cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Primary and Recurrent Concomitant Genital Infection with Herpes Simplex Virus Types 1 and 2

isolates from the culture in lane 4 indicated that six were pure HSV-1 and five were pure HSV-2. Digestion of the HSV-1 and HSV-2 plaque isolates with the multiple restriction enzymes revealed identical patterns within each type and these patterns were identical to those of the viruses isolated from the recurrences in the man. Restriction enzyme analysis of the vulvar isolates from the woman also showed evidence of a mixed HSV-1 and HSV-2 infection and comparison of the restriction enzyme patterns between the plaque-purified HSV-1 and HSV-2 isolates from the two recurrences revealed identical patterns. Conclusions. Our results indicate that these patients had concomitant genital infection with both HSV-1 and HSV-2. These clinical and molecular epidemiologic data suggest that infection with HSV-1 and HSV-2 occurred either concurrently or successively and that both types subsequently became latent in one or more ganglia which innervate(s) the site of recurrence. While the possibility of repeated reinfection by the same sexual contacts cannot be eliminated completely, it is extremely unlikely, especially for the genital HSV-1 infections, as both patients denied frequent oral-genital exposure. Differences have previously been shown in the restriction enzyme patterns between widely spaced HSV-2 isolates from patients with recurrent genital herpes [2].
Mass Media: A Chronological Encyclopedia of Television, Radio, Motion Pictures, Magazines, Newspapers, and Books in the United States: By Robert V. Hudson. New York: Garland Publishing Inc., 1987. 435 pp. Index. Cloth, $39.95.

(1988). Mass Media: A Chronological Encyclopedia of Television, Radio, Motion Pictures, Magazines, Newspapers, and Books in the United States. American Journalism: Vol. 5, No. 1, pp. 51-53.
Alternatives to Hierarchy in Japan: Business Networks and Civic Entrepreneurship

Japan has often been described as a ‘network society’. Business networks are said to succeed as alternatives to markets and hierarchies by fostering cooperation and competition among members. Interpretations of existing business networks in Japan are biased toward the central state and big business, while failing to examine underlying power asymmetries, which have been masked by assumptions of ‘trusting’ relations between large firms and small. In essence, in Japan most networks are in fact hierarchies. High-technology small- and medium-sized firms that have de-linked and formed some kind of alternative (non-hierarchical) inter-firm interaction (network) type are much more innovative in terms of R&D output and new product creation than their ‘linked’ (ie to hierarchical production structures, or keiretsu) counterparts. In other words, de-linking, not firm location, is what matters. That said, there exist more independent firms in Kyoto, coupled with a sense of ‘civic entrepreneurship’. This civic-minded independent entrepreneurship dynamic leads to innovative outcomes, more so than in other regions in this study. I examine three local business networks: Kyoto's ‘Kiseiren’, Osaka's ‘TOPS Higashi Osaka’ and Tokyo's ‘O-net’. The most successful networks are enterprise-initiated and independent of state and big business. Emerging network forms are proving to be an important alternative to hierarchy in Japan.
Multiple Instance Mamdani Fuzzy Inference

A novel fuzzy learning framework that employs fuzzy inference to solve the problem of Multiple Instance Learning (MIL) is presented. The framework introduces a new class of fuzzy inference systems called Multiple Instance Mamdani Fuzzy Inference Systems (MIMamdani). In multiple instance problems, the training data is ambiguously labeled. Instances are grouped into bags, labels of bags are known but not those of individual instances. MIL deals with learning a classifier at the bag level. Over the years, many solutions to this problem have been proposed. However, no MIL formulation employing fuzzy inference exists in the literature. Fuzzy logic is powerful at modeling knowledge uncertainty and measurements imprecision. It is one of the best frameworks to model vagueness. However, in addition to uncertainty and imprecision, there is a third vagueness concept that fuzzy logic does not address quiet well, yet. This vagueness concept is due to the ambiguity that arises when the data have multiple forms of expression, this is the case for multiple instance problems. In this paper, we introduce multiple instance fuzzy logic that enables fuzzy reasoning with bags of instances. Accordingly, a MI-Mamdani that extends the standard Mamdani inference system to compute with multiple instances is introduced. The proposed framework is tested and validated using a synthetic dataset suitable for MIL problems. Additionally, we apply the proposed multiple instance inference to fuse the output of multiple discrimination algorithms for the purpose of landmine detection using Ground Penetrating Radar.
Abstract B091: Analysis of glial activation in a murine model of brain metastatic breast cancer

