cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On decomposability of Multilinear sets

We consider the Multilinear set $${\mathcal {S}}$$ defined as the set of binary points (x, y) satisfying a collection of multilinear equations of the form $$y_I = \prod _{i \in I} x_i$$ , $$I \in {\mathcal {I}}$$ , where $${\mathcal {I}}$$ denotes a family of subsets of $$\{1,\ldots , n\}$$ of cardinality at least two. Such sets appear in factorable reformulations of many types of nonconvex optimization problems, including binary polynomial optimization. A great simplification in studying the facial structure of the convex hull of the Multilinear set is possible when $${\mathcal {S}}$$ is decomposable into simpler Multilinear sets $${\mathcal {S}}_j$$ , $$j \in J$$ ; namely, the convex hull of $${\mathcal {S}}$$ can be obtained by convexifying each $${\mathcal {S}}_j$$ , separately. In this paper, we study the decomposability properties of Multilinear sets. Utilizing an equivalent hypergraph representation for Multilinear sets, we derive necessary and sufficient conditions under which $${\mathcal {S}}$$ is decomposable into $${\mathcal {S}}_j$$ , $$j \in J$$ , based on the structure of pair-wise intersection hypergraphs. Our characterizations unify and extend the existing decomposability results for the Boolean quadric polytope. Finally, we propose a polynomial-time algorithm to optimally decompose a Multilinear set into simpler subsets. Our proposed algorithm can be easily incorporated in branch-and-cut based global solvers as a preprocessing step for cut generation.
Extent of jugular venous distension and lower extremity edema are the best tools from history and physical examination to identify heart failure exacerbation

We aimed to identify the best tools from history and physical examination that predict severity of heart failure (HF) exacerbation among patients with an ejection fraction (EF) ≤ 30%. Patients enrolled in the ESCAPE trial were divided into tertiles according to the combined value of pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) and right atrial pressure (RAP) which we used as a marker of volume loading of both pulmonary and systemic compartments. Variables of congestion from history and physical examination were examined across tertiles. There were significant differences across tertiles (tertile 1: PCWP + RAP 42 mm Hg) with respect to baseline B‑type natriuretic peptide (P = 0.016), blood urea nitrogen (P = 0.022), sodium (P = 0.015), left ventricular ejection fraction (P = 0.005), and inferior vena cava diameter during inspiration (P 12 cmH2O (p < 0.001), lower extremity edema (P = 0.001) and lower extremity edema of at least grade 2 + (P = 0.029), and positive hepatojugular reflux (HJR, P = 0.022) but no differences in patients’ symptoms such as degree of dyspnea, orthopnea or fatigue. With regards to post-discharge outcomes, there was a significant difference across tertiles in all-cause mortality (P = 0.029) and rehospitalization for HF (P = 0.031) at 6 months following randomization. Receiver operator characteristic curves showed that admission PCWP + RAP had an area under the curve of 0.623 (P = 0.0075) and 0.617 (P = 0.0048), respectively, in predicting 6‑month all-cause mortality and rehospitalization for HF. The presence and extent of JVD and lower extremity edema, and a positive HJR are better than other signs and symptoms in identifying severity of HF exacerbation among patients with EF ≤ 30%.
Advances in the understanding of IgM monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance.

Among monoclonal gammopathies of undetermined significance (MGUSs), the immunoglobulin M (IgM) MGUS subtype stands as a unique entity and plays a pivotal role as a pre-malignant condition for multiple B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas, most notably Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia (WM). A relationship between IgM MGUS and WM has been proposed for decades. However, insight regarding the pathobiology of these two conditions improved significantly in recent years, strengthening the hypothesis that WM and IgM MGUS are different stages of the same disease. Therefore, the understanding of IgM MGUS and that of WM are interconnected and advances in one will likely impact the other. Furthermore, IgM MGUS has been more commonly recognized as the underlying etiology of IgM-related disorders. In this review, we explore recent advances in the understanding of the pathobiology of IgM MGUS and WM and the treatment of common IgM-related disorders.
An Autoethnographic Study of Interprofessional Education Partnerships

Background: Thiis qualitative longitudinal study describes an Interprofessional Education (IPE) collaboration between a public university with medical and pharmacy schools and a private, non-affiliated university with a nursing school. The study explores the dynamics of the IPE partnership and lessons learned over a three-year period in which members of the collaborative directed three IPE simulations. Methods and Findings: An autoethnographic inquiry technique was used to interview eight collaborators who designed and implemented a large-scale IPE simulation for approximately 300 students and 100 faculty members annually for three years. Two, 90-minute group narrative interviews were conducted and audio recorded for transcription and analysis. Five themes emerged: Natural Collaboration, Shared Vision and Commitment, Integrations and Synergy, All Hands on Deck, and Lasting Foundations. Collaborators agreed the joint effort was a positive experience with multidimensional returns on investment. They applied teamwork competencies to build the partnership, develop the IPE simulation, and overcome implementation challenges. Conclusions: Thiis article provides readers with the opportunity to learn from those who have been intimately involved in the design and implementation of a large-scale IPE collaboration to enhance the shared learning process for health students and faculty. Findings highlight the complexity of building an IPE collaborative and the necessity to build partnerships with facilitators committed to communication.
Mr Angiography of the Coronary Arteries

