cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Preliminary ATIS development at MIT

DARPA has recently initiated a plan for a common spoken language task, to be developed independently by all members of the DARPA community, with the hope that it will provide a mechanism leading to appropriate formal evaluation procedures at the level of spoken language. The task that was selected for this purpose is the Air Travel Information System (ATIS) task, based on selected tables from the Official Airline Guide (OAG). It was decided that the first evaluation would be limited in scope to deal with text input only, and to cover only sentences that could be understood unambiguously out of context. Data have been recorded over the past several months at Texas Instruments, using an interface that involves a "wizard" who fully interprets the meaning of the subject's sentences, and generates database responses using a menu driven data access system.
Self-assembly of one-dimensional nanostructures at silicon surfaces

Nanostructures at surfaces and interfaces are a fertile testing ground for bringing the idea of ‘tailored solids’ towards reality. Electronic properties can be controlled systematically by confinement or by interface effects. The presence of a single crystal substrate allows for the self-assembly of highly regular nanoobjects, such as stripes and strings of dots with sizes of about 10 nm. Using silicon as substrate facilitates the electronic integration of nanodevices into micro-electronics. We speculate how such structures might evolve into future devices, such as data storage arrays with densities of Terabits/cm 2 and self-assembled,
The Evolution of Genetic Correlation and Developmental Constraints

This chapter concerns the evolutionary significance of morphological integration (Olson and Miller 1958) and its evolution in the context of developmental constraints. By morphological integration, I refer to the functional, developmental, genetic, and evolutionary coordination of morphological elements. A major argument against the comprehensive nature of neo-Darwinian evolutionary theory is that given a functionally integrated phenotype, and by function I refer to both development and static function, it is virtually impossible to produce a viable evolutionary change by random, independent mutation of the parts. For example, if six character changes are required to adapt to a new environment, and the probability of a single, favored change is 10-5, then the probability of all six changes occurring in the same organism is 10-30, given no sexual reproduction (Eden 1967). Even in sexually reproducing organisms the probability of mutual adaptive evolution for all six characters may be low. In order for integrated evolution to occur, there must be some constraint on the pattern of heritable variation, and that constraint, as it evolves, should be consistent with the adaptive needs of the organism as a functionally integrated whole. Thus, only internally consistent variations will be subjected to selection by the external environment. It has been suggested that modern population genetics and neo-Darwinian theory cannot explain the existence of these constraints (Gould 1980; Alberch 1980; Oster and Alberch 1982), which are said to be due primarily to the epigenetic nature of development (Waddington 1957; Frazzetta 1975; Riedl 1978).
A 3-D shear velocity model of the crust and uppermost mantle beneath the United States from ambient seismic noise

SUMMARY In an earlier study, Bensen et al. measured surface wave dispersion curves from ambient noise using 203 stations across North America, which resulted in Rayleigh and Love wave dispersion maps from 8–70 s period and 8–20 s period, respectively. We invert these maps in a two-step procedure to determine a 3-D shear wave velocity model (V S) of the crust and uppermost mantle beneath much of the contiguous US. The two steps are a linearized inversion for a best fitting model beneath each grid node, followed by a Monte Carlo inversion to estimate model uncertainties. In general, a simple model parametrization is sufficient to achieve acceptable data fit, but a Rayleigh/Love discrepancy at periods from 10 to 20 s is observed, in which simple isotropic models systematically misfit Rayleigh and Love waves in some regions. Crustal features observed in the model include sedimentary basins such as the Anadarko, Green River, Williston Basins as well as California’s Great Valley and the Mississippi Embayment. The east–west velocity dichotomy between the stable eastern US and the tectonically deformed western US is shown to be abrupt in the crust and uppermost mantle, but is not coincident in these regions; crustal high velocity material tends to lap over the high velocities of the uppermost mantle. The Rayleigh/Love discrepancy between 10 and 20 s period is crustal in origin and is observed in a number of regions, particularly in extensional provinces such as the Basin and Range. It can be resolved by introducing radial anisotropy in the lower or middle crust with V SH > V SH by about 1 per cent.
Jointing of Armored Polyethylene-Insulated Cable to Neoprene Jacketed Connectors

Low cost, waterproof, easily implemented jointing of armored electrical cable to neoprene jacketed cable has been required for power/signal cables deployed in the nearshore zone. The primary difficulty in jointing was associated with bonding to polyethylene insulation within the armored cable. The most troublesome problems encountered were field reliability and deterioration with prolonged storage. Four methods of jointing with histories of variable performance have been used by the Shore Processes Laboratory (SPL) of Scripps Institution of Oceanography; these techniques were all inexpensive, and readily implemented in the field. Two methods used encapsulations, one used a heat shrink tubing while another consisted of a mechanical device. Recently the encapsulation methods developed a high failure rate; consequently these splicing methods are no longer used at SPL. The mechanical and the heat shrink methods have performed well in the field and have potential for future applications.
La Convención sobre Cibercrimen del Consejo de Europa

