cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Orthopaedic crossfire®—larger femoral heads: A triumph of hope over reason!: In opposition

Abstract For the past decade, large femoral heads have for the most part been avoided in total hip arthroplasty, especially in younger active patients, because of their association with increased polyethylene wear. However, it has become equally clear that large femoral heads offer a benefit in terms of hip stability and reducing postoperative dislocation. With increasing head size, there is less chance of component-on-component impingement and increased displacement for dislocation. Highly cross-linked polyethylene appears to be relatively insensitive to head size and may offer the surgeon the opportunity to use large femoral heads, especially in patients who are at high risk for dislocation. © 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Integrated control and coordinated behavior: a case for agent models

This paper presents a new architecture for controlling autonomous agents in dynamic multi-agent worlds, building on previous work addressing reactive and deliberative control methods. The proposed multi-layered architecture allows a rationally bounded, goal-directed agent to reason predictively about potential conflicts by constructing causal theories which explain other agents' observed behaviors and hypothesize their intentions; at the same time it enables the agent to operate autonomously and to react promptly to changes in its real-time environment. A principal aim of this research is to understand the role different functional capabilities play in constraining an agent's behavior under varying environmental conditions. To this end, an experimental testbed has been constructed comprising a simulated multi-agent world in which a variety of agent configurations and behaviors have been investigated. A number of experimental findings are reported.
Differential Modulation of Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Subtypes and Synaptic Transmission in Chick Sympathetic Ganglia by PGE2

The diversity of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) is likely an important factor in the modulation of synaptic transmission by acetylcholine and nicotine. We have tested whether p...
Business, Human Rights, and Communities: The Problem of Community Contest in Development

Corporations, international financial institutions, and non-governmental organizations all purport to support more community participation in development decisions. The conventional model of community consultations is flawed and is overdue for a critical assessment. This process — whether know as stakeholder engagement, free, prior and informed consent, or some other term — relies on unrealistic assumptions about the social and political dynamics of real communities. It assumes that affected communities are passive, without agency, and free of any social or gender politics. In addition, the conventional approach seeks to work changes in the process This Article challenges the conventional wisdom and argues that community consultations are important but flawed in their current form. I argue that law and policy operate in and on the real world, populated as it is with real communities and people. To the extent that the law expects to work unrealistic results or relies for its effectiveness on highly unlikely behavior, it is ineffective and should be challenged. One principal reason for this mismatch is that the conventional accounts rely on assumptions about communities that are inconsistent with the available evidence about how affected communities actually function. They are not untouched proto-democracies waiting for development and ready to embrace it, devoid of their own preferences, agency, or flaws. In addition, there is normative confusion about why community consultations are important. The goal should not be to change the communities in which corporations operate. Instead the goal should be to provide a mechanism by which affected communities can effectively engage with corporations and exercise control over their own destinies.
Hindustan Lever Limited (Hll) and Project Sting (B)

Set in India in the 1980s and 1990s, this series of cases (labeled A through D, UVA-E-0266 through UVA-E-0269).concerns the attempts by the Unilever division Hindustan Lever Limited (HLL) to create, market, and distribute a detergent for India's rural poor. The upstart, low-priced Nirma detergent, manufactured by a former chemist, has overtaken HLL in the detergent market primarily because Nirma is being distributed and sold to this previously ignored segment of India's population. In this war of laundry powders, HLL must revise its traditional practices in manufacturing, marketing, and distribution pursuant to C. K. Prahalad and Allen Hammond's theory of the worldwide four-tiered market, in which the "bottom of the pyramid" is an untapped and potentially lucrative market.
Tunneling-Time Measurements of a Resonant Tunneling Diode

Tunneling-time measurements on a heterojunction double-barrier resonant tunneling diode (RTD) have been made using electro-optic sampling techniques. Quantum- mechanical tunneling in these single quantum wells is the fastest known charge-transport mechanism in semiconductors. This class of device exhibits such features as negative differential resistance (NDR), an extremely fast current response,1 and a high-frequency output when applied as an oscillator.2 Now, using a laser-based sampling system having a demonstrated subpicosecond temporal response,3 a switching time of less than 2 ps has been measured for a double-barrier RTD. This measurement indicates the potential utility of these diodes as high-speed logic devices4 and helps explain the tunneling mechanisms involved.
Sollicitude, dépendance et lien social

