cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Effects of Age and Gender on the Perception of Lexical Emotion

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the perception of lexical/verbal emotion across the adult life span. Secondary goals were to examine the contribution of gender and valence (i.e., pleasantness/unpleasantness) to the processing of lexical emotional stimuli. Participants were 28 young (ages 20-39), 28 middle-aged (ages 40-59), and 28 older (ages 60-85) right-handed adults; there were 14 men and 14 women in each age group. Age groups were comparable on demographic and cognitive variables. Participants made accuracy judgments and intensity ratings of emotional (both positive and negative) and nonemotional stimuli from lexical perception tasks from the New York Emotion Battery (Borod, Welkowitz, & Obler, 1992). Accuracy and intensity measures were not significantly correlated. When age was examined, older participants perceived emotional and nonemotional lexical stimuli with significantly less accuracy than did younger and middle-aged participants. On the other hand, older participants evaluate...
Genetic and environmental influences on early childhood behavior.

The Child Behavior Checklist for Ages 2–3 (Adelbachet al., J. Abnorm. Child Psychol. 15;629–650; 1987) was completed by mothers of 229 pairs of twins (mean age=33 months). Using the two broad-band groupings of Internalizing and Externalizing described by Achenbachet al. (1987), various models to estimate genetic and environmental parameters were fitted using LISREL 7. Model-fitting results showed that the genetic components to the observed phenotypical variation were small and not necessary in the model. Influences from the shared environment, howerver, could not be dropped from the model without a deterioration in fit. Parameter estimates were not significantly different in boys and girls.
Oxidation of NiSi and Ni(Pt)Si: Molecular vs. Atomic Oxygen

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) has been used to characterize the reactivities of clean, stoichiometric NiSi and Ni(Pt)Si films on n-doped Si(100) substrates in O2, and in O+O2 environments. In the presence of O+O2, NiSi and Ni(Pt)Si form Ni silicate and Pt silicate overlayers, respectively, with oxide/silicate overlayer thicknesses of 41(4) A (NiSi) and 28(3) A (Ni(Pt)Si) after 4.5x104 L exposure. Exposure to O2 yields, for each material, a ∼7(1) A thick SiO2 overlayer without transition metal oxidation. O+O2 induces rapid Si oxidation, formation of metal-rich silicides, and then the kinetically-driven oxidation of Ni or Pt to form a silicate. This may pose significant processing problems in silicate removal and unwanted Ni diffusion into other areas of the device.
Vaccinia Virus L2 Protein Associates with the Endoplasmic Reticulum near the Growing Edge of Crescent Precursors of Immature Virions and Stabilizes a Subset of Viral Membrane Proteins

The initial step in poxvirus morphogenesis, the formation of crescent membranes, occurs within cytoplasmic factories. L2 is one of several vaccinia virus proteins known to be necessary for formation of crescents and the only one synthesized early in infection. Virus replication was unaffected when the L2R open reading frame was replaced by L2R containing an N-terminal epitope tag while retaining the original promoter. L2 colocalized with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) protein calnexin throughout the cytoplasm of infected and transfected cells. Topological studies indicated that the N terminus of L2 is exposed to the cytoplasm with the hydrophobic C terminus anchored in the ER. Using immunogold labeling and electron microscopy, L2 was detected in tubular membranes outside factories and inside factories near crescents and close to the edge or rim of crescents; a similar labeling pattern was found for the ER luminal protein disulfide isomerase (PDI). The phenotype of L2 conditional lethal mutants and the localization of L2 suggest that it participates in elongation of crescents by the addition of ER membrane to the growing edge. Small amounts of L2 and PDI were detected within immature and mature virions, perhaps trapped during assembly. The repression of L2, as well as A11 and A17, two other proteins that are required for viral crescent formation, profoundly decreased the stability of a subset of viral membrane proteins including those comprising the entry-fusion complex. To avoid degradation, these unstable membrane proteins may need to directly insert into the viral membrane or be rapidly shunted there from the ER.
Bridging the gap between molecular electronics and biocomputing

Various biocomputing models for molecular electronic devices are examined. They are the feedforward connectionist network (artificial neural network), the enzymatic neuron, and a hybrid model that attempts to capture the programmability of silicon electronic devices and the adaptability of molecular electronic devices. Greater interaction between researchers in molecular electronics and in biocomputing is urged. >
Transforming Binary Uncertainties for Robust Speech Recognition

Recently, several algorithms have been proposed to enhance noisy speech by estimating a binary mask that can be used to select those time-frequency regions of a noisy speech signal that contain more speech energy than noise energy. This binary mask encodes the uncertainty associated with enhanced speech in the linear spectral domain. The use of the cepstral transformation smears the information from the noise dominant time-frequency regions across all the cepstral features. We propose a supervised approach using regression trees to learn the nonlinear transformation of the uncertainty from the linear spectral domain to the cepstral domain. This uncertainty is used by a decoder that exploits the variance associated with the enhanced cepstral features to improve robust speech recognition. Systematic evaluations on a subset of the Aurora4 task using the estimated uncertainty show substantial improvement over the baseline performance across various noise conditions.
OPTOBUS/sup TM/ I: a production parallel fiber optical interconnect