The council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime (November 23rd 2001) recognizes and assumes the possibility of evading criminal conduct beyond the boarders of the country where the crime was committed. The Convention proposes a functionalist theory of penal law in order to base the imposition of the sentence guaranteeing fundamentals rights. The author highlights the inadequacy of traditional systems aim at persecuting informatics crime. He considers, however, that the Convention puts cyber crime and habitual delinquency on the same footing. It demands from Party States the adoption of a specific manner of investigation (electronic evidence, confiscation through informatics systems, traffic data collection, among others) Nevertheless, the Convention has been often criticized because it may jeopardize privacy.
Reducing remote conflict misses: NUMA with remote cache versus COMA

Many future applications for scalable shared-memory multiprocessors are likely to have large working sets that overflow secondary or tertiary caches. Two possible solutions to this problem are to add a very large cache called remote cache that caches remote data (NUMA-RC), or organize the machine as a cache-only memory architecture (COMA). This paper tries to determine which solution is best. To compare the performance of the two organizations for the same amount of total memory, we introduce a model of data sharing. The model uses three data sharing patterns: replication, read-mostly migration, and read-writs migration. Replication data is accessed in read-mostly mode by several processors, while migration data is accessed largely by one processor at a time. For large working sets, the weight of the migration data largely determines whether COMA outperforms NUMA-RC. Ideally, COMA only needs to fit the replication data in its extra memory; the migration data will simply be swapped between attraction memories. The remote cache of NUMA-RC, instead, needs to house both the replication and the migration data. However, simulations of seven Splash2 applications show that COMA does not outperform NUMA-RC. This is due to two reasons. First, the extra memory added has more associativity in NUMA-RC than in COMA and, therefore, can be utilized better by the working set in NUMA-RC. Second, COMA memory accesses are more expensive. Of course, our results are affected by the applications used, which have been optimized for a cache-coherent NUMA machine. Overall, since NUMA-RC is cheaper, NUMA-RC is more cost-effective for these applications.
Secular Trends in Hospital-Acquired Clostridium difficile Disease in the United States, 1987–2001

We reviewed Clostridium difficile-associated disease (CDAD) data from the intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital-wide surveillance components of the National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance System hospitals during 1987-2001. ICU CDAD rates increased significantly only in hospitals with >500 beds (P<.01) and correlated with the duration of ICU stay (r = 0.82; P<.05). Hospital-wide (non-ICU) rates increased only in hospitals with <250 beds (P<.01) and in general medicine patients versus surgery patients (P<.0001). CDAD predominated in general hospitals versus other facility types, and rates were significantly higher during winter versus nonwinter months (P<.01). Thus, prevention efforts should be targeted to high-risk groups in these settings.
Incredible journey: how do developmental signals travel through tissue?

How developmental signaling proteins traverse tissue during animal development, through or around tightly packed cells, remains an incompletely resolved mystery. Signaling protein movement is regulated to create gradients, control amounts, impose barriers, or provide direction. Signaling can be controlled by the rate of signal production, modification, active transport, trapping along the path, or by the properties of the receptor apparatus. Signals may move by diffusion outside cells, attached to migrating cells, attached to carrier molecules, through cells by transcytosis, along cell extensions, or in released membrane packets. Recent findings about the movement of Hedgehog, Wingless (Wnt), and TGF- signaling proteins have helped to clarify the molecular mechanisms used to ensure that developmental signals carry only good news. The construction of an animal, with a single fertilized egg cell becoming thousands or tens of trillions of cells, requires exquisite coordination. Rather few types of protein signals, operating repeatedly, coordinate cell fate decisions and tissue and organ growth. These signals reliably guide growth and patterning despite variations between individuals in parameters such as temperature, body size, number of cells, and metabolic and nutritional status. How can developmental signals be so dependable? An equally severe problem emerges from examining the close apposition of cells in many tissues through which signals travel. Hormones can travel through blood, and some signals can penetrate cell membranes, but what about fairly large signaling proteins that appear to traverse tightly packed masses of cells?
Pregnancy outcomes among African-American patients with systemic lupus erythematosus compared with controls.

Objective In a study of Gullah African–Americans, we compared pregnancy outcomes before and after systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) diagnosis to controls to test whether there is a predisease state that negativelyaffects pregnancy outcomes. Design Cases and controls reporting at least one pregnancy were included. Controls were all Gullah African-American females. We collected demographic, socioeconomic and pregnancy data. We modelled pregnancy outcome associations with case status using multiple logistic regression to calculate ORs. Results After adjustment for age, years of education, medical coverage and pregnancy number, compared with controls, cases were more likely to have any adverse outcome (OR 2.35, 95% CI 1.78 to 3.10), including stillbirth (OR 4.55, 95% CI 1.53 to 13.50), spontaneous abortion (OR 2.05, 95% CI 1.40 to 3.00), preterm birth (OR 2.58, 95% CI 1.58 to 4.20), low birth weight (OR 2.64, 95% CI 1.61 to 4.34) and preeclampsia (OR 1.80, 95% CI 1.08 to 3.01). The odds of adverse pregnancy outcomes all increased after SLE diagnosis compared with before diagnosis, even after adjustment for age, years of education, pregnancy number and medical coverage. Conclusion From a large cohort of African–American women, our findings suggest there may be a predisease state that predisposes to adverse pregnancy outcomes.
Brain Electrical Activity Associated With Cognitive Processing During a Looking Version of the A‐Not‐B Task

