cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 4488: Inflammation-related biomarkers and risk of epithelial ovarian cancer

Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL Introduction: Chronic inflammation caused by ovulation-related wound healing is theorized to cause ovarian carcinogenesis. We examined associations between three plasma biomarkers of inflammation, CRP, IL-6, and TNFαR-2, and risk of epithelial ovarian cancer in a nested case-control study of ovarian cancer cases and controls from the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) and NHSII as well as in the Women's Health Study (WHS) cohort (CRP only). We further performed a meta-analysis with previously published studies of these biomarkers and ovarian cancer. Methods: Associations between quartiles of CRP, IL-6, and TNFαR-2 and risk of epithelial ovarian cancer were calculated using unconditional logistic regression (NHS/NHSII) or Cox proportional hazards regression (WHS); NHS/NHSII and WHS were combined using random effects meta-analysis. All analyses were adjusted for age, menopausal status/post-menopausal hormone use, duration of oral contraceptive use, tubal ligation, parity, and body mass index. The NHS/NHSII analyses were additionally adjusted for blood draw characteristics (fasting status, time of day and month of draw). Random effects meta-analysis was used to combine these results with previously published results. Results: In the NHS/NHSII (n=218 cases) and WHS (n=159 cases), a 59% increased ovarian cancer risk was observed in the 4th quartile of CRP compared to the 1st quartile (95% CI: 1.08-2.34). Further, CRP >10mg/L compared to <1 mg/L, was associated with a 2.21-fold increased ovarian cancer risk (95% CI: 1.29-3.80). In meta-analyses with previously published studies, the 3rd compared to the 1st tertile of CRP was associated with a 41% increased risk (95% CI: 1.14-1.74) (Table). There were no statistically significant associations between quartiles of IL-6 or TNFαR2 and ovarian cancer risk in the NHS/NHSII or in a meta-analysis with a previous publication. Conclusion: Our results suggest that higher levels of circulating CRP, but not IL-6 or TNFαR2, are associated with increased risk of ovarian cancer. ![Figure][1] Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4488. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-4488 [1]: pending:yes
Laboratory Support for Organ Transplantation: Part III

This article reviews clinical laboratory services that are utilized extensively in the monitoring of organ transplant patients. Emphasis is placed on the information provided by clinical chemistry, hematology, immunology, and histology sections of the laboratory for the rapid and critical appraisal of organ transplant viability and of possible pathological processes active acutely. Other sectors of the laboratory that provide support in various roles essential to the success of organ transplantation programs (eg, microbiology for surveillance culture and serologies, blood bank for transfusion support, and histocompatibility for tissue typing and organ crossmatch) will not be discussed in the same depth.
The half-life of alanine aminotransferase and of total soluble protein in livers of normal and glucocorticoid-treated rats.

The half-lives of soluble protein pool and alanine aminotransferase (L-alanine: 2-oxoglutarate aminotransferase, EC 2.6.1.2) of rat liver were determined before and after prednisolone treatment by measuring the rate of disappearance of radioactivity from the labeled proteins. The half-life value of soluble protein is 4.2-4.3 days, and that of alanine aminotransferase is 3.0-3.5 days. Glucocorticoid treatment has little or no effect on the turnover rates.
Using Predictive Analytics in Teaching and Advising: Promising Practices and Practical Considerations

Higher education institutions are facing increasing pressure to provide evidence of student learning; teaching pedagogical best practices are moving to an increasingly individualized and student-focused learning model; and innovative technologies are allowing for greater mining of student data. Within this environment, learning and advising management systems, based on educational big data, or learning analytics, are being developed to better measure, analyze, report and predict data related to student learning, retention and completion. These learning analytics-informed systems have the potential to generate new insight into courses and student learning by creating responsive feedback mechanisms that can shape data-informed decision making as it relates to teaching, learning and advising. Despite the benefits of using learning analytics-informed learning and advising management systems, there are barriers and challenges related to broad adoption and use of innovations like these systems in higher education.In the summer of 2015, we conducted an instrumental case study to learn more about the technological, institutional, and individual factors related to adoption and use of learning analytics-informed educational technology tools on campus.AÂ In this short lightning talk, we will present the findings from the studyA¢â¬â¢s focus group interviews and observations.AÂ Further, we will share promising practices and practical considerations related to use of learning analytics tools to measure and predict academic performance.
Crystal plasticity modeling of irradiation effects on flow stress in pure-iron and iron-copper alloys

Abstract The mechanistic modeling of irradiation induced embrittlement of reactor pressure vessel steels strongly depends on the precise evaluation of flow stress behavior. This requires accurate characterization of change in both the yield strength as well as the strain-hardening capacity. A dislocation-density based crystal plasticity model is thus developed in this work to quantify these variations with irradiation. The model considers the interaction between dislocations and irradiation induced defects such as self-interstitial atomic loops, vacancy clusters and precipitates to obtain flow stress variations in irradiated ferritic alloys. The model is calibrated and validated for polycrystalline pure-iron and iron-copper alloys, neutron-irradiated to different dose levels under typical pressure vessel operating conditions. A comparison with experimental results show that the model is able to quantify the changes in flow stress behavior accurately. At 0.2 dpa a loss of strain-hardening capacity beyond 2% strain is also obtained from the model. The yield strength increase with irradiation obtained from the model is also compared with analytical strengthening models based on Orowan’s equation.
The Medium as Message: It’s a Book

At the National Institute of Standards and Technology eBook Conference: Changing the Way We Read, I conducted a quite unscientific survey to determine which features the experts who attended the conference would want in their own eBook. 17 experts, most of whom had been contacted by e-mail before the conference, participated in the survey.
σ–π-Band Inversion in a Novel Two-Dimensional Material

We present a theoretical study of a new type of two-dimensional material exhibiting a pentagonal arrangement of C and Si atoms. Pentagonal SiC2 is investigated with density functional theory-based calculations to show that the buckled nanostructure is dynamically stable, and exhibits an indirect energy band gap and an enhanced electronic dispersion with respect to the all-carbon counterpart. Computed Born effective charges exhibit a significant anisotropy for C and Si atoms that deviates substantially from their static effective charges. We establish an accurate tunability of the vertical location of the p-p-σ and p-p-π bands and show that under compressive biaxial strain the density of states decreases, and conversely for tensile biaxial strain. This coupling between the tunability of strain-mediated density of states and semiconducting properties in a monolayered structure may allow for the development of applications in semiconducting stretchable electronics.
Inflammation-induced caveolin-1 and BMPRII depletion promotes endothelial dysfunction and TGF-β-driven pulmonary vascular remodeling.

Endothelial cell (EC) activation and vascular injury are hallmark features of acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Caveolin-1 (Cav-1) is highly expressed in pulmo...
The Role of Botulinum Toxins in Treatment of Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Symptoms

Traumatic brain and spinal cord injury cause a variety of symptoms that are amenable to botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) treatment. These symptoms, spasticity; types of bladder dysfunction, movement disorders, and neuropathic pain are discussed in this chapter. The evidence-based literature on the efficacy of BoNT therapy for brain and spinal cord trauma-related symptoms is provided using the efficacy guidelines of the American Academy of Neurology.
Epilogue: Appreciation and Response: Historical Paths Forward from Here

A historiographical introduction to slaving, worldwide, accents the productivity of the social sciences in expanding its study from the modern Americas to fully global scales, but also raising challenges to maintaining a single abstract definition for “slavery” applicable to increasingly diverse contexts. An epistemological shift to historical analyses built from human motivations and strategies, richly contextualized in particular times and places, characterizes the four innovative essays in this collection, which advance the field by historicizing early maritime slave trading in the southern Atlantic.
Luise Rinser’s Third-World Politics: Isang Yun and North Korea

This chapter explores Luise Rinser’s turn to North Korea and her role as its apologist. She was quite enthusiastic about the Juche ideology, which emphasized the country’s political and economic independence, but her understanding of it was problematic, for she could not foresee its negative consequences. Cho covers Isang Yun’s experience in the East Berlin Incident and his connection to North Korea and treats his influence in Rinser’s turn to North Korea. Then, she focuses on Rinser’s portrayal of North Korea’s Juche ideology, which Rinser praised for its encouragement of economic and political independence, even though she rejected both American and also Soviet imperialism. Ultimately, Rinser failed to observe how North Korea’s ideology led to its economic downturn and international isolation.
Emotions and Participation in Social Movements

This chapter studies the influence of emotions on participation in social movements in the context of Turkey. In line with the current interest on social movements, Erisen explores whether anger and fear promote distinct behavioral tendencies in social mobilization. To that end, this chapter employs an experiment to test whether anger triggers approach behavior by increasing the likelihood of participation in social movements whereas fear decreases that propensity. The study also aims to investigate whether enthusiasm motivates people to participate in social movements more than anger. The influence of emotions is tested while controlling for the contextual effects of recent Turkish political developments, specifically the Gezi Park demonstrations.
Brief Numerical Methods

(1969). Brief Numerical Methods. Journal of Quality Technology: Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 153-154.
The Rise and Fall of Controlled Drinking

“… this book [Hester & Miller (1995)] equals the status of the first edition, in this reviewer’s opinion, as one of the classics in the alcoholism treatment field, a must for every clinician’s and researcher’s library. I can hardly wait for the third edition !” (Rotgers, 1996b, p. 101.).
Problems of Environmental Impacts and Regulating Business Practices

At least since the widely cited but now hopelessly old-fashioned treatise by Pigou, economists have examined the problem of the unintended side effects or externalities associated with economic activity. Environmental damages were a classic example of side effects. Therefore, economists had a well-developed theory of environmental issues before the burst of concern over the subject started around the 1960s. What was lacking was sufficient interest to inspire elaboration and application, a deficiency that rapidly was overcome during the 1970s.
The Experience Factor: A Regional Airline View of Pilot Candidate Qualifications

Pilot hiring by the regional airlines has finally begun to rebound from the downturn that followed the events of September 11, 2001. While major airlines have traditionally hired aviators with high-time military flight experience, greater numbers are now being selected from the general aviation population. Regional airlines, in particular, depend on recruitment of less experienced aviators to sustain their rapidly expanding sector of commercial aviation. This study sought to determine the experience factors that regional airline managers consider important to the selection process for new hire pilots. Key administrators at eleven regional airlines were surveyed to identify their current hiring criteria and perceptions of applicant quality. Findings from this study provide useful insights for flight training program development as well as individual applicant preparation.
Polyamines in protozoan pathogens

Polyamines are polycationic organic amines that are required for all eukaryotic life, exemplified by the polyamine spermidine, which plays an essential role in translation. They also play more specialized roles that differ across species, and their chemical versatility has been fully exploited during the evolution of protozoan pathogens. These eukaryotic pathogens, which cause some of the most globally widespread infectious diseases, have acquired species-specific polyamine-derived metabolites with essential cellular functions and have evolved unique mechanisms that regulate their core polyamine biosynthetic pathways. Many of these parasitic species have lost enzymes and or transporters from the polyamine metabolic pathway that are found in the human host. These pathway differences have prompted drug discovery efforts to target the parasite polyamine pathways, and indeed, the only clinically approved drug targeting the polyamine biosynthetic pathway is used to manage human African trypanosomiasis. This Minireview will primarily focus on polyamine metabolism and function in Trypanosoma, Leishmania, and Plasmodium species, which are the causative agents of human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) and Chagas disease, Leishmaniasis, and malaria, respectively. Aspects of polyamine metabolism across a diverse group of protozoan pathogens will also be explored.
Inhibition of the stem cell factor 248 isoform attenuates the development of pulmonary remodeling disease.

Stem cell factor (SCF) and its receptor c-kit have been implicated in inflammation, tissue remodeling, and fibrosis. Ingenuity Integrated Pathway Analysis of gene expression array data sets showed ...
A sleep hygiene and yoga intervention conducted in affordable housing communities: Pilot study results and lessons for a future trial.

Abstract Background and purpose: Inadequate sleep is highly prevalent among socioeconomically disadvantaged and racial/ethnic minority communities and is often related to maladaptive sleep behaviors and stress. There is scant research investigating the delivery of these interventions in underserved communities. The purpose of this study was to develop and test the feasibility and acceptability of a sleep education and yoga intervention for socioeconomically disadvantaged and racial/ethnic diverse adults. Materials and methods We present quantitative and qualitative data from a single-arm sleep education and yoga pilot study (n = 17) conducted in two affordable housing communities, and the multi-modal process we employed to refine the intervention for a future trial. Results Participants were age 43.6 years on average (±19.3 years) and 88.2% were female. Nearly 56% identified as non-Hispanic Black and 19% as Hispanic/Latino. Results showed significant pre/post-intervention improvements in sleep duration (5.4 ± 1.2 h/night vs 6.9 ± 1.7 h/night; p Conclusion This study indicates intervention acceptability and improvements in sleep and sleep hygiene. Future randomized controlled trials are needed to assess efficacy.
Understanding and modeling of gas-condensate ﬂow in porous media

Well deliverability impairment due to liquid dropout inside gas-condensate reservoirs below dew-point pressure is a common production problem. The operating conditions and the thermodynamic properties of the condensate govern the production performance of this type of reservoir. Modeling condensate production using analytical, semi-analytical or empirical formula for quick assessment of reservoir performance is a complicated method due to the complex thermodynamic behavior. The objective of this study is to provide a fundamental understanding of the ﬂow and thermodynamics of gas-condensate ﬂuid to develop tools for the production prediction. The prior developments of ﬂow modeling of gas-condensate are brieﬂy reviewed. The multi-phase ﬂow and the depletion stages during production are discussed. Each component of pseudo-pressure calculations to determine the condensate ﬂow rate is explained. Thermodynamic properties and laboratory experiment relevant to the ﬂow of condensate are also explored. Pressure-volume-temperature properties such as two-phase envelope, constant composition expansion and constant volume depletion are demonstrated for three different gas-condensate ﬂuids namely lean, intermediate and rich. This article is also useful for future developments of the production model for a gas-condensate under various operational and completion scenarios such as horizontal wells and hydraulic fractures in tight formations. Cited as : Panja, P., Velasco, R., Deo, M. Understanding and modeling of gas-condensate flow in porous media. Advances in Geo-Energy Research, 2020, 4(2): 173-186, doi: 10.26804/ager.2020.02.06
The KMT2D Kabuki syndrome histone methylase controls neural crest cell differentiation and facial morphology.

Kabuki syndrome (KS) is a congenital craniofacial disorder resulting from mutations in the KMT2D histone methylase (KS1) or the UTX histone demethylase (KS2). With small cohorts of KS2 patients, it is not clear if differences exist in clinical manifestations relative to KS1. We mutated KMT2D in neural crest cells (NCCs) to study cellular and molecular functions in craniofacial development with respect to UTX. Similar to UTX, KMT2D NCC knockout mice demonstrate hypoplasia with reductions in frontonasal bone lengths. We have traced the onset of KMT2D and UTX mutant NCC frontal dysfunction to a stage of altered osteochondral progenitor differentiation. KMT2D NCC loss of function does exhibit unique phenotypes distinct from UTX mutation including fully penetrant cleft palate, mandible hypoplasia, and deficits in cranial base ossification. KMT2D mutant NCCs lead to defective secondary palatal shelf elevation with reduced expression of extracellular matrix components. KMT2D mutant chondrocytes in the cranial base fail to properly differentiate leading to defective endochondral ossification. We conclude that KMT2D is required for appropriate cranial NCC differentiation and KMT2D specific phenotypes may underlie differences between Kabuki syndrome subtypes.
Fluid Boundaries and Moving Targets: Midwife Leaders' Perspectives on Continuing Professional Education.

In this study, we aim to understand midwife leaders’ perspectives on continuing professional education among midwives in their work unit. We used a phenomenological perspective and method in the pr...
Balloon angioplasty of bidirectional Glenn anastomosis.

Objective: We aim to assess the safety and efficacy of the transcatheter balloon dilation of superior cavopulmonary anastomosis (SCPA). Background: SCPA stenosis can lead to impaired pulmonary blood flow, hypoxemia and development of veno-venous collaterals with right-to-left shunt. Balloon dilation of SCPA has been rarely reported and follow-up information is lacking. Methods: We performed a retrospective review of patients who underwent cardiac catheterisation and angioplasty of SCPA and reviewed patient’s demographics, diagnosis, SCPA surgery and post-operative course, catheterisation haemodynamics, procedural technique, angiography, and the findings of follow-up catheterisation. Results: Between 2008 and 2017, seven patients showed significant narrowing of SCPA and underwent balloon angioplasty, all of whom had undergone bidirectional Glenn (BDG). Indications for cardiac catheterisation included persistent pleural effusion, hypoxemia, and echocardiographic evidence of BDG stenosis or routine pre-Fontan assessment. Five patients had bilateral SCPA. The procedure was successful in all cases with increase in the stenosis diameter from a median of 3.3 mm (range 1.2–4.7 mm) to a median of 4.7 mm (range 2.6–7.8 mm). All patients had at least one follow-up cardiac catheterisation. Only one patient required repeat angioplasty at the 2.3-month follow-up with no further recurrence. Sustained results and interval growth were noted in all other cases during up to 29 months of follow-up. No adverse events were encountered. Conclusion: Based on our small series, balloon angioplasty of BDG stenosis is feasible and safe and appears to provide sustained improvement with interval growth and only the rare recurrence of stenosis.
Preventive versus deferred catheter ablation of myocardial infarct-associated ventricular tachycardia: A meta-analysis.

Background The optimal timing of catheter ablation for the treatment of ventricular tachycardia (VT) in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy remains unclear. Studies examining the impact of early preventive ablation of VT on rates of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapies and mortality have been limited by small sample size. Objectives To conduct a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing initial catheter ablation and ICD implantation (preventive ablation arm) vs ICD implantation alone (deferred ablation arm) in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy and VT. Methods The primary endpoint was the incidence of appropriate ICD therapy during follow-up. Secondary endpoints included appropriate ICD shock, VT storm, procedural complications, and mortality. Sensitivity analysis, meta-regression, and evaluation of bias were performed. Results Four RCTs (n = 505) fulfilled inclusion criteria. During follow-up (mean >22 months for all RCTs), preventive ablation was associated with a significant reduction in ICD therapies (odds ratio [95% confidence interval]: 0.53 [0.36–0.78]). The occurrence of ICD shocks and VT storm were also significantly reduced in the preventive ablation group. Among patients with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) >30%, preventive ablation was associated with marked reduction in ICD therapy when compared to deferred ablation (odds ratio [95% confidence interval]: 0.37 [0.19–0.72]). Overall, there was no difference in mortality between treatment groups. Conclusions Preventive catheter ablation in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy decreases ICD therapies, ICD shocks, and VT storm without increasing complications, particularly in patients with LVEF >30%. However, early preventive ablation is not associated with any benefit in mortality.
The compound labor regime of Chinese construction projects in Ethiopia

Abstract This paper unpacks the compound labor regime (CLR) of Chinese construction projects in Africa to investigate the spatial politics of management strategy and workers’ agency. It contends that such a unique form of “living at work”, as illustrated by African mining compounds and Chinese workers’ dorms, represents a fluid assemblage of processes and relationships at transnational, national, and local scales. An empirical case study on one Chinese infrastructure construction project in Ethiopia highlights how Chinese CLR in Africa is co-produced by the established industrial practices in China, the regulatory contexts of the host African country, and the situated strategies of expatriate and local workers. Specifically, the seemingly integrated CLR is internally fragmented due to the use of subcontractors and outsourced labor – two prevalent practices in China’s construction sector – as well as the employment of both expatriate and local workers. This fragmentation is inscribed in the spatial configuration of the compound and reflected by the varied managerial mentalities and strategies, which lead to two sub-regimes of management-labor relations: negotiated despotism upon expatriate workers and cautious precarity upon local recruits. Expatriate workers are subject to socio-spatial immobility, overtime work, delayed payment, and substandard logistics; but they can negotiate conditions of work based on their socio-technical positions. Local workers, despite the lack of job security and work-related benefits, enjoy some institutional protection and intra-group solidarity. The multiple forms of strength and weakness experienced by workers underline the importance to nuance the complexity and contradictions of Chinese investment in Africa.
Refining All-Atom Protein Force Fields for Polar-Rich, Prion-like, Low-Complexity Intrinsically Disordered Proteins.

Significant efforts in the past decade have given us highly accurate all-atom protein force fields for molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of folded and disordered proteins. These simulations, comp...
Metabolic Flexibility in Response to Within-Season Temperature Variability in House Sparrows

The climatic variability hypothesis (CVH) posits that more flexible phenotypes should provide a fitness advantage for organisms experiencing more variable climates. While typically applied across geographically separated populations, whether this principle applies across seasons or other conditions (e.g., open vs. sheltered habitats) which differ in climatic variability remains essentially unstudied. In north-temperate climates, climatic variability in winter usually exceeds that in summer, so extending the CVH to within-population seasonal variation predicts that winter phenotypes should be more flexible than summer phenotypes. We tested this prediction of the within-season extension of the CVH by acclimating summer and winter-collected house sparrows (Passer domesticus) to 24, 5, and -10°C and measuring basal metabolic rate (BMR) and summit metabolic rate (Msum = maximum cold-induced metabolic rate) before and after acclimation (Accl). To examine mechanistic bases for metabolic variation, we measured flight muscle and heart masses and citrate synthase and β-hydroxyacyl coA-dehydrogenase activities. BMR and Msum were higher for cold-acclimated than for warm-acclimated birds, and BMR was higher in winter than in summer birds. Contrary to our hypothesis of greater responses to cold Accl in winter birds, metabolic rates generally decreased over the Accl period for winter birds at all temperatures but increased at cold temperatures for summer birds. Flight muscle and heart masses were not significantly correlated with season or Accl treatment, except for supracoracoideus mass, which was lower at -10°C in winter, but flight muscle and heart masses were positively correlated with BMR and flight muscle mass was positively correlated with Msum. Catabolic enzyme activities were not clearly related to metabolic variation. Thus, our data suggest that predictions of the CVH may not be relevant when extended to seasonal temperature variability at the within-population scale. Indeed, these data suggest that metabolic rates are more prominently upregulated in summer than in winter in response to cold. Metabolic rates tended to decrease during Accl at all temperatures in winter, suggesting that initial metabolic rates at capture (higher in winter) influence metabolic Accl for captive birds.
Reflections on resolving problems in the Ukrainian church crisis

Thanks are due to Radu Bordeianu, Thomas Bremer, Jaroslaw Buciora, Anatolii Babynskyi, Tetiana Kalenychenko, Andrii Krawchuk, and Frank Sysyn for their stellar contributions to this symposium. Each...
Napa Green: Funding Nonprofit Social Ventures in Crisis

Napa Green, a regional vineyard and winery sustainability certification program, is in its first year transitioning out from under the umbrella of its parent company, the Napa Valley Vintners (NVV). Napa Green was fully funded by the NVV as a way to help their members achieve compliance with the local, statewide, and national environmental regulations. However, the NVV sought to create a program that would one day be its own independent nonprofit. At the beginning of 2020, the NVV began stepping down their funding to Napa Green with the hopes that the organization could be fully funded on its own by 2022. Anna Brittain, the executive director of Napa Green, began seeking out funding sources to get the organization to financial independence as soon as possible. With the Coronavirus pandemic having serious impacts on the U.S. economy, forcing many businesses to close or rethink the way they operate, Napa Green was forced to completely rework its business plan to secure funding, as well as find a way to continue fulfilling the organization’s mission with limited resources.
Application of the frailty framework among vulnerable populations to hospitalization outcomes of individuals experiencing homelessness in Long Beach, California

Background: Individuals experiencing homelessness have a high prevalence of infectious diseases that may result in hospitalization.Objectives: This study uses risk factors at baseline to predict ho...
Family Medicine: The School Psychologist's Influence

School psychologists have influenced the development and refinement of the specialty of family medicine. A residency in family medicine consists of a three year program following medical school gra...
On integer balancing of directed graphs

Abstract A weighted digraph is balanced if the sums of the weights of the incoming and of the outgoing edges are equal at each vertex. We show that if these sums are integers, then for any edge weights satisfying the balance conditions, there exist integer weights obtained by rounding the original weights up or down that preserve both the balance condition and the sum of all edge weights.
Practical Applications of Sales Dispersion: A Robust Factor to Consider to Achieve Alpha

In Sales Dispersion: A Robust Factor to Consider to Achieve Alpha, from the Spring 2021 issue of The Journal of Wealth Management, authors Andrew Cohen (of Old Dominion University) and Feng Dong (of Siena College) examine the benefits of using sales forecast dispersion for predicting future stock performance. They hypothesize that companies with lower sales dispersion use strategies to optimize production, inventory control, and distribution channels, which eventually leads to long-term profitability. The authors find that the lower the analyst sales dispersion, the bigger the forecasting edge and the higher the probability of generating significant alpha. They conclude that sales dispersion is significantly more robust in predicting future stock performance than earnings dispersion. TOPICS:Performance measurement, analysis of individual factors/risk premia, wealth management
Prioritising teaching modalities by extending TOPSIS to single-valued neutrosophic environment

An effective teaching modality not only improves the efficiency of the teaching process but also promotes active learning. Teaching modalities are continuously evolving due to advancement in technology. There is a range of contradictory reports available in the extant literature regarding the effectiveness of different teaching modalities. This work assesses and prioritises four teaching modalities namely face-to-face teaching, pure online teaching, blended teaching and flipped classroom teaching. Assessment is made based on 8 criteria identified from the literature in consultation with the experts. Analysis revealed that the flipped classroom and blended teaching approaches are the most effective teaching modalities. Examination of the literature indicates that to date no study evaluated all the four aforementioned teaching modalities in a single study. The study is the first attempt to assesses 4 teaching modalities based on 8 eight common criteria by extending TOPSIS to a single-valued neutrosophic environment. Current work provides valuable insights to various stakeholders including academicians, policymakers and practitioners, who are interested in giving a rich learning experience to learners.
Evaluation of Neurotoxin and Filler Injection Training in Otolaryngology Residency

Introduction:Residency training courses are fundamental to an Otolaryngology (ENT) residency curriculum. Neurotoxin and filler injections have become common during ENT residency, and the outcomes o...
Determination of Genome Size of Selected Typing Bacteriophages of Staphylococcus aureus

The molecular weights of six representative typing bacteriophages were determined by sucrose gradient centrifugation. Genome size appeared to be related to the size of the phage head.
Smoothness Monitors for Compressible Flow Computation

In [SY04, YS07] and references cited therein, the authors introduced the concept of employing multiresolution wavelet decomposition of computed flow data as smoothness monitors (flow sensors) to indicated the amount and location of built-in numerical dissipation that can be eliminated or further reduced in shock-capturing schemes. Studies indicated that this approach is able to limit the use of numerical dissipation with improved accuracy compared with standard shock-capturing methods. The studies in [SY04, YS07] were limited to low order multiresolution redundant wavelets with low level supports and low order vanishing moments. The objective of this paper is to expand the previous investigation to include higher order redundant wavelets with larger support and higher order vanishing moments for a wider spectrum of flow type and flow speed applications. Studies show that the higher order wavelets with larger support and higher order vanishing moments indicate an improvement relative to the lower order cases.
Development of an environmentally friendly protective coating for the depleted uranium–0.75 wt% titanium alloy: Part III: Surface analysis of the coating

Abstract Molybdenum oxide-based conversion coatings have been formed on the surface of the depleted uranium–0.75 wt% titanium alloy using either concentrated nitric acid or fluorides for surface activation prior to coating formation. The acid-activated surface forms a coating that offers corrosion protection after a period of aging, when uranium species have migrated to the surface. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) revealed that the protective coating is primarily a polymolybdate bound to a uranyl ion. Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS) on the acid-activated coatings also shows uranium dioxide migrating to the surface. The fluoride-activated surface does not form a protective coating and there are no uranium species on the surface as indicated by XPS. The coating on the fluoride-activated samples has been found to contain a mixture of molybdenum oxides of which the main component is molybdenum trioxide and a minor component of an Mo(V) oxide.
Dependence of flux losses on MCG helix geometry

While Magneto Cumulative Generators (MCGs) differ widely in size and operating regimes, it is apparent that the helical flux compression generator is the most promising concept with respect to current amplification and compactness. Though the geometry of the helical generator (dynamically expanding armature in the center of a current carrying helix) seems to be basic, it turns out that the understanding of all involved processes is rather difficult. This fact is apparent from the present lack of a computer model that would be solely based on physical principles and manage without heuristic factors. This means, all programs known to the authors utilize an additional parameter that adjusts for the loss in flux that is currently unexplained. Experimental efforts revealed that the unexplained loss in flux becomes smaller the larger the generator volume is. Specifically, for generators with constant diameter helix and armature, the figure of merit, β, for generator performance exhibits a distinct decline with the angular frequency, ω, of the progressing contact between end-initiated armature and helix. Since ω is proportional to the square root of the ratio of initial MCG inductance to compressed volume, it becomes apparent that the generator performance is limited by size. For large generators on a meter scale, a β of approximately 0.95 has been reported (β = 1 means no flux loss at all), and own tests indicate that β drops quickly to about 0.7 to 0.6 for generator on the 10 cm scale. Still, even very small generators with about 30 mm outer diameter can have a β of around 0.6. Tapered generators, with tapered helix or tapered armature might perform differently and can be used to further assess the situation. Preliminary results for MCGs with a tapered helix show a performance that is somewhat superior to the straight helix generator.
Properties of Acrosomal Hyaluronidase from Bull Spermatozoa EVIDENCE FOR ITS SIMILARITY TO TESTICULAR HYALURONIDASE

Sperm acrosomes contain hyaluronidase, the amount varying, respectively, from ram, rabbit, bull, human, boar, rat, and stallion sperm to rooster sperm that do not possess this enzyme. Hyaluronidase was partially purified from bull sperm acrosomal extracts by DEAE-cellulose chromatography. Bull sperm acrosomal hyaluronidase has an optimum pH of 3.75 and is not effected by freezing and thawing or refrigeration, but it is unstable at a pH below 3.0 or temperatures above 50°. The enzyme requires salt for stability and activity and is inhibited by Fe++ and Fe+++ ions or heparin but not by Mn++, Mg++, and Ca++ ions or EDTA. Partially purified acrosomal hyaluronidase from rabbit spermatozoa possesses the same properties. The molecular weight of the hyaluronidase of bull sperm acrosomal extracts was estimated to be 110,000 by gel filtration using a Sephadex G-100 column. The acrosomal proteinase-proteinase inhibitor complex appeared as a separate fraction with a molecular weight of 68,000. The activity of bull testicular hyaluronidase as well as bull sperm acrosomal hyaluronidase is inhibited by rabbit immunoantisera prepared against bull testicular hyaluronidase preparations or bull sperm acrosomal extracts. Immunodiffusion experiments showed that bull testicular hyaluronidase and bull sperm acrosomal hyaluronidase preparations have only one component in common. This component was demonstrated to be the hyaluronidase. The results suggest that sperm acrosomal hyaluronidase is identical with testicular hyaluronidase but is apparently different from lysosomal hyaluronidase, present in organs other than the testis.
Integrating Teaching Resources and Assessment Tasks to Enhance Student Experience

This research paper outlines the importance of integrating the teaching resources with the assessment tasks and continuous feedback in creating unique overall student experience through effective student engagement and interactive student learning. These activities are undertaken in two undergraduate Services marketing and Strategic marketing unit offerings in the off campus teaching mode in a regional Australian university. The resultant impact on the overall student satisfaction, academic performance, retention and attrition rates has been studied. Results observed indicate that the student engagement increased across the behavioural, emotional and cognitive dimensions and also students’ focused on deeper learning through the integration of technology enables teaching resources and authentic assessment tasks. Continuous feedback provided by the academic staff member acted as a feed forward element that gauged students’ deep interest in the unit offerings. Key words : Student experience, Student engagement, Student learning, Interactive resources, Authentic assessment, Feedback
Variability of inorganic and organic phosphorus turnover rates in the coastal ocean

Phosphorus is an essential nutrient in pelagic marine ecosystems. Phosphorus cycling in the upper ocean is, however, poorly understood, and few studies have directly investigated the biological utilization of this essential element1,2,3,4. Here, we have determined in situ phosphorus-turnover rates in a coastal marine environment by measuring the activities of two cosmogenic radionuclides (32P and 33P, with half lives of 14.3 and 25.3 days, respectively) in dissolved inorganic, dissolved organic and total particulate phosphorus pools over a seasonal cycle. Phosphorus turnover rates within dissolved and particulate pools are rapid and vary over seasonal timescales, suggesting that low phosphorus concentrations can support relatively high primary production. Furthermore, picoplankton, such as bacteria, appear preferentially to utilize certain dissolved organic phosphorus compounds to obtain other associated nutrients, such as carbon and nitrogen. It seems that the significance of the roles of both dissolved inorganic and organic phosphorus in supporting primary production—and, hence, CO2 uptake and particulate organic carbon export—has been hitherto underestimated.
The development of sediment threshold curves for unusual environments (Mars) and for inadequately studied materials (foram sands)

Generalized curves for grain threshold under liquid flow and under gas flow (air), based on laboratory data summarized in a previous paper, are utilized to generate a series of threshold curves for unusual sedimentary environments and little-studied sedimentary materials of interest to geologists. These are aeolian and water flow threshold on the planet Mars, and the threshold of foraminiferal sands in the deep-sea. Such extrapolations from the generalized curves are necessary because of the difficulty or impossibility of obtaining satisfactory data for these sediments or environments, and the procedures demonstrate the importance of the general threshold curves.
A combined HAADF STEM and density functional theory study of tantalum and niobium locations in the Mo–V–Te–Ta(Nb)–O M1 phases

Abstract The M1 phases of the Mo–V–Te–Nb mixed-metal oxides are highly promising catalysts for direct propane (amm)oxidation. Nb is beneficial to the activity and selectivity for acrylonitrile, but direct evidence for Nb location is lacking because structural methods cannot distinguish Nb (Z = 41) from Mo (Z = 42). We have employed high-angle annular dark-field (HAADF) scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and density functional theory (DFT) to study the Ta (Z = 73) location in a Mo–V–Te–Ta–O M1 phase produced via hydrothermal synthesis, which possesses uniform Ta distribution compared to M1 phases previously synthesized via slurry evaporation. The HAADF STEM and DFT results indicate that Ta predominantly occupies the pentagonal bipyramidal site (S9). Moreover DFT results validate the previous hypothesis that Ta and Nb both prefer the S9 site.
A pubertal immune challenge alters the antidepressant-like effects of chronic estradiol treatment in inbred and outbred adult female mice.

Puberty is a period characterized by brain reorganization that contributes to the development of neural and behavioral responses to gonadal steroids. A single injection of the bacterial endotoxin, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), during the pubertal period decreases sexual receptivity in response to ovarian hormones in adulthood. Because chronic estradiol treatment alleviates depression-like symptoms in ovariectomized adult mice, we investigated the effect of pubertal LPS treatment on estradiol’s antidepressant effects. We hypothesized that pubertal LPS treatment would decrease the antidepressant-like effect of estradiol in adult ovariectomized female mice, as it decreases other behavioral responses to ovarian hormones. As expected, chronic estradiol treatment decreased depression-like behavior, as measured by the duration of immobility, in saline-treated mice from two different strains, as well as in mice treated with LPS in adulthood. In contrast, in mice treated pubertally with LPS, estradiol strikingly increased the duration of immobility. No difference in body weight and in locomotion was found among the groups, suggesting that the differences in depression-like behavior were not due to differences in body weight or locomotor activity between LPS-treated and control mice. These results suggest that exposure to an immune challenge during the pubertal period alters the responsiveness of depression-like behavior to estradiol.
Magnetic Fields and the Solar Corona. III: The Observed Connection between Magnetic Fields and the Density Structure of the Corona

Coronal magnetic fields calculated by the methods developed in Paper I (Altschuler and Newkirk, 1969) and the empirical description of the solar corona of November 1966 derived in Paper II (Newkirket al., 1970) are combined in order to investigate what connection exists between the magnetic fields and the density structure of the corona.
Cyclosporin inhibits a two-signal mechanism for the generation of cytotoxic NK-like cells, from small lymphocyte precursors

Abstract Cytotoxic cells resembling NK cells are generated from CD 3− small, lymphokine (LK) non-responsive precursor cells during an 8 day culture period with mitomycin C-treated autologous T cell blasts and LK. Recombinant interleukin 2 (rIL2) can replace LK in this coculture system. Both stimuli are required for the generation of the cytotoxic cells, which can then be maintained in short term cultures by LK alone. The generation of the cytotoxic cells was inhibited in cultures containing 0.1 μg/ml cyclosporin (Cys). Cys did not inhibit the LK dependent growth of the cytotoxic cells. Cys also inhibited the mitogen and LK dependent stimulation of purified T cells, but did not inhibit the LK dependent proliferation of T cell blasts. In contrast to the results for the generation of the cytotoxic cells, Cys did not inhibit the activation/growth of peripheral blood NK cells by LK or rIL2. These studies support the notion that the precursors of the NK-like cytotoxic cells are at an earlier stage of differentiation than peripheral blood NK cells responsive to LK alone, and that the precursor cells are triggered into a differentiation pathway leading to the NK-like cytotoxic cells by a two-signal mechanism.
The Reliability Impact of Mission Abort Strategies on Redundant Flight Computer Systems

This correspondence presents a reliability model for a redundant flight computer system with. standby sparing, taking into account various mission abort strategies. A mission rule to initiate a mission abort after a predetermined number of detected computer failures and to return to earth with the remaining computers is shown to result in: 1) little improvement of crew safety unless computer error coverage is nearly perfect, and 2) significant degradation in mission success whenever coverage is high.
Ultrastructure of the spermatozoon of the oyster. Crassostrea virginica.

Electron microscopy reveals the presence in oyster sperm of an axial body, a massive structure extending from the proximal area of the nucleus to the top of the acrosome. The location and structure of this body suggests that it is concerned with the formation and extrusion of the acrosome filament as described for several invertebrates. The centriole is a cylindrical hollow structure surrounded by four mitochondrial bodies and separated from the basal plate of the tail. The outside walls show a periodicity of 750–840 . The tail has a typical structure common to cilia of invertebrates. The axial filaments do not originate from the basal plate of the tail but at certain distance from it. The peripheral filaments near the basal plate are set on a membrane of dense material. Radial trabeculae connect these filaments to the outside wall and form nine separate compartments filled with material of lesser density.