La croissance de la population vieillissante en Amerique du Nord a un impact significatif sur nos politiques sociales. Ainsi, l’Etat quebecois met a la disposition des personnes âgees une aide afin de faciliter le maintien a domicile. Qui a maintenant la responsabilite de repondre aux besoins des personnes âgees; est-ce la famille ou l’Etat? Si la reponse peut nous aider a formuler des politiques sociales equitables, elle nous pousse aussi a repenser le lien social a la lumiere de la dependance. Dans un premier temps nous nous pencherons sur l’evolution de l’ethique de la sollicitude pour ensuite analyser les apports des etudes sur la production du handicap. Puisque la problematique de la dependance s’avere cruciale dans ce debat, les ecrits de deux theoriciens francais, Albert Memmi et Bernard Ennuyer, nous aideront a elucider la question de la dependance. Nous verrons par la suite comment ces divers apports peuvent nous amener a reconceptualiser le lien social.
Analysis of CH* concentration and flame heat release rate in laminar coflow diffusion flames under microgravity and normal gravity

Abstract The chemiluminescence from electronically excited CH (denoted as CH * ) is investigated in nitrogen-diluted laminar coflow methane diffusion flames under microgravity and normal gravity conditions. In combustion studies, this radical species is of significant interest since its spatial distribution is indicative of the flame front position; moreover, given the relatively simple diagnostic involved with its measurement, several studies have been done to evaluate the ability of CH * chemiluminescence to predict the total and local flame heat release rate. In this work, a subset of the publicly available NASA Structure and Liftoff in Combustion Experiments (SLICE) microgravity and normal gravity nitrogen-diluted methane flames has been considered, and a method to extract quantitative CH * concentration information from the SLICE raw data is demonstrated. The measured CH * concentration is then discussed and compared with numerical simulations to assess the correlation between CH * chemiluminescence and heat release rate. The spectral characterization of the digital single lens reflex (DSLR) color camera used to acquire the flame images allowed the signal collected by the blue channel to be considered representative of the CH * emission of the A 2 Δ → X 2 ∏ transition centered around 431 nm; the analysis of the spectral emission of a reference nitrogen-diluted laminar diffusion methane flame accounted for the contribution of chemiluminescence from emitting species other than CH * . Due to the axisymmetric flame structure, an Abel deconvolution of the line-of-sight chemiluminescence was used to obtain the two-dimensional intensity profile and, thanks to an absolute light intensity calibration, a quantification of the CH * concentration was possible. Comparisons with numerical results display reasonably good agreement between measured and computed flame shapes, and it is shown that the difference in peak CH * concentration, between micro- and normal gravity cases, is minimal. Independent of the gravity level, the integrated CH * concentration in a cross section scales proportionally to the integrated computed heat release rate. The two-dimensional CH * and heat release rate spatial profiles match in a satisfactory way, but the gradients and intensity distributions are not comparable.
Abstract 211: Control of integrin expression and signaling by claudin-3 and claudin-4 in ovarian cancer.

Changes in cell-cell and cell-matrix adhesion are central to ovarian cancer metastasis. We have previously demonstrated that the two major tight junction proteins claudin-3 (CLDN3) and claudin-4 (CLDN4) function to restrain in vivo growth and metastatic potential of ovarian cancer cells by sustaining expression of E-cadherin and limiting β-catenin signaling. Here we report that CLDN3 and CLDN4 control integrin αvβ3 expression and signaling through which they regulate cell-matrix adhesion and anchorage-dependent growth. Knockdown of CLDN3 or CLDN4 in human ovarian carcinoma cells reduced their ability to adhere to fibronectin whereas increased expression of CLDN3 or CLDN4 enhanced adherence to the extracellular matrix protein. A flow cytometric analysis revealed that CLDN3 and CLDN4 knockdown reduced αvβ3 complex formation at the cell surface by a factor of 1.7- and 12.4-fold, respectively, relative to the parental 2008 cells. Deconvoluting microscopic analysis of immunocytochemically stained cells confirmed the reduction in αvβ3 expression in the CLDN3KD and CLDN4KD cells. Measurement of β3 mRNA levels by qRT-PCR demonstrated a 55 ± 11.0% reduction in the CLDN3KD cells and a 51 ± 13.7% decrease in the CLDN4KD cells while the αv mRNA level was not affected. Interestingly, ablation of αvβ3 increased CLDN3 and CLDN4 expression at both the mRNA and protein level. Anchorage-independent growth was markedly reduced in both CLDN3KD and CLDN4KD cells with respect to the number and the size distribution of the colonies that formed in soft agar. Moreover, loss of either CLDN3 or CLDN4 resulted in activation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) as the phosphorylation of Tyr-397 residue within FAK, which reflects FAK activity, was significantly increased in the CLDN3 and CLDN4 knockdown cells. Taken together, these results indicate a novel role for CLDN3 and CLDN4 in regulating integrin αvβ3 expression and signaling that control cell-matrix adhesion and aggressiveness of the ovarian carcinoma cells. Citation Format: Xinjian Lin, Xiying Shang, Gerald Manorek, Stephen Howell. Control of integrin expression and signaling by claudin-3 and claudin-4 in ovarian cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 211. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-211 Note: This abstract was not presented at the AACR Annual Meeting 2013 because the presenter was unable to attend.
Some Methods Used in Testing Cattle Fly Sprays