Brain metastasis represents a particularly challenging complication of breast cancer. It is estimated that in certain populations of cancer patients, approximately 10-15% have symptomatic brain metastases and as many as 30% reveal metastases on autopsy. The brain provides a unique microenvironment for tumor growth. It is a particularly difficult therapeutic target due to the complexity of brain function as well as the reduced access of therapeutic agents through the blood brain barrier (BBB). In fact, many of the newest and most effective treatments for primary breast cancer are ineffective in treating tumor metastases in the brain. It is becoming increasingly clear that prevention and treatment of brain metastatic breast cancer requires development of new, brain-specific treatments which can take into account this unique metastatic milieu and exploit innate mechanisms to fight tumor cell seeding, extravasation, and growth in the brain. In this study, we characterized pattern of glial activation in a murine model of brain metastatic breast cancer. We used a human breast adenocarcinoma cell line, MDA-MB-231BR-GFP, that exhibits selective metastatic tropism toward the brain. Three weeks after intracardiac injection of the cells into Nu/Nu mice, we observed the development of brain metastases. Using immunohistochemistry, we analyzed expression of glia-specific markers in the immediate vicinity of and away from metastatic breast tumors. We discovered that microglia and astrocytes are activated in the areas adjacent to tumor cells. The degree of activation diminishes considerably away from the tumors. The experimental data provide an insight into the pattern of glial activation in the setting of brain metastatic breast cancer. The results of our experiments also necessitate additional studies to improve our understanding about breast tumor metastasis to the brain. We are currently investigating mechanisms whereby glial activation may promote increased metastatic seeding of breast cancer cells. Our research focus has been on pro-inflammatory markers as potential mediators of glial activation on the entry of cancer cells to the brain. In addition, we have been examining possible contribution of glia in the disruption of the BBB and the increase in brain metastasis of breast cancer. These results provide a starting point for evaluating whether glia may directly contribute to breast cancer metastasis to the brain. Citation Format: Yuriy Shapovalov, Stacy A. Amico-Ruvio, Sara C. Spielman, Cassandra E. Lamantia, Edward B. Brown, III, Ania K. Majewska. Analysis of glial activation in a murine model of brain metastatic breast cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Advances in Breast Cancer Research: Genetics, Biology, and Clinical Applications; Oct 3-6, 2013; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2013;11(10 Suppl):Abstract nr B091.
Using Linguistic Networks to Explain Strength of Intellectual Property Rights

Summary What explains the strength of intellectual property rights (IPR)? While extant research would suggest democratic governments are better constrained to protect property rights, we are agnostic about this mechanism with respect to IPR. We argue IPR—distinct from physical property by their lack of geographical boundaries—are stronger in states not because property owners have a democratic voice, but because they can exit the state as an alternative. We test this argument using a newly constructed network variable that measures the degree of linguistic compatibility between states based on languages of education. We contend that the cost of exit is lower when the language of the intellectual property owner is widely used globally; and vice versa. This linguistic network variable improves on traditional common-language measures in that it considers the same language can be spoken in more than just a pair of dyads and that the education sector is an important arena for disseminating languages that need not be official. We find that (1) democracy has a weak and usually non-significant effect but (2) high linguistic compatibility has a strong and robust effect. The results call attention to the conceptual heterogeneity of property rights and the limited theoretical linkage between regime type and these bundles of rights.
SleepCoacher: A Personalized Automated Self-Experimentation System for Sleep Recommendations

We present SleepCoacher, an integrated system implementing a framework for effective self-experiments. SleepCoacher automates the cycle of single-case experiments by collecting raw mobile sensor data and generating personalized, data-driven sleep recommendations based on a collection of template recommendations created with input from clinicians. The system guides users through iterative short experiments to test the effect of recommendations on their sleep. We evaluate SleepCoacher in two studies, measuring the effect of recommendations on the frequency of awakenings, self-reported restfulness, and sleep onset latency, concluding that it is effective: participant sleep improves as adherence with SleepCoacher's recommendations and experiment schedule increases. This approach presents computationally-enhanced interventions leveraging the capacity of a closed feedback loop system, offering a method for scaling guided single-case experiments in real time.
Is the Construct of Relapse Heuristic, and Does It Advance Alcohol Use Disorder Clinical Practice?

Objective:Alcohol use disorder (AUD) relapse is a construct that has been of major clinical and research interest but has been inconsistently defined. The purpose of this study was to review the definitions of AUD relapse that have been used in clinical research as a basis for drawing conclusions about its heuristic value.Method:A systematic review of the literature was conducted on empirical studies that (a) were published in peer-reviewed journals, (b) were published between 2010 and 2015, (c) were written in English, and (d) provided a definition of alcohol relapse (or lapse) that was used in the study.Results:The review yielded 139 individual studies that met inclusion criteria. The studies showed wide variability in how relapse was defined and interpreted in the literature, and there was little direct empirical or theoretical rationale provided for the definitions of relapse that were chosen. Furthermore, the concept of AUD relapse as a discrete state is not consistent with the empirical literature o...
Development of an Assessment for Entrustable Professional Activity (EPA) 10: Emergent Patient Management.

