cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Conducting online focus groups on Facebook to inform health behavior change interventions: Two case studies and lessons learned

Abstract Background Online social media offer great potential for research participant recruitment and data collection. We conducted synchronous (real-time) online focus groups (OFGs) through Facebook with the target population of young adult substance users to inform development of Facebook health behavior change interventions. In this paper we report methods and lessons learned for future studies. Methods In the context of two research studies participants were recruited through Facebook and assigned to one of five 90-min private Facebook OFGs. Study 1 recruited for two OFGs with young adult sexual and/or gender minority (SGM) smokers (range: 9 to 18 participants per group); Study 2 recruited for three groups of young adult smokers who also engage in risky drinking (range: 5 to 11 participants per group). Results Over a period of 11 (Study 1) and 22 days (Study 2), respectively, we recruited, assessed eligibility, collected baseline data, and assigned a diverse sample of participants from all over the US to Facebook groups. For Study 1, 27 of 35 (77%) participants invited attended the OFGs and 25 of 32 (78%) for Study 2. Participants in Study 1 contributed an average of 30.9 (SD = 8.9) comments with an average word count of 20.1 (SD = 21.7) words, and 36.0 (SD = 12.3) comments with 11.9 (SD = 13.5) words on average in Study 2. Participants generally provided positive feedback on the study procedures. Conclusions Facebook can be a feasible and efficient medium to conduct synchronous OFGs with young adults. This data collection strategy has the potential to inform health behavior change intervention development.
Does spatial information impact immediate verbatim recall of verbal navigation instructions

The present study addresses the issue of whether spatial information impacts immediate verbatim recall of verbal navigation instructions. Subjects heard messages instructing them to move within a two-dimensional depiction of a three-dimensional space consisting of four stacked grids displayed on a computer screen. They repeated the instructions orally and then followed them manually by clicking with a mouse on the grids. Two groups with identical instructions were compared; they differed only in whether the starting position was indicated before or after the instructions were given and repeated, with no differences in the manual movements to be made. Accuracy on both the oral repetition and manual movement responses was significantly higher when the starting position was indicated before the instructions. The results are consistent with the proposal that there is only a single amodal mental representation, rather than distinct verbal and nonverbal representations, of navigation instructions. The advantage for the before condition was found even for the oral repetition responses, implying that the creation of the amodal representation occurred immediately, while the instructions were being held in working memory. In practical terms, the findings imply that being able to form a mental representation of the movement path while being given verbal navigation instructions should substantially facilitate memory for the instructions and execution of them.
Geographic variation in barriers to the usage of food assistance in Indiana

This qualitative study examines geographic differences in the provision of food assistance in Indiana. The specific focus is on barriers which may prevent those who are food insecure from accessing...
Dielectric properties of 3D-printed materials for anatomy specific 3D-printed MRI coils.

Abstract Additive manufacturing provides a low-cost and rapid means to translate 3D designs into the construction of a prototype. For MRI, this type of manufacturing can be used to construct various components including the structure of RF coils. In this paper, we characterize the material properties (dielectric constant and loss tangent) of several common 3D-printed polymers in the MRI frequency range of 63–300 MHz (for MRI magnetic field strengths of 1.5–7 T), and utilize these material properties in full-wave electromagnetic simulations to design and construct a very low-cost subject/anatomy-specific 3D-printed receive-only RF coil that fits close to the body. We show that the anatomy-specific coil exhibits higher signal-to-noise ratio compared to a conventional flat surface coil.
Reporting Outbreaks of Human Diseases

Traditionally, epidemiological data on human diseases has been collected in countries from the peripheral health services -- health post or doctor’s office -- in a more or less organized fashion, transmitted up through district, provincial and regional administrative levels to the central government health office, and compiled and printed there for distribution through the post office. The process usually took so long that the results were of purely historical interest, and of no use for control or prevention of current outbreaks. The spread of telegraph and telephone networks, and later of fax machines, improved the situation somewhat, but there were still long delays.
Building Digital Soil Mapping Capacity in the Natural Resources Conservation Service: Mojave Desert Operational Initiative

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), within the context of the U.S. National Cooperative Soil Survey (NCSS), is working to integrate digital soil mapping methods with existing soil survey procedures. As this effort moves forward, it must address technological, managerial, and political challenges. To better understand these challenges and potential solutions, NRCS is establishing Digital Soil Mapping Operational Initiatives. These projects aim to demonstrate the utility of digital soil mapping in a production setting, provide training to soil scientists in digital soil mapping methods, contribute to completion of the initial soil survey or update of existing surveys, develop detailed instructions for implementing digital soil mapping methods, provide useful soil information products to complement existing soil survey data, and document methods and results. The first Operational Initiative was initiated at the Victorville, California Major Land Resource Area (MLRA) Soil Survey Office (SSO), which is responsible for the soil survey of Mojave Desert region. The immediate focus of this office is completing the initial soil survey for Joshua Tree National Park and adjacent private lands. Under the operational initiative umbrella, detailed digital data sets including IFSAR digital elevation models and an ASTER mosaic have been compiled. Derivatives from these and other data sets are being used to stratify the project area for sampling and modeling, and as inputs into continuous soil property predictive models. Model outputs will be used to develop Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) data products. Technical support for this project is provided by digital soil mapping soil scientists at the MLRA SSO the California State Office, and the National Geospatial Development Center, as well as other NRCS staff and NCSS cooperators.
Redshifts of Unknown Origin

