cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Donor Age on Structural and Mechanical Properties of Allograft Tendons

Background:Allograft tendons are commonly used in surgical ligament reconstruction. While it is commonly accepted that donor age will affect mechanical properties of graft tissue, the apparent age threshold is unknown.Hypothesis:Donor age will significantly influence the structural and mechanical properties of tibialis posterior allograft tendons.Study Design:Controlled laboratory study.Methods:A total of 550 allograft posterior tibialis tendons were examined. Linear stiffness, ultimate tensile force, ultimate displacement, tensile modulus, ultimate tensile strength, and ultimate tensile strain were calculated for specimens from donors in each of 6 age groups: 15-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, and 70-79 years. Both first- and second-order polynomial regressions were performed to determine the correlation between structural and mechanical properties and age. Welch analyses of variance with Games-Howell post hoc tests were performed to facilitate comparisons among age groups.Results:All parameters displaye...
The relative diffusive transport rate of SrI2 in water changes over the nanometer length scale as measured by coherent quasielastic neutron scattering

X-ray and neutron scattering have been used to provide insight into the structures of ionic solutions for over a century, but the probes have covered distances shorter than 8 A. For the non-hydrolyzing salt SrI2 in aqueous solution, a locally ordered lattice of ions exists that scatters slow neutrons coherently down to at least 0.1 mol L−1 concentration, where the measured average distance between scatterers is over 18 A. To investigate the motions of these scatterers, coherent quasielastic neutron scattering (CQENS) data on D2O solutions with SrI2 at 1, 0.8, 0.6, and 0.4 mol L−1 concentrations was obtained to provide an experimental measure of the diffusive transport rate for the motion between pairs of ions relative to each other. Because CQENS measures the motion of one ion relative to another, the frame of reference is centered on an ion, which is unique among all diffusion measurement methods. We call the measured quantity the pairwise diffusive transport rate Dp. In addition to this ion centered frame of reference, the diffusive transport rate can be measured as a function of the momentum transfer q, where q = (4π/λ)sinθ with a scattering angle of 2θ. Since q is related to the interion distance (d = 2π/q), for the experimental range 0.2 A−1 ≤ q ≤ 1.0 A−1, Dp is, then, measured over interion distances from 40 A to ≈6 A. We find the measured diffusional transport rates increase with increasing distance between scatterers over the entire range covered and interpret this behavior to be caused by dynamic coupling among the ions. Within the model of Fickian diffusion, at the longer interionic distances Dp is greater than the Nernst–Hartley value for an infinitely dilute solution. For these nm-distance diffusional transport rates to conform with the lower, macroscopically measured diffusion coefficients, we propose that local, coordinated counter motion of at least pairs of ions is part of the transport process.
Providing Health Consumers with Emergency Information: A Systematic Review of Research Examining Social Media Use During Public Crises

ABSTRACTThis systematic review explored risk and crisis communication literature to examine how researchers have evaluated social media use in public crises. Twenty-four full-text articles were reviewed, the majority of which focused on natural disasters (n = 11). Studies were commonly descriptive in design (n = 21), used content analysis (n = 12), and examined the content and structure of messages (n = 18). Studies focused on blogs and microblogs (n = 20); social networks (n = 9); content communities (n = 4); and collaborative projects (n = 3), and the most commonly studied platforms were Twitter (n = 17) and Facebook (n = 9). Findings provide insight regarding the opportunities and challenges related to social media use during public crises.
Catalytic hydrodechlorination of chlorinated dioxins in α-propanediol-water solution

Dioxins are persistent in the environment as a typical representative of persistent organic pollutants because of their lipophilicity,highly toxicity,stable chemical structure and antibiodegradation.The research about removal methods of dioxins has become an international research focus.Dechlorinations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins were carried out inα-propanediol-water solution of 1mol/L NaOH in the presence of Pd/C catalyst with using of H2.The effects of reaction temperature,initial concentration,reaction time,catalyst dosage on the removal of 1,2,7,8-TCDD were studied.It is found that the reaction rate is very fast in the beginning of the reaction(before 5min);the optimal reaction conditions are as follows:reaction temperature is 45 ℃,the amount of catalyst is 0.5g/mL,reaction time is 150min;the removal rate of 1,2,7,8-TCDD is over 97.0% at this point;initial concentration of 1,2,7,8-TCDD has no effect on the removal rate.The preliminary test results show that catalytic hydrodechlorination is an effective means to remove chlorinated dioxins in the environment;however,further studies are necessary for its practical applications.
Water Quality Effect of Rangeland Beef Cattle Excrement

Nonpoint source pollution is a new term that rangeland managers must address. Concerns regarding rangeland cattle excrement impacts on water quality have focused on nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) and pathogen loading to water bodies. Some studies have attempted to compare cattle excrement deposited on the range to human waste deposited in a septic system (Lahonton 1985, DWR 1971). An important point to keep in mind when making this comparison is that humans import their food sources into a watershed while cattle predominantly consume forage produced in the watershed. Cattle export nutrients out of the watershed in the form of body mass. Beet calves that gain 2 to 2.5 pounds per day, of which 2.4% is nitrogen, 0.8 % is phosphorus (Azevedo and Stout 1974), illustrate the amount of nutrients that can be removed from grazed watersheds. Nitrogen exported in tissues of domestic ungulates has been estimated to be 17% of the N in ingested forage (Dean et al. 1975).
Bounded Analyticity of the Stokes Semigroup on Spaces of Bounded Functions

