cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Benzoporphyrins bearing pyridine or pyridine-N-oxide anchoring groups as sensitizers for dye-sensitized solar cell

Novel benzoporphyrins bearing pyridine or pyridine-N-oxide groups were prepared through a concise method based on a Pd0 catalyzed cascade reaction. These benzoporphyrins were examined as sensitizers for dye-sensitized solar cells. Vicinal pyridine and vicinal pyridine-N-oxide groups were introduced as new types of anchoring/acceptor groups for dye-sensitized solar cells for the first time. While all the porphyrins showed solar to electricity conversion, benzoporphyrins bearing pyridine-N-oxide anchoring groups displayed higher conversion efficiency than benzoporphyrins bearing pyridine-anchoring groups.Opp-dibenzoporphyrins display broadened and red-shifted UV-vis absorption and emission bands as compared with those of the monobenzoporphyrins, which arises from the fusion of one more benzene ring and the attachment of two more electron-withdrawing groups to the porphyrin β-positions. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) data and DFT calculation data obtained for these porphyrins agree well with their UV-vis absorption and fluorescence spectroscopic data. The HOMO energy level derived from the first oxidation potentials indicate that regeneration of the resulting porphyrin radical cation by the redox mediator (I-/I3-) is thermodynamically feasible for all these benzoporphyrin sensitizers (3, 5, 8 and 10). On the other hand, excited state energy levels of these benzoporphyrins calculated from the CV data, the UV-vis and fluorescence spectroscopic data are all slightly lower than the energy level of the conduction band of TiO2, suggesting insufficient driving force for efficient electron injection from the porphyrin excited singlet state to the conduction band of TiO2.
A Legal Setback for the Affordable Care Act

If upheld on appeal, a ruling that the Obama administration lacks the power to reimburse health plans for reducing low-income enrollees' out-of-pocket spending could increase federal spending, swell the rolls of the uninsured, and deal a body blow to the ACA.
A Split Analysis of Plurality: Number in Amharic

Plural morphemes are conventionally analyzed as realizations of Num-(ber). However, much recent research has investigated idiosyncratic/‘‘lexical’’ plural systems where some or all of the plural morphemes are realizations of some other syntactic head. The focus of this article is the intricate plural system of Amharic (Ethiosemitic), where there is considerable evidence that plural morphology is split between two heads: Num and the nominalizing head n. The article thus provides further empirical evidence that the morphosyntax of plurality does not involve Num alone; it also develops a novel analysis of a plural system that relies on two different morphosyntactic heads.
Comment on A. Oswald, “The Economic Theory of Trade Unions—An Introductory Survey”

The importance of trade unions in any useful analysis of the behavior of aggregate economic variables in most O.E.C.D. countries has recently come to be widely recognized. If unions represent most workers (as in Scandinavia) or even workers in a significant minority of industries (as in the United States), their existence cannot simply be ignored. Any plausible economic theory of what trade unions attempt and are able to do would suggest that they will have a major impact on the general level and/or structure of real wages, and any sensible theory of employment determination would imply that wage rates will have an impact on the equilibrium unemployment rate. Thus, public policy toward trade unions may be an important component of macroeconomic policy. There is, therefore, a great deal of incentive to build good microeconomic models of trade union behavior, for these might provide useful insights into the way the aggregate economy operates.
Photocatalytic effects of titanium dioxide nanoparticles on aquatic organisms—Current knowledge and suggestions for future research

Nanoparticles are entering natural systems through product usage, industrial waste and post-consumer material degradation. As the production of nanoparticles is expected to increase in the next decade, so too are predicted environmental loads. Engineered metal-oxide nanomaterials, such as titanium dioxide, are known for their photocatalytic capabilities. When these nanoparticles are exposed to ultraviolet radiation in the environment, however, they can produce radicals that are harmful to aquatic organisms. There have been a number of studies that have reported the toxicity of titanium dioxide nanoparticles in the absence of light. An increasing number of studies are assessing the interactive effects of nanoparticles and ultraviolet light. However, most of these studies neglect environmentally-relevant experimental conditions. For example, researchers are using nanoparticle concentrations and light intensities that are too high for natural systems, and are ignoring water constituents that can alter the light field. The purpose of this review is to summarize the current knowledge of the photocatalytic effects of TiO2 nanoparticles on aquatic organisms, discuss the limitations of these studies, and outline environmentally-relevant factors that need to be considered in future experiments.
Abstract P24: Clinical Strategies and Bleeding Outcomes in Octogenarians Undergoing Primary PCI: Results from the NCDR®

