cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Epidemiological analysis of hand-foot-mouth disease in Xi'an City from 2008-2011

[Objective]To analyze the epidemic and development trend of hand-foot-mouth disease in Xi'an City,provide the scientific basis for making the control strategies.[Methods]The epidemic data of hand-foot-mouth disease in Xi'an City from 2008-2011 were analyzed by descriptive epidemiology method.[Results]A total of 56 227 hand-foot-mouth disease cases were reported in Xi'an City from 2008-2011,and the average annual reported incidence rate was 177.51/lakh.There were 13 death cases with the average annual mortality of 0.023%.362 severe cases were reported in 4 years,and the severity rate was 0.64%.51.71% of cases were infected with EV71.71.13% of cases occurred April to July,which was the peak season.94.97% of patients were children aged 0-5 years old,and 96.89% were scattered children and nursing children.The average annual reported incidence rate in males(207.83/lakh) was higher than that in females(145.42/lakh),and the difference was significant(P0.01).The top three regions were Weiyang district,Yanta district and Chang'an district inrural-urban continuum,which the average annual incidence rate was respectively 287.94/lakh,229.53/lakh and 195.36/lakh.[Conclusion]There is an obvious seasonality of high incidence of hand-foot-mouth disease in spring and summer in Xi'an City,children under 5 years old are the high-risk population,and the rural-urban continuum is the high-incidence area.It is important to strengthen the prevention and control of hand-foot-mouth disease in nurseries and kindergartens,improve the health education and sanitary promotion in rural areas,to effectively control the outbreaks of hand-foot-mouth disease.
Hazard Analysis on Laboratory Biosafety of Mycoplasma pneumoniae

Objective This study was to provide evidences for improving the biohazard analysis and personal protection to laboratory staff working with Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Methods The laboratory biosafety of Mycoplasma pneumoniae was preliminarily assessed based on the pathogenecity and epidemiological characteristics of Mycoplasma pneumoniae and potential hazards of related experimental activities of laboratory personnel. Results Laboratory hazard analysis of Mycoplasma pneumoniae helps protect staff from infections by Mycoplasma pneumoniae and prevent spreading infectious substances out of the laboratory. Conclusion Biohazard analysis of Mycoplasma pneumoniae is necessary for taking proper preventative measures to protect laboratory personnel and limiting the transmission of this pathogen.
Giant Hydronephrosis Presenting as Unilateral Iliofemoral Vein Thrombosis

We report a case of left iliofemoral vein thrombosis with extension to the inferior vena cava associated with giant right hydronephrosis secondary to ureteropelvic junction obstruction. Surgery revealed marked infrarenal vena caval compression and deviation to the left side caused by the dilated right renal pelvis, with resultant kinking of the origin of the left iliac vein. It is postulated that the reduction in blood flow caused by this compression and distortion predisposed this patient to venous thrombosis.
Rational Bézier and B-spline Curves

This chapter discusses rational B-spline curves as the standard curve and surface description in the field of CAD and graphics. A conic section in IE 2 as the projection of a parabola (a quadratic) in IE 3 . Conic sections may be expressed as rational quadratic (Bezier) curves, and their generalization to higher degree rational curves is quite straightforward; a rational Bezier curve of degree n in IE 3 is the projection of an n th degree Bezier curve in IE 4 into the hyperplane w = 1. A rational Bezier curve may be evaluated by applying the de Casteljau algorithm to both numerator and denominator and finally dividing through. The rational de Casteljau algorithm allows a nice geometric interpretation. A rational B-spline curve is given by its knot sequence, its 3-D control polygon, and its weight sequence. The control vertices d i is the projections of the 4-D control vertices. A rational B-spline curve at a parameter value u is evaluated by applying the de Boor algorithm to both numerator and denominator and finally divides through. This corresponds to the evaluation of the 4-D nonrational curve with control vertices and projects the result into IE 3 .
First insights to freezing and collapse of flexible polymers

Conformational transitions of flexible homopolymers In this chapter, we will discuss general similarities and differences in crystallization and collapse transitions under the influence of finite-size effects for flexible polymer chains. The analysis of conformational transitions a single polymer in solvent can experience is surprisingly difficult. In good solvent (or high temperatures), solvent molecules occupy binding sites of the polymer and, therefore, the probability of noncovalent bonds between attractive segments of the polymer is small. The dominating structures in this phase are dissolved or random coils. Approaching the critical point at the Θ temperature, the polymer collapses and in a cooperative arrangement of the monomers, globular conformations are favorably formed. At the Θ point, which has already been studied over many decades, the infinitely long polymer behaves like a Gaussian chain, i.e., the effective repulsion due to the volume exclusion constraint is exactly balanced by the attractive monomer–monomer interaction. Below the Θ temperature, the polymer enters the globular phase, where the influence of the solvent is small. Globules are very compact conformations, but there is little internal structure, i.e., the globular phase is still entropy-dominated. For this reason, a further transition toward low-degenerate energetic states is expected to happen: the freezing or crystallization of the polymer. Since this transition can be considered as a liquid-solid phase separation process, it is expected to be of first order, in contrast to the Θ transition, which exhibits characteristics of a second-order phase transition [117, 118].
Commerce, Virtue and the Balance of Power

In the dawn following the celebration of independence America awoke to the sober reality of being a second-rate power on the international scene. European nations were not impressed with America’s victory over the world’s strongest power and moved to deny the new nation access to their markets. Within this context, commercial and foreign policy became synonymous,1 and America’s inability to protect its commercial interests symbolized the ineffectiveness of the new government.
Understanding Impacts: Community Engagement Programs and Their Implications for Communities, Campuses and Societies

As universities increasingly involve engineering students in sustainable development work through community engagement, challenging questions arise regarding how to effectively serve the interests of both academic and non-academic participants. To date the literature on community engagement strategies such as service learning, project-based learning, and community-based research has had more to say about student experience than about implications for the university more broadly, or—critically—about impacts on community partners and community wellbeing more generally. While the potential for “real world” impact animates student learning and makes engagement meaningful, broader impacts can be hard to conceptualize and assess; arguably the more potentially consequential the impacts, the more they are likely to be mixed and hard to understand. This paper presents a simple model for thinking about community engagement program design and assessment at various scales of impact, across both academic and non-academic communities. We illustrate the model with examples drawn from a program operating in Cape Town, South Africa, where students confront a paradoxical challenge: nowhere are engineering insights and contributions more desperately needed than in the burgeoning urban informal settlements of the developing world that are home to 1/7th of the world’s population, but the sustainable development strategies and cultural assumptions that academics carry with them often come undone in the social, environmental, economic, and institutional maelstrom that typically prevails in these areas. How then, if at all, are we as educators, engineers and/or community development practitioners to engage with students and community partners to advance sustainable development in such environments? How do we plan for and measure program success (of what? for whom?) in a context especially prone to failure of things built and relationships nurtured? How in short do we foster engagement that is thoughtful, collaborative, resourceful, respectful, hopeful, resilient and beneficial to all concerned?
p16, pRb, and p53 in Feline Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Feline oral squamous cell carcinoma (FOSCC) is a highly aggressive head and neck cancer in cats, but the molecular pathogenesis of this cancer is still uncertain. In this study, p16, p53, and pRb proteins were detected and quantified by immunohistochemistry in forty-three FOSCC primary tumors and three FOSCC xenografts. p16 mRNA levels were also measured in three FOSCC cell lines (SCCF1, F2, and F3), which were consistent with their p16 immunoreactivity. Feline SCCF1 cells had very high levels of p16 protein and mRNA (55-fold greater) compared to SCCF2 and F3. A partial feline p16 cDNA sequence was amplified and sequenced. The average age of cats with FOSCC with high p16 immunoreactivity was significantly lower than the average age in the low p16 group. Eighteen of 43 (42%) FOSCCs had low p16 intensity, while 6/43 (14%) had high p16 immunoreactivity. Feline papillomavirus L1 (major capsid) DNA was not detected in the SCC cell lines or the FOSCCs with high p16 immunostaining. Five of 6 (83%) of the high p16 FOSCC had low p53, but only 1/6 (17%) had low pRb immunoreactivity. In summary, the staining pattern of p16, p53, and pRb in FOSCC was different from human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and feline cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. The majority of FOSCCs have low p16 immunostaining intensity, therefore, inactivation of CDKN2A is suspected to play a role in the pathogenesis of FOSCC. A subset of FOSCCs had increased p16 protein, which supports an alternate pathogenesis of cancer in these cats.
Best practices in developing, conducting, and evaluating inductive research

Abstract This editors' introductory article to the Human Resources Management Review special issue on inductive research methods aims not only to provide an overview of the four main articles, but to provide guidance to researchers and gatekeepers about how best to conduct such research. We address four specific goals in the current article. First, we present a brief overview of each of the four papers. Second, we provide a general background on deduction, induction, and abduction: what they are, how they are distinguished from one another and should be used in a complementary manner, and how our field has moved away from inductive toward deductive paradigms over the last five decades. Third, we shed further light on the current representations of deductive versus inductive approaches in our collective published works, and what can/should be done to achieve a better balance between them as we move forward. Fourth, we offer several “best-practice” recommendations for how best to conduct and evaluate research that does not conform to the prevailing hypothetico-deductive model.
High Dose Therapy with Autologous Blood Stem Cell Transplantation (Asct) for Relapsed, Follicular Lymphoma (FL) vs. De Novo, Diffuse Large B-Cell (dnDLBL) vs. Transformed, Follicular To Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma (Tdlbl): No Difference in Freedom from Progression.