Parallel fiber interconnects have received considerable attention recently due to the potential systems level advantages offered by optics. Designers of large computer systems and central office equipment are attracted by the advantages of size, EMI, electrical isolation and the performance at distances not achievable by traditional copper solutions. In spite of these advantages, designers do not want to pay a premium for optical solutions at comparable data rates and distance to copper. Therefore, it is critical to optical product implementation that there be a large added performance over copper for the same cost. OPTOBUS/sup TM/ I is a solution that addresses the tradeoffs between manufacturing cost and system design. It is a simple, low cost, 400 Mb/s 10-bit bidirectional optical data link for distances up to several hundred meters.
Modifying the surface electronic properties of YBa2Cu3O7-δ with cryogenic scanning probe microscopy

We report the results of a cryogenic study of the modification of YBa2Cu3O7−δ surface electronic properties with the probe of a scanning tunnelling microscope (STM). A negative voltage applied to the sample during STM tunnelling is found to modify locally the conductance of the native degraded surface layer. When the degraded layer is removed by etching, the effect disappears. An additional surface effect is identified using scanning Kelvin probe microscopy in combination with STM. We observe reversible surface charging for both etched and unetched samples, indicating the presence of a defect layer even on a surface never exposed to air.
Vlasov treatment of coherent synchrotron radiation from arbitrary planar orbits

We study the influence of coherent synchrotron radiation (CSR) on particle bunches traveling on arbitrary planar orbits between parallel conducting plates which represent the vacuum chamber. Our goal is to follow the time evolution of the phase space distribution by solving the Vlasov–Maxwell equations in the time domain. This should provide simulations with lower numerical noise than the macro-particle method, and allow one to study such issues as emittance degradation and microbunching due to CSR in bunch compressors. The fields excited by the bunch are computed in the laboratory frame from a new formula that leads to much simpler computations than usual methods. The nonlinear Vlasov equation, formulated in the interaction picture, is integrated in the beam frame by approximating the Perron–Frobenius operator. For application to a chicane bunch compressor we take steps to deal with energy chirp.
Spectroscopic determination of leaf morphological and biochemical traits for northern temperate and boreal tree species

The morphological and biochemical properties of plant canopies are strong predictors of photosynthetic capacity and nutrient cycling. Remote sensing research at the leaf and canopy scales has demonstrated the ability to characterize the biochemical status of vegetation canopies using reflectance spectroscopy, including at the leaf level and canopy level from air- and spaceborne imaging spectrometers. We developed a set of accurate and precise spectroscopic calibrations for the determination of leaf chemistry (contents of nitrogen, carbon, and fiber constituents), morphology (leaf mass per area, Marea), and isotopic composition (δ15N) of temperate and boreal tree species using spectra of dried and ground leaf material. The data set consisted of leaves from both broadleaf and needle-leaf conifer species and displayed a wide range in values, determined with standard analytical approaches: 0.7–4.4% for nitrogen (Nmass), 42–54% for carbon (Cmass), 17–58% for fiber (acid-digestible fiber, ADF), 7–44% for lignin (acid-digestible lignin, ADL), 3–31% for cellulose, 17–265 g/m2 for Marea, and −9.4‰ to 0.8‰ for δ15N. The calibrations were developed using a partial least-squares regression (PLSR) modeling approach combined with a novel uncertainty analysis. Our PLSR models yielded model calibration (independent validation shown in parentheses) R2 and the root mean square error (RMSE) values, respectively, of 0.98 (0.97) and 0.10% (0.13%) for Nmass, R2 = 0.77 (0.73) and RMSE = 0.88% (0.95%) for Cmass, R2 = 0.89 (0.84) and RMSE = 2.8% (3.4%) for ADF, R2 = 0.77 (0.69) and RMSE = 2.4% (3.9%) for ADL, R2 = 0.77 (0.72) and RMSE = 1.4% (1.9%) for leaf cellulose, R2 = 0.62 (0.60) and RMSE = 0.91‰ (1.5‰) for δ15N, and R2 = 0.88 (0.87) with RMSE = 17.2 g/m2 (22.8 g/m2) for Marea. This study demonstrates the potential for rapid and accurate estimation of key foliar traits of forest canopies that are important for ecological research and modeling activities, with a single calibration equation valid over a wide range of northern temperate and boreal species and leaf physiognomies. The results provide the basis to characterize important variability between and within species, and across ecological gradients using a rapid, cost-effective, easily replicated method.
PRESENCE OF LUTEINIZING HORMONE-RELEASING HORMONE (LHRH) mRNA IN RAT SPLEEN LYMPHOCYTES

