cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Relaxing and Contracting Factors in the Microcirculation

The five main determinants of coronary artery blood flow are: metabolic regulation, coronary perfusion pressure (auto-regulation), systolic compression, autonomic nervous system, and circulating substances and/or endothelial factors. Recent information on endothelial factors which regulate coronary blood flow are of interest to this meeting because of important interactions with molecular oxygen and with hemoglobin when used as a blood substitute for oxygen transport. Circulating substances/endothelial factors which alter coronary blood flow include catacholamines, prostacyclin, endothelial derived relaxant factor (EDRF, nitric oxide, NO), endothelial derived contracting factor, thromboxane A2, endothelin, angiotensin-2, vasopressin, and neuropeptide Y. Nitric oxide which activates guanylate cyclase directly is released by endothelial cells in response to shear as well as certain pharmacologic stimuli including: thrombin, acetylcholine bradykinin, endotoxin, FMET-LEU-PHE, leukotrienes, platelet activation factor, and some other non physiologic stimuli. Shear is an important initiator of EDRF release because of its role in auto-regulation. Through shear related NO release, other factors which cause large vessel coronary dilation, microvascular dilation or an increase in coronary perfusion pressure will result in increased vasorelaxation and a positive feedback cycle for coronary vasodilation. Thus, nitric oxide will counteract the intrinsic auto regulatory system which keeps blood flow constant when metabolic need is constant during changes in coronary perfusion pressure. Nitric oxide may also act as a feedback link between metabolically induced microvascular dilation and large vessel dilation, the signal being transmitted by increased shear.
CRT-300.00 Percutaneous Coiling Closure of Ascending Aortic Pseudoaneurysm

Ascending Aortic Pseudoaneurysms (AAPs) are a rare but life-threatening complication of AA surgeries. Open repairs using surgical grafts are the current standards of care. Endovascular therapies remain less studied options for high-risk patients. We present a case of percutaneous coiling of AAP. A
Optimizing Environmental Sensor Station Locations for Road Weather Management: Overview and a Generalized Modeling Framework

Adverse weather poses a significant threat to transportation safety. Road weather information systems (RWIS) are used to mitigate the impact of adverse weather. Because of the lack of detailed, unified guidelines and because of diverse weather conditions across the United States, state and city transportation agencies follow different practices for choosing locations for environmental sensor stations. This paper proposes a comprehensive cell-based methodology that optimizes overall benefits of RWIS based on weather-sensitive crash characterizations and using both normal and adverse weather crash data. The proposed approach is especially suited to optimizing regionwide environmental sensor station locations involving many road segments. A case study concerning RWIS deployment in Austin, Texas, was conducted with data from a crash records information system for 2010 to 2013.
A CASE OF GASTROINTESTINAL STROMAL TUMOR WITH A PEDUNCULATED AND EXTRAGASTRIC GROWTH

症例は50歳,男性.平成12年12月7日,胃透視で異常所見を指摘されたため上部消化管内視鏡検査を施行したところ,体下部大彎側前壁に胃粘膜下腫瘤を認めた.これに対しEUSを施行したところ胃壁外に径約35mmの内部エコー不均一な腫瘤を認めた.このため,診断的意味も含めて腹腔鏡下手術を施行したところ腫瘤は胃の漿膜面より細い茎部をもって発育するように存在し,周囲への浸潤も認めなかった.このため腫瘤を茎部で胃にわずかにかかるように切離しこれを摘出した.病理組織所見にて類円形から紡錘形の腫瘍細胞の増殖が認められ,また免疫染色にてdesmin, S-100蛋白陰性でCD34とc-kitが部分的に弱陽性であり,胃GISTと診断された.またこの腫瘍はその大きさや病理組織像からも良性腫瘍が疑われた. われわれはこの珍しい形態を示した胃 GIST の1例を経験したので報告する.
First-Principles Studies of Paramagnetic Vivianite Fe3(PO4)2·8H2O Surfaces

