cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Collagen Fiber Re-Alignment and Mechanical Properties in a Mouse Supraspinatus Tendon Model: Examining Changes With Age and Location

One postulated mechanism of tendon structural response to mechanical load is collagen fiber re-alignment. Recently, where collagen fiber re-alignment occurs during a tensile mechanical test has been shown to vary by tendon age and location in a postnatal developmental mouse supraspinatus tendon (SST) model [1]. It is thought that as the tendon matures and its collagen fibril network, collagen cross-links and collagen-matrix interactions develop, its ability to respond quickly to mechanical stimuli hastens [1]. Additionally, the insertion site and midsubstance of postnatal SST may develop differently and at different rates, providing a potential explanation for differences in fiber re-alignment behaviors at the insertion site and midsubstance at postnatal developmental time points [1]. However, collagen fiber re-alignment behavior, in response to mechanical load at a mature age and in comparison to developmental ages, have not been examined. Therefore, the objectives of this study are to locally measure: 1) fiber re-alignment during preconditioning and tensile mechanical testing and 2) to compare local differences in collagen fiber alignment and corresponding mechanical properties to address tissue response to mechanical load in the mature and postnatal developmental mouse SST. We hypothesize that 1) 90 day tendons will demonstrate the largest shift in fiber re-alignment during preconditioning, but will also re-align during the toe- and linear-regions. Additionally, we hypothesize that 2) mechanical properties and initial collagen fiber alignment will be greater in the midsubstance of the tendon compared to the tendon-to-bone insertion site at 90 days, 3) that mechanical properties will increase with age, and that 4) collagen fiber organization at the insertion site will decrease with age.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Computing Generalized Canonical Correlations

In this paper we consider the computation of generalized canonical correlations (gcc), a useful tool for linear prediction. The problem is reduced to a singular value decomposition of a product of three rank deficient matrices, for which a new algorithm is presented. It is then shown how the gcc may be computed directly from the data matrices.
The ‘Spirit Wife’ at Endor

Operatic settings of biblical narratives provide interesting material both from a literary and a musical viewpoint in which to observe the process of interpretation at work. In this study we focus on the portrayal of the woman at Endor in 1 Samuel 28. We note the traditional and more typical presentation of her in Charpentier's lyric tragedy David et Jonathas. This is then contrasted with the strikingly sympathetic and, we argue, more biblically-based portrayal of her in Carl Nielsen's opera Saul and David.
Chickens definitive hosts to species of Prosthogonimus.

Abstract THAT dragonfly nymphs transmit cysts of Prosthogonimus species to chickens was demonstrated experimentally by Kotlan and Chandler (1927). Their experiments were made with adult chickens which were fed entire nymphs and imagos. After a month, examinations were made, and mature flukes were found in the oviducts. In one case an examination was made seven days after the feeding which also resulted in finding mature specimens. No data were obtained as to the earlier stages or as to the length of time required for maturing. Szidat (1926) fed imagos of Libellula quadrimaculata to chickens which had recovered from trematode infection, and made a study of the immature stages. Previous to the report of Kotlan and Chandler, studies on the role of dragonflies as carriers of poultry flukes had been undertaken under the supervision of Dr. W. A. Riley, division of entomology, University of Minnesota. Unfortunately it was necessary to discontinue the . . .
Effect of Unsteady Wake on Full Coverage Film-Cooling Effectiveness for a Gas Turbine Blade

*† The effect of film cooling holes placed along the span of a fully-cooled high pressure turbine blade in a 5 bladed linear cascade on film cooling effectiveness is studied using the Pressure Sensitive Paint (PSP) technique. Effect of showerhead injection at the leading edge and the presence of compound angled, cylindrical holes on the pressure and suction side are also examined. Four rows of compound angled film cooling holes are provided on the pressure side while two such rows are provided on the suction side of the blade. Another three rows of holes are drilled at 30 o to the surface on the leading edge to capture the effect of showerhead film coolant injection. The coolant is injected at four different average blowing ratios of 0.3, 0.6, 0.9 and 1.2. Presence of wake due to an upstream vane is studied by placing a periodic set of rods upstream of the test blade. The wake is controlled by using two different rod diameters of 3.2mm and 4.8mm. The wake rods can be clocked by changing their stationary positions in front of the test blade to simulate a progressing wake. Effect of wake is recorded at four phase locations with equal intervals. The free stream Reynolds number, based on the axial chord length and the exit velocity, is 750,000 and the inlet and the exit Mach numbers are 0.27 and 0.44, respectively resulting in a blade pressure ratio of 1.14. Turbulence intensity level at the cascade inlet is 6% with an integral length scale of around 5cm. Results show that the presence of a stationary upstream wake can result in lower film cooling effectiveness on the blade especially on the suction side of the blade. Varying blowing ratios can have a significant impact on film-cooling effectiveness distribution with a blowing ratio of 0.9 showing highest effectiveness.
Digital Holographic Microscopy Elucidates the Effects of Buffer Layer Flow Structures on Wall Shear Stress Distributions in a Turbulent Boundary Layer