Background: Patients ≥80 years of age with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are at increased risk for bleeding. Specific clinical strategies may reduce the bleeding risk associated with PCI. However, the use and outcomes associated with these strategies in patients ≥80 have not been described. Methods: We analyzed data from the CathPCI Registry® between July 1, 2005 and June 30, 2009. Patients were included if they were ≥80, presented with STEMI, and underwent primary PCI. We evaluated trends in bleeding avoidance strategies (direct thrombin inhibitors, closure devices, radial access) and risk-adjusted bleeding (drop in hemoglobin >3 gm/dl, transfusion, or bleeding resulting in prolonged hospitalization) over time. Results: Among 10,469 patients age ≥80 undergoing primary PCI, 1002 (9.6%) experienced a bleeding complication. Only a minority of patients were treated with a direct thrombin inhibitor or vascular closure device, but the use of these strategies increased over time (p for trend Conclusions: Despite significant increases in the use of bleeding avoidance strategies, patients ≥80 undergoing primary PCI remain at high risk of bleeding. These findings suggest the need to increase adoption of existing bleeding avoidance strategies and develop novel approaches to reducing bleeding risk in this vulnerable population.
Should fecal microbial transplantation be used in the ICU

Purpose of reviewMaintaining gut barrier defenses, modulating immune responses, and supporting the role of commensal microbiota are major factors influencing outcome in critical illness. Of these, maintaining a commensal ‘lifestyle’ and preventing the emergence of a virulent pathobiome may be most i
Geographic Inequalities in Progress against Lung Cancer among Women in the United States, 1990-2015.

Background: Lung cancer–related death rates in the United States have declined steadily since 1990 in men but not until the mid-2000s in women, with the gap in mortality narrowing during the most recent time period. We examined variation in the declining trend among women by county, where many tobacco control policies are implemented. Methods: We obtained county-level lung cancer death rates among women from the National Center for Health Statistics mortality file and calculated relative changes from 1990–1999 to 2006–2015. Optimized hotspot analysis identified contiguous counties with small declines or increases in death rates. Results: We identified two distinct clusters of counties: 669 in Appalachia and the Midwest (Hotspot 1) and 81 in the northern Midwest (Hotspot 2). From 1990–1999 to 2006–2015, death rates among women increased by 13% in Hotspot 1 and by 7% in Hotspot 2 counties, while rates decreased by 6% in the non-hotspot United States. From 1990–2015, death rate ratios (RRs) in hotspot versus non-hotspot counties changed from 4% lower (RR, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.94–0.99) to 28% higher [RR, 1.28; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.25–1.31] for Hotspot 1 counties and from 18% lower (RR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.76–0.89) to unity (RR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.93–1.05) for Hotspot 2 counties. Conclusions: We identified areas in the Midwest and Appalachia where progress against lung cancer mortality among women has lagged compared with a steady national decline. Impact: Targeted tobacco control programs could reduce the excess burden of lung cancer among women living in hotspot counties and prevent widening geographic inequity. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 27(11); 1261–4. ©2018 AACR.
Introduction to Multi-Electron Atoms

Some of the basic themes, or foundational concepts and principles of quantum mechanics (Planck’s quantization, Schrodinger’s equation, de Broglie’s wavelength, Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle, etc.) were introduced in Chapter 1. There is another basic principle, Pauli’s exclusion principle, which was not introduced there but which will be considered in this chapter. This principle was actually postulated prior to the main developments of post-Bohr quantum mechanics, and has had a spectacular impact in regards to the understanding of why atoms exhibit different chemical properties. The principle resolves the question, among others, namely of what determines the arrangements of electrons about a nucleus, a question which we touch on briefly, or tangentially.
Eigenvalue Distribution for Nonselfadjoint Toeplitz Matrices

In this expository article we discuss the question of the limiting distribution as n → ∞ of the the eigenvalues of n × n Toeplitz matrices, with emphasis on the determination of the limiting set and the limiting measure (if these exist). In the selfadjoint case the limiting set is the interval between the essential infimum and the essential supremum of the symbol, and the limiting measure is the canonical measure induced by the symbol. Theorems of Schmidt-Spitzer and Hirschman, which determine these when the symbol is a Laurent polynomial, are discussed. They are quite different from what they are in the selfadjopint case. A conjecture is presented (with some evidence given) that, nevertheless, the limiting measure is “in general” the one induced by the symbol.
Groundwater Level Change

Water-level changes in wells during and after earthquakes have been reported since the time of antiquity (e.g., Institute of Geophysics – CAS, 1976) and are the most widely documented changes among all earthquake-induced hydrologic phenomena. Since the early twentieth century, instrumental records of water-level changes during earthquakes have become available and significant advances in quantitative analysis have been made (Cooper et al., 1965; Liu et al., 1989; Roeloffs, 1998; King et al., 1999; Roeloffs et al., 2003; Brodsky et al., 2003; Matsumoto et al., 2003; Montgomery and Manga, 2003; Wang et al., 2003; Sato et al., 2004; Kitagawa et al., 2006; Sil and Freymueller, 2006; Elkhoury et al., 2006; Wang and Chia, 2008; Wang et al., 2009). Results of these analyses have significantly contributed to our understanding of the responses of hydrogeologic system to earthquakes.
Evaluation and Management of Acute Compartment Syndrome in the Emergency Department