Summary Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) of the coronary arteries has recently become possible due to the development of a new group of ultrafast imaging sequences. Coronary arteries are small, tortuous vessels subjected to significant physiological motions (respiration and cardiac contractions). Most coronary MRA pulse sequences rely on a combination of segmental acquisition of data (in k-space) to minimize cardiac motion artifacts and patient breath-holding to minimize respiratory motion artifacts. MR is noninvasive, does not require any contrast agents or ionizing radiation, and thus offers the potential of becoming a very important cardiac screening tool. Coronary MRA can routinely depict the proximal and middle portion of most coronary arteries and some coronary artery branches. However, its clinical utility for detecting lesions has not yet been proven. As coronary MRA techniques improve they may become an integral part of the evaluation of patients with ischemic heart disease. Existing coronary MRA techniques can already play a significant clinical role in the evaluation of coronary artery anomalies, in the follow-up of proximal lesions after angioplasty, and in the noninvasive determination of patency of bypass grafts and coronary stents.
Acute nontraumatic imaging in the liver and spleen

Each year, more than 120 million patients visit the emergency room in the USA. The single most common cause of presentation in the emergency room patient is abdominal pain. Our job as radiologists is to help pinpoint a diagnosis and triage patients in the right direction. The following review covers acute nontraumatic disease processes of the liver and spleen.
Patient, Radiologist, and Examination Characteristics Affecting Screening Mammography Recall Rates in a Large Academic Practice.

Abstract Objective The aims of this study were to evaluate patient, radiologist, and examination characteristics affecting screening mammography recall rates in an academic breast imaging practice and to identify modifiable factors that could reduce recall variation. Methods This institutional review board–approved retrospective study included screening mammographic examinations in female patients interpreted by 13 breast imaging specialists at an academic center and two outpatient centers from October 1, 2012, to May 31, 2015. Patient demographics were extracted via electronic medical record. Natural language processing captured breast density, BI-RADS assignment, and current and prior screening examination findings. Radiologists’ annual screening volumes, clinical experience, and concentration in breast imaging were calculated. Risk aversion, stress from uncertainty, and malpractice concerns were derived via survey. Univariate and multivariate analyses assessed patient, radiologist, and examination characteristics associated with likelihood of mammography recall. The Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient was used to assess the relationship between cancer detection rate and recall rate. Results Overall, 5,678 of 61,198 screening examinations (9.3%) were recalled. In multivariate analysis, patient and radiologist characteristics associated with higher odds of recall included patient’s age Conclusions In addition to patient and examination factors, screening recall variations were associated with radiologists’ annual reading volume and experience. Interventions targeting radiologist factors (screening volumes, second review of potential recalls) may help reduce unwarranted variation in screening recall.
Chagall for the Stage: An International Journey

Why go to the opera, ballet, theater, to fashion shows, museums or other artistic spaces?—To be enchanted, fascinated, dazzled! The current exhibit at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), ...
A Computational Conundrum: “What is a Computer?” A Historical Overview

This introduction begins by posing the question that this Special Issue addresses and briefly considers historical precedents and why the issue is important. The discussion then moves on to the consideration of important milestones in the history of computing, up until the present time. A brief specification of the essential components of computational systems is then offered. The final section introduces the papers that are included in this volume.
Rectal Prolapse and Intussusception

Rectal prolapse is a pelvic floor disorder, which causes severe compromise in quality of life. Although many variations have been described in surgical management, the most common approach is an abdominal rectopexy for most patients and a perineal approach in patients who are too frail to permit an abdominal approach. The abdominal operations are generally preferred with some minimally invasive method. Rectal intussusception is a rare condition, often diagnosed during defecography, which is generally medically managed.
High Socioeconomic Status Predicts Substance Use and Alcohol Consumption in U.S. Undergraduates.

