cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of Escherichia coli and Lactobacillus rhamnosus on Macrophage Inflammatory Protein 3α, Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha, and Transforming Growth Factor β Release by Polarized Rat Uterine Epithelial Cells in Culture

ABSTRACT Entry of bacteria from the vagina into the uterus raises the question of uterine epithelial cell (UEC) signaling in response to the presence of bacteria. Our model system helps to define microbially elicited UEC basolateral cytokine release, important in regulating underlying stromal immune cell protection. UECs from adult rats were grown in cell culture inserts to establish a confluent polarized monolayer as was determined by transepithelial resistance (TER). Polarized epithelial cell cultures were treated apically with live or heat-killed Escherichia coli or Lactobacillus rhamnosus prior to collection of basolateral media after 24 h of incubation. Coculture of polarized UECs with live E. coli had no effect on epithelial cell TER. In response to exposure to live E. coli, epithelial cell basolateral release of macrophage inflammatory protein 3α (MIP3α) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) increased at a time when basolateral release of biologically active transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) decreased. Incubation of UECs with heat-killed E. coli resulted in an increased basolateral release of MIP3α and TNF-α, without affecting TER or TGF-β. In contrast to E. coli, live or heat-killed L. rhamnosus had no effect on TER or cytokine release. These studies indicate that polarized rat UECs respond to gram-negative E. coli by releasing the cytokines MIP3α and TNF-α, signals important to both the innate and adaptive immune systems. These findings suggest that UEC responses to bacteria are selective and important in initiating and regulating immune protection in the female reproductive tract.
Importance of Geometry in Reconstructing Endocardial Electrograms from Noncontact Multielectrode Cavitary Probe Data

Solving the inverse problem to reconstruct endocardial electrograms from cavi- tary probe data requires measuring cavitary elec- trograms and determining probecavity geometry. To identify the importance of geometry. endocardial electrograms were computed using two geometric models of the endocardium: (1) realistic. and (2) idealized. Endocardial electro- grams were computed during pacing and were compared to directly measured electrograms at 8 sites during each paced rhythm. Using realistic geometry. computed electrograms were in excel- lent agreement with measured electrograms (r = 0.88; error in activation time = 4.7 ms). Where- as, the idealized geometry significantly increased the error in computed electrograms (r = 0.75; error in activation time = 9.9 ms). Therefore. in situ determination of realistic geometry is essen- tial to successfully solve the inverse problem. Index Terms-Electrograms. inverse problem.
Uncertainty of videogrammetric techniques used for aerodynamic testing

The uncertainty of videogrammetric techniques used for the measurement of static aeroelastic wind tunnel model deformation and wind tunnel model pitch angle is discussed. Sensitivity analyses and geometrical considerations of uncertainty are augmented by analyses of experimental data in which videogrammetric angle measurements were taken simultaneously with precision servo accelerometers corrected for dynamics. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) to examine error dependence on angle of attack, sensor used (inertial or optical). and on tunnel state variables such as Mach number is presented. Experimental comparisons with a high-accuracy indexing table are presented. Small roll angles are found to introduce a zero-shift in the measured angles. It is shown experimentally that. provided the proper constraints necessary for a solution are met, a single- camera solution can he comparable to a 2-camera intersection result. The relative immunity of optical techniques to dynamics is illustrated.
Face Recognition CAPTCHAs

Web-based services are becoming more and more ubiquitous and are replacing human-to-human interactions. Automated programs abuse the web services by pretending to be human. As a result, the need to authenticate that the other party on the web is a human and not a program, is on the rise. CAPTCHA is a test that can be used to reliably differentiate between human users and automated programs on the web. In this paper, we propose a new CAPTCHA scheme based on the problem of face recognition. This test takes advantage of the fact that recognizing human faces is considered to be a tough task for computers, but is relatively easy for humans. In the proposed test, human face photographs from a public database are distorted using two different image processing transformations. The user is asked to match distorted photographs of several different human subjects. The automatic generation and evaluation of tests is shown to be possible using the image processing open-source tool Gimp. The proposed CAPTCHAs have the desirable properties of being easy for humans while being difficult for programs to solve. Also the level of comfort in passing these tests is high, independently of the persons familiarity with the English language, when compared to other English text based CAPTCHAs.
Finite element modeling in therapeutic and diagnostic bioelectromagnetics applications

Computational methods for therapeutic and diagnostic bioelectromagnetics applications have developed rapidly over the last ten years. The reasons for this evolution are clear: bioelectromagnetic devices/systems typically have large parameter spaces which need to be explored and optimized. Further, in many instances information about detailed field distributions inside the body is needed but measurements of the same are not practical or even feasible. This paper briefly reviews the major computational issues facing bioelectromagnetic simulations on finite elements and describes two application areas in the therapeutic and diagnostic cancer arena.
Incorporating Performance Testing in Test-Driven Development