Abstract Background Abdominal compartment syndrome is a potentially deadly condition that can be missed in the emergency department setting. Objective The purpose of this narrative review article is to provide a summary of the background, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management of abdominal compartment syndrome with a focus on emergency clinicians. Discussion Abdominal compartment syndrome is caused by excessive pressure within the abdominal compartment due to diminished abdominal wall compliance, increased intraluminal contents, increased abdominal contents, or capillary leak/fluid resuscitation. History and physical examination are insufficient in isolation, and the gold standard is intra-abdominal pressure measurement. Abdominal compartment syndrome is defined as an intra-abdominal pressure >20 mm Hg with evidence of end-organ injury. Management involves increasing abdominal wall compliance (e.g., analgesia, sedation, and neuromuscular blocking agents), evacuating gastrointestinal contents (e.g., nasogastric tubes, rectal tubes, and prokinetic agents), avoiding excessive fluid resuscitation, draining intraperitoneal contents (e.g., percutaneous drain), and decompressive laparotomy in select cases. Patients are critically ill and often require admission to a critical care unit. Conclusions Abdominal compartment syndrome is an increasingly recognized condition with the potential for significant morbidity and mortality. It is important for clinicians to be aware of the current evidence regarding the diagnosis, management, and disposition of these patients.
Comparing the rates of low-value back images ordered by physicians and nurse practitioners for Medicare beneficiaries in primary care.

Abstract Background Little is known about the extent of ordering low-value services by. Purpose To compare the rates of low-value back images ordered by primary care physicians (PCMDs) and primary care nurse practitioners (PCNPs). Method We used 2012 and 2013 Medicare Part B claims for all beneficiaries in 18 hospital referral regions (HRRs) and a measure of low-value back imaging from Choosing Wisely. Models included random clinician effect and fixed effects for beneficiary age, disability, Elixhauser comorbidities, clinician sex, the emergency department setting, back pain visit volume, organization, and region (HRR). Findings PCNPs (N = 231) and PCMDs (N = 4,779) order low-value back images at similar rates (NP: all images: 26.5%; MRI/CT: 8.4%; MD: all images: 24.5%; MRI/CT: 7.7%), with no detectable significant difference when controlling for covariates. Discussion PCNPs and PCMDs order low-value back images at an effectively similar rate.
Abstract 2337: Changes in GDF15 (growth/differentiation factor 15) expression and M2 macrophages during prostate carcinogenesis

GDF15 (growth/differentiation factor 15), also known as MIC-1 (Macrophage inhibitory cytokine 1), is a divergent member of the TGFβ superfamily of cytokines and is highly expressed in prostate tumors, but its role in prostate carcinogenesis and utility as a prognostic biomarker is unclear. We studied 91 prostate cancer cases that underwent surgery as their primary treatment and were then subsequently followed for biochemical recurrence (BCR). These cases also had a benign prostate biopsy at least one year before their prostate cancer diagnosis. In both the benign biopsy and tumor specimens, we quantified the intensity of GDF15 expression and characterized the presence of tumor associated macrophages by measuring the density of CD68-positive stained cells, and the M2 macrophage marker CD204 by immunohistochemical analysis. Marker expression was measured in prostate a) benign biopsy (BS), b) tumor-adjacent benign (BGS) and c) tumor tissue (MGS) using an automated multi-image processing macro developed in the ImageJ software. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to test the association of time to BCR of the low expression group compared with medium or high biomarker expression. The risk of BCR differed with the extent of GDF15 expression in the prostatic epithelial tissue of benign and tumor regions of the prostate. For instance, in BGS, high expression of GDF15 was associated with increased risk of BCR (hazard ratio (HR)=2.58, p=0.07). After controlling for PSA at diagnosis, Gleason grade and pathologic stage, high expression of GDF15 in BGS had a stronger association with BCR (HR=3.30, p=0.04). The risk of BCR increased with increasing level of infiltration of CD204/CD68 positive macrophages in BGS (HR=4.19, p=0.02) and MGS (HR=4.16, p=0.01) even after controlling for PSA at diagnosis, Gleason grade and pathologic stage. The combined expression levels of GDF15 and CD204/CD68 showed that prostate cancer cases with small GDF15 expression changes between BGS and MGS and high CD204/CD68 expression in BGS were at 3-fold higher risk of BCR (HR=3.67, p=0.05). In summary, expression levels of GDF15 and CD204 M2 macrophages in different regions of the prostate can change as the disease progresses from benign to a tumorigenic state and serve as markers for aggressive disease. Further evaluation of these dynamic differences in the prostate immune cellular profile in the pre-malignant and malignant state may offer additional insight into inflammatory-mediated prostate carcinogenesis. Citation Format: Sudha M. Sadasivan, Yalei Chen, Nilesh Gupta, Sean Williamson, Dhananjay Chitale, Xiaoxia Han, Kevin Bobbitt, Andrew Rundle, Deliang Tang, Benjamin A. Rybicki. Changes in GDF15 (growth/differentiation factor 15) expression and M2 macrophages during prostate carcinogenesis [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 2337.
Lack of multidrug resistance-associated protein 4 (Mrp4) alters the kinetics of acetaminophen toxicity.