Background: In health sociology, the prevailing consensus is that socioeconomic status (SES) lowers illness risk. This model neglects the fact that unhealthful consumption patterns may covary with ...
The copper-sensing transcription factor Mac1, the histone deacetylase Hst1, and nicotinic acid regulate de novo NAD+ biosynthesis in budding yeast

NADH (NAD+) is an essential metabolite involved in various cellular biochemical processes. The regulation of NAD+ metabolism is incompletely understood. Here, using budding yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), we established an NAD+ intermediate–specific genetic system to identify factors that regulate the de novo branch of NAD+ biosynthesis. We found that a mutant strain (mac1Δ) lacking Mac1, a copper-sensing transcription factor that activates copper transport genes during copper deprivation, exhibits increases in quinolinic acid (QA) production and NAD+ levels. Similar phenotypes were also observed in the hst1Δ strain, deficient in the NAD+-dependent histone deacetylase Hst1, which inhibits de novo NAD+ synthesis by repressing BNA gene expression when NAD+ is abundant. Interestingly, the mac1Δ and hst1Δ mutants shared a similar NAD+ metabolism–related gene expression profile, and deleting either MAC1 or HST1 de-repressed the BNA genes. ChIP experiments with the BNA2 promoter indicated that Mac1 works with Hst1-containing repressor complexes to silence BNA expression. The connection of Mac1 and BNA expression suggested that copper stress affects de novo NAD+ synthesis, and we show that copper stress induces both BNA expression and QA production. Moreover, nicotinic acid inhibited de novo NAD+ synthesis through Hst1-mediated BNA repression, hindered the reuptake of extracellular QA, and thereby reduced de novo NAD+ synthesis. In summary, we have identified and characterized novel NAD+ homeostasis factors. These findings will expand our understanding of the molecular basis and regulation of NAD+ metabolism.
Can we meet our mission? Examining the professional development of social studies teachers to support students with disabilities and emergent bilingual learners

Abstract In this paper, we conduct a secondary analysis of The Institute of Educational Sciences’ (IES) 2011-2012 Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) data, a self-reported, nationally representative database to examine: (a) the average caseload of students with disabilities and emergent bilingual learners within and across social studies content areas, as well how social studies teachers’ caseloads compare with other content area disciplines and (b) the extent and perceived utility of professional development opportunities social studies teachers receive to support both students with disabilities and emergent bilingual learners.
Relationship Quality Among Older Cohabitors: A Comparison to Remarrieds.

Objectives Later life marital patterns have undergone shifts over the past few decades, including a rapid growth of cohabiting unions. Despite the increase in older adult cohabitation, research on this population has been slow to keep up. Intimate relationships are linked to well-being and relationship quality is especially important because high-quality relationships offer a number of benefits for well-being, whereas poor-quality relationships often are detrimental. This study compares cohabiting and remarried individuals on two measures of relationship quality. Method Using data from the 2010 and 2012 Health and Retirement Study, I investigate the positive and negative relationship quality of cohabitors relative to their remarried counterparts and whether the association of union type and relationship quality varies by race. Results Across both positive and negative relationship quality, I found few differences between cohabiting and remarried individuals. Black cohabitors report higher positive relationship quality than remarrieds, whereas White cohabitors and remarrieds do not differ. Discussion These findings suggest that cohabiting unions and remarriages are comparable among White older adults, but that Black cohabitors may gain more in terms of positive relationship quality than their remarried counterparts.
Collaboration in global software development: an investigation on research trends and evolution

Global software development (GSD) done by geographically distributed teams of developers is one of the most common ways of developing software nowadays. Though GSD has various benefits, it also introduces challenges that have led to a plethora of research. This paper analyzes research papers published in top software engineering venues in recent years (2009--2018) focusing on team collaboration in order to understand the trend in GSD research. Out of 4,292 papers published in these venues, we found 33 papers that focused on team collaboration in the context of GSD. We study the kinds of data used in these papers and classify them into primary data (i.e., interview and observation data) and secondary data (i.e., repository and communication data) and found that interview data is the dominant type of data in these papers. We also found that the strength of evidence presented in most papers tends to be moderate.
Technology in your practice: creating a digital library.

With the birth of the personal computer (PC), futurists proclaimed that the business world would move to paperless offices by the end of the 1980s and that paper companies were destined for extinction. In reality, the PC catalyzed explosive growth of both digital and analog (printed) information, in part because of the popularity of desktop publishing, email, databases, and transaction processing systems. In medicine, as in other businesses, information is increasingly generated, manipulated, and stored in digital form. In large medical centers, telephone calls and memos have been replaced by email, digitally generated photographs, radiographs, and videos. Eventually, all clinical data will be digitally generated and stored in electronic medical record (EMR) systems. This transformation won't occur overnight, however. Even with widespread adoption of EMRs, old handwritten medical charts and analog, film-based radiographs will be around for decades. Although the burden of legacy data impedes the adoption of more efficient paperless systems by large medical centers, this transformation is feasible at the personal level. Not only are personal, all-digital libraries possible, but there are also readily available tools to facilitate the move to digital. Thanks to a push from the entertainment industry, VHS videotapes and audiocassette tapes can be digitized and stored in a computer-readable format. Digital media management programs designed for new digital cameras, digital video, and MP3 audio can be used to create a digital library of medical educational materials. Why make the effort? It boils down to time, space, and portability. Want to listen to a particular lecture but don't have time to dig through boxes for the cassette? Need to review that Microsoft PowerPoint presentation you gave last year but can't find the file? Perhaps someone requested an electronic copy of your talk? Want to listen to the proceedings of a conference but misplaced that tape or CD? A digital library can make your life easier by addressing these and other challenges. A potential benefit of an all-digital world is that the information can be stored, manipulated, transmitted, filed, and — most important — retrieved in a timely basis using affordable, readily available computer technology. This article provides an overview of the technologies that you can use to create and manage a digital library from legacy sources (printed documents, slides, audiocassettes, and videotapes) and digitally authored information for personal or department-wide access.
Sociogenomic Approach to Wound Care: A New Patient-Centered Paradigm