Our performance-testing approach required manually inspecting the performance logs. During the project's development, JUnit-based performance testing tools, such as JUnitPerf, weren't available. Such tools provide better visibility of performance problems than manual inspection of performance logs. Although we believe manual inspection of performance trends is necessary, specifying the bottom-line performance in assert-based test cases can complement the use of performance log files, making the TFP testing results more visible to the developers. We're investigating the design of assert-based performance testing to improve the TFP process. Another direction of future work is automatic performance test generation. In this project, we relied on the performance architect's experience to identify the execution paths and measurement points for performance testing. We can derive this crucial information for performance testing from the performance requirements and system design. We plan to find guidelines for specifications of performance requirements and system design to make the automation possible
Evaluation of the Head-Mounted Display for Ultrasound-Guided Peripheral Nerve Blocks in Simulated Regional Anesthesia

Background and Objectives Anesthesiologists performing peripheral nerve blocks under ultrasound guidance look frequently back and forth between the patient and the ultrasound screen during the procedure. These head movements add time and complexity to the procedure. The head-mounted display (HMD) device is a commercially available head-mounted video display that is connected to the ultrasound machine and projects the ultrasound image onto the HMD glasses, enabling the anesthesiologist to monitor the screen without ever needing to look away from the patient. We hypothesized that the use of the HMD device would decrease the total procedure time as well as operator head and ultrasound probe movements during a simulated nerve block. Methods The Blue Phantom was used to simulate a nerve block target. After IRB approval, verbal consent was obtained. Twenty participants, at different levels of training/experience, were asked to perform a simulated nerve block under ultrasound guidance with and without the HMD. The number of ultrasound probe and head movements and the time required to place the needle with and without the HMD were recorded. Results were analyzed using a paired t -test and significance was accepted with P < 0.05. Results Participants were significantly faster (7.1 vs 10.9 seconds) performing the simulated block with the HMD than without. Additionally, the HMD significantly decreased the number of operator head and ultrasound probe movements. Conclusions Use of a HMD improved efficiency and human factors during simulated nerve blocks. This suggests that a clinical study to see if this observation translates into a clinical setting is warranted.
Pattern characteristics of linear arrays using the constrained least squares distribution

The constrained least squares (CLS) distribution is a method for obtaining distribution functions that yield low sidelobe patterns with specified constraints on the aperture efficiency, and are especially useful for the transmit patterns of active array antennas. The widely used Taylor distribution optimizes only pattern performance while the CLS distribution optimizes pattern performance while taking into account the constraints on both the peak element amplitude and the total effective radiated voltage (ERV) of the aperture distribution. The paper compares the pattern characteristics of linear arrays with CLS and Taylor distributions. The results help to establish guidelines on when a CLS distribution would be preferable over a Taylor distribution when a specified aperture efficiency is important.
Light Scattering Measurement Of Surface Topography During Formation Of Titanium Silicide.

The evolution of the surface topography during the phase transformations of titanium silicide has been studied using elastic light scattering at two different collection angles. The light scattering measurements were performed simultaneously with x-ray diffraction and resistance measurements for titanium films deposited on either Si(100) or on poly-silicon substrates. At selected points during annealing, the samples were cooled rapidly to room temperature and analyzed ex situ using Nomarski microscopy. We find that, depending on the detection geometry, the in situ light scattering shows preferentially the formation of the C49 or C54 TiSi2 phase as well as differentiates between inversion and agglomeration on poly-silicon substrates.
Intravitreal Bevacizumab as Anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor in the Management of Complications of Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has been shown to be an endothelial cell-specific mitogen and an angiogenic inducer in a variety of in vitro and in vivo models. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated to increase retinal vessel permeability by increasing the phosphorylation of tight junction proteins. Recent work has found elevated levels of VEGF in ocular fluids of patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). Thus, it makes sense to consider anti-VEGF treatments in the management of PDR. The purpose of the current research is to determine if intravitreal bevacizumab as anti-VEGF is helpful in the management of complications of PDR.
Molecular simulation evidence for processive motion of Trichoderma reesei Cel7A during cellulose depolymerization

We present free energy calculations for the Trichoderma reesei Cel7A (cellobiohydrolase I) linker peptide from molecular dynamics simulations directed towards understanding the linker role in cellulose hydrolysis. The calculations predict an energy storage mechanism of the linker under stretching/compression that is consistent with processive depolymerization. The linker exhibits two stable states at lengths of 2.5 nm and 5.5 nm during extension/compression, with a free energy difference of 10.5 kcal/mol between the two states separated by an energy barrier. The switching between stable states supports the hypothesis that the linker peptide has the capacity to store energy in a manner similar to a spring.
Primary repair of aortic arch obstruction with ventricular septal defect in preterm and low birth weight infants.