Abstract Acetaminophen (APAP) overdose is the most frequent cause of drug-induced liver injury in humans and a common chemical model to investigate genetic determinants of susceptibility to drug-induced liver injury (DILI). Previous studies performed in our laboratory identified the efflux transporter multidrug resistance-associated protein 4 (Mrp4) as an inducible gene in the liver following toxic APAP exposure in both humans and rodents. In mice, blockade of hepatic Mrp4 induction following APAP administration increases susceptibility towards APAP hepatotoxicity. Collectively, these findings suggest that Mrp4 plays an important role in tolerance to APAP-induced liver injury. To further study the role of Mrp4 in APAP-induced hepatotoxicity, we treated 10–12 weeks old male wild type (WT, C57BL/6J) and Mrp4 knockout (Mrp4−/−) mice with APAP (400 mg/Kg in saline, i.p.) or vehicle. Liver injury endpoints and hepatic gene expression were analyzed at 12, 24 and 48 h post-APAP injections. Unexpectedly, the kinetics of histologically measured liver damage and plasma ALT revealed that Mrp4−/ mice had decreased ALT levels and hepatic necrosis compared to WT mice only at 12 h. Notably, hepatic non-protein sulfhydryl (NPSH) levels were increased in the APAP treated Mrp4−/− mice at intervals less than 24 h, consistent with the capability of Mrp4 to export glutathione. Further gene expression analysis revealed that hepatic drug metabolism genes were downregulated in Mrp4−/− mice at earlier time points post-APAP administration. However, despite significant decreases in endpoints of liver injury detected at an early time point after APAP treatment, these changes were not sustained at later time points as Mrp4−/− mice ultimately had hepatic toxicity at levels comparable to WT mice. In conclusion, our data indicate that lack of Mrp4 by itself in mice does not alter susceptibility to APAP toxicity.
Guest Editors’ Introduction to the Special Issue on “Climate and the Earth System”

The Journal of Agricultural, Biological and Environment Statistics (JABES) special issue on the Climate and Earth System highlights recent statistical develops that aim to refine our understanding of this complex system. New methods are required to process the massive environmental data that often fuels climate analysis and to properly account for uncertainty in the results. This special issue proudly features eight papers that span a wide range of computational and methodological problems related to the climate and earth system. In this brief introduction, we identify common themes among the papers and point to areas of future research.
Parallelizing Basis Pursuit Denoising

Basis Pursuit DeNoising (BPDN) is a version of sparse least squares, where there is an l1 penalty for the coefficients in addition to the sum of squares of the errors. To apply this technique to large data sets, parallel algorithms are needed. In this paper, we create a parallel version of a BPDN algorithm [11] that can compute exact solutions for an interval of values for the l1 penalty parameter that exploits the sparsity of the solutions, unlike stochastic gradient descent-type algorithms.
Occupational Heterogeneity in Healthcare Workers’ Misgivings about Organizational Change:

Past research on organizational change has explored how workers embrace change in some scenarios, resist it in others, and in some cases, subtly circumvent change efforts by feigning conformity. Wh...
Applications of Robots for COVID-19 Response

This paper reviews 262 reports appearing between March 27 and July 4, 2020, in the press, social media, and scientific literature describing 203 instances of actual use of 104 different models of ground and aerial robots for the COVID19 response. The reports are organized by stakeholders and work domain into a novel taxonomy of six application categories, reflecting major differences in work envelope, adoption strategy, and human-robot interaction constraints. Each application category is further divided into a total of 30 subcategories based on differences in mission. The largest number of reported instances were for public safety (74 out of 203) and clinical care (46), though robots for quality of life (27), continuity of work and education (22), laboratory and supply chain automation (21), and non-clinical care (13) were notable. Ground robots were used more frequently (119) than aerial systems (84), but unlike ground robots, aerial applications appeared to take advantage of existing general purpose platforms that were used for multiple applications and missions. Of the 104 models of robots, 82 were determined to be commercially available or already existed as a prototype, 11 were modifications to existing robots, 11 were built from scratch. Teleoperation dominated the control style (105 instances), with the majority of those applications intentionally providing remote presence and thus not amenable to full autonomy in the future. Automation accounted for 74 instances and taskable agency forms of autonomy, 24. The data suggests areas for further research in autonomy, human-robot interaction, and adaptability.
On the modified random walk algorithm for Monte-Carlo radiation transfer

Min et al. (2009) presented two complementary techniques that use the diffusion approximation to allow efficient Monte-Carlo radiation transfer in very optically thick regions: a modified random walk and a partial diffusion approximation. In this note, I show that the calculations required for the modified random walk method can be significantly simplified. In particular, the diffusion coefficient and the mass absorption coefficients required for the modified random walk are in fact the same as the standard diffusion coefficient and the Planck mean mass absorption coefficient.
Divergent Thinking in Survival Processing: Did Our Ancestors Benefit From Creative Thinking?