Let \(\Omega \subset \mathbb{R}^{n}\), n ≥ 3, be an exterior domain with smooth boundary. It is shown that the Stokes semigroup on \(L_{\sigma }^{\infty }(\Omega )\) is a bounded analytic semigroup on this space.
Reactivity and Selectivity Descriptors for the Activation of C–H Bonds in Hydrocarbons and Oxygenates on Metal Oxides

C–H bond activation at lattice O atoms on oxides mediates some of the most important chemical transformations of small organic molecules. The relations between molecular and catalyst properties and C–H activation energies are discerned in this study for the diverse C–H bonds prevalent in C1–C4 hydrocarbons and oxygenates using lattice O atoms with a broad range of H atom abstraction properties. These activation energies determine, in turn, attainable selectivities and yields of desired oxidation products, which differ from reactants in their C–H bond strength. Bronsted-Evans–Polanyi (BEP) linear scaling relations predict that C–H activation energies depend solely and linearly on the C–H bond dissociation energies (BDE) in molecules and on the H-atom addition energies (HAE) of the lattice oxygen abstractors. These relations omit critical interactions between organic radicals and surface OH groups that form at transition states that mediate the H atom transfer, which depend on both molecular and catalyst pr...
Performance Characterization of a Feature-Matching Axial Smoothing Method for Brain PET Images

A feature-matching axial smoothing method for images obtained with new generation positron emission tomography (PET) scanners has been introduced before and has been shown to enhance visually the signal-to-noise ratio without generating adverse artifacts. This chapter studies the performance of the method quantitatively by applying the method to multiple realizations of computer-simulated brain PET images and to PET images of the Hoffman brain phantom. The pixel-by-pixel noise level was calculated as the sample standard deviation of multiple noise realizations. Spatial resolution degradation was evaluated by the frequency response function of the smoothing procedure. For brain PET images, the results show that the feature-matching method causes a smaller spatial resolution degradation than the conventional axial smoothing method that uses the same smoothing filter. For the conventional method to give a comparable resolution loss, a shorter smoothing filter must be used, which would result in less noise reduction (equivalent to ~ 70% fewer photon counts than with the new method). Moreover, the amount of resolution degradation and/or noise advantage of the feature-matching method does not appear to be dependent on the in-plane resolution or noise level of the original images.
Marstrand-type Theorems for the Counting and Mass Dimensions in ℤ

The counting and (upper) mass dimensions of a set A ⊆ $\mathbb{R}^d$ are $$D(A) = \limsup_{\|C\| \to \infty} \frac{\log | \lfloor A \rfloor \cap C |}{\log \|C\|}, \quad \smash{\overline{D}}\vphantom{D}(A) = \limsup_{\ell \to \infty} \frac{\log | \lfloor A \rfloor \cap [-\ell,\ell)^d |}{\log (2 \ell)},$$ where ⌊ A ⌋ denotes the set of elements of A rounded down in each coordinate and where the limit supremum in the counting dimension is taken over cubes C ⊆ $\mathbb{R}^d$ with side length ‖C‖ → ∞. We give a characterization of the counting dimension via coverings: $$D(A) = \text{inf} \{ \alpha \geq 0 \mid {d_{H}^{\alpha}}(A) = 0 \},$$ where $${d_{H}^{\alpha}}(A) = \lim_{r \rightarrow 0} \limsup_{\|C\| \rightarrow \infty} \inf \biggl\{ \sum_i \biggl(\frac{\|C_i\|}{\|C\|} \biggr)^\alpha \ \bigg| \ 1 \leq \|C_i\| \leq r \|C\| \biggr\}$$ in which the infimum is taken over cubic coverings { C i } of A ∩ C . Then we prove Marstrand-type theorems for both dimensions. For example, almost all images of A ⊆ $\mathbb{R}^d$ under orthogonal projections with range of dimension k have counting dimension at least min( k , D ( A )); if we assume D ( A ) = D ( A ), then the mass dimension of A under the typical orthogonal projection is equal to min( k , D ( A )). This work extends recent work of Y. Lima and C. G. Moreira.
Theoretical predictions for carbon nanotube alignment by meniscus action

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) are rolled cylinders of monolayer graphene with high electron mobilities and a potentially large bandgap. Therefore, their operation speeds and current on/off ratios make them promising for next generation field-effect transistor devices. Making SWNTs a potential wafer-scale nanotechnology requires control of their chirality, density, placement, and alignment on a relevant substrate. This work investigates how mechanical alignment by meniscus action can align SWNTs suspended in solution, allowing them to be deposited on a substrate in a top-down fashion. Also, we show some early experimental results.
Sensemaking and Knotting: Tools for Understanding Our World