ABSTRACT: Introduction. Medical schools in the United States are encouraged to prepare and certify the entrustment of medical students to perform 13 core entrustable professional activities (EPAs) prior to graduation. Entrustment is defined as the informed belief that the learner is qualified to autonomously perform specific patient care activities. Core EPA-10 is the entrustment of a graduate to care for the emergent patient. The purpose of this project was to design a realistic performance assessment method for evaluating fourth-year medical students on EPA-10. Methods. First, we wrote five emergent patient case-scenarios that a medical trainee would likely confront in an acute care setting. Furthermore, we developed high-fidelity simulations to realistically portray these patient case-scenarios. Finally, we designed a performance assessment instrument to evaluate the medical student’s performance on executing critical actions related to EPA-10 competencies. Critical actions included: triage skills, mustering the medical team, identifying causes of patient decompensation, and initiating care. Up to four students were involved with each case-scenario, however only the team leader was evaluated using the assessment instruments developed for each case. Results. One hundred fourteen students participated in the EPA-10 assessment during their final year of medical school. Most students demonstrated competence in recognizing unstable vital signs (97%), engaging the team (93%), and making appropriate dispositions (92%). Almost 87% of the students were rated as having reached entrustment to manage the care of an emergent patient (99 of 114). Inter-rater reliability varied by case-scenario, ranging from moderate to near perfect agreement. Three of five case-scenario assessment instruments contained items that were internally consistent at measuring student performance. Additionally, the individual item scores for these case scenarios were highly correlated with the global entrustment decision. Conclusions. High fidelity simulation showed good potential for effective assessment of medical student entrustment of caring for the emergent patient. Preliminary evidence from this pilot project suggests content validity of most cases and associated checklist items. The assessments also demonstrated moderately strong faculty inter-rater reliability.
Knockdown of the Transcription Factor PU.1 Causes Characteristic Transcriptional Changes in Hematopoietic Stem Cells Prior to Leukemic Transformation.

Abstract Knockdown of the expression of the transcription factor PU.1 in mice results in an initial preleukemic expansion of myeloid progenitors and subsequent transformation to an immature acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Recent reports suggest that functional inactivation of PU.1 might also play a role in human AML. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the malignant transformation are unknown. Examining the bone marrow of leukemic PU.1 knockdown mice we found an expansion of lin−, c-kit+, Sca1+ hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) as compared to wildtype animals. This finding prompted us to examine the transcriptome of HSC of PU.1 knockdown mice in the initial phase to look for early transcriptional changes underlying the malignant transformation. After lineage-depletion and FACS sorting of lin−, c-kit+, Sca1+ HSC we performed linear amplification of RNA which was then hybridized with Affymetrix Mouse Genome 430 2.0 arrays covering ~39,000 transcripts. Unsupervised hierarchical cluster analysis clearly distinguished PU.1 knockdown and wildtype HSC, demonstrating that reduced PU.1 expression levels lead to characteristic transcriptional changes in the stem cell compartment preceding the malignant transformation. 55 transcripts were upregulated, and 143 transcripts were downregulated in PU.1 knockdown HSC (>1.5-fold, p
Recent advances in the acquisition and use of terrain data for geoid modelling over the United States

For much of the past decade, high resolution geoid models have been produced at the National Geodetic Survey (NGS). The use of digital elevation models (DEMs) has been important to the computation of geoid models, but has also been one of the primary limitations of the geoid accuracy due to both poor data quality and a series of computational approximations. Recent steps have been taken at NGS to replace existing DEM data with data of finer resolution and higher quality. Additionally, new computational tools are being implemented which no longer rely on accuracy-reducing approximations. By moving toward more accurately computed terrain-induced gravity signals, errors in gravity anomalies exceeding tens of mGals have been removed, and subsequently centimeters of geoid accuracy have been gained.
Effects of forest-based bioenergy feedstock production on shallow groundwater quality of a drained forest soil.

Abstract Managed forests in southern U.S. are a potential source of lignocellulosic biomass for biofuel production. Changes in management practices to optimize biomass production may impact the quality of waters draining to nutrient-sensitive waters in coastal plain regions. We investigated shallow groundwater quality effects of intercropping switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) with managed loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) to produce bioenergy feedstock and quality sawtimber in a poorly drained soil of eastern North Carolina, U.S.A. Treatments included PINE (traditional pine production), PSWITCH (pine-switchgrass intercropped), SWITCH (switchgrass monoculture) and REF (mature loblolly pine stand). Each treatment was replicated three times on 0.8 ha plots drained by parallel-open ditches, 1.0–1.2 m deep and 100 m apart. Water samples were collected monthly or more frequently after fertilizer application. Water samples were analyzed for organic nitrogen (ON), ammonium N (NH4+- N), and nitrite+nitrate N (NO3−+ NO2−- N), ortohophosphate phosphorus (OP), and total organic carbon (TOC). Overall, PSWITCH did not significantly affect shallow groundwater quality relative to PINE and SWITCH. ON, NO3−+ NO2−- N, and TOC concentrations in PSWITCH, PINE and SWITCH were substantially elevated during the two years after tree harvest and site establishment. The elevated nutrient concentrations at the beginning of the study were likely caused by a combination of rapid organic matter decomposition of the abundant supply of post-harvest residues, warming of exposed soil surfaces and reduction of plant nutrient uptake that can occur after harvesting, and pre-plant fertilization. Nutrient concentrations returned to background levels observed in REF during the third year after harvest.
A cryptanalysis of the autokey cipher using the index of coincidence