The decision to offer or not offer high dose therapy with ASCT to an individual lymphoma patient is sometimes (but perhaps mistakenly) based on the specific histology alone and not necessarily on patient characteristics, clinical manifestations, or disease behavior. Therefore, we reviewed the long-term outcome of FL, dnDLBL, and tDLBL patients, who received high dose chemotherapy (CT) with ASCT at the Cleveland Clinic, to determine if the specific histology is important. Between June 1991 and July 2004, 235 patients with FL, dnDLBL, or tDLBL in second or third remission received high dose CBV (n=7), BuCy (n=1), or BuCyVP (n=227) with ASCT. The median follow-up among survivors is 3.4 (.1–11.4) years. Patient, disease, and ASCT characteristics and outcome according to histology Kaplan-Meier freedom from progression curves accarding to histology are shown: Kaplan-Meier overall survival curves according to histology are shown: There is no significant difference in freedom from progression between FL, dnDLBL, and tDLBL patients transplanted in second or third remission. By Cox proportional univariate analysis, only male sex predicted a higher risk of progression while male sex, older age, and dnDLBL or tDLBL (compared to FL) predicted a higher risk of death. By Cox proportional multivariate analysis, no factor predicted a higher risk of progression while older age, male sex, and dnDLBL predicted a higher risk of death. In conclusion, high dose chemotherapy with ASCT leads to long-term remissions in 40–50% of FL, dnDLBL, and tDLBL patients in second or third remission. These results suggest that the distinction between these three histologies is less important than other factors in determining patient eligibility for ASCT.
Prognostic value of serum carbohydrate 19-9 in patients receiving gemcitabine-based neoadjuvant therapy for pancreatic cancer.

e15189 Background: The role of neoadjuvant therapy in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains unclear, but has demonstrated benefit in many studies. CA 19-9 is a commonly used tumor marker ...
Gender Role Attitude Congruence Moderates the Relationship between OCB and Work-family Conflict

Organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) is beneficial to employers, but it comes at a cost to the helper. Little is known about how gender serves as a boundary condition in the relationships betw...
The New Biology: Opportunities for the Fermentation Industry

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a brief overview of the new opportunities possible for the fermentation industry. The field of industrial fermentations is in a new phase of growth, propelled by revolutionary discoveries and applications of molecular genetics. Although mutation had been successfully applied to industrial processes since the 1940s, recombination had not. This new growth phase of the industry will feature the application of genetic recombination in many ways. Recombination is being carried out via protoplast fusion, plasmid and viral transfer, and recombinant DNA technology. Success has already been obtained in antibiotic strain-improvement and in the discovery of new antibiotic derivatives. The amplification of genes is another valuable technique that will be used by itself or together with recombination. New opportunities include the microbial production of mammalian polypeptides, antibodies, vaccines, and new processes for the production of primary metabolites, microbial enzymes, industrial chemicals, liquid fuel, and antibiotics. Applications in the agricultural area are also anticipated.
Electronic Assessment of Physical Decline in Geriatric Cancer Patients

The purpose of this review is to explore state-of-the-art remote monitoring and emerging new sensing technologies for in-home physical assessment and their application/potential in cancer care. In addition, we discuss the main functional and non-functional requirements and research challenges of employing such technologies in real-world settings. With rapid growth in aging population, effective and efficient patient care has become an important topic. Advances in remote monitoring and in its forefront in-home physical assessment technologies play a fundamental role in reducing the cost and improving the quality of care by complementing the traditional in-clinic healthcare. However, there is a gap in medical research community regarding the applicability and potential outcomes of such systems. While some studies reported positive outcomes using remote assessment technologies, such as web/smart phone-based self-reports and wearable sensors, the cancer research community is still lacking far behind. Thorough investigation of more advanced technologies in cancer care is warranted.
Dual-modality optical spectroscopy and optical coherence tomography ablation catheter for intraprocedural assessment of cardiac lesion development

We report the development of a dual-modal ablation catheter incorporating optical coherence tomography (OCT) and optical spectroscopy (OS) for improved assessment of acute endocardial ablation lesions. Validation is performed in ex vivo and in vivo porcine experimental models.
Individuos, mercados y división industrial del trabajo

Como punto de partida, compararemos la vida de dos europeos separados entre si por mil ahos. He pretendido tomar dos casos bastante "tipicos", pero no me detendre en la justificaci6n de que sean "tipos ideales" al estilo de Weber. De hecho, uno de ellos existi6; el otro, debo admitirlo, es un invento de mi imaginaci6n. El individuo real fue un tal Bodo, un siervo de la abadia de St. Germain des Pres en el siglo X, sobre cuya vida y circunstancias econ6micas la historiadora britanica Eileen Power (1963) ha desenterrado en los archivos una sorprendente cantidad de informaci6n concreta. A fin de oponerle un contraste, he inventado al sehor Baudot, imaginandolo un "parisino representativo" que residiria en la actualidad en St. Germain.
Efficient Planning for Near-Optimal Compliant Manipulation Leveraging Environmental Contact

Path planning classically focuses on avoiding environmental contact. However, some assembly tasks permit contact through compliance, and such contact may allow for more efficient and reliable solutions under action uncertainty. But, optimal manipulation plans that leverage environmental contact are difficult to compute. Environmental contact produces complex kinematics that create difficulties for planning. This complexity is usually addressed by discretization over state and action space, but discretization quickly becomes computationally intractable. To overcome the challenge, we use the insight that only actions on configurations near the contact manifold are likely to involve complex kinematics, while segments of the plan through free space do not. Leveraging this structure can greatly reduce the number of states considered and scales much better with problem complexity. We develop an algorithm based on this idea and show that it performs comparably to full MDP solutions at a fraction of the computational cost.
Mechanisms of contractile ring tension production and constriction

The contractile ring is a remarkable tension-generating cellular machine that constricts and divides cells into two during cytokinesis, the final stage of the cell cycle. Since the ring’s discovery, the parallels with muscle have been emphasized. Both are contractile actomyosin machineries, and long ago, a muscle-like sliding filament mechanism was proposed for the ring. This review focuses on the mechanisms that generate ring tension and constrict contractile rings. The emphasis is on fission yeast, whose contractile ring is sufficiently well characterized that realistic mathematical models are feasible, and possible lessons from fission yeast that may apply to animal cells are discussed. Recent discoveries relevant to the organization in fission yeast rings suggest a stochastic steady-state version of the classic sliding filament mechanism for tension. The importance of different modes of anchoring for tension production and for organizational stability of constricting rings is discussed. Possible mechanisms are discussed that set the constriction rate and enable the contractile ring to meet the technical challenge of maintaining structural integrity and tension-generating capacity while continuously disassembling throughout constriction.
Building Computational Creativity in an Online Course for Non-Majors

In recent years, a growing number of universities have begun to offer specialized courses as a way to make computer science (CS) more accessible to students with little or no prior CS or programming experience, especially non-CS majors. One of the ways courses have been modified for these students is by supplementing the core problem solving and coding aspects of the curriculum with explicit instruction on computational thinking principles. These "computational thinking" courses are promising in that they ground computational thinking in discipline-specific contexts and emphasize application of computational principles. However, there is little empirical research evaluating the extent to which students learn computational thinking from these courses. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of an online Computational Creativity course on students' computational thinking skills, creative competencies, and self-efficacy. Students in the Computational Creativity course were predominantly non-CS majors, and they completed four Computational Creativity Exercises (CCEs) that have previously been shown to improve learning and achievement. Results indicate that the Computational Creativity course was effective in increasing students' computational thinking knowledge and self-efficacy for applying computational thinking in their fields, but it did not have an impact on students' creative competencies. Additionally, students' reactions to the course and the CCEs were mostly positive. Thus, this study provides initial evidence that non-CS majors can learn computational thinking through the online Computational Creativity course.
Tumor localization accuracy for high-precision radiotherapy during active breath-hold.

Abstract Background Conventionally fractionated and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for thoracoabdominal tumors may utilize breath-hold techniques. However, there are concerns that differential amounts of inspired airflow may result in unplanned tumor dislocation and underdosing. Thus, we investigated tumor localization accuracy associated with lung volume variations during breath-hold treatment via an automated-gating interface. Methods Twelve patients received breath-hold treatment with the active breathing coordinator (ABC) through an automated-gating interface. All breath-hold volumes were recorded at CT simulation, setup imaging, and during treatment, and analyzed as a function of airflow rate into the ABC. The variation of breath-hold volumes was calculated for each fraction over entire course. Intrafraction target motion related to the breathing variation was investigated based on daily imaging acquired before the breath-hold treatment. Correlation between target location and breath-hold variation was statistically analyzed. Results The air volume held by the ABC increased as the airflow rate increased on inhalation and decreased on exhalation. The mean range of airflow rate was 0.77 L/s and 0.29 L/s in the conventionally fractionated and SBRT patients, respectively. The maximum air volume difference with respect to the reference volume at the CT simulation was 1.0 L for conventional fractionation and 0.16 L for SBRT. The target dislocation caused by 0.25 L of air volume difference was 6 mm for SBRT. Three patients showed significant correlation between the target location and breath-hold variations. Conclusions This investigation shows that because variations in the breath-hold volume may cause target dislocation, patient-specific breath-hold setting is required to improve tumor localization accuracy.
How Big Data Science Can Improve Linkage and Retention in Care

Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America” (EtHE), launched by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), is predicated on actionable data systems to monitor progress toward ambitious goals and to guide human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing, prevention, and treatment services. Situated on a status-neutral continuum of HIV prevention and care, EtHE relies on coordination across DHHS agencies and utilization of data systems established for programmatic purposes. Improving efficiencies and timeliness of existing data systems and harnessing the potential of novel data systems, including those afforded by social media, require big data science approaches and investment in technological and human resources.
Reported proton pump inhibitor side effects: what are physician and patient perspectives and behaviour patterns?

Background Proton pump inhibitors (PPI) are among the most commonly prescribed medications and studies are reporting potentially harmful PPI-related adverse events. While these studies' findings are controversial, their impact on patients and physicians remains unknown. Aim To determine patient and physician awareness of PPI-related adverse events, source of information, and subsequent effect on patient behaviour and physician practice. Methods A 20-item questionnaire was administered to English speaking adult patients and physicians in primary care and specialty clinics about topics including knowledge of PPI-related adverse events, change in behaviour of patients on PPIs and physician management of patients on PPIs. Results Of 277 patients surveyed, 45% reported knowledge of side effects related to PPIs. Patients were more likely to hear about PPI side effects from non-physician sources (66%) than physicians (38%). Of patients who had heard about PPI side effects, bone fractures and osteoporosis were the most common concerns, 42% and 44% respectively. Of PPI users, 38% changed their behaviour based upon concerns about PPI-related adverse events. Change in patient behaviour due to concern about PPI side effects was associated with age ≥ 65 years (odds ratio [OR] 4.07 [1.19-13.94]; P = 0.03) and concern about long-term side effects (OR 2.31 [1.03-5.17]; P = 0.04). Of 83 physicians surveyed, 60% reported concern about PPI-related adverse events, with bone fractures (46%) and osteoporosis (49%) being the most frequently reported. Overall, 37% of physicians reported changing their practice based upon their concerns. Conclusions Nearly half of patients reported knowledge of PPI-related adverse events, most often from non-physician sources, and general concern regarding their impact. PPI users are changing their behaviour based upon these concerns, without physician input, and care providers are changing behaviour based on relatively weak evidence.
The effects of nicotinamide on reinstatement to cocaine seeking in male and female Sprague Dawley rats.

Interventions for psychostimulant use disorders are of significant need. Nicotinamide (NAM) is a small molecule that can oppose cellular adaptations observed following cocaine exposure in the rodent self-administration and reinstatement model of addiction. In addition, utility of NAM against symptoms of withdrawal and vulnerability to relapse to cocaine use has been suggested by case studies and anecdotal reports. However, the empirical effects of NAM on drug-seeking behaviors have not been examined. The objective of the current study was to investigate the effects of systemic NAM administration on reinstatement to cocaine seeking, using the rat self-administration/extinction/reinstatement model of cocaine addiction. Male and female Sprague Dawley rats were trained to self-administer i.v. cocaine or food pellets for 2 hrs per day for 12 days, followed by 14–17 days of extinction, during which i.p. NAM injections (0–120 mg/kg) were given 30 minutes prior to each extinction or reinstatement session. Rats were tested on cue-, cocaine-, or food-primed reinstatement, as well as locomotor activity. Chronic NAM administered throughout extinction dose dependently attenuated cue-primed reinstatement in male rats, but not female rats. In contrast, acute NAM given once prior to reinstatement had no effect on reinstatement. Chronic NAM had no effect on locomotor activity or reinstatement to food seeking. The specificity of NAM against cue-primed reinstatement indicates that NAM may influence responsiveness to drug-associated cues, specifically in males. Future studies will examine the mechanism(s) by which NAM may exert this effect.
Trust in early childhood

Children need to build trust in their primary caregivers or significant others, as well as people who are unrelated to them, including those who belong to different social groups. The present chapter focuses on children's trust in unfamiliar individuals. How do they determine who to trust? Does putting trust in another person operate differently depending on the specific issue at hand? To address these questions, we differentiate between two forms of trust: children's trust in others' epistemic states to learn from others (epistemic trust) and trusting others for social support and reassurance (social trust), for example, when to expect that interaction partners will be truthful and keep promises. We first review the literature on epistemic trust to show that young children seem to value others' accuracy and competence when learning from them, even when these individuals are from different linguistic or racial groups than their own. We then present findings on social trust suggesting that young children trust those who are well-meaning and who keep their promises. Finally, we raise the question of whether there are environmental influences on the interaction of both epistemic and social trust with intergroup factors such as race, and we propose that research with infants will be useful to better illuminate the developmental roots of human trust.
Review of Chromatographic Methods for Chloramphenicol Residues in Milk, Eggs, and Tissues from Food-Producing Animals

Although chloramphenicol is not approved for use in food-producing animals in the United States, this broad spectrum antibiotic has been widely used to treat diseases in such animals including the lactating dairy cow. Extremely low ophthalmologic doses of chloramphenicol are known to cause aplastic anemia in humans. The residues in meat, milk, and eggs intended for human consumption cause particular public health concern because the bone marrow aplasia is not dose dependent. Furthermore, chloramphenicol, a known inhibitor of protein synthesis, also retards erythropoiesis, a condition that is dose dependent and may cause allergic hypersensitivity reactions. This paper is a review of sensitive methods that use gas, liquid, thin layer, and simple column chromatography as both determinative and cleanup steps for detecting and quantitating chloramphenicol in edible animal tissues, milk, and eggs.
Correction to: Towards Expeditionary Battlefield Manufacturing Using Recycled, Reclaimed, and Scrap Materials

A significant portion of duplicate content from this article was published as “Manufacturing at the Point of Need Using Recycled, Reclaimed, and/or Indigenous Materials,” by Marc Pepi, Nicole Zander, Margaret Gillan, in DSIAC Journal, Vol. 5, No. 3, 2018. DSIAC is a publication of the United States Defense Systems Information Analysis Center, whose content is approved for public release and whose distribution is unlimited.
Cognitive Effects of Nicotine

Abstract Cigarette smoking is the primary cause of preventable death in developed countries, so there is a profound need to develop more effective treatments for nicotine addiction. The development of new treatments requires a better understanding of the individual factors that contribute to the initiation and maintenance of nicotine addiction. Accumulating evidence suggests that cognitive-enhancement may contribute to the reinforcing effects of nicotine, especially in individuals with cognitive deficits. Cognitive functions that are particularly improved following nicotine administration in humans include fine motor skills, attention, working memory, and episodic memory performance. Both the α4β2 and the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) participate in the cognitive-enhancing effects of nicotine. The α7 subunit modulates a sensory filtering function in the brain, and it has been implicated in the cognitive deficits associated with schizophrenia. Further, the β2 subunit appears to be essential for the attention, working memory, and behavioral flexibility functions of the prefrontal cortex. The modulation of neurotransmitter release by the α4β2 and α7 nAChRs in the prefrontal cortex may be one mechanism by which nicotine exerts its cognitive-enhancing effects. These receptors may modulate the release of neurotransmitters that contribute to the cognitive functions of the prefrontal cortex, including dopamine, glutamate, serotonin, norepinephrine, GABA, and acetylcholine. Poor cognitive performance predicts relapse among smokers who are attempting to quit smoking, which suggests that targeting cognitive-enhancement may be an effective treatment strategy. Receptor agonists that are selective for various nAChR subtypes, especially the α7 subtype, may be more effective cognitive-enhancers than nicotine.
Experimental study on the mitigation of surface damages caused in electrochemical discharge machining of glass

Abstract Electrochemical discharge machining (ECDM) is an emerging method suitable for the micromachining of nonconductive materials such as glass. ECDM is a hybrid process in which material removal involves both chemical and thermal mechanisms. Various process parameters affect the performance of ECDM. Improper ECDM working conditions may lead to undesirable surface damages in glass machining. This paper investigates the methods to mitigate surface wrinkle formation caused by the chemical mechanism and surface cracks caused by the thermal mechanism in the ECDM machining of borosilicate glass. ECDM in an acidic environment was found to avoid surface wrinkling caused by chemical etching in glass machining. Moreover, both thermal and chemical damages are mitigated when ECDM was performed with a mixed electrolyte.
The Weight of Racial Discrimination: Examining the Association Between Racial Discrimination and Change in Adiposity Among Emerging Adult Women Enrolled in a Behavioral Weight Loss Program

Non-Hispanic Black (NHB) emerging adult (EA) women are at disproportionate risk for obesity but experience limited benefit from behavioral weight loss (BWL) programs. Race-related stress could play a role; the goal of this study was to examine the association between racial discrimination (RD) and early (3 months) changes in adiposity, and to explore potential protective factors, among EA in an adapted BWL program. This is an ancillary study of non-Hispanic White (NHW) and NHB EA women enrolled in an adapted BWL trial (N = 49; 55.1% NHB; Age 21.2 (2.1); BMI = 33.0 + 4.3 kg/m2). At baseline, group- and personal-level RD (RD-group and RD-personal), racial identity (NHB women only), vigilant coping, and social support were assessed via validated questionnaires. Weight and waist circumference were measured objectively at 0 and 3 months. NHW women manifested greater reductions in waist circumference relative to NHB women (p = .004). RD-personal did not predict change in waist circumference at 3 months (p = .402); however, the association between RD-group and change in waist circumference was statistically significant (p = .015), such that reporting greater group-level discrimination predicted a smaller decrease in waist circumference; the model explained 22% of the variance. Social support and vigilant coping were not statistically significant in the model. Among NHB women only, higher racial identity-centrality predicted greater reduction in waist circumference (p = .019). Findings suggest racial discrimination could contribute to greater cardiometabolic risk during this developmental period. Future research should examine how experiences of racial discrimination unfold in the daily lives of NHB women to inform mechanistic interventions to enhance health and well-being. NCT02736981. Low Intensity Weight Loss for Young Adults
Lifetime of electrochromic optical transition cycling of ethyl viologen diperchlorate-based electrochromic devices

Electrochromic materials and devices are enabling a variety of advanced technologies. Gel-based organic electrochromic molecules such as ethyl viologen diperchlorate are attractive options due to their simple device design and low cost processing options relative to the more expensive and complex transition metal oxide films. However, electrochromic devices are subject to extensive cycling in which failure and fatigue can eventually occur. This work presents the lifetime cycling performance of ethyl viologen diperchlorate-based electrochromic devices using two different anodic compounds, hydroquinone and ferrocene, which are cycled at different voltages, 3 V and 1.2 V, respectively. Multiple devices are cycled until failure with periodic device characterization via UV–Vis spectroscopy, electrical resistance and power measurement, and transition duration measurement. Devices with hydroquinone can transition quickly. Cycle times are $$\sim$$ 30 s in these samples, however, these samples also typically fail before 3000 cycles. On the other hand, devices using ferrocene transition more slowly (total cycle time $$\sim$$ 2 min), but have superior cycling performance with all samples surviving beyond 10,000 cycles while complying with ASTM E2141-14 standard.
Collaborative Pose Estimation of an Unknown Target Using Multiple Spacecraft

Ahstract-A reliable method for estimating the pose of an unknown and uncooperative space target using monocular vision remains an open problem. Vision-based pose determination is challenging due to factors such as harsh lighting conditions, rotational dynamics of the target, and scale ambiguity of the monocular camera. To address these challenges, we propose a novel collaborative pose determination algorithm called Multi-Spacecraft Simultaneous Estimation of Pose and Shape algorithm or M-SEPS. Within M-SEPS, a team of chaser spacecraft, each equipped with a monocular camera, exchange information over a local network to jointly estimate the relative kinematic state of the target and its sparse shape landmarks. In this approach, each spacecraft processes its images and extracts its own set of visual keypoints in parallel. Then, the team uses the local network to jointly estimate the target pose and shape in a distributed fashion by applying the consensus algorithm over the inter-spacecraft communication links. We validate our algorithm using simulations of relative orbits and observations captured by each chaser spacecraft. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first cooperative vision-based algorithm for estimating the pose and shape of a space object by means of an arbitrary number of spacecraft.
Moser Iteration and the Large Coupling Limit.

We consider heat semigroups of the form $\exp(t(\Delta - \lambda\mathbf{1}_{\Omega_0}))$ on bounded domains. Using variants of Moser iteration, we show sub-exponential decay in the ``large coupling limit", i.e. as $\lambda\nearrow\infty$, in compact subdomains of the ``obstacle", $\Omega_0$.
The ROC Curve and the Area under It as Performance Measures

Abstract The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve is a two-dimensional measure of classification performance. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) is a scalar measure gauging one facet of performance. In this short article, five idealized models are utilized to relate the shape of the ROC curve, and the area under it, to features of the underlying distribution of forecasts. This allows for an interpretation of the former in terms of the latter. The analysis is pedagogical in that many of the findings are already known in more general (and more realistic) settings; however, the simplicity of the models considered here allows for a clear exposition of the relation. For example, although in general there are many reasons for an asymmetric ROC curve, the models considered here clearly illustrate that an asymmetry in the ROC curve can be attributed to unequal widths of the distributions. Furthermore, it is shown that AUC discriminates well between “good” and “bad” models, but not between good models.
Strong Langmuir turbulence

Beam-excited Langmuir turbulence in the solar wind is discussed and the criteria for wave-particle, three-wave and strong turbulence interactions are explained. The results of a numerical integration of the Zakharov equations are presented which describe the strong turbulence saturation of a weak (low-density) high energy, bump-on-tail beam instability.
Enhancing the visualization skills of engineering students through computer modeling

Studies show that many entering engineering students are deficient in 3D spatial visualization skills. In the fall of 1993, a course was developed at Michigan Technological University to introduce freshmen to 3D spatial visualization through the use of visual aids and computer modeling. This article describes the computer exercises which were developed to aid in the development of the 3D visualization skills of these students.
CIRA 1972, recent atmospheric models, and improvements in progress

The paper reviews current progress in the development of atmospheric models. Consideration is given to CIRA 1972 (COSPAR International Reference Atmosphere), the OGO 6 model (1974), the ESRO 4 model (1977), the global Doppler-temperature model of Thuillier et al. (1977), the Jacchia 1977 model (based on a synthesis of temperature, mass-spectrometer, and total-density data from many sources), and the MSIS model (1977), based on incoherent-scatter temperatures and mass-spectrometer data from various sources. New models of the disturbed thermosphere, developed by the author, are compared with recent mass-spectrometer measurements at 170 km.
Developing A Personal Financial Planning Program: More Than Just Courses

Personal financial planning is considered one of the major growth professions of the coming decade. Besides providing an opportunity for employment, a major in personal financial planning can open the door to a rewarding and challenging career. Career opportunities in the personal financial planning field include opening a private practice or being employed by a financial institution, credit union, insurance company, accounting firm or a financial services company. In addition, planners may work in employee benefits or pension departments of large corporations or for public institutions such as universities or state and federal government agencies. In order to develop a successful personal financial planning program, one must consider more than just the courses to be offered. A successful program also requires: Gaining Program Support, Attracting Students, Pivotal First Course, Professional Community Involvement, and Continuous Assessment. It is the objective of this manuscript to set forth an action plan that may serve as a model for the development of a successful financial planning program.
BRITE: an approach to universal topology generation

Effective engineering of the Internet is predicated upon a detailed understanding of issues such as the large-scale structure of its underlying physical topology, the manner in which it evolves over time, and the way in which its constituent components contribute to its overall function. Unfortunately, developing a deep understanding of these issues has proven to be a challenging task, since it in turn involves solving difficult problems such as mapping the actual topology, characterizing it, and developing models that capture its emergent behavior. Consequently, even though there are a number of topology models, it is an open question as to how representative the generated topologies they generate are of the actual Internet. Our goal is to produce a topology generation framework which improves the state of the art and is based on the design principles of representativeness, inclusiveness, and interoperability. Representativeness leads to synthetic topologies that accurately reflect many aspects of the actual Internet topology (e.g. hierarchical structure, node degree distribution, etc.). Inclusiveness combines the strengths of as many generation models as possible in a single generation tool. Interoperability provides interfaces to widely-used simulation applications such as ns and SSF and visualization tools like otter. We call such a tool a universal topology generator.
Structure of p15 trypanosome microtubule associated protein.

Trypanosomes are protozoan parasites, containing subpellicular microtubules that are crosslinked to one another and to the plasma membrane by unique microtubule associate proteins (MAPs). One of these MAPs, purified from the subpellicular microtubules by a tubulin affinity column, is termed p15Α. This protein was shown to be specific to the subpellicular microtubules by immunoelectron microscopy and was also shown to induce microtubule bundling. We show here that the gene coding for p15A is present in multiple copies. It is 258 bp long and contains 16 highly organized 15 bp long repetitive sequences. The deduced amino acid sequence indicates that p15A contains 16 highly organized, nearly identical tandem repeats, with a periodicity of five amino acids, which are rich in positively charged and in non-polar (hydrophobic) amino acids. The p15 family is unique to trypanosomes and has no significant sequence homology to other species. p15 can bind both tubulin and phospholipids in vitro and is therefore hypothesized to contribute to the stability of the trypanosome subpellicular microtubules.
Lattice-gas model of multiple layer adsorption

Abstract The phase diagram for a lattice-gas model of physical adsorption on a homogeneous substrate has been calculated in a mean-field approximation. The first-order phase transitions corresponding to the addition of successive layers terminate in individual critical points as the temperature increases. The critical temperatures of successive layers increase, monotonically with layer number, from the critical temperature of the two-dimensional lattice gas to that of the bulk three-dimensional lattice gas. This last feature is probably an artifact of the mean-field approximation.
Second law analysis for microscale flow and heat transfer

In phase change transport devices, capillary forces drive overall circulation of working fluid from an evaporator section to a condenser section, whereas the thin film flows at the evaporating meniscus are driven by capillary and disjoining pressure gradient. An analysis has been provided for the microscale fluid flow and heat transfer in an evaporating extended meniscus. Using the second law of thermodynamics, the entropy generated has been investigated. The geometric configuration that corresponds to the minimization of entropy generated and minimization of fluid flow resistance is identified.
Limit cycles of a class of polynomial vector fields in the plane

On montre que pour σ>0 suffisamment petit le systeme quadratique dx/dt=σx−y+x(x−y), dy/dt=x+σy+xy a une source spirale hyperbolique unique a l'origine et un cycle limite unique stable entourant l'origine