The survival processing advantage is a robust mnemonic device in which information processed for its relevance to one’s survival is subsequently better remembered. Research indicates that elaborati...
Giving “prescriptions” for paediatric weight management follow‐up in primary care

The American Academy of Paediatrics recommends that primary care paediatricians "prescribe" follow-up for weight management between well child checks. We sought to describe rates and predictors of prescribed and actual clinic attendance for weight management in primary care in a predominantly low-income population. A chart review was performed at a large, hospital-based, primary care clinic, where a treatment algorithm for obesity exists. Eligible children were 6 to 12 years of age with a body mass index (BMI) ≥85th percentile and seen for a well child check in 2014. Primary outcomes were the physician prescribing follow-up in primary care and the patient returning for weight management. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify predictors of prescribing follow-up and predictors of return. Participants included 1339 patients: mean age 9 years (SD: 1.8 years); 53% female; 79% Black; 89% Medicaid-insured; 56% with an obese BMI (vs overweight). Twenty-seven percent of patients were prescribed follow-up in primary care, of which 13% returned (only 4% of the original sample). The odds of the physician prescribing follow-up were greater if the child had obesity (vs overweight), was older, female or non-Medicaid insured. Older and non-Black patients had greater odds of returning. Patients prescribed follow-up within 2 months or less (vs 3-6 months) were also more likely to return (aOR 2.66; CI: 1.34, 5.26). Rates of prescription for weight management in primary care are low and few patients return, even when follow-up is prescribed. Prescribing follow-up at shorter intervals from the index visit (≤ 2 months) may improve patient return.
Explaining $g_{\mu}-2$ and $R_{K^{(*)}}$ using the light mediators of $U(1)_{T3R}$

Scenarios in which right-handed light Standard Model fermions couple to a new gauge group, $U(1)_{T3R}$ can naturally generate a sub-GeV dark matter candidate. But such models necessarily have large couplings to the Standard Model, generally yielding tight experimental constraints. We show that the contributions to $g_\mu-2$ from the dark photon and dark Higgs largely cancel out in the narrow window where all the experimental constraints are satisfied, leaving a net correction which is consistent with recent measurements from Fermilab. These models inherently violate lepton universality, and UV completions of these models can include quark flavor violation which can explain $R_{K^{(\ast)}}$ anomalies as observed at the LHCb experiment after satisfying constraints on $Br(B_s\rightarrow\mu\mu)$ and various other constraints in the allowed parameter space of the model. This scenario can be probed by FASER, SeaQuest, SHiP, LHCb, Belle, etc.
Sensemaking and Security: How Climate Change Shapes National Security

Climate change has evolved from an environmental issue, to an energy problem, to a security threat with an impending sense of urgency. It is increasingly recognized as having national security implications with multifaceted national security risks. Climate change increases the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events that threaten nations’ territorial integrity and sovereignty. For example, rising sea levels cause both internal displacement within nations and climate-change refugees across national borders. Some of the climate change threats facing the world in 2020 include droughts, wildfires, floods and global pandemics. Each one has the potential to increase competition and conflict around the world, creating more instability than ever. With many military bases susceptible to these threats, the changing climate has been a focus of military planners for many years. The National Defense Strategy (NDS), the primary planning document that guides decision making within the United States military, emphasizes climate change as a major factor in an increasingly complex security environment. Climate change will likely increase instability and insecurity within already vulnerable regions, particularly in regard to its destructive impacts, as rising seas infiltrate coastal bases, hurricanes batter installations, and wildfires infringe on training ranges and impact readiness. This chapter provides an analysis of climate change as a national security issue in the context of climate science and climate change’s multifaceted security effects with an emphasis on the most disaster-prone regions of Asia and the Pacific.
Pictorial versus written asthma action plans for youth: initial impact on regimen knowledge, medication adherence, symptom control, and family satisfaction.