Modern cryptography builds upon many of the concepts introduced in classical cryptography. This study contributes to research in these fields through a cryptanalysis of a polyalphabetic substitution cipher known as Autokey using Friedman's index of coincidence measure of text character frequency paired with modern computer programming and data collection techniques. Results indicate that under certain constraints on the encrypting key, the index of coincidence can be applied to text decrypted using a small sample of random keys of various lengths to accurately predict the length of the encryption key.
On properly characterizing moral agency

Doris (2015b) develops a theory of moral agency to avoid a skeptical challenge arising from psychology studies indicating that (im)moral behavior is caused by trivial situational factors. His theory is flawed in attending only to situational influences on behavior and neglecting individual differences such as moral identity and virtue. A focus on individual differences in resilience to influence from trivial situational factors defangs the skeptical challenge and offers a better account of moral agency.
Microstructure and cementation of two carbonatic fine-grained soils

This paper presents an investigation of the microstructure and cementation of two carbonatic fine-grained soils obtained from a deposit of lacustrine origin formed during the Wisconsin glaciation. ...
Neural Control of the Heartbeat and Skeletal Muscle in Spiders and Scorpions

Neural control of muscle systems in arachnids is poorly understood in comparison to the other large classes of arthropods, namely the crustaceans and insects. The vast majority of arachnid studies have involved spiders and scorpions, and they have been directed primarily to the muscles of the heart and leg. In this report, the existing information on the neural control of these muscles will be summarized.
Naked-eye Astronomy for Cultural Astronomers

Cultural astronomy is an interdisciplinary field that attracts students from a variety of backgrounds. Many students have a background in astronomy, but even in astronomy departments students are not taught some of the most basic elements of the night sky needed for cultural astronomy research. For example, few students are taught constellation identification which is part of the foundation of cultural astronomy research. This paper seeks to introduce students to the information and skills needed to do cultural astronomy research effectively.
Introduction: La Politica

A meeting between President Bush and President Fox seemed to signal a cooperative spirit regarding immigration. What happened?
Loss of Gadd45b accelerates BCR-ABL-driven CML

Gadd45b is a member of Gadd45 stress sensor protein family that also includes Gadd45a & Gadd45g. To investigate the effect of Gadd45b in bcr-abl oncogene driven chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) development, syngeneic wild type lethally irradiated mice were reconstituted with either wild type or Gadd45b null myeloid progenitors transduced with a retroviral vector expressing BCR-ABL. Loss of Gadd45b was observed to accelerate BCR-ABL driven CML development with shortened median mouse survival time. BCR-ABL Gadd45b deficient CML progenitors exhibited increased proliferation and decreased apoptosis, associated with hyper-activation of c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase and Stat5. These results provide novel evidence that gadd45b, like gadd45a, functions as a suppressor of BCR-ABL driven leukemia, albeit via a different mechanism.
Theorizing Other Asian Cinemas: The Sensorium of Transcaucasia

In her 2008 book Other Asias, Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak briefly grapples with the example of Armenia in her attempt to pluralize “Asia-s.” Focusing on cinematic representation, film culture, and theory, my chapter builds upon Spivak’s invitation, and my own previous work on Asian cinemas, to further develop a conceptualization of what might be called “other” or intersectional Asian cinema. I review related interdisciplinary scholarship to contextualize Armenia and the need for broader regional reassessment of Transcaucasia/Eurasia. Interstitial geocultural status, historical legacies, representational practices, and ongoing border conflicts are some of the factors that make this topic particularly compelling and complicated. I discuss key Armenian and Transcaucasian films, and film-cultural events and phenomena, in a dialogic exploration that seeks to open up discursive and intersensorial spaces for critical reconsideration of the concept of Asia/Asian Cinema.
Is less more … or is more less? Scaling the political ecologies of the future

Abstract Imagining progressive environmental futures, especially among critical scholars, can be a fraught enterprise. While some theorists and activists turn towards the social emancipatory power of modern technological interventions at scale, others point to the revolutionary power of degrowth, simplicity, and conviviality. These competing political geographical imaginaries are often strident in their response to one another, though they share core materialist commitments. This essay reviews these contrasting approaches in light of the tradition of political ecology, within the context of an Earth economy that is trending towards higher levels of energy and lower levels of human labor, weighing the degree to which the work and conclusions of political ecologists are congruent with either perspective, neither perspective, or both. The conclusions suggest that, while these two traditions have inverse, or at least orthogonal, views of economic scale, they may not be beyond compromise. Socialist modernism and degrowth sprouted from the same seed, share a political ecological tradition, and may indeed require one another. Eschewing both utopian and dystopian aspirations may open the door to progressive reconciliation and action.
Three Simple Spectrophotmetric Methods Using for Estimation of Vancomycin in Pure and Vial Injection

