cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Survival of Lost River Suckers ( Deltistes luxatus ) Challenged with Flavobacterium columnare During Exposure to Sublethal Ammonia Concentrations at pH 9.5

The Lost River sucker (Deltistes luxatus) is a federally listed, endangered species inhabiting the hypereutrophic waters of Upper Klamath Lake in southern Oregon, USA. High pH (≥10) and elevated ammonia concentrations (≥1 mg NH3-N/L) often occur during blooms of cyanobacteria (Aphanizomenon flos-aquae) in the lake, with major fish kills sometimes following a mid- or late-summer “crash” of the cyanobacterial population. Previous histopathology analyses and bacterial sampling indicated that infections of the pathogenic bacterium Flavobacterium columnare might contribute to the fish kills. We hypothesized that prior exposure to adverse water quality conditions increases the susceptibility of Lost River suckers to F. columnare infections. To test this, we exposed juvenile Lost River suckers to four sublethal ammonia concentrations at pH 9.4 for 62 d. On day 31, fish in half of the aquaria were exposed to F. columnare. As expected, survival of the Lost River suckers decreased in aquaria inoculated with F. columnare. Ninety-four percent of the fish that died were infected by F. columnare in the gills, kidney, or skin, whereas none of the survivors or unexposed control fish was infected. However, contrary to our hypothesis, survival of the fish exposed to F. columnare increased significantly (p < 0.05) as unionized ammonia concentrations increased. Our results suggest that complex interactions can complicate prediction of the responses of fish to concurrent chemical stressors and bacterial pathogens.
Multiorganismal Insects: Diversity and Function of Resident Microorganisms

All insects are colonized by microorganisms on the insect exoskeleton, in the gut and hemocoel, and within insect cells. The insect microbiota is generally different from microorganisms in the external environment, including ingested food. Specifically, certain microbial taxa are favored by the conditions and resources in the insect habitat, by their tolerance of insect immunity, and by specific mechanisms for their transmission. The resident microorganisms can promote insect fitness by contributing to nutrition, especially by providing essential amino acids, B vitamins, and, for fungal partners, sterols. Some microorganisms protect their insect hosts against pathogens, parasitoids, and other parasites by synthesizing specific toxins or modifying the insect immune system. Priorities for future research include elucidation of microbial contributions to detoxification, especially of plant allelochemicals in phytophagous insects, and resistance to pathogens; as well as their role in among-insect communicatio...
Creating pedagogical agents as social models in an online learning environment MathGirls

This paper introduces the learning environment MathGirls for high school girls learning fundamentals of algebra. Grounded in social cognitive theories of learning, MathGirls utilizes pedagogical agents to create a girl-friendly virtual learning environment. The design constituents of pedagogical agents are reviewed. These constituents are likely to influence building agent/learner relations. The agent design and system architecture of the MathGirls environment are developed to integrate some of the design constituents. Empirical findings from MathGirls deployment in classrooms support the efficacy of the presence of pedagogical agents in shaping affective and cognitive characteristics of the learner. The paper concludes with the discussions of future recommendations for the effective design of and research in pedagogical agent systems. Keywords. pedagogical agents, learning companions, social interaction, online learning, motivation, math learning
Before the Bloggers: The Upstart News Technology of Television at the 1948 Political Conventions

Abstract At the 2004 political conventions, Web loggers received press credentials for the first time in history. Bloggers confidently wrote about putting new life into the conventions, which they said had been ruined by politicians and television. But more than 50 years earlier, television was the exciting new technology of the political conventions. The 1948 conventions became television's political coming-out party, launching the medium as a serious journalistic platform. Through oral history interviews and other historical sources, an important confluence of technology, politics, and journalism emerges amid the backroom deals, balloons, speeches, posturing, and demonstrations inside the Philadelphia Convention Hall during those wilting summer months in Philadelphia in 1948. Politicians initially pushed for television coverage because of the potential audience, but soon realized the live camera would forever change the event. That spring, AT&T opened up the first commercial coaxial cable video system, ...
Borrowing from Suppliers versus Borrowing from Banks

To gain a better understanding of the financing motive theories of trade credit, we trace a sample of young firms from their start in 2004 through 2011 and document two main empirical regularities. First, we find that supplier lending is only a supplementary form of financing among these firms, and we do not observe any substitution between supplier lending and bank lending among these young firms during the latest banking crisis from 2007-2009. Second, the overwhelming majority of firms borrowing from suppliers have revolving bank lines that are far from being fully utilized and the unused amount of revolving lines seems sufficient to cover these firms’ borrowing needs. This behavior is likely due to the different lending criteria of suppliers and banks. Suppliers’ lending decisions are primarily driven by a client’s sales, whereas banks’ lending decisions do not seem to be tied to firms’ financial conditions. As a result, availability of trade credit does not help to obtain bank credit. Our findings not only help to explain why supplier lending and bank lending co-exist, but also highlight the critical role that banks play in funding small businesses, which has been largely overlooked in the existing literature.
Uninhabited cadastral units on large-scale maps 1630–1655: indicators of late medieval deserted farms?

