cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analysis of climate trends in North Carolina (1949-1998).

North Carolina has one of the most complex climates in the United States (U.S.). Analysis of the climate in this state is critical for agricultural and planning purposes. Climate patterns and trends in North Carolina are analyzed for the period 1949-1998. Precipitation, minimum temperature, and maximum temperature are analyzed on seasonal and annual time scales using data collected from the National Weather Service Cooperative Observer Network. Additionally, changes in patterns of occurrence of the last spring freeze and first fall freeze are investigated. Linear time series slopes are analyzed to investigate the spatial and temporal trends of climate variability in North Carolina. Spatial analysis of climate variability across North Carolina is performed using a geographic information system. While most trends are local in nature, there are general statewide patterns. Precipitation in North Carolina has increased over the past 50 years during the fall and winter seasons, but decreased during the summer. Temperatures during the last 10 years are warmer than average, but are not warmer than those experienced during the 1950s. The warm season has become longer, as measured by the dates of the last spring freeze and first fall freeze. Generally, the last 10 years were the wettest of the study period. These conclusions are consistent with earlier studies that show that the difference between the maximum and minimum temperatures is decreasing, possibly due to increased cloud cover and precipitation. Similarly, these results show that temperature patterns are in phase with the North Atlantic Oscillation and precipitation patterns appear to be correlated with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation.
A FUNCTIONAL GTPASE DOMAIN, BUT NOT ITS TRANSMEMBRANE DOMAIN, IS REQUIRED FOR FUNCTION OF THE SRP RECEPTOR BETA -SUBUNIT

The signal recognition particle and its receptor (SR) target nascent secretory proteins to the ER. SR is a heterodimeric ER membrane protein whose subunits, SRalpha and SRbeta, are both members of the GTPase superfamily. Here we characterize a 27-kD protein in Saccharomyces cerevisiae (encoded by SRP102) as a homologue of mammalian SRbeta. This notion is supported (a) by Srp102p's sequence similarity to SRbeta; (b) by its disposition as an ER membrane protein; (c) by its interaction with Srp101p, the yeast SRalpha homologue; and (d) by its role in SRP-dependent protein targeting in vivo. The GTP-binding site in Srp102p is surprisingly insensitive to single amino acid substitutions that inactivate other GTPases. Multiple mutations in the GTP-binding site, however, inactivate Srp102p. Loss of activity parallels a loss of affinity between Srp102p and Srp101p, indicating that the interaction between SR subunits is important for function. Deleting the transmembrane domain of Srp102p, the only known membrane anchor in SR, renders SR soluble in the cytosol, which unexpectedly does not significantly impair SR function. This result suggests that SR functions as a regulatory switch that needs to associate with the ER membrane only transiently through interactions with other components.
Pharmacokinetics of the Newer Benzodiazepines

The assay methods used to determine the concentrations of the newer benzodiazepines include electron-capture gas-liquid chromatography, high performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, radioassay and radioreceptor assay. The method used frequently is the highly sensitive and specific electron-capture gas-liquid chromatography. Other methods are associated with limitations. The triazolo- and imidazolebenzodiazepines differ structurally from the 'classical' benzodiazepines such as diazepam, and offer distinct differences in pharmacological activity and in time-course of effect. Alprazolam and triazolam, both 1,4-triazolobenzodiazepines, have high affinities for the benzodiazepine receptor as do midazolam and loprazolam, which are 1,4-imidazolebenzodiazepines. Absorption is characteristically rapid, with peak alprazolam and triazolam concentrations occurring within 1 hour after oral administration. Sublingual administration results in peak alprazolam and triazolam concentrations that are higher and occur earlier than with the oral route. The volume of distribution of alprazolam and triazolam is approximately 1L. Alprazolam is 70% bound to plasma proteins and the extent of binding is independent of concentration. Similarly, triazolam is approximately 85% bound to plasma proteins, variability in binding being explained by variations in alpha 1-acid glycoprotein concentration. The 1,4-triazolo ring prevents the oxidative metabolism of the classical benzodiazepines which results in formation of active metabolites with long elimination half-lives. Alprazolam is extensively metabolised: 29 metabolites have been identified in the urine, and its major metabolite, alpha-hydroxyalprazolam, has pharmacological activity. alpha-Hydroxyalprazolam and 4-hydroxyalprazolam are detectable in plasma in amounts which account for less than 10% of the administered dose. Mean alprazolam elimination half-life in healthy adult subjects ranges from 9.5 to 12 hours; liver disease prolongs alprazolam elimination, but renal insufficiency does not. Triazolam also undergoes oxidation and subsequent glucuronidation. alpha-Hydroxytriazolam is the major metabolite, in addition to which 4-hydroxyalprazolam and alpha-4-hydroxytriazolam have been identified in plasma and urine. The elimination half-life of triazolam ranges between 1.8 and 5.9 hours, while that of the conjugated metabolites is short, approximately 3.8 hours. Accumulation of triazolam or its metabolites after multiple doses does not occur. Liver disease prolongs triazolam elimination from the body, but renal disease does not.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Hydrogen peroxide inhibits glucose metabolism and collagen synthesis in bone.