Probably the biggest problem in cosmology is one that many people don’t even think about or want to think about. It has to do with the nature of the redshifts of astronomical bodies.
Long-Term Effects of Dietary Protein and Branched-Chain Amino Acids on Metabolism and Inflammation in Mice

Aging is the main factor involved in the onset of degenerative diseases. Dietary protein restriction has been shown to increase the lifespan of rodents and improve metabolic phenotype. Branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) can act as nutrient signals that increase the lifespan of mice after prolonged supplementation. It remains unclear whether the combination of protein restriction and BCAA supplementation improves metabolic and immunological profiles during aging. Here, we investigated how dietary protein levels and BCAA supplementation impact metabolism and immune profile during a 12-month intervention in adult male C57BL/6J mice. We found that protein restriction improved insulin tolerance and increased hepatic fibroblast growth factor 21 mRNA, circulating interleukin (IL)-5 concentration, and thermogenic uncoupling protein 1 in subcutaneous white fat. Surprisingly, BCAA supplementation conditionally increased body weight, lean mass, and fat mass, and deteriorated insulin intolerance during protein restriction, but not during protein sufficiency. BCAA also induced pro-inflammatory gene expression in visceral adipose tissue under both normal and low protein conditions. These results suggest that dietary protein levels and BCAA supplementation coordinate a complex regulation of metabolism and tissue inflammation during prolonged feeding.
CHA2DS2-VASc scores and Intermountain Mortality Risk Scores for the joint risk stratification of dementia among patients with atrial fibrillation.

Background High CHA2DS2-VASc scores in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients are generally associated with increased risks of stroke and dementia. At lower CHA2DS2-VASc scores, there remains an unquantifiable cranial injury risk, necessitating an improved risk assessment method within these lower-risk groups. Objective The purpose of this study was to determine whether sex-specific Intermountain Mortality Risk Scores (IMRS), a dynamic measures of systemic health that comprises commonly performed blood tests, can stratify dementia risk overall and among CHA2DS2-VASc score strata in AF patients. Methods Female (n = 34,083) and male (n = 39,998) AF patients with no history of dementia were studied. CHA2DS2-VASc scores were assessed at the time of AF diagnosis and were stratified into scores of 0–1, 2, and ≥3. Within each CHA2DS2-VASc score stratum, patients were further stratified by IMRS categories of low, moderate, and high. Multivariable Cox hazard regression was used to determine dementia risk. Results High-risk IMRS patients were generally older and had higher rates of hypertension, diabetes, heart failure, and prior stroke. Higher CHA2DS2-VASc score strata (≥3 vs ≤1: women, hazard ratio [HR] 7.77, 95% confidence interval [CI] 5.94–10.17, P Conclusion Both CHA2DS2-VASc scores and IMRS were independently associated with dementia incidence among AF patients. IMRS further stratified dementia risk among CHA2DS2-VASc score strata, particularly among those with lower CHA2DS2-VASc scores.
Polarimetric and spectral changes in random electromagnetic fields

Starting from a new unified theory of coherence and polarization, we show that partially polarized light can be generated by correlations of unpolarized components. This prediction is verified by the use of a Mach-Zehnder interferometer, demonstrating the possibility of producing light with adjustable spectrum and controlled degree of polarization.
Traumatic spinal subdural hematoma: An illustrative case and series review

Abstract Traumatic spinal subdural hematomas (SDH) are a rarely reported pathology that can cause permanent neurologic deficit. Evidence is lacking to guide management decisions. We present an illustrative case of traumatic spinal SDH managed conservatively, and systematically review reports of traumatic spinal SDH for variables predictive of a favorable outcome. A systematic review was performed including demographic, clinical, and radiographic variables extracted from case studies. t-tests, Pearson's Chi-squared, and Fischer's Exact test were used to determine group differences in outcome. Fifty-eight reported cases, including our illustrative case, met inclusion criteria. The majority of patients were male (66.7%) with a mean age of 41.3 ± 24.7 years. Most traumas were minor (62.1%) with those presenting after a direct spinal trauma more likely to have a poor outcome. Common presenting symptoms included back pain (N = 45, 77.6%), radiculopathy (N = 33, 56.9%), and subjective weakness (N = 39, 67.2%). Neurologic deficit was present in 51.7% of patients, and in all those with a poor outcome (p
New Energy Dissipation Mechanisms for Steel Fiber Reinforcement in Ultra High-Performance Concrete