Pursuant to our report of an immunoreactive and bioactive luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH)-like molecule in rat spleen lymphocytes, we sought to determine whether these cells were capable of synthesizing LHRH by determining whether lymphocytes contain LHRH mRNA. To do this, total RNA was extracted from hypothalamic tissue, anterior pituitaries and from lymphocytes, and then this was reverse transcribed to cDNA and amplified via the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) utilizing synthetic oligonucleotides bracketing a portion of the LHRH gene. Following gel electrophoresis a discrete band of the expected size of 375 base pairs was found in the hypothalamus (positive control), and in lymphocytes, but not in the anterior pituitary (negative control). Furthermore, after Southern blotting, a P-labelled LHRH cDNA, hybridized to the 375 base pair, was amplified in hypothalamus fragments and in lymphocytes, but not in anterior pituitary tissue.
Use of quantitative ultrasound to detect temperature variations in biological phantoms due to heating

High intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is a noninvasive technique that has great potential for improving thermal therapies. To target specified regions accurately for treatment, a robust imaging technique is required to monitor HIFU application. Therefore, the development of an ultrasonic imaging technique for monitoring HIFU treatment is highly medically significant. Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) is a novel imaging technique that may improve monitoring of HIFU treatment by quantifying tissue changes. Ultrasonic backscatter experiments were performed on two types of phantoms to understand the variations in QUS parameters with increases in temperature from 36 to 50°C. The phantoms were biological phantoms made of agar and containing either mouse mammary carcinoma cells (4T1) or chinese hamster ovary cells (CHO) as scatterers. All scatterers were uniformly distributed spatially at random throughout the phantoms. Sound speed and attenuation were estimated in the phantoms versus temperature using insertion loss methods. Two parameters were estimated from the backscatter coefficient (effective scatterer diameter (ESD) and effective acoustic concentration (EAC)) and two parameters were estimated from the envelope statistics (k parameter and μ parameter) of the backscattered echoes versus temperature. The results of this study suggest that QUS has the potential to be used for noninvasive monitoring of temperature changes in tissues.
A Latent Class Analysis of Dyadic Perfectionism in a College Sample

A latent class analysis of dyadic perfectionism scores within a college sample (N = 369) identified four classes of participants. Controlling for gender and current dating status, class membership was associated with significant differences on several measures of relationship attitudes. Gender and class membership also significantly interacted in predicting gender role stress scores. Implications of the findings for the counseling of relationally perfectionistic college students are discussed.
An integrated advanced process control on RTP gate oxide thickness and feed-forward implant compensation in mass production

A fully automated advanced process control (APC) is developed for rapid thermal process (RTP) thin gate oxide (Gox) to improve both within wafer (W-in-W) and wafer to wafer (W-to-W) thickness uniformity. In addition, novel feed-forward implant dosage compensation is integrated to further improve the W-to-W drain saturation current (I dsat or I on ) uniformity based on Gox thickness and poly critical dimension (CD) measurement. With these APC strategies implemented in a mass production line, we are able to control Gox thickness mean within 1% and within wafer sigma below 0.3% of the target, and reduce I on variation to below 2% of its average. This helps to improve the device minimum voltage percentage (V min %) failure to below 1.5%.
Mineral Medicine in Apion of Oasis according to Pliny and Galen

There are hints in Pliny that the grammarian Apion wrote a work of pharmacy, but the evidence in Pliny is tenuous and somewhat contradictory, and some has even been emended away. Apion is rarely considered a pharmacist, although there are parallels of grammarians—contemporary with Apion—who wrote on pharmacy. Moreover, three overlooked passages provide a much stronger case for pharmaceutical work by Apion. The surviving recipes prescribe mineral-based compounds as remedies, confirming the evidence in Pliny’s index, and they are also consistent both with Greek and Egyptian medical practice.
Successful introduction of an underutilized elderly pneumococcal vaccine in a national immunization program by integrating the pre-existing public health infrastructure.

Abstract Background Although pneumococcal vaccines had been recommended for the elderly population in South Korea for a considerable period of time, the coverage has been well below the optimal level. To increase the vaccination rate with integrating the pre-existing public health infrastructure and governmental funding, the Korean government introduced an elderly pneumococcal vaccination into the national immunization program with a 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine in May 2013. Objective The aim of this study was to assess the performance of the program in increasing the vaccine coverage rate and maintaining stable vaccine supply and safe vaccination during the 20 months of the program. Methods We qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed the process of introducing and the outcomes of the program in terms of the systematic organization, efficiency, and stability at the national level. Results A staggered introduction during the first year utilizing the public sector, with a target coverage of 60%, was implemented based on the public demand for an elderly pneumococcal vaccination, vaccine supply capacity, vaccine delivery capacity, safety, and sustainability. During the 20-month program period, the pneumococcal vaccine coverage rate among the population aged ≥65 years increased from 5.0% to 57.3% without a noticeable vaccine shortage or safety issues. A web-based integrated immunization information system, which includes the immunization registry, vaccine supply chain management, and surveillance of adverse events following immunization, reduced programmatic errors and harmonized the overall performance of the program. Conclusion Introduction of an elderly pneumococcal vaccination in the national immunization program based on strong government commitment, meticulous preparation, financial support, and the pre-existing public health infrastructure resulted in an efficient, stable, and sustainable increase in vaccination coverage.
The RNase PARN-1 Trims piRNA 3′ Ends to Promote Transcriptome Surveillance in C. elegans

Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) engage Piwi proteins to suppress transposons and are essential for fertility in diverse organisms. An interesting feature of piRNAs is that, while piRNA lengths are stereotypical within a species, they can differ widely between species. For example, piRNAs are mainly 29 and 30 nucleotides in humans, 24 to 30 nucleotides in D. melanogaster, and uniformly 21 nucleotides in C. elegans. However, how piRNA length is determined and whether length impacts function remains unknown. Here, we show that C. elegans deficient for PARN-1, a conserved RNase, accumulate untrimmed piRNAs with 3' extensions. Surprisingly, these longer piRNAs are stable and associate with the Piwi protein PRG-1 but fail to robustly recruit downstream silencing factors. Our findings identify PARN-1 as a key regulator of piRNA length in C. elegans and suggest that length is regulated to promote efficient transcriptome surveillance.
Identification of metabolites produced from acridine by Cunninghamella elegans.

Mycelia of Cunninghamella elegans were incubated in liquid Sabouraud medium containing 56 HM acridine. After 3 days, the culture medium was extracted with ethyl acetate and two metabolites were pur...
Estimating the Market Potential of a Floating Population

2 Most reliable are estimates of tourist days where governmental agencies are able to control entrance and exit. See the reports of the Bahama Development Board on Tourist Travel; Hawaii Visitors Bureau, "The Impact of Visitor Dollars in Hawaii," Honolulu, 1953. Also Frances P. Sasscer, "One Billion Travel Dollars Go Abroad," Survey of Current Business, June, 1953, pages 9-11, a review of U. S. travel abroad. Regular road checks of the state road departments provide data on the movement of motoring visitors in-and-out of the states such as California, New Mexico and Washington. See: "Selling Climate at a Profit," The All-Year Round Club of Southern California, Los Angeles, and other publications of the same organization. New Mexico State Tourist Bureau Annual Report, 1950. 3 Most comprehensive is the New England Vacation Lodging Business Index of the Federal Bank of Boston (monthly proc.). Occupancy rates of resort hotels are included in the annual surveys of hotel operations by the accounting firm of Horwarth and Horwarth (New York, N. Y.).
Epidemiological analysis on viral hepatitis B in Yunxian County of Hubei from 2004-2011

[Objective]To understand the epidemiological characteristics of viral hepatitis B in Yunxian County of Hubei,provide a scientific basis for developing the prevention and control measures.[Methods]By using Excel(2003),the epidemic situation of viral hepatitis B was analyzed with descriptive epidemiology.[Results]A total of 6 896 cases of viral hepatitis B were reported during 2004-2011,the average annual incidence rate was 137.86/lakh,and the incidence rate showed an upward trend(χ2=7.87,P0.01).There was no obvious seasonality,but more cases were reported March to August.Farmers accounted for a large proportion.86.83% of cases were in 15-59 year-old age group,and patients of children and old people were rare.There was a significant difference in incidence rate between males and females(χ2=747.16,P0.01).The reported incidence rate of hepatitis B in people under 15 years old decreased from 47.50/lakh in 2004 to 14.62/lakh in 2011(χ2=19.16,P0.01).[Conclusion]The reported incidence rate of hepatitis B every year in Yunxian County is higher than that in Hubei,which indicates that situation of hepatitis B control is grim,so the comprehensive prevention and intervention(including hepatitis B vaccination) should be strengthened in the future.
Periodicity Domains and the Transit of Venus

A transit of Venus occurs when it passes directly between the Earth and the Sun. A straightforward linear algebraic model for the orbits of Earth and Venus—essentially using one parameter, namely, ...
Role of Echocardiography in the Assessment of Myocardial Viability Symbol

In the assessment of chronic myocardial infarction, echocardiography plays a vital role through the recognition of hibernating yet potentially viable myocardium that could benefit from revascularization. Echocardiography provides information through basic evaluation of cardiac structure and through evaluation of the functional response to dobutamine stress. In addition, a number of newer modalities such as myocardial contrast echocardiography, tissue Doppler imaging, and strain imaging provide further diagnostic capability. This review assesses the role of echocardiography in the identification of patients with chronic myocardial infarction who could benefit from revascularization.
New Orleans Rhythm and Blues in Historical Perspective

In addition to holding down day jobs as a seaport and commercial hub, historically New Orleans also has enjoyed a separate existence as a mythopoetic space, home to all manner of extraordinary beings: pirates and parade princesses, vampires and voodoo queens, Mardi Gras Indians and dancing skeletons and, closer to our topic, piano professors and piano princes. This chapter concerns the significance that the city’s musical history and heritage hold for those continuing its rhythm and blues traditions today, outlining how a remembered, imagined and reimagined past informs their sense of identity and place in the world. Accordingly, in order to provide something of the flavor of these processes, the following section taps into the text of interviews recording the comments of contemporary performers on their forebears from the halcyon days of New Orleans R&B. Thereafter, the discussion turns to that extraordinary period itself, bringing into focus those forces and conditions accounting for the unparalleled impact that New Orleans has had on American popular music in the latter half of the last century. The final portion of the chapter takes the discussion of the city’s R&B scene up to the advent of Hurricane Katrina. Because the story of that music prior to Katrina has already been told, I make no attempt to be exhaustive, here.
Comparative efficacy of topically applied flurbiprofen, diclofenac, tolmetin, and suprofen for the treatment of experimentally induced blood-aqueous barrier disruption in dogs.