This work was designed to investigate individual differences in brain electrical activity during a looking version of the A-not-B task. It was proposed that this spatial task required the cognitive skills of working memory and inhibitory control, each associated with frontal lobe function. Electroencephalograms (EEGs) were recorded from 54 8-month-old infants during baseline and task. Only high performers on the looking task exhibited increases in 6- to 9-Hz EEG power from baseline to task. These task-related changes were evident at frontal and posterior scalp locations. High performers on the looking task exhibited lower EEG coherence values at right hemisphere frontal locations relative to the low performers. These lower coherence values were evident during baseline and task. All infants showed increased frontal-parietal coherence during the spatial working memory task relative to baseline values. These data confirm previous cognitive neuroscience work associating frontal lobe function with cognitive performance levels during infancy.
Parameter estimation in large dynamic paired comparison experiments

Summary. Paired comparison data in which the abilities or merits of the objects being compared may be changing over time can be modelled as a non-linear state space model. When the population of objects being compared is large, likelihood-based analyses can be too computationally cumbersome to carry out regularly. This presents a problem for rating populations of chess players and other large groups which often consist of tens of thousands of competitors. This problem is overcome through a computationally simple non-iterative algorithm for fitting a particular dynamic paired comparison model. The algorithm, which improves over the commonly used algorithm of Elo by incorporating the variability in parameter estimates, can be performed regularly even for large populations of competitors. The method is evaluated on simulated data and is applied to ranking the best chess players of all time, and to ranking the top current tennis-players.
Towards a political economy of accounting: An empirical illustration of the cambridge controversies

Abstract For over a century economics has been dominated by two theoretical positions: classical political economy and the neo-classical economics of marginalism. From these two paradigms have come the major theories of value: the labor theory and the marginalists theory of value. Until recently marginalism has held the center of the stage, however since the Cambridge Controversies and Piero Sraffa's critique of marginalism there has been a revival of interest in classical political economy. One outcome is clear from the Cambridge debates: in so far as accounting relies on marginalism for its theoretical foundations then those foundations are fallacious. This paper reviews some of the controversies and illustrates how accounting ideas are affected by the critique of marginalism. An alternative approach to accounting (based on ideas from political economy) is then explored using evidence from an empirical study of a multinational enterprise.
LiquidText: a flexible, multitouch environment to support active reading

Active reading, involving acts such as highlighting, writing notes, etc., is an important part of knowledge workers' activities. Most computer-based active reading support seeks to replicate the affordances of paper, but paper has limitations, being in many ways inflexible. In this paper we introduce LiquidText, a computer-based active reading system that takes a fundamentally different approach, offering a flexible, fluid document representation built on multitouch input, with a range of interaction techniques designed to facilitate the activities of active reading. We report here on our design for LiquidText, its interactions and gesture vocabulary, and our design process, including formative user evaluations which helped shape the final system.
Shortterm and longterm visual and astigmatic results of an opposing 10-0 nylon double running suture technique for penetrating keratoplasty ☆

Abstract Background In ophthalmic surgery, corneal transplantation (penetrating keratoplasty) may be employed when the clarity of the cornea has been significantly compromised by conditions such as scarring, edema, and variable corneal thickness. Irregularities in corneal curvature can occur postoperatively. This astigmatism is of concern, because it can impair visual acuity despite an otherwise good surgical result. Different suturing techniques have been developed to minimize astigmatism. The purpose of this study was to evaluate an opposing 10-0 nylon double running suture technique for penetrating keratoplasty. Study design A retrospective study was undertaken of 91 records of patients who underwent penetrating keratoplasty performed by one surgeon (RNG). This represents 54.8% of 166 consecutive cases. Every eye with an opposing double running suture and a 1- to 3-month postsuture removal followup was selected and evaluated for best corrected visual acuity and astigmatism, excluding eyes that developed graft failure or corneal ulcer or that had lack of adequate followup. The cases were divided into five groups by preoperative diagnosis: pseudophakic bullous keratopathy (n = 43), aphakic bullous keratopathy (n = 5), keratoconus (n = 17), Fuchs dystrophy (n = 12), and miscellaneous (n = 14). The mean standard followup period was 13.7 months after penetrating keratoplasty. Thirty percent of the eyes had an extensive followup, with a mean of 33 months after penetrating keratoplasty. Results Eighty-two percent of the patients had a significant improvement of their visual acuity postoperatively, defined by a five-line improvement of best corrected visual acuity or a best corrected visual acuity of 20/40 or better. The mean astigmatic keratometric reading was 3.98 diopters, with a manifest refraction cylinder of 3.42 diopters at the 1- to 3-month postsuture removal visit. This study also shows that there is no statistically significant change in keratometric astigmatism or manifest refraction cylinder from the 1- to 3-month postsuture removal measurements to the more extensive followup of 18 to 66 months after penetrating keratoplasty (p > 0.10). Conclusions This suture technique allows for excellent longterm stability of the wound with visual and astigmatic results that are comparable to those of previous studies. The use of the opposing double running suture is a viable alternative to some of the other widely used techniques and may be considered more stable and secure.
Presence of Burnout in Undergraduate Athletic Training Students at One Western US University