How do we understand our world? For centuries, the means of understanding (and, thus the foundation for teaching) has been Newtonian physics - showing the universe to be ruled by orderly laws. We use a discovery method - the scientifc method - in our educational systems. We collect data to describe what has happened, to predict what will happen, and to assist us in making decisions in the workplace. Everything we do is premised on order. And, yet, it is becoming more difficult to see the order. The author purposes that sensemaking as theorized by Karl Weick (1995) and knotting as an expression of sensemaking can assist us in understanding our world. This article describes sensemaking and knotting in a graduate level classroom learning. It is hoped that sensemaking and knotting can also be used by anyone, including administrators in the workplace, to make sense of the seemingly senseless events in our lives. Sensemaking is a change in our thinking, our perception, Knotting is an alternative to our usual expressions of narratice writing.
Reply: Medial Row Perforators Are Associated With Higher Rates of Fat Necrosis in Bilateral DIEP Flap Breast Reconstruction

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to evaluate perfusion-related complications in bilateral deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap breast reconstruction based on perforator selection. METHODS: A retrospective review of a prospectively maintained database was performed on all patients undergoing bilateral DIEP flap reconstruction at a single institution between 2004 and 2014. The hemiflaps were separated into three cohorts based on perforator location: lateral row only, medial row only, and medial plus lateral rows. Postoperative flap-related complications were compared and analyzed. RESULTS: There were 728 total hemiflaps: 263 (36.1 percent) based on the lateral row, 225 (30.9 percent) based on the medial row, and 240 (33.0 percent) based on both the medial and lateral rows. The groups were well matched by perforator number and flap weight. Fat necrosis occurrence was significantly higher in flaps based solely on the medial row versus lateral row perforators (24.5 percent versus 8.2 percent; p < 0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in fat necrosis between flaps based only on the lateral row versus flaps based on both the medial and lateral rows (8.2 percent versus 11.6 percent; p = 0.203). Generally, within the same row, increasing the number of perforators decreased the incidence of fat necrosis. CONCLUSIONS: Perforator selection is critical for minimizing perfusion-related flap complications. In bilateral DIEP flaps, lateral row-based perforators result in significantly less fat necrosis than medial row-based perforators. The authors' data suggest that the addition of a lateral row perforator to a dominant medial row perforator may decrease the risk of fat necrosis. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, III.
An Asymptotic Method to a Financial Optimization Problem

This paper studies the borrower’s optimal strategy to close the mortgage when the volatility of the market investment return is small. Integral equation representation of the mortgage contract value is derived, then used to find the numerical solution of the free boundary. The asymptotic expansions of the free boundary are derived for both small time and large time. Based on these asymptotic expansions two simple analytical approximation formulas are proposed. Numerical experiments show that the approximation formulas are accurate enough from practitioner’s point of view.
Synthesis and characterization of rhodium nanoclusters on TiO2(110) surface using organometallic compounds

Abstract The adsorption of hexarhodium hexadecylcarbonyl ([Rh6(CO)16]) and rhodium dicarbonyl acetylacetonate ([Rh(CO)2(acac)]) and the nucleation of Rh nanoclusters on TiO2(110) single crystal substrate were examined using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. When [Rh6(CO)16] was deposited on the TiO2(110) surface at 323 K, aggregated particles with wide size distribution were formed, which resulted in Rh6 frame destruction and rhodium aggregation after decarbonylation. In contrast, deposition of [Rh(CO)2(acac)] at 373 K in presence of CO at 10−7 mbar resulted in formation of site-isolated multinuclear organometallic species ([Rhx(CO)y]) with narrow size distribution, which showed minimal perturbation to [Rh6(CO)16] structure and led to formation of uniform nanoparticles after decarbonylation. Subsequent annealing showed that [Rhx(CO)y] species deposited on the surface from [Rh6(CO)16] precursor formed large agglomerated particles with wide size distribution upon annealing to 573 K while [Rhx(CO)y] prepared through surface synthesis of [Rh(CO)2(acac)] on TiO2(110) surface following CO exposure at 373 K resulted in clusters that were relatively stable up to 573 K and only underwent agglomeration beyond this temperature.
M(o)TOR of aging: MTOR as a universal molecular hypothalamus.

A recent ground-breaking publication described hypothalamus-driven programmatic aging. As a Russian proverb goes “everything new is well-forgotten old”. In 1958, Dilman proposed that aging and its related diseases are programmed by the hypothalamus. This theory, supported by beautiful experiments, remained unnoticed just to be re-discovered recently. Yet, it does not explain all manifestations of aging. And would organism age without hypothalamus? Do sensing pathways such as MTOR (mechanistic Target of Rapamycin) and IKK-beta play a role of a “molecular hypothalamus” in every cell? Are hypothalamus-driven alterations simply a part of quasi-programmed aging manifested by hyperfunction and secondary signal-resistance? Here are some answers.
Modular Norm Models: A Lightweight Approach for Modeling and Reasoning about Legal Compliance