This research focused on improving ultra high-performance concrete (UHPC) toughness through the addition of annealed plain carbon steel fibers and stainless steel fibers that both exhibit increased ductility and strain hardening compared with conventional steel fibers used for concrete reinforcement. Implementing optimized heat treatments and selecting proper alternative alloys can improve the postyield carrying capacity of UHPCs through plastic deformations, phase transformations, and fiber pullout. This research focused on the flexural response and dynamic penetration resistance of a UHPC known as Cor-Tuf with three different steel fiber types: plain carbon steel, stainless steel that can exhibit phase transformation-induced plasticity, and annealed carbon steel with reduced tensile strength but increased ductility and strain hardening. Annealed carbon steel fibers were able to reduce mass loss by 0.8 % for 5-cm-thick dynamic impact panels. By using a phase-transformable stainless steel, the ultimate flexural strength increased from 32.0 to 42.5 MPa (33 % increase) and the postimpact velocity decreased an average of 31.5 m/s for 2.5 and 5-cm-thick dynamic impact panels. Phase transformations (austenitic to martensitic) were quantified in the stainless steel fibers of postyielded UHPC specimens using a vibrating sample magnetometer. Stainless steel fibers sampled from the postyielded tensile face of a flexural beam increased from 75 to 107 emu/g. The results of the study evidence improvements in tensile properties and toughness that can be accomplished by modifying the stress versus strain response of steel fiber reinforcement and including new energy dissipation mechanisms such as phase transformation.
Multiple π 0 Production

Using a gradient-coupling model as an effective Lagrangian, the cross section for the emission of arbitrary numbers of soft neutral pions in high-energy scattering processes is obtained in the region $s$, $\ensuremath{-}t$, $\ensuremath{-}u\ensuremath{\gg}{M}^{2}$ as an infrared factor times the corresponding elastic cross section. A formula relating the average number of soft ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{0}'\mathrm{s}$ to their average total energy is derived, and the possibility is discussed of interpreting large-angle elastic scattering as the shadow of soft-pion emission.
The Book Metaphor and Its Representation of an Organization

The book metaphor depicts parallels between books and organizations. The Bible is an example of a book with significant metaphorical representations, with numerous lessons. Books come in different forms and sizes and so do organizations, thus different types of books can figuratively depict or represent different types of organizations. Book authors and publishers can represent organizational leadership, while the structure of a book can depict organizational structure. Organizations meet different needs just as different books meet different readership needs and interests. Nevertheless, though the symbolism of the book metaphor can be a powerful tool in organizational leadership theory, as a single metaphor it has limitations and will not depict everything about an organization – thus a combination of metaphors can be much more effective.
Emissive Bi-Phase Droplets as Pathogen Sensors

A key application of the multi-phase droplet system is in chemical and pathogen sensing. More than nine million people in the United States are estimated to have contracted illnesses from foodborne pathogens each year. Most methods of detecting foodborne pathogens are either prohibitively expensive, complicated to perform, or require long incubation steps. New, simple, methods that can rapidly detect small amounts of pathogenic cells, ideally within a single 6-h work shift at a food production plant, are therefore required to efficiently prevent contaminated food from reaching consumers. This chapter demonstrates utilizing bi-phase droplets as emissive pathogen sensors. Ray tracing calculations are used to predict how that various parameters will affect the way that light is emitted from multi-phase droplets. These calculations are shown to be consistent with experimental observations and are further used to predict ways to enhance the optical response, and thus the sensitivity, of emissive multi-phase droplet-based pathogen sensors.
Farmer behavior under groundwater management scenarios: Implications for groundwater conservation in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain

Concern about sustained availability of fresh groundwater for agricultural use in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain (MAP) mounts as groundwater levels decline. We evaluate the elasticities of demand f...
Pre-Automation: Insourcing and Automating the Gig Economy

This paper examines a strategic configuration in the technology, logistics, and robotics industries that we call “pre-automation”: when emerging platform monopolies employ large, outsourced labor forces while simultaneously investing in developing the tools to replace these workers with in-house machines of their own design. In line with socioeconomic studies of imagined futures, we elaborate pre-automation as a strategic investment associated with a firm’s ambitions for platform monopoly, and consider Uber, Amazon Flex and Amazon Delivery Services Partnership Program drivers as paradigmatic cases. We attempt detection of firms' pre-automation strategies through analysis of patenting, hiring, funding and acquisition activity and highlight features of certain forms of gig work that lay the infrastructural foundations for future automation. We argue that certain forms of platform labor may be viewed dynamically as an intermediate arrangement that stages outsourced tasks for subsequent insourcing through automated technologies, and discuss the implications of this configuration for existing theories of outsourcing and technology-driven job displacement.
Case Report: Pancreatic adenocarcinoma presenting as acute obstructive suppurative pancreatic ductitis

Acute obstructive suppurative pancreatic ductitis (AOSPD) is a rare form of infection primarily arising within the pancreatic duct in the setting of chronic pancreatitis. We present a case of AOSPD precipitated by obstructive adenocarcinoma of pancreatic head in an elderly woman with a past medical history of chronic pancreatitis, alcohol use disorder and, advanced dementia, who developed progressive abdominal pain during her hospital admission for urinary tract infection. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) with balloon sweep of pus and stent placement resulted in prompt abdominal pain resolution. Our case highlights a rare presentation of AOSPD as a harbinger of pancreatic malignancy.
Value of Nurse Practitioner Inpatient Hospital Staffing.