ABSTRACT The oldest Swedish large-scale maps are an important source of information about late medieval desertion. A large number of uninhabited cadastral units (utjordar) were surveyed and specified on maps during 1630–1655. The maps contain economic and spatial information about deserted farms not available in older sources. About one hundred uninhabited cadastral units in two different hundreds have been studied and compared. Lands belonging to deserted farms are specified and marked separately with boundaries and figures on the maps. It is possible to identify them, make comparisons and describe different regional characteristics. In the study area uninhabited units are for the most part concentrated on centrally located plains. Their positions within hamlets vary and the linkages to farms which cultivate these units show different patterns of contact. Many of these uninhabited units can be found in sixteenth-century Cadastres. As cadastral units, surveyed and specified on maps, uninhabited units are ...
Aluminum contamination in parenteral products.

Purpose of review In 1986, the US Food and Drug Administration issued an aluminum mandate in hopes of minimizing patient exposure to aluminum contaminates contained in parenteral nutrition additives. The purpose of this article is to revisit the status of aluminum contamination as it relates to parenteral nutrition and to survey the recent literature to determine if any new findings have emerged. A special emphasis will be placed on the complications associated with aluminum toxicity. Recent findings In addition to metabolic bone disease, patients with aluminum toxicity are also prone to other complications such as neurodevelopmental delays and cholestasis. Other potentially serious consequences, including osteoporosis, growth failure, and dementia, can arise years after the initial exposure to aluminum, showing that preventing toxicity is imperative. Summary Unlike the rapid response to eliminating aluminum toxicity in the dialysis patient population, similar successes have not been realized in patients receiving parenteral nutrition solutions. Product formulation changes have been slow to emerge from manufacturers. It remains the responsibility of healthcare practitioners to recognize the patient populations at risk for toxicity and act accordingly. Monitoring aluminum status and purchasing products known to possess the least amount of aluminum are two such approaches.
Auxiliary transformer cooling systems

Transformer overheating is a most undesirable condition, as it severely attacks the insulating system — both oil and paper. Deterioration of this system is responsible for the majority of all transformer failures. Newer units which do not possess significant overdesign are even more susceptable to thermal damage. This paper discusses different types of heat problems, whether due to overload, environmental conditions, color of tank coatings, or oil condition and show how these problems can be alleviated, perhaps with the use of a properly engineered external cooling system. A hot operating transformer does not necessarily warrant a cooling system, but in the event it does, applying a shelf model heat exchanger shows poor judgement. Transformers are the backbone of modern production and careful engineering must be practiced when contemplating alternate performance or the addition of any auxiliary equipment. A cooling systems heat transfer capability measured in kilowatts (KW) is, of course, most important. However, considerations such as proper bleeding and removal of incidental air from the system, shutdown upon malfunction, system efficiency and overall dependability and safety can not be ignored.
Mapping the everyday life information needs of Catholic clergy: Savolainen’s ELIS model revisited

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe the pattern of everyday life information needs of a group of people in an area with limited access to information, and to investigate how the major dimensions of the everyday life information seeking (ELIS) model apply to information needs in the contexts of the Catholic clergy. Design/methodology/approach – The study applied the concurrent triangulation strategy of mixed-methods research. Data from 15 episodic interviews and surveys of 109 Catholic clergy in Northern Nigeria were collected and analyzed. Findings – A map of the everyday life information needs was developed. Three types of everyday life information needs were identified: essential needs; circumstantial needs; and occasional needs. The information needs of these clergy did not fit into the two major dimensions of Savolainen’s ELIS model. Research limitations/implications – The study was conducted only with Catholic clergy serving in the Northern Catholic dioceses of Nigeria. Originality/val...
Comparison of the prevalence of hypertension and its influencing factors among residents aged from 18 to 79 between urban and rural areas of Changchun City

Objective To examine the different disease characteristics of hypertension and its influencing factors among the residents aged from 18 to 79 between urban and rural areas of Changchun City,and to provide evidences for making targeted prevention and control strategies in urban and rural areas.Methods By the multi-stage and stratified random cluster sampling method,5 662 residents were selected to carry out physical examinations and investigations both in household and in centralized style.Complex weighted computation was used to analyze the statistics.Results After being weighted,the total prevalence rate of hypertension in Changchun City was 28.8%.Besides,the prevalence rates of hypertension in urban and rural areas were 27.5% and 30.4% respectively.There was statistically significant difference between the prevalence rates in urban areas and that in rural areas( x2= 5.98,P = 0.021).Both in urban and rural areas,the prevalence rate of hypertension increased with age( urban x2 trend = 399.94,rural areas x2 trend = 242.89;both P 0.001).The prevalence rate in male was higher than that in female( P 0.001).Besides,the multivariate Logisitic regression showed that age,the family history of circulation system disease,and overweight and obesity were common risk factors of hypertension among residents both in urban and rural areas;the protective factors for residents in rural areas were female and sometimes eating mild and dairy products;the protective factors for residents in urban areas were no drinking,lower education,and often eating fresh fruit,eggs and bean products.Conclusions The prevalence rate of hypertension among residents in rural areas of Changchun city is higher than that in urban areas,and influencing factors between urban and rural areas are also different.Targeted prevention and control measures should be developed according to the different disease characteristics and correlates between urban and rural areas.More emphases should be put on the prevention of hypertension in rural areas to decrease the total prevalence rate of hypertension in Changchun City.
Inaccuracies in Bone Models Derived from Single Energy Quanitative Computed Tomography