Objective: Determine if undergraduate athletic training students enrolled i n a n a ccredited athlet ic t raining education progr am (ATEP) and part icipating in c linical assignments experience burnout. Design a nd Setting: Undergraduate athletic training students enrolled in a clinical education co urse were surveyed during t he fourth and twelfth weeks o f a 15 week semester. Participants answered eight demographic/status questions for correlation. Subjects: Fifty-one undergraduate athletic training students in a Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) accredited ATEP participated. Measurements: Data were analyzed using covariance analysis with categorical independent variables a nd continuous co variants. Emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (DP), and personal accomplishment (PA) were scored in accordance with the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS). Post hoc testing was done when interactions/effects were significant at p = .05. Dependent variables included EE, DP, and PA. Results: Overall mean scores demonstrated moderate levels of EE (17.0), low levels of DP (5.7), and moderate levels of PA (38.0). Fourth (+) semester students (students in their 4 or 5 semester of th th the ATEP) reported high DP levels (13.3) and high levels of EE (30.9). Semester effect (p = pre- 0.0001; post- 0.007) and semester by gender interaction (p = pre- 0.0017; post- 0.005) had an effect on EE for both testing times. For DP, semester (p = pre- 0.0001; post0.0003), and semester by gender interaction (p = pre- 0.0001; post0.0001) w ere si gnificant interactions/effects for bo th t esting periods. Conclusions: Undergraduate athletic training students demonstrated a moderate degree of burnout from their clinical assignments and associated responsibilities. The ATEP appeared to hav e a cumulative effect evidenced i n t he fourth ( +) s emester with a high/average degree of burnout.
Two complete chloroplast genomes of white campion (Silene latifolia) from male and female individuals

AbstractIn this study, we assembled two individuals’ complete chloroplast genomes with one male and one female from the dioecious plant species white campion (Silene latifolia). The two chloroplast genomes have an identical composition with each other as a circular molecule of 150 931 bp in length, with an overall GC content of 36.4%. The genomes consist of a pair of inverted repeats (IRs) of 25 503 bp, separated by a large single-copy (LSC) region and a small single-copy (SSC) region of 82 708 and 17 217 bp, respectively. The genomes contain 111 single copy genes, including 77 protein-coding genes, 4 ribosomal RNA genes and 30 transfer RNA genes. In these protein-coding genes, eight genes (rpl16, rpoC1, rps16, petD, petB, ndhB, ndhA and atpF) contain a single intron and three genes (rps12, clpP and ycf3) contain two introns. The two newly sequenced chloroplast genomes provide valuable information for detecting polymorphisms within species and between sexes.
Behavioral and Psychiatric Emergencies

I’ll admit that we emergency physicians (and likely many other acute care providers as well) are a strange lot. We tend to relish caring for the sickest of patients, often even those on the verge of death. We often talk about that “great case” we saw during a shift: the cardiac arrest, the crashing asthmatic with a difficult airway, the patient with sepsis or diabetic ketoacidosis with a pH of 6.9, or the patient with cardiogenic shock requiring dobutamine and norepinephrine. It’s unlikely you’ll ever hear one of us refer to the patient with an uncomplicated ankle sprain or gastroenteritis or migraine headache or simple pneumonia as a “great case.” None of these patients tend to suffer much morbidity, and they are at low risk of mortality. It’s also unlikely that you’ll ever hear an emergency physician refer to a patient with depression and failed suicide attempt, or a patient with agitated delirium from drug use, or a patient with acute psychosis as a “great case.” Why not? Perhaps a major reason for this mindset is that we tend to assume that these patients have a low risk of morbidity or mortality. And perhaps another reason is that we often assume that we cannot change their course of illness. Both of these beliefs, as it turns out, are wrong, and they are likely the result of a lack of education regarding behavioral and psychiatric emergencies. Despite the fact that psychiatric illness is a rapidly increasing problem in our society and a tremendous burden on health care resources, traditional emergency medicine training still requires a relatively small amount of time be spent on this area. Continuing medical education emergency medicine conferences at the national and international level also have a paucity of sessions devoted to psychiatric and behavioral emergencies. A general lack of education leads to a lack of understanding and appreciation of the importance of this area in our practice. We are therefore fortunate to be able to present this issue of Emergency Medicine Clinics of North America, in which Guest Editors Drs Kuo and Tucci have assembled an outstanding team to educate us about the latest advances and approaches to behavioral and psychiatric emergencies. Perhaps the most important of the articles
miR-124-9-9* potentiates Ascl1-induced reprogramming of cultured Müller glia.