Effects of H2O2 on bone were evaluated in an organ culture system. Tibiae from chick embryos were incubated for up to 3 days in culture medium containing 0.07 to 20 mM H2O2. Glucose metabolism was monitored by measuring lactate production and oxygen consumption, and collagen synthesis was determined by hydroxylation of proline. In addition to markedly inhibiting these parameters, H2O2 also decreased bone weight and alkaline Phosphatase activity. Multiple exposures to H2O2 were somewhat more effective than a single exposure. Since H2O2 inhibits bone at low concentrations in vitro, the results suggest that the potential for harmful effects of H2O2 in the oral cavity should be investigated.
Ethnicity and Preference for Natural Settings: A Review and Recent Findings

Kaplan, R. and Talbot, J.F., 1988. Ethnicity and preference for natural settings: a review and recent.findings. Landscape Urban Plann., IS. 107-117. Substantial differences have been found between the recreational pursuits of blacks and w1hite.s. In the related area sf environmental preference, however, agreement generally exists across many cultural groups. None the less, the existence of some discrepant findings suggests that f3rther explorations of black and white preferences for the nearby natural environment are appropriate. This paper addresses three spec(jic issues. Are there substantial ethnic differences in preference? Are there identifiable environmental variables underlying such differences? If differences exist, do they rejlect differing preferences for built as opposed to natural settings? A literature review and the results efa three-phase photograph study suggest answers to these questions. Substantial preference differences do exist, and they show strikingly consistent patterns. At the same time, blacks and whites clearly share a very high regard-for their nearby natural surroundings. This is a vital aspect of‘ the everyday environment which requires design and management solutions that are responsive to these ethnic variations in preferences.
Polymer films on electrodes: Part XV. The incorporation of Ru(bpy)2+3 into polymeric films generated by electrochemical polymerization of 2,2'-bipyrazine (bpz) and Ru(bpz)2+3

Abstract Modified glassy carbon electrodes have been prepared by anodic oxidation of solutions of Ru(bpz)2+3 (bpz = 2,2'-bipyrazine) or bpz. A measurement of film resistance indicates ϱ = ∼106 ω for the ‘bpz’ film. These electrodes readily incorporate Ru(bpy)2+3 (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine) and cyclic voltammetry in pure supporting electrolyte solution yields reversible redox waves corresponding to the Ru(bpy) 3+ 2+ 3 couple. The thickness of films deposited by the above technique can be systematically varied by altering the duration of electropolymerization, and the surface concentration of incorporated Ru(bpy)2+3 varies accordingly. The cyclic voltammograms exhibit surface film behavior for the thin films while the behavior for thick films is diffusional in nature (apparent diffusion coefficient, Dapp = 2.2 × 10−9 cm2/s for films ∼ 1.6 μm thick). The concentration of surface-confined polypyridyl complex can be as high as 3.5 × 10−8 mol/cm2 of electrode area (i.e., an effective bulk concentration of 0.22 M for a 1.6 μm film) but gradual loss of electroactive material is observed upon cycling the potential between the redox waves. The loss of material does not occur, however, in 5 × 10−5M Ru(bpy)2+3. Incorporation of Ru(bpy)2+3 from solutions at pH 10.5 led to voltammograms with an additional reversible couple (E 1 2 = 0.69 V vs. SSCE), believed to arise from the decomposition of Ru(bpy)3+3 at high pH. Electrogenerated Ru(bpy)3+3 in the film reacts with oxalate ions in solution to produce chemiluminescence. The films are completely porous to hydroquinone dissolved in the supporting electrolyte (0.05 M phosphate buffer; 0.1 M Na2SO4; pH 4.8) and the hydroquinone—quinone couple is considerably more reversible at these modified electrodes; however, a similar increase in reversibility is observed at the bare electrode following anodization in 7 M H2SO4.
Differential control of ethylene responses by GREEN-RIPE and GREEN-RIPE LIKE1 provides evidence for distinct ethylene signaling modules in tomato

