cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Attracting K-12 students to study computing

There is general agreement that the need for computing professionals in the near term is increasing, while enrollment in computer science degree programs is decreasing. We hope to address this situation by attracting pre-college students to study computer science and information technology at the collegiate level through participation in short term events focused on different aspects of computing technology. The authors hosted several one-day events on our campus (computing workshops and competitions) during the past three years. The event activities allow participants opportunities to experience the engineering design process, use their programming skills, and create multimedia content using software tools. Participants were self selected pre-college students. Participants completed an established attitude scale before and after each event to assess the impact of the project activities on their attitudes toward computing and their future plans to take information technology courses. This paper investigates which if any short term events create favorable participant attitudes toward the study of information technology. Initial data analysis indicates significant positive attitude changes toward the study of computing and technology on the part of many participants.
EXAFS and XANES analysis of plutonium and cerium edges from titanate ceramics for fissile materials disposal.

We report x-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) and extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectra from the plutonium L{sub III} edge and XANES from the cerium L{sub II} edge in prototype titanate ceramic hosts. The titanate ceramics studied are based upon the hafnium-pyrochlore and zirconolite mineral structures and will serve as an immobilization host for surplus fissile materials, containing as much as 10 weight % fissile plutonium and 20 weight % (natural or depleted) uranium. Three ceramic formulations were studied: one employed cerium as a ''surrogate'' element, replacing both plutonium and uranium in the ceramic matrix, another formulation contained plutonium in a ''baseline'' ceramic formulation, and a third contained plutonium in a formulation representing a high-impurity plutonium stream. The cerium XANES from the surrogate ceramic clearly indicates a mixed III-IV oxidation state for the cerium. In contrast, XANES analysis of the two plutonium-bearing ceramics shows that the plutonium is present almost entirely as Pu(IV) and occupies the calcium site in the zirconolite and pyrochlore phases. The plutonium EXAFS real-space structure shows a strong second-shell peak, clearly distinct from that of PuO{sub 2}, with remarkably little difference in the plutonium crystal chemistry indicated between the baseline and high-impurity formulations.
Nailing down multi-touch: anchored above the surface interaction for 3D modeling and navigation

We present anchored multi-touch, a technique for extending multi-touch interfaces by using gestures based on both multi-touch surface input and 3D movement of the hand(s) above the surface. These interactions have nearly the same potential for rich, expressive input as do freehand 3D interactions while also having an advantage that the passive haptic feedback provided by the surface makes them easier to control. In addition, anchored multi-touch is particularly well suited for working with 3D content on stereoscopic displays. This paper contributes two example applications: (1) an interface for navigating 3D datasets, and (2) a surface bending interface for freeform 3D modeling. Two methods for sensing the gestures are introduced, one employing a depth camera.
PSYCHOMETRICS FOR TWO SHORT FORMS OF THE CENTER FOR EPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDIES± DEPRESSION SCALE

The Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D; L. S. Radloff, 1977) assesses the presence and severity of depressive symptoms occurring over the past week. Although it contains only 20 items, its length may preclude its use in a variety of clinical populations. This study evaluated psychometric properties of 2 shorter forms of the CES-D developed by F. J. Kohout, L. F. Berkman, D. A. Evans, and J. Cornoni-Huntley (1993): the Iowa form and the Boston form. Data were pooled from 832 women representing 6 populations. Internal consistency estimates, correlations with the original version of the CES-D, and omitted-included item correlations supported use of the Iowa form over the Boston form when a shortened version of the scale is desired. Regression statistics are provided for use in estimating scores on the original CES-D when either shortened form is used. Factor analytic results from two populations support a single-factor structure for the original CES-D as well as the short forms.
Coordinated internet attacks: responding to attack complexity

This paper examines the issues involved with responding to complex Internet attacks. Such attacks characteristically occur in stages over extended periods of time and allow specific actions in a particular stage to be interchangeable. The stages can be extremely difficult to correlate because they are separated in time, and these effects can be deliberately obscured to achieve the goals of the attacker. We have chosen an approach to intrusion detection using Hidden Markov Models (HMMs) that explicitly addresses these issues. As part of our research we also developed a methodology for labeling examples that reduced the effort involved from that of labeling thousands of training examples to that of labeling less than two hundred feature values. When compared with two classic machine learning algorithms, decision trees and neural nets, the HMM algorithm provides an approximately five-% performance advantage over the decision tree algorithm, and at least a thirty % advantage over neural nets, at all training levels. The HMM performance advantage over decision trees is shown to increase as the complexity of the attack increases. The HMM performance advantage also increases as the number of training examples decreases. This last result indicates that the HMM algorithm may have additional benefit when examples of a particular attack type are rare.
Perceived threat in compliance and adherence research