Single energy quanitative computed tonography (QCT) has been used for assessments of geometric size and bone mineral content in both the peripheral and axial skeletons. This data is important in the field of metabolic bone disease and in computer assisted pre-surgical planning, finite element analysis, and other biomechanical model testing. Over the past years the precision of these measurements have been inproved. However, the accuracy of bone QCT is still limited by non-local, non-linear errors introduced by beam hardening artifacts, partial volume artifacts, and by the heterogenous nature of trabecular bone tissue. Increasing photon energy can be helpful but such correction is restricted by the low photon energies necessary for optimal bone mineral detection. Using two-conponent cortical bone and water models, and trabecular bone and water models we studied the beam hardening errors associated with CT osteodensitometry and sizing. Specimens used included cortical bone equivalent phantoms, and a cadaveric femur (Fig.1), humerus, radius, ulna, and vertibral bodies (Fig.2). The effects of a bone filter function correction and a second order postprocessing correction were also studied. Physical measurements were obtained to verify the CT results.
Police Response to Domestic Violence: A Case Study of TecSOS Mobile Phone Use in the London Metropolitan Police Service

Police forces are constantly seeking to improve their service to victims of domestic abuse and to facilitate reporting of these offenses. Using a variety of police data, this case study describes the London Metropolitan Police Service's use of TecSOS mobile phone technology in responding to domestic abuse. The case study indicates that the rapid response made possible by TecSOS activations reduces the risk of repeat victimization. It also results in victim protection and empowerment, it increases the risk of apprehension for the offender and it strengthens evidence for prosecution by apprehending perpetrators in action, whether or not in the victim's home. The case study also suggests that TecSOS has potential for wider cost-saving public benefits. Most importantly, it was found that only a small minority of victims ever activated their phones suggesting that these serve as a powerful deterrent to would-be perpetrators. Language: en
Cardiorespiratory arrest in the newborn treated by cardiac massage; report of two cases.

Abstract 1. 1. Two cases of cardiorespiratory arrest in the newborn treated with cardiac massage and resuscitation are reported. One infant survived. 2. 2. The criteria for attempting cardiorespiratory resuscitation in the newborn are listed. 3. 3. The rationale for performing this procedure is presented.
An unbalanced, electrically small tag antenna for passive UHF RFID

In this paper, an unbalanced, linear polarized passive UHF RFID tag antenna with a central frequency of 918MHz is designed and presented. The proposed antenna has a length of 60.0 mm (0.184λ) and a width of 25.4 mm (0.078λ). The loop structure on one end and the T-shape spiral arm on the other end make the antenna geometrically unbalanced and form the paddle lock structure. The antenna is closely matched with the conjugate of the Higgs 3 RFID IC chip impedance. The impedance of the proposed RFID tag antenna is 18.3 + j136.6 Ω at 918 MHz and the antenna creates an omni-directional radiation pattern as that of a conventional λ/2 dipole antenna. The bandwidth of the antenna is 0.98% and the efficiency is 87%.
Lingering Imperialism (1943–1947)

The Allied heads of government met in Tehran on November 28–December 1, 1943. On the insistence of the American president, Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Allies issued a joint declaration on December 1. It thanked Iran for its assistance in the war effort and promised economic aid to Iran after the war, while restating the leaders’ desire that Iranian independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity be maintained.1 There was no express reassurance of withdrawal of troops, however. Nor could Iran take much solace in the Allied promise contained in Article 4 (i) of the 1942 Treaty of Alliance. It had made it clear that the presence of the Allied forces in Iran was not to constitute a military occupation of the country and that the Allied forces would not disturb the country’s administration, security, and economic life and would not interfere with movement of Iranian citizens. However, the Soviet behavior in northern Iran, particularly in the Caspian provinces, showed no sign of respect for the treaty’s requirement of an eventual evacuation or for any of the restrictions it had placed on the conduct of the Allies.
The Desire to Help the National Group