Psychoneuroendocrinology studies provided first insight into social determinants of wound healing. Social stressors impede wound healing. In 2005, we first reported that the transcriptome of wound-site neutrophil is highly responsive to psychological stress in young men. Bioinformatics processing of transcriptome-wide data from neutrophils provided first insight into social transduction pathways relevant to wound healing. In 2010, Idaghdour et al. presented striking evidence demonstrating that genetic factors are responsible for only 5% of the variation in genomic expression. In contrast, the living environment of the individual, urban or rural, was responsible for as much as 50% of such variation. Genetic and environmental factors acted in a largely additive manner. This observation may be credited as the foundation stone of human social genomics. The environment of a patient, including social factors, influences gene expression relevant to wound healing. The nonhealing wound itself and its worsening outcome, including pain, are likely to cause stress. Conversely, positive social interactions may circumvent barriers to wound healing. Thus, interventions directed at the social environment of a wound care patient are likely to help manage wound chronicity. The genomic and related Big Data technology platforms have vastly improved during the past 5 years during which these technologies have also become widely accessible and affordable. Thus, this is the right time to revisit the choice of technologies for the study of social genomics of wound healing. Against the backdrop of our current understanding of the mechanisms of wound healing, such precision approach is likely to transform wound care and its outcomes making it patient-centered and, therefore, more effective.
Strange Loops: Apparent versus Actual Human Involvement in Automated Decision-Making

The era of AI-based decision-making fast approaches, and anxiety is mounting about when, and why, we should keep “humans in the loop” (“HITL”). Thus far, commentary has focused primarily on two questions: whether, and when, keeping humans involved will improve the results of decision-making (making them safer or more accurate), and whether, and when, non-accuracy-related values—legitimacy, dignity, and so forth—are vindicated by the inclusion of humans in decision-making. Here, we take up a related but distinct question, which has eluded the scholarship thus far: does it matter if humans appear to be in the loop of decision-making, independent from whether they actually are? In other words, what is stake in the disjunction between whether humans in fact have ultimate authority over decision-making versus whether humans merely seem, from the outside, to have such authority? Our argument proceeds in four parts. First, we build our formal model, enriching the HITL question to include not only whether humans are actually in the loop of decision-making, but also whether they appear to be so. Second, we describe situations in which the actuality and appearance of HITL align: those that seem to involve human judgment and actually do, and those that seem automated and actually are. Third, we explore instances of misalignment: situations in which systems that seem to involve human judgment actually do not, and situations in which systems that hold themselves out as automated actually rely on humans operating “behind the curtain.” Fourth, we examine the normative issues that result from HITL misalignment, arguing that it challenges individual decision-making about automated systems and complicates collective governance of automation.
Effect of Nitrogen Presence on Solid Solubility of Normal Paraffins in Liquid Ethane

The authors have for some time been conducting an extensive study of the solid-liquid-vapor phase equilibria behavior of binary and ternary prototype systems pertinent to the problem of solids formation in LNG vapor-liquid systems. The formation of solids during the liquefaction processing of natural gas can form coatings on surfaces of heat exchangers and foul expansion devices, requiring the unit to be shut down for cleaning and/or repair.
Seasonal effects on bipolar disorder: A closer look.

Abstract Bipolar disorders have an onset in late adolescence or early adulthood and patients may experience alternating episodes of mania and depression, with euthymic periods interspersed between these extremes of mood. Clinical research studies have shown that bipolar disorder patients exhibit disruptions in circadian and seasonal rhythms, even when they are symptom free. In addition, some bipolar patients display pronounced seasonal patterns in occurrence of manic and depressive episodes, time of year for disease onset, and age of onset. Several groups have emphasized the impact of seasonal changes in sunlight intensity on bipolar disorder, especially in locations farther from the equator. In this paper, we examine rate of change of solar insolation during the spring and fall in locations that vary in their distance from the equator and propose that seasonal changes in sunlight intensity may be tracked by the suprachiasmatic nucleus and affect disease onset and progression in seasonally susceptible bipolar patients.
Systematic comparison of epidemic growth patterns using two different estimation approaches.