The Muller glia of fish provide a source for neuronal regeneration after injury, but they do not do so in mammals. We previously showed that lentiviral gene transfer of the transcription factor Achaete-scute homolog 1 (Ascl1/Mash1) in murine Muller glia cultures resulted in partial reprogramming of the cells to retinal progenitors. The microRNAs (miRNAs) miR-124-9-9* facilitate neuronal reprogramming of fibroblasts, but their role in glia reprogramming has not been reported. The aim of this study was to test whether (1) lentiviral gene transfer of miR-124-9-9* can reprogram Muller glia into retinal neurons and (2) miR-124-9-9* can improve Ascl1-induced reprogramming. Primary Muller glia cultures were generated from postnatal day (P) 11/12 mice, transduced with lentiviral particles, i.e., miR-124-9-9*-RFP, nonsense-RFP, Ascl1-GFP, or GFP-control. Gene expression and immunofluorescence analyses were performed within 3 weeks after infection. 1. Overexpression of miR-124-9-9* induced the expression of the proneural factor Ascl1 and additional markers of neurons, including TUJ1 and MAP2. 2. When Ascl1 and miR-124-9-9* were combined, 50 to 60% of Muller glia underwent neuronal reprogramming, whereas Ascl1 alone results in a 30 to 35% reprogramming rate. 3. Analysis of the miR-124-9-9* treated glial cells showed a reduction in the level of Ctdsp1 and Ptbp1, indicating a critical role for the REST pathway in the repression of neuronal genes in Muller glia. Our data further suggest that miR-124-9-9* and the REST complex may play a role in regulating the reprogramming of Muller glia to progenitors that underlies retinal regeneration in zebrafish.
On the mechanism of erythropoietin-induced differentiation

Abstract A rapid method for assessment of erythropoietin-stimulated glucosamine incorporation is described. The effect of erythropoietin on the incorporation of glucosamine is inhibited by puromycin but not by colchicine. Actinomycin D has a dose-dependent effect which suggests that there are two processes involved in erythropoietin action which require DNA-dependent RNA synthesis. Using actinomycin inhibition, the lifetime of the messenger RNA species concerned with stroma synthesis is estimated to be between 3 and 4 h. Data are presented which suggest that erythropoietin-induced differentiation occurs in a wave-like manner.
Conjugate Heat Transfer Prediction of the Effusion Cooled Plate

2 NCLE. The conjugate heat transfer capability embedded in U 2 NCLE code solves the governing equations of the fluid field and the thermal diffusion equation of the solid region simultaneously. Two turbulence closure models, Wilcon's k-ω model and Spalart-Allmaras based DES model are adopted and compared in the simulations. Both adiabatic and isothermal boundary conditions are applied at the bottom of the solid plate to assess the effect on the conjugate heat transfer prediction for the effusion cooled plate. Predicted temperature and velocity distributions are evaluated and compared with the experimental data at three blowing ratios of 0.5, 1.2, and 3.0. The simulation results captured the general trend of the experiment. However, modifications to the turbulence model and inlet boundary profile are suggested to further improve the accuracy of the numerical predictions.
Subpicosecond Time-Resolved Raman Studies of Nonequilibrium Excitations in Wurtzite GaN

Non-equilibrium electron distributions as well as phonon dynamics in wurtzite GaN have been measured by subpicosecond time-resolved Raman spectroscopy. Our experimental results have demonstrated that for electron densities n ≥ 5 × l0 17 cm −3 , the non-equilibrium electron distributions in wurtzite GaN can be very well described by Fermi-Dirac distribution functions with the temperature of electrons substantially higher than that of the lattice. The population relaxation time of longitudinal optical phonons was directly measured to be τ ≅ 5 ± 1 ps at T = 25 K. The experimental results on the temperature dependence of the lifetime of longitudinal optical phonons suggest that the primary decay channels for these phonons are the decay into (1) one transverse optical phonon and one high energy, longitudinal or transverse acoustical phonons; and (2) one transverse optical phonon and one E 2 phonon.
876 Electrocardiographic optimization of interventricular delay in cardiac resynchronization therapy: correlation with echocardiography

