “non-inactivating” steady-state component. The currents contributed by the two inactivation processes displayed different voltage dependences, the effects of 8-Br-cAMP being exclusively on the slowly inactivating L-type component.
Stuck in Unhealthy Places: How Entering, Exiting, and Remaining in Poor and Nonpoor Neighborhoods Is Associated with Obesity during the Transition to Adulthood

Adolescents from poor versus nonpoor neighborhoods are more likely to become obese during the transition to adulthood. It is unclear whether this pertains to all adolescents from poor neighborhoods or only those who remain in disadvantaged settings. Further, it is unknown how neighborhood poverty entries and exits are associated with obesity. Using census and interview data from 12,164 National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health participants, I find that those who consistently live in poor neighborhoods are more likely to become or remain obese by adulthood than those who never live in poor neighborhoods. Exiting severe neighborhood poverty curtails this risk, while entering and remaining in neighborhood poverty in adulthood increases it. These patterns are more pronounced for young women and robust to adjustments for health behaviors and selection bias. Findings support accumulation of risks and social mobility perspectives and highlight how previous and current neighborhood contexts are relevant for health.
Bortezomib may stabilize pediatric renal transplant recipients with antibody-mediated rejection

Current therapeutic strategies to effectively treat antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) are insufficient. Thus, we aimed to determine the benefit of a therapeutic protocol using bortezomib for refractory C4d + AMR in pediatric kidney transplant patients. We examined seven patients with treatment-refractory C4d + AMR. Immunosuppression included antithymocyte globulin or anti-CD25 monoclonal antibody for induction therapy with maintenance corticosteroids, calcineurin inhibitor, and anti-metabolite. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) calculated by the Schwartz equation, biopsy findings assessed by 2013 Banff criteria, and human leukocyte antigen (HLA) donor-specific antibodies (DSA) performed using the Luminex single antigen bead assay were monitored pre- and post- bortezomib therapy. Seven patients (86 % male, 86 % with ≥6/8 HLA mismatch, and 14 % with pre-formed DSA) age 5 to 19 (median 15) years developed refractory C4d + AMR between 1 and 145 (median 65) months post-transplantation. All patients tolerated bortezomib. One patient had allograft loss. Of the six patients with surviving grafts (86 %), mean pre-bortezomib eGFR was 42 ml/min/1.73 m2 and the mean 1 year post-bortezomib eGFR was 53 ml/min/1.73 m2. Five of seven (71 %) had improvement of histological findings of AMR, C4d staining, and/or acute cellular rejection. Reduction in HLA DSAs was more effective for class I than class II. Bortezomib appears safe and may correlate with stabilization of eGFR in pediatric kidney transplant patients with refractory C4d + AMR.
Transitioning From Paper to Digital: State Statutory and Regulatory Frameworks for Health Information Technology.

Objectives:In all health system sectors, electronic health information (EHI) is created, used, released, and reused. We examined states’ efforts to address EHI uses in law to provide an understandi...
Tumor-Associated Macrophage-Mediated Targeted Therapy of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive form of breast cancer. TNBC is often infiltrated with a large number of macrophages, which in turn promote tumor growth and metastasis. In this study, tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) were exploited as a target to deliver doxorubicin (DOX), a chemotherapeutic agent, to TNBC using nanoparticles surface-functionalized by (i) acid-sensitive sheddable PEGylation and (ii) modifying with mannose (i.e., DOX-AS-M-PLGA-NPs). In mice with orthotopic M-Wnt triple-negative mammary tumors, a single intravenous injection of DOX-AS-M-PLGA-NPs significantly reduced macrophage population in tumors within 2 days, and the density of the macrophages recovered slowly. Repeated injections of DOX-AS-M-PLGA-NPs can help maintain the population of the macrophages at a lower level. In M-Wnt tumor-bearing mice that were pretreated with zoledronic acid to nonselectively deplete macrophages, the TAM-targeting DOX-AS-M-PLGA-NPs were not more effective than the DOX-AS-PLGA-...
The effects of molecular weight and thermal decomposition on the sensitivity of a thermal desorption aerosol mass spectrometer