Abstract Background Different estimation approaches are frequently used to calibrate mathematical models to epidemiological data, particularly for analyzing infectious disease outbreaks. Here, we use two common methods to estimate parameters that characterize growth patterns using the generalized growth model (GGM) calibrated to real outbreak datasets. Materials and methods Data from 31 outbreaks are used to fit the GGM to the ascending phase of each outbreak and estimate the parameters using both least squares (LSQ) and maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) methods. We utilize parametric bootstrapping to construct confidence intervals for parameter estimates. We compare the results including RMSE, Anscombe residual, and 95% prediction interval coverage. We also evaluate the correlation between the estimates from both methods. Results Comparing LSQ and MLE estimates, most outbreaks have similar parameter estimates, RMSE, Anscombe, and 95% prediction interval coverage. Parameter estimates do not differ across methods when the model yields a good fit to the early growth phase. However, for two outbreaks, there are systematic deviations in model fit to the data that explain differences in parameter estimates (e.g., residuals represent random error rather than systematic deviation). Conclusion Our findings indicate that utilizing LSQ and MLE methods produce similar results in the context of characterizing epidemic growth patterns with the GGM, provided that the model yields a good fit to the data.
Noncoherent Multiuser Chirp Spread Spectrum: Performance With Doppler Shift and Asynchronism

In this paper, we investigate multi user chirp spread spectrum with noncoherent detection as a continuation of our work on coherent detection. We derive the analytical bit error ratio (BER) expression for binary chirp spread spectrum (BCSS) in the presence of multiple access interference (MAI) caused by correlation with other user signals because of either asynchronism or Doppler shifts, or both, and validate with simulations. To achieve this we analyze the signal cross correlations, and compare traditional linear chirps with our recently-proposed nonlinear chirps introduced and with other nonlinear chirps from the literature. In doing so we illustrate the superior performance of our new nonlinear chirp designs in these practical conditions, for the noncoherent counterpart.
The preoperative risk tool SURPAS accurately predicts outcomes in emergency surgery.

Abstract Background The Surgical Risk Preoperative Assessment System (SURPAS) uses eight variables to accurately predict postoperative complications but has not been sufficiently studied in emergency surgery. We evaluated SURPAS in emergency surgery, comparing it to the Emergency Surgery Score (ESS). Methods SURPAS and ESS estimates of 30-day mortality and overall morbidity were calculated for emergency operations in the 2009–2018 ACS-NSQIP database and compared using observed-to-expected plots and rates, c-indices, and Brier scores. Cases with incomplete data were excluded. Results In 205,318 emergency patients, SURPAS underestimated (8.1%; 35.9%) while ESS overestimated (10.1%; 43.8%) observed mortality and morbidity (8.9%; 38.8%). Each showed good calibration on observed-to-expected plots. SURPAS had better c-indices (0.855 vs 0.848 mortality; 0.802 vs 0.755 morbidity), while the Brier score was better for ESS for mortality (0.0666 vs. 0.0684) and for SURPAS for morbidity (0.1772 vs. 0.1950). Conclusions SURPAS accurately predicted mortality and morbidity in emergency surgery using eight predictor variables.
EXPANSIONARY AUSTERITY? INTERNATIONAL EVIDENCE

This paper investigates the short-term effects of fiscal consolidation on economic activity in OECD economies. We examine contemporaneous policy documents to identify changes in fiscal policy motivated by a desire to reduce the budget deficit and not by responding to prospective economic conditions. Using this new dataset, our estimates suggest that fiscal consolidation has contractionary effects on private demand and GDP. By contrast, estimates based on conventional measures of the fiscal policy stance used in the literature support the expansionary fiscal contractions hypothesis but appear to be biased toward overstating expansionary effects.
Nonsurgical treatment of skin cancer with local delivery of bioadhesive nanoparticles.