In acute testing about one third of those patients improve more , some only with left ventricular only mode (LV). This study reports on the clinical and functional follow-up in patients resynchronized with tailored LV only pacing. Methods: All P underwent preoperative hemodynamic testing with respect to pacing mode, AV delay and optimal pacing site. Response was defined as 10% pulse pressure (PP) increase. A difference of more than 3% PP increase between pacing modes discriminated the best pacing mode. After device implantation, the best pacing mode and AV delay were programmed during follow-up of CRT. Results: Ninety-one (23 female, 46 P with DCM, 36 with CAD, 9 with other diseases, QRS 185 29 ms, NYHA III, EF 25 7%) of 500 P, who had undergone CRT at our center between 1999 and 2004, showed a significantly higher response in acute testing with LV pacing mode. Seventy-eight P received a unipolar, 13 a bipolar LV lead. The mean stimulated AV delay was 154 28 ms. During 6and 9-month follow-up P with tailored LV pacing mode improved significantly in quality of life, functional objectives and LVEDD, a marker of reverse remodeling (table). Only 8 P died or were referred to heart transplant during two years of follow-up! Conclusion: Despite historical pseudobipolar pacing in most patients with unipolar LV lead tailored LV only pacing is successful and superior to untailored BI pacing mode. Implantation of bipolar leads and careful tailoring of best chronic pacing mode in every patient is the clue to improve the success in CRT.
Failure of Colonoscopy Knowledge to Predict Colonoscopy Uptake.

Despite an increase in colorectal cancer screening uptake, a substantial minority of individuals over 50 years of age remains unscreened. In the context of an RCT evaluating three educational interventions to increase CRC screening uptake, we examined the relationship of baseline colonoscopy knowledge and both intention to receive a colonoscopy and documented receipt of colonoscopy. Colonoscopy knowledge score, generally high, was positively associated with intention to receive colonoscopy but not with receipt of colonoscopy within 1 year post-randomization. Knowledge score was, however, positively associated with certain perceived barriers to colonoscopy: embarrassment and having to take a powerful laxative. Conclusion: Knowledge is not sufficient to trigger colonoscopy uptake. If CRC screening promotion campaigns fail to acknowledge and address patients’ emotional barriers to colonoscopy, CRC screening rates will not improve. Clinical trials.gov: Identifier: NCT02392143.
Dietary alterations of fatty acids of erythrocytes and mitochondria of brain and liver.

SUMMARY The fatty acid composition of erythrocyte and liver mitochondrial lipids was readily and drastically altered by varying the fatty acid content of the diet. Nonessential polyunsaturated fatty acids were found in these tissues when the tissue level of linoleic acid fell below 10% of the total fatty acids. In essential fatty acid deficiency, two isomeric eicosatrienoic acids appeared, except when the diet supplied other more highly unsaturated nonessential fatty acids. Although brain mitochondrial lipids were relatively less affected by dietary manipulations, their fatty acid compositions could be significantly altered by variations of dietary fat; nonemential polyunsaturated fatty acids from cod liver oil were also incorporated into these lipids. It is postulated that such dterations in the polyunsaturated fatty acid content of phospholipids, other lipid complexes, or both, may be of importance in metabolism.
Control Efficacy of Cyantraniliprole against White Fly on Watermelon in Fields

In order to determine the control efficacy of cyantraniliprole against watermelon white fly, we compared the control efficacy of cyantraniliprole and imidacloprid with different concentrations against watermelon white fly. The results showed that, while were applied twice every seven days, the control efficiencies of cyantraniliprole were higher than 80% against the white fly adults and nymphs with active ingredient higher than 54 g/hm2seven days after the second spraying. In conclusion, cyanthraniliprole showed good control efficacy against watermelon white fly than imidaclorid, and cyantraniliprole could make the vine length increased, growth vigor strengthened and pests damage reduced.
Using Stakeholder Surveys in MPA Program Performance Measurement

The mission-driven planning and management process requires the systematic assessment of MPA program performance. An essential method in a comprehensive performance measurement system is the use of...
Stilbestrol-Induced Porphyria: Increase in Hepatic δ-Aminolevulinic Acid Synthetase

An increase in hepatic δ-aminolevulinic acid synthetase is demonstrated in a patient with cutaneous porphyria induced by stilbestrol. A genetically determined increase in this rate-limiting enzyme appears to be the basic abnormality in all of the hepatic porphyrias.
Human papillomavirus knowledge and intent to vaccinate among young college age males

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the United States and globally. The virus has the ability to be transmitted through sexual contact (vaginal, anal, and/or oral sex) and/or genital-to-genital (skin) contact. HPV types 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, and 45 are considered high risk factors for the development of anal, oral, and penile cancers among the male population. Unfortunately, there are no widely used screening tests for HPV-related anal, oral or penile cancers. This has allowed the virus to remain undetected and, as a result, the rate of male mortality to increase. Although the HPV vaccine has been recommended for both females and males 9 through 26 years of age, more females than males have received the vaccination. The purpose of this study was to assess knowledge of HPV, HPV-related disease, and intent to vaccinate among young college age males. Following IRB approval, a sample of 131 male students completed a self-administered, 54-question, paper-and-pencil questionnaire. The findings of this study indicated that a majority of participants had a general knowledge about HPV virus, many of the participants were unaware that HPV could present with no outward associated symptomology, that bleeding or bloody discharge could be a symptom of anal cancer, and that there is no cure for HPV infection. 60% were unaware of the availability of the HPV vaccine for male, greatly limiting the intent to potentially vaccinate. Healthcare providers should provide young males with information related to HPV infection, HPV-related disease, and vaccination.
The spectral parameter estimation method for parameter identification of linear fractional order systems