Three rapid, accurate and ecological friendly spectrophotometric methods are used for determination of Vancomycin at wavelength 200 nm for the zero-order method, 195-205 nm for the area under the curve (AUC) method and 200 nm for the first derivative method(D1). A calibration graph shows that Beer's law is obeyed over the concentration range between 4-16 mg.L-1 for all three methods with a correlation coefficient of 0.994, 0.998 and 0.997 for zero-order, AUC and D1 at valley 200 nm, respectively. Average of Rec.% were found to be of 100.870, 101.425 and 99.515 for zero-order, AUC and D1 at valley 200 nm, respectively. Statistical analysis of data reveals that all three methods are precise, accurate and suitable for the application Vancomycin in pure and pharmaceutical preparations.
1-Node Transient Models

A basic philosophy of this book is to develop a modeling approach that considers “the big picture” first, and then more detail only if needed. Since heat transfer rates are driven by temperature differences, the first step in analyzing heat transfer problems is usually to solve for the temperature field, which depends on spatial position and time. Numerical analyses involve the discretization of space (breaking the physical region into discrete subelements) and time (taking finite steps forward in time). This chapter considers “1-node” models, where the region of space in question is lumped into a single node. Time dependence often results in easily solved ordinary differential equations, or ones that can be easily solved numerically. By treating a defined system as a single object with average properties, that is, as a single node, a first approximation can often be made that is either sufficient to make design decisions, or directs attention to intelligently develop a more detailed approach. Furthermore, key functional relationships and associated insights are obtained with relatively little mathematical complexity.
Cytochrome P450 Metabolism Leads to Novel Biological Sterols and Other Steroids

Cytochrome P450 (P450, CYP) enzymes were identified as catalysts in some of the early work on steroid metabolism, and today the roles of these enzymes are understood in the metabolism of a variety of these molecules, including several key steps in both the biosynthesis and the degradation of cholesterol. Similar pathways are found in microorganisms and plants for synthesis of the corresponding sterols. However, the classic “linear” pathways of sterol and steroid metabolism do not fully explain the balance of the mammalian pathways. P450 7A1 is involved in the synthesis of the oxysterols, which can have deleterious biological activities. Human P450s 7A1, 11A1, 27A1, and 46A1 oxidize other sterols in addition to cholesterol, including precursors in both the Bloch and the Kandutsch–Russell pathways. P450 3A4 catalyzes cholesterol 4β-hydroxylation, and accordingly cholesterol is an inhibitor of the oxidation of drugs by this enzyme. In the synthesis and processing of hormonal steroids, a number of new reactions have been identified. These include the synthesis of 19-carboxy-testosterone and -androstenedione by P450 19A1, the oxidation of 5α-dihydrotestosterone by P450s 19A1 and 3A4, and several new D- and B-ring hydroxylations of progesterone and pregnenolone by P450 17A1. The biological activities of most of these new P450 products of sterols and other steroids are yet uncharacterized.
Repeat-Pass Interferometric Speckle

The Gaussian speckle model for homogeneously distributed targets is commonly assumed to apply in repeat-pass radar interferometric analyses, for instance, in deformation estimation. This is despite widespread evidence from snapshot intensity observations indicating deviations from Gaussianity, as many natural land surfaces are intrinsically heterogeneous. The concern is that neglecting heterogeneity will deteriorate the phase estimates and induce underestimation of the uncertainty. Here, we introduce and theoretically characterize compound models that extend the Gaussian speckle model for repeat-pass stacks by representing heterogeneity in intensity and phase. In two L-band repeat-pass data sets, we find pervasive deviations from Gaussianity. Our estimates suggest that the heterogeneity in intensity is largely due to time-invariant, rather than dynamic, texture. Deviations from Gaussianity associated with phase heterogeneity are generally less pronounced. One notable exception with large estimated phase heterogeneity occurs over a permafrost wetland, where degrading ice wedges induce subsidence that is variable on the resolution scale. For deformation analyses, accounting for heterogeneity has, on average, a moderate impact on the phase estimates and the estimated phase uncertainty, which increases by 10% on average. However, in intrinsically heterogeneous areas, such as the permafrost wetland, the accuracy of the phase estimate can realistically improve by up to 20%, and the predicted phase uncertainty increases by 30%. The improvements in phase estimation accuracy and in the quality of the uncertainty estimates when accounting for heterogeneous speckle can, on occasion, make a notable difference for subtle or small-scale deformation.
Brief Report: Participation Among Transition-Aged Youth With Traumatic Brain Injury in the State/Federal Vocational Rehabilitation System:

This study aimed to understand the level of participation among transition-aged youth with traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the State/Federal Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) System in the context of ...
Use of the composite asthma severity index in a pediatric subspecialty clinic.