Using density-functional theory, we have computed the structural and electronic properties of paramagnetic vivianite crystal Fe3(PO4)2·8H2O and its (010)-(1 × 1) and (100)-(1 × 1) surfaces. The properties of bulk vivianite are studied with a set of functionals: HSE06, PBE, AM05, PBEsol, and PBE with on-site Coulomb repulsions corrections (PBE+U). The appropriate U parameter is estimated by considering the HSE06 results, and it is used to study the vivianite surfaces. The computed surface energy predicts the (010) surface to be the most stable. The less stable (100) surface is observed to have important reconstructions with the spontaneous formation of a water molecule at the surface and two hydroxide hydrate anions per unit cell. Using thermodynamical considerations within DFT, we have calculated the phase diagram of the (010) surface in equilibrium with hydrogen gas. The results suggest that under ultralow hydrogen pressure, the (010) surface with two hydrogen vacancies is stable. The electronic structur...
Non-Born-Oppenheimer wavepacket revivals in a polyatomic molecule

Non-Born-Oppenheimer wavepacket revivals have been observed in 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane using time resolved photoelectron spectroscopy. Upon photoexcitation, the wavepacket oscillates between the first two excited states for over 14 ps – a behavior only seen in diatomics before.
Interpretation of Experimental Results As Cortical Phase Transitions

Brain activity can be interpreted in terms of dynamic system theory Freeman, Sci Am, 264(2):78–85, 1991 [1], Hoppensteadt, Izhkevich, BioSystem, 48:85–94, 1998 [2], Korn, Faure, C R Biol, 326:787–840, 2003 [3], in particular using models of transient dynamics Rabinovich, Abarbanel, Neuroscience 87(1):5–14, 1998 [4], Kaneko, Tsuda, Complex systems: chaos and beyond. A constructive approach with applications in life sciences. Springer, Berlin, 2001 [5], Steyn-Ross, Steyn-Ross (eds) Modeling phase transitions in the brain, Springer, Berlin, 2010 [6]. Some models utilize encoding in complex cycles and chaotic attractors Aihara et al. Phys Lett A 144:333–340, 1990 [7], Andreyev et al. Int J Bifurc Chaos 6(4):627–646, 1996 [8], Borisyuk, Borisyuk, Biosystems 40(1–2):3–10, 1997 [9]. A hierarchical approach to neural dynamics is formulated as the Freeman K model Freeman, Mass action in the nervous system. Academic, New York, 1975/2004 [10], Freeman, How brains make up their minds. Columia UP, New York, 2001 [11], which is based on studying olfaction, and later generalized to other sensory systems.
Robeson, Paul Leroy (1898–1976)

Paul Robeson was a “Renaissance man” whose excellence was displayed in the academy, in sports, in the theater, in films, and in the arena of international social and human rights. In each of these endeavors he sought to excel as an individual and to make this into a model of excellence for black people, in the United States and abroad. Understanding this two-pronged objective permits a review of race, power, and domination as central ideas undergirding the social, political, and cultural roles that Robeson played in the United States and abroad from the 1920s through the 1960s as he addressed social and human rights violations of African people, especially in the United States and in Africa. Keywords: Africa; African American; human rights; power; race
Telling Our Story: A Case Study of a Collaborative Departmental Blog at Syracuse University Libraries

ABSTRACTThis case study will take readers through the planning and publication process of a collaborative departmental library blog at Syracuse University, which is a large private, non-profit research intensive university located in central New York State. It will provide an overview of the history of the project and the mission of the blog. It will describe the technical aspects, developing a publication schedule, and the editorial responsibilities of maintaining the blog. The impact of the blog is documented. The blog has raised awareness of the librarians' expertise and this is explored alongside how posts have contributed to a number of wider conversations in librarianship.
Nurse practitioners in acute care settings in the United States

Japan is currently at a historic moment to recognize the significance of the team approach in medicine. There is a mismatch between the supply of physicians and demand for expert care that our patients expect and deserve. The acute care setting including surgery is considering adopting non-physician professionals such as nurse practitioners (NPs) in order to deliver a high quality of care. The NPs in acute care setting have evolved in the United States to meet the medical needs of the society over the last four decades. With the increased complexity of the needs of the patients in Japan, a creative innovation in the care delivery system is required. The use of the NPs in the acute care began in the neonatal intensive care unit in the early 70's as described in the author's previous article. The adult critical care realm embraced the collaborative model starting in the 90's and opened its doors widely as resident duty hours were reduced for the patient safety concerns. This article describes the wide variety of settings in which acute care NPs are found in the US today. The current model of collaborative practice owes its development and success to the committed physicians and nurses who crossed each other's boundaries for the sake of the patients decades ago.
Reconstruction of the insensate thumb by neurovascular island transfer.