Objective: Previous reports have suggested that prematurity and low birth weight are risk factors for definitive surgical-intervention in congenital cardiac malformations. The following data review our experience with primary repair of the complex malformation of aortic arch obstruction with ventricular septal defect (VSD) in this patient population. Methods: Since 1988, 21 consecutive preterm (≤36 weeks) and/ or low birth weight (<3000 g) infants with interrupted aortic arch (IAA; n = 10), or aortic coarctation (n = 11) with VSD, underwent primary arch repair and VSD closure. The mean weight at operation was 2310 g (range, 1200-2900 g), including 12 patients at ≥2500 g. The gestational age ranged from 30 to 41 weeks (mean, 36.4 weeks). Five patients with interrupted arch and two patients with coarctation also had severe subaortic stenosis, which was relieved by transatrial incision of the infundibular septum. Results: The overall hospital mortality was 14% (3/21). Death was related to low cardiac output in association with severe subaortic stenosis (n = 2) and sepsis (n = 1). Late mortality occurred in three patients, two of which were non-cardiac. The mean follow-up was 33 months. Two patients had significant recurrent arch obstruction, which was successfully relieved by balloon angioplasty and surgical correction in one each. The survival at 30 days, and at 1 and 3 years was 86, 76 and 70%, respectively. Conclusions: Complete primary repair of aortic arch obstruction with VSD can be achieved with good results, even in the preterm and low birth weight infant. Therefore, early surgical repair of this congenital malformation is recommended.
Recursive proofs for inductive tree data-structures

We develop logical mechanisms and procedures to facilitate the verification of full functional properties of inductive tree data-structures using recursion that are sound, incomplete, but terminating. Our contribution rests in a new extension of first-order logic with recursive definitions called Dryad, a syntactical restriction on pre- and post-conditions of recursive imperative programs using Dryad, and a systematic methodology for accurately unfolding the footprint on the heap uncovered by the program that leads to finding simple recursive proofs using formula abstraction and calls to SMT solvers. We evaluate our methodology empirically and show that several complex tree data-structure algorithms can be checked against full functional specifications automatically, given pre- and post-conditions. This results in the first automatic terminating methodology for proving a wide variety of annotated algorithms on tree data-structures correct, including max-heaps, treaps, red-black trees, AVL trees, binomial heaps, and B-trees.
Chronic care management codes: A small step in the right direction.

Coordinating the care of patients with chronic diseases is essential if we are to improve patient care, enhance population health, and reduce health care costs. Care coordination assists the patient's team of providers in making the right diagnostic and therapeutic choices, avoids duplication of services, and facilitates incorporating patient preferences regarding goals of care and socioeconomic determinants of health into the care plan.1
A Double Edged Sword: Nuclear Risk and Nuclear Deterrence

The majority of empirical studies of the various effects of nuclear weapons treat these weapons as a binary variable: what matter is only whether or not a particular state at any given time possesses these weapons or not. There are, however, strong reasons to think that the effect of a state's nuclear arsenal is conditioned by how that state makes a score of consequential decisions regarding how these weapons should be managed, under what circumstances they may be deployed or even used, and so on. I argue that the effect is fundamentally conditioned by something I call nuclear risk: the overall likelihood that these weapons may be used without authorization by the political leaders. I show that higher risk is associated with greater deterrent power. But this deterrence is obtained at a considerable cost: state that have nuclear weapons with higher risks are less assertive in reciprocating militarized disputes when their deterrence fails. I test these two hypotheses using correlates of war data. Not satisfied with a simple index of risk I propose a novel technique that allows us to jointly test the two hypotheses without the need to explicitly provide measures for risk. Both theoretical expectations about the benefit and the cost of risk are corroborated by empirical evidence.
Selected Contribution: Sex differences in osmotic regulation of AVP and renal sodium handling

To determine sex differences in osmoregulation of arginine vasopressin (AVP) and body water, we studied eight men (24 ± 1 yr) and eight women (29 ± 2 yr) during 3% NaCl infusion [hypertonic saline ...
Nitric oxide inhibition of human sperm motility

Objective To determine the effect of nitric oxide (NO) on sperm motility in vitro. Design Normal human sperm separated by centrifugation through a discontinuous Percoll gradient and subsequent swim-up were incubated for up to 24 hours with NO donors, with and without the known NO quencher hemoglobin, as well as with agents that raise intracellular cyclic 3′,5′-guanosine monophosphate (cGMP). Sperm respiration was determined by a tetrazolium-formazan spectrophotometric assay. Setting Andrology laboratory. Main Outcome Measures Absolute sperm motility and respiration. Results Sperm incubated with the NO donors 1 mM nitroprusside, 100 to 125 µ M 3-morpholinosydnonimine, and 25 to 125 µ M pure nitric oxide gas dissolved in buffer were inhibited in motility in a dose-dependent fashion. The inhibition could be reversed by the NO quencher hemoglobin. Agents that raise cellular cGMP (dibutyryl cGMP or 8-bromo-cGMP) did not inhibit motility. Nitric oxide inhibited sperm respiration, as measured by the tetrazolium-formazan assay. Conclusions Nitric oxide reduces sperm motility, possibly by a mechanism involving inhibition of cellular respiration independent of an elevation of intracellular cGMP. Nitric oxide elaborated in the female or male genital tract in vivo could adversely influence sperm function and fertility.
Amdahl's law for lifetime reliability scaling in heterogeneous multicore processors