Abstract Background The Composite Asthma Severity Index (CASI) is a comprehensive tool to assess asthma severity, which has been applied in the research setting. Objective To evaluate, in an outpatient setting, whether a CASI score accurately predicts asthma severity or control as determined by means of subspecialist assessment. Asthma Control Test (ACT) and childhood ACT (C-ACT) scores were generated to provide additional context for CASI scores in relationship to assessments using another clinical tool. Methods Children aged 5 to 18 years with a physician diagnosis of persistent asthma were recruited from a tertiary care center. A pediatric pulmonologist made determinations on each participant’s asthma severity and control during a clinic visit. A CASI and ACT/C-ACT score was generated for each patient. Logistic regression and Spearman correlations were used to determine how well CASI scores predicted physician assessments. Agreement between ACT/C-ACT scores and physician assessment of asthma control was determined in supplemental analyses. Results CASI scores strongly predicted physician assessment of severity (Spearman correlation = 0.61, P Conclusion Use of the CASI was feasible and accurately predicted physician assessments of asthma severity and control in this sample, which are not distinct entities. The CASI is a robust tool that may be used successfully in ambulatory pediatric asthma care.
Flexural modes coupling in cantilever-type piezoelectric energy harvesters

Abstract The ability to harness the waste mechanical energy and convert it into useful electrical power has made kinetic energy harvesters a promising candidate to provide an everlasting energy source for wireless autonomous devices. Nonlinearities, whether introduced deliberately for the sake of bandwidth broadening or present intrinsically, can highly influence the dynamic response and output power behavior of these type of energy scavengers. This paper aims to investigate the effect of nonlinearity on multi-mode vibrational response of a harvester composed of a cantilevered piezoelectric composite beam with an attached mass of finite dimensions. To that end, first of all a 3-DoF lumped parameter coupled electromechanical model of the device is developed through a comprehensive mathematical approach and its mode shapes and natural frequencies are calculated. The perturbation method of multiple scales is then applied to obtain the steady state solutions to the extracted order-reduced governing equations of the system. Results indicate that a harvester with a cubic attached mass exhibits a simple Duffing-type resonance as the excitation frequency falls in the vicinity of each natural frequency. That occurs while for a U-shaped mass the vibration modes would be coupled through occurrence of an internal resonance. In this latter case, both flexural modes of the piezoelectric beam are stimulated by a single frequency excitation and contribute to the power generation leading to an enhancement of the total output power which is the major advantage of the proposed design in this paper compared to the other existing energy harvesters. The frequency response curves of the output power are found to be composed of four branches and include Hopf bifurcations and instability regions. To verify the results obtained from the analytical approach, they are compared to a numerical solution where a good agreement is observed between them.
Bridging the Gaps between Plant and Human Health: A Systematic Review of Soyasaponins

Saponins, prominent secondary plant metabolites, are recognized for their roles in plant defense and medicinal benefits. Soyasaponins, commonly derived from legumes, are a class of triterpenoid saponins that demonstrate significant potential for plant and human health applications. Previous research and reviews largely emphasize human health effects of soyasaponins. However, the biological effects of soyasaponins and their implications for plants in the context of human health have not been well-discussed. This review provides comprehensive discussions on the biological roles of soyasaponins in plant defense and rhizosphere microbial interactions; biosynthetic regulation and compound production; immunological effects and potential for therapeutics; and soyasaponin acquisition attributed to processing effects, bioavailability, and biotransformation processes based on recent soyasaponin research. Given the multifaceted biological effects elicited by soyasaponins, further research warrants an integrated approach to understand molecular mechanisms of regulations in their production as well as their applications in plant and human health.
An empirical evaluation of earth’s surface air temperature response to radiative forcing, including feedback, as applied to the CO2-climate problem

Several natural experiments are analyzed to yield equilibrium values of a surface air temperature response function and a feedback factor for Earth’s atmosphere. The former parameter, the change in surface air temperature induced by a change in radiant energy absorbed at the surface, is demonstrated to have a value of about 0.1 K (Wm−2)−1; while the latter parameter, the ratio of feedback-induced change in radiant energy to the surface of the Earth divided by an initial or primary change in radiant energy to the Earth’s surface, is demonstrated to have a value of about 1.25. These two numbers imply that the maximum warming to be expected from a doubling of Earth’s atmospheric CO2 concentration from 300 to 600 ppm is only about 0.1 K, a result so small as to possibly be completely counter-balanced by the CO2-induced reduction of solar radiation transmission to the Earth’s surface.
SOBOLEV ESTIMATES FOR OPERATORS GIVEN BY AVERAGES OVER CONES

We prove a result related to work by A. Greenleaf and G. Uhlmann concerning Sobolev estimates for operators given by averages over cones. This is done using the almost orthogonality lemma of Cotlar and Stein, and the van der Corput lemma on oscillatory integrals. 0. INTRODUCTION This paper is inspired by [GU1, Theorem 3.23]. To state the result we need to introduce some notions, following [GU1]. Let (M, g) be an n dimensional riemannian manifold. We consider a C°° map ty°: M x sm-1 X Ilt > S(TM), with S(TM) the unitary tangent bundle on M, such that for any x E Iltn the map sm--1 3 S > ey°(x,s,0) E S(TXM) is an embedding with image eYx C S(TzM). We define a: M x sm-1 X 2 > M by (x, , r) = expX (r ° (x, , r)) Let r-{ (x, (X: , r)} as the variables (x, , r) vary in the support of the distribution K() defined below. Consider now K(x, , r) E zD'(M x Sm-1 x R), a distributiorl with very small support whith the following properties. First of all we fix a number ,u, with 0 < ,u < m. Then K(x,x, r) is a smooth function for r 7& 0 satisfying the inequalities (0.1.a) l0(x )0l K(X, a,, r) I < cOg,I r-8-l . Moreover, if ,u = m, for any pair of small positive nurnbers O < e < ry, (0.1.b) | / a(az g)X(x U r)drl < ca
Managed Competition in U.S. Telecommunications