Within the broader agenda of adherence research, health beliefs have been identified as being significant predictors of adherence. Specifically, perceived threat as a health belief has received considerable attention in compliance and adherence research from multiple perspectives in multiple patient populations. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the concept of perceived threat as it relates to treatment adherence through a series of perspectives: conceptual, methodological, and empirical. Analysis of the literature reveals that there is lack of consistency in operationalization of perceived threat as it relates to treatment adherence. Perceived threat is most commonly cited in studies that focus on health beliefs or utilize a stress and coping paradigm. Instruments have been developed with items that measure perceived threat. Measures of threat occur primarily through uni-dimensional measures that do not reflect the inter-relatedness of the threat experience to personal and contextual factors. Future research examining perceived threat from a cognitive appraisal perspective, where both primary and secondary appraisals can be examined, may provide additional insight into factors affecting treatment adherence.
Selectivity sequences in a model calcium channel: role of electrostatic field strength

The energetics that give rise to selectivity sequences of ionic binding selectivity of Li+, Na+, K+, Rb+, and Cs+ in a model of a calcium channel are considered. This work generalizes Eisenman’s classic treatment (Biophys J 2(Suppl. 2):259, 1962) by including multiple, mobile binding site oxygens that coordinate many permeating ions (all modeled as charged, hard spheres). The selectivity filter of the model calcium channel allows the carboxyl terminal groups of glutamate and aspartate side chains to directly interact with and coordinate the permeating ions. Ion dehydration effects are represented with a Born energy between the dielectric coefficients of the selectivity filter and the bath. High oxygen concentration creates a high field strength site that prefers small ions, as in Eisenman’s model. On the other hand, a low filter dielectric constant also creates a high field strength site, but this site prefers large ions, contrary to Eisenman’s model. These results indicate that field strength does not have a unique effect on ionic binding selectivity sequences once entropic, electrostatic, and dehydration forces are included in the model. Thus, Eisenman’s classic relationship between field strength and selectivity sequences must be supplemented with additional information about selectivity filters such as the calcium channel that has amino acid side chains mixing with ions to make a crowded permeation pathway.
An Academic Locus of Control Scale for College Students

A 28-item true-false format test of beliefs in personal control over academic outcomes is described. The test has high test-retest reliability and scores significantly correlate with measures of ge...
Gender and Aging in the Developing World: Where Are the Men?

IN RECENT YEARS, both population aging and gender have become prominent issues in international forums concerning population, as well as important areas of academic inquiry for social demography. Interest in gender often focuses on inequalities that disadvantage women, while much of aging research focuses on the economic and social vulnerability of older persons. Thus it is not surprising that the discourse related to both topics refers mainly to women and emphasizes their potential disadvantage in old age. It is frequently asserted or implied that older women are universally more vulnerable to social, economic, and health disadvantages than older men. The one-sex view of gender
Deliberative valuation without prices: A multiattribute prioritization for watershed ecosystem management

Abstract Watershed ecosystems are characterized by multiple attributes which are difficult to collapse into single money-metric. Attribute ranking without prices and group deliberation can be used to process information about these complex systems. We develop this approach and use it with a stakeholder group to classify attributes in subwatersheds for restoration. We examine the relationship between individual valuation and valuation arrived from deliberation and information exchange by the group. While group consensus values tended toward an average of individual responses, significant differences existed between mean values and consensus values for some attributes, emphasizing the role of ecosystem attribute information and deliberation.
Interplay of ordering and spinodal decomposition in the formation of ordered precipitates in binary fcc alloys: Role of second nearest-neighbor interactions

In this paper, the possible interaction of ordering and phase separation tendencies in the formation of an ordered precipitate phase (A3B/L12) within a binary supersaturated fcc solid solution is investigated using computational thermodynamics based on a generalized Bragg–Williams model incorporating first and second nearest-neighbor interactions. The formulation synthesizes and expands upon previous works and incorporates a strong pedagogical approach to elucidate the essential elements of the problem. The diffusional pathways governing microstructural development are predicted to be more complex, allowing for a multiplicity of decomposition mechanisms when second nearest-neighbor interactions are incorporated into the solution energetics, even in this mean field approximation. These higher order interactions markedly influence phase equilibria and phase stability. Ordering and clustering tendencies are not mutually exclusive but can occur synergistically, e.g. a conditional spinodal decomposition is pre...
Teaching the Enemy The Empirical Implications of Bargaining under Observation

This article considers the way in which the likelihood of being observed by others affects a state’s conflict behavior. The analysis examines the effect of potential observation on the probability that a dispute will escalate to violence as well as the duration of war and peace. To analyze escalation, I employ the nonparametric local logit model, which frees estimation from restrictive functional form assumptions. The evidence suggests that outside observation can change states’ behaviors and that observers tend to modify their own actions based on what they learn. These results indicate that the typical assumption that international conflict is unobserved and unaffected by outside actors is empirically untenable.
Reverse-engineering censorship in China: Randomized experimentation and participant observation