When two planes crashed into the World Trade Center and one plane crashed into the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, Americans were shocked and horrified. The initial reaction was to sit in stunned silence, intently watching the news to find out what was going on. But many Americans quickly realized they needed to do something, whatever they could, to help. In Ohio, people donated blood, raised money, and bought flags “to show we're unified.” “People were hurting, hundreds of miles away. But it wasn't too far for Northeast Ohioans to do whatever they could … to help” (Albrecht 2001). In Indiana, a mother offered her child-support money, a retired nurse donated food and all of the money she had in her wallet, and local radio stations raised money at the rate of $5,000 per hour because, in the words of a local car dealer, “We're all a part of it” (Kilborn 2001). In Nebraska, young children emptied their piggy banks in an effort to help, and local supermarkets and fast-food restaurants raised thousands of dollars (McCord 2001). And in Utah, a four-year-old girl donated all of the money from her Barbie fund and was hailed as an “example of what a true American is all about” (Burr 2001). Newspapers from across the United States told similar stories in the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks. Americans came together to help their fellow Americans in New York City and Washington, D.C., by doing whatever they could.
Toward Prestige Planning for African Languages: A Response to the Language Question in Africa?

This chapter introduces the theoretical framework that undergirds this book: Prestige Planning for African languages. Essentially, Prestige Planning is concerned with raising the prestige of any given language, in the present case African languages, so that members of the targeted speech community develop a positive attitude toward it (Haarmann, International Journal of the Sociology of Language, 86:103–126, 1990). It argues that for Prestige Planning for African languages to succeed, policymakers must assign an economic value to some subset of the languages selected from Africa’s multilingual marketplace so that their speakers can view them as a commodity of the formal learning in which they would be eager to invest. Drawing on language economics (Dustmann, Journal of Population Economics, 7:133–156, 1994; Grin et al., The Economics of the Multilingual Workplace. Routledge, 2010), game theory (Laitin, The American Political Science Review, 88:622–634, 1994), and critical theory (Bourdieu, Language and Symbolic Power. Polity Press, 1991), the chapter proposes three intertwined courses of action to develop positive values for African languages: creating the demand for these languages in Africa’s multilingual marketplace, using the created demand as incentive for adopting African languages as mediums of instruction in schools, and requiring school-acquired knowledge of African languages for access to resources and employment. The chapter considers the costs and benefits of prestige planning for African languages, for there is no such thing as cost-free language planning, and explores, in conclusion, possible applications of Prestige Planning in some of Africa’s monolingual (Lesotho and Swaziland) and multilingual (Kenya and Tanzania) nations.
Migraine-Related Stroke

The diagnosis of migraine-related stroke is reviewed and case histories provided from the Center for Stroke Research, Department of Neurology, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI.
On-chip optical neuromorphic computing

We propose an on-chip nanophotonic system that do the neural network computing all in optical domain. Our system is able to give equivalent learning performance, while potentially achieve 3 orders of magnitude faster speed than conventional electronic neural nets.
Efficient Estimation of Realized Kinship from Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Genotypes

Realized kinship is a key statistic in analyses of genetic data involving relatedness of individuals or structure of populations. There are several estimators of kinship that make use of dense SNP genotypes. We introduce a class of estimators, of which some existing estimators are special cases. Within this class, we derive properties of the estimators and determine an optimal estimator. Additionally, we introduce an alternative marker weighting that takes allelic associations [linkage disequilibrium (LD)] into account, and apply this weighting to several estimators. In a simulation study, we show that improved estimators are obtained (1) by optimal weighting of markers, (2) by taking physical contiguity of genome into account, and (3) by weighting on the basis of LD.
Sequential Designs in Clinical Trials

Interim analyses of accumulating data in a comparative clinical trial with mortality or irreversible morbidity is ethically mandatory, rendering standard ~xed sample size designs unacceptable. Sequential designs have been developed which allow early termination for evidence of bene~t, harm or equivalence. Fully sequential designs, group sequential designs and a _exible alpha spending function sequential designs are all statistically valid. The _exible sequential design appears to be a suitable compromise for most trials and is being widely used.
An R&D Strategy to Decouple Energy from Water

Dr. Addison K. Stark currently serves as a Fellow at ARPA-E, where he has served as Acting Program Director of the ARID program. Prior to joining ARPA-E, Addison completed his PhD at MIT doing fundamental research to elucidate the role of transport phenomena in the thermochemical conversion of biomass in fluidized bed reactors. His research interests include chemical conversion technologies, process intensification of chemical and thermal processes, and leveraging advanced manufacturing technologies for novel reactor designs. Professor James F. Klausner is currently an MSU Foundation Professor and Chair of the Mechanical Engineering Department at Michigan State University. Prior to joining MSU, James was an Ebaugh Professor at the University of Florida and also served three years as a Program Director at ARPA-E where he developed the ARID program. His research focuses on thermal, chemical, and fluid transport in a variety of applications, including energy, processing, thermal management, desalination, powder flow, cryogenics, and bioenegineering.
University Service Work in STEM Departments: Gender, Perceived Injustice, and Consequences for Faculty