Keratinocyte-derived carcinomas, including squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), comprise the most common malignancies. Surgical excision is the therapeutic standard but is not always clinically feasible, and currently available alternatives are limited to superficial tumors. To address the need for a nonsurgical treatment for nodular skin cancers like SCC, we developed a bioadhesive nanoparticle (BNP) drug delivery system composed of biodegradable polymer, poly(lactic acid)-hyperbranched polyglycerol (PLA-HPG), encapsulating camptothecin (CPT). Nanoparticles (NPs) of PLA-HPG are nonadhesive NPs (NNPs), which are stealthy in their native state, but we have previously shown that conversion of the vicinal diols of HPG to aldehydes conferred NPs the ability to form strong covalent bonds with amine-rich surfaces. Herein, we show that these BNPs have significantly enhanced binding to SCC tumor cell surfaces and matrix proteins, thereby significantly enhancing the therapeutic efficacy of intratumoral drug delivery. Tumor injection of BNP-CPT resulted in tumor retention of CPT at ∼50% at 10 d postinjection, while CPT was undetectable in NNP-CPT or free (intralipid) CPT-injected tumors at that time. BNP-CPT also significantly reduced tumor burden, with a portion (∼20%) of BNP-CPT–treated established tumors showing histologic cure. Larger, more fully established PDV SCC tumors treated with a combination of BNP-CPT and immunostimulating CpG oligodeoxynucleotides exhibited enhanced survival relative to controls, revealing the potential for BNP delivery to be used along with local tumor immunotherapy. Taken together, these results indicate that percutaneous delivery of a chemotherapeutic agent via BNPs, with or without adjuvant immunostimulation, represents a viable, nonsurgical alternative for treating cutaneous malignancy.
Breaking Down Barriers in Academic and Professional Fields Through Interdisciplinary Project-based Learning and Merged Coursework

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education is challenged by industries to incorporate business and communication experiences (and vice versa) to better prepare students for workplace success. Many interdisciplinary biases in academia and industry are brought on by some of the same issues that create prejudices, inequities, and injustice in our society: fear of the unknown, assumptions, and learned inappropriate behaviors. We must tackle them in the fundamentals of learning. In this study, we outline an approach-the STEM Oriented Alliance for Research (SOAR)- to enhance collaboration in interdisciplinary problem-based learning for undergraduate students. Data show this approach was successful in transforming many collaborative and interdisciplinary dispositions and mindsets and students' conceptions of their future academic and professional lives.
Spirometry parameters used to define small airways obstruction in population-based studies: systematic review protocol

Introduction In recent years, there has been increasing interest in the use of spirometry for the assessment of small airways obstruction (SAO) driven by the idea that these changes occur prior to development of established obstructive lung disease. Maximal mid-expiratory and distal flow rates have been widely used despite a lack of agreement regarding parameter selection or definition of an abnormal result. We aim to provide evidence from population-based studies, describing the different parameters, definitions of normal range and the resulting impact on prevalence estimates for SAO. Summarising this evidence is important to inform development of future studies in this area. Methods and analysis A systematic review of population-based studies will be conducted. MEDLINE, Web of Science and Google Scholar will be searched from database inception to May 2021. Primary outcomes will include the spirometry parameter used to define SAO, and the definition of an abnormal result. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines will be followed for study selection. Study methods will be assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation working group methodology. Narrative synthesis will be conducted for all included studies. Meta-analysis will also be conducted for prevalence estimates and associated risk factors where data quality and availability allow. Random effects models will be used to conduct the meta-analysis and I2 statistics will be used to assess heterogeneity across studies. Where appropriate subgroup analysis will be conducted to explore heterogeneity. Ethics and dissemination There is no requirement for ethical approval for this project. Findings will be disseminated via peer-reviewed publications and other formats, for example, conferences, congresses or symposia. PROSPERO registration number CRD42021250206.
Detection of anomalous track patterns for long term surveillance

Surveillance cameras have become ubiquitous in society, used to monitor areas such as residential blocks, city streets, university campuses, industrial sites, and government installations. Surveillance footage, especially of public areas, is frequently streamed online in real time, providing a wealth of data for computer vision research. The focus of this work is on detection of anomalous patterns in surveillance video data recorded over a period of months to years. We propose an anomaly detection technique based on support vector data description (SVDD) to detect anomalous patterns in video footage of a university campus scene recorded over a period of months. SVDD is a kernel-based anomaly detection technique which models the normalcy data in a high dimensional feature space using an optimal enclosing hypersphere – samples that lie outside this boundary are detected as outliers or anomalies. Two types of anomaly detection are conducted in this work: track-level analysis to determine individual tracks that are anomalous, and day-level analysis using aggregate scene level feature maps to determine which days exhibit anomalous activity. Experimentation and evaluation is conducted using a scene from the Global Webcam Archive.
The G-protein coupled estrogen receptor, GPER: The inside and inside-out story.