ABSTRACTIn free molecular flow the slower speed of heavier molecules means that they spend more time in the ion source of a mass spectrometer. Hence the sensitivity of the thermal desorption mass spectrometers such as the Aerodyne Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (AMS) should include a term that scales as the square root of the molecular weight. Thermal decomposition on the vaporizer reduces the molecular weight prior to ionization and changes electron impact cross-sections. Thermal decomposition therefore has the potential to change the sensitivity, in some cases by more than a factor of three. Current AMS calibrations that rely upon an ammonium nitrate calibration and scaling for other components with a relative ionization efficiency may overestimate the concentration of large, thermally stable molecules and underestimate small or thermally unstable molecules. The overall sensitivity of the AMS to organics includes a partial cancellation of these effects. There is an incomplete understanding of the vaporizatio...
Applying Improved Fuzzy Enhancement Algorithm to Seismic Image

With the accelerated pace of industrialization,oil resources are becoming less and less.It is urgent to exploring more oil resources.Seismic exploration is an important means to find oil and natural gas resources.With the increasing complexity of the object of oil and gas exploration,the current seismic image enhancement algorithms cannot satisfy the need of right interpretation.So based on the research of Pal-King algorithm,which is an fuzzy enhancement algorithm,an improved algorithm is proposed in this thesis in connection with the shortcomings of Pal-King algorithm.And the improved algorithm is applied to the seismic images of multiple blocks in Daqing.And better enhancement results are achieved.It lays a good foundation for seismic interpretation.
Investigators’ and Prosecutors’ Perceptions of Collaborating With Victim Advocates on Sexual Assault Casework

Despite the importance of strong partnerships between victim advocates and criminal justice officials, few studies have examined criminal justice officials’ perspectives on collaborating with victim advocates. Officials’ perspectives on advocates’ roles in the investigation and prosecution of sexual assaults are measured to understand the barriers to collaboration and strengths that can be capitalized upon. A sample of sexual assault investigators from a large police department were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. A sample of prosecutors from the jurisdiction, experienced in processing sexual assault cases, responded to paper-and-pencil surveys. Findings reveal that officials believe advocates make positive contributions to the justice system process through effective communication and by supporting victims and their families. Barriers to strong partnerships include concerns about role conflicts and advocate involvement in criminal investigations. Reform efforts can use these findings throug...
Periurethral Polytetrafluoroethylene Paste Injection in Incontinent Female Subjects: Surgical Indications and Improved Surgical Technique

AbstractWe present the results with 2 techniques for periurethral polytetrafluoroethylene (Polytef) injection in 21 female subjects with type III stress urinary incontinence. The standard technique included the use of a stainless steel needle for injection, paste “sopping” and a Wolff, Storz or Lewy syringe as an injecting element. Postoperatively, no catheters were left indwelling and all patients were encouraged to urinate following recovery from the anesthesia. The modified technique included the use of a 14F angio-catheter for injection of the paste, paste heating and a Lewy syringe or Mentor gun as injector. Postoperatively, all patients were left with an indwelling suprapubic catheter for 3 to 5 days. A total of 27 injections was performed, including 9 with the standard technique and the last consecutive 18 with the modified technique.Average followup has been 11.4 months. Cure, improvement and no change rates from the preoperative condition were 11%, 22% and 67% with the standard technique and 39%,...
Suspected Infective Endocarditis Finally Turned Out to Be Levamisole-Induced Vasculitis: A Case Report and Review of Literature

Levamisole is an immune-modulating drug with serious side effects including neutropenia and necrotizing vasculitis. Cocaine is often adulterated with levamisole to potentiate its action. Levamisole-induced vasculitis seen in cocaine users presents diagnostic challenges since it is rare and mimics clinical features of other diseases. It typically presents with a purpuric rash that can involve the nose, ears, cheeks, and extremities. Laboratory findings include leukopenia, lymphocytosis and anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA). No therapies other than supportive care have been found to be effective. Early recognition is critical for supportive therapy and avoidance of potentially harmful therapies like corticosteroids. We report a case of levamisole-induced vasculitis which was suspected to have infective endocarditis at admission. J Med Cases. 2016;7(7):270-273 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14740/jmc2538w
Assembling an army: considerations for just war theory