Using expectancy theory as a framework, we use focus group and climate survey (N = 114) data from a midsize university to explore the gendered nature of university service work among science, techn...
Mathematical foundations of nonlinear, non-Gaussian, and time-varying digital speech signal processing

Classical digital speech signal processing assumes linearity, time-invariance, and Gaussian random variables (LTI-Gaussian theory). In this article, we address the suitability of these mathematical assumptions for realistic speech signals with respect to the biophysics of voice production, finding that the LTI-Gaussian approach has some important accuracy and computational efficiency shortcomings in both theory and practice. Next, we explore the consequences of relaxing the assumptions of time-invariance and Gaussianity, which admits certain potentially useful techniques, including wavelet and sparse representations in computational harmonic analysis, but rules out Fourier analysis and convolution, which could be a disadvantage. Then, we focus on methods that retain time-invariance alone, which admits techniques from nonlinear time series analysis and Markov chains, both of which have shown promise in biomedical applications. We highlight recent examples of non-LTI-Gaussian digital speech signal processing in the literature, and draw conclusions for future prospects in this area.
Membrane-embedded substrate recognition by cytochrome P450 3A4.

Cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) is the dominant xenobiotic-metabolizing enzyme in the liver and intestine and is involved in the disposition of more than 50% of drugs. Because of its ability to bind multiple substrates, its reaction kinetics are complex, and its association with the microsomal membrane confounds our understanding of how this enzyme recognizes and recruits diverse substrates. Testosterone (TST) hydroxylation is the prototypical CYP3A4 reaction, displaying positive homotropic cooperativity with three binding sites. Here, exploiting the capability of accelerated molecular dynamics (aMD) to sample events in the millisecond regime, I performed >25-μs aMD simulations in the presence of three TST molecules. These simulations identified high-occupancy surface-binding sites as well as a pathway for TST ingress into the CYP3A4 active site originating in the membrane. Adaptive biasing force analysis of the latter pathway revealed a metastable intermediate that could constitute a third binding site at high TST concentrations. Prompted by the observation that interactions between TST and the G′-helix mobilize the ligand into the active site, a free-energy analysis of TST distribution in the membrane was conducted and revealed that the depth of the G′-helix is optimal for extracting TST. In summary, these simulations confirm separate, but adjacent substrate-binding sites within the enzyme and the existence of an auxiliary TST-binding site. The broader impact of these simulations is that they support a mechanism in which cytochromes P450 directly recruit membrane-solubilized substrates.
Primary Human Effects: Cutting Edge and Percussion Effects on Bone

This chapter summarizes research on modifications inflicted on bone by hominin processors using cutting edges and percussors. It summarizes these implements’ distinctive traces, including slicing, scraping, sawing, chopping marks made by stone and metal tools, and percussion marks produced by hammerstones and stone anvils and by clubbing against anvils, as well as by metal chopping tools. It introduces a vocabulary that distinguishes different stages in tool-aided carcass processing to be used in the balance of the book. Whether and how cut marks on bone surfaces can reliably be used to infer intensity of processing or functional butchery operations is a contentious matter in zooarchaeology and is introduced here. This chapter discusses the overlap of hammerstone impact marks with static loading notches produced by large carnivores. As with the parallel case of trample and cut marks discussed in Chapter 13, many such instances can be clarified by systematic, actualistically informed approaches using multiple lines of contextual and bone surface evidence.
Weighted Machine Learning for Spatial-Temporal Data

Applying machine learning techniques to spatial-temporal data poses the question that how the recorded location and time for training samples should contribute to the training and testing process. The prior knowledge of how spatial-temporal phenomena are autocorrelated cannot be properly captured by machine learning techniques, which either ignore location and time altogether or consider them as input features. Not to mention that the latter approach leads to slightly increased sparseness of data in the feature space and more free parameters in the predictor; thus, demanding for larger training datasets. We use the prior knowledge about the spatial-temporal autocorrelation to determine how relevant each training sample would be, given its spatial and temporal distances to the irresponsive (unlabeled) sample. Weighted machine learning techniques use this prior knowledge by taking the relevance of training samples with regard to the irresponsive sample into account as training samples’ weights. The proposed approach overcomes the aforementioned issues by enriching the training process with the prior knowledge about spatial-temporal autocorrelation. Because the spatial-temporal weight of training samples depends on the irresponsive sample's location and time, the machine needs to be trained separately for each irresponsive sample. However, we show that in practice using only a small subset of training samples with largest spatial-temporal weights not only mitigates the training time but also results in the best accuracy in most cases.
Evaluation of non-continuous temperature-monitoring practices for vaccine storage units: a Monte Carlo simulation study