Complying with legal regulatory requirements in privacy and security is necessary for critical software systems. Analysis of complex and voluminous legal text can benefit from the automation and traceability of logic-based models. We propose such a model based on norms. Norms are legal rights and associated duties expressed in regulatory documents. Such norm models help reason about available rights and required duties based on the satisfiability of situations, a state-of-affair, in a given scenario. But model extraction from natural language as well as compliance reasoning in complex scenarios needs subject matter expertise. Our method enables modular norm model extraction and reasoning. For extraction, using the theory of frame-semantics we construct two foundational norm templates that cover Hohfeld's concepts of claim-right and its jural correlative, duty. Template instantiations from legal text result in a repeatable method for extraction of modular norm models. For reasoning, we introduce the notion of a super-situation. Super-situations contain other norm models. Compliance results from a modular norm are propagated to its containing super-situation, which in turn participates in other modular norms. This modularity allows on-demand incremental modeling and reasoning using simpler model primitives than previous approaches.
Robust real-time implementation of adaptive feedback cancellation using noise injection algorithm on smartphone

We propose a novel low latency smartphone-based application that demonstrates the real-time operation to cancel the negative effects of acoustic feedback arising from the coupling between the speaker and the microphone of the smartphone or similar device utilizing the robust Noise Injection (NI) method. We make use of multiple noise injections of short durations to estimate the filter coefficients of an appropriate order between the speaker and the microphone, in order to perform the feedback cancellation effectively in real-time. Our motive behind the development of this application is to perform an effective acoustic feedback cancellation irrespective of the position of speaker and the microphone on the platform under consideration. With the proposed application, we can estimate the transfer function between speaker and microphone in the changing room acoustics making the feedback cancellation very effective. Objective and subjective tests were conducted and results of the proposed real-time application indicate significant acoustic feedback suppression in the presence of varying environmental conditions.
Speculations about future trends in the field of ecotoxicology

Although much is known about the effects of toxicants on single species, not much is known about the effects upon ecosystems that are more than assemblages of individual species. This situation must be addressed because past exponential growth of human populations and continuing exponential growth of national economies will put Earth's natural resources under stresses unprecedented in human history. The mission of ecotoxicologists is to see that no imbalance in the technological and ecological life support system happens, thus facilitating sustainable use of the planet. Ecosystem services will be more dependable if ecosystems are healthy. Both functional and structural attributes are as important for determining the ecosystem's health as they are for human health. Ecotoxicological assessments will be characterized by increases in both temporal and spatial scales. However, laboratory toxicological tests will remain extremely important and essential. Ecotoxicologists must become even more adept at interacting with policymakers who are responsible for societal decisions.
Cytokine Pathways in the Brain

This book is focused on the role of cytokines in mental health and mental disorders. Work in this area has been conducted for over a century: The first Nobel Prize awarded to a psychiatrist was given in 1927 to Julius Wagner-Jauregg, who in 1887 was already systematically investigating the effects of febrile diseases on psychoses (1).
Dependence or Independence of the Sample Mean and Variance In Non-IID or Non-Normal Cases and the Role of Some Tests of Independence

Let X1, …, Xn be independent and identically distributed (iid) random variables. We denote the sample mean \(\overline X = n^{ - 1} \sum\nolimits_{i = 1}^n {X_i } \) and the sample variance \(S^2 = (n - 1)^{ - 1} \sum\nolimits_{i = 1}^n {(X_i - } \overline X )^2 \) for n ≥ 2. Then, it is well-known that if the underlying common probability model for the X’s is N(µ,σ 2 ), the sample mean \(\bar X\) and the sample variance S2 are independently distributed. On the other hand, it is also known that if \(\bar X\) and S2 are independently distributed, then the underlying common probability model for the X’s must be normal (Zinger (1958)). Theorem 1.1 summarizes these. But, what can one expect regarding the status of independence or dependence between \(\bar X\) and S2 when the random variables X’s are allowed to be non-iid or non-normal? In a direct contrast with the message from Theorem 1.1, what we find interesting is that the sample mean \(\bar X\) and the variance S2 may or may not follow independent probability models when the observations Xi’s are not iid or when these follow non-normal probability laws. With the help of examples, we highlight a number of interesting scenarios. These examples point toward an opening for the development of important characterization results and we hope to see some progress on this in the future. Illustrations are provided where we have applied the t-test based on Pearson-sample correlation coefficient, a traditional non-parametric test based on Spearman-rank correlation coefficient, and the Chi-square test to “validate” independence or dependence between the appropriate \(\bar x\), s data. In a number of occasions, the t-test and the traditional non-parametric test unfortunately arrived at conflicting conclusions based on same data. We raise the potential of a major problem in implementing either a t-test or the nonparametric test as exploratory data analytic (EDA) tools to examine dependence or association for paired data in practice! The Chi-square test, however, correctly validated dependence whenever (\(\bar x\), s) data were dependent. Also, the Chi-square test never sided against a correct conclusion that the paired data \(\bar x\)(, s) were independent whenever the paired variables were in fact independent. It is safe to say that among three contenders, the Chi-square test stood out as the most reliable EDA tool in validating the true state of nature of dependence (or independence) between \(\bar x\), S2 as evidenced by the observed paired data \(\bar x\), s whether the observations X1, …, Xn were assumed iid, not iid or these were non-normal.
Cloud Computing Beyond the Obvious: An Approach for Innovation