The factors that mediate specific responses to the plant hormone ethylene are not fully defined. In particular, it is not known how signaling at the receptor complex can control distinct subsets of ethylene responses. Mutations at the Green-ripe (Gr) and reversion to ethylene sensitivity1 (rte1) loci, which encode homologous proteins of unknown function, influence ethylene responses in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), respectively. In Arabidopsis, AtRTE1 is required for function of the ETR1 ethylene receptor and acts predominantly through this receptor via direct protein-protein interaction. While most eudicot families including the Brassicaceae possess a single gene that is closely related to AtRTE1, we report that members of the Solanaceae family contain two phylogenetically distinct genes defined by GR and GREEN-RIPE LIKE1 (GRL1), creating the possibility of subfunctionalization. We also show that SlGR and SlGRL1 are differentially expressed in tomato tissues and encode proteins predominantly localized to the Golgi. A combination of overexpression in tomato and complementation of the rte1-3 mutant allele indicates that SlGR and SlGRL1 influence distinct but overlapping ethylene responses. Overexpression of SlGRL1 in the Gr mutant background provides evidence for the existence of different ethylene signaling modules in tomato that are influenced by GR, GRL1, or both. In addition, overexpression of AtRTE1 in tomato leads to reduced ethylene responsiveness in a subset of tissues but does not mimic the Gr mutant phenotype. Together, these data reveal species-specific heterogeneity in the control of ethylene responses mediated by members of the GR/RTE1 family.
Contested Space : A Place on the Way to Collaborative Government?

The announcement in 1999 by the government of Newfoundland and Labrador of a new $40 million cultural heritage complex, known as The Rooms, to replace the crumbling buildings of the provincial art gallery, museum, and archives should have been greeted by celebration. Instead, a rancourous public debate ensued that threatened to cancel the project. That debate centred on government’s choice of an eighteenth century fort site for the new building. This article reviews the genesis of the project which caused the public dispute and traces the discussion as the contest for the building site unfolded. The Rooms controversy, and the events which eventually brought it to a close, powerfully illustrate the importance of public consultation to government decision-making in heritage matters. The debate vividly demonstrates how different interest groups claim authoritative voice around issues of heritage preservation and interpretation.
Numerical Simulation of a Thermal Flying Height Control Slider With Dual Heater and Insulator Elements

Thermal flying height control (TFC) has recently been implemented in magnetic recording disk drives to reduce the flying height at the read/write element of magnetic recording sliders. This paper investigates the flying characteristics of a new TFC slider design with two heater and insulator elements. The flying height reduction of the slider is determined as a function of the placement and thermal characteristics of the heater and insulator elements. Simulation results show that for a constant heater power, the dual TFC heater with thermal insulators achieves a larger flying height reduction at the read/write element than the single TFC heater design.
Evaluation of a Chromogenic Agar for Detection of Group B Streptococcus in Pregnant Women

We compared ChromID Strepto B agar (STRB; bioMerieux, Inc.), a selective and differential medium for group B streptococcus, with culture using neomycin-nalidixic acid agar (NNA) and LIM broth. STRB alone was more sensitive (87.7%) than NNA alone (79.0%), while each had a sensitivity of 100% when used in conjunction with LIM broth.
COMBUSTION MECHANISMS OF AN/AP MIXED- OXIDIZER COMPOSITE PROPELLANTS

The scope of this study is an analytical investigation of the combustion mechanisms of AN/AP mixed oxidizer propel lants. As an important property of the mixed oxidizer propellant combustion, "scale of the oxidizer interaction" plays a vital role on the combustion mechanisms of this class of propellants. The model based on the granular diffusion flame theory agreed well with experimental burning rate data. Nomenclature a = chemical reaction time parameter in the GDF b = physical diffusion time parameter in the GDF c - specific heat at constant pressure d = diameter D = diffusion coefficient £ = activation energy m = mass n = pressure exponent of burning rates P = pressure Q = heat release rh = burning rate R,, = universal gas constant T - temperature u = mean velocity x = distance along gas flow direction Z = pre-exponential factor of Arrhenius type reaction a = thermal diffusivity £" = volumetric fraction of the AP component /I = thermal conductivity H = gas pocket mass £ = AP mass fraction within the total oxidizer p = density T = residence time r* = relaxation time = temperature difference of gas phase if/ = temperature difference of solid phase Subscripts AN = AN component propellant AP = AP component propellant a = chemical-reaction parameter related b = physical-diffusion parameter related c - chemical-reaction d = physical-diffusion
Optimal Angle of Inclination for Fixed Solar Panels/Collectors

In the use of solar energy as a source of renewable energy a practical question is commonly encountered. “What is the optimal angle of inclination for fixed solar panels?” This is applicable for both arrays of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels as well as for flat plate solar collectors. It is quite common practice to use a couple of rules of thumb that state the following: (a) the panels/collectors should be facing south (for the northern hemisphere locations), and (b) the optimal angle of inclination will be in the range of the location latitude ± 15°. In this paper we discuss a computer program developed to verify (b) for south facing fixed solar panels/collectors. The program developed can generate theoretical solar irradiation that will be available for a given location in the northern hemisphere on a clear day taking into account the attenuation effects in the atmosphere by incorporating the concept of air mass. It can also be used to retrieve solar irradiation data from well established databases such as the National Solar Radiation Data Base (NSRDB) [1–2] accessible via the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Both approaches have been tested and weekly, monthly and annual optimal angles of inclination have been generated for selected locations. This paper discusses the details of the algorithm and code developed and the results obtained. How this program is going to be used in an undergraduate course titled “Alternative Energy Systems and Applications” are also discussed.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Characteristics of a cylindrical disk‐loaded slow‐wave structure found by theoretical, experimental, and computational techniques