Evaluate different non-continuous temperature-monitoring practices for detection of out-of-range temperatures (above or below the recommended temperature range of 2–8 °C for refrigeration units), which are called excursions, within vaccine storage units. Simulations based on temperature data collected by 243 digital data loggers operated in vaccine storage units at health-care providers who participated in a CDC-sponsored continuous temperature monitoring pilot project, from 2012 to 2015. In the primary analysis, we evaluate: (1) twice-daily current temperature readings without minimum and maximum readings (min/max), (2) twice-daily current temperature readings with once-daily min/max, and (3) twice-daily current temperature readings with twice-daily min/max. Recording current temperature twice daily without min/max resulted in the detection of 4.8—6.4% of the total number of temperature excursions. When min/max readings were introduced, the percentage of detected temperature excursions increased to 27.8—96.6% with once-daily min/max and to 34.8—96.7% with twice-daily min/max. Including min/max readings improves the ability of a temperature monitoring practice to detect temperature excursions. No combination of the non-continuous temperature monitoring practices were able to consistently detect all simulated temperature excursions.
Choosing endotracheal tube size in children: Which formula is best?

Abstract Objectives Various formulae have been suggested to calculate the appropriate sized endotracheal tube in children. The current study prospectively compares three commonly used formulae for selection of cuffed endotracheal tubes in children. Methods Patients were randomized to one of three formulae (Duracher, Cole, or Khine) to determine the size of the cuffed endotracheal tube for endotracheal intubation. The fit of the tube was noted and intracuff pressure was measured using a manometer. The postoperative incidence of stridor, throat pain/soreness, and hoarseness was noted in the post-anesthesia care unit at 2, 4 and 24 h after the procedure. Results The study cohort included 135 patients less than or equal to 8 years, equally divided into three groups based on age, weight, and gender. There was no difference in the intracuff pressure, the volume required to seal the airway, or the number of times in which the intracuff pressure was greater than or equal to 20 or 30 cm H2O among the three groups. Six tube changes were required in the Cole group while no tube changes were required in the Duracher group (p Conclusion When using an endotracheal tube with a polyurethane cuff, the Duracher formula provided the best estimate for choosing the correct size.
Voice and accompaniment separation in music using self-attention convolutional neural network

Music source separation has been a popular topic in signal processing for decades, not only because of its technical difficulty, but also due to its importance to many commercial applications, such as automatic karoake and remixing. In this work, we propose a novel self-attention network to separate voice and accompaniment in music. First, a convolutional neural network (CNN) with densely-connected CNN blocks is built as our base network. We then insert self-attention subnets at different levels of the base CNN to make use of the long-term intra-dependency of music, i.e., repetition. Within self-attention subnets, repetitions of the same musical patterns inform reconstruction of other repetitions, for better source separation performance. Results show the proposed method leads to 19.5% relative improvement in vocals separation in terms of SDR. We compare our methods with state-of-the-art systems i.e. MMDenseNet and MMDenseLSTM.
Assessment of Relationship of Ketamine Dose With Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy of Glx and GABA Responses in Adults With Major Depression: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance A single subanesthetic dose of ketamine produces an antidepressant response in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) within hours, but the mechanism of antidepressant effect is uncertain. Objective To evaluate whether ketamine dose and brain glutamate and glutamine (Glx) and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) level responses to ketamine are related to antidepressant benefit and adverse effects. Design, Setting, and Participants This randomized, parallel-group, triple-masked clinical trial included 38 physically healthy, psychotropic medication–free adult outpatients who were in a major depressive episode of MDD but not actively suicidal. The trial was conducted at Columbia University Medical Center. Data were collected from February 2012 to May 2015. Data analysis was conducted from January to March 2020. Intervention Participants received 1 dose of placebo or ketamine (0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, or 0.5 mg/kg) intravenously during 40 minutes of a proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy scan that measured ventro-medial prefrontal cortex Glx and GABA levels in 13-minute data frames. Main Outcomes and Measures Clinical improvement was measured using a 22-item version of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS-22) 24 hours after ketamine was administered. Ketamine and metabolite blood levels were measured after the scan. Results A total of 38 individuals participated in the study, with a mean (SD) age of 38.6 (11.2) years, 23 (60.5%) women, and 25 (65.8%) White patients. Improvement in HDRS-22 score at 24 hours correlated positively with ketamine dose (t36 = 2.81;P = .008; slope estimate, 19.80 [95% CI, 5.49 to 34.11]) and blood level (t36 = 2.25;P = .03; slope estimate, 0.070 [95% CI, 0.007 to 0.133]). The lower the Glx response, the better the antidepressant response (t33 = −2.400;P = .02; slope estimate, −9.85 [95% CI, −18.2 to −1.50]). Although GABA levels correlated with Glx (t33 = 8.117;P Conclusions and Relevance In this study, intravenous ketamine dose and blood levels correlated positively with antidepressant response. The Glx response correlated inversely with ketamine dose and with antidepressant effect. Future studies are needed to determine whether the relationship between Glx level and antidepressant effect is due to glutamate or glutamine. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:NCT01558063
The Engagement Catalyst Initiative: How One Global Organization Activates and Energizes Employee Engagement