In an ever more digital world, cloud computing has emerged as a new way of doing things for IT. But is it just that or is it a fundamental transformation of the role of IT in business? Isn’t IT slowly becoming the way business is done? In this talk, I will discuss how the combination of cloud computing, mobility, social media and big data is fundamentally transforming our lives and our way of doing business. Beyond just doing IT differently, it opens up new opportunities for business people and opens up brand new avenues of innovation. Using real examples, I will illustrate the tremendous opportunities technology provides today and in the near future.
TORSION CLASSES OF VECTOR LATTICES

Let Vl be the class of all vector lattices, and let S and T be torsion classes of l-groups. T ∩ Vl is a torsion class if and only if each divisible abelian l -group in T contains a largest l -ideal that is a vector lattice. Moreover, if T ∩ Vl is a torsion class, so is S ∩ T ∩ Vl. The following classes of vector lattices form torsion classes: the hyperarchimedean vector lattices; the finite-valued vector lattices; the class of all vector lattices of the form Σ(Δ,R). In particular, the principal torsion class \( \tilde \sum (\Delta, R) \) determined by Σ(Δ,R) consists of vector lattices; it consists of all cardinal sums of l-groups Σ(Λ, R) where Λ is a direct limit of connected, convex subsets of Λ. The following classes of vector lattices form pseudo torsion classes: the archimedean l -groups; the special-valued and conditionally laterally complete l -groups. Underlying this theory is the fact that if K is a finite-valued l -group or a conditionally laterally complete l -group, then K is a vector lattice if and only if each K(k) is a vector lattice, which is true if and only if each K(k), with k a special element, is a vector lattice.
Modeling Nuclear and Chemical Effects in a Division/Corps War Game

In order to simulate the division battlefield of the future, the Combined Arms Studies and Analysis Activity (CASAA) has developed a combat model capable of assessing some of the effects of both nuclear and chemical munitions. The model, Jiffy, plays a division/corps level area. It considers both the initial attrition to units and the performance degradation of surviving units due to radiation sickness and Mission Oriented Protective Posture (MOPP) requirements. This paper discusses the algorithms, coding structures, and data sources used in modeling chemical and nuclear effects. It also describes some of the processes that must be modeled when upgrading a conventional war game to include nuclear and chemical effects. The discussion is presented in three sections. The first section considers processes that are common to both chemical and nuclear assessments and that must be represented in any division level integrated game. The second section describes the processes unique to the Nuclear Effects Model. A final section is devoted to the Chemical Effects Model.
Longitudinal changes of lipid profile in the Lebanese pediatric population

Few studies looked at the prevalence of dyslipidemia in pediatric Middle-Eastern countries. In addition, worldwide longitudinal changes of lipid profile is not well documented. The purpose of this study is to look at the longitudinal changes of lipid parameters in Lebanese school-age children. A total of 97 subjects (41 girls and 56 boys) aged between 11 and 21 years were included in this study. The subjects were selected among 339 school-age children with a previous abnormal lipid profile who were recruited from 10 schools of varying socio-economic levels (SEL). A fasting lipid profile [total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG) and HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C)] was performed. Non-HDL-cholesterol (Non-HDL-C) was calculated. Weight and height were measured under the same conditions, and BMI percentiles were calculated. A multivariate covariance analysis model (MANCOVA) was used with TG, HDL-C and non-HDL-C as dependent variables with additional post-MANCOVA F tests. The age of the current cohort is 16.5 ± 2.9 years with no significant difference according to gender. The current lipid profile was obtained 3.1 ± 0.7 years following the initial one, with 53.6% of the subjects having it normalized. TC, TG, and non-HDL-C decreased significantly over time in girls, while only TG decreased significantly in boys. No significant changes were observed for HDL-C. Using MANCOVA, a significant time by age interaction was observed (p < 0.0001), while gender, BMI and SEL were found not to be significant. Post-hoc F tests showed that the time by age interaction was driven by TG (p = 0.03) and non-HDL-C (p < 0.001), the larger effect being observed in younger children. A high proportion of school-age children normalize their abnormal lipid profile with time. Screening for lipid disorders could be postponed until post puberty age.
HD-AGPs as Speciation Genes: Positive Selection on a Proline-Rich Domain in Non-Hybridizing Species of Petunia, Solanum, and Nicotiana

Transmitting tissue-specific proteins (TTS proteins) are abundant in the extracellular matrix of Nicotiana pistils, and vital for optimal pollen tube growth and seed set. We have identified orthologs from several species in the Solanaceae, including Petunia axillaris axillaris and Petunia integrifolia. We refer to TTS proteins and their orthologs as histidine domain-arabinogalactan proteins (HD-AGPs). HD-AGPs have distinctive domains, including a small histidine-rich region and a C-terminal PAC domain. Pairwise comparisons between HD-AGPs of 15 species belonging to Petunia, Nicotiana, and Solanum show that the his-domain and PAC domain are under purifying selection. In contrast, a proline-rich domain (HV2) is conserved among cross-hybridizing species, but variant in species-pairs that are reproductively isolated by post-pollination pre-fertilization reproductive barriers. In particular, variation in a tetrapeptide motif (XKPP) is systematically correlated with the presence of an interspecific reproductive barrier. Ka/Ks ratios are not informative at the infrageneric level, but the ratios reveal a clear signature of positive selection on two hypervariable domains (HV1 and HV2) when HD-AGPs from five solanaceous genera are compared. We propose that sequence divergence in the hypervariable domains of HD-AGPs reinforces sympatric speciation in incipient species that may have first diverged as a consequence of pollinator preferences or other ecological factors.
Pharmacist-driven penicillin skin testing service for adults prescribed nonpreferred antibiotics in a community hospital.