Abstract GPER possesses structural and functional characteristics shared by members of the G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) superfamily, the largest class of plasma membrane receptors. This newly appreciated estrogen receptor is localized predominately within intracellular membranes in most, but not all, cell types and its surface expression is modulated by steroid hormones and during tissue injury. An intracellular staining pattern is not unique among GPCRs, which employ a diverse array of molecular mechanisms that restrict cell surface expression and effectively regulating receptor binding and activation. The finding that GPER displays an intracellular predisposition has created some confusion as the estrogen-inducible transcription factors, ERα and ERβ, also reside intracellularly, and has led to complex suggestions of receptor interaction. GPER undergoes constitutive retrograde trafficking from the plasma membrane to the endoplasmic reticulum and recent studies indicate its interaction with PDZ binding proteins that sort transmembrane receptors to synaptosomes and endosomes. Genetic targeting and selective ligand approaches as well as cell models that express GPER in the absence of ERs clearly supports GPER as a bonafide “stand alone” receptor. Here, the molecular details that regulate GPER action, its cell biological activities and its implicated roles in physiological and pathological processes are reviewed.
Design and Evaluation of Model-Based Compensators for the Control of Steam Generator Level

The design and evaluation of a controller that uses modelbased compensators to offset the inverse response behavior of water level in the steam generators of nuclear power plants is described. Included is a review of steam generator level dynamics, the development of a model that replicates the effects of feedwater and steam flowrate as well as temperature on steam generator level, the design of both the compensators and the overall controller, and the results of simulation studies in which the performance of this modelbased controller and existing analog ones were compared. The compensator-based controller is stable and its use significantly improves the controllability of steam generator level.
Delayed type hypersensitivity in zinc deficient adult mice: impairment and restoration of responsivity to dinitrofluorobenzene.

Seven-week-old A/J mice were divided into three uniform groups and fed: 1) a zinc deficient diet (0.6 micrograms Zn/g) ad libitum (deficient); 2) a zinc adequate diet (55 micrograms Zn/g) ad libitum (control); and 3) a zinc adequate diet (55 micrograms An/g) with intake restricted to the average daily amount consumed by the zinc deficient group (restricted). After 26 days on the diets, part of the mice from each dietary group were percutaneously sensitized with dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB) to assess of restricted mice to DNFB [Stimulation Index (S.I.) of 1.98] was only moderately reduced compared to controls (S.I. of 2.53). Zinc deficient mice, on the other hand, gave a very poor response to DNFB (S.I. of 1.23). Thus, DTH is yet another branch of the immune system affected by a suboptimal intake of dietary zinc. To assess the ability of deficient mice to regenerate DTH responsivity the remaining deficient mice were refed diets containing adequate zinc (55 micrograms Zn/g). After 21 days of nutritional repletion, previously zinc deficient mice gave DTH responses nearly identical to that of control mice.
Open Source Software as Consumer Integration Into Production

Open source software is emerging as a potentially important competitive force in the software industry, capturing the attention of venture capitalists and computing industry executives. Yet very little is known about how open source software, which is created collectively by individual volunteers, will compete with closed source software. This paper models open source software as consumer integration into production, in which users organize to produce a good for themselves. The model predicts that open source software will not compete in all product markets, but where it does, will be of higher quality than closed source software. An empirical study finds support for these predictions.
Neural integrative activities of nucleus accumbens subregions in relation to learning and motivation

In recent years, there has been much interest in the functional specializations of nucleus accumbens subregions. The two zones within the nucleus accumbens that have received considerable attention are the accumbens core, consisting of ventral striatal tissue surrounding the anterior commissure, and the accumbens shell, which envelops the core on its medial, ventral, and lateral borders. Differential connectivity and histochemical profiles suggest that these two subterritories may have distinctive behavioral roles with regard to the regulation of motivated behavior. Experiments focusing primarily on amino acid–coded neurotransmitter systems in these regions—that is, glutamate and gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA)—have revealed specific and contrasting functions of the core and the shell. It is proposed that the accumbens core, and specifically N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor-dependent plasticity within this area, is part of a network critical for appetitive instrumental learning, in which a motor response becomes “stamped in” when followed by a rewarding stimulus or event. The accumbens shell, particularly GABA and alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid receptors within the shell, is implicated in the executive control of brain feeding circuits and may also represent a key area at which appetitive and aversive stimuli interact to control behavioral selection. These functional specializations within the nucleus accumbens subregions may be integrated through the coordination of activity within striatal neuronal ensembles that communicate with complex networks of limbic, thalamic, and prefrontal circuitry.
Developing Java Web Applications to Access Databases

This chapter contains sections titled: A Historical Review about Java Web Application Development Java EE Web Application Model The Architecture and Components of Java Web Applications Getting Started with Java Web Applications Using NetBeans IDE Build Java Web Project to Access SQL Server Database Build Java Web Project to Access and Manipulate Oracle Database Chapter Summary Homework
Portal mesenteric shunting for reconstruction of the visceral venous system.

Reconstruction of the mesenteric venous system, particularly during pancreaticoduodenectomy, is a formidable procedure. The trend of increasing the extent of resections to encompass the portal– superior mesenteric venous system with tumor adherence or ingrowth is being performed with increasing frequency worldwide. 1,2 This article was prompted by our use of a modified shunting technique to perform mesenteric venous reconstruction, preventing visceral congestion and permitting hepatic perfusion during most of the time period required for this component of a pancreaticoduodenectomy. Recent large series of pancreatic resections have reported no instances of using shunts.
Occupational Therapy with Children: Understanding Children's Occupations and Enabling Participation.