OBJECTIVE Asthma action plans (AAP) are recommended to guide asthma management. Written AAPs (WAAPs) are under-utilized and can be difficult to understand. Our study designed and tested a simplified pictorial AAP (PAAP). We hypothesized that better outcomes would be obtained for youth with the PAAP. METHODS One hundred and sixty-nine (169) youth (aged 8-17; AAP-naive) were screened for this pilot, 2-arm randomized controlled trial. Feasibility, usability and preliminary efficacy of PAAP compared to a WAAP, for improving outcomes (inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) adherence, symptom control, AAP knowledge, AAP satisfaction) were assessed quantitatively. Youth received an AAP from their physician after completing baseline measures and completed measures at three additional time points (1-, 3-, and 6-month). RESULTS Forty-five youth were recruited (PAAP = 22; WAAP = 23). Youth AAP knowledge was higher for the PAAP group compared to the WAAP group (p = .017). ICS adherence did not differ between groups, over time, or based on prescribed dosing; however, for WAAP participants, adherence was lower with a higher daily prescription (4 puffs) relative to a lower dose (p = .006). Symptom control improved with both AAPs, but the change was not statistically significant. Lung function did not change significantly by AAP type or time, and literacy variables were not related significantly to outcomes. Youth satisfaction with AAP improved significantly for the PAAP group compared to the WAAP group (p = .03). CONCLUSIONS Higher AAP knowledge and satisfaction among youth in the PAAP group suggests that structured education from a physician using a PAAP is beneficial. Intervention and study design insights gained will guide future research.
Effects of video technology on cooking self-efficacy of college students.

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to test the effect of video technology on cooking self-efficacy in undergraduate college students living off-campus at a public Midwestern University. PARTICIPANTS 71 undergraduate college students living off-campus at a large Midwestern University. METHODS Online surveys assessing changes in self-efficacy, number of meals cooked per week, and barriers to cooking. RESULTS There were statistically significant improvements from pretest to post-test cooking self-efficacy scores for participants but no statistically significant differences between pretest and post-test number of meals cooked per week. There were no statistical differences between recipe intervention groups. CONCLUSIONS Students reported confidence in cooking skill, but lacked time and equipment associated with cooking healthy meals. Overall, the use of video technology was effective at improving self-efficacy for cooking if meals are simple and short, and videos are short to maintain viewer attention.
ACA: Application Containerization Advisory Framework for Modernizing Legacy Applications

With the adoption of cloud services and the reliability and resiliency it offers, enterprises are eager to understand how many of their legacy applications can be containerized. We propose Application Containerization advisor (ACA), a framework that provides a containerization advisory for legacy applications. Given an application description in terms of its technical components, ACA proposes a multi-step process that standardizes the raw inputs and curates technology stack into various components, detects missing components and finally recommends the best possible containerization approach.
Arachidonic and Eicosapentaenoic Acids, Glucans and Calcium as Regulators of Resistance to a Plant Disease

A common response of plants, often associated with disease resistance, is the localized and rapid death of plant cells at the infection site. This reaction, referred to as a hypersensitive response (HR), includes the accumulation of phytoalexins (low molecular weight compounds which inhibit microbial development). In some plant-parasite interactions, different races of a pathogen can be distinguished by the type of response they elicit in different cultivars. Incompatible races of Phytophthora infestans elicit the accumulation of sesquiterpenoid phytoalexins, principally rishitin and lubimin, in tubers of resistant (R-gene) cultivars faster to higher levels following infection than do compatible races on susceptible cultivars.1,2 Bostock et al.3 reported that arachidonic acid (AA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) isolated from mycelium of P. infestans elicited the accumulation of rishitin and lubimin in potato discs. However, incompatible and compatible races of P. infestans do not differ in the quantity of these fatty acids. Thus, AA and EPA per se are not the determinants of race specificity in the potato-P. infestans interaction, but they constitute a major component of the “native” fungal elicitor; i.e., the part of the fungus which is “recognized” by the plant and is responsible for eliciting HR and phytoalexin accumulation. It is unclear how contact between an elicitor, such as AA, and potato tuber cells elicits these defense mechanisms.
An ergonomics approach to standing aids

Industrial work environments, such as warehouses, stockrooms, supermarket checkouts, and assembly lines, often require workers to stand for long periods of time within a small area without the capability for much movement. This study summarizes the different indices used to evaluate standing work and also evaluates the various standing aids, available at the present time, to reduce the standing stress. The subjective indices of standing are discomfort/pain in the torso and, especially, the legs and feet. Physiological indices are heart rate, skin temperature of the leg, and volume changes of the leg. Standing stress can be reduced by: (1) softer floors (i.e., mats), (2) better shoes, (3) foot rests, (4) walking, and (5) sit/stand chairs.
An Introduction to Big History