Objective To compare the relative efficacies of 4 topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs at preventing blood-aqueous barrier (BAB) disruption in dogs. Design 1 eye of each dog was treated with 1% suspensions of diclofenac, flurbiprofen, suprofen, or tolmetin, or with control solution. After 4 applications of eyedrops at 10-minute intervals, BAB disruption was induced in the treated eye by anterior chamber paracentesis. The severity of BAB disruption was measured by anterior chamber fluorophotometry. Animals 40 ocular-normal dogs. Procedure After pretreatment with eyedrops, rapid 100-microliters nonleaking anterior chamber paracentesis was performed in 1 eye of each dog to induce BAB disruption. 1 day after paracentesis, 1 ml of 10% fluorescein sodium was injected i.v.. The amount of fluorescein entering the anterior chamber of each eye was measured 30 to 60 minutes later by use of a computerized scanning fluorophotometer. The degree of BAB disruption was determined by comparing the amount of fluorescein entering the aqueous humor of the paracentesed eye with that of the nonparacentesed eye. Results At postparacentesis day 1, the order of statistically significant BAB-stabilizing efficacy among groups was: diclofenac > flurbiprofen > suprofen > tolmetin = control solution. Conclusions Topically applied 1% suspensions of diclofenac, flurbiprofen, and suprofen are effective at preventing BAB disruption after paracentesis in dogs, indicating their potential usefulness for treatment of prostaglandin-mediated ocular disease. 1% tolmetin is no more effective than control solution.
An Algorithm for Sellar Reconstruction Following the Endoscopic Endonasal Approach: A Review of 300 Consecutive Cases.

Objectives/Hypotheses The endoscopic endonasal approach (EEA) is the workhorse endoscopic procedure for sellar and parasellar pathology. Various reconstruction techniques have been reported following EEA surgery, ranging from no reconstruction to vascularized flaps. We review our institution's experience with sellar reconstruction following EEA and propose an evidence-based algorithm. Design Retrospective review. Setting Tertiary academic medical center. Participants Patients who underwent endoscopic EEA surgery for sellar or parasellar pathology between March 1, 2013 and August 31, 2016. Main Outcome Measures Patient demographic and clinicopathologic data were collected. Outcome measures included intraoperative and postoperative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak rates and extent of resection (gross or subtotal). Results Three hundred consecutive patients were included. Depending on the presence and grade of intraoperative CSF leak, cases were reconstructed using either a free mucosal graft (FMG) or nasoseptal flap (NSF). Intraoperative and postoperative CSF leak rates were 30.7% and 2.3%, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression found that intraoperative CSF leak was associated with recurrent disease (odds ratio [OR] 2.47, p = 0.004), with no apparent predictors of postoperative CSF leak. Conclusions Based on this large series, we propose the following algorithm for sellar reconstruction: FMG for no CSF leak; fat graft + FMG ± rigid fixation for low-grade leaks; and fat graft + NSF ± rigid fixation for high-grade leaks.
Sequence Impedance Modeling of Modular Multilevel Converters

This paper presents the development of sequence impedance models for modular multilevel converters (MMC). The intended applications of the models include stability and resonance analysis of high-voltage dc transmission, static synchronous compensation, and other systems that use MMC. The basis of the modeling method is harmonic linearization that has been applied to other types of converters, but a new formulation is presented to allow the inclusion of harmonic effects. This generalization, called multiharmonic linearization, is necessary for MMC because of the significant second harmonics present in the arm currents, capacitor voltages, and control signals. To accommodate multiple harmonics in the linearization process, a matrix formulation is introduced and used to model both the converter power stage and its control. The developed sequence impedance models are validated by point-by-point simulation of detailed converter circuit models, and used to understand the effects of harmonics and control on MMC frequency-domain characteristics.
OTUD4 Is a Phospho-Activated K63 Deubiquitinase that Regulates MyD88-Dependent Signaling