BACKGROUND Evidence indicates hospitals with better registered nurse (RN) staffing have better patient outcomes. Whether involving more nurse practitioners (NPs) in inpatient care produces better outcomes is largely unknown. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to determine whether the presence of more NPs produces better inpatient outcomes net of RN staffing. RESEARCH DESIGN This was a 2015-2016 cross-sectional data on 579 hospitals linked from: (1) RN4CAST-US nurse surveys; (2) Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) patient surveys; (3) surgical patient discharge abstracts; (4) Medicare Spending per Beneficiary (MSPB) reports; (5) American Hospital Association (AHA) Annual Survey. Hospitals were grouped according to their NP/beds ratios [<1 NP/100 beds (N=132), 1-2.99 NPs/100 beds (N=279), and 3+ NPs/100 beds (N=168)]. SUBJECTS RNs randomly sampled nurses from licensure lists yielded 22,273 RNs in study hospitals; discharge data for 1.4 million surgical patients; HCAHPS data for 86% of study hospitals. MEASURES Mortality, readmissions, lengths of stay, MSPB, patient experience, and quality reported by patients and nurses. RESULTS After adjustments, patients in hospitals with 3+ NPs/100 beds had lower odds than patients in hospitals with <1 NP/100 beds of 30-day mortality [odds ratio (OR)2=0.76; 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.67-0.82; P<0.001] and 7-day readmissions (OR2=0.90; 95% CI=0.86-0.96; P<0.001), shorter average length of stay (incident rate ratio2=0.92; 95% CI=0.88-0.96; P<0.001) and 5.4% lower average MSPB (95% CI=3.8%-7.1%). Patients and nurses in the hospitals with higher NP/bed ratios were significantly more likely to report better care quality and safety, and nurses reported lower burnout, higher job satisfaction, greater intentions of staying in their jobs. CONCLUSIONS Having more NPs in hospitals has favorable effects on patients, staff nurse satisfaction, and efficiency. NPs add value to existing labor resources.
Perioperative Management of Antithrombotic Therapy in Penile Implant Surgery

Patients with erectile dysfunction frequently have cardiovascular risk factors requiring antithrombotic (anticoagulation/antiplatelets). Traditional perioperative management included complete discontinuation of these medications due to concern for postoperative hematoma formation. While infrequent, postoperative cardiovascular or venous thromboembolic events can have devastating consequences, especially in the setting of elective surgery. As the incidence of antithrombotic use and age of men seeking inflatable penile prosthesis (IPP) surgery increases, surgeons must reassess the traditional dogma of perioperative antithrombotic management in men undergoing IPP surgery. In this chapter, we review the types of antithrombotic therapy, appropriate preoperative evaluation and risk stratification, and perioperative management recommendations for patients undergoing IPP surgery while continuing antithrombotic therapy.
Evidence-based COVID-19 policy-making in schools.

New research can help policymakers make evidence-based decisions about the risks and benefits of in-person schooling; strategic use of the available data will be key to getting this right.
Involvement of thermophilic archaea in the biocorrosion of oil pipelines.

Summary Two thermophilic archaea, strain PK and strain MG, were isolated from a culture enriched at 80°C from the inner surface material of a hot oil pipeline. Strain PK could ferment complex organic nitrogen sources (e.g. yeast extract, peptone, tryptone) and was able to reduce elemental sulfur (S°), Fe 3+ and Mn 4+ . Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the organism belonged to the order Thermococcales. Incubations of this strain with elemental iron (Fe°) resulted in the abiotic formation of ferrous iron and the accumulation of volatile fatty acids during yeast extract fermentation. The other isolate, strain MG, was a H2:CO2-utilizing methanogen, phylogenetically affiliated with the genus Methanothermobacter family. Co-cultures of the strains grew as aggregates that produced CH4 without exogenous H2 amendment. The co-culture produced the same suite but greater concentrations of fatty acids from yeast extract than did strain PK alone. Thus, the physiological characteristics of organisms both alone and in combination could conceivably contribute to pipeline corrosion. The Thermococcus strain PK could reduce elemental sulfur to sulfide, produce fatty acids and reduce ferric iron. The hydrogenotrophic methanogen strain MG enhanced fatty acid production by fermentative organisms but could not couple the dissolution Fe° with the consumption of water-derived H2 like other methanogens.
An Evaluation of HPF and MPI Approaches and Performance in Unstructured Finite Element Simulations