Big historians place the written record of the human past within the natural record of the entire past, beginning with the big bang almost 14 billion years ago. By drawing on the natural sciences, they have revolutionized the field of history that in academia has normally been placed within the humanities or social sciences. They have studied light, rocks, bones, and blood as well as written texts, and then rethought the narrative of time and the place of humans in it. They study nature to tell a story of the entire past from which humanity has emerged and remains embedded. This provides a context for understanding the present and options for exerting constructive influence in the future. Historians often argue that we cannot understand where we are in the present without understanding where we came from in the past. Big historians have pushed back the traditional point for when the past is thought to have begun. The story of humanity does not begin with writing, it starts with the components that gradually, in fits and starts over a long time, gradually combine to form a good deal many things, including humans and our relationships. By integrating the evidence discovered by the natural sciences, they present a series of time periods that lead us from the first origins of matter immediately after the big bang, to stars and galaxies about half a billion years later, the combination of atoms within molecules, minerals, and rocks in space, the formation of a second generation star like our sun just under 5 billion years ago, the accretion of Earth 4.5672 billion years ago, the first emergence of life about 3.8 billion years ago, increasingly complex life starting about a half billion years ago, the evolution of hominins just under 8 million years ago, the appearance of Homo sapiens about 200,000 years ago, and then key cultural developments such as collective learning, agriculture, industrialization and urbanization, and the digital age. The big history approach challenges traditional history in content and method. Traditional historians have often labored in archives to read primary written sources, as well as in libraries to compare historiographical secondary sources. With this research, they have analyzed past centuries and millennia. Big historians add to that their study of the results from the natural scientists to include all that which eventually was combined within human society. Humanity did not emerge fully blown, but evolved out of very long complex processes that continue to influence who humans are today. We cannot understand humanity without understanding humanity’s past and the pre-human past. Not only does the work of big historians challenge their own discipline to redefine itself, it does the same for other disciplines in the liberal arts, including ethics, theology and religious studies, literature, political science, and others. The physical sciences and big history, sometimes also called “cosmic evolution,” offer much to those who focus not only on time, but also culture,
Memory/time optimization of 2-D filters

Two-dimensional filters are commonly used in digital image processing applications. These filters have the characteristic of processing recursive sets of instructions requiring high computational speed. These sets are modeled as cyclic two-dimensional data flow graphs, which are also used to represent the equivalent circuit design. In this new method, such graphs are submitted to a multi-dimensional retiming in order to reduce their cycle time. Such a reduction can achieve a cycle equal to the longest atomic operation in the filter, by inserting a fixed number of registers, independent of the size of the problem, into the circuit paths. Examples, a description and the correctness of our algorithm are presented.
Ralph S. Brown

At the end of Ralph's suggested list of speakers for this memorial, he said, "Admonish them to be brief." That caveat, of course, mirrored Ralph's abiding modesty. It surely also reflected a weariness induced by his faithful attendance at half a century of meetings that, however worthy and even essential they may have been, were needlessly protracted. And Ralph's courtesy led him to refer to us, the speakers, as "them," using a collective pronoun rather than specifying those in particular need of his advice. We are thus enabled to proceed in the spirit that animated a British cabinet on addressing Queen Victoria, when they amended their introductory disclaimer-" conscious as we are of our failings" -to " conscious as we are of each other's failings." Other speakers at this memorial will talk about Ralph's professional career as a teacher and scholar, his role in administrating the Yale Law School, and his participation in the work of the American Association of University Professors. My subject is Ralph's contributions to a broad spectrum of public affairs and civic organizations and his ever-present love of nature and the world around us. Let me begin by noting that law was actually a second-best choice for Ralph. He had come to Yale College-a poor country boy, by his own description-in 1931, and he wanted, on graduating in 1935 from Yale College, to pursue the career of a historian. But he was unable to get a fellowship in those difficult times and he therefore took a job as an editor of the Horace Walpole Correspondence in Sterling Memorial Library, hoping to save enough from his modest salary to enter graduate school and then move into his chosen occupation. This was in the mid-1930s, however, and his Yale College friends who had entered the Yale Law School were fired with excitement in the school's classrooms and corridors over the great forensic battles between President Roosevelt and the Supreme Court over the constitutionality of the New Deal legislation. Their enthusiasm was contagious, and Ralph shifted his sights from history to law. The Law School was more generous with financial aid; but even so, he had to work
Understanding the Chaos of Airline Pricing

Airline pricing is so distorted that often a full-fare paying passenger is seated next to a passenger who paid more then three hundred percent less for his or her ticket. What makes this situation so exasperating is that each passenger is receiving the same quality of seat and in-flight service, regardless of the airfare each paid. This paper will attempt to uncover the forces that have created this chaotic pricing system that has confused and annoyed passengers in today’s air travel industry.
Insects as Regulators of Ecosystem Processes