Heterogeneous multicore processors have been suggested as alternative microarchitectural designs to enhance performance and energy efficiency. Using Amdahl's Law, heterogeneous models were primarily analyzed in performance and energy efficiency aspects to demonstrate its advantage over conventional homogeneous systems. In this paper, we further extend the study to understand the lifetime reliability consequences of heterogeneous multicore processors, as reliability becomes an increasingly important constraint. We present the lifetime reliability models of multicore processors based on Amdahl's Law, including compact thermal estimation that has strong correlation with device aging. Lifetime reliability is analyzed by varying i) core utilization (Amdahl's scaling factor), ii) processor composition (number of big and small cores), and iii) thread scheduling method. The study shows that the heterogeneous processor may have a serious reliability challenge. If the processor is comprised of only one big core and many small cores, stresses can be biased to the big core especially when workloads spend more time on sequential operations. Our study reveals that incorporating multiple big cores can mitigate reliability bottleneck in big cores and enhance processor lifetime, but adding too many big cores will have an adverse impact on lifetime reliability as well as performance.
Action of Hydrocortisone on Cells in Tissue Culture.

Summary1. In a medium consisting of chicken plasma and amniotic fluid, growth inhibition by soluble F ale. in concentrations from 200 μg/ml can be demonstrated consistently. 2. When EE is added to the culture medium, growth inhibition occurs only in a higher concentration of soluble F ale. The suggestion that EE contains a principle antagonistic to the inhibitory action of F ale. is discussed. 3. Growth of epithelium from stomach and intestine is not affected by F alc., while growth of fibroblasts is suppressed. 4. Reversibility of the effect of F ale. after its removal from the medium, and its selective inhibitory action on fibroblasts indicate that its inhibitory action in vitro is related to its known action in vivo, in particular to the retardation of regeneration in wounds experimentally produced in animals. 5. Aqueous soluble DOC in similar concentrations has an effect similar to soluble F ale. and cholesterol in suspension has a minimal inhibitory effect on cell growth. This observation differs fro...
Analysis and Harnessing of Low Frequency Oscillation in Gansu Jiajiu Power Grid

With large-scale grid-integration of wind power and small hydropower in Gansu Jiajiu area,stability problem of low frequency oscillation occurs in the grid.The cause of low frequency oscillation in Gansu Jiajiu power gird is analyzed,and the small-disturbance stability is simulated with the characteristic value analysis method.The function parameters of PSS(power system stabilizer) were tested for the generator unit of Jiajiu Plant and the testing result verified the good capability of PSS for suppressing the low-frequency oscillation of power system.
On System of Administrative Evaluation Law

The research of administrative evaluation law in China is not deep, and we can borrow the experiences from USA and Japan. We can build this system from following aspects: the evaluation subject, the object evaluated, target and standard, the edition of evaluation report and evaluation procedure.
Cardiovascular disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

The risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is 1.5–2-fold higher than age- and sex-matched individuals from the general population. This excess risk is attributed to the systemic chronic inflammation which is a hallmark of RA. Challenges to optimizing CV risk management in RA include the need for improved methods to predict CV risk, and defining the target risk factor(s) to reduce CV risk. Lessons learned from RA studies can also inform CV risk prevention in the general population, where inflammation also has an important role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis.
Hammerstein---Wiener based reduced-order model for vortex-induced non-linear fluid---structure interaction

Fluid---structure interaction (FSI) phenomena are of interest in several engineering fields. It is highly desirable to develop computationally efficient models to predict the dynamics of FSI. The complexity of modeling lies in the highly non-linear response of both the fluid and structure. The current study proposes an overall model containing two blocks corresponding to a force model and a structural model. The force model consists of two submodels: one for the amplitude and one for the frequency, where the latter is composed of an input/output linear model and a non-linear corrector. The amplitude submodel and the non-linear corrector term in the frequency submodel are modeled using an Hammerstein---Wiener modeling technique in which the non-linear input and output functions are determined by training neural networks using a training dataset. The current model is tested on a well-known fluid---structure interaction problem: a suspended rigid cylinder immersed in a flow at a low Reynolds number regime that exhibits a non-linear behavior. First, a training dataset is generated for a given input profile using a high-fidelity numerical simulation and it is used to train the reduced-order model. Subsequently, the trained model is given a different input profile (i.e., a validation profile) to compare its predictive capability against the high-fidelity numerical simulation. The validation profile is significantly different from the one used for training. The predictive performance of the current reduced-order model is further compared with the results obtained from a reduced-order model that uses polynomial fitting. We demonstrate that the current model provides a superior performance for the validation profile, i.e., it results in a better prediction.
Chromosome Replication in Bacillus subtilis

A number of initiation mutants in bacteria have been reported which are essential for the study on the mechanism of initiation. In B. subtilis initiation and termination of the chromosome replication can be analyzed rigorously by using genetic transformation.
Reduced paraspinous muscle area is associated with post-colectomy complications in children with ulcerative colitis.