Ubiquitination is a major mechanism that regulates numerous cellular processes, including autophagy, DNA damage signaling, and inflammation. While hundreds of ubiquitin ligases exist to conjugate ubiquitin onto substrates, approximately 100 deubiquitinases are encoded by the human genome. Thus, deubiquitinases are likely regulated by unidentified mechanisms to target distinct substrates and cellular functions. Here, we demonstrate that the deubiquitinase OTUD4, which nominally encodes a K48-specific deubiquitinase, is phosphorylated near its catalytic domain, activating a latent K63-specific deubiquitinase. Besides phosphorylation, this latter activity requires an adjacent ubiquitin-interacting motif, which increases the affinity of OTUD4 for K63-linked chains. We reveal the Toll-like receptor (TLR)-associated factor MyD88 as a target of this K63 deubiquitinase activity. Consequently, TLR-mediated activation of NF-κB is negatively regulated by OTUD4, and macrophages from Otud4-/- mice exhibit increased inflammatory signaling upon TLR stimulation. Our results reveal insights into how a deubiquitinase may modulate diverse processes through post-translational modification.
Thermal sensitivity of Calonectria henricotiae and Calonectria pseudonaviculata conidia and microsclerotia

Knowledge of the thermal sensitivity of conidia and microsclerotia is useful for developing plant disease management approaches that deploy heat to inactivate infectious vegetative propagules of fungal pathogens. For boxwood blight disease, heat treatment of cuttings that harbor conidia and microsclerotia would provide a useful management tool for suppressing the pathogenic activity of Calonectria pseudonaviculata (present in the United States) and C. henricotiae (a quarantine pathogen not present in the United States). In this study, we investigated the thermal sensitivity of conidia and microsclerotia of the boxwood blight pathogens C. henricotiae and C. pseudonaviculata treated in water at 45, 47.5, 50, 52.5, and 55 C. For conidia, as time of exposure increased at each temperature, the proportion of germinated conidia decreased. The predicted time required to inactivate 90% of C. pseudonaviculata conidia (LD90) decreased as water temperature increased from 45 to 55 C and ranged from 35.4 to 5.6 min, respectively. Inactivation of conidia was dependent on isolate, species of Calonectria, and length of exposure at each temperature tested. Microsclerotia of C. henricotiae and C. pseudonaviculata displayed reduced germination with increasing exposure and higher temperatures of hot water. Microsclerotia of C. henricotiae were significantly more resistant to heat treatment than C. pseudonaviculata at 47.5 and 50 C, whereas microsclerotia of both species were rapidly killed at 55 C.
The impact of business-support services on firm performance: a meta-analysis

Interventions designed to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are popular among policy makers, given the role SMEs play in job creation around the world. Significant resources from governments and international organizations are directed to business-support interventions in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) based on the assumption that market failures and institutional constraints impede SME growth. SME business-support interventions in LMICs most often relate to formalization, business environment, exports, clusters, training, technical assistance, access to credit, and innovation. This paper reviews and summarizes 40 rigorous evaluations of SME-support services in LMICs and presents evidence to inform policy debates pertaining to SMEs and business-support services. We present evidence that business-support interventions improve firm performance and create jobs. However, little is known about which interventions work best for SMEs and why. More rigorous impact evaluations are needed to fill the knowledge gap in the field.
Estimating missing data in data streams

Networks of thousands of sensors present a feasible and economic solution to some of our most challenging problems, such as real-time traffic modeling, military sensing and tracking. Many research projects have been conducted by different organizations regarding wireless sensor networks; however, few of them discuss how to estimate missing sensor data. In this research we present a novel data estimation technique based on association rules derived from closed frequent itemsets generated by sensors. Experimental results compared with the existing techniques using real-life sensor data show that closed itemset mining effectively imputes missing values as well as achieves time and space efficiency.
Laparoscopic Versus Open Repair for the Uncomplicated Unilateral Inguinal Hernia

Most authorities agree that laparoscopic inguinal herniorrhaphy is an excellent option for patients with recurrent hernias after a failed conventional operation in the anterior space or for patients whose hernias are bilateral. However, there is lack of agreement as to the best approach for the uncomplicated unilateral hernia as many feel there is not enough benefit in this group to justify the added expense and the slight possibility of serious complications or even a fatal operative accident with laparoscopy. In this chapter, we present the current available literature on the pros and cons of open versus laparoscopic repair of a unilateral, nonrecurrent inguinal hernia.
Physical Principles Underlying Blind Guidance Prostheses with an Emphasis on the Ultrasonic Exploration of a Region of Space

This chapter constitutes a summary of a few physical principles which can have relevance to the production of guidance prostheses for the blind. Mention will be made of several which perhaps warrant further consideration for special circumstances.
A Theoretical Framework for Studying Educational Media: A Pilot Study

Are different media equally effective for a given learning task when each presents the same event of instruction? Are given instructional materials equally effective for different types of learning outcomes? This pilot study used three types of stimulus materials—text, film, and live demonstration—to teach cardiopulmonary resuscitation to graduate students. Learning outcomes measured were verbal learning and a motor skill task.
Resumptive Pronouns in Relative Clauses

This paper discusses the role of traces and resumptive pronouns as triggers of functional/pair-list readings of Hebrew restrictive relative clauses. It is claimed that the type of sentence which embeds the relative clause affects the binding options inside it. A relative clause formed of a chain that ends in a trace triggers functional/pair-list readings regardless of the type of sentence which embeds the relative clause. On the other hand, a relative clause formed of a chain that ends in a pronoun needs to be embedded in an equative sentence in order to trigger such readings. This effect is argued to follow from the constraints which govern resumptive pronouns, one of which being that they require salient discourse antecedents. It is also shown that previous analyses which attempt to derive the pronoun/trace alternation from syntactic principles alone fail to account for the equative/non-equative contrast.
Enhance Knowledge Communication and Learning: A Surprise Paradox.