Existing methods of testing cattle fly sprays for repellent efficiency on the stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.), are unsatisfactory. A method, which consists essentially of making close observations on sprayed cows of previously determined fly susceptibility, gave much better results. Thirty-five selected cows were used in determining the relative efficiency of 6 fly sprays. The cows were scrubbed with soap and water, then staked individually in a pasture, being removed only for watering and milking. The normal fly susceptibility of each cow was obtained from the average of two counts of the number of flies present, made hourly from 7 a.m. till 3 p.m. for a period of 3 days. The cows were then placed in 7 groups of 5 each, the maximum difference in the number of flies per cow per count between the groups being about two. The 6 spray materials were then assigned by chance to each of 6 groups of 5 cows; the remaining group served as the control. Each cow was sprayed at 6 a.m. daily for 4 consecutive days with 2 fluid ounces of spray material applied with an electric sprayer. The fly susceptibility of the sprayed and control cows was determined as before. The results show that close individual observations of a relatively few cows of known fly susceptibility give more consistent and dependable results than less accurate observations on a large number of cows. The population of stable flies on unsprayed dairy cattle increases from 7 a.m. till about mid-day after which it tends to become stationary.
Identifying the state of the project management profession

Abstract Project management has struggled with delivering low performing construction and information technology (IT or ICT) projects. Approximately 60% of construction projects are over budget, over schedule and have low customer satisfaction. The IT industry reports even worse performance for their projects. IT projects seem to be far less defined, leading to increased complexity. Documentation shows that companies do not have a successful methodology to track their performance and thus there is a lack of documented performance information to identify if their project management methodologies are delivering high quality and efficient projects. A literature research was performed on the most used Project Management (PM) methodologies worldwide. These PM methodologies were then compared based upon their characteristics and performance information to identify the most successful methodologies. The analysis of the results revealed that only one methodology had proven performance metrics on over 90% of its projects.
Incorporating Student Response Time and Tutor Instructional Interventions into Student Modeling

Bayesian Knowledge Tracing (BKT) is one of the most widely adopted student-modeling methods. It uses performance (incorrect,correct) to infer student knowledge state (unlearned, learned). However, performance can be noisy and thus we explored another type of observations -- student response time. Furthermore, we proposed Intervention Bayesian Knowledge Tracing (Intervention-BKT) which can incorporate multiple types of instructional interventions into the conventional BKT model. Our results show that for next-step performance predictions, Intervention-BKT is more effective than BKT; whereas to predict students' post-test scores, including student response time would yield better result than using performance alone.
Free radical metabolites of l-cysteine and glutathione oxidation

A free radical is any organic molecule with an odd number of electrons. Even as simple an organic molecule as benzene can be transformed into three chemically distinct, highly reactive free radicals. One-electron oxidation, the removal of an electron from the π-electrons, results in the formation of the benzene cation radical. The addition of an electron, that is, one-electron reduction of benzene, results in the formation of the benzene anion radical. The third free radical is formed by the homolytic cleavage of one of the C-H bonds by u.v. light or other radiation to form a hydrogen atom and the phenyl radical.
Comprehensive Care of the Lung Transplant Patient.

Lung transplantation has evolved into a life-saving treatment with improved quality of life for patients with end-stage respiratory failure unresponsive to other medical or surgical interventions. With improving survival rates, the number of lung transplant recipients with preexisting and posttransplant comorbidities that require attention continues to increase. A partnership between transplant and nontransplant care providers is necessary to deliver comprehensive and optimal care for transplant candidates and recipients. The goals of this partnership include timely referral and assistance with transplant evaluation, optimization of comorbidities and preparation for transplantation, management of common posttransplant medical comorbidities, immunization, screening for malignancy, and counseling for a healthy lifestyle to maximize the likelihood of a good outcome. We aim to provide an outline of the main aspects of the care of candidates for and recipients of lung transplants for nontransplant physicians and other care providers.
Body-wave spectra of central California earthquakes

abstract PZ and SH spectra (0.5 to 20 + Hz) of 26 events (0.9 ≦ M ≦ 4.1) in the January 15, 1973, earthquake sequence on the San Andreas fault near Bear Valley have been obtained from seismograms written at a three-component short-period ( T o = 1 sec) station (Δ = 12 to 18 km) located 4 km west of the San Andreas fault trace in the Gabilan Range. For each of the larger events ( M ≧ 3.3), the observed SH spectrum has greater high-frequency to low-frequency content than the observed PZ spectrum. For the smaller events, the observed SH and PZ spectra are similar. At high frequencies ( ƒ ⪞ 10 Hz), the observed SH -displacement spectra decrease more rapidly with frequency than do the observed PZ displacement spectra—indicating more attenuation for SH than for PZ for these propagation paths. For any reasonable propagation-path correction, SH source displacement spectra corner frequencies are systematically larger than PZ source displacement corner frequencies for these events. Ratios of spectra of large-to-small events in the sequence imply an equivalent total path Q α of 175 to 250 and an equivalent total path Q β of 100 to 150 for these paths.
Reclaiming Egalitarianism in the Political Theory of Campaign Finance Reform