The book is a discussion of all children's occupations and their engagement and participation in home, school, and community. The intended audience is occupational therapists, occupational therapy ...
Infiltration of a facultative ant–plant mutualism by the introduced Argentine ant: effects on mutualist diversity and mutualism benefits

1. Ant–plant mutualisms have been the focus of considerable empirical research, but few studies have investigated how introduced ants affect these interactions. Using 2 years of survey data, this study examines how the introduced Argentine ant [Linepithema humile (Mayr)] differs from native ants with respect to its ability to protect the extrafloral nectary-bearing coast barrel cactus (Ferocactus viridescens) in Southern California. 2. Eighteen native ant species visited cacti in uninvaded areas, but cacti in invaded areas were primarily visited by the Argentine ant. The main herbivore of the coast barrel cactus present at the study sites is a leaf-footed bug (Narnia wilsoni). 3. Herbivore presence (the fraction of surveys in which leaf-footed bugs were present on individual cacti) was negatively related to ant presence (the fraction of surveys in which ants were present on individual cacti). Compared with cacti in uninvaded areas, those in invaded areas were less likely to have herbivores and when they did had them less often. 4. Seed mass was negatively related to herbivore presence, and this relationship did not differ for cacti in invaded areas versus those in uninvaded areas. 5. Although the Argentine ant might provide superior protection from herbivores, invasion-induced reductions in ant mutualist diversity could potentially compromise plant reproduction. The cumulative number of ant species on individual cacti over time was lower in invaded areas and was associated with a shortened seasonal duration of ant protection and reduced seed mass. These results support the hypothesis that multiple partners may enhance mutualism benefits.
Extension of emission wavelength of GaInNAs QDs grown on GaAs [001]

Recently, we have shown that by optimizing the growth condition, the photoluminescence intensity and full width at half maximum (FWHM) of GaInNAs QDs can be improved to be comparable to those of GaInAs QDs. In this study, we investigate the nominal thickness and barrier material of GaInNAs QDs in order to extend the emission wavelength to longer regimes. The longest wavelengths we have achieved are 1.38 /spl mu/m at 10 K and 1.48 /spl mu/m at room temperature with the PL intensity at 10 K only 1/15 of that of GaInAs QD.
Intramolecular quenching of tryptophan fluorescence by the peptide bond in cyclic hexapeptides.

Intramolecular quenching of tryptophan fluorescence by protein functional groups was studied in a series of rigid cyclic hexapeptides containing a single tryptophan. The solution structure of the canonical peptide c[d-PpYTFWF] (pY, phosphotyrosine) was determined in aqueous solution by 1D- and 2D-1H NMR techniques. The peptide backbone has a single predominant conformation. The tryptophan side chain has three χ1 rotamers: a major χ1 = −60° rotamer with a population of 0.67, and two minor rotamers of equal population. The peptides have three fluorescence lifetimes of about 3.8, 1.8, and 0.3 ns with relative amplitudes that agree with the χ1 rotamer populations determined by NMR. The major 3.8-ns lifetime component is assigned to the χ1 = −60° rotamer. The multiple fluorescence lifetimes are attributed to differences among rotamers in the rate of excited-state electron transfer to peptide bonds. Electron-transfer rates were calculated for the six preferred side chain rotamers using Marcus theory. A simple ...
Rapid Determination of Gold in Whole Blood of Arthritis Patients Using Flameless Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry

An assay for gold in whole blood of arthritis patients was developed using the graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometer. This method involves no pretreatment of the whole blood except for simple dilution, thereby eliminating some variables and saving laboratory time and expense.
Aggregation Phenomena in Aqueous Solutions of Hydrophobically Modified Polyelectrolytes. A Probe Solubilization Study

Aggregation in the solutions of a hydrophobically modified polyelectrolyte, poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(propylene oxide)-b-poly(ethylene oxide)-g-poly(acrylic acid) (Pluronic-PAA), has been studied as a function of temperature, pH, and molecular weight. Pluronic-PAA undergoes temperature- and pH-responsive aggregation in aqueous solutions, as shown by solubilization of fluorescent dyes and spin-labeled probes. Stable gel structures cross-linked by aggregates are formed above the critical micellization temperature (cmt). The aggregates provide a nonpolar microenvironment to pyrene that is insensitive to the ionization. The microenvironment of pyrene below the cmt at low pH is nonpolar, suggesting the presence of hydrophobic microdomains unrelated to the temperature-induced micellization. Full ionization of PAA leads to weakening of hydrophobic microdomains below the cmt. Above the cmt, 12-doxylstearic acid and spin-labeled steroid hormone can be solubilized into Pluronic-PAA aggregates. Solubilization resu...