The dispersion characteristics and interaction impedances of a disk-loaded cylindrical waveguide structure were investigated using theoretical, computer, and experimental techniques. Satisfactory agreement has been demonstrated between the experimentally determined values, the results obtained theoretically, and the computer-generated values using the ARGUS and SOS computer codes. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Body surface area index predicts outcome in orthotopic liver transplantation

Background/Purpose In living donor liver transplantation (LDLT), matching of liver volume between donor and recipient is critical to the success of the procedure; mismatch can result in ‘small- or large-for-size syndrome’. In orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT), matching criteria are less stringent and non-uniform. We sought to determine whether a new parameter, the ratio of donor to recipient body surface area (BSAi), is predictive of size mismatch and/or post-transplant morbidity or mortality.
Diagnostic approaches for the detection of bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) virus and related pestiviruses.

teritis in piglets associated with Aujeszky’s disease virus infection. Vet Pathol 21:450-452. 14. Patel JR, Edington N, Mumford JA: 1982, Variation in cellular tropism between isolates of equine herpesvirus-1 in foals. Arch Virol 74:41-51. 15. Sambrook J, Fritsch EF, Maniatis T: 1989, Molecular cloning: a laboratory manual, 2nd ed. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory’ Press, Cold Spring Harbor, NY. 16. Studdert MJ: 1983, Restriction endonuclease DNA fingerprinting of respiratory, foetal and perinatal foal isolates of equine herpesvirus type 1. Arch Virol 77:249-258. 17. Studdert MJ, Simpson T, Roizman B: 1981, Differentiation of respiratory and abortigenic isolates of equine herpesvirus 1 by restriction endonucleases. Science 214:562-564. 18. Whitwell KE, Blunden AS: 1992, Pathological findings in horses dying during an outbreak of the paralytic form of equid herpesvirus type 1 (EHV1) infection. Equine Vet J 24: 13-19. 19. Yeargan MR, Allen GP, Bryans JT: 1985, Rapid subtyping of equine herpesvirus 1 with monoclonal antibodies. J Clin Microbiol 21:694-697.
Fetal Outcomes in First Trimester Pregnancies With an Indeterminate Ultrasound

Abstract Background Pregnant women commonly present to the Emergency Department (ED) for evaluation during their first trimester. These women have many concerns, one of which is the viability of their pregnancy and the probability of miscarriage. Study Objectives We sought to determine fetal outcomes of women with an indeterminate ultrasound who present to the ED during the first trimester of pregnancy. Methods A retrospective analysis of consecutive ED patient encounters from December 2005 to September 2006 was performed to identify patients who were pregnant and who had an indeterminate transvaginal ultrasound performed by an emergency physician or through the Radiology Department during their ED visit. Demographic data, obstetric/gynecologic history, and presenting symptoms were recorded onto a standardized patient chart template designed to be used for any first trimester pregnancy. Outcomes (spontaneous abortion, ectopic pregnancy, and 20-week gestation) were determined via computerized medical records. Results During the study timeframe, a total of 1164 patients were evaluated in the ED during the first trimester of their pregnancy; 359 patients (30.8%) met inclusion criteria and had a diagnosis of indeterminate ultrasound. Outcome data were obtained for 293 patients. Carrying the pregnancy to ≥20 weeks occurred in 70 patients (23.9%). Spontaneous abortion occurred in 193 women (65.9%), and 30 women (10.2%) were treated for an ectopic pregnancy. Total fetal loss incidence was 89.2% in patients presenting with any vaginal bleeding, compared to 34.7% in patients with pain only. Conclusion Indeterminate ultrasounds in the setting of first trimester symptomatic pregnancy are indicative of poor fetal outcomes. Vaginal bleeding increased the risk of fetal loss. These data will assist emergency physicians in counseling women in the ED who are found to have an indeterminate ultrasound.
Weighing In: Elementary-Age Students and the Debate on Attitudes toward School among Black Students

Many of the prevailing theories concerning the relatively low academic performance of African American students tend to center on the attitudes of adolescents. Much less research attention has been paid to the attitudes of younger students. As a result, the image of black adolescents - who, like most American adolescents, exhibit oppositional attitudes - has come to represent much of what we know and take for granted about black students as a group. The findings of this study, based on data collected in an ethnographic study of two all-black elementary schools, suggest that black children begin school very much achievement-oriented and engaged with the process of schooling. These findings provide evidence that the school experience plays a significant role in the development of attitudes toward school
Normal pulmonary gas exchange efficiency and absence of exercise-induced arterial hypoxemia in adults with bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

Cardiopulmonary function is reduced in adults born very preterm, but it is unknown if this results in reduced pulmonary gas exchange efficiency during exercise and, consequently, leads to reduced a...
Powder Synthesis and Hot‐Pressing of a LiTaO3 Ceramic

The LiTaO3 powders with uniformly sized primary particles have been successfully synthesized using a solid state reaction method. The calcined powders were hot-pressed at 1250°C to form the densest ceramics yet reported of undoped LiTaO3. Neutron and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) analysis confirmed a random distribution of grain orientations in the hot-pressed body. Neutron, X-ray, and EBSD studies all indicated the presence of significant residual stresses in the dense ceramic, likely resulting from the large crystallographic anisotropy in thermal expansion of LiTaO3. In addition, EBSD images revealed several unusual microstructural features, presumably related to exaggerated grain growth.
Lobular carcinoma of the breast metastatic to the oral cavity mimicking polymorphous low-grade adenocarcinoma of the minor salivary glands.