The High Performance Fortran (HPF) language and the Message Passing Interface (MPI) are two widely used methods to achieve parallelism on today's clusters and multiprocessor supercomputers. HPF is a distinct language providing extensions to Fortran 90/95 to express parallel execution paths and regions. MPI is a library of communication calls that can be inserted into modern high-level languages (C and Fortran). This paper discusses the use of the two approaches in a parallel finite element application for liquid composite manufacturing process modeling. The unstructured nature of the code provides an excellent opportunity to test both the computation and communication effectiveness of the two approaches. We discuss performance results based on implementations conducted on a modern massively parallel computing platform with a highly tuned processor interconnection network.
Phenomenon of Transient Repression in Escherichia coli

Paigen, Kenneth (Roswell Park Memorial Institute, Buffalo, N.Y.). Phenomenon of transient repression in Escherichia coli. J. Bacteriol. 91:1201–1209. 1966.—A family of mutants has been obtained in Escherichia coli K-12 in which β-galactosidase is not inducible for approximately one cell generation after the cells are transferred to glucose from other carbon sources. After that period; the enzyme can be induced at the level appropriate to glucose-grown cultures of the parent cells. Among a wide variety of carbon sources, the only one capable of eliciting a state of transient repression is glucose. Conversely, transient repression occurs when cells are transferred to glucose from any of a variety of other carbon sources. The only exceptions to this so far discovered are lactose, gluconate, and xylose. Susceptibility to transient repression in mutants can also be induced in glucose-grown cells by a period of starvation. Mutant cells which have become susceptible to transient repression lose susceptibility in the presence of glucose only when they are under conditions which permit active protein synthesis. The presence of an inducer of β-galactosidase is not required during this time, nor does pre-induction for β-galactosidase diminish the susceptibility of mutants. At least two other catabolite repression-sensitive enzymes (galactokinase and tryptophanase) are also sensitive to transient repression, and the two phenomena are probably related. The absolute specificity of glucose and the pattern of response seen after growth in different carbon sources suggest that the endogenous metabolite which produces these repressions is far more readily derived from glucose in metabolism than it is from any other exogenous carbon source.
A Commentary on Error Measures

Is the choice of an error measure to identify the most accurate forecasting method a question of personal taste? It appears that this may be the case although the papers by Armstrong and Collopy and by Fildes argue that it should not be. Carbone and Armstrong (1982) found that Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) was the most preferred measure of forecast accuracy. This is despite the fact that it is widely accepted that unit-free measures are necessary for comparisons among forecast methods and RMSE is not unit-free. Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPS) was the most widely used unit-free accuracy measure but is relevant only for ratio-scaled data (as Armstrong and Collopy point out, this is not a problem with most economic and demographic data) and is consistent with a loss function linear in percentage, not absolute errors. This may not be appropriate in some forecasting applications. As a rough check on the relevance of these findings to my own area, population forecasting, I surveyed seventeen papers dealing with population forecasts (national, state, county, and city). See the papers referenced in Ahlburg (1987) and Land (1986) and the papers by Ahlburg (1982), Smith (1987), and Smith and Sincich (1991). I found ten used MAPE, four used RMSE, three used Root Mean Square Percentage Error (RMSPE), and three used Theil's U (four used several measures). None justified the choice of error measure. Given this state of affairs, Armstrong and Collopy and Fildes set out to assist the forecaster in the task of choosing the most appropriate measure of forecast accuracy to select the best forecasting method.
Effects of tropospheric ozone on loblolly pine seedlings inoculated with root infecting ophiostomatoid fungi.

Seedlings from four loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) families were exposed in open-top chambers to charcoal-filtered air (CF), non-filtered air (NF) or air amended with ozone to 2 times ambient (2×). Two of the families used were selected for their tolerance to fungi associated with Southern Pine Decline while two were selected for their susceptibility. Seedlings were treated with five inoculation treatments: no wound (NW), wound only (W), wound + media (WM), Grosmannia huntii (GH) and Leptographium terebrantis (LT). After 118 days of exposure (AOT40 = 31 ppm-hr(-1) for 2× ozone) seedling volume, dry matter, chlorophyll content, water potential and lesions were measured and analyzed using ANOVA procedures. Our results indicate that seedlings selected for their susceptibility to root infecting ophiostomatoid fungi were also more sensitive to ozone. Overall lesion length was greater on seedlings exposed to elevated ozone concentrations but was not specific to either root infecting ophiostomatoid fungi.
Petri net based description and modeling of metabolic pathway