This paper presents a new method to identify unknown parameters of linear fractional order systems by discretizing it at the Gauss-Lobatto-Chebyshev collocation points. The proposed spectral parametric estimation method benefits from the spectral method exponential convergence feature and results in more accuracy in the estimated parameters and less computational time. The advantages of using the spectral parameter estimation method are shown in two examples. In the first example, a batch of five isothermal creep experimental data for an epoxy is used to estimate a simple solid viscoelastic model with fractional order. In the second example, the state matrix and fractional orders of a linear system with non-commensurate fractional order are estimated by using its input-output data disturbed by unknown white Gaussian measurement noise.
Sustainable Urban Water Supply Infrastructure

In this chapter we examine the dimensions of sustainability for urban water supply systems, beginning with a look at the state of current water supply systems in the developed world and drivers for sustainability in water infrastructure. We propose a new paradigm for urban water supply systems, one that integrates engineered and natural infrastructure. We conclude with consideration of the technological developments necessary to set us on the path toward sustainably engineered water supply systems.
Biologically Informed Individual-Based Network Model for Rift Valley Fever in the US and Evaluation of Mitigation Strategies.

Citation: Scoglio, C. M., Bosca, C., Riad, M. H., Sahneh, F. D., Britch, S. C., Cohnstaedt, L. W., & Linthicum, K. J. (2016). Biologically Informed Individual-Based Network Model for Rift Valley Fever in the US and Evaluation of Mitigation Strategies. Plos One, 11(9), 26. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0162759
Achieving the Optimal Result with the Modified-S Pattern for Scalp Reduction:

Scalp reduction continues to be an effective treatment of crown vertex alopecia. Success with this technique depends upon proper design and planning, good surgical technique, and proper patient sel...
Utilization of Continuous "Spinners" to Communicate Risk.

Background. As patients become more involved in their medical care, they must consider the specific probabilities of both positive and negative outcomes associated with different treatments. Patien...
Effect of Electrode Montage and Head Position on Air-Conducted Ocular Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potential.

Purpose The purpose of this investigation was to identify the optimal recording parameters for evoking the ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potential (oVEMP) using air-conduction stimuli. Method S...
Expanding the range of polyhydroxyalkanoates synthesized by methanotrophic bacteria through the utilization of omega-hydroxyalkanoate co-substrates

The first methanotrophic syntheses of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) that contain repeating units beyond 3-hydroxybutyrate and 3-hydroxyvalerate are reported. New PHAs synthesized by methanotrophs include poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate) (P(3HB-co-4HB)), poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-5-hydroxyvalerate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (P(3HB-co-5HV-co-3HV)), and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-6-hydroxyhexanoate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate) (P(3HB-co-6HHx-co-4HB)). This was achieved from a pure culture of Methylocystis parvus OBBP where the primary substrate is methane and the corresponding ω-hydroxyalkanoate monomers are added as a co-substrate after the cells are subjected to nitrogen-limited conditions.
An Analysis of Matching and Non-Matching Behavior Using a Single Key, Free Operant Procedure

Pigeons were trained to peck a response key divided into 2 halves by a vertical black line. The occurrence of a greater response rate when the colors on the 2 halves matched than when they did not was called a matching discrimination. The converse was called a non-matching discrimination. Matching and non-matching discrimination training procedures were used with the minimum number of training colors for defining a matching or non-matching discrimination. Generalization of the matching and non-matching discriminations to novel colors, both within and outside the range of training colors, was obtained.
Clinical Decision Support and Knowledge Management

Abstract The provision of computer-based advice and guidance has been one of the principal motivators for health information technology over more than 50 years of healthcare system development. Many ways to deliver clinical decision support (CDS) have been explored, with varying levels of success. Major barriers have been the silos created by individual health systems, both organizationally, and as a result of proprietary or unique implementations (of both electronic health record (EHR) systems and of CDS components themselves), unique data encoding and storage models of differing EHRs, nonstandard knowledge representations, and need for customizations to match workflow for individual implementations. These barriers have persisted despite much effort to create standards for CDS knowledge and interoperability of CDS functions. Coordination and update of the knowledge used throughout the healthcare system is challenging, limiting as the transformation to a more articulated health system is underway—as a consequence of increased demands for safety, quality, value, and care coordination. Strategies and approaches being explored include new infrastructure and CDS delivery models and the knowledge management capabilities to support them.
Ti segregation in regulating the stress and microstructure evolution in W-Ti nanocrystalline films