Abstract The oral cavity is a rare site of metastatic lesions; however, metastatic breast carcinoma must be included in the differential diagnosis of tumors of that site in women. We describe a 54-year-old woman who presented with a lesion of the floor of the mouth that histologically resembled polymorphous low-grade adenocarcinoma of the minor salivary glands, which was eventually established to represent metastatic lobular breast carcinoma. The final diagnosis was based on comparison with a primary tumor resected 13 years earlier and immunohistochemical reactivity with antibodies to steroid receptors. Relevant aspects of lobular breast carcinoma, polymorphous low-grade adenocarcinoma, and metastatic oral cavity lesions are discussed.
Scene Analysis Using Morphological Mathematics and Fuzzy Logic

Owing to compound textural features, intensity inhomogeneity, image layers, and variations of statistics inherent, the segmenting of complicated images into areas of similarity for scene analysis is a challenging task. In this work, a morphological active contour is developed to increase efficiency of current active contour schemes and a fuzzy clustering energy is incorporated into the active contour algorithm to increase accuracy and flexibility. Finally, to aid in the segmentation of figures for scene analysis, a visual attention is incorporated into the fuzzy clustering. The savings in computational efficiency garnered from using a morphological curve evolution rather than a partial differential equation and corresponding Euler-Lagrange equations combined with the expert knowledge garnered from a visual attention fuzzy logic scheme translates into a highly accurate and efficient segmentation method for scene analysis.
Vitamin D-Binding Protein in Healthy Pre- and Postmenopausal Women: Relationship with Estradiol Concentrations

ABSTRACT Objective: To examine the relationship between endogenous serum estradiol and vitamin D–binding protein (DBP) and total, free, and bioavailable 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) concentrations i...
Turismo, urbanismo y colonialismo en Tánger, 1880-1939

This article examines leisure, travel, and tourism during the period of rapid urban expansion of Tangier. Several factors favored Tangier’s prospects to develop an urban economy based on travel and leisure, including climate, location, the availability of a labor force from Morocco and southern Andalucia, and the city’s role as the seat of Euro-Moroccan investment, commerce, and diplomacy. It was known to thousands of travelers and residential tourists by the late nineteenth century, fuelling considerable optimism for further growth in this area. By the 1930s, however, a range of municipal and inter-imperial political problems impeded the city’s consolidation as a major resort destination.
Plasma Glucose Regulation of Memory Storage Processes

The findings of many studies performed during the past decade support the view that hormonal consequences of training exert important influences on memory storage (Gold and Zornetzer, 1983; McGaugh and Gold, 1986). These findings suggest that the neurobiological substrates of memory storage may be regulated in part by hormonal events that follow shortly after training. The now standard finding is that an animal trained with a weak footshock under conditions in which later retention performance is poor and in which hormonal responses are minimal will avoid as if it had been trained with a higher footshock if the appropriate hormones are injected immediately after training In order to understand the normal roles of hormones in regulating memory, it is as important to assess the release of these hormones under different training conditions as it is to evaluate the pharmacological efficacy of hormonal treatments in modulating memory.
A General Method for Evaluating Deep Brain Stimulation Effects on Intravenous Methamphetamine Self-Administration

Substance use disorders, particularly to methamphetamine, are devastating, relapsing diseases that disproportionally affect young people. There is a need for novel, effective and practical treatment strategies that are validated in animal models. Neuromodulation, including deep brain stimulation (DBS) therapy, refers to the use of electricity to influence pathological neuronal activity and has shown promise for psychiatric disorders, including drug dependence. DBS in clinical practice involves the continuous delivery of stimulation into brain structures using an implantable pacemaker-like system that is programmed externally by a physician to alleviate symptoms. This treatment will be limited in methamphetamine users due to challenging psychosocial situations. Electrical treatments that can be delivered intermittently, non-invasively and remotely from the drug-use setting will be more realistic. This article describes the delivery of intracranial electrical stimulation that is temporally and spatially separate from the drug-use environment for the treatment of IV methamphetamine dependence. Methamphetamine dependence is rapidly developed in rodents using an operant paradigm of intravenous (IV) self-administration that incorporates a period of extended access to drug and demonstrates both escalation of use and high motivation to obtain drug.
Modeling heaped count data