System Biology is a rapidly developing discipline which utilizes mathematical and computer science techniques to analyze and interpret biological models. Furthermore advances in analytical and computational technologies are driving the transition to a systems biology that deals with the integrated behavior of biomolecular and metabolic networks. In this paper we use Petri nets to model and simulate the process of carbohydrate metabolic pathways in general and the pentose phosphate pathway in particular. Modeling and simulation of carbohydrate metabolism and pentose phosphate pathway will improve the understanding of the structure and the dynamics of these pathways considerably. Petri nets have been proposed as an effective formalism for Systems Biology and modeling of metabolic pathways.
The role of microRNAs in prostate cancer progression

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common male malignancy and the second highest cause of cancer-related mortality in United States. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that represent a new mechanism to regulate mRNA post-transcriptionally. It is involved in diverse physiological and pathophysiological process. Dysregulation of miRNAs has been associated with the multistep progression of PCa from prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN), localized adenocarcinoma to metastatic castration-resistance PCa (CRPC). Identification of unique miRNA could provide new biomarkers for PCa and develop into therapeutic strategies. In this review, we will summarize a broad spectrum of both tumor suppressive and oncogenic miRNAs, and their mechanisms contribute to prostate carcinogenesis.
Fast, easy and efficient: site-specific insertion of transgenes into enterobacterial chromosomes using Tn7 without need for selection of the insertion event.

Background Inserting transgenes into bacterial chromosomes is generally quite involved, requiring a selection for cells carrying the insertion, usually for drug-resistance, or multiple cumbersome manipulations, or both. Several approaches use phage λ red recombination, which allows for the possibility of mutagenesis of the transgene during a PCR step.
Generalising the Hit Rates Test for Racial Bias in Law Enforcement, With an Application to Vehicle Searches in Wichita*

This article considers the use of outcomes-based tests for detecting racial bias in the context of police searches of motor vehicles. We characterise the police and motorist decision problems in a game theoretic framework, where police encounter motorists and decide whether to search them and motorists decide whether to carry contraband. Our modelling framework generalises that of Knowles et al. (2001). We apply the tests to data on police searches of motor vehicles gathered by the Wichita police department. The empirical findings are consistent with the notion that police in Wichita choose their search strategies to maximise successful searches.
Fuzzy measures of preference and consensus in group decision-making

This paper utilizes a flat, convex set of fuzzy relations to provide a physically realistic and mathematically tractable model for small group decision theory. Measures of individual preference, group consensus, and distance to consensus are defined, and a number of theoretical results about them are given. Various decision-oriented goals are characterized, and the theory is illustrated numerically using data from a small group communication experiment.
Mechanical behaviour of rock salt: Phenomenology and micromechanisms

Abstract The mechanical behaviour of rock salt is very complex over the ranges of stress and temperature usually encountered in geoengineering. During the past decade substantial progress has been made in measuring and understanding this behaviour, primarily because of the studies that support proposed disposal of nuclear wastes in salt formations. Safe nuclear waste disposal in salt requires a fundamental understanding of its mechanical behaviour to predict performance of nuclear waste repositories for times much longer than those usually encountered in conventional geoengineering practice. This understanding of the mechanical behaviour relies on accurate measurements of the macroscopic phenomenology and interpretation of the role of micromechanisms in producing the observed phenomena.
Building Scalable PGAS Communication Subsystem on Blue Gene/Q

This paper presents a design of scalable Partitioned Global Address Space (PGAS) communication subsystems on recently proposed Blue Gene/Q architecture. The proposed design provides an in-depth modeling of communication infrastructure using Parallel Active Messaging Interface(PAMI). The communication infrastructure is used to design time-space efficient communication protocols for frequently used data-types (contiguous, uniformly non-contiguous) with Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA) get/put primitives. The proposed design accelerates load balance counters by using asynchronous threads, which are required due to the missing network hardware support for generic Atomic Memory Operations (AMOs). Under the proposed design, the synchronization traffic is reduced by tracking conflicting memory accesses in distributed memory with a slight increment in space complexity. An evaluation with simple communication benchmarks show a adjacent node get latency of 2.89us and peak bandwidth of 1775 MB/s resulting in 99% communication efficiency. The evaluation shows a reduction in the execution time by up to 30% for NWChem self consistent field calculation on 4096 processes using the proposed asynchronous thread based design.
An Experimental and Theoretical Investigation Into Thermally Governed Transient Flow Surges in Two-Phase Condensing Flow

The specific transient phenomenon under consideration is the outlet flowrate of subcooled liquid from a tube-type condenser where complete condensation takes place. Experimental data are presented which indicates that a small change in the inlet vapor flowrate will momentarily cause a very large transient surge in the outlet flowrate of subcooled liquid. These experimentally measured flow transients are predicted quite accurately using a system mean void fraction model. Also, some preliminary results are presented which indicate the influence of throttling at the condenser outlet as a means of attenuating the transient overshoot characteristics.
Erythropoietin changes the globin program of an interleukin 3-dependent multipotential cell line