Existing research on the extensive Chinese censorship organization uses observational methods with well-known limitations. We conducted the first large-scale experimental study of censorship by creating accounts on numerous social media sites, randomly submitting different texts, and observing from a worldwide network of computers which texts were censored and which were not. We also supplemented interviews with confidential sources by creating our own social media site, contracting with Chinese firms to install the same censoring technologies as existing sites, and—with their software, documentation, and even customer support—reverse-engineering how it all works. Our results offer rigorous support for the recent hypothesis that criticisms of the state, its leaders, and their policies are published, whereas posts about real-world events with collective action potential are censored.
Neutron and proton transition matrix elements and inelastic hadron scattering

Abstract The ratios of the neutron and proton transition matrix elements ( M n / M p ) have been studied for 0 + → 2 + transitions in single-closed-shell (SCS) nuclei by comparing inelastic hadron scattering and electromagnetic transition rates. The results show a general consistency from hadron scattering to an accuracy ≈15% and show the systematic trend that M n / M p > N / Z (the collective-model result) for SCS neutron-valence nuclei and N / Z for SCS proton-valence nuclei, in agreement with schematic-model calculations of core-polarization effects.
Pain management for the elderly in the ambulatory setting

“The aim of the optimal analgesic technique should be not only to reduce postoperative pain scores and the opioid analgesic requirement, but also to facilitate earlier mobilization and rehabilitation of the elderly surgical population by reducing complications after discharge home.”
Burnout and balance: how to go the distance in the 21st century.

In October 1991, off the coast of New England, a combination of atmospheric and related weather conditions created the “perfect storm.” The combination of wind speed, tide changes, ocean temperature, and barometric pressure created a weather monster unlike that ever detected in the past 100 years. The 6-man crew aboard the Andrea Gail sailed into this inferno and perished.1 Medicine in the year 2004 is also in the midst of a “perfect storm.” The financial conditions of most medical delivery systems are perilous because of a unique combination of factors, any one of which would be irrelevant if taken alone, but the combination is buckling the knees of organized medicine. • The fade of the stock market. The privileged and well-connected benefactor and donor no longer have the reserves to shore up philanthropy. • Changes in Medicare coverage. As every clinician and administrator knows, Medicare cutbacks on the delivery of services have created a financial nightmare while fixed costs continue to escalate at a double-digit pace. • The aging of the American population. We are now in the midst of one of the greatest migrations in the history of the world as 77 million baby boomers are entering their postretirement years — when they will have the greatest need to access the healthcare delivery system.2 • The blistering pace of technology. Keeping up with advances in technology is expensive and requires considerable resources to bring to the bedside. Another factor that is not often articulated is the changing relationship between the patient and the provider. The Internet has completely shifted the balance of power so that the patient oftentimes has more factual knowledge than the provider in the management of illness. Also, an issue clearly disheartening to the provider community is the absence of any meaningful tort reform in most states. Physicians in some eastern and southern states have curtailed services. Emergency rooms have been closed,and elective procedures have been delayed to bring the crisis in malpractice litigation to the attention of the legislatures.3
The umbilical cord: an ally in targeted imaging research?

The emergence of methods for molecular imaging with contrast-enhanced ultrasound reflects a general broadening of the scope for all forms of medical imaging. The goal of this trend is to evaluate pathophysiology at the molecular level rather than to image the structural or functional consequences of
Studies on the extra-hepatic effects of glucagon in the eviscerated rat.

Abstract The in vivo effects of glucagon on the metabolism of extra-hepatic tissues have been investigated in eviscerated, functionally hepatectomized rats with intact kidneys. In these animals, even pharmacological amounts of exogenous glucagon did not significantly alter plasma glucose, FFA, or amino acids, compared with saline treatment. The possible secondary release of adrenal catecholamines following such doses of glucagon appeared to be similarly ineffective in increasing the peripheral tissue mobilization of substrates. It was only when the eviscerated animals were pretreated with insulin that the subsequent administration of glucagon or epinephrine elicited significant elevations in plasma FFA. The concomitant evisceration and adrenalectomy did not produce results which were significantly different from evisceration alone. Both kinds of animals required insulin pre-treatment before a lipolytic response to glucagon or epinephrine could be demonstrated. This suggests that severe insulin insufficien...
Growth Inhibition Among Strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae due to Production of Inhibitory Free Fatty Acids and Lysophosphatidylethanolamine: Absence of Bacteriocins