Human-computer interface is a pivotal factor that can promote or deter the effectiveness of Web-based knowledge communication. There is abundant research that strain to improve interfaces by considering user needs through usability studies, however, few research considers the incorporation of automatic brain mechanisms in order to improve knowledge communication performance. The objective of this research is not to establish a relationship between the negative stimulus presence and improved knowledge communication, but rather to show that the shape of this function follows the Yerkes–Dodson Law. Partial least squares (PLS) was utilized to analyze the data. Results found in this study support the evidence that surprising negative events enhance knowledge communication effectiveness, but more importantly that the surprise-performance relationship is not a linear function but follows the inverted U shape.
Building a Coherent Research Program that Links Abstract Algebra to Secondary Mathematics Pedagogy via Disciplinary Practices

In this commentary, we discuss the contributions of five chapters that explore how disciplinary practices might be used to connect abstract algebra to secondary mathematics pedagogy. We identified four foundational issues that we believe researchers should consider going forward to build a coherent literature base, such as what constitutes a meaningful connection between abstract algebra and pedagogy and how contextual variation between studies should be accounted for. We suggest that an increased theoretical focus on how teachers learn pedagogy in an abstract algebra class can help address these foundational issues. Finally, we propose that Sandoval’s notion of “conjecture mapping” can provide researchers with a research paradigm to focus simultaneously on what they want students to learn, how they think learning occurs, and whether their proposed instruction is effective.
Lipoic Acid and Other Antioxidants as Therapies for Multiple Sclerosis

Oxidative stress (OS), when oxidative forces outweigh endogenous and nutritional antioxidant defenses, contributes to the pathophysiology of multiple sclerosis (MS). Evidence of OS is found during acute relapses, in active inflammatory lesions, and in chronic, longstanding plaques. OS results in both ongoing inflammation and neurodegeneration. Antioxidant therapies are a rational strategy for people with MS with all phenotypes and disease durations. PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To understand the function of OS in health and disease, to examine the contributions of OS to MS pathophysiology, and to review current evidence for the effects of selected antioxidant therapies in people with MS (PwMS) with a focus on lipoic acid (LA). RECENT FINDINGS: Studies of antioxidant interventions in both animal and in vivo models result in reductions in serum markers of OS and increases in levels and activity of antioxidant enzymes. Antioxidant trials in PwMS, while generally underpowered, detect short-term improvements in markers of OS and antioxidant defenses, and to a lesser extent, in clinical symptoms (fatigue, depression). The best evidence to date is a 2-year trial of LA in secondary progressive MS which demonstrated a significant reduction of whole-brain atrophy and trend toward improvement in walking speed. Antioxidant therapy is a promising approach to treat MS across the spectrum and duration of disease. Rigorous and well-powered trials are needed to determine their therapeutic benefits.
PRELIMINARY STUDY ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SMOKING AND MALIGNANT TRANSFORMATION OF ORAL LEUKOPLAKIA

Objective:To study the relationship between smoking and malignant transformation of oral leukoplakia.Methods:The clinical data of non smoking and smoking patients such as clinical type,various epithelial dysplasia and the smoking state of smokers was analysed.Results:The incidence of severe epithelial dysplasia and malignant transformation of smokers with oral leukoplakia was higher than that of non smokers.The more they smoked,the more frequently the severe epithelial dysplasia and the malignant transformation occured.Conclusion:The present study indicates that there might be some correlation between smoking and canceration of oral leukoplakia.
A Compendium of Cytogenetic Abnormalities in Myelofibrosis: Molecular and Phenotypic Correlates in 826 Patients

Background: Recent studies have suggested significant associations between karyotype and certain molecular or phenotypic features in primary myelofibrosis (PMF). In the current study of 835 consecutive patients, we examined the spectrum and prevalence of cytogenetic abnormalities in PMF and their molecular and phenotypic correlates. Methods: PMF diagnosis was according to World Health Organization criteria. Cytogenetic analysis and reporting was done according to the International System for Human Cytogenetic Nomenclature. Statistical analyses considered clinical and laboratory parameters obtained at time of cytogenetic studies. Spectrum and frequency of cytogenetic abnormalities: Analyzable metaphases were obtained in 826 (99%) of 835 patients studied; 681(82%) had ≥20 metaphases analyzed. 352 (42.6%) patients had abnormal karyotype, including 240 (68.2%) sole, 64 (18.2%) two and 48 (13.6%) complex; comparison of these groups revealed lower platelet count (p Molecular correlates: 476 patients were annotated for JAK2, CALR and MPL mutations; abnormal karyotype frequencies were 43% in JAK2, 42% CALR, 33% MPL mutated and 34% triple-negative cases (p=0.3). 13q- was associated with mutant CALR (p=0.03) and +9 with mutant JAK2 (p=0.02). Subsets of patients were also screened for ASXL1, EZH2, IDH, SRSF2, U2AF1, and SF3B1 mutations; in all instances, mutational frequencies were higher in patients with normal karyotype, reaching significance with ASXL1 (p=0.02) and U2AF1 (p=0.01). Mutant SRSF2 was associated with 20q- (p=0.02). Phenotypic correlates: Phenotypic correlates included abnormal karyotype with anemia (p=0.02), leukopenia (p Conclusions: The association of 13q- with CALR mutations in PMF might underlie its association with both thrombocytosis and favorable prognosis. The association of +9 with JAK2 mutations might reflect selective clonal advantage through JAK2V617F dosage enhancement or mutation-induced chromosomal instability. The association of 20q- with mutant SRSF2 and thrombocytopenia warrant further clarification of its reported association with favorable prognosis. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Mass media coverage and influenza vaccine uptake