The 1996 Telecommunications Act represents a major turn in U.S. policy towards "deregulation." Instead of tying price deregulation to the opening of entry in a market that has been regulated for decades, the Act creates a maze of new regulatory responsibilities for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the states. Incumbent local telephone companies, who were being freed from cost-based regulation prior to 1996, are now subject to detailed regulation of their wholesale services. Specifically, they must "unbundle" their network facilities into a large number of components and lease these components or "elements" to entrants at cost. Moreover, the Bell companies are not permitted to compete with long distance companies until they satisfy regulators that they have complied with a large number of interconnection requirements. This complex new regulatory regime has been the source of three years of regulatory battles and legal challenges and has needlessly delayed facilities-based entry into telecommunications. It would be far better if the FCC and the states were to pursue a strategy of full deregulation. The regulators should announce a date sufficiently far in the future at which all rate and entry regulation will cease, much as the Congress did for airlines in 1978. This would place potential competitors and customers on notice that fully flexible rates will be in place on this date and that new opportunities could be available for both. It also would reduce the value of rent seeking before the regulatory commissions and the never-ending cycle of rulemakings and court appeals.
Physical Activity in Middle‐Aged Adults Reduces Risks of Functional Impairment Independent of Its Effect on Weight

OBJECTIVES: To assess the association between physical activity and subsequent physical functioning in middle-aged adults across a range of body mass index (BMI) categories. DESIGN: Prospective nationally representative cohort studies. SETTING: The United States and England. PARTICIPANTS: Eight thousand seven hundred two individuals in the United States and 1,507 in England aged 50 to 69 and free of impairment at baseline, followed up for 6 years. MEASUREMENTS: Self-reported and measured BMI and self-reported level of physical activity. Outcome measures were score on a physical performance battery and self-reported mobility impairment. RESULTS: In both studies, being overweight and being obese were associated with greater risk of impairment (than being of recommended weight). In all weight categories and both countries, higher levels of physical activity were associated with lower risks of mobility impairment. For example, U.S. respondents of recommended weight (BMI 20–25) who were active on 3 or more days per week had a relative risk (RR) of incident mobility difficulties, compared with those who were less active, of 0.56 (95% confidence interval (CI)=0.40–0.78); for those who were obese (BMI ≥30) the corresponding RR was 0.59 (95% CI=0.45–0.76). CONCLUSION: Excess bodyweight is a risk factor for impaired physical function in middle-aged and older people. Physical activity is protective of impaired physical functioning in this age group in subjects with recommended weight, overweight, and obesity. Older adults should be encouraged to engage in appropriate levels of physical activity irrespective of their weight.
A scarce resource in undergraduate software engineering courses: user interface design materials

A recent survey by Leventhal and Mynatt (1987) has suggested that user interface issues have become one of the major topics in undergraduate software engineering courses. In their view, this emphasis potentially presents numerous difficulties for the software engineering educator. In particular, issues of instructor training and availability of suitable materials arise as problem areas. In order to more effectively incorporate user interface concepts into undergraduate software engineering courses, a compact body of material has been developed. This body of material incorporates both practical guidelines to interface design, and discussion of a major theoretical issue in interface design. The material is described in some detail, and observations about its usefulness are included.
CATTLE STOCK AND THE ANALYSIS OF TOTAL MEAT PRODUCTION IN THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA

Over the last few decades cattle stock has been greatly reduced and therefore the production of all kinds of meat has been reduced as well, as a result of those changes. This work shows, based on the data of the Republic Bureau of Statistics, the results of cattle stock and total meat production variability in Serbia for the period from 2000 to 2009. In 2009 the production of all kinds of meat was 457.000 tons which was 1,5% less than in 2008 and 3,4% less than in 2000. However, in 2009 the production of beef was 1% higher than in 2008, as well as the production of mutton and lamb – 8,7% and the production of poultrymeat – 5,3% higher than in 2008. The biggest fall – 5,3% was recorded in the production of pork. If compared to the production in 2000, the production of mutton and lamb was 31,6% higher, the production of poultrymeat was 19,4% higher, while the production of beef was 2,9% less and the production of pork was 11% less. Thanks to the Government of the Republic of Serbia measures for stimulating cattle breeding, cattle breeding has slowly been taking the place that it deserves in the economy again.
Exploring the path from foster care to stable and lasting adoption: Perceptions of foster care alumni

Abstract This qualitative study explored perceptions of youth with foster care experiences, regarding successful adoption. A purposive sample of 16 participants was recruited and convened in two groups. Semi-structured focus groups were audiotaped, transcribed, and analyzed using theoretical thematic analysis. Emergent themes were organized within a theoretical framework consisting of child, family, and system facilitators and barriers to successful adoption. Themes that strongly emerged redounded to a more youth-centered adoption process and to significant changes in practices and policies regarding parent–child matching, adoptive parent preparation, youths' supports, service quality and effectiveness, and overall systems' understanding and response to trauma.
Trajectories of smoking behavior as a function of mood and satisfaction with life: What matters most?