Each of 50 tested strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae produced growth-inhibitory substances that were active against most strains of gonococci or meningococci, but not against species other than the Neisseria. There were quantitative differences among different strains in production of the inhibitor and sensitivity to it, but not of sufficient magnitude to permit routine strain typing. The inhibitor was associated with the cell pellet (crude cell envelope) and was not inducible with mitomycin C. Inhibitory activity was thermostable and resisted alkali and proteolytic enzymes. The inhibitor was quantitatively recovered from whole cells by chloroform-methanol extraction. Separation of total gonococcal lipids by silica gel chromatography revealed inhibitory activity in both the free fatty acid and the phospholipid fractions. The major phospholipid, phosphatidylethanolamine, had no inhibitory activity, but monoacyl phosphatidylethanolamine, a minor phospholipid, was quite inhibitory. It is likely that the “bacteriocin” of N. gonorrhoeae strains results from the degradation of phosphatidylethanolamine to inhibitory long-chain free fatty acids and monoacyl phosphatidylethanolamine. Images
Study on the Economic Burden of Hepatitis B Virus Related-diseases in Shandong

objective :To evaluate the economic burden of carrier of hepatitis B virus(HBV), acute and chronic hepatitis B, cirrhosis and liver cancer caused by HBV. Methods:Community people and inpatients with HBV infection are survey by questionnaires to collect the information of yearly cost and hospitalization expenses were collected from the hospital record and patients. Results:The yearly costs of inactive HBsAg carriers, chronic HBsAg carriers, chronic hepatitis B, compensated cirrhosis were 8 100, 9 000, 12 000, 11 540 and 9 560 yuan at the community-based level. The yearly economic burden of primary hepatic carcinoma, severe hepatitis B, decompensatedlivercirrhosis, compensatedcirrhosis, chronichepatitisBandacutehepatitisBwere3772000, 138100, 156 700, 143 400, 127 400 and 66 700 yuan. Conclusion:Hepatitis B caused heavy economic burden. It needs to increase the medical insurance reimbursement rate of the inpatients, the positive prevent and control of HBV infection would bring great social and economic benefits.
Analysis on the monitoring results of a national-level soil-transmitted nematodiasis monitoring site in Guangdong province in 2006-2010

Objective To know about the epidemic dynamic and influencing factors of soil-transmitted nematodiasis in Guangdong province, and provide basis for making the effective control countermeasure in future. Methods According to the Monitoring Scheme of the Whole Country Soil-transmitted Nematodiasis, 5 years' consecutive monitoring was carried out during 2006-2010 in Jiucheng village of Changpo town, Gaozhou city. Etiological examination was done by the Kato-Katz method for not less than 1 000 persons each year, the infection rates of ascaris,whipworm and hookworm were calculated,and pinworm eggs were additionally examined by cellophane tape method for children under 12. Results Accumulatively5 125 persons were surveyed during 2006-2010, with a mean infection rate of 19.14%. The infection rates of ascaris,whipworm, hookworm and pinworm for children were 0.78%, 0.60%, 11.90% and 51.91%, respectively. The pinworm infection rate of children were obviously higher than the infection rates of other worm species and the difference between infection rates of different worm species had statistical meaning(χ2=3 035.10,P 0.01). The infection rates of soiltransmitted nematodiasis for each year were 11.29%, 20.07%, 22.55%, 15.63% and 26.03%, respectively, with an increasing trend year by year(χ2=94.29,P 0.01). 200 soil samples with different environmental conditions were examined and 39 ones were found human ascaris positive, with a positive rate of 19.50%. Conclusions The mean population infection rate of soil-transmitted nematodiasis in Gaozhou city, Guangdong province, showed an increasing trend. The main worm species of infection was hookworm for older age groups and pinworm for younger age groups, and the infection rates of ascaris and whipworm were at low levels. The soil environments of different areas were polluted by human feces in different degrees.
Preaching in Your Practice: What to Tell Patients to Help Them Live Longer

Rather than simply prolonging life after disease develops in a patient, the goal of medical intervention should be the prevention of conditions that contribute to premature mortality. Factors with which the primary care physician should be familiar and which should be discussed with patients include the effects of smoking, drinking, obesity, and an inactive lifestyle on health status and the precautions that can be taken to reduce deaths caused by homicide, suicide, motor vehicle accidents, and difficult pregnancies.
State-level medical marijuana laws, marijuana use and perceived availability of marijuana among the general U.S. population