Recent advocacy for campaign finance reform has been based on an ideal of the democratic process which is unrealistic and unhelpful. Scholars should instead return to its egalitarian roots. This article examines how deliberative democratic theory became the main justification for campaign finance reform. It exposes the shortcomings of this “deliberativist detour” and instead models campaign spending as an effort to commodify issue-salience. Given this dominant function of money in politics, a more effective paradigm for reform is “equalizing influence.” Advocates of campaign regulation should return to the original principles of reformers; not an idealized vision of the democratic process, but pragmatic concerns about moneyed interests acquiring too much influence over the nation’s politics.
Diversity Regimes and Racial Inequality: A Case Study of Diversity University:

Despite record investment in diversity infrastructure, racial inequality persists in higher education. This article examines, through a case study of diversity’s articulation process, how diversity is defined, organized, and implemented within an American public flagship university. My findings reveal what I characterize as a diversity regime: a set of meanings and practices that institutionalizes a benign commitment to diversity, and in doing so obscures, entrenches, and even intensifies existing racial inequality by failing to make fundamental changes in how power, resources, and opportunities are distributed. My concept of a diversity regime helps explain how and why organizational commitments to multiculturalism and diversity often fall short in practice. The concept of a diversity regime also helps us better understand the underlying processes that perpetuate racial inequality.
Impact of sequence of international entries on country exits

ABSTRACTA classic model of international entries—the Uppsala model—postulated that firms enter foreign countries in increasing order of psychic distance between the home and the host country to minimize the risk of failure. A question that was left unanswered was whether this sequence of entry results in any performance benefits. Literature on the impact of psychic distance, or its components like culture distance, on the performance of foreign operations abounds but the order of entry that is critical to the Uppsala model remains conspicuously absent. This paper presents an analysis of foreign country entries and exits by the U.S. multinationals in the manufacturing and service sectors since 1965. Companies that enter foreign countries in increasing order of culture distance do gain a significant performance advantage over those who do not. Changes over time and across industry sectors are discussed.
Silhouettes of Development: A Tool for Understanding the Needs and Growth of Science Teachers

Although much research has examined the professional development (PD) of science teachers, questions remain about what aspects of PD contribute to teacher change. It is important to continue to exa...
TARGETING THE ACTIVIN TYPE II RECEPTOR PATHWAY FOR HEART FAILURE THERAPY

Heart failure (HF) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the elderly. However, despite the strong independent association between aging and HF, the intrinsic mechanisms by which the aging process contributes to HF pathophysiology in older adults remain unclear. Targeted proteomic
A Recurrent Silent Mutation Implicates fecA in Ethanol Tolerance by Escherichia coli

An issue associated with efficient bioethanol production is the fact that the desired product is toxic to the biocatalyst. Among other effects, ethanol has previously been found to influence the membrane of E. coli in a dose-dependent manner and induce changes in the lipid composition of the plasma membrane. We describe here the characterization of a collection of ethanol-tolerant strains derived from the ethanologenic Escherichia coli strain FBR5. Membrane permeability assays indicate that many of the strains in the collection have alterations in membrane permeability and/or responsiveness of the membrane to environmental changes such as temperature shifts or ethanol exposure. However, analysis of the strains by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry revealed no qualitative changes in the acyl chain composition of membrane lipids in response to ethanol or temperature. To determine whether these strains contain any mutations that might contribute to ethanol tolerance or changes in membrane permeability, we sequenced the entire genome of each strain. Unexpectedly, none of the strains displayed mutations in genes known to control membrane lipid synthesis, and a few strains carried no mutations at all. Interestingly, we found that four independently-isolated strains acquired an identical C → A (V244 V) silent mutation in the ferric citrate transporter gene fecA. Further, we demonstrated that either a deletion of fecA or over-expression of fecA can confer increased ethanol survival, suggesting that any misregulation of fecA expression affects the cellular response to ethanol. The fact that no mutations were observed in several ethanol-tolerant strains suggested that epigenetic mechanisms play a role in E. coli ethanol tolerance and membrane permeability. Our data also represent the first direct phenotypic evidence that the fecA gene plays a role in ethanol tolerance. We propose that the recurring silent mutation may exert an effect on phenotype by altering RNA-mediated regulation of fecA expression.
Does Depth Matter? Factors Affecting Choice of Vulvoplasty Over Vaginoplasty as Gender-Affirming Genital Surgery for Transgender Women.