Purpose Results of a study evaluating the implementation and impact of a pharmacist-driven penicillin skin testing (PST) service for patients prescribed alternative antibiotics in the community hospital setting are reported. Methods A prospective pilot service in which patients with a documented penicillin allergy (type I, immunoglobulin E [IgE]-mediated) who were prescribed alternative antibiotics received PST by a trained pharmacist was implemented; if test results were negative, the allergy was de-labeled from their electronic medical record. The primary objective was the percentage of patients switched to first-line antibiotics. Secondary objectives included length of stay (LOS) and inpatient antimicrobial costs to the health system. Results Twenty-two patients were proactively identified and received PST by a pharmacist. Of those tested, all were negative, with no type I (IgE-mediated) hypersensitivity reactions to the test itself or to the beta-lactam antibiotic administered thereafter; 68.2% (15/22) were successfully transitioned to a beta-lactam after PST. As a result, a decrease in the use of fluoroquinolones and vancomycin and an increase in use of narrow penicillin-based antibiotics and first- and second-generation cephalosporins were observed. The mean ± S.D. LOS per patient was 7.41 ± 6.1 days, and the total cost of inpatient antimicrobial therapy to the health system was $1,698.88. Conclusion A pharmacist-driven PST service was successfully implemented in a community hospital setting.
The effect of fish oil supplementation on the promotion and preservation of lean body mass, strength, and recovery from physiological stress in young, healthy adults: a systematic review

Context Military personnel are subjected to physiologically stressful environments during combat and its associated training. Evidence suggests that fish oil-derived n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (FO n-3 PUFAs) may affect military personnel's performance by promoting or preserving lean body mass, strength, and power, while enhancing recovery from training-associated muscle damage. Objective Following PRISMA guidelines, this systematic review assessed the evidence for FO n-3 PUFA supplementation across various military-relevant outcomes related to physical performance in healthy adult populations. Data sources The PubMed, Embase, and the CINAHL databases were searched along with references lists of selected articles and reviews. Data extraction Eighteen trials were assessed for bias, and descriptive data were extracted. Data analysis Of the 18 studies included, 12 trials favored FO n-3 PUFA supplementation in ≥ 1 of the performance outcomes. Conclusion Overall, FO n-3 PUFA supplementation likely preserves strength and very likely enhances recovery from physiological stress in young, healthy adults. However, FO n-3 PUFAs' role in promoting or preserving lean body mass or promoting strength is unclear and warrants additional investigation. Systematic review registration PROSPERO registration no. CRD42020152786.
Effects of Content Sourcing Strategy on Online News Subscription

Declining circulation and advertising revenue have led many newspapers to cut costs by shrinking their in-house staff and sourcing more content from external wire agencies. In this study, we analyze how the mix of in-house and wired content impacts online readers’ subscription decisions using clickstream data from a large regional U.S. newspaper. To control for sample selection that may occur if readers visit the site on days with their preferred content, we use readers’ local precipitation as an excluded variable that indirectly randomizes their exposure to content from these two sources. We find that publishing 10 additional in-house articles a day would, on average, increase a reader’s rate of subscription by 15% relative to the baseline subscription rate. Publishing 10 additional wired articles a day, on the other hand, would decrease the subscription rate by 11%. The negative impact of wired content on new subscriptions by local readers is 26% less severe than it is for remote readers. Both content effects are approximately doubled for readers who use a tablet as the primary access device. Effects of content in some categories within each source go against the overall trend. Producing more General News, Sports, and Entertainment articles, and wiring more Business articles increase subscription. But, publishing more Lifestyle, Health, and Food articles do not, regardless of their sources. These results suggest that there exist opportunities for newspapers to increase subscriptions by carefully publishing the right content from the right source.
Near-atomic resolution nucleosome structures and their variations in interphase and metaphase chromosomes

Highlights 3.4~ A resolution nucleosome structures from interphase and metaphase chromosomes Nucleosome structures in chromosomes are more uniform than in free mono-nucleosomes Histone H1.8 binds to the nucleosome dyad axis in metaphase chromosomes Nucleosome structural variants are more prevalent in metaphase than in interphase Summary Structural heterogeneity of nucleosomes in functional chromosomes is unknown. Here we report cryo-EM structures of nucleosomes isolated from interphase and metaphase chromosomes at up to 3.4 A resolution. Averaged chromosomal nucleosome structures are highly similar to canonical left-handed recombinant nucleosome crystal structures, with DNA being selectively stabilized at two defined locations. Compared to free mono-nucleosomes, which exhibit diverse linker DNA angles and large structural variations in H3 and H4, chromosomal nucleosome structures are much more uniform, characterized by a closed linker DNA angle with interactions between the H2A C-terminal tail and DNA. Exclusively for metaphase nucleosomes, structures of the linker histone H1.8 at the on-dyad position of nucleosomes can be reconstituted at 4.4 A resolution. We also report diverse minor nucleosome structural variants with rearranged core histone configurations, which are more prevalent in metaphase than in interphase chromosomes. This study presents structural characteristics of nucleosomes in interphase and mitotic chromosomes. NOTES TO READERS We would like to emphasize the importance of supplemental movies S1-S3, which should greatly help readers to understand characteristics of the nucleosome structural variants that we report in this study.
Predominance of Non-carbapenemase Producing Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacterales in South Texas.

Background Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) pose a significant global public health threat. Resistance among CRE is particularly complex, owing to numerous possible resistance mechanisms and broad definitions. We aimed to characterize the clinical and molecular profiles of CRE in the South Texas region. Materials and methods We compared the clinical, genotypic, and phenotypic profiles of carbapenemase producing Enterobacterales (CPE) with those of non-carbapenemase producers (NCPE) isolated from South Texas, United States between 2011 and 2019. Molecular characteristics and resistance mechanisms were analyzed using whole-genome sequences. Results The majority (59%) of the CRE isolates were NCPE while 41% of isolates harbored carbapenemases, predmonantly blaKPC-type. The most common CPE was Klebsiella pneumoniae while majority of Enterobacter cloacae and Escherichia coli were NCPE Among K. pneumoniae, the clonal group 307 has emerged as a predmoninant group and was associated with as many CRE infections as the previous common clonal group 258. Patients with NCPE compared to CPE infections were associated with higher antimicrobial exposure prior to culture collection (days of therapy, 795 vs. 242; p < 0.001) and emergency department visits within past 90 days (22% vs. 4%; p = 0.011). The all cause 30-day mortality was 21%. Conclusions This study highlights the diversity of resistance mechanisms underlying CRE in South Texas, with 59% not harboring a carbapenemase. Individuals with NCPE infections were more likely to have had prior antimicrobial therapy and emergency department visits compared to those with CPE. Identification and distinction of these mechanisms by rapid identification of species and carbapenemase would allow for optimal treatment and infection control efforts.
Spectroscopic and magnetic studies of ferric iron hydroxy sulfates: Intensification of color in ferric iron clusters bridged by a single hydroxide ion

Optical and infrared spectroscopic data and magnetic susceptibility data are reported for the ferric hydroxy-sulfate minerals magnesiocopiapite and botryogen and the related mineral coquimbite. The physical properties of intensity of color, pleochroism, and magnetic susceptibility associated with the hydroxobridged Fe^(3+) dimer of magnesiocopiapite and with the hydroxobridged Fe^(3+) infinite chain of botryogen are compared to those of isolated Fe^(3+). The hydroxobridged minerals show strong pleochroism with intensity enhancement of the spin-forbidden ligand field absorption bands occurring when the electric vector of the incident light is oriented in the direction of the Fe-OH-Fe axis. The intensity enhancement and pleochroism are associated with antiferromagnetic exchange coupling of the Fe^(3+) ions.
A Health Oriented Explanation for Snacking Behavior

This study investigates the nature of the market for snack foods by focusing on segments defined by the frequency of their consumption of these foods. The segments thus discovered are characterized in terms of six types of variables conceptualized to have implications for marketers of snack foods. Specifically, the conceptualization emphasizes variables that indicate the level and nature of the health orientation of the consumers of snack foods. The results of the empirical analyses support a relationship between snacking behavior and: (1) attitudes toward nutrition; (2) nutrition- related behavior; (3) attitudes toward physical fitness; (4) fitnessrelated behavior; (5) demographics; and (6) general marketing-related attitudes and behaviors.
Squeezing Daubert Out of the Picture

In this essay, I will offer some thoughts on how we might reframe the issues governing the admissibility of expert evidence. My principal focus is not on any particular type of expert evidence but on broader questions: the extent to which we ought to rely on rulings of admissibility, the standards that should govern admissibility rulings, and the role of the trial and appellate courts in making those rulings. To some extent, I will concentrate on the context of criminal cases, but for the most part my conclusions apply in both civil and criminal litigation. Here are my conclusions: First, the standards for treatment of expert evidence should differ depending on the litigation context. Standards should be very lenient for criminal defendants, and tougher for prosecutors, with the standards for civil litigants somewhere in between. Second, more than has been the case, the test that carries the bite with respect to expert evidence should be one of sufficiency rather than of admissibility. Third, the model created by Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and General Electric Company v. Joiner, and extended by Kumho Tire Company, Ltd. v. Carmichael, in which trial courts, reviewed under an abuse of discretion standard, act as gatekeeepers to prevent jurors from being bamboozled by unreliable evidence, is not a useful one. Reliability is an inappropriate, misleading standard for testing the admissibility of expert evidence. It does not reflect the way we should think about admissibility issues,
Familial burkitt's lymphoma: Association with altered lymphocyte subsets in family members