Abstract Background and objectives Sarcopenia, defined as reduced muscle mass, is typically assessed by CT scans, which are infrequently performed in children. Using MRI to measure sarcopenia, we determined the association with postoperative complications after colectomy for ulcerative colitis (UC). Methods Clinical and preoperative MRI data for 13–18-year-old UC patients who underwent colectomy were retrospectively reviewed. Bilateral paraspinous muscle area (PSMA) and psoas muscle area (PMA) at L3 vertebra were measured and averaged. Composite complications were infection, wound dehiscence, postoperative leak/abscess, prolonged ileus, pulmonary embolism, venous thromboembolism, or readmission. Results Twenty-nine patients with average age 15.9±1.36years and weight 61.5±19.8kg had a preoperative MRI. The 18/29(62%) with complications had significantly reduced PSMA (4.71±1.44 vs 5.64±1.38cm2, p=0.04) and PMA (7.16±2.60 vs 8.93±2.44, p=0.04). When stratified and compared to highest PSMA, patients with lowest PSMA had increased complication rates (88% vs 29%, p=0.04). There were no differences in age, BMI, albumin, CRP, ESR, or preoperative steroid or anti-TNFα use. Odds of complication in the lowest tertile were 25.0-fold higher than the highest tertile (p=0.04, 95% CI=1.2–520.73). Conclusion This is the first study to show low PSMA on MRI is associated with complications and increased hospital stay after colectomy in children with UC. Levels of evidence Level III retrospective comparative study.
On the importance of the heat and mass transfer resistances in internally-cooled liquid desiccant dehumidifiers and regenerators

Abstract Liquid desiccant heat and mass exchangers are a promising technology for efficient humidity control in buildings. Many researchers have investigated these exchangers, often using numerical models to predict their performance. However, there is a lack of information in the literature on the magnitude of the heat and mass transfer resistances, both for the dehumidifier (which absorbs moisture from the air) and the regenerator (which heats the liquid desiccant to re-concentrate it). This article focuses on internally-cooled, 3-fluid exchangers in a parallel plate geometry. Water heats or cools a desiccant across a plate, and the desiccant absorbs or releases water into an airstream through a membrane. A sensitivity analysis was used to estimate the importance of each of the heat and mass transfer resistances (air, membrane, desiccant, plate, water), and how it changes with different design geometries. The results show that, for most designs, the latent and sensible heat transfer of the dehumidifier is dominated by the air mass transfer resistance and air heat transfer resistance, respectively. The air mass transfer resistance is also important for the regenerator, but much less so; the change in the desiccant equilibrium humidity ratio due to a change in either temperature or desiccant mass fraction is much higher at the regenerator’s higher temperatures. This increases the importance of (1) getting heat from the water to the desiccant/membrane interface, and (2) diffusing salt ions quickly away from the desiccant/membrane interface. The membrane heat transfer and water heat transfer resistances were found to be the least important. These results can help inform decisions about what simplifying assumptions to make in numerical models, and can also help in designing these exchangers by understanding which resistances are most important.
The presentation of environmental values, beliefs, and norms in live animal interpretive experiences

Environmental educators using animal companions can compel individuals to engage in pro-environmental behaviour by promoting environmental values, beliefs, and behavioural norms. This study examine...
Esophageal Cancer Therapy

Despite therapy, most patients diagnosed with esophageal cancer in 2004 will die from their disease. Surgery and radiation have been the historical treatments of choice for esophageal cancer. However, in an effort to improve outcome, combination therapies have emerged with concurrent chemoradiotherapy, neoadjuvant chemotherapy and chemoradiotherapy, and adjuvant chemotherapy and chemoradiotherapy. Strong proponents for specific individual therapeutic approaches exist, as does controversy because no optimal treatment plan for esophageal cancer has clearly emerged.
Illustrating Your Worksheets with Pictures, SmartArt, and More

To give your workbooks visual interest, you can add graphics, shapes, SmartArt diagrams, and WordArt items to them. Graphics are pictures and images in the various formats that Excel can import, and shapes are Excel’s built-in shapes, which include everything from simple arrows and regular shapes (such as circles, squares, and triangles) to complex shapes you create on the fly. SmartArt includes a range of graphics such as organization charts and flowcharts, while WordArt is graphical text that you create to your preferred design.
Quantitative photoaffinity labeling of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase transcription complexes by nascent RNA