Digital holographic microscopy is used to measure the three-dimensional velocity distribution in the inner part of a turbulent boundary layer over a smooth wall. Velocity gradients within the viscous sublayer are then used for measuring the distributions of wall shear stresses. The measurements are performed in a square duct channel flow at Reynolds number based on half height of 50,000. The wall unit size is 17 μm, the sample volume is 90 × 145 × 90 wall units, and the spatial resolution of measurements is 3-8 wall units in streamwise and spanwise directions and one wall unit in the wall-normal direction. The uncertainty in velocity is better than 1 mm/s, less than 0.05% of the free stream velocity. Mean velocity profiles and distributions of Reynolds stresses agree with previously published data. The buffer layer 3-D flow is classified into three groups, the first containing a pair of counter-rotating inclined vortices and high streak-like shear stresses; the second group contains multiple streamwise vortices; and the third group has no buffer layer structures. Conditional sampling based on magnitude of wall shear stresses is used for identifying flow structures generating extreme maxima and minima in wall stresses. We show that inclined quasi–streamwise, counter-rotating vortex pairs, forming as spanwise vorticity lifts away from the wall and turns downstream, generate a stress minimum as the point of detachment, and maxima when these vortices entrain high momentum fluid. High wall stresses are also generated by other, isolated very slightly inclined streamwise vortices.
Geometric analysis of radiation damage connectivity in zircon, and its implications for helium diffusion

Geometrical modeling of radiation damages zones from α recoil and fission that accounts for their elongate nature provides new estimates of the doses required to reach percolation and full connectivity in zircon. Alpha recoil track damage percolates at doses from 2.5–3.1 × 10 16 α/g based on our calculations, about two orders of magnitude lower than previous estimates, with the difference partially due to elongation and partially due to decay chains creating pre-made networks of connected tracks. This dose level is far below that required for metamictization, and suggests that α recoil track percolation has no effect on macroscopic or unit-cell properties, at least as measured to date. However, fission tracks percolate at a dose of approximately 1.9 × 10 18 α/g, the approximate level formerly ascribed to α recoil damage percolation and correlating with various transitions in material properties, such as an inflection in the relationship between dose and macroscopic swelling. Consideration of the undamaged regions between damage zones indicates that c -axis-parallel channels are frequently interrupted, at the micrometer scale at very low doses and tens of nanometers at usual doses in natural zircon, with the probable effect of decreasing diffusivity anisotropy. The percolation and further interconnectivity of α recoil damage corresponds with a general minimum in diffusivity and maximum in closure temperature in zircon, indicating that α recoil damage percolation does not make a grain “leaky”, but instead quite the opposite. Instead, the onset of poor He retentivity at high damage levels correlates with fission-track percolation. Some of these results are non-intuitive with respect to the trapping model of He diffusivity reduction, and the alternative mechanism of tortuosity is discussed.
Quality Assessment of Physical Examination of Students in Baoshan Community Health Center of Shanghai City

[Objective]To master the health status of children and adolescents,get real understanding of quality control of physical examination among students,and provide evidence for developing preventive plan and strategies for common diseases.[Methods]3%～ 5% students were sampled randomly and conducted a double examination.The quality was evaluated based on the judgment of error results by quality control formula.[Results]The general quality of physical examination for 7 years was qualified(ultra error rate was 1.83% to 4.83%),except for ultra error rate of 5.83% in year 2000.[Conclusion]The total quality control of physical examination was qualified among the 8 years;the problems which found in quality control should be improved.
FRESH MOUSE PERITONEAL MACROPHAGES HAVE LOW SCAVENGER RECEPTOR ACTIVITY

Peritoneal macrophages are easily isolated by lavage, suggesting that they are either nonadherent or weakly adherent in situ. Cultured macrophages express class A scavenger receptors (SCR), which mediate Ca2+-independent adhesion in vitro. We examined fresh peritoneal macrophages from mice and from women with endometriosis to determine whether the adherence of these cells was associated with increased expression of class A SCR. Fresh human macrophages were not immunoreactive to SCR antibodies; however, SCR immunoreactivity increased with time in culture. Fresh mouse and human macrophages took up minimal amounts of 1,1'-dioctadecyl-3,3,3',3'-tetramethylindocarbocyanine (DiI)-acetyl-low density lipoproteins (Ac-LDL), a class A SCR ligand. Murine macrophages in culture for 24-72 h internalized four times more Ac-LDL than fresh cells. Cells cultured for 2 days incorporated 3.2 times more [14C] oleate than freshly isolated cells (55.7 +/- 7.9 versus 17.6 +/- 3.0 nmol/mg cell protein). In contrast to SCR activity, mouse macrophage SCR mRNA expression was similar in freshly isolated macrophages and those cultured for 3 days. These results suggest that peritoneal macrophages express only low levels of SCR activity in situ and that posttranscriptional regulation after isolation leads to an increase in SCR activity that correlates with adherence of the macrophages in vitro.
The Transformation of Narrative