Abstract B6SUtA is a factor-dependent murine cell line of adult origin displaying the functional properties of a multipotent hematopoietic stem cell. We analyzed the globin programs of B6SUtA cells undergoing erythroid differentiation in both suspension and clonal cultures. In the absence of added erythropoietin, a small number of hemoglobinized cells were present, and these expressed predominantly embryonic globin. Addition of erythropoietin increased the number and maturation of hemoglobinized cells and led to a preferential augmentation of adult globin. Analysis of individual B6SUtA erythroid bursts showed that embryonic and adult globin can be expressed in cells derived from a single progenitor. Furthermore, by studying globin expression in cultured cells from mouse embryos, we found that the globin programs of B6SUtA cells are similar to those of erythroid progenitors at the period of transition from yolk sac to fetal liver erythropoiesis. Since B6SUtA cells are derived from adult bone marrow and they have the capacity to express embryonic globin, we speculate that the globin locus is not irreversibly modified during development and that adult cells at early stages of erythroid differentiation can transiently express ontogenetically primitive globin programs.
Inflammatory biomarkers and abacavir use in the Women's Interagency HIV Study and the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study.

Objective: To assess associations between abacavir (ABC) use and systemic inflammation. Design: Nested case-control study. Methods: The Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS) and Women's Interagency HIV Study (WIHS) cohort participants who initiated ABC were matched, using propensity score methods, to ABC-unexposed persons. Levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) (μg/ml), interleukin-6 (IL-6) (pg/ml), and D-dimer (μg/ml) were measured from pre-HAART and on-HAART plasma. Random-effects models compared markers by ABC exposure and by changes from pre-HAART levels. Results: Biomarkers were measured in N=508 matched pairs (328 women; 180 men). Pre-HAART levels did not differ by exposure group except that hsCRP levels were higher among WIHS women who subsequently used ABC (P=0.04). Regardless of ABC use, mean hsCRP increases and D-dimer reductions were seen when comparing pre-HAART to on-HAART levels, in the overall group (28 and -27%), for MACS men (28 and -31%) and for WIHS women [29 and -24%, P<0.01 for all]; IL-6 levels declined in MACS men (P = 0.02). No adjusted biomarker level differences existed by ABC exposure at the on-HAART visit. HIV RNA reductions correlated with D-dimer (r=0.14, P < 0.01) and IL-6 (r = 0.12, P < 0.01) reductions. Associations between ABC use and mean biomarker levels were modified by pre-HAART antiretroviral therapy experience. Renal dysfunction was equally likely among non-ABC and ABC recipients. Discussion: ABC use was not associated with plasma elevations in hsCRP, IL-6, and D-dimer. Mechanisms other than increased systemic inflammation may account for ABC's reported association with increased cardiovascular disease. HAART-associated reductions in D-dimer and IL-6 were apparent regardless of ABC use and were correlated with HIV RNA reductions. © 2010 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Empirical relationships among seismic velocity, effective pressure, porosity, and clay content in sandstone

We use a multivariate analysis to investigate the influence of effective pressure Pe, porosity ϕ, and clay content C on the compressional velocity Vp and shear velocity Vs of sandstones. Laboratory measurements on water‐saturated samples of 64 different sandstones provide a large data set that was analyzed statistically. For each sample, relationships between effective pressure and Vp and Vs have been determined. All samples were well fit by relationships that have an exponential increase in velocity at low Pe, tapering to a linear increase with Pe for Pe greater than 0.2 kbar. There are differences in the pressure dependences of velocity for different rocks, particularly at very low pressures; however, the differences cannot be attributed to ϕ or C. For the combined set of measurements from all samples, the best fitting formulations are Vp=5.77-6.94ϕ-1.73C+0.446(Pe-e-16.7Pe) and Vs=3.70-4.94ϕ-1.57C+0.361(Pe-e-16.7Pe). While this is admittedly a very simplified parameterization, it is remarkable how well ...
The development of human female competition: allies and adversaries.

Throughout their lives, women provide for their own and their children's and grandchildren's needs and thus must minimize their risk of incurring physical harm. Alliances with individuals who will assist them in attaining these goals increase their probability of survival and reproductive success. High status in the community enhances access to physical resources and valuable allies. Kin, a mate, and affines share a mother's genetic interests, whereas unrelated women constitute primary competitors. From early childhood onwards, girls compete using strategies that minimize the risk of retaliation and reduce the strength of other girls. Girls’ competitive strategies include avoiding direct interference with another girl's goals, disguising competition, competing overtly only from a position of high status in the community, enforcing equality within the female community and socially excluding other girls.
Total elbow arthroplasty

Abstract Total elbow replacement arthroplasty is a technically demanding procedure that produces good results in those patients who meet the proper selection criteria. It allows improvement in the patient's quality of life by restoring pain-free function to the elbow. The result is greater function of the entire upper extremity by restoring the ability to place the hand where it is needed. This review will discuss the indications and contraindications to replacement arthroplasty. The surgical technique will be discussed highlighting important biomechanical factors that must be considered at the time of joint implantation.
Thirty Years of Black American Literature and Literary Studies A Review

The past 30 years have witnessed an explosion of literary production by people of African descent. Although Black writers have been publishing their work for centuries, this has been an era of institutionalizing and diversifying literature, identifying and creating a market for it, and formalizing its study. This article explores a number of major trends that have influenced the production, distribution, and reception of African American literature since the Civil Rights and Black Power movements.
Synthetic Polynucleotide Templates for Characterizing Sequence-Selective Small Molecule/Nucleic Acid Interactions

Abstract A synthetic polynucleotide sequence was developed and cloned to serve as a target in footprinting and other assays designed to characterize the sequence-selective binding of drugs and other small molecules to various forms of nucleic acids. The target sequence comprehensively represents all base quartet recognition sites in a minimal length sequence. Minimal length target sequences were found to be 144 nt long. One such target sequence was divided into two parts. One strand of each part was chemically synthesized and the complementary strands were generated using a DNA polymerase. Double-stranded sequences were then cloned into pGEM-3Zf(+/−) vectors (Promega, Inc.). The cloned target sequence can be used directly in double-stranded DNA form. Alternatively, features of the plasmid vector allow expression of the target sequences as single-stranded DNA or RNA or as RNA/DNA or RNA/RNA duplexes. These cloned target sequences designed for high information content overcome limitations to the use of natural DNA sequences for footprinting and related experiments arising from the unequal representation of base quartets and the potential for secondary structure formation in single-stranded forms.
Self-Esteem and Method Effects Associated With Negatively Worded Items: Investigating Factorial Invariance by Sex

The Rosenberg Self-Esteem scale (RSE) has been widely used in examinations of sex differences in global self-esteem. However, previous examinations of sex differences have not accounted for method effects associated with item wording, which have consistently been reported by researchers using the RSE. Accordingly, this study examined the multigroup invariance of global self-esteem and method effects associated with negatively worded items on the RSE between males and females. A correlated traits, correlated methods framework for modeling method effects was combined with a standard multigroup invariance routine using covariance structure analysis. Overall, there were few differences between males and females in terms of the measurement of self-esteem and method effects associated with negatively worded items on the RSE. Our findings suggest that, whereas method effects exist on the RSE scale for both males and females, the method effects associated with negatively worded items do not influence the measurem...
How well does nonlinear mean reversion solve the PPP puzzle

Abstract This paper addresses the degree to which models which exhibit nonlinear mean reversion (NMR) present a resolution to the Purchasing Power Parity Puzzle. This paper develops a method of estimating a representative distribution of half lives which is based upon the observed distribution of shocks in a given time series rather than choosing shock sizes arbitrarily which is the current practice in the literature. This approach is implemented with data on five real exchange rates. The empirical analysis shows that half lives shorter than the consensus are observed frequently enough to support the proposition that NMR is a solution to the PPP puzzle.
Improved Survival Endpoints With Adjuvant Radiation Treatment in Patients With High-Risk Early-Stage Endometrial Carcinoma

Purpose/Objective(s): To determine the impact of adjuvant radiation treatment (RT) on recurrence-free survival (RFS), disease-specific survival (DSS), and overall survival (OS) in patients with high-risk 2009 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage I-II endometrial carcinoma. Methods and Materials: We identified 382 patients with high-risk EC who underwent hysterectomy. RFS, DSS, and OS were calculated from the date of hysterectomy by use of the Kaplan-Meier method. Cox regression modeling was used to explore the risks associated with various factors on survival endpoints. Results: The median follow-up time for the study cohort was 5.4 years. The median age was 71 years. All patients underwent hysterectomy and salpingo-oophorectomy, 93% had peritoneal cytology, and 85% underwent lymphadenectomy. Patients with endometrioid histology constituted 72% of the study cohort, serous in 16%, clear cell in 7%, and mixed histology in 4%. Twenty-three percent of patients had stage II disease. Adjuvant management included RT alone in 220 patients (57%), chemotherapy alone in 25 patients (7%), and chemoradiation therapy in 27 patients (7%); 110 patients (29%) were treated with close surveillance. The 5-year RFS, DSS, and OS were 76%, 88%, and 73%, respectively. On multivariate analysis, adjuvant RT was a significant predictor of RFS (P<.001) DSS (P<.001),more » and OS (P=.017). Lymphovascular space involvement was a significant predictor of RFS and DSS (P<.001). High tumor grade was a significant predictor for RFS (P=.038) and DSS (P=.025). Involvement of the lower uterine segment was also a predictor of RFS (P=.049). Age at diagnosis and lymphovascular space involvement were significant predictors of OS: P<.001 and P=.002, respectively. Conclusion: In the treatment of patients with high-risk features, our study suggests that adjuvant RT significantly improves recurrence-free, disease-specific, and overall survival in patients with early-stage endometrial carcinoma. Furthermore, adjuvant RT is an independent predictor for RFS, DSS, and OS in this group of patients. These findings need validation from a prospective randomized study.« less