Employee engagement is often highlighted as a critical factor to achieve innovation, responsiveness to customers, and numerous other desirable business outcomes. Less clear in the literature, and in today’s business enterprises, are approaches to reliably and sustainably drive increases in employee engagement. We share our perspective that a successful approach to positively impact employee engagement is one that is a hybrid mix of top-down and bottom-up initiatives, with diverse stakeholders who share execution responsibility. We detail our approach, the operational principles and work cycles, the resulting projects and interventions, our study findings, and the resulting outcomes in our organization. Finally, we describe future research so that our work will continue to activate an enhanced culture of engagement in our organization.
Versatile semi-batch apparatus for manometric measurement of gas-solid reaction rates.

We describe the design, construction, operation, and performance of a simple and versatile semi-batch reactor that is especially useful for measurement of gas/solid reaction rates at pressures in the range of 1 mTorr to 1500 Torr. The reactor operates by repeatedly imposing small AC modulations of reactant gas pressure on top of a much larger DC pressure background. Based on the rate of pressure relaxation following each AC pulse, the reaction rate is determined. Our design is characterized by modular construction from off-the-shelf, ultra-high-vacuum-compatible components, which facilitate easy retrofitting and adaptation to a range of experimental conditions. Automated experiment control and data acquisition is accomplished via a custom National Instruments© LabView virtual instrument. Data analysis is automated using a custom series of Mathworks© Matlab scripts. We demonstrate reactor performance through measurements of hydrogenation kinetics for a composite H2 getter material consisting of 1,4-bis(phenylethynyl)benzene mixed with a palladium/carbon catalyst.
A universal mode of helix packing in RNA

RNA molecules fold into specific three-dimensional shapes to perform structural and catalytic functions. Large RNAs can form compact globular structures, but the chemical basis for close helical packing within these molecules has been unclear. Analysis of transfer, catalysis, in vitro-selected and ribosomal RNAs reveal that helical packing predominantly involves the interaction of single-stranded adenosines with a helix minor groove. Using the Tetrahymena thermophila group I ribozyme, we show here that the near-perfect shape complementarity between the adenine base and the minor groove allows for optimal van der Waals contacts, extensive hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic surface burial, creating a highly energetically favorable interaction. Adenosine is recognized in a chemically similar fashion by a combination of protein and RNA components in the ribonucleoprotein core of the signal recognition particle. These results provide a thermodynamic explanation for the noted abundance of conserved adenosines within the unpaired regions of RNA secondary structures.
Chapter 17. Chemical Inhibitors of Cyclin-dependent Kinases

Publisher Summary Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) are serine/threonine protein kinases that are composed of a catalytic CDK subunit and a regulatory cyclin subunit. Presently, eight CDKs and ten cyclins have been identified. CDK activity is regulated by many mechanisms, reflecting their critical role in cell cycle control. The cyclin subunit is the key regulator of CDK activity, with each CDK, interacting with a specific subset of cyclins. These subunits are cyclin A (CDK1, CDK2), B1–B3 (CDK1), C (CDK8), D1–D3 (CDK2, CDK4, CDK5, CDK6), E (CDK2), and H (CDK7). Phosphorylation of Thr of CDK1 is necessary for maximal kinase activity and phosphorylation of Thr and Tyr residues negatively regulate kinase activity. The dual specificity phosphatase Cdc25 dephosphorylates, Thr and Tyr, to produce active kinase. Another major mechanism of CDK regulation involves a diverse family of CDK inhibitory proteins, termed the CDls or CKls that bind and inactivate CDK-cyclin complexes. Research has started to highlight the connections between CDK regulation and cancer. Over expression of specific cyclins, particularly cyclin D 1 , can contribute to cell transformation and CDls have been identified as potential tumor suppressor genes. The p16 gene, in particular, is lost in the majority of tumor cell lines and in a significant number of primary tumors. The importance of CDKs and their regulators in cell cycle control, coupled with their frequent deregulation in cancer, makes them attractive targets for the identification of anti-neoplastic agents. In fact, a number of chemical inhibitors of CDK kinase activity have already been identified.
Nonlinearity in the Signal Path

All systems are characterized by limited linearity and their amount of nonlinearity, often an important system parameter, is conveniently described by intercept points. These descriptions determine the frequencies and magnitudes of undesired spurious responses to the desired signals that pass through the system. The system intercept points and compression level can be computed from the characteristics of the individual modules. Anomalous nonlinearities produce spurious responses whose amplitudes and frequencies are characterized by different orders of nonlinearity. The measurement of intermodulation products is discussed.
Abstract 1953: The role of NR5a2 in pancreas development and carcinogenesis