SUMMARY A carefully planned and performed interdigital neurovascular island transfer offers the potential of excellent vascularized sensate coverage for the thumb. The procedure has stood the test of time and remains an important procedure in the armamentarium of the reconstructive hand surgeon.
Revisiting customers' perception of service quality in fast food restaurants

Abstract This research is an extension to previous work in fast food restaurant marketing. The population of this research consists of actual fast food restaurant customers. Following the literature, data are analyzed using Confirmatory Factor Analysis, Structural Equation Modeling, and Path Analysis. Findings of this work identify factors impacting customer satisfaction, as well as dimensions of service quality and their rankings in the fast food restaurant context. Results indicate that there is no direct way of increasing behavioral intentions through improving service quality for fast food restaurants. Rather, behavioral intentions can be improved through customer satisfaction as an intermediary. Further, this work finds evidence that customer satisfaction can be improved through service quality, food quality, and price-value ratio, which in turn would pave an indirect path toward improvement in behavioral intentions in this industry. Results of this research shed light on prioritizing managers’ focus and resource allocation for customer satisfaction and different dimensions of service quality and can be used by fast food restaurant managers to set guidelines and strategies in providing better service to their customers.
Romantic Jealousy in Face-To-Face and Technologically-Mediated Interactions: A Communicative Interdependence Perspective

This study applies elements of the communicative interdependence perspective to understand how jealousy messages via face-to-face (FtF) and/or technologically-mediated communication (TMC) mode segmentation/combination relate to romantic jealousy experience, expression, relationship satisfaction, and investment. Individuals (N = 604) either segmented the FtF mode or combined FtF and TMC modes to express jealousy. Further, they experienced more jealousy, and tended to express it via constructive and avoidant communication, when combining FtF and TMC modes. Jealous individuals who segmented only to TMC mode(s) had lower relationship satisfaction and investment, and those who segmented only to the FtF mode were more invested.
Creation and Analysis of a Comprehensive, Formalized Approach to Neurology Resident Clinical Skills Evaluation: Year 1 Feasibility Data (P2.358)

Objective: Development of a comprehensive, formalized system for evaluation of neurology resident clinical skills based on direct observation. Background: Most child and adult neurology residency programs do not utilize a structured, formal process for implementing clinical skills examinations (CSEs) for American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) certification. As such, the rigor and credibility of the process is unclear. Design/Methods:Sixteen neurology residents at the University of Rochester participated in a newly designed formal process for completing CSEs during the 2014-2015 academic year. The process involved the following main points: (1) Longitudinal assessment of residents with one examination during every 6 month period, (2) A total of 8-10 examinations to be done over the course of 3 years of training, (3) A total of 5 different examiners per resident, (4) Development of a core group of faculty examiners who would attend annual development sessions, (5) Separation of the summative versus formative aspect through creation of a narrative evaluation form to supplement the ABPN neurology evaluation exercise (NEX) form, and (6) an Annual audit of the process with specific feedback from residents and faculty. During Year 1, data was collected regarding feasibility of this process. Results: 100[percnt] of residents completed at least 3 CSEs over the course of the year with 100[percnt] completing at least 1 during every 6 month period. A core group of faculty, which included 17 members, completed 2/3rds of the examinations. 75[percnt] of faculty felt that the process was “very clear/manageable”, and 100[percnt] of resident felt the process was “very or mostly clear”. Conclusions: Incorporating a more formal process for evaluating resident clinical skills is feasible, and the next step will be to evaluate the rigor and validity of this process using a mixed qualitative and quantitative approach. Study supