cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hybrid modeling techniques for low OSR cascade continuous-time ΣΔ modulators

Approaches for modeling continuous-time (CT) SigmaDelta modulators based on the Bilinear (BT), Lossless-Discrete Integration (LDI) and Impulse Invariant (II) transformations are compared for low-OSR cascade architectures. A hybrid modeling approach is introduced that combines the BT and LDI transformations, and enables direct synthesis of the CT modulator from a discrete-time (DT) template. The resulting CT architecture is identical to the DT counterpart; i.e., no new signal paths are introduced. Moreover, frequency warping is not required as in the BT case for low-OSR modulators.
Using folk dance and geography to teach interdisciplinary, multicultural subject matter: a school-based study.

Background: Many scholars have called for physical education to be part of interdisciplinary units at the elementary level. The study of Native American cultures is required in most North American elementary schools. Folk dance, however, has traditionally included Western European folk dances, square dance, and, more recently, line dancing. In our opinion, the omission of indigenous dance forms from the USA (Hawaiian and Native American Indian Tribal) and from other world cultures is problematic and perpetuates a curriculum that privileges White dance forms. With the call for pluralistic education and interdisciplinary units at the elementary level, it is incumbent on physical education and classroom teachers to collaborate in designing these units. Folk dance is undoubtedly a place where physical education can make a substantial contribution to the children's experience of the content. Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe a research project focused on teaching a Native American folk dance un...
Polylogarithms and Riemann's ζ function

Riemann’s z function perhaps first appeared in statistical mechanics in 1900 in Planck’s theory of the blackbody radiation and then in 1912 in Debye’s theory of the specific heats of solids @1#. Subsequently, this function has played an important role in the statistical theory of the ideal Bose gas, especially for the understanding of Bose-Einstein condensation ~BEC !@ 2 #. More recently, this function together with the Mellin transform has become a powerful tool for the analysis of the thermodynamic potentials @3,4#. It would be no surprise to find fruitful applications of Riemann’s z function in other areas of today’s theoretical physics @5#. Recently it was found that the statistical thermodynamics of ideal gases can be given a unified picture through polylogs defined in terms of the fugacity z and dimensions d @6#. There is richness that this unified picture reveals, such as the anomalous physics in null dimension @7#, the Fermi-Bose reflection in d>3 @8#, and the Fermi-Bose equivalence in d 52 @9#. These physical results are consequences of some special properties of polylogs. It has been long known that a polylog of integral order becomes Riemann’s z function of the same order when its argument attains unity @10#. Thus Riemann’s z function can enter into the unified theory of the statistical thermodynamics via the polylogs quite naturally. Interestingly, we find that this formulation shows another way of evaluating Riemann’s z function, which is presented in this work. The classical theory of polylogs begins with Euler’s dilog and Landen’s trilog, and extends to higher order polylogs such as the quadrilog. In physical applications the order of a polylog is related to physical dimensions d. Thus polylogs of integral order lower than the dilog have been conceived, such as the nil-log and the monolog for the physics in d 50 and 2 @6#. There have been suggestions that negative dimensions can be of theoretical interest @11#. They require the polylogs of still lower orders than the nil-log, departing from the direction of the classical theory of polylogs. What we find is that in these circumstances there exists even a simpler relationship between the polylogs and Riemann’s z function. We can use this relationship to evaluate Riemann’s z function very simply, perhaps more simply than by most standard methods. It also lends an interesting insight into the nature of the values of Riemann’s z function. II. POLYLOGS AND THEIR PROPERTIES
Solver for current source type driver(s) and interconnect with linear or nonlinear loads

Current source type models are widely used for noise and timing analysis of on-chip drivers and interconnects. A time domain solution using Spice may be too time consuming. Here, we consider small solver for nonlinear driver(s) with interconnects and linear or nonlinear loads.
ValuePick: Towards a Value-Oriented Dual-Goal Recommender System

Given a user in a social network, which new friends should we recommend, the dual goal being to achieve user satisfaction and good network connectivity? Similarly, which new products are better to recommend to satisfy customers’ taste/needs as well as increase vendor profit? Typical recommender systems use merely past purchases, product ratings, demographic meta-data, and network ‘proximity’ to make recommendations. This traditional approach, however, does not take into account the profitability of products to vendors in a customer-product network, or the efficacy of new links in a social network. We argue that it is more appropriate to view the problem of generating recommendations as an optimization problem. In this paper, (a) we propose Value Pick, a framework which incorporates the ‘value’ of recommendations into the system while still providing accurate recommendations that retain user trust; (b) our method is parsimonious (requires only a single parameter \tau), flexible (\tau is used to flexibly adjust the level of balance between ‘user satisfaction’ and ‘gain’), and general (can be used with any ‘value’ metric); and finally (c) we examine the problem in the social networks setting, simulate comprehensive experiments to compare our method to several basic heuristics, and show that Value Pick yields higher ‘gain’ while keeping user satisfaction high.
Bridge coupler thermal/structural analysis and frequency shift studies for the coupled cavity linear accelerator of the Spallation Neutron Source

The Spallation Neutron Source (sns) is an accelerator-based neutron scattering research facility. The linear accelerator (linac) is the principal accelerating structure and divided into a room-temperature linac and a superconducting linac. The normal conducting linac system that consists of a Drift Tube Linac (DTL) and a Coupled Cavity Linac (CCL) is to be built by Los Alamos National Laboratory. The CCL structure is over 55 meters long. It accelerates H/sup -/ beam from 86.8 MeV to 185.6 MeV at operating frequency of 805 MHz. This side coupled cavity structure has 8 cells per segment, 12 segments per module, and 4 modules total. The bridge coupler with length of 2.5 /spl beta//spl lambda/is a three-cell structure and located between the segments and allows power flow through the module. The center cell of each bridge coupler is excited during normal operation. There is total 44 bridge couplers included 8 of them used as the RF feed locations. To obtain a uniform electromagnetic field and meet the resonant frequency shift, the RF induced heat must be removed. Thus, the thermal deformation and frequency shift studies are performed via numerical simulations in order to have an appropriate cooling design and predict the frequency shift under operation. The center cell of the bridge coupler also contains a slug tuner and a post tuner that used to provide bulk frequency adjustment and field intensity adjustment, so that produce the proper total field distribution in the module assembly. Thermal analyses and estimate of frequency-adjusted levels to help guide the cooling design are also proceeded.
Does Constituency Size Affect Elected Officials' Trade Policy Preferences?

Scholars have long argued that Presidents are less protectionist than Congress while Senators are less so than Representatives due to their larger constituencies. Yet until now this theory has escaped scrutiny. I argue that it is based on a misguided view of trade policy as distributive politics. I show via a series of tests that the theory is untenable. Unlike their differences in constituency size, the pro-trade leanings of the Presidency and Senate are postwar phenomena. Even now state size is unrelated to Senators’ votes on trade. In tests pooling legislators from both Houses, chamber membership predicts votes while constituency size generally does not. Senators are even less protectionist than Representatives with identical constituencies.
Distributed-application development tools for DCE/OSF

DCE/OSF (Distributed Computing Environment by the Open Software Foundation) offers a comprehensive remote procedure call (RPC) based solution for the development of open distributed applications across a network of heterogeneous multiple-vendor machines. However, even simple DCE applications may have a rather complicated structure, requiring good understanding of the elaborate DCE technology. In this paper, we examine the DCE application development path, and introduce two new tools, idlgen and gluegen (collectively called MakeDCE), which help to separate application logic from DCE aspects. The development of simple DCE applications using idlgen and gluegen remains a rather simple task, requiring very little knowledge of DCE, and of the DCE toolkit. These tools are particularly useful for splitting existing monolithic programs into clients and servers, with almost no change to the original application code. Complex DCE applications are supported as well, even though the splitting approach may not be fully applicable. >
Marital status and HIV/AIDS mortality: evidence from the US National Longitudinal Mortality Study

Summary Objectives The purpose of the study was to examine associations between marital status groups and death from HIV/AIDS. The primary hypothesis was that divorced and single/never married individuals have a much higher risk of death than married persons. Methods Data were derived from the third release of the US National Longitudinal Mortality Study. Cox proportional regression models were fitted to the data. Results It was found that marital status is associated with mortality from HIV. Divorced and separated individuals were 4.3 times more likely to die of HIV/AIDS than married individuals (adjusted relative risk (aRR) 4.321, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.978, 6.269). Single/never married persons were 13 times as likely to die of HIV/AIDS as their married counterparts (aRR 13.092, 95% CI 9.652, 17.757). When the sample was stratified by sex, however, it was observed that while marital status was associated with HIV/AIDS mortality among men, it had no significant association with death in women. However, African-American women (aRR 9.23, 95% CI 4.47, 19.03) and Hispanic women (aRR 7.06, 95% CI 3.03, 16.45) had a significantly higher risk of death than their non-Hispanic white female counterparts. Conclusions Marital status is a significant risk factor for mortality from HIV/AIDS, but this association is only valid for men. The different gender mortality experiences suggest that for HIV/AIDS more population-based studies comprising marital status risk factor histories are needed, given the limited research on marital status and mortality from the disease.
PAMPs and DAMPs: Signal 0s that Spur Autophagy and Immunity

Pathogen-associated molecular pattern molecules (PAMPs) are derived from microorganisms and recognized by pattern recognition receptor (PRR)-bearing cells of the innate immune system as well as many epithelial cells. In contrast, damage-associated molecular pattern molecules (DAMPs) are cell-derived and initiate and perpetuate immunity in response to trauma, ischemia, and tissue damage, either in the absence or presence of pathogenic infection. Most PAMPs and DAMPs serve as so-called 'Signal 0s' that bind specific receptors [Toll-like receptors, NOD-like receptors, RIG-I-like receptors, AIM2-like receptors, and the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE)] to promote autophagy. Autophagy, a conserved lysosomal degradation pathway, is a cell survival mechanism invoked in response to environmental and cellular stress. Autophagy is inferred to have been present in the last common eukaryotic ancestor and only to have been lost by some obligatory intracellular parasites. As such, autophagy represents a unifying biology, subserving survival and the earliest host defense strategies, predating apoptosis, within eukaryotes. Here, we review recent advances in our understanding of autophagic molecular mechanisms and functions in emergent immunity.
Novel and recurrent rearrangements in the CFTR gene: clinical and laboratory implications for cystic fibrosis screening

Because standard techniques used to detect mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene do not detect single or multiple exonic rearrangements, the importance of such rearrangements may be underestimated. Using an in-house developed, single-tube, semi-quantitative fluorescent PCR (SQF PCR) assay, we analyzed 36 DNA samples submitted for extensive CFTR sequencing and identified ten samples with rearrangements. Of 36 patients with classic CF, 10 (28%) harbored various deletions in the CFTR gene, accounting for 14% of CF chromosomes. A deletion encompassing the CFTR promoter and exons 1 and 2 was detected in a sample from one proband, and in the maternal DNA as well. In another family, a deletion of the promoter and exon 1 was detected in three siblings. In both of these cases, the families were African American and the 3120+1G>A splice site mutation was also identified. These promoter deletions have not been previously described. In a third case, a deletion of exons 17a, 17b, and 18 was identified in a Caucasian female and the same mutation was detected in the paternal DNA. In the other seven cases, we identified the following deletions: exons 2 and 3 (n=2); exons 4, 5, and 6a; exons 17a and 17b; exons 22 and 23; and exons 22, 23, and 24 (n=2). In our series, the frequency of CFTR rearrangements in classic CF patients, when only one mutation was identified by extensive DNA sequencing, was >60% (10/16). Screening for exon deletions and duplications in the CFTR gene would be beneficial in classic CF cases, especially when only one mutation is identified by standard methodologies.
Dimensionality Reduction for Spectral Clustering

Spectral clustering is a flexible clustering methodology that is applicable to a variety of data types and has the particular virtue that it makes few assumptions on cluster shapes. It has become popular in a variety of application areas, particularly in computational vision and bioinformatics. The approach appears, however, to be particularly sensitive to irrelevant and noisy dimensions in the data. We thus introduce an approach that automatically learns the relevant dimensions and spectral clustering simultaneously. We pursue an augmented form of spectral clustering in which an explicit projection operator is incorporated in the relaxed optimization functional. We optimize this functional over both the projection and the spectral embedding. Experiments on simulated and real data show that this approach yields significant improvements in the performance of spectral clustering.
Dexamethasone Rapidly Increases GABA Release in the Dorsal Motor Nucleus of the Vagus via Retrograde Messenger-Mediated Enhancement of TRPV1 Activity

Glucocorticoids influence vagal parasympathetic output to the viscera via mechanisms that include modulation of neural circuitry in the dorsal vagal complex, a principal autonomic regulatory center. Glucocorticoids can modulate synaptic neurotransmitter release elsewhere in the brain by inducing release of retrograde signalling molecules. We tested the hypothesis that the glucocorticoid agonist dexamethasone (DEX) modulates GABA release in the rat dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV). Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings revealed that DEX (1-10 µM) rapidly (i.e. within three minutes) increased the frequency of tetrodotoxin-resistant, miniature IPSCs (mIPSCs) in 67% of DMV neurons recorded in acutely prepared slices. Glutamate-mediated mEPSCs were also enhanced by DEX (10 µM), and blockade of ionotropic glutamate receptors reduced the DEX effect on mIPSC frequency. Antagonists of type I or II corticosteroid receptors blocked the effect of DEX on mIPSCs. The effect was mimicked by application of the membrane-impermeant BSA-conjugated DEX, and intracellular blockade of G protein function with GDP βS in the recorded cell prevented the effect of DEX. The enhancement of GABA release was blocked by the TRPV1 antagonists, 5’-iodoresiniferatoxin or capsazepine, but was not altered by the cannabinoid type 1 receptor antagonist AM251. The DEX effect was prevented by blocking fatty acid amide hydrolysis or by inhibiting anandamide transport, implicating involvement of the endocannabinoid system in the response. These findings indicate that DEX induces an enhancement of GABA release in the DMV, which is mediated by activation of TRPV1 receptors on afferent terminals. The effect is likely induced by anandamide or other ‘endovanilloid’, suggesting activation of a local retrograde signal originating from DMV neurons to enhance synaptic inhibition locally in response to glucocorticoids.
A knowing ear: The effect of explicit information on children’s experience of a musical performance

Program notes are distributed before performances at arts centers throughout the country, but research on the effects of this kind of explicit information on audience experience has led to contradi...
Spectral response of guided mode resonant devices with gain or loss

The spectral response is presented for resonant reflection/transmission or resonant absorption of guided mode resonant devices with the addition of a uniform gain or loss.
Knowledge-based architectural adaptation management for self-adaptive systems

Self-adaptive systems continually evaluate and modify their own behavior to meet changing demands. An important element in the construction of architecture-based self-adaptive software is the specification of adaptation policy: this extended abstract presents an overview of work towards basing such specification on architecture-centric knowledge-based policies. This approach leverages techniques from the artificial intelligence field to explicitly represent adaptation policy at the architectural level, providing for strong decoupling between policy specification and architectural compositions, and supports dynamic runtime policy evolution promoting reuse potential and runtime flexibility.
Invisible emotion: information and interaction in an emergency room

Emotions are an often overlooked aspect of work since they are not included in formal work models. However, they continue provide critical information as well as be part of a rich social context for action. The following study focuses on the expression of emotions within the context of a particular work environment -- an emergency room -- and high-lights how it is used, why it is invisible in the work, and how it continues to persist through workarounds. These workarounds provide indications towards the design of so-ciotechnical systems to continue to support the expression of invisible emotions.
BIOTIC RESISTANCE TO INVASION: NATIVE PREDATOR LIMITS ABUNDANCE AND DISTRIBUTION OF AN INTRODUCED CRAB

Introduced species frequently escape the natural enemies (predators, com- petitors, and parasites) that limit their distribution and abundance in the native range. This reduction in native predators, competitors, and parasites may result in ecological release in the introduced range. However, biological interactions also can limit the establishment and spread of nonnative populations. The extent to which such biotic resistance occurs is poorly resolved, especially for marine ecosystems. Here we test whether a native predator, the blue crab Callinectes sapidus, affects the abundance and geographic range of the in- troduced European green crab Carcinus maenasin eastern North America. Both crab species occur in shallow, soft-sediment habitats of bays and estuaries, and their ranges overlap in eastern North America. First, we tested for a negative relationship in the abundances of the two species from trap samples across a 640-km (5.788 latitude) coastal transect. Second, we estimated variation in predation pressure on tethered Carcinus maenas across latitude and as a function of Callinectes sapidus abundance. Third, we measured predation rates on Carcinus maenasby Callinectes sapidusin field and laboratory experiments. Our results support the hypothesis that the native predator Callinectes sapidusprovides biotic resistance to invasion and prevents the southward spread and establishment of Carcinus maenas. Within and across bays, Carcinus maenas were significantly less abundant at sites and depths with Callinectes sapiduscompared with areas lacking Callinectes sapidus. Moreover, no Carcinus maenaswere found in Chesapeake Bay, where Callinectes sapidus were most abundant. Predation of tethered Carcinus maenasincreased with Callinectes sapidusabun- dance. In laboratory and field experiments,Callinectes sapidus preyed readily on Carcinus maenas. Thus, we conclude the predation by Callinectes sapidus, alone or in combination with other factors, limits the abundance and geographic range of an invasive marine species.
Optimization of beam angles for intensity modulated radiation therapy treatment planning using genetic algorithm on a distributed computing platform

Planning intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) treatment involves selection of several angle parameters as well as specification of structures and constraints employed in the optimization process. Including these parameters in the combinatorial search space vastly increases the computational burden, and therefore the parameter selection is normally performed manually by a clinician, based on clinical experience. We have investigated the use of a genetic algorithm (GA) and distributed-computing platform to optimize the gantry angle parameters and provide insight into additional structures, which may be necessary, in the dose optimization process to produce optimal IMRT treatment plans. For an IMRT prostate patient, we produced the first generation of 40 samples, each of five gantry angles, by selecting from a uniform random distribution, subject to certain adjacency and opposition constraints. Dose optimization was performed by distributing the 40-plan workload over several machines running a commercial treatment planning system. A score was assigned to each resulting plan, based on how well it satisfied clinically-relevant constraints. The second generation of 40 samples was produced by combining the highest-scoring samples using techniques of crossover and mutation. The process was repeated until the sixth generation, and the results compared with a clinical (equally-spaced) gantry angle configuration. In the sixth generation, 34 of the 40 GA samples achieved better scores than the clinical plan, with the best plan showing an improvement of 84%. Moreover, the resulting configuration of beam angles tended to cluster toward the patient's sides, indicating where the inclusion of additional structures in the dose optimization process may avoid dose hot spots. Additional parameter selection in IMRT leads to a large-scale computational problem. We have demonstrated that the GA combined with a distributed-computing platform can be applied to optimize gantry angle selection within a reasonable amount of time.
Housing influences among sleep-related infant injury deaths in the USA.

Summary This article examines the role of housing conditions in sleep-related infant injury death, a leading cause of infant mortality in the USA. The use of an unsafe sleep surface is a major risk factor for sleep-related infant injury. This exploratory study examined contextual circumstances, specifically those related to the physical environment, which may contribute to caregivers’ decisionsto place an infant on an unsafe sleep surface. It employed a retrospective review of 255 sleep-related infant injury death cases in a large urban area from 2004 to 2010 where an infant was found sleeping on an unsafe sleep surface, including 122 cases where a crib or bassinet was identified in the home. Quantitative findings indicated no differences in demographic or risk characteristics between infants with cribs or bassinets and those without them. Qualitative findings suggested the lack of crib or bassinet use may be related to environmental factors influenced by poverty, specifically crowded living space, room temperature and vermin infestation. This study suggests that infants may be at risk of sleep-related injury deaths even when a crib or bassinet is present in the home and supports the consideration of housing conditions in health promotion efforts to reduce infant mortality. Understanding environmental factors that may contribute to infants sleeping on an unsafe surface can help maternal child health and public health professionals develop more appropriate interventions that address deleterious living conditions.
Plasma Nitration of High-Density and Low-Density Lipoproteins in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients Receiving Kidney Transplants.

Background. Functional abnormalities of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) could contribute to cardiovascular disease in chronic kidney disease patients. We measured a validated marker of HDL dysfunction, nitrated apolipoprotein A-I, in kidney transplant recipients to test the hypothesis that a functioning kidney transplant reduces serum nitrated apoA-I concentrations. Methods. Concentrations of nitrated apoA-I and apoB were measured using indirect sandwich ELISA assays on sera collected from each transplant subject before transplantation and at 1, 3, and 12 months after transplantation. Patients were excluded if they have history of diabetes, treatment with lipid-lowering medications or HIV protease inhibitors, prednisone dose > 15 mg/day, nephrotic range proteinuria, serum creatinine > 1.5 mg/dL, or active inflammatory disease. Sera from 18 transplanted patients were analyzed. Four subjects were excluded due to insufficient data. Twelve and eight patients had creatinine < 1.5 mg/dL at 3 and 12 months after transplantation, respectively. Results. Nitrated apoA-I was significantly reduced at 12 months after transplantation (). The decrease in apoA-I nitration was associated with significant reduction in myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity (). In contrast to apoA-I, nitrated apoB was not affected after kidney transplantation. Conclusions. Patients with well-functioning grafts had significant reduction in nitrated apoA-I 12 months after kidney transplantation. Further studies are needed in a large cohort to determine if nitrated apoA-I can be used as a valuable marker for cardiovascular risk stratification in chronic kidney disease.
Fragmentation Pathways of Molecules Multiply Ionized by Pulses from the LCLS Intense X-ray Laser

Molecular fragmentation dynamics induced by intense X-ray FEL pulses is studied by examining the kinetic energy of different m/q fragment species from small (e.g. N$_2$) as well as medium size molecules (e.g. SF$_6$)
2,2'-Pyridylpyrrolide ligand redistribution following reduction.

The potential redox activity of the 2,2′-pyridylpyrrolide ligand carrying two CF3 substituents (L2) is investigated. Synthesis and characterization of d6 and d7 species M(L2)2 for M = Fe and Co are...
Diagnosing hemolytic anemias in the laboratory.

Several laboratory procedures provide primary evidence of hemolytic disease. Since, by definition, hemolytic disease is an average red blood cell life span less than normal, a fundamental approach is to tag red cells with chromium51 and to measure their half-life in the circulation. A sustained reticulocytosis also indicates hemolytic disease.
Robustness of two-step acid hydrolysis procedure for composition analysis of poplar

The NREL standard procedure for lignocellulosic biomass composition has two steps: primary hydrolysis in 72% wt sulfuric acid at 30°C for 1h followed by secondary hydrolysis of the slurry in 4wt% acid at 121°C for 1h. Although pointed out in the NREL procedure, the impact of particle size on composition has never been shown. In addition, the effects of primary hydrolysis time and separation of solids prior to secondary hydrolysis on composition have never been shown. Using poplar, it was found that particle sizes less than 0.250mm significantly lowered the glucan content and increased the Klason lignin but did not affect xylan, acetate, or acid soluble lignin contents. Composition was unaffected for primary hydrolysis time between 30 and 90min. Moreover, separating solids prior to secondary hydrolysis had negligible effect on composition suggesting that lignin and polysaccharides are completely separated in the primary hydrolysis stage.
Induction chemotherapy for resectable non-small-cell lung cancer

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death in American men and women. Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for 85% of these cases. Although surgery is the best curative approach for resectable NSCLC, long-term survival for patients with operable disease remains poor. More than half of patients who initially present with stage I to IIIA disease experience relapse of metastatic disease. Postoperative adjuvant therapy has been evaluated in several randomized trials, and provides a survival benefit. It appears reasonable to look to induction chemotherapy, or preoperative chemotherapy, to provide a similar improvement in survival with early treatment of micrometastatic disease. Multiple trials of induction therapy have been carried out with encouraging results. The use of various induction regimens with chemotherapy alone or chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy for stage IIIA NSCLC is under investigation. Randomized trials are under way to better define the role of induction therapy in the multimodality treatment of NSCLC.
Say our name (and say it right)! Extending Walton et al. on the evolution of race in political science scholarship:

To explore the evolution of political-science research on race, Walton et al., have done a systematic review of more than a century of publications appearing in the discipline’s oldest and most pre...
Establishment of a nonanonymous donor oocyte program: preliminary experience at the University of Southern California

Transvaginal ultrasound-directed oocyte retrieval was performed on eight women functioning exclusively as gamete donors for 10 patients with ovarian failure. Donors included sisters, personal friends, and compensated participants selected by the recipient couple. Oocyte donors underwent controlled ovarian hyperstimulation and transvaginal oocyte aspiration. Thirteen initiated cycles resulted in 11 embryo transfers and six ongoing pregnancies. There were no complications, and all donors stated a willingness to undergo the procedure again. The use of nonanonymous oocyte donation appears both efficacious and efficient and is recommended as an option for achieving pregnancy in women with ovarian failure.
Structural and Rotational Dynamics of Carbon Dioxide in 1-Alkyl-3-methylimidazolium Bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide Ionic Liquids: The Effect of Chain Length.

Ionic liquids (ILs) have been proposed as possible carbon dioxide (CO2) capture media; thus, it is useful to understand the dynamics of both the dissolved gas and its IL environment as well as how altering an IL affects these dynamics. With increasing alkyl chain length, it is well-established that ILs obtain a mesoscopic structural feature assigned to polar–apolar segregation, and the change in structure with chain length affects the dynamics. Here, the dynamics of CO2 in a series of 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ILs, in which the alkyl group is ethyl, butyl, hexyl, or decyl, were investigated using ultrafast infrared spectroscopy by measuring the reorientation and spectral diffusion of carbon dioxide in the ILs. It was found that reorientation of the carbon dioxide occurs on three time scales, which correspond to two different time scales of restricted wobbling-in-a-cone motions and a long-time complete diffusive reorientation. Complete reorientation slows with increasing...
New species and notes on the southern African genus Ixia L. (Iridaceae)

The circumscription of Ixia, its subdivision and its relationship to the allied genus Tritonia Ker-Gawler, are discussed. It is suggested that seed characters rather than floral characters could best separate the two genera Two new species from the Worcester district of the southwestern Cape are described. Ixia pumilio Goldbl. & Snijman (subgenus Ixia, section Morph ixia) is restricted to sandy alluvium along the Breede River. Ixia collina Goldbl. & Snijman (subgenus Dichone), a species with unusual and distally flattened filaments, grows on the south-facing slopes of shale hills in karroid vegetation. Die omskrywing van Ixia en die onderverdeling daarvan sowel as die verwantskap met die verwante genus Tritonia Ker-Gawler, word beskryf. Daar word voorgestel dat saad-eerder as blom-karaktereienskappe, die twee genera ten beste onderskei. Twee nuwe spesies uit die Worcester-distrik van die suidweste Kaap word beskryf. Ixia pumilio Goldbl. & Snijman (subgenus Ixia, seksie Morphixia) is beperk tot spoelsand langs die Breederivier. Ixia collina Goldbl. & Snijman (subgenus Dichone), ’n spesie met ongewone geboe en verbrede helmdrade, is van karoo-agtige heuwels.
Institutional Cost of Unplanned 30-Day Readmission Following Open and Endovascular Surgery.

Background:Vascular surgical patients have a high rate of readmission, and the cost of readmission for these patients has not been described. Herein, we characterize and compare institutional index...
Statistical and model based approach to unvoiced speech detection

The detection of unvoiced speech in the presence of additive background noise is complicated by the fact that unvoiced speech is very similar to white noise. The mechanism of production of unvoiced speech is known to be due to turbulent airflow in the constrictions of the vocal tract. Three approaches for detecting unvoiced speech from additive background noise have been developed. Two of which are very effective in the presence of additive white noise, are model based and autocorrelation based respectively. The probability of correct detection, on average being 74%. A statistical approach is however developed that works both for additive white and pink noise. Further research on this statistical measure is being attempted to use it in a simple threshold based detector of unvoiced speech.
Apoptosis and Compensatory Proliferation Signaling Are Coupled by CrkI-Containing Microvesicles

Summary Apoptosis has been implicated in compensatory proliferation signaling (CPS), whereby dying cells induce proliferation in neighboring cells as a means to restore homeostasis. The nature of signaling between apoptotic cells and their neighboring cells remains largely unknown. Here we show that a fraction of apoptotic cells produce and release CrkI-containing microvesicles (distinct from exosomes and apoptotic bodies), which induce proliferation in neighboring cells upon contact. We provide visual evidence of CPS by videomicroscopy. We show that purified vesicles in vitro and in vivo are sufficient to stimulate proliferation in other cells. Our data demonstrate that CrkI inactivation by ExoT bacterial toxin or by mutagenesis blocks vesicle formation in apoptotic cells and inhibits CPS, thus uncoupling apoptosis from CPS. We further show that c-Jun amino-terminal kinase (JNK) plays a pivotal role in mediating vesicle-induced CPS in recipient cells. CPS could have important ramifications in diseases that involve apoptotic cell death.
Tee L. Guidotti. Health and sustainability: An introduction

Guidotti’s book, Health and sustainability: an introduction, undertakes the tall task of distilling the interconnections between sustainable progress and human health into a usable framework for those interested in the generation of actionable science. At the core, Guidotti is interested in how to reconcile conflicts between economic development and environmental health protection, suggesting that progress might be shaped by embracing current cultural values, rather than posting that such values have to be abandoned to ensure a sustainable future. While pragmatic, he is optimistic and tangible when he makes the case for achieving sustainability by embracing modern cultural values. The author successfully tackles a wide range of interrelated topics at an appropriate depth for a generalist reader and for aspiring professionals in health or environmental fields.
Reducing Pagerank Communication via Propagation Blocking

Reducing communication is an important objective, as it can save energy or improve the performance of a communication-bound application. The graph algorithm PageRank computes the importance of vertices in a graph, and it serves as an important benchmark for graph algorithm performance. If the input graph to PageRank has poor locality, the execution will need to read many cache lines from memory, some of which may not be fully utilized. We present propagation blocking, an optimization to improve spatial locality, and we demonstrate its application to PageRank. In contrast to cache blocking which partitions the graph, we partition the data transfers between vertices (propagations). If the input graph has poor locality, our approach will reduce communication. Our approach reduces communication more than conventional cache blocking if the input graph is sufficiently sparse or if number of vertices is sufficiently large relative to the cache size. To evaluate our approach, we use both simple analytic models to gain insights and precise hardware performance counter measurements to compare implementations on a suite of 8 real-world and synthetic graphs. We demonstrate our parallel implementations substantially outperform prior work in execution time and communication volume. Although we present results for PageRank, propagation blocking could be generalized to SpMV (sparse matrix multiplying dense vector) or other graph programming models.
Function of plasma membrane microdomain-associated proteins during legume nodulation

Plasma membrane microdomains are plasma membrane sub-compartments enriched in sphingolipids and sterols, and composed by a specific set of proteins. They are involved in recognizing signal molecules, transducing these signals, and controlling endocytosis and exocytosis processes. In a recent study, applying biochemical and microscopic methods, we characterized the soybean GmFWL1 protein, a major regulator of soybean nodulation, as a new membrane microdomain-associated protein. Interestingly, upon rhizobia inoculation of the soybean root system, GmFWL1 and one of its interacting partners, GmFLOT2/4, both translocate to the root hair cell tip, the primary site of interaction and infection between soybean and Rhizobium. The role of GmFWL1 as a plasma membrane microdomain-associated protein is also supported by immunoprecipitation assays performed on soybean nodules, which revealed 178 GmFWL1 protein partners including a large number of microdomain-associated proteins such as GmFLOT2/4. In this addendum, we provide additional information about the identity of the soybean proteins repetitively identified as GmFWL1 protein partners. Their function is discussed especially in regard to plant-microbe interactions and microbial symbiosis. This addendum will provide new insights in the role of plasma membrane microdomains in regulating legume nodulation.
Genome and metabolic engineering in non-conventional yeasts: Current advances and applications.

Microbial production of chemicals and proteins from biomass-derived and waste sugar streams is a rapidly growing area of research and development. While the model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is an excellent host for the conversion of glucose to ethanol, production of other chemicals from alternative substrates often requires extensive strain engineering. To avoid complex and intensive engineering of S. cerevisiae, other yeasts are often selected as hosts for bioprocessing based on their natural capacity to produce a desired product: for example, the efficient production and secretion of proteins, lipids, and primary metabolites that have value as commodity chemicals. Even when using yeasts with beneficial native phenotypes, metabolic engineering to increase yield, titer, and production rate is essential. The non-conventional yeasts Kluyveromyces lactis, K. marxianus, Scheffersomyces stipitis, Yarrowia lipolytica, Hansenula polymorpha and Pichia pastoris have been developed as eukaryotic hosts because of their desirable phenotypes, including thermotolerance, assimilation of diverse carbon sources, and high protein secretion. However, advanced metabolic engineering in these yeasts has been limited. This review outlines the challenges of using non-conventional yeasts for strain and pathway engineering, and discusses the developed solutions to these problems and the resulting applications in industrial biotechnology.
Academic Cheating in Disliked Classes

Academic dishonesty occurs at alarming rates in higher education. In the present study, we examined predictors of academic cheating behaviors, and beliefs in the acceptability of cheating, in disliked courses at two large universities, using structural equation modeling. Perceived mastery and extrinsic goal structures were related to beliefs about cheating but not cheating behaviors. Beliefs in the acceptability of cheating were more likely to be endorsed in math and science courses. College students were more likely to cheat and to believe in the acceptability of cheating when they reported a high need for sensation.
Using social networks to predict changes in health: Extended abstract

Social networking sites not only have billions of users but detailed content about each individual's daily life. This detailed information about a person's life could be exploited to allow individuals to learn more about themselves. In this paper, we introduce the concept of using social networks to foresee changes in an individual's health. We develop a new model that can predict if a person has recently undergone weight loss by analyzing the text from the person's tweets. Sentiment analysis, parts-of-speech (POS) tagging, and categorization are used in this model. The model is tested on Twitter users and a good statistical accuracy is observed. The success of this model suggests that this idea could be further explored to identify other patterns and create new models for a variety of health changes and health problems, particularly those that are of huge interest to individuals and businesses.
Exposure to Direct-to-Consumer Pharmaceutical Advertising and Medication Nonadherence Among Patients With Serious Mental Illness

Objective:This study explored the association of exposure to direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) with medication nonadherence among individuals with serious mental disorders.Methods:Results of an anonymous survey administered at an inner-city mental health clinic were examined by using logistic regression. Nonadherence was defined as not taking prescribed medications for at least two out of seven days.Results:Of 246 respondents, 48% reported DTCA exposure and 43% reported nonadherence. Sixty-one percent of those exposed to DTCA reported nonadherence, compared with 26% of those not exposed (adjusted odds ratio=4.96, 95% confidence interval=2.64–9.33, p<.001). Among those exposed to advertisements and reporting nonadherence, 59% reported changing medication-taking behaviors or stopping prescribed medications because of side effect information in advertisements. Only a minority communicated with providers before becoming nonadherent.Conclusions:This study found an association between self-report of DTCA ex...
Community PsychologyAcknowledgment: We would like to acknowledge the contributions of the authors of this chapter in the first edition of this volume: Bianca D. M. Wilson, Erin Hayes, George J. Greene, James G. Kelly, and Ira Iscoe.

Community psychology is concerned with the many ways that individual lives and well-being are inextricably interwoven with social systems and collective well-being. In this chapter, we explore, in historical perspective, how community psychologists engage in research and action in multiple levels of communities. We review the early development of the field in the United States and internationally, before and after the Swampscott conference in 1965. We define and discuss conceptual frameworks influential in community psychology historically and today: (a) levels of analysis for understanding persons in social contexts, and how persons and contexts influence each other; (b) ecological concepts for understanding social environments and systems; (c) concepts and dimensions of human and cultural diversity; and (d) community psychology thinking concerning multiple levels of empowerment in communities. We discuss, in historical perspective, the distinctive, collaborative forms of community psychology research, including participatory action research and related methods, and elaborate how research and practice are interdependent in community psychology. We consider issues of social justice, citizen participation, prevention, wellness and resilience in communities, the global development of the field, rising interest in community psychology practice, and trends in education in community psychology. Keywords: community psychology; participatory action research; empowerment; prevention; human diversity
Quantitative analysis of regenerative energy in electric rail traction systems

This paper aims at determining the influential factors affecting regenerative braking energy in DC rail transit systems. This has been achieved by quantitatively evaluating the dependence of regenerative energy on various parameters, such as vehicle dynamics, train scheduling, ground inclination and efficiency of the electrical devices. The recuperated power and energy have been presented by a mathematical model, comprising of a set of empirical forms, which allows for thorough analysis. A detailed simulation model of a typical DC-traction system has been developed to validate the developed empirical forms. The results verified the validity of the proposed mathematical model, and demonstrated the significance of the examined parameters on the regenerative power and energy of a train during a complete cycle. Knowledge of the parameters impacting the magnitude of regenerative energy should maximize the potential of harnessing regenerative energy.
DNA damage by oxidative stress: Measurement strategies for two genomes

Abstract DNA damage is any modification to the structure of DNA that alters its coding properties and/or interferes with cell processes. One major consequence of oxidative stress is DNA damage, which include base modifications, abasic sites, and strand breaks. A wide variety of tools are available to measure DNA damage, in particular for the nuclear genome. Some of the most widely used tools to measure oxidative DNA damage are the comet assay, PCR-based assays, immunoassays, and mass spectrometry-based approaches. Although the field has made great strides in describing oxidative DNA damage and improving the overall sensitivity of standard techniques, many questions are still unanswered and substantial technical challenges remain. Particularly, differential quantification and description of DNA damage (mitochondrial vs. nuclear) continues to be a challenge and a priority going forward. Technical advancements have allowed us to acquire a great amount of new knowledge in recent years, and as the pace of tool development increases, so will our understanding of DNA damage and its biological consequences for human health and disease.