ABSTRACTThe aim of this paper is to draw attention to an issue which has been largely overlooked in contemporary just war theory – namely the impact that the conditions under which an army is assembled are liable to have on the judgments that are made with respect to traditional principles of jus ad bellum and jus in bello. I argue that the way in which an army is assembled can significantly alter judgments regarding the justice of a war. In doing so, I present and defend a principle of ‘just assembly’ and argue that satisfying this principle is an essential part of any deliberation regarding the justice of a particular conflict.
Corrosion Properties of Powder Bed Fusion Additively Manufactured 17-4 PH Stainless Steel

The corrosion susceptibility of a laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) additively manufactured alloy, UNS S17400 (17-4 PH), was explored compared to conventional wrought material. Microstructural charact...
The First Detailed Study of the Moon’s Secular Acceleration: Richard Dunthorne

By the late 1740s Halley’s claim that there existed a secular acceleration of the moon had been accepted by scientists including Newton, Whiston, and Euler, but the existence of the acceleration still needed to be demonstrated and its size determined from empirical data. The first person to undertake a detailed examination of historical records in order to answer these questions was Richard Dunthorne. Dunthorne developed innovative new techniques for using ancient eclipse observations that allowed him to place constraints on the size of the moon’s acceleration. Through his careful study of historical records, Dunthorne proved without question the existence of the acceleration and determined that the coefficient of the secular equation is about 10″ per century2, close to the true value.
Teaching Big Data by Three Levels of Projects

â€œBig Dataâ€ is a new topic and it is very hot nowadays. However, it is difficult to teach Big Data effectively by regular lecture. In this paper, we present a unique way to teach students Big Data by developing three levels of projects from easy to difficult. The three levels projects are initializing project, designing project, and comprehensive projects. They are developed to involve students in Big Data, train studentsâ€™ skills to analyze concrete problems of Big Data, and develop studentsâ€™ creative abilities and their abilities to solve real setting problems.
Fumigation and Fertilizer Nitrogen Source Effects on Potato Yield, Quality, and Early Dying

Research has shown that while fumigation and use of ammonium N can both reduce the severity of verticillium wilt (Verticillium dahliae Kleb.) of potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.), the use of the two practices together raises concerns over feeding the crop only ammonium N under reduced nitrification conditions. To assess the validity of this concern, we conducted two 3-year field split-plot experiments with both using metam sodium fumigant (none, fall or spring applied) as the main plot. For the first experiment, N source (134 kg N ha−1 as ammonium sulfate, urea, or ammonium nitrate) was the split, whereas for the second trial in-season N rate (0, 67, 134, or 202 kg N ha−1 all as ammonium sulfate) was the split. For both trials, in 2 of the 3 years, fumigation significantly increased tuber yield by an average of 9.9 Mg ha−1 and decreased late-season verticillium severity ratings from 77 to 45%. In some years, fumigation also increased the proportion of U.S. No. 1 tubers and tubers >170 g. No differences in crop yield or quality were observed between the various N sources applied. This was true even on spring-fumigated areas with the highest rate of ammonium N applied. These experiments confirm that the choice between in-season potato N fertilizer should be based on factors such as potential for benefits or N losses, cost, and convenience of use rather than concern over an interaction between fumigation and ammonical N. While both fumigation and N rate reduced verticillium severity ratings in some years, the lack of interaction suggests these factors are functioning independently.
Laser-driven hydrothermal process studied with excimer laser pulses