Abstract Background Little is known on how perceived availability of marijuana is associated with medical marijuana laws. We examined the relationship between medical marijuana laws (MML) and the prevalence of past-month marijuana use, with perceived availability of marijuana. Methods Data were from respondents included in the National Survey of Drug Use and Health restricted use data portal 2004–2013. Multilevel logistic regression of individual-level data was used to test differences between MML and non-MML states and changes in prevalence of past-month marijuana use and perceived availability from before to after passage of MML among adolescents, young adults and older adults controlling for demographics. Results Among adults 26+, past-month prevalence of marijuana use increased from 5.87% to 7.15% after MML passage (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR): 1.24 [1.16–1.31]), but no change in prevalence of use was found for 12–17 or 18–25 year-olds. Perceived availability of marijuana increased after MML was enacted among those 26+ but not in younger groups. Among all age groups, prevalence of marijuana use and perception of it being easily available was higher in states that would eventually pass MML by 2013 compared to those that had not. Perceived availability was significantly associated with increased risk of past-month marijuana use in all age groups. Conclusion Evidence suggests perceived availability as a driver of change in use of marijuana due to MML. To date, this has only occurred in adults 26+ and different scenarios that could explain this change need to be further explored.
Feasibility and Effectiveness of a Delirium Prevention Bundle in Critically Ill Patients

Background Strategies for preventing delirium include early identification and avoiding or modifying patient, environmental, and iatrogenic factors. Minimal research exists on a prescriptive delirium prevention bundle that details elements or strategies for each bundle component. Even less research has been focused on nurse-driven interventions or components. Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of a delirium prevention bundle in decreasing delirium incidence in 2 medical-surgical intensive care units in a large Texas medical center. Methods Researchers used the Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit to assess delirium incidence by using a controlled interventional cohort design with 447 delirium-negative critically ill patients. Bundle components consist of sedation cessation, pain management, sensory stimulation, early mobilization, and sleep promotion. Results The intervention, analyzed by using a logistic regression model, reduced the odds of delirium by 78% (odds ratio, 0.22; P = .001). Conclusions The delirium prevention bundle was effective in reducing the incidence of delirium in critically ill medical-surgical patients. Further validation studies are under way.
Implementing Project SIED: Special Education Teachers’ Perceptions of a Simplified Technology Decision-Making Process for App Identification and Evaluation

The worldwide explosion in popularity of mobile devices has created a dramatic increase in mobile software (apps) that are quick and easy to find and install, cheap, disposable, and usually single ...
Soils and Land Appraisal

Rural land appraisal is based on (i) the productive capacity of the land, (ii) the potential appreciation of a land investment, and (iii) the market value of land (Appraisal Institute 2000). According to one appraiser: “Land holds a unique and pivotal position in social, political, environmental and economic theory. Land supports all life and stands at the center of human culture and institutions … It is nature’s gift to mankind, which enables life to continue and prosper”.
Measurement of spin structure functions at moderate Q2 using CLAS

Abstract Spin structure functions of the nucleon in the region of large ξ and small to moderate Q 2 continue to be of high current interest. Among the topics one can study in this kinematic regime are spin-dependent resonance transition amplitudes and their interference with each other and the non-resonant background, the behavior of the asymmetry A 1 at large ξ, and the presence or absence of local duality in spin structure functions. The first moment of the spin structure function g 1 goes through a rapid transition from the photon point ( Q 2 = 0), where it is constrained by the Gerasimov-Drell-Hearn sum rule, to the deep inelastic limit where it is sensitive to the nucleon spin fraction carried by quarks. This opens up the possibility to study the transition from hadronic to quark degrees of freedom over the whole range of Q 2 . Recently, we concluded a large experimental program to measure these observables with polarized proton and deuteron targets at Jefferson Lab. A highly polarized electron beam, solid polarized NH 3 and ND 3 targets and the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer (CLAS) in Hall B were used to accumulate over 23 billion events with 4 different beam energies of 1.6, 2.5, 4.2 and 5.7 GeV. We present an overview of the experiment, its kinematic coverage and its statistical power. We show final results from the first run at 2.5 GeV and 4 GeV and preliminary results from the 5.7 GeV and the 1.6 GeV data sets.
Not Proved: Some Lingering Questions About Presidential Succession

This paper examines textual and structural arguments made by Professors Akhil Amar and Vikram Amar against placing the Speaker of the House and the President pro tempore of the Senate in the line of succession to the Presidency, as the Presidential Succession Act of 1947 does. The paper argues that neither the text nor the history of Article II’s Succession Clause speaks decisively to the question of whom Congress may, by statute, place in the line of succession to the Presidency. For that reason, the assignment of the burden of persuasion on the question of constitutionality necessarily plays a large role in the analysis. Certainly, the text and structure of the Constitution justify “substantial” doubts about the validity of the Presidential Succession Act. But if Congress' implementation of the Succession Clause warrants the presumption of constitutionality traditionally enjoyed by Acts of Congress, then there is good reason to hesitate before declaring unconstitutional Congress' longstanding (but not unbroken) practice of placing legislative “Officers” in the line of succession.
Current and Emerging Therapies in Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer.

Targeted therapies and immunotherapy have changed the face of multiple solid malignancies, including metastatic melanoma and lung cancer, but no such therapies exist for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) despite the knowledge of key mutations and an increasing understanding of the tumor microenvironment. Until now, most clinical studies have not been biomarker driven in this highly immunosuppressive and heterogeneous cancer. Ongoing basic and translational studies are better classifying the disease in hopes of identifying critical pathways that distinguish the unique PDAC subtypes, which will lead to personalized therapies. In this review, we discuss the current treatment options for metastatic pancreatic cancer and highlight current ongoing clinical trials, which aim to target the stroma and the immune microenvironment either alone or in combination with standard chemotherapy. Identifying biomarkers and key resistance pathways and targeting these pathways in a personalized manner in combination with chemotherapy are likely to yield a more immediate and durable clinical benefit. Clin Cancer Res; 23(7); 1670-8. ©2017 AACRSee all articles in this CCR Focus section, "Pancreatic Cancer: Challenge and Inspiration."
COREDAR for Cities: Developing a Capacity Building Tool for Sea-Level Rise Risk Communication and Urban Community-Based Adaptation

Sea-level rise (SLR) is one of the greatest threats for densely populated low-lying coastal cities. Building capacities at community level to address the challenges of SLR is an important first step towards adaptation planning. However, efforts and attention for community based adaptation (CBA) in urban coastal cities are often ignored and not given much importance. Thus, building capacity through SLR risk communication and involving communities in framing urban CBA is a high priority for cities. Nevertheless, it is a difficult task for climate scientists to communicate complex SLR science and build capacity at local level. To address these challenges, this study has put forth three research questions through the lens of SLR risk communication and urban CBA, as (1) What, if any, community engagement in risk communication in addressing SLR risk occurring in urban areas; (2) What information does communities need and (3) How does it need to be communicated, in order to be better prepared and have a greater sense of agency? To answer these questions, by following the framework on SLR risk communication and urban CBA, this study has resulted in evolving “COREDAR” (COmmunicating Risk of sea-level rise and Engaging stakeholDers in framing community-based Adaptation stRategies), a capacity building tool for SLR risk communication and urban CBA. Thus, this study seeks to provide insights on communicating the risk of SLR and to evolve a robust picture of urban CBA through effective decision-making that is grounded in pressing community priorities by developing a capacity building tool for urban coastal cities.
Central and peripheral fatigue development in the shoulder muscle with obesity during an isometric endurance task

Fatigue increases the likelihood of developing work-related musculoskeletal disorders and injury. Due to the physiological and neuromuscular changes that accompany obesity, it may alter the fatigue development mechanism and exacerbate injury risk. The upper extremities have the highest incidence rates for work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Therefore, the goals of this study were to investigate the effect of obesity on central vs. peripheral fatigue as well as on the physical signs of fatigue on the middle deltoid muscle. A measure of central activation ratio was used to quantify central fatigue by considering the increment in the torque output by superimposed twitch relative to its corresponding maximum voluntary contraction. For this purpose, electrical stimulation was delivered at the middle deltoid muscles of 22 non-obese (18 < body mass index (BMI) < 25 kg/m2) and 17 obese (30 < BMI < 40 kg/m2) individuals aged 18-32 years old. Participants completed superimposed maximum voluntary isometric contractions of shoulder abduction before and after a sustained isometric fatiguing task at either 30 or 60% of the muscle capacity. Differences in endurance time, torque fluctuation, torque loss, and muscle activity measured by an electromyography sensor were also investigated. A greater reduction of voluntary activation of motor units (p = 0.001) with fatigue was observed for individuals who are obese. Contrary to the effect of obesity on central fatigue, a trend toward reduced peripheral fatigue (p = 0.06) was observed for the obese group compared to the non-obese group. On average, a 14% higher rate of torque loss per second was observed among individuals with obesity in comparison to non-obese participants. The observed greater contribution of central fatigue during the sustained endurance tasks suggests that among young healthy obese individuals, the faster fatigue development with obesity, commonly reported in the literature, is most likely due to the central elements rather than the peripheral factors. This finding has implications for fatigue prevention programs during sustained exertions and can help to develop training, work, and rest schedules considering obesity.
Current status of antiviral therapy for chronic hepatitis C.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) was first identified in the late 1980s, and soon thereafter was shown to be the cause of almost all cases of non-B posttransfusion hepatitis.1,2 Today, in the United States, it is by far the most common cause of chronic viral hepatitis, and is thought to be responsible for approximately 10,000 deaths annually due to chronic liver failure or hepatocellular carcinoma.3 Rather than a single virus, HCV is actually a complex of genetically related flaviviruses with unique genome features and a strong predilection for establishing persistent hepatic infections in humans. These viruses can be classified into six major genotypes based on nucleotide sequence comparisons,4 and have been placed taxonomically within the recently established genus Hepacivirus of the family Flaviviridae. It is likely that different HCV genotypes may also be distinguished by differences in their antigenic characteristics, but no tests have been developed for the measurement of neutralizing antibodies to the virus. There are no practical cell culture-based systems allowing propagation of the virus. Both genetically and in terms of multiple other features of the viral genome, the most closely related other member of the Flaviviridae is GB virus B (GBV-B),5 an hepatotropic virus that may be of either human or simian origin.
Molecular basis of mammalian transmissibility of avian H1N1 influenza viruses and their pandemic potential

North American wild birds are an important reservoir of influenza A viruses, yet the potential of viruses in this reservoir to transmit and cause disease in mammals is not well understood. Our surveillance of avian influenza viruses (AIVs) at Delaware Bay, USA, revealed a group of similar H1N1 AIVs isolated in 2009, some of which were airborne-transmissible in the ferret model without prior adaptation. Comparison of the genomes of these viruses revealed genetic markers of airborne transmissibility in the Polymerase Basic 2 (PB2), PB1, PB1-F2, Polymerase Acidic-X (PA-X), Nonstructural Protein 1 (NS1), and Nuclear Export Protein (NEP) genes. We studied the role of NS1 in airborne transmission and found that NS1 mutants that were not airborne-transmissible caused limited tissue pathology in the upper respiratory tract (URT). Viral maturation was also delayed, evident as strong intranuclear staining and little virus at the mucosa. Our study of this naturally occurring constellation of genetic markers has provided insights into the poorly understood phenomenon of AIV airborne transmissibility by revealing a role for NS1 and characteristics of viral replication in the URT that were associated with airborne transmission. The transmissibility of these viruses further highlights the pandemic potential of AIVs in the wild bird reservoir and the need to maintain surveillance.
The evolution of viruses, the emergence of viral diseases: a synthesis that Martinus Beijerinck might enjoy.

The relentless production of viral variants and their selection for improved “fit” are seen from the perspective of the infectious disease sciences as ever-changing viral phenotypes and emerging disease risks. In the Darwinian cause:effect equation, we can characterize very well the effects of mutation and selection — these are catalogued as new viral phenotypes or pathotypes. However, the selective forces themselves driving such changes remain rather mysterious. Many selective forces must be at work, acting on the virus, the host, the host population and the environment. In some instances the virus seems to test new unoccupied niches in the absence of any apparent environmental change, but usually it is clear that changes are driven by human activity. Most important must be the ever increasing density of human, domestic animal and crop plant populations and the consequent increased opportunities for transmission of viral variants. Also important must be the great changes affecting all ecosystems — these especially favor the emergence of new zoonotic viruses and viral “species jumpers.” The great increase in human travel and transport carries exotic viruses, vectors and hosts around the world, again favoring viral occupation of new niches. The rise of bioterrorism adds yet another threat. Increasing numbers of emerging viral disease episodes seem to be linked to a decline in global resources for proven public health programs, agricultural extension programs, and the like, programs that have stood in the way of the spread and evolution of viral pathogens. If the relationship between viral evolution and the emergence of new viral diseases is rooted firstly in the host and the host population, then more research and resources must be directed to intervention at these levels rather than at the level of the viruses themselves.
Limits of Functions

• Let f : D → ℝ and let c be an accumulation point of D. We say that a real number L is a limit of f at c, and write
Generalization of the Approach

The work carried out for this dissertation can be further employed in research in different ways. On the one hand, the approach taken can be transfered to other cultures. On the other hand, the demonstrator can be used as a test bed for further research studies.
Automatic Detection and Classification of Social Events

In this paper we introduce the new task of social event extraction from text. We distinguish two broad types of social events depending on whether only one or both parties are aware of the social contact. We annotate part of Automatic Content Extraction (ACE) data, and perform experiments using Support Vector Machines with Kernel methods. We use a combination of structures derived from phrase structure trees and dependency trees. A characteristic of our events (which distinguishes them from ACE events) is that the participating entities can be spread far across the parse trees. We use syntactic and semantic insights to devise a new structure derived from dependency trees and show that this plays a role in achieving the best performing system for both social event detection and classification tasks. We also use three data sampling approaches to solve the problem of data skewness. Sampling methods improve the F1-measure for the task of relation detection by over 20% absolute over the baseline.
8 – Earnings Attainment across Economic Sectors, Classes, and Race and Gender Groups

Publisher Summary The expectation of higher earnings returns to education for core sector workers and especially for managerial workers in the core sectors is largely unsupported by the analysis presented in this chapter. The analysis utilizing the industry-level sectors produces results that are in a pattern opposite to that expected. Utilizing company-level economic sectors, the lowest educational returns are observed in the local sector, but the contrast between these returns and those in the monopoly sector is not statistically significant. Sector earnings returns to education are highest in the multiplant sector rather than in the monopoly sector. When earnings returns to education are analyzed within classes, the highest returns are observed for autonomous workers in the local sector rather than for managers in the monopoly sector. Overall, these divergent patterns provide little support for the hypothesis of greater earnings returns to education in core sectors. The analysis of earnings inequality between classes within economic sectors also produces only insignificant or negative findings.
Recent Applications in Representer-Based Variational Data Assimilation

Data assimilation with representer-based algorithms (also called “dual space” algorithms) are currently being used for weak-constraint four-dimensional variational data assimilation (W4D-Var) atmospheric prediction, distributed parameter estimation, and other hydrodynamic data assimilation problems. The iterative linear solvers at the core of these systems may display non-monotonic convergence in the norm defined by the primal objective function, and this behavior makes problematic the development of practical stopping criteria. One approach to this problem is described, namely an implementation of the inner solver using the generalized conjugate residual(GCR) algorithm. Additional elements of data assimilation systems are error model for the background, model forcings, and observations. An implementation of a posterior analysis method for diagnosing the error variances is described, and representative results from an atmospheric data assimilation systems are shown.
HLA-Epitope Matching or Eplet Risk Stratification: The Devil Is in the Details.

.“Epitope matching” became a trending topic in organ transplantation. In fact, discussions on clinical implementation and utilization of this approach in organ allocation algorithms are currently on-going. More recently, the term “eplet mismatch load” was introduced in publications. While the terms are often used synonymously, they are NOT equivalent. This short overview is meant to emphasize the differences between the terms epitope matching and eplet mismatching (or mismatch load) as well as to provide perspective on different approaches for interpretation of immune compatibility between the donor of an organ transplant and the recipient. It highlights some of the less explored qualities of HLA-epitopes, and stresses the need to understand the differences between donor and recipient in terms of immunogenicity and ability to activate an immune response. While the field of “epitope matching” shows enormous promise, it is still in its infancy. What is sorely missing is understanding of EPITOPE COMPATIBILITY rather than matching. Further work is required before new approaches can be introduced into routine clinical practice and organ allocation schemes.
Quararibea Metabolites. 4.1 Total Synthesis and Conformational Studies of (±)-Funebrine and (±)-Funebral

Syntheses of racemic forms of the main secondary metabolites of Quararibea funebris, (±)-funebrine, (±)-funebral, and their biogenetic precursor (±)-(2S,3S,4R)-γ-hydroxyalloisoluecine lactone have ...
Computing optimal taxes in atomic congestion games

When the performance of a system is dictated by the behaviour of its users, self-interested choices can result in sub-optimal system operation, as is the case in road traffic networks. The inefficiency resulting from such selfish behaviour is commonly measured by the ratio between the emergent worst-case system cost and the minimum system cost, termed price-of-anarchy. As the degree of inefficiency can be significant even for relatively simple systems (e.g., affine congestion games), researchers have proposed a variety of approaches to align the emergent selfish behaviour with the desired system objective. A well-studied and promising method is that of altering users' perceived costs by means of taxes.
Racial/Ethnic Discrimination, Intersectionality, and Latina/o Health

In this chapter, we summarize the existing literature on self-reported experiences of racial/ethnic discrimination and health status among Latina/o persons in the USA, explore the implications for Latina/o/x health, and identify future directions of research in this critical area. We reviewed 25 peer-reviewed articles that quantitatively examined the association between self-reported discrimination and mental or physical health, published between 2000 and 2016. The reviewed studies were primarily cross-sectional and few compared Latina/o subgroups. We encourage researchers to examine the health impacts of racial/ethnic discrimination on Latina/o health through intersectionality theory to assess discrimination across multiple intersecting social statuses. We also recommend that researchers examine the longitudinal health consequences of structural forms of racism such as carceral policies, educational policies, environmental quality, immigration enforcement, residential segregation, and health care access and quality across spatial contexts.
Guajirus serpentinicus: a new genus and species of minute grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Acrididae: Ommatolampidinae) from Cuba

Guajirus serpentinicus gen. nov., sp. nov., is described from the serpentine plant communities of Matanzas province located less than 100 km east of Havana, Cuba. The genus can be distinguished by its distinctive combination of characters: very small size (<10 mm), compact body, variegated coloration, large rounded eyes in a small head, relatively long and tongue-like remnants of the tegminae, tympanum present, furculae barely present and male subgenital plate with a wide rounded concavity. These small grasshoppers appear adapted to the special conditions of living in the serpentine communities of western Cuba.