We present motivation and new commands for modeling heaped count data. These data may appear when subjects report counts that are rounded or favor multiples (digit preference) of a certain outcome,...
Bayesian Regression and Updating for Sampling-Based Sensitivity Analysis

A model’s predictive power in representing an incompletely known environment cannot be assessed without first quantifying its sensitivity throughout the parameter space. If the system is spatially distributed, knowledge of these sensitivities throughout the spatial domain also is essential for effectively investing data-gathering resources to support forecasts. Sensitivity analysis therefore is central to raising the relevance of computational mechanics in practical applications.A sampling-based sensitivity analysis framework was presented recently that computes full-field sensitivities throughout the model’s parameter space and provides estimates of the forecast uncertainty in these sensitivities. A central component of this method is Bayesian regression with cluster-weighted models. Extensions and practical improvements of CWM training and derivative computation are described here; these include (1) a more flexible conditional expected value model that incorporates locally quadratic terms, (2) the ability to compute second-order sensitivities, and (3) k-fold cross-validation for regularizing the underlying regression models. Results from the improved framework were compared with a standard analytical function dominated by several strong minima and maxima. Good reproduction of the training data and first-order derivatives were observed, along with partly satisfactory reproduction of the second-order derivatives. A plan is also described for developing the means to efficiently recompute sensitivities as new training data are obtained.
Sample size calculation while controlling false discovery rate for differential expression analysis with RNA-sequencing experiments

RNA-Sequencing (RNA-seq) experiments have been popularly applied to transcriptome studies in recent years. Such experiments are still relatively costly. As a result, RNA-seq experiments often employ a small number of replicates. Power analysis and sample size calculation are challenging in the context of differential expression analysis with RNA-seq data. One challenge is that there are no closed-form formulae to calculate power for the popularly applied tests for differential expression analysis. In addition, false discovery rate (FDR), instead of family-wise type I error rate, is controlled for the multiple testing error in RNA-seq data analysis. So far, there are very few proposals on sample size calculation for RNA-seq experiments. In this paper, we propose a procedure for sample size calculation while controlling FDR for RNA-seq experimental design. Our procedure is based on the weighted linear model analysis facilitated by the voom method which has been shown to have competitive performance in terms of power and FDR control for RNA-seq differential expression analysis. We derive a method that approximates the average power across the differentially expressed genes, and then calculate the sample size to achieve a desired average power while controlling FDR. Simulation results demonstrate that the actual power of several popularly applied tests for differential expression is achieved and is close to the desired power for RNA-seq data with sample size calculated based on our method. Our proposed method provides an efficient algorithm to calculate sample size while controlling FDR for RNA-seq experimental design. We also provide an R package ssizeRNA that implements our proposed method and can be downloaded from the Comprehensive R Archive Network ( http://cran.r-project.org ).
Private practice: Using digital diaries and interviews to understand evangelical Christians’ choice and use of religious mobile applications

Religious mobile applications (apps) offer a relatively new space for religious practices such as studying sacred texts, prayer, and meditation. To date, most studies in the digital religion literature, and to some extent in general mobile app studies, focus inquiry on app content and/or design only. This study advances these areas of study by extending inquiry to the mobile app audience by exploring how Evangelical Christians actually choose and use religious mobile apps, and how app engagement informs their religious identities. Data from qualitative digital diary reports and in-depth interviews were analyzed within Campbell’s networked religion framework, specifically through the storied identity and networked community concepts. Findings explicate the combination of online and offline resources used for choosing apps, shifting core religious practices from offline to mobile contexts, and a lack of networked community engagement for sharing private religious app experiences.
Towards large-scale data discovery: position paper

With thousands of data sources spread across multiple databases and data lakes, modern organizations face a data discovery challenge. Analysts spend more time finding relevant data to answer the questions at hand than analyzing it.In this paper we introduce a data discovery system that facilitates locating relevant data among thousands of data sources. We represent data sources succinctly through signatures, and then create search paths that permit quick execution of a set of data discovery primitives used for finding relevant data. We have built a prototype that is being used to solve data discovery challenges of two big organizations.
Properties of Titanium-Nitride for High-Level Waste Packaging Enhancement

A feasibility study of applying titanium-nitride (TiN) coating onto waste package surfaces was performed as part of efforts to enhance the long-term performance of high-level waste packages. The hy...
Public nutrition: Research and training needs to advance the field

The idea that nutrition as a field of study encompasses more than the laboratory and the clinic is by now widely accepted, as evidenced by recent visible and prestigious showcases for the broadest possible definition of nutrition. This paper goes beyond arguing for the validity of the concept of public nutrition, to identify the role of university-based research and training in advancing the field and professionalizing it. As a start, the false dichotomy of “basic” and “applied” research must be avoided. Public nutrition is inherently interdisciplinary and thus provides a dynamic merging of both. The more critical question is whether public nutrition is a discipline in its own right or a specialization within another discipline. A recent study suggests the possibility of distinct and complementary career paths for public nutrition professionals, each requiring different kinds and levels of training that transcend what any traditional discipline can offer.
Unmarried Mothers and Children’s Social-Emotional Development: The Role of Child Development Accounts