Abstract Background Gender-affirming vaginoplasty aims to create the external female genitalia (vulva) as well as the internal vaginal canal; however, not all patients desire nor can safely undergo vaginal canal creation. Aim Our objective is to describe the factors influencing patient choice or surgeon recommendation of vulvoplasty and to assess the patient’s satisfaction with this choice. Methods Gender-affirming genital surgery consults were reviewed from March 2015 until December 2017, and patients scheduled for or who had completed vulvoplasty were interviewed by telephone. Outcomes We report demographic data and the reasons for choosing vulvoplasty as gender-affirming surgery for patients who either completed or were scheduled for surgery, in addition to patient reports of satisfaction with choice of surgery, satisfaction with the surgery itself, and sexual activity after surgery. Results In total, 486 patients were seen in consultation for trans-feminine gender-affirming genital surgery: 396 requested vaginoplasty and 39 patients requested vulvoplasty. 30 Patients either completed or are scheduled for vulvoplasty. Vulvoplasty patients were older and had higher body mass index than those seeking vaginoplasty. The majority (63%) of the patients seeking vulvoplasty chose this surgery despite no contra-indications to vaginoplasty. The remaining patients had risk factors leading the surgeon to recommend vulvoplasty. Of those who completed surgery, 93% were satisfied with the surgery and their decision for vulvoplasty. Clinical Translation Vulvoplasty creates the external appearance of female genitalia without creation of a neovaginal canal; it is associated with high satisfaction and low decision regret. Conclusions This is the first study of factors impacting a patient’s choice of or a surgeon’s recommendation for vulvoplasty over vaginoplasty as gender-affirming genital surgery; it also is the first reported series of patients undergoing vulvoplasty only. Limitations of this study include its retrospective nature, non-validated questions, short-term follow-up, and selection bias in how we offer vulvoplasty. Vulvoplasty is a form of gender-affirming feminizing surgery that does not involve creation of a neovagina, and it is associated with high satisfaction and low decision regret. Jiang D, Witten J, Berli J, et al. Does Depth Matter? Factors Affecting Choice of Vulvoplasty Over Vaginoplasty as Gender-Affirming Genital Surgery for Transgender Women. J Sex Med 2018;15:902–906.
A GENERALIZED WILCOXON MANN-WHITNEY STATISTIC WITH SOME APPLICATIONS IN RELIABILITY*

Abstract. Let X 1 ,X 2 ,…X m and Y 1 ,Y 2 ,…Y n be two independent samples of sizes m and n (m + n = N) from two populations with continuous cumulative distribution functions F(x) and G(y) where F and G belong to the same family F of distribution functions indexed by a parameter θ. To test the hypothesis H 0 F = G against the alternative that they are different, based on the first r ordered observations out of a combined sample of size N, we consider the following statistic: where m i and n i are the number of x and y failures, respectively, among the first i ordered observations of the combined (x,y) sample.
Characterization of Contaminated Sediments for Remediation Projects in Hamilton Harbour

Hamilton Harbour is located on the western end of Lake Ontario and has an area of approximately 31 square kilometers. The harbour has been designated by the International Joint Commission (IJC) as one of the 42 Areas of Concern (AOCs) within the Great Lakes. Most fine-grained sediments in the harbour exceed sediment quality guidelines at the severe effect level due to contamination by both metals and organic compounds such as PAHs and PCBs. Current investigations are concentrated on two areas of the harbour called Randle Reef and Windermere Arm. The Randle Reef “hot spot” contains the most highly contaminated sediment for PAH concentrations in the harbour. Extensive information on sediment physical and chemical properties was collected by coring and offs hore boreholes. Bioassays were carried out to determine sediment toxicity. A range of remediation alternatives has been considered, including removal and ex situ treatment. The current preferred alternative is an enginee red containment facility (ECF), which will contain in situ contaminated sediments within the footprint of the structure. In addition, dredged sediment from other contaminated sites in the harbour will be placed in the ECF. Windermere Arm is a 50-ha narrow channel situated in the southeast portion of the harbour. Contamination in Windermere Arm is not as severe as that found in Randle Reef. Recent sediment surveys in the area, however, yielded higher PCB values in surficial sediments than previously reported. Sediments in Windermere Arm are also subject to considerable physical disturbance due to extensive ship traffic. For this reason, historical sediment contamination occurring in deeper sediments also has to be considered as a potential risk to the aquatic environment.
Circuitiously Parisian: Sapeur Parakinship and the Affective Circuitry of Congolese Style

Writing against the dominant economic push-pull models driving conceptions of one-way migration to Europe, this paper explores the circulatory movement of la Sape, which sends Congolese to Paris to buy clothes and return in style. However, the movement is about much more than the extreme consumption they have developed a reputation for, developing what I call a parakinship network (an alternative model of kinship based on the patrifiliation of style rather than blood) and built around the accumulation of a spiritual force congealed in the clothes themselves and transferred between members of the Sape. I draw upon the concept of affective circuits in order to study the way that circulation of force, money, clothing, and sociality itself are channeled through social networks and kin patterns, and examine how the blockage of certain circuits produces new channels and outlets for these flows. The paper is primarily based on ethnographic field research performed in the 18ieme of Paris in 2000.
Subjective social status and health: A meta-analysis of community and society ladders