Abtract Background Despite the high risk and economic burden of influenza-related diseases, about one-third of adults aged 65 and older still forego annual influenza vaccination. Mass media, as a leading source of health information for the public, can influence and promote health behaviors, such as vaccination. However, empirical evidence on the effect of media coverage on influenza vaccination uptake remains limited. Objective We examine the impact of media coverage by month on influenza vaccination among the elderly. Methods This study exploits variation in the number of influenza-related news reports by month and across seasons and examines its impact on vaccine uptake in a linear probability model with state fixed effects and seasonable random effects. We combine individual-level influenza vaccination data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), 2010-2017, and media coverage data from the NewsBank database along with several other data sources including weather data from the Global Historical Climatology Network and data on the influenza season from FluView from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Results Our main results indicate every 100 additional media reports about influenza published in October were associated with an increase in the vaccination uptake rate among those aged 65+ of 0.3 percentage points. This association holds in January, but not in November or December. It was more pronounced in late-peak seasons and in seasons where the vaccine was highly effective. Conclusion This study provides suggestive evidence that variation in the number of media reports is associated with variation in influenza vaccination uptake.
Immigration/migration and healthy publics: the threat of food insecurity

Global climate change and the continued neoliberalization of food systems have exacerbated levels of food insecurity and hunger, producing an ever-expanding population of displaced persons who are also nutritionally vulnerable. Restrictive immigration policies in post-arrival and resettlement contexts compound with other cultural, social, political, and economic conditions to negatively affect the food security and health of displaced persons. This article engages a comparative ethnographic perspective for examining the migration-food security nexus. Drawing on ethnographic research with Mexican and Central American im/migrants in the Western United States, Haitian im/migrants in the Dominican Republic, and African im/migrant populations in Italy, this article analyzes local experiences of food insecurity in restrictive immigration policy contexts through an intersectional lens. Finally, this article examines the possibilities for engaged research oriented toward generating “healthy publics” and addressing food insecurity across disparate geographical and political settings and amid structural and social constraints.
Amend the Arena: On Adrian Piper’s Work

Artist, philosopher and yogi Adrian Piper has an irreducibly interdisciplinary trajectory. Her multifaceted practice presents a unique challenge for writers on her work. This chapter is concerned with a series of aesthetic, moral and spiritual commitments that shaped and were shaped by Piper’s artistic practice during the late 1960s and early 1970s. The frame around this discussion is the deep questioning around the presuppositions under which things are allowed to exist in discreet objecthood, a series of interrogations that occupied much of the New York Conceptual Art milieu at the time, of which Piper is a part. Specifically at stake here are the conditions under which a performing subject is allowed to exist as an art object, the underlying sociopolitical bias that these presuppositions reify and the ways in which such conditions are racialised. Throughout the chapter, I wage the ontological tension between ‘art’ and ‘blackness’ as it presents itself in Piper’s work. I argue that her work pushes this tension to its limit, resulting in, for writers on her work, a blurring of the frameworks of judgement of art and life, and, consequently, collapsing the distinction between writing about a contemporary artist and writing about contemporary art.
A universal magnification theorem. III. Caustics beyond codimension 5

In the final paper of this series, we extend our results on magnification invariants to the infinite family of An(n≥2),Dn(n≥4),E6,E7,E8 caustic singularities. We prove that for families of general mappings between planes exhibiting any caustic singularity of the An(n≥2),Dn(n≥4),E6,E7,E8 family, and for a point in the target space lying anywhere in the region giving rise to the maximum number of lensed images (real preimages), the total signed magnification of the lensed images will always sum to zero. The proof is algebraic in nature and relies on the Euler trace formula.
Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Flattery. Or Is It? The Effects of Exposure to SNL Parody on Perceptions of The View

Research shows that viewers evaluate politicians more critically after exposure to parody programing. How do viewers evaluate journalistic content when a popular variety program parodies news progr...
Recent Advances in Insect Rearing Methodology to Promote Scientific Research and Mass Production

The benefits obtained from our ability to produce insects have encompassed a wide array of applications, from the early stages of examining different species, to the present day of mass production for multiple purposes [...]