Research has established a negative association between single motherhood and child social-emotional development. This study examines whether Child Development Accounts, an economic intervention that encourages families to accumulate assets for children’s long-term development, buffer the association between single motherhood and child well-being and reduce social-emotional development disparities between children of unmarried and married mothers. The study analyzes data from a policy experiment of Child Development Accounts in Oklahoma, USA, which randomly selected a group of Oklahoma infants born in 2007 and randomly assigned their mothers to the treatment or control group. The intervention provides to the treatment group a Child Development Account built on the existing Oklahoma 529 College Savings Plan with additional financial incentives and information. The analytic sample includes 1,072 children in the treatment group and 1,049 in the control group. Children’s social-emotional development is measured by mothers’ reports of a shortened version of the Ages and Stages Questionnaire in the 2011 follow-up survey when these children were about age 4. Findings suggest that Child Development Accounts have significantly positive effects on social-emotional development for children living with unmarried mothers and eliminate the disparity in social-emotional development between the children of single mothers and those of married mothers. The study considers the implications of using such asset-building initiatives to improve child development.
Black holes, quantum mechanics, and the limits of polynomial-time computability

Which computational problems can be solved in polynomial-time and which cannot? Though seemingly technical, this question has wide-ranging implications and brings us to the heart of both theoretical computer science and modern physics.
A Pilot Study to Gauge Effectiveness of Standardized Patient Scenarios in Assessing General Surgery Milestones.

Purpose Some General Surgery Milestones can be difficult to assess in traditional clinical settings and especially difficult to assess in junior residents. The purpose of this pilot study was to (1) develop a standardized patient (SP) scenario to assess resident performance on specific Milestones and (2) compare SP scenario Milestone performance with Clinical Competency Committee (CCC) Milestone evaluations. Methods A total of 9 categorical interns participated in a comprehensive, 4-module, SP scenario designed to evaluate and manage right upper quadrant pain. SP checklist scores (SP%) were converted to Milestone-equivalent scores for direct comparison (SP-C). Milestone scores were analyzed from 3 different sources: SP, faculty (FAC), and CCC. Interns completed course evaluations at the end of each session. Spearman’s rho was used to determine correlations. Wilcoxon signed rank tests were used to test for differences between scores from different sources. Results Individual intern Milestone scores from the 3 sources (SP-C, FAC, and CCC) did not correlate. All 7 mean Milestone scores from SPs were significantly higher than from FAC and CCC. FAC and CCC scores were statistically equivalent except for Systems-Based Practice 1 (SBP1) and Patient Care 3 (PC3) where CCC scores were significantly higher than FAC. Mean SP% scores for PC1 were significantly lower than for PROF1, MK1, MK2, and ICS1 (p Conclusions Developing an SP scenario for Milestones evaluation is feasible. SPs, faculty observers, and CCC each use different data to provide a unique source of Milestone assessment. SP scenarios may be ideally suited to assess specific resident strengths and weaknesses and provide individualized feedback, thus augmenting traditional evaluations. Additional SP scenarios, assessing a broader range of skills and Milestones, are advisable for more reliable estimates of resident performance.
Women Headed house hold and Entrepreneurial Successes: a special reference with

Women entrepreneurs have become important players for their family survival as well as the nation’s development. The entrepreneurship facilitate in various ways to earn income of the families. 30 years of civil war demolished people’s life and most of the women became the bread winner of the household in Batticaloa. Nearly 16.8% of the families headed by women also they find the income through business.
Skin care and cosmeceuticals: Attitudes and trends among trainees and educators.

INTRODUCTION Patients often seek skin care recommendations from their dermatologist. The objective of this study was to determine the degree of education dermatology residents receive on skin care and cosmeceutical products, the source of education, and the attitude of trainees and their educators toward skin care and cosmeceuticals. METHODS A cross-sectional survey of dermatology residents and faculty via an online survey administered June 2015 and August 2015, respectively. RESULTS In total, 104 dermatology residents and 50 dermatology faculty members completed the survey. Among the dermatology residents and faculty, equal distribution was represented across the country. The majority of residents and faculty (62% and 69%, respectively) report discussing skin care with up to 25% of their patients. Among resident participants, 76.5% "agree or strongly agree" that skin care and cosmeceutical education should be part of their education and the majority of residents (74.5%) report their education has been "too little or nonexistent" during residency. In contrast, the majority of the faculty (60%) reports their resident education is "just the right amount or too much" (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS Skin care and cosmeceutical recommendations are often discussed in dermatology visits. Dermatology residents feel that education on these products should be a part of their residency training.
Varieties generated by unstable involution semigroups with continuum many subvarieties