To elucidate the molecular interactions during transcription, we have developed a method to quantify the photoaffinity labeling produced by an aryl azide photoprobe positioned at the leading (5’) end of the nascent RNA [Stackhouse, T. M. & Meares, C. F. (1988) Biochemistry 27, 3038-3045]. This identifies those macromolecules adjacent to the probe at each transcript length, and permits ready comparison of the effects of different DNA sequences on the behavior of enzyme subunits during transcription. Here we compare transcription complexes containing the two bacteriophage templates λPr and T7 Al. The quantitative analysis provides the percent yield of photoaffinity labeling by each length of RNA in the transcription complex. Significant yields (up to 4%) for the a subunit are observed the template containing the λPr promoter. The σ subunit from this complex is labeled maximally at a transcript length of 11 nucleotides. When transcription is initiated from the template containing the T7 Al promoter, labeling yields for the a subunit are less than 0.7% for all transcript lengths observed. Labeling of the β/β’ subunits (analyzed together) occurs similarly on both templates, with yields reaching a maximum of approximately 15% for transcripts >13 nucleotides in length. The photoaffinity labeling of σ in polyfd(A-T)] transcription complexes differs from the results observed with DNA containing either the lambda Pr or the T7 Al promoter, providing further evidence that the interaction between the nucleic acids and the a subunit in the transcription complex depends on the nucleotide sequence. They are consistent with early release of a from the T7 Al promoter (at an RNA length 14 nucleotides).
Adaptive Equalization and Reed-Solomon Coding in High-Data-Rate Frequency-Hop Spread-Spectrum Communications

There is an increasing need for mobile packet radio networks that support link data rates of hundreds of kilobits per second to several megabits per second. If a radio network employing slow-frequency-hop (SFH) spread-spectrum modulation operates at these high data rates, however, the channel is likely to exhibit frequency-selective fading within each frequency slot of the SFH system. The frequency selectivity manifests itself as intersymbol interference at the receiver, and adaptive equalization must be employed in the receiver for each dwell interval in order to compensate for the intersymbol interference. In this paper, we examine the performance of a SFH spread-spectrum system with Reed–Solomon coding in a channel that exhibits time-selective and frequency-selective fading within each frequency slot. The performance is evaluated for systems in which the receiver employs maximum-likelihood sequence estimation in an equalizer that is retrained on a hop-by-hop basis. The performance of a receiver that uses errors-only decoding of Reed–Solomon codewords is considered. The use of the parity-bit method for erasure insertion and errors-and-erasures decoding is also investigated. The performance of a receiver that employs erasures of individual symbols only is compared with the performance of a receiver that also employs threshold-based erasures of entire dwell intervals. The effect of the system bandwidth and the Doppler spread on the comparison is also examined.
Cybersecurity Interventions for Teens: Two Time-Based Approaches

Contribution: Intervention effectiveness is shown to vary in its influence on teenagers’ outcomes with cybersecurity problem-solving and engagement. In-depth, high-intensity types of intervention may be more effective for female students. Background: Instructional interventions are being developed to address both the critical shortage in cybersecurity talent and gender gaps in the cyber workforce. These interventions need rigorous evaluation. Specific types of instructional strategies are particularly effective for STEM learning. Also, gender differences are found in the benefit students derive from certain instructional methods. An important question is whether certain instructional methods are particularly effective for cybersecurity learning, and consistent in both male and female students. Research Questions: Do cybersecurity interventions affect problem-solving, cybersecurity engagement, and/or cybersecurity self-efficacy? Are there gender differences in terms of intervention effectiveness? Methodology: Study 1 ( ${n}\,\, {=}$ 79) included a 60-min workshop model where participants, assigned to treatment and control groups, completed surveys pre- and post-intervention. The treatment group experienced a workshop on computer networking, without any technology. The control group did not receive the workshop. Study 2 ( ${n}\,\,{=}$ 34) was a week-long intervention whose participants had formal lessons, built websites, and defended themselves from an ongoing simulated cyberattack. Participants completed a survey on cybersecurity learning and engagement three times during the intervention. Findings: Study 1 showed no main treatment effect, but females experienced greater gains in problem-solving than males. In Study 2, there was positive growth over time and females experienced greater growth in cybersecurity self-efficacy relative to males.
Procedural Pain During Lumbar Medial Branch Blocks With and Without Skin Wheal Anesthesia: A Prospective Comparative Observational Study