Narrative depends on and creates coherences, but coherence dissolves in the links and clicks, “send” and “delete,” of technological existence. Our technological devices and habits undermine narrative. Our PowerPoint presentations, emails, texts, and tweets are disconnected, fragmented, and acontextual. These “stories” are insignificant and ephemeral, deleted or lost as the feed or thread scrolls ineluctably onward into the void of the no longer relevant past. Now, machines automatically and algorithmically generate our “narratives” for us. Such narrative breaks with all past history, experience, and wisdom. Ultimately, the technological frameworks which govern and shape us and our stories produce a narrative-at-odds-with-narrative (and narrative-at-odds-with-human-beings) which we cannot use to know or find any meaning for ourselves and our world other than in technology itself.
Molecular Basis of Self/Non-self Discrimination in the Ectothermic Vertebrates

The ability to discriminate self from non-self is fundamental to the organization and survival of metazoan life. This ability resides primarily with the individual cells, although it can be mediated also by specific products secreted by the cells, as will be discussed later. Self/non-self discrimination is essential for the orderly processes of development, differentiation, and organogenesis; in addition, it is required so that an animal can maintain its integrity and prevent invasion and damage by foreign entities, either animate (viruses, bacteria, fungi, metazoan parasites) or inanimate (for example, bacterial exotonins).
Core curriculum illustration: blunt trauma to the bowel.

This is the 22nd installment of a series that will highlight one case per publication issue from the bank of cases available online as part of the American Society of Emergency Radiology (ASER) educational resources. Our goal is to generate more interest in and use of our online materials. To view more cases online, please visit the ASER Core Curriculum and Recommendations for Study online at http://www.aseronline.org/curriculum/toc.htm.
Utility of whole body FDG PET/CT imaging in patients with head and neck cancer

1519 Objectives: Cancer of the head and neck region spreads mainly locally in the neck. However whole body FDG PET/CT imaging is usually performed in the follow up of these patients. The aim of this study was to analyze the utility of whole body PET/CT imaging in the follow up of head and neck cancer patients after primary therapy. Methods: FDG PET/CT findings of 482 patients with head and neck cancer patients (age range 43-91 years, 334 males and 148 females) who presented for restaging study were analyzed. New findings for suspicious malignancy were evaluated. PET/CT findings were correlated with biopsy findings and clinical follow up. FDG PET/CT were acquired in the head and neck protocol from the top of the ears to the proximal thigh in two acquisitions-one for the head and neck and the other up to the proximal thigh. Results: Of the 482 patients, metastases and or a second primary was found in 59 patients (12%). 21 patients were determined to have a second primary neoplasm in the lung, one with stomach cancer and one with soft tissue neoplasm. Metastases to the lung were found in 14 patients, distant nodal metastases in 11 patients, bone metastases in 14 patient9s and liver metastasis in one and spleen metastasis in one patient. Conclusions: Whole-body FDG PET/CT is useful to detect a second primary cancer or metastases in the followup of patients with head and neck cancer after primary therapy. The lung was the most common site of involvement.
The Effects of Endocrine Disruptors on Adipogenesis and Osteogenesis in Mesenchymal Stem Cells: A Review.

Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are prevalent in the environment, and epidemiologic studies have suggested that human exposure is linked to chronic diseases such as obesity and diabetes. In vitro experiments have further demonstrated that EDCs promote changes in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), leading to increases in adipogenic differentiation, decreases in osteogenic differentiation, activation of pro-inflammatory cytokines, increases in oxidative stress, and epigenetic changes. Studies have also shown alteration in trophic factor production, differentiation ability, and immunomodulatory capacity of MSCs, which have significant implications to the current studies exploring MSCs for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications and the treatment of inflammatory conditions. Thus, the consideration of the effects of EDCs on MSCs is vital when determining potential therapeutic uses of MSCs, as increased exposure to EDCs may cause MSCs to be less effective therapeutically. This review focuses on the adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation effects of EDCs as these are most relevant to the therapeutic uses of MSCs in tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and inflammatory conditions. This review will highlight the effects of EDCs, including organophosphates, plasticizers, industrial surfactants, coolants, and lubricants, on MSC biology.
The role of macrophages in skin homeostasis

The skin and its appendages comprise the largest and fastest growing organ in the body. It performs multiple tasks and maintains homeostatic control, including the regulation of body temperature and protection from desiccation and from pathogen invasion. The skin can perform its functions with the assistance of different immune cell populations. Monocyte-derived cells are imperative for the completion of these tasks. The comprehensive role of macrophages and Langerhans cells in establishing and maintaining skin homeostasis remains incompletely defined. However, over the past decade, innovations in mouse genetics have allowed for advancements in the field. In this review, we explore different homeostatic roles of macrophages and Langerhans cells, including wound repair, follicle regeneration, salt balance, and cancer regression and progression in the skin. The understanding of the precise functions of myeloid-derived cells in the skin under basal conditions can help develop specific therapies that aid in skin and hair follicle regeneration and cutaneous cancer prevention.
Real-Time Traffic State Estimation With Connected Vehicles

A novel framework is developed in this paper, to increase the real-time roadway traffic condition assessment accuracy, which integrates connected vehicle technology (CVT) with artificial intelligence (AI) paradigm forming a CVT-AI method. Traffic density is a major indicator of traffic conditions. In this paper, the traffic operational condition is assessed based on traffic density. A simulated network of Interstate 26 in South Carolina is developed to investigate the effectiveness of the method. The assumption is that the vehicle onboard units will forward the CV generated data to the edge devices (e.g., roadside units) for further processing. CV generated distance headway and number of stops, and speed data are used to estimate traffic density. This paper reveals that, with 20% and greater CV penetration levels, the accuracy of the density information with the AI-aided CVT is a minimum of 85%. Moreover, this paper demonstrates that the integrated CVT-AI method yields a higher accuracy with the increase of CV penetration levels. Level of service (LOS) is the indicator of traffic congestion level on highways and is described with traffic density in terms of passenger car/mile/lane for a specific free flow speed. LOS estimated using the CVT-AI density estimation method is compared with the density estimation algorithm used by the Caltrans Performance Measurement System (PeMS), which relies on the occupancy and flow data collected by the freeway inductive loop detectors. With a 10% or more CV penetration, higher accuracy is achieved using the CVT-AI algorithm compared with the PeMS density estimation algorithm.
An Introduction to the Weka Data Mining System (Abstract Only)

The workshop introduces participants to Weka, an open source Data Mining software package written in Java and available from www.cs.waikato.ac.nz/~ml/weka/. The goal of the workshop is to present the basic functionality of Weka that may be used in the undergraduate computer science and engineering curricula. The Weka system provides a rich set of powerful Machine Learning algorithms for Data Mining tasks, along with a comprehensive set of tools for data pre-processing, statistics and visualization, all available through an easy to use graphical user interface. Weka is widely used for educational purposes. Recently, with the increasing popularity of Big Data, it becomes a popular tool for Analytics and Data Science. Weka's rich functionality also allows its use for Text and Web document pre-processing and mining. All this makes it a suitable platform for enhancing the CS curriculum with hands-on exercises and practical projects. The workshop will present examples of such projects and exercises in the area of Web document classification and clustering. The basic steps of document collection, creating the vector space model, data preprocessing, attribute selection, and applying classification and clustering algorithms will be discussed. These topics will be covered in a way that will allow participants with no particular background in machine learning or data mining to appreciate the use of Weka in computer science education.
Object Recognition and Navigation using a Single Networking Device

Tomorrow's autonomous mobile devices need accurate, robust and real-time sensing of their operating environment. Today's solutions fall short. Vision or acoustic-based techniques are vulnerable against challenging lighting conditions or background noise, while more robust laser or RF solutions require either bulky expensive hardware or tight coordination between multiple devices. This paper describes the design, implementation and evaluation of Ulysses, a practical environmental imaging system using colocated 60GHz radios on a single mobile device. Unlike alternatives that require specialized hardware, Ulysses reuses low-cost commodity networking chipsets available today. Ulysses' new imaging approach leverages RF beamforming, operates on specular (direct) reflection, and integrates the device's movement trajectory with sensing. Ulysses also includes a navigation component that uses the same 60GHz radios to compute "safety regions" where devices can move freely without collision, and to compute optimal paths for imaging within safety regions. Using our implementation of a small robotic car prototype, our experimental results show that Ulysses images objects meters away with cm-level precision, and provides accurate estimates of objects' surface materials.
Interactive home telehealth and burns: A pilot study

Abstract Objective The objective of this study is to review our experience incorporating Interactive Home Telehealth (IHT) visits into follow-up burn care. Methods A retrospective review of all burn patients participating in IHT encounters over the course of 15 months was performed. Connections were established through secure video conferencing and call-routing software. Patients connected with a personal computer or tablet and providers connected with a desktop computer with a high-definition web camera. In some cases, high-definition digital images were emailed to the provider prior to the virtual consultation. For each patient, the following was collected: (1) patient and injury demographics (diagnosis, prognosis, and clinical management), (2) total number of encounters, (3) service for each encounter (burn, psychiatry, and rehabilitation), (4) length of visit, including travel distance and time saved and, (5) complications, including re-admissions and connectivity issues. Results 52 virtual encounters were performed with 31 patients during the first year of the pilot project from March 2015 to June 2016. Mean age of the participant was 44 years (range 18–83 years). Mean total burn surface area of the participant was 12% (range 1–80%). Average roundtrip travel distance saved was 188 miles (range 4–822 miles). Average round trip travel time saved was 201 min (range 20–564 min). There were no unplanned re-admissions and no complications. Five connectivity issues were reported, none of which prevented completion of the visit. Conclusions Interactive Home Telehealth is a safe and feasible modality for delivering follow-up care to burn patients. Burn care providers benefit from the potential to improve outpatient clinic utilization. Patients benefit from improved access to multiple members of their specialized burn care team, as well as cost-reductions for patient travel expenses. Future studies are needed to ensure patient and provider satisfaction and to further validate the significance, cost-effectiveness and safety.
Quickest Search for Local Structures in Random Graphs

A network of agents that form a random graph is considered. Each agent represents an information source that generates a sequence of random variables (RVs). The RVs generated by an unknown subset of nodes are correlated according to a known kernel, while the remaining nodes generate independent and identically distributed random variables. To identify and localize the desired unknown subset of correlated nodes, this paper formalizes and delineates a quickest search process, which is the strategy that minimizes the average number of measurements. Despite its widespread applications, the problem of identifying subgraphs with such desired correlation structures is often investigated under the fixed sample-size settings, in which the data acquisition process and the inferential mechanisms are decoupled. Motivated by the significant advantages of sequential methods for agile inference, this paper analyzes this problem under a fully sequential setting. Specifically, it offers a framework that unifies the intertwined processes of information gathering and decision making, and through a constructive proof, it provides an optimal sequential data-gathering process as well as the attendant decision rules for the quickest search of interest.
Further studies on the antenatal detection of sickle cell anemia and other hemoglobinopathies.

The synthesis of hemoglobin A was measured in small samples of peripheral blood cells from 9- to 20-week human fetuses. In 15 fetuses, synthesis of hemoglobin A accounted for 4 to 13% of total hemoglobin synthesis and the percent of hemoglobin A synthesis varied directly with fetal size. In one aborted fetus of a mother heterozygous for hemoglobins A and S, the synthesis of hemoglobin S was 3.4% and that of hemoglobin A was less than 3% of total hemoglobin synthesis. Peripheral blood cells of normal mothers (AA) synthesize 15–20% as much hemoglobin A as do comparable aliquots of peripheral blood of their fetuses. Therefore, the prenatal diagnosis of sickle cell anemia and other β-chain hemoglobinopathies appears biologically feasible, even with samples of fetal blood in which up to one-third of the cells are of maternal origin. Since amniotic fluid samples do not consistently contain the necessary numbers of fetal blood cells, we believe antenatal diagnosis of hemoglobinopathies awaits development of a safe, reliable, amnioscope to aid in the sampling of small quantities of fetal blood under direct visualization.
Enhancing the Impact of Professional Development in the Context of Preschool Expansion

Among all the factors that influence the success of preschool programs, none is more important than the quality of the teaching workforce. The design and delivery of effective approaches to professional development (PD) are central to the support of the early childhood education workforce. In this article, we provide a model outlining the PD features that help to ensure that PD is effective, as well as the program- and policy-level supports needed to implement this type of PD as a part of local, state, and federal preschool programs. Throughout the article, we summarize recent research that is refining our understanding of the characteristics of effective PD, and we draw from research as well as our own experience in working with Head Start and state preschool programs across the country to illuminate challenges and promising practices in implementing effective PD at scale.
Introduction: Liminal Females in Contemporary Latin-American Novels

Women in Latin America inhabit the margins of society. Latin American literature reflects the consequences of marginalization, expresses trauma, and shows the different scars that society has incorporated into its narrative of identity. These novels talk about violence and rape, silence and fear, and the way that society overcomes social problems. In this process, we can see, from a psychoanalytic perspective, the gendered reconstruction of the body image. Contemporary literature shows how the boundary of the body is stretching in the dyad between male and female. On the one hand, “extreme masculinity” frames violence as part of normal behavior (Franco, Cruel Modernity, Duke University Press, 2013, 15). On the other, extreme female-body construction entails exaggeration of form and hyper-sexuality in line with the aesthetic of television models and narco values.
Stress, Opioid Peptides and Immune Function

1.1. Stress and Infection. Psychosomatic medicine has long been interested in the interaction of emotions, stress, and the susceptibilty to infection. Tobach and Bloch [1] were among the first to study the relationship between stress and susceptibilty to acute tuberculosis. Their data indicated that the stress of crowding significantly reduced survival time of mice challenged with acute tuberculosis infection. Subsequently, Rasmussen and his colleagues conducted a series of experiments on various stressors interacting with virus challenge [2,3,4]. They found that these stressors can cause thymic involution accompanied by reduced resistance to the clinical effects of the virus. Pursuing this line of research, numerous stressors (such as handling, crowding, isolation, separation from mother, loud noise, electric shock, forced swimming, and rotation) have been evaluated in behavioral epidemiological studies. No direct measures of immune function were taken in these early studies, but the effect of the stressors on the susceptibility to bacterial and viral infectious agents was studied across species ranging from fish to human beings.
Functional Divergence between Subgenomes and Gene Pairs after Whole Genome Duplications

Abstract Gene loss following whole genome duplication (WGD) is often biased, with one subgenome retaining more ancestral genes and the other sustaining more gene deletions. While bias toward the greater expression of gene copies on one subgenome can explain bias in gene loss, this raises the question to what drives differences in gene expression levels between subgenomes. Differences in chromatin modifications and epigenetic markers between subgenomes in several model species are now being identified, providing an explanation for bias in gene expression between subgenomes. WGDs can be classified into duplications with higher, biased gene loss and bias in gene expression between subgenomes versus those with lower, unbiased rates of gene loss and an absence of detectable bias between subgenomes; however, the originally proposed link between these two classes and whether WGD results from an allo- or autopolyploid event is inconsistent with recent data from the allopolyploid Capsella bursa-pastoris. The gene balance hypothesis can explain bias in the functional categories of genes retained following WGD, the difference in gene loss rates between unbiased and biased WGDs, and how plant genomes have avoided being overrun with genes encoding dose-sensitive subunits of multiprotein complexes. Comparisons of gene expression patterns between retained transcription factor pairs in maize suggest the high degree of retention for WGD-derived pairs of transcription factors may instead be explained by the older duplication-degeneration-complementation model.
Mechanistic substrates of a life history transition in male prairie voles: Developmental plasticity in affiliation and aggression corresponds to nonapeptide neuronal function.

Abstract Although prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster) social behavior is well-characterized in adults, surprisingly little is known about the development of social behavior in voles. Further, the overwhelming majority of studies in prairie voles examine social behavior in a reproductive context. Here, we examine developmental plasticity in affiliation and aggression and their underlying neural correlates. Using sexually naive males, we characterized interactions with an age-matched, novel, same-sex conspecific in four different age groups that span pre-weaning to adulthood. We found that prosocial behavior decreased and aggression increased as males matured. Additionally, pre-weaning males were more prosocial than nonsocial, whereas post-weaning males were more nonsocial than prosocial. We also examined nonapeptide neural activity in response to a novel conspecific in brain regions important for promoting sociality and aggression using the immediate early gene cFos. Assessment of developmental changes in neural activity showed that vasopressin neurons in the medial bed nucleus of the stria terminalis exhibit functional plasticity, providing a potential functional mechanism that contributes to this change in sociality as prairie voles mature. This behavioral shift corresponds to the transition from a period of allopatric cohabitation with siblings to a period of time when voles disperse and presumably attempt to establish and defend territories. Taken together our data provide a putative mechanism by which brain and behavior prepare for the opportunity to pairbond (characterized by selective affiliation with a partner and aggression toward unfamiliar conspecifics) by undergoing changes away from general affiliation and toward selective aggression, accounting for this important life history event.
Seismic reliability of deteriorating reinforced concrete (RC) bridges

Abstract: The chapter discusses different deterioration mechanisms that affect the performance and reliability of bridges. Focus is on reinforced concrete (RC) and post-tensioned (PT) bridges. First, a general discussion is provided on different forms of deterioration along with an overview of the underlying physical phenomena and their influencing factors, which include material properties and environmental conditions. Then, the chapter focuses specifically on corrosion mechanisms and provides a quantitative assessment of the effects of corrosion on the performance and reliability of RC bridges. Finally the chapter suggests future directions on the topics presented.
Single Photon Detection using Chromophores and Nitrogen Vacancies in Diamond

Long spin coherence times of nitrogen vacancy (NV) center spins in diamond under ambient conditions have made these systems attractive candidates for quantum information processing and magnetometry [1]. Recently, progress has been made using the ground state energy splitting of an NV center spin as a nanoscale magnetometer with extremely high sensitivity [2]. The spin-orbit interaction in conjunction with an electric field also induces spin splitting of the ms = ±1 states [3] which suggests the dependence of the NV ground state on electric field might be useful as an electric field sensor.
Examining determinants of geographic variation in colorectal cancer mortality in North Carolina: A spatial analysis approach.

Abstract Purpose A recent study using national data from 2000 to 2009 identified colorectal cancer (CRC) mortality “hotspots” in 11 counties of North Carolina (NC). In this study, we used more recent, state-specific data to investigate the county-level determinants of geographic variation in NC through a geospatial analytic approach. Method Using NC CRC mortality data from 2003 to 2013, we first conducted clustering analysis to confirm spatial dependence. Spatial economic models were then used to incorporate spatial structure to estimate the association between determinants and CRC mortality. We included county-level data on socio-demographic characteristics, access and quality of healthcare, behavioral risk factors (CRC screening, obesity, and cigarette smoking), and urbanicity. Due to correlation among screening, obesity and quality of healthcare, we combined these factors to form a cumulative risk group variable in the analysis. Results We confirmed the existence of spatial dependence and identified clusters of elevated CRC mortality rates in NC counties. Using a spatial lag model, we found significant interaction effect between CRC risk groups and socioeconomic deprivation. Higher CRC mortality rates were also associated with rural counties with large towns compared to urban counties. Conclusion Our findings depicted a spatial diffusion process of CRC mortality rates across NC counties, demonstrated intertwined effects between SES deprivation and behavioral risks in shaping CRC mortality at area-level, and identified counties with high CRC mortality that were also deprived in multiple factors. These results suggest interventions to reduce geographic variation in CRC mortality should develop multifaceted strategies and work through shared resources in neighboring areas.
The ‘big data’ myth and the pitfalls of ‘thick data’ opportunism: on the need for a different ontology of markets and consumption

ABSTRACTThe twin pillars of big data and data analytics are rapidly transforming the institutional conditions that situate marketing research. In response, many proponents of culturalist paradigms ...
Environmental and Energy Improvements of LED Lamps over Time: A Comparative Life Cycle Assessment

Recent technological advances have made light emitting diode (LED) lamps available to the domestic replacement lightbulb market at much lower prices than ever before. Longer life and higher efficie...
Stories and verdicts: maleficium, judicial process and the politics of neighbourliness on the Atlantic margins in the seventeenth century

ABSTRACTThis article uses an exceptionally well-documented law case from the 1650s to offer a fresh perspective on the English experience of Atlantic settlement during its early years. It argues fo...
You’re dead to me! The evolutionary psychology of social estrangements and social transgressions

In our species, social connections with a broad array of individuals are foundational to success. On the flip side, we have evolved so as to not be exploited by others. This dynamic is the focus of the studies described here. Study 1 examined the psychology of social estrangements. The main prediction was that the number of estrangements one has would be predictive of various adverse psychological outcomes. Using a sample of 315 young adults, we found evidence for this prediction: A high number of estrangements corresponded to high scores on depressive tendencies and anxious attachment as well as low scores on social support. In Study 2, using a between-participants methodology, we manipulated transgression intensity, target of the transgression, and whether an apology was included. 288 young adults participated. Each participant was presented with a set of stimuli representing one level of each of the three independent variables and then provided ratings for several dependent variables, such as how angry and betrayed he or she would feel in the situation. Transgression intensity and target of the transgression had consistent significant effects on the dependent variables in the predicted directions. Presence of an apology generally had little effect. In both Studies 1 and 2, high scores on the Dark Triad predicted the outcomes as well: In Study 1, a high number of estrangements corresponded to high scores on the Dark Triad. In Study 2, high scores on the Dark Triad corresponded to strong negative responses to social transgressions. Implications for the evolutionary psychology of interpersonal relationships are discussed.
Design of A 52.5 dB Neural Amplifier with Noise-Power Trade-off

An accelerating interest in neuromodulation and brain-machine interfacing has resulted in the development of multi-channel neural signal recording systems over the past few decades. A critical part of the acquisition system is the analog front-end, which includes the neural amplifier with low-power and low-noise configuration in the sub-Hz operating frequency. This paper presents a neural signal recording amplifier that is capable of amplifying signals in the sub-Hz to kHz frequency range. The amplifier is designed in standard 0.5 µm CMOS process with a fully-differential architecture. The proposed operational transconductance amplifier (OTA) uses two-stage topology and a capacitive-resistive feedback technique to have the lower and the higher cut-off frequency as 0.125 Hz and 1.258 kHz respectively to record the low-frequency neural signals. It achieves a common-mode rejection ratio (CMRR) of 97.1 dB, a power supply rejection ratio (PSRR) of 84.4 dB. The amplifier achieves a mid-band gain of 52.53 dB with the total power consumption of 4.12 µW with a supply voltage of 3.3 V by making the transistors operate in the sub-threshold region. The amplifier is designed taking into account the noise-power trade-off, and the input-referred noise of the amplifier is found to be 3.16 µV rms over a bandwidth of 0.1 Hz- 5 kHz. The prototype single channel amplifier has an active die area of 0.28 mm2. The overall performance metrics of gain, power consumption and the noise performance of the proposed amplifier make it a good choice for neural signal recording applications.
Diagnostic Testing in Uveitis