Two sisters in a white American family died of Burkitt's lymphoma at ages 11 and 22 years, after dramatic but transient responses to chemotherapy. Studies of peripheral blood from two healthy brothers and the mother showed an increased percentage of polyclonal B cells (13 to 28 percent; normal, less than 10 percent), and a decreased helper:suppressor T cell ratio (1.0 to 1.5; normal, 1.5 to 2.5). The mother and one brother also had a low fraction of total circulating T cells (24 to 45 percent; normal, 60 to 75 percent). An inherited disturbance of the lymphocytes in family members may have predisposed the sisters to Burkitt's lymphoma; no environmental carcinogens were identified.
Matching library holdings against GPO tapes: Issues, concerns, and solutions

Abstract The availability of machine-readable cataloging records for U.S. documents in the form of GPO tapes presents libraries with an economically attractive and feasible means of providing full-bibliographic access to U.S. documents collections in their rapidly developing online public access catalogs. For selective depository libraries that do not receive all documents cataloged by GPO, however, a method for matching library holdings against GPO tape records remains a major concern. This study examines two methods currently in use (matching by item numbers and by SuDoc class numbers), comparing their accuracy and viability to an alternative method developed by the author, which utilizes specific Superintendent of Documents Classification (SuDoc) numbers assigned to individual titles as the matching element. The study also offers an innovative solution derived from the findings to effectively tag library holdings onto GPO tapes without labor-intensive manual verification of all titles matched.
Diets Containing Corn Oil, Coconut Oil and Cholesterol Alter Ventricular Hypertrophy, Dilatation and Function in Hearts of Rats Fed Copper-Deficient Diets

Cardiac hypertrophy and function were evaluated in rats fed diets containing deficient, marginal or adequate levels of copper. The fat concentration of the diets was either 10 g/100 g corn oil, 10 g/100 g coconut oil or 10 g/100 g coconut oil + 1 g/100 g added cholesterol. Left ventricular (LV) wall thickening of hearts in rats fed copper-deficient diets was characterized by greater (P < 0.05) LV free wall width, regardless of dietary fat type, and greater intraventricular septum width in the rats fed corn oil. Rats fed the copper-deficient diet with coconut oil + cholesterol had LV chamber volumes that were twofold larger than those of rats fed the copper-deficient diet with coconut oil or corn oil. Copper deficiency reduced LV chamber volume only in rats fed coconut oil + cholesterol. Cardiac LV end diastolic pressure in rats fed copper-deficient diets was twofold larger than in copper-adequate and copper-marginal groups fed corn oil or coconut oil. Hearts from rats fed the copper-deficient diet with corn oil compared with those from rats fed the copper-deficient diet with coconut oil + cholesterol had greater right ventricular (RV) and LV end diastolic pressures, LV pressures and LV and RV maximal rates of positive pressure development. Our data suggest that cardiac adaptations in rats fed copper-deficient diets are influenced by dietary fat type: 1) hearts of rats fed the copper-deficient diet with corn oil were concentrically hypertrophied, whereas cardiac contractility was maintained in the presence of high preload; 2) preload and contractility in hearts of coconut oil-fed rats was greater than cardiac response to cholesterol addition to the coconut oil diet; 3) hearts in copper-deficient rats fed coconut oil + cholesterol exhibited eccentric hypertrophy and ventricular dysfunction.
An integrated vision-based robotic manipulation system for sorting surgical tools

In this paper, we introduced a robotic system using a humanoid robot, Baxter research robot, to pick-up surgical tools from a tray and place the tools into different trays according to the types of the surgical tools. The pick-n-place manipulation is integrated with a vision component and a special magnet gripper and governed by a finite state machine. This vision-based manipulation system allows the robot to check which tool is on top of the tools in a tray, to find the grasping points on the tools, to grab the tools using a magnet gripper, and to place them into different trays. Major technologies used in this system include: vision, magnet force control, force feedback, motion trajectory planning, and decision-making. We tested our system in a lab-based environment and the system performance satisfies the requirements of the project.
Thin-Film Polycrystalline (CdZn)S/Cu2S Solar Cells of 10% Conversion Efficiency

CdS/Cu2S solar cells with efficiencies in excess of 9% have previously been reported.(1) A major limitation on the efficiency of these cells is the open circuit voltage achievable with the CdS/Cu2S hetero-junction. The electron affinity mismatch between CdS and Cu2S of about 0.2eV limits the achievable open circuit voltage to about 0.5V. A modified heterojunction using a mixed Cd-Zn sulfide(2) has been proposed as a means of achieving an open circuit voltage of about 0.7V. Recent improvements in the properties of vapor deposited (CdZn)S films have resulted in solar cells with a conversion efficiency in excess of 10%.
Designing databases in real-time embedded systems

The issues involved in implementing databases in hard real-time systems are investigated. The requirements of real-time databases are examined, and two new correctness measures, external consistency and temporal consistency, are proposed. An approach to defining transaction periods so that databases can guarantee the desired real-time performance is studied. >