Objective To determine if skin wheals reduce procedural pain associated with lumbar medial branch blocks (MBBs) performed with 25-gauge needles. Design Prospective comparative observational study. Setting Outpatient Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and interventional pain practice within an academic tertiary care center. Subjects Ninety-nine consecutive patients who underwent lumbar MBBs for facet pain were included. Patients who were obese or required larger-diameter needles were excluded. Methods One to three facet joints were targeted per side, with some patients receiving bilateral procedures. All injections were performed with 25-gauge, 3.5-inch Quincke tip needles under fluoroscopic guidance. A total of 306 needle sticks were recorded. MBBs were performed without skin wheals or any other type of local anesthesia (35 patients, 108 needle sticks), with skin wheals (30 patients, 94 needle sticks), and in mixed groups (34 patients, 47 needle sticks with skin wheals, 57 needle sticks without skin wheals or other type of local anesthesia). Patients rated the pain of each needle placement immediately after the multilevel MBB procedure. Results Considering all 306 needle sticks, needles that were placed using skin wheals caused slightly more pain than those placed without skin wheals or any other type of local anesthesia (P = 0.007). Conclusions Skin wheals do not reduce and may increase procedural pain associated with lumbar MBBs performed with 25-gauge needles.
Improving Object Tracking Accuracy in Video Sequences Subject to Noise and Occlusion Impediments by Combining Feature Tracking with Kalman Filtering

Automated object tracking in video sequences has been applied in areas such as security and surveillance, traffic control, medical image processing and video communications. To maintain robust precision in matching our algorithm’s position estimates with ground truth, feature detection accuracy and confidence measures are needed by tracking algorithms. Experiments are conducted to quantify how feature descriptors used for tracking are degraded. A Kalman filter is then used to enhance accuracy. In our application, Kalman covariance parameters are continually tuned using a confidence level obtained based on object descriptor robustness. Because the Kalman algorithm converges quickly and does not require prior training, it is ideally suited for real-time object tracking.
Full-color, multi-plane image projection with mobile-phone flashlight & a multi-level diffractive hologram

We show the projection of color and covert images in multiple planes using a multilevel diffractive-optical element illuminated by the flashlight of a mobile phone. Such devices could be useful for in secure documents. © 2019 The Author(s)
Using Worked Examples to Improve Student Understanding of Atmospheric Dynamics

AbstractAtmospheric dynamics can represent a significant hurdle for students; the need to successfully apply concepts from calculus and physics, as well as the sometimes counterintuitive nature of ...
The Impacts of Sustainable Practices on Affordable Housing Developments: Residents’ Perspectives

Many areas in the USA are facing housing crises, and state and local governments are responding by funding affordable housing that is also green and energy efficient. The US Green Building Council (USGBC) has advocated for expanded access to the benefits of healthy, efficient, and affordable housing (USGBC in Green affordable homes: valuing healthy and efficient housing for all, 2012). Considering the financial benefits and positive physical changes that green housing can offer people facing financial difficulties, sustainable interventions are imperative. This research assumes that residents in green low-income housing experience a variety of financial and physical benefits and examines their perceptions of those benefits and their experiences with them; this is, to date, a topic that has not yet been systematically researched. While sustainability rating systems may contribute to increasing our understanding of building and community-related environmental issues, they do not address users’ perspectives or residents of the surrounding communities. A survey was conducted of residents of various LEED or Energy Star-certified affordable housing and the communities surrounding them in the state of New York. This research found that the residents, overall, perceived positive improvements in their lives as a result of sustainable practices, as compared to their previous living conditions, and did not experience discomfort or negative impacts from their daily use. However, the impact of the financial savings was perceived as mild. The findings of this research will be beneficial for architects, builders, and developers of sustainable affordable housing who seek to understand users’ perspectives and thus enhance sustainable practices to bring stronger impacts to residents of sustainable housing developments.
Introduction to The Workplace Constitution from the New Deal to the New Right

Today, most American workers do not have constitutional rights on the job. As The Workplace Constitution shows, this outcome was far from inevitable. Instead, American workers have a long history of fighting for such rights. Beginning in the 1930s, civil rights advocates sought constitutional protections against racial discrimination by employers and unions. At the same time, a conservative right-to-work movement argued that the Constitution protected workers from having to join or support unions. Those two movements, with their shared aim of extending constitutional protections to American workers, were a potentially powerful combination. But they sought to use those protections to quite different ends: African Americans wanted access to unions, while right-to-work litigants wanted to be free of them. Although the civil rights movement went on to dismantle Jim Crow laws, and the right-to-work movement had the support of some of the nation’s most prominent politicians and opinion makers, their conflicting purposes sapped support for the workplace Constitution and ultimately led to its collapse. The Workplace Constitution tells for the first time the story of anti-New Deal conservatives’ legal campaigns, recovers overlooked civil rights and labor advocacy, and moves constitutional history into little-explored venues such as administrative agencies. In recounting the civil rights and right-to-work movements’ surprising successes and explaining their ultimate failure, the book provides a fresh perspective on postwar conservatism and liberalism, emphasizing how law intertwined their fates and how that entanglement in turn shaped the law. Those interested in the history of the United States’ conservative, labor, and civil rights movements; its Constitution and political institutions; and the legal rights of its workers will find much of interest here. In the twenty-first century, the workplace Constitution has all but vanished. This book illuminates what has been gained and lost in its demise, both in the workplace and beyond.
Application of High-Resolution Terrestrial Laser Scanning to Monitor the Performance of Mechanically Stabilized Earth Walls with Precast Concrete Panels