Previously, we discovered [Mariella et al., J. Appl. Phys. 114, 014904 (2013)] that modest-fluence/modest-intensity 351-nm laser pulses, with insufficient fluence/intensity to ablate rock, mineral, or concrete samples via surface vaporization, still removed the surface material from water-submerged target samples with confinement of the removed material, and then dispersed at least some of the removed material into the water as a long-lived suspension of nanoparticles. We called this new process, which appears to include the generation of larger colorless particles, “laser-driven hydrothermal processing” (LDHP) [Mariella et al., J. Appl. Phys. 114, 014904 (2013)]. We, now, report that we have studied this process using 248-nm and 193-nm laser light on submerged concrete, quartzite, and obsidian, and, even though light at these wavelengths is more strongly absorbed than at 351 nm, we found that the overall efficiency of LDHP, in terms of the mass of the target removed per Joule of laser-pulse energy, is lo...
Extremely Latin, XOXO: Notes on LatinX:

This special issue on Theorizing LatinX explores the cultural and political representations of the LatinX category and its widespread dissemination. The forum’s range of interlocutors—Russell Contr...
Doing it right: Branding the Person of the Therapist Training model in Drexel University’s Master of Family Therapy program

The Person of the Therapist Training (POTT) model developed by Harry J. Aponte was introduced first in the academic setting of Drexel University’s Master of Family Therapy Program in 2002. Prior to...
Noise and spatial resolution characteristics of unregularized statistical iterative reconstruction: an experimental phantom study

One of the main challenges in low dose x-ray computed tomography (CT) is the presence of highly structured noise. Model based iterative reconstruction methods (MBIR) have shown great potential to overcome this problem; however, they have also introduced an additional challenge: highly nonlinear behavior. One example is the noise variance vs. dose power-law, σ2 α (dose)−β, for which quasilinear FBP-based systems have a β value equal to 1, while MBIR methods have values in the range 0.4-0.6.1 This nonlinearity is attributed mainly to the regularization term of the objective function rather than the data fidelity term. Therefore, if statistical iterative reconstruction was performed in the absence of the regularization term, it could be possible to minimize the nonlinear imaging performance of these methods, while still taking advantage of the benefits from the data fidelity term. Once the image is reconstructed, an additional shift-invariant filter could be implemented to reduce the overall noise magnitude. In this work, the potential benefits of performing (I) unregularized statistical iterative reconstruction with additional image domain denoising are explored and compared against (II) regularized statistical iterative reconstruction using a total variation (TV) regularizer. Rigorous repeated phantom studies were performed at 5 exposure levels to assess the imaging performance in terms of noise and spatial resolution. Results regarding the power-law showed that for FBP reconstruction and for paradigm I, β= 1, while for paradigm II β= 0.6. Additionally, noise was independent of contrast in paradigm I, but was contrast dependent in paradigm II.
Promoting integration of pharmacy expertise in care of hospitalized patients with acute myocardial infarction

Purpose The substantive integration of pharmacists into quality-improvement initiatives aimed at improving the care of hospitalized patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is described. Methods A 2-year, mixed-methods, interventional study was conducted in 10 U.S. hospitals, directed at promoting the use of evidence-based strategies and fostering domains of hospital organizational culture associated with lower risk-standardized mortality rates (RSMRs) for patients with AMI. The adoption of 5 evidence-based strategies associated with reducing RSMRs for AMI was measured at baseline, 12, and 24 months. Data were collected via face-to-face interviews conducted at each hospital. Ethnographic observations were conducted at baseline and 18 months. Results Significant changes in the use of evidence-based strategies were observed over the 2-year study period ( p = 0.02), with the mean number of strategies used per hospital increasing from 2.4 at baseline to 3.9 at 24 months. Innovative approaches for integrating pharmacotherapy and pharmacy practice expertise included information technology solutions, targeted rounding for patients with AMI, medication-bridging programs, and education of patients with AMI. Conclusion A mixed-methods interventional study in 10 hospitals examined the substantive integration of pharmacists into quality-improvement initiatives aimed at improving the care of patients with AMI. The investigation revealed the ability of this integration to meet clinical challenges by generating novel, feasible solutions that were tailored for specific hospital contexts. Inclusion of pharmacists strengthened relationships across disciplines and allowed pharmacists to become routinely embedded in broader quality efforts.
STAIR: A generic and fully-automated method to fuse multiple sources of optical satellite data to generate a high-resolution, daily and cloud-/gap-free surface reflectance product