Objective To derive a robust estimate of the relation between health and subjective status in society versus subjective status in one's community, and to identify moderators of these effects, using meta-analysis. Method Thirty-eight independent studies, which included both subjective status ladders and collectively provided data from 142,836 participants, met criteria for inclusion. Information on sample characteristics (e.g., age, gender, continent), methodological factors (e.g., scale type, methodological quality), and statistical factors (e.g., model type, inclusion of objective socioeconomic status covariates) were extracted from each study. Random-effects meta-analysis was used to aggregate data across studies. Results Both the community ladder and the society ladder yielded small but statistically significant associations with health behavior (r = .06 and r = .06), mental health (r = .13 and r = .11), physical health (r = .05 and r = .04), and self-rated health (r = .08 and r = .09) that were comparable in size and were qualified in a similar way by the type of health outcome, sample age, continent, and methodological quality. Additionally, community and society ladders remained significantly associated with health both when considered simultaneously and following the inclusion of objective socioeconomic status covariates. Conclusions This meta-analysis is the first to establish a unique association of the community ladder with health. It also supports social comparison theories highlighting the importance of comparisons with proximal others and may promote greater use of the community ladder in future research. (PsycINFO Database Record
Effect of interannual precipitation variability on dryland productivity: A global synthesis

Climate-change assessments project increasing precipitation variability through increased frequency of extreme events. However, the effects of interannual precipitation variance per se on ecosystem functioning have been largely understudied. Here, we report on the effects of interannual precipitation variability on the primary production of global drylands, which include deserts, steppes, shrublands, grasslands, and prairies and cover about 40% of the terrestrial earth surface. We used a global database that has 43 datasets, which are uniformly distributed in parameter space and each has at least 10 years of data. We found (a) that at the global scale, precipitation variability has a negative effect on aboveground net primary production. (b) Expected increases in interannual precipitation variability for the year 2,100 may result in a decrease of up to 12% of the global terrestrial carbon sink. (c) The effect of precipitation interannual variability on dryland productivity changes from positive to negative along a precipitation gradient. Arid sites with mean precipitation under 300 mm/year responded positively to increases in precipitation variability, whereas sites with mean precipitation over 300 mm/year responded negatively. We propose three complementary mechanisms to explain this result: (a) concave-up and concave-down precipitation-production relationships in arid vs. humid systems, (b) shift in the distribution of water in the soil profile, and (c) altered frequency of positive and negative legacies. Our results demonstrated that enhanced precipitation variability will have direct impacts on global drylands that can potentially affect the future terrestrial carbon sink.
Selenium disrupts androgen receptor and estrogen receptor signaling in prostate and breast cancer cells

2446 A previous controlled intervention trial showed that selenium supplementation was effective in reducing the incidence of cancers including prostate. Physiological concentrations of selenium have also been reported to inhibit the growth of human prostate cancer cells in vitro. Since androgen receptor (AR) signaling plays a critical role in the development and progression of prostate cancer, we examined the effects of selenium on AR expression and activation. Selenium was able to significantly down-regulate the expression of PSA transcript and protein within hours in the androgen-responsive LNCaP cells. Decreases in androgen receptor (AR) transcript and protein followed a similar dose and time response pattern upon exposure to selenium. Selenium inhibited the trans-activating activity of AR in cells transfected with the wild type AR expression vector. Selenium also suppressed the binding of AR to the ARE site. Taken together, in view of the fact that activation of AR signaling plays important roles during prostate cancer progression, an important implication of this study is that a selenium intervention strategy aimed at toning down the amplitude of androgen signaling could be benefit for controlling morbidity of prostate cancer. We also found that selenium decreased the levels of expression of estrogen receptor (ER-α) mRNA and protein and reduced the binding of labeled estradiol to ER in human breast MCF-7 cells. Selenium inhibited the trans-activating activity of ER in MCF-7 cells expressing functional ER using a luciferase reporter construct linked to estrogen responsive element. Selenium decreased the binding of ER to the estrogen responsive element site. Selenium suppressed estrogen induction of the endogenous target gene c-myc. In contrast to the effect on ER-α in MCF-7 cells, selenium increased ER-β mRNA expression in MDA-MB231 human breast cancer cells. Thus, differential regulation of ERα and ERβ in breast cancer cells may represent a novel mechanism of selenium action and provide a rationale for selenium breast cancer prevention trial.
An Adaptive Walking Robot With Reconfigurable Mechanisms Using Shape Morphing Joints

In nature, animals or insects can leverage the same body parts for different functions (e.g., a frog can use its legs to walk, jump, and swim). But robots, especially miniature ones, can normally perform a single task with a fixed mechanical design. In this letter, we propose a novel strategy to enable reconfigurable robots by embedding shape morphing into a mechanism through shape morphing joints, which can be either soft for a compliant joint or rigid for a structure. In this case, a mechanism can achieve multiple trajectories without altering the mechanical design. We numerically analyze the reconfiguration strategy and apply it to a leg mechanism capable of generating different foot trajectories. With those trajectories, we implement the mechanism in a walking robot to demonstrate different functions. The proposed strategy can be leveraged to reconfigure other mechanisms to enable adaptive robots that can change their sizes, shapes, or functionalities to fulfill multiple tasks in different environments.
A nonparametric spectral domain test of spatial isotropy

Abstract Spectral methods have long been used for time series analysis, but their use for exploring spatially-referenced data is relatively newer and less common. Within spatial statistics the spectral representation of the spatial covariance function, the spectral density function, offers an alternative perspective of the variation of the random field. We use the spectral representation of the covariance function to develop a new method to test the assumption of spatial isotropy. The spatial isotropy spectral (SIS) test is the first to use the spectral representation of the covariance function with the primary goal of testing isotropy for geostatistical data. The SIS test is nonparametric and overcomes several deficiencies of other nonparametric tests of isotropy, such as the need for the user to make a number of choices before implementing the test. We address several challenges in using the spectral domain to construct a test statistic and develop new theory on the asymptotic distribution of the periodogram. We use a simulation study and application to investigate the utility and limitations of the SIS test. For large data sets, the SIS test is particularly useful as the computational cost is low.
Slow and Steady, or Fast and Furious? An Empirical Study about Omnichannel Demand Sensitivity to Fulfillment Lead Time

We examine a large transaction-level data set of an Italian omnichannel furniture retailer to study channel-specific effects of fulfillment lead time on demand. This omnichannel retailer sells the same products and has the same product fulfillment across three channels – showroom, online and catalog. A showroom channel carries no inventory but allows customers to touch and feel the products. An online channel provides a website for consumers to browse and order the products. A catalog channel sends a product catalog to all the households in Italy for them to place an order over the phone. We find that the showroom channel makes consumers less sensitive to fulfillment lead time than both online and catalog channels. In particular, a 10% increase in lead time (1.84 days from the sample mean of 18.35 days) causes a 0.85% reduction in the sales per order (~ EUR 7.6 from the sample mean of EUR 889.94) at the showroom, less than the reduction of 1.14% and 1.23% in the online and the catalog channels, respectively. This finding contradicts the common practical and theoretical assumption about homogeneous lead time sensitivity across channels. In addition, we find that niche products and experience goods accentuate the difference of lead time sensitivity between showroom and non-physical channels. We further develop a stylized model to study the implications of our empirical findings for the design of an omnichannel retailer’s facility network. Given our finding that shows the showroom wait sensitivity is smaller than online wait sensitivity, retailers should build fewer but larger showrooms than the homogeneous wait sensitivity suggests.
A predictive model for prolonged hospital length of stay in surgical burn patients.

Abstract Background Improvement in the care of burn patients has led to decreased mortality. Length of stay (LOS) has been used as a marker for quality of care in this population. However, the historical association of LOS as correlating only with % burn surface area (BSA) injury has been questioned with retrospective data suggesting other factors may also be associated with LOS. A model to predict prolonged LOS does not exist but could provide important information for clinicians and patients. Methods Data from January 2014 to December 2016 was used to develop a predictive model utilizing multivariable logistic regression. Prolonged hospital LOS was the outcome used with multiple covariates utilized to identify various associations. Odds ratios (OR) and their associated 95% confidence interval (CI) were reported for each covariate in the final regression model. Model performance in both the training and validation sets was evaluated using area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) for discrimination and the Hosmer–Lemeshow (HL) test for goodness-of-fit. Results A total of 441 patients was included in the final analysis, 296 (67.1%) of which were in the training set. Within the training set, the median hospital LOS was 14 days with a range of 4 to 205 days. Patient age (in decades), hypertension, total BSA, involvement of perineum, and abnormal white blood cell count were independent risk factors for prolonged hospital length of stay. When using this separate dataset, the model had an AUC of 0.81 (95% CI 0.74–0.88) and had good calibration based on the HL-test (p = 0.10). Conclusions Prolonged hospitalization following burns is predicted by patient age (in decades), TBSA, hypertension, perineal involvement, and abnormal white blood cell count.
Proportion and Characterization of Co-infections of HIV and Hepatitis C or Hepatitis B among People with HIV in Alabama, 2007-2016.

Objectives People living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) have an increased risk of other infections, including viral hepatitis, which can complicate the treatment and progression of the disease. We sought to characterize Alabama cases of HIV co-infected with hepatitis C virus or hepatitis B virus. Methods Using surveillance data, we defined co-infection as a person identified as having hepatitis C or hepatitis B and HIV during 2007-2016. We compared demographics, outcomes, and risk factors for co-infected versus monoinfected individuals with HIV. We mapped co-infected individuals' distribution. Results Of 5824 people with HIV, 259 (4.4%) were co-infected with hepatitis C (antibody or RNA positive) and 145 (2.5%) with hepatitis B (surface antigen, e antigen, or DNA positive) during 2007-2016. Individuals with HIV and hepatitis C had a greater odds of injection drug use (adjusted odds ratio 9.7; 95% confidence interval 6.0-15.5). Individuals with HIV and hepatitis B had a greater odds of male-to-male sexual contact (adjusted odds ratio 1.7; 95% confidence interval 1.1-2.6). Co-infection was greater in urban public health districts. Conclusions We identified risk behaviors among Alabama populations associated with increased odds for HIV and viral hepatitis co-infection. Outreach, prevention, testing, and treatment resources can be targeted to these populations.
Biodegradable nanofiber bone-tissue scaffold as remotely-controlled and self-powering electrical stimulator

Abstract Electrical stimulation (ES) has been shown to induce and enhance bone regeneration. By combining this treatment with tissue-engineering approaches (which rely on biomaterial scaffolds to construct artificial tissues), a replacement bone-graft with strong regenerative properties can be achieved while avoiding the use of potentially toxic levels of growth factors. Unfortunately, there is currently a lack of safe and effective methods to induce electrical cues directly on cells/tissues grown on the biomaterial scaffolds. Here, we present a novel bone regeneration method which hybridizes ES and tissue-engineering approaches by employing a biodegradable piezoelectric PLLA (Poly(L-lactic acid)) nanofiber scaffold which, together with externally-controlled ultrasound (US), can generate surface-charges to drive bone regeneration. We demonstrate that the approach of using the piezoelectric scaffold and US can enhance osteogenic differentiation of different stem cells in vitro, and induce bone growth in a critical-sized calvarial defect in vivo. The biodegradable piezoelectric scaffold with applied US could significantly impact the field of tissue engineering by offering a novel biodegradable, battery-free and remotely-controlled electrical stimulator.
Ultra-low phase noise microwave generation with a free-running monolithic femtosecond laser

Phase noise performance of photonic microwave systems, such as optical frequency division (OFD), can surpass state-of-the-art electronic oscillators by several orders of magnitude. However, high-finesse cavities and active stabilization requirements in OFD systems make them complicated and potentially unfit for field deployment. Ultra-low noise mode-locked monolithic lasers offer a viable alternative for a compact and simple photonic microwave system. Here we present a free-running monolithic laser-based 8 GHz microwave generation with ultra-low phase noise performance comparable to laboratory OFD systems. The measured noise performance reached −130 dBc/Hz at 100 Hz, – 150 dBc/Hz at 1 kHz, and –167 dBc/Hz at 10 kHz offsets from the 8-GHz carrier. We also report a sub-Poissonian noise floor of −179 dBc/Hz above 30 kHz (timing noise floor of 32 zs Hz−1/2), which is ∼12 dB below the noise floor of time-invariant shot noise. In addition to the low phase noise, the system is compact, with a power consumption of less than 9 W, and offers excellent potential for mobile or space-borne applications.
Developmental Variation in Amygdala Volumes: Modeling Differences Across Time, Age, and Puberty.

Abstract Background There is evidence that the amygdala undergoes extensive development. The exact nature of this change remains less clear, with evidence suggesting linear, curvilinear, and null effects. The aim of this study was the identification of a normative reference of left and right amygdala development by parceling variance into separate effects of age and longitudinal growth. Methods Data came from the National Institutes of Health MRI Study of Normal Brain Development. Participants in this sample were 54% female and ranged in age from 5 to 18 years (mean = 11.37 years) at study entry. Results As predicted, the age at initial scan moderated the slope of both left and right amygdala volumes, demonstrating that the nature of longitudinal growth varies across age (i.e., steeper slopes observed among those first scanned at an early age). Follow-up analysis showed that the positive longitudinal growth slope becomes nonsignificant at 13.1 years of age for the left amygdala and at 14.5 years for the right amygdala, suggesting that growth of the left amygdala peaks earlier than growth of the right amygdala. Conclusions Findings suggest that rapid increases in volumes at early ages decline as youths enter adolescence and may turn to minor declines in volume during late adolescence or early adulthood.
Optical Trapping-Cavity Ringdown and Raman Spectroscopy for Characterization of Single Extraterrestrial Dust Particles

The optical trapping was integrated with cavity ringdown spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy to gain information on the physicochemical properties of single extraterrestrial dusts. Results were obtained with minimum to no external interferences.