AbstractMechanically stabilized earth (MSE) walls are extensively used in civil infrastructure projects, particularly in areas with tight right-of-way constraints. Traditional geotechnical design o...
Factors associated with development of early and late pulmonary hypertension in preterm infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia

To investigate factors associated with development of early and late pulmonary hypertension (E/LPH) in preterm infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). A retrospective case-control observational study of preterm infants with BPD admitted to a level IV referral neonatal intensive care unit over 5 years. We compared pre- and postnatal characteristics between infants with or without BPD-associated EPH and LPH. Fifty-nine out of 220 infants (26.8%) had LPH, while 85 out of 193 neonates (44%) had EPH. On multiple logistic regression, novel factors associated with development of BPD–LPH included presence of maternal diabetes, EPH, tracheostomy, tracheitis, intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH, grade ≥3) and systemic steroid use. For EPH, these were maternal diabetes, IVH grade ≥3, high frequency ventilator use, and absence of maternal antibiotics use. We identified novel factors and confirmed previously established factors with development of LPH and EPH, which can help develop a screening strategy in BPD patients.
Grazing Effects on Plant Nitrogen use in a Temperate Grassland

The ability of large herbivores to increase primary production in many grassland ecosystems has been linked to their stimulation of plant available soil nitrogen (N) and enrichment in shoot N content. However, herbivores have additional effects on the structure of grassland vegetation that may also impact the efficiency that plants use shoot N to produce biomass per unit time (i. e., nitrogen production, NP). Knowledge of any effect that herbivores have on NP will provide a better understanding of how herbivores can mechanistically feedback on grassland processes. The influence of herbivores on NP was examined by comparing plant production and shoot N content inside and outside exclosures at ten grasslands in Yellowstone National Park (YNP), an N–limited ecosystem, where animals previously have been shown to increase soil N availability, shoot N content, and plant production. NP was measured aboveground (NPA, g shoot growth g shoot N−1 day−1), belowground (NPB, g belowground growth g shoot N−1 day−1), and at the whole grassland level (NPW, g whole plant growth g shoot N−1 day−1). The study was conducted over a three-year period (1999–2001) during which precipitation varied markedly. Grazers increased annual NPA, NPB and NPW by 32%, 55%, and 48%, respectively, in 1999, an average to wetter than average year across the widely distributed sites. Herbivores had no effect on NP measures during 2000 and 2001, two drought years. These findings revealed that grazer facilitation of grassland production in YNP was at least partially due to a previously unrecognized enhancement of NP by herbivores, which was likely dependent on moisture conditions.
Does humeral torsion play a role in shoulder and elbow injury profiles of overhead athletes: a systematic review.

Background Humeral retrotorsion (HRT) is one bony adaptation that occurs in overhead athletes. This bony adaptation often leads to bilateral changes in range of motion at the glenohumeral joint. Because HRT can create different stress environments on the surrounding tissue, it may play a role in upper-limb injury and pain profiles. Therefore, the aim of this review was to examine whether HRT plays a role in shoulder and elbow injury profiles. Methods Two separate critical appraisal tools were administered: the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (case control) and the Appraisal Tool for Cross-sectional Studies. The primary author extracted all data and obtained means and standard deviations for each outcome. Cohen d effect sizes (ESs) were calculated (ES [95% confidence interval]) for all HRT measurements including nondominant, dominant, and side-to-side differences. Finally, the Strength of Recommendation Taxonomy was used to evaluate the overall strength of the recommendation. Results Nine articles were included in this review. Large ESs were present in 2 studies on examination of symptomatic and asymptomatic dominant HRT and ranged between 0.83 (0.08-1.55) and –2.57 (–3.66 to 1.99). The majority of all ESs for all HRT measurements were moderate or low, rendering comparisons between asymptomatic and symptomatic cohorts that were not clinically meaningful. Conclusion The Strength of Recommendation Taxonomy rating was C based on inconsistent findings. Differences in sports populations and definitions of injuries across studies may be one reason for the varying ESs. HRT does occur in the overhead population, but the degree to which this HRT starts to affect upper-limb injury is unknown and is more than likely player specific and multifactorial.
Catholic Moral Theology and the Virtues: Integrating Psychology in Models of Moral Agency:

The widespread embrace of virtue ethics in Catholic morality has not overcome sharp disagreement on particular moral issues. The authors argue that more attention be paid to developing the account ...