Abstract Surface reflectance data with high resolutions in both space and time have been desired and demanded by scientific research and societal applications. Standard satellite missions could not provide such data at both high resolutions. Fusion approaches that leverage the complementary strengths in various satellite sources (e.g. MODIS/VIIRS/GOES-R's sub-daily revisiting frequency and Landsat/Sentinel-2's high spatial resolution) provide a viable means to simultaneously achieve both high resolutions in the fusion data. In this paper, we presented a novel, generic and fully-automated method, STAIR, for fusing multi-spectral satellite data to generate a high-frequency, high-resolution and cloud-/gap-free data. Building on the time series of multiple sources of satellite data, STAIR first imputes the missing-value pixels (due to cloud cover or sensor mechanical issues) in satellite images using an adaptive-average correction process, which takes into account different land covers and neighborhood information of miss-value pixels through an automatic segmentation. To fuse satellite images, it employs a local interpolation model to capture the most informative spatial information provided by the high spatial resolution data (e.g., Landsat) and then performs an adjustment step to incorporate the temporal patterns provided by the high-frequency data (e.g., MODIS). The resulting fused products contain daily, high spatial resolution and cloud-/gap-free fused images. We tested our algorithm to fuse surface reflectance data of MODIS and Landsat in Champaign County at Illinois and generated daily time series for all the growing seasons (Apr 1 to Nov 1) from 2000 to 2015 at 30 m resolution. Extensive experiments demonstrated that STAIR not only captures correct texture patterns but also predicts accurate reflectance values in the generated images, with a significant performance improvement over the classic STARFM algorithm. This method is computationally efficient and ready to be scaled up to continental scales. It is also sufficiently generic to easily include various optical satellite data for fusion. We envision this novel algorithm can provide effective means to leverage historical optical satellite data to build long-term daily, 30 m surface reflectance record (e.g. from 2000 to present) at continental scales for various applications, as well as produce operational near-realtime daily and high-resolution data for future earth observation applications.
Balancing Human Efforts and Performance of Student Response Analyzer in Dialog-Based Tutors

Accurately interpreting student responses is a critical requirement of dialog-based intelligent tutoring systems. The accuracy of supervised learning methods, used for interpreting or analyzing student responses, is strongly dependent on the availability of annotated training data. Collecting and grading student responses is tedious, time-consuming, and expensive. This work proposes an iterative data collection and grading approach. We show that data collection efforts can be significantly reduced by predicting question difficulty and by collecting answers from a focused set of students. Further, grading efforts can be reduced by filtering student answers that may not be helpful in training Student Response Analyzer (SRA). To ensure the quality of grades, we analyze the grader characteristics, and show improvement when a biased grader is removed. An experimental evaluation on a large scale dataset shows a reduction of up to 28% in the data collection cost, and up to 10% in grading cost while improving the response analysis macro-average F1.
FAKE NEWS AND MISINFORMATION

Fake news is a type of propaganda that consists of deliberate misinformation. This false information is mainly spread through journals, magazines, mainstream media or social media. With the increasing popularity of social media and mobile phone, more and more people consume news from social media instead of traditional news media. Thus social media has proved to be a powerful source for fake news propagation. This paper provides a brief introduction to fake news.
Generalization of Events and Rules to Support Advanced Applications

Event-Condition-Action (ECA) rules monitor applications and systems and react to changes. In this chapter, we discuss various extensions to ECA rules to support advanced applications. We particularly use the access control domain to drive the extensions needed for expressiveness, specification, and execution of policies using the ECA paradigm. We discuss alternative actions, generalized event specification and detection, and event detection modes. We also discuss the extensions to the event detection graphs to implement the proposed ECA rule extensions.
Remembering Jim Crow, again – critical representations of African American experiences of travel and leisure at U.S. National Park Sites

There is a growing awareness of the need for a more critical analysis of the centrality of race in discussions of stewardship of heritage resources. In this article heritage is examined through the...