Abstract Background Worldwide, tobacco use causes more than 5 million deaths per year. The present study investigated possible preventative factors of nicotine dependence, such as mood and Satisfaction With Life (SWL). Methods Longitudinal Internet survey of 1957 individuals assessed three times at a two week interval (2007–2010). Outcome measures: Cigarette Dependence Scale (CDS), feeling prisoner to cigarettes, smoking cessation, reduction, and relapse. Predictors: Time (i.e. trajectory of dependence over time), smoking status (daily, occasional or ex-smoker), mood, and SWL. All measures were assessed at each time point. Results Both SWL, and mood, respectively were significantly associated with dependence (slope SWL =−0.03, slope SWL =−0.11, ps SWL =−0.14, p occasional =−0.28, p occasional =0.011; slope ex =−0.27, p ex mood =1.43, p mood SWL =1.15, p SWL =0.042). Reduction in smoking was predicted by SWL only (OR SWL =1.21, p =0.043), whereas relapse was predicted by mood only (OR mood =0.55, p Limitations The participants were self-selected. Possible confounding relationships (e.g., medication) have to be further assessed. Conclusions Cigarette dependence, feeling prisoner to cigarettes, cessation, and reduction are significantly influenced by both mood and SWL. Treatments may thus tackle mood regulation, SWL, and nicotine dependence in tandem.
Multiresolution parametric spectral estimation

Parametric spectral estimation in conjunction with multiple band analysis is proposed for multiresolution spectral estimation. Several autoregressive estimators are compared in this multiresolution context, with the windowed recursive least squares algorithm providing better frequency tracking than the exponential forgetting least squares algorithm, and requiring fewer computations than the Burg algorithm. A multifrequency signal experiment shows that the multiresolution parametric spectral estimation method can provide better time and frequency resolution than the Morlet wavelet transform. >
Polarimetric backscatter response of targets at high millimeter-wave frequencies

The radar's antenna usually determines the total size and weight of the radar since in most applications a narrow beam is required. Reduction in antenna size can be achieved without compromising its beam performance if its operating frequency were to be increased proportionally. Hence, if higher operating frequency is selected for a given radar application, then a smaller antenna can be designed, resulting in a more compact and light weight system; however, there are variations in the free-space path loss and the target radar cross section that need to be accounted for. For short range radar applications, such as vehicle collision avoidance, concealed weapons detection, target imaging, and aircraft assistive landing, millimeter-wave (MMW) radars (predominantly operating below 100 GHz) have become increasingly the systems of choice in these applications. Limitations in hardware performance in the upper portion of the millimeter-wave frequency band (between 200 GHz and 300 GHz) and the lack of phenomenological studies of terrain have kept these frequencies off limits for the aforementioned radar applications. Recent advancements in solid-state technologies have resulted in improved RF components operating in the upper millimeter-wave frequency range and into the terahertz domain. As a result there has been renewed interest in radar systems operating in the higher MMW frequencies. Unfortunately, the literature, with regard to the radar backscatter behavior of natural terrain at these frequencies, is rather limited in terms of target types, angular ranges, and polarizations. Knowledge of the expected radar return from natural and manmade targets is important for both modeling the targets and for the design of radar systems optimized for a specific application.
Amino sugar sensitivity in Escherichia coli mutants unable to grow on N-acetylglucosamine.

Studies were conducted on two mutants of Escherichia coli that lack either glucosamine-6-phosphate deaminase or N-acetylglucosamine-6-phosphate deacetylase and which accumulate glucosamine-6-phosphate or N-acetylglucosamine-6-phosphate, respectively, when grown in the presence of N-acetylglucosamine. The addition of 10−4 to 10−5mN-acetylglucosamine to these mutant strains caused a rapid and complete inhibition of growth on substrates that enter the catabolic pathways at or below the level of fructose-6-phosphate. Growth on glucose was inhibited to a lesser degree, whereas only minor inhibition occurred when the pentoses were used as substrates. Growth on gluconate was found to be totally unaffected by these levels of N-acetylglucosamine. The objective of this investigation was to determine the nature of this “amino sugar sensitivity” phenomenon and the conditions under which it could be overcome. It was found that this amino sugar sensitivity was abolished when an exogenous source of pentose such as uridine was included in the culture medium. Experiments are described indicating that the accumulated amino sugar phosphate metabolites interfere with an early step in hexose metabolism of both mutants, resulting in a pentose deficiency and consequent inhibition of growth on certain substrates.