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains one of the most lethal cancers today. A recent genome-wide association study (GWAS) has implicated the nuclear receptor NR5A2 in modulating risk for pancreatic cancer. While a role for this gene in pancreatic cancer has not been previously recognized, it is known to have an important role in stem cell pluripotency and metabolism. Using the zebrafish model organism, we demonstrate that knockdown of nr5a2 results in absence of exocrine pancreas, while leaving endocrine pancreas unaffected, indicating an essential role in pancreas organ formation. Further, we localize expression of nr5a2 to the endodermal bud that gives rise to the exocrine pancreas, consistent with a role for nr5a2 in regulating differentiation of pancreas progenitors. In resected human PDAC specimens and in vitro cell lines, we find that NR5A2 expression is altered compared to normal ductal epithelium. Moreover, shRNA knockdown of NR5A2 dramatically alters proliferation of PDAC cell lines, supporting the hypothesis that NR5A2 is involved in pancreatic carcinogenesis. These data support a model that NR5a2 regulates the proliferation and differentiation of exocrine pancreas progenitor cells during development. Consistent with this model, we find that signaling through nr5a2 interacts with notch activity. We postulate that aberrant expression of NR5a2 results in dysregulation of these processes in the adult pancreas by driving ductal epithelial cells to acquire properties of progenitor cells, and therefore is an important step in pancreas oncogenesis. Note: This abstract was not presented at the meeting. Citation Format: Sahar Nissim, Julia Wucherpfennig, Xiao-Xu Wang, Alec Kimmelman, Wolfram Goessling. The role of NR5a2 in pancreas development and carcinogenesis. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 1953. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-1953
Evaluation of the PathoTec "Rapid I-D System".

The 10 biochemical test strips included in the PathoTec Rapid I-D System were evaluated for accuracy as compared to standard tests and for efficacy in identification of 193 gram-negative bacilli. The test agreement was 100% for oxidase and phenylalanine deaminase, 99% for indole, nitrate, and Voges-Proskauer, 98% for malonate, 97% for lysine decarboxylase, 90% for urease, 84% for H2S, and 75% for esculin hydrolysis. Most of the commonly isolated Enterobacteriaceae were identified correctly within 4 h. Errors in identification of Proteus morganii and P. rettgeri occurred because of positive H2S tests on the PathoTec strips with these organisms.
Monte-Carlo treatment of nonlinear collisional effects in charged-particle transport

The Vlasov equation for charger-particle transport is often solved by codes that follow the particle motion.(1) The solution is nonlinear in the sense that the electromagnetic fields that influence the particle orbits are entirely or partly determined by the positions and velocities of the particles themselves. The effects of teo-body coulomb collisions of the simultation paticles against a background material are often treated by a Monte-Carlo collisional process in which the collision probability is determined by Fokker-Plank treatment.(2) This procedure is nonlinear if the properties of the background material are allowed to change as a result of the scattering of the simultation particles. A more completely nonlinear problem is obtained if the simultation particles themselves form all or part of the background distribution distribution. A new method is presented here for doing this, and examples will be discussed that illustrate the power of the technique.
A three-dimensional time-dependent unstructured tetrahedral-mesh SPN method

A three-dimensional time-dependent multigroup SP{sub N} method for unstructured tetrahedral meshes is developed. The SP{sub N} equations are expressed in a canonical form that allows them to be solved using standard diffusion solution techniques in conjunction with source iteration, diffusion-synthetic acceleration, and fission-source acceleration. A computational comparison of this SP{sub N} method with an even-parity S{sub N} method is given.
Genetic variation in the oxytocin receptor gene is associated with a social phenotype in autism spectrum disorders.

Oxytocin regulates social behavior in animal models. Research supports an association between genetic variation in the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). In this study, we examine the association between the OXTR gene and a specific social phenotype within ASD. This genotype-phenotype investigation may provide insight into how OXTR conveys risk for social impairment. The current study investigated 10 SNPS in the OXTR gene that have been previously shown to be associated with ASD. We examine the association of these SNPs with both a social phenotype and a repetitive behavior phenotype comprised of behaviors commonly impaired in ASD in the Simons simplex collection (SSC). Using a large sample to examine the association between OXTR and ASD (n = range: 485-1002), we find evidence to support a relation between two OXTR SNPs and the examined social phenotype among children diagnosed with ASD. Greater impairment on the social responsiveness scale standardized total score and on several subdomains was observed among individuals with one or more copies of the minor frequency allele in both rs7632287 and rs237884. Linkage disequilibrium (LD) mapping suggests that these two SNPs are in LD within and overlapping the 3' untranslated region (3'-UTR) of the OXTR gene. These two SNPs were also associated with greater impairment on the repetitive behavior scale. Results of this study indicate that social impairment and repetitive behaviors in ASD are associated with genomic variation in the 3'UTR of the OXTR gene. These variants may be linked to an allele that alters stability of the mRNA message although further work is necessary to test this hypothesis.