This paper explores the effect of Ti's segregation and corresponding effect on the intrinsic thin film growth stress and microstructural evolution in a series of W1-x(Ti)x alloys where x is varied from 0 to 20 at. %. We report that the addition of the Ti solute reduces the compressive W growth stress, with further reductions achieved through in-situ annealing during growth. Upon examination of the microstructure, Ti did not appear to have a dramatic effect in altering the film's grain size and distribution, but it did increase the fraction of low angle grain boundaries. We confirmed that the A15 to bcc W phase transformation, which occurs in the early stages of W growth, diminished with increasing Ti content. This has been explained with respect to Ti's preference for gettering residual oxygen, a known stabilizer for the A15 phase. Collectively, this work demonstrates the impact of solute segregation in the control of residual stresses, specific grain boundary formations, and phase transformation control ...
Psychological characteristics of expert decision makers

“When the expert entered the room, everyone knew it. There was a kind of aura which surrounded him.”
Probabilistic forecasts of service outage counts from severe weather in a distribution grid

In this work we develop a machine learning based model for computing a probabilistic prediction of the number of distribution grid customers that will lose power during a given severe weather event. The model takes as input a prediction of damage counts at the level of substation regions or service regions, as proposed in earlier work, and generates the customer count impact forecast in aggregate for the entire service territory (or a large region thereof). The relationship between damage count and customer count is highly noisy in general, given the branching structure of distribution grids. Here we exploit the fact that the noise reduces as the damage count increases and develop a Tobit model applicable for severe weather events. We validate the forecasting system using data from a utility.
Optimization of 6005 Aluminum Alloy Components

By comparing nine groups of experiments, the influences of Mg, Si, Cu and Mn on the strength, plasticity and conductivity of 6005 alloy were researched. The results show that α-Al, Mg2Si, Si and β-AlFeSi are mainly present in the as-cast microstructure of 6005 aluminum alloy. The strength, plasticity and electrical conductivity of the 6005 aluminum alloy of 9 groups were compared and then select a good overall performance of an alloy composition, which is Al–0.53Mg–0.72Si–0.2Cu–0.28Mn–0.18Cr–0.05Ti (wt%). The tensile strength, yield strength, elongation, hardness and electrical conductivity of the extruded alloy are 310.9, 280.1 MPa, 11.95%, 102.3 HV and 47.2% IACS, respectively, after solid solution, air-cooling and 175 °C × 8 h aging.
Geometric Constraint Decomposition

We present a flow-based method for decomposing the graph of a geometric constraint problem. The method fully generalizes degree-of-freedom calculations, prior approaches based on matching specific subgraph patterns, as well as prior flow-based approaches. Moreover, the method generically iterates to obtain a decomposition of the underlying algebraic system into small subsystems.
Activity-Dependent Regulation of Brain-derived neurotrophic factor Transcription

Transcription of Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf) is rapidly and robustly induced by neuronal activity, providing a powerful assay for the identification and characterization of neuronal activity-dependent transcriptional mechanisms. The Bdnf gene has a complex structure with multiple promoters that are differentially regulated by environmental stimuli through the activation of distinct complexes of activity-responsive transcription factors. Recent studies have revealed the importance of histone modifying enzyme complexes in the fine tuning of Bdnf transcription, including a role for the transcriptional repressor MeCP2, which is mutated in the human neurodevelopmental disorder Rett Syndrome. The cumulative data on transcriptional regulation of Bdnf paint a detailed portrait of this gene and define a number of key concepts for understanding the molecular mechanisms of long-lasting synaptic plasticity.
“I Always Wanted to See My Babies Grow Up”: Motherhood Experiences for Women Living Longer than Expected with HIV/AIDS

For women living longer than expected with HIV/AIDS, the opportunity to see their “babies grow up” becomes possible with access to improved medical care. Motherhood offers women with HIV/AIDS a reason for living and a valued position. Fifty-nine women living with HIV, from Oakland, California (n = 30) and Rochester, New York (n = 29), participated in an initial study on reproductive decisions (1995–2001). In the follow study (2005–2009), 51 women were living. The author completed face-to-face interviews with women (n = 36) for a follow-up rate of 70.6 %. Grounded theory qualitative methods of collaborative coding, memo writing, diagramming, and participant verification of analysis were used. The sample (n = 36) was predominantly women of color, with a mean age of 42.6 years. Half of the participants reported an annual household income of less than $15K. The majority had a current HIV status as asymptomatic. Most participants were single, and more than half had children living with them. Participants were living with HIV an average of 14.8 years. How women with increased longevity with HIV managed their “lost mothering” opportunities, as they defined loss, was interrelated with their attitudes about how mothers should care for their children and how participants’ related HIV stigmatization may affect their children. Mothering and reconciliation of past reproductive choices were influenced by the contexts of their social worlds and the historical contexts of the AIDS epidemic changing from a death sentence to a chronic disease. Multiple marginalization of social conditions emanate from gender, race, ethnicity and class, family relations, child custody issues, acute and chronic episodes and stage of illness, and for some, substance use and incarceration. The author developed the concept of “lost mothering” interpreting the interacting elements in situations. The findings have implications for developing innovative programs on mothering skills and assistance in reuniting families.