Abstract Over the years, several finite semigroups have been found to generate varieties with continuum many subvarieties. However, finite involution semigroups that generate varieties with continuum many subvarieties seem much rarer; in fact, only one example—an inverse semigroup of order 165—has so far been published. Nevertheless, it is shown in the present article that there are many smaller examples among involution semigroups that are unstable in the sense that the varieties they generate contain some involution semilattice with nontrivial unary operation. The most prominent examples are the unstable finite involution semigroups that are inherently non-finitely based, the smallest ones of which are of order six. It follows that the join of two finitely generated varieties of involution semigroups with finitely many subvarieties can contain continuum many subvarieties.
On Generalized Shannon Functional Inequality and its Applications

In all measures of information, the entropy f of a single event with probability p plays a fundamental role. The entropy function f, which is also known as the self information satisfies axioms of nonnegativity, additivity and maximality, that is $$ \begin{gathered} \left( a \right)\;f\left( p \right) \geqslant 0,\quad p \in \left] {0,1} \right[, \hfill \\ \left( b \right)f\left( {pq} \right) = f\left( p \right) + f\left( q \right),\quad p,q \in \left] {0,1} \right[, \hfill \\ \left( c \right)f\left( {\tfrac{1}{2}} \right) = 1. \hfill \\ \end{gathered} $$
Hnrnpab regulates neural cell motility through transcription of Eps8.

Cell migration requires a complicated network of structural and regulatory proteins. Changes in cellular motility can impact migration as a result of cell-type or developmental stage regulated expression of critical motility genes. Hnrnpab is a conserved RNA-binding protein found as two isoforms produced by alternative splicing. Its expression is enriched in the subventricular zone (SVZ) and the rostral migratory stream within the brain, suggesting possible support of the migration of neural progenitor cells in this region. Here we show that the migration of cells from the SVZ of developing Hnrnpab-/- mouse brains is impaired. An RNA-seq analysis to identify Hnrnpab-dependent cell motility genes led us to Eps8, and in agreement with the change in cell motility, we show that Eps8 is decreased in Hnrnpab-/- SVZ tissue. We scrutinized the motility of Hnrnpab-/- cells and confirmed that the decreases in both cell motility and Eps8 are restored by ectopically coexpressing both alternatively spliced Hnrnpab isoforms, therefore these variants are surprisingly nonredundant for cell motility. Our results support a model where both Hnrnpab isoforms work in concert to regulate Eps8 transcription in the mouse SVZ to promote the normal migration of neural cells during CNS development.
Dichroism in plasmonic Cu nanocomposite glass: Selective enhancement of the orange-red emission from Sm3+

Abstract The phenomenon of dichroism has been achieved in aluminophosphate glass via precipitation of plasmonic copper nanoparticles (NPs), and further revealed to enhance the orange-red emission of Sm3+ ions relevant to optical applications. The precursor amorphous material was synthesized by melt-quenching in ambient atmosphere. A subsequent heat treatment is shown to induce the precipitation of Cu NPs exhibiting distinct plasmonic behavior, and consequently manifest the dichroic effect wherein the material transmits blue light but scatters the red. Optical absorption and transmission electron microscopy analysis allow for a novel interpretation regarding the origin of the dichroic effect in copper nanocomposite glasses, namely an enhanced scattering due to plasmonic coupling between Cu NPs. The improved Sm3+ photoluminescence (PL) was achieved in an excitation-dependent fashion, manifested under non-resonant excitation conditions where divalent tin and monovalent copper centers can first absorb photons and subsequently participate in energy transfer to Sm3+ ions. Moreover, the PL enhancement is selective for Sm3+ emission transitions 4G5/2 → 6H9/2, 6H7/2 in resonance with the plasmonic band in the dichroic nanocomposite, thus suggesting that light scattering by Cu NPs plays an important role in the improved output. It is the first time to the author's knowledge that this type of effect is reported for copper and rare-earth co-doped glasses.
David Oliver: Is hospital avoidance an elusive holy grail?

The first weeks of 2019 saw NHS England publish the long term plan for the NHS,1 the new five year GP contract framework,2 and the plan for universal personalised care.3 They all include an overarching idea that we should be trying to prevent people attending or being admitted to hospital. The GP contract and the promised additional £4.5bn for primary and community services are linked to a requirement that the new GP networks will be financially incentivised to cut emergency department attendances and hospital admissions. The NHS plan aims to reduce acute hospital bed use …
Integrating Field Monitoring and Numerical Modeling to Evaluate Performance of a Levee under Climatic and Tidal Variations

AbstractSeveral short-duration and extreme hydraulic loadings impose time-dependent variably saturated seepage conditions on earthen slopes and embankments. Difficulty assigning appropriate input p...
The impact of corticosteroid use during anti-PD1 treatment:

BackgroundThe advent of anti-PD1 therapy for cancer treatment has led to improvements in response rates and overall survival. However, anti-PD1 therapy has the potential to cause immune-related adv...