The hypothesis that phytophagous insects regulate ecosystem processes is one of the most important and controversial concepts to emerge from research on insect ecology. Although natural selection directly shapes individual attributes, individual attributes affect other organisms and environmental conditions in ways that generate feedback on individual fitness. Such feedback selection contributes to the inclusive fitness of an individual. The intensity of this feedback reflects genetic relatedness and frequency of interaction. Frequent interspecific interaction can lead to negative feedback (eg, competition and predation) and reciprocal cooperation (mutualism), with fitness reflecting the trade-off between balancing individual sacrifice, if any, and traits that benefit the group, for example, stabilization of population, food web, or ecosystem structure. Stability may be achieved, not at the patch scale, but rather at the landscape scale where conditional stability is achieved through relatively constant proportions of various ecosystem types (eg, metacommunities). The relationship of stability to diversity has been a major topic of debate. Effects of different species often are complementary, such that more diverse assemblages should be buffered better against changes in ecosystem properties in heterogeneous environments. Phytophagous insects may regulate primary production. Phytophagous insects possess the key criteria of cybernetic regulators, that is, small biomass, rapid amplification of effect at the ecosystem level, sensitivity to airborne or waterborne cues indicating ecosystem conditions, and stabilizing feedback on primary production and other processes. Low intensity of herbivory, under conditions of low densities or optimal condition of hosts, tends to stimulate primary production, whereas higher intensities, under conditions of high host density or stress, tend to reduce primary production. Clearly, this aspect of insect ecology has significant implications for our approaches to managing ecosystem resources and “pests.”
Discrepancies in testing recommendations for Clostridium difficile infection: updated review favors amplification test systems

Nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) have floated to the top as the diagnostic preference for detection of Clostridium difficile. NAATs identify more patients initially than any other test and ...
On Prioritized Multiple-Criteria Aggregation

We describe multicriteria aggregation and discuss its central role in many modern applications. The concept of aggregation imperative is introduced to indicate the description of how the individual criteria satisfactions should be combined to obtain the overall score. We focus on a particular type of aggregation imperative called prioritized aggregation that is characteristic of situations where lack of satisfaction to criteria denoted as higher priority cannot be compensated by increased satisfaction by those denoted as lower priority. We discuss two approaches to the formulation of this type of aggregation process. One of these uses the prioritized aggregation operator, and the second is based on an integral-type aggregation using a monotonic set measure to convey the prioritized imperative.
Modulation of the Helicase Activity of eIF4A by eIF4B, eIF4H, and eIF4F

Eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF) 4A is a DEAD box RNA helicase that works in conjunction with eIF4B, eIF4H, or as a subunit of eIF4F to unwind secondary structure in the 5'-untranslated region of mRNA, which facilitates binding of the mRNA to the 40 S ribosomal subunit. This study demonstrates how the helicase activity of eIF4A is modulated by eIF4B, eIF4H, or as a subunit of eIF4F. Results indicate that a linear relationship exists between the initial rate or amplitude of unwinding and duplex stability for all factor combinations tested. eIF4F, like eIF4A, behaves as a non-processive helicase. Either eIF4B or eIF4H stimulated the initial rate and amplitude of eIF4A-dependent duplex unwinding, and the magnitude of stimulation is dependent on duplex stability. Furthermore, eIF4A (or eIF4F) becomes a slightly processive helicase in the presence of eIF4B or eIF4H. All combinations of factors tested indicate that the rate of duplex unwinding is equivalent in the 5' --> 3' and 3' --> 5' directions. However, the optimal rate of unwinding was dependent on the length of the single-stranded region of the substrate when different combinations of factors were used. The combinations of eIF4A, eIF4A + eIF4B, eIF4A + eIF4H, and eIF4F showed differences in their ability to unwind chemically modified duplexes. A simple model of how eIF4B or eIF4H affects the duplex unwinding mechanism of eIF4A is proposed.
Nuclear localization of actin requires AC102 in Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus-infected cells.

Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus requires nuclear actin for progeny virus production and thereby encodes viral products that ensure actin’s translocation to and retention within the nucleus. Current evidence suggests that the ie0–ie1 gene complex along with five nuclear localization of actin (NLA) genes are sufficient for NLA in transient transfection experiments. Here we report that, during infection, only one of the five NLA genes, Ac102, was essential for NLA, and that AC102 had at least one other activity critical for budded virus (BV) production. Viral deletion mutants in the other four NLA genes were viable, with only two having replication phenotypes different from that of the wild type. Infection with AcΔpe38 revealed a delay in both BV production and NLA. Infection with AcΔ152 revealed a delay in BV production, but no corresponding delay in NLA. Infection with either AcΔpe38 or AcΔ152 resulted in slightly reduced BV titres. Deletion of Ac004 or he65 had no impact on actin translocation kinetics, timing of BV production or BV titres. These results implicate AC102 as a key player in baculovirus manipulation of actin.
Behavior in Adulthood and During Aging Is Affected by Contaminant Exposure in Utero

Environmental contaminants can alter the course of neural development, with consequences that appear in behavior. Such effects extend into adulthood and sometimes accelerate the rate of aging, even when exposure ceases by birth. The neurotoxicant methylmercury provides an interesting case study that reveals much about how disrupted neural development has lifelong consequences. Methylmercury also provides an example of the assessment and management of risks associated with exposure to developmental neurotoxicants.