Introduction: The diagnostic workup upon the discovery of uveitis is challenging even for experienced ophthalmologists. This chapter gives a basic strategic overview when investigating the underlying cause of uveitis.
Speech-Language Pathologists' Perceptions of School-Based Services for Children with Hearing Loss

Purpose School-aged children with hearing loss are best served by a multidisciplinary team of professionals. The purpose of this research was to assess school-based speech-language pathologists' (SLPs) perceptions of their access to, involvement of, and working relationships with educational audiologists in their current work setting. Method An online survey was developed and distributed to school-based SLPs in North Carolina. Results A significant difference in access to and involvement of educational audiologists across the state was found. Conclusions This research contributes to professional knowledge by providing information about current perceptions in the field about interprofessional practice in a school-based setting. Overall, SLPs reported positive feelings about their working relationship with educational audiologists and feel the workload is distributed fairly.
Progressive Myofibril Reorganization of Human Cardiomyocytes on a Dynamic Nanotopographic Substrate

Cardiomyocyte (CM) alignment with striated myofibril organization is developed during early cardiac organogenesis. Previous work has successfully achieved in vitro CM alignment using a variety of biomaterial scaffolds and substrates with static topographic features. However, the cellular processes that occur during the response of CMs to dynamic surface topographic changes, which may provide a model of in vivo developmental progress of CM alignment within embryonic myocardium, remains poorly understood. To gain insights into these cellular processes involved in the response of CMs to dynamic topographic changes, we developed a dynamic topographic substrate that employs a shape memory polymer coated with polyelectrolyte multilayers to produce a flat-to-wrinkle surface transition when triggered by a change in incubation temperature. Using this system, we investigated cellular morphological alignment and intracellular myofibril reorganization in response to the dynamic wrinkle formation. Hence, we identified the progressive cellular processes of human-induced pluripotent stem cell-CMs in a time-dependent manner, which could provide a foundation for a mechanistic model of cardiac myofibril reorganization in response to extracellular microenvironment changes.
La Inteligencia Artificial y las oportunidades para la empresa en Guatemala

Guatemala ocupa el lugar 107 en el indice Global de Innovacion publicado en el ano 2019, los niveles de competitividad son bajos y por lo tanto la productividad es baja y en consecuencia las oportunidades a las que Guatemala puede acceder son limitadas y surge la importancia de evaluar si la Inteligencia Artificial puede ser una herramienta que ayude a las empresas a ser mas productivas. Para realizar la investigacion se recabo diferentes fuentes bibliograficas de actualidad, asi como tambien se reviso lo que otros paises como Estados Unidos han estado haciendo con la Inteligencia Artificial ya que tienen mayor ventaja en dichos temas, dentro de las referencias se identifico investigadores o profesores de MIT, Harvard o del Foro Economico Mundial ya que tienen dominio en lo relacionado a la Inteligencia Artificial. Como principal resultado se encontro que, aunque la Inteligencia Artificial aun no la utilizan mucho las empresas y sus usos aun estan en una fase de exploracion, quienes ya han comenzado son quienes tendran mayor ventaja en el futuro.
Creating Strategic Value: Applying Value Investing Principles to Corporate Management (Introduction)

The principles of value investing have resonated with savvy practitioners in the world of finance for a long time. Creating Strategic Value explores how the core ideas and methods of value investing can be profitably applied to corporate strategy and management. The book builds from an analysis of traditional value investing concepts to their strategic applications. It surveys value investing’s past, present, and future, drawing on influential texts, from Graham and Dodd’s time-tested works to more recent studies, to reveal potent managerial lessons. It explains the theoretical aspects of value investing-consistent approaches to corporate strategy and management and details how they can be successfully employed through practical case studies that demonstrate value realization in action. Creating Strategic Value analyzes the applicability of key ideas such as the margin-of-safety principle to corporate strategy in a wide range of areas beyond stocks and bonds. It highlights the importance of an “information advantage”—knowing something that a firm’s competitors either do not know or choose to ignore—and explains how corporate managers can apply this key value investing differentiator. Offering numerous insights into the use of time-tested value investing principles in new fields, Creating Strategic Value was written for corporate strategy and management practitioners at all levels as well as for students and researchers. [Note: The downloadable document is the book’s Introduction without its Appendix.]
The Original Bell Theorem without Calculus

Bell’s theorem is a topic of perennial fascination. Publishers and the general public have a steady appetite for approachable books about its implications. The scholarly literature includes many analogies to Bell’s theorem and simple derivations of Bell inequalities, and some of these simplified discussions are the basis of interactive web pages. Less well known is that the original Bell theorem is virtually unaffected when the calculus is taken away. Indeed, the only use of integrals in Bell’s derivation is to compute averages. We can simply replace integrals with the word “average.” The resulting proof of Bell’s theorem is just as easy to understand, and just as shocking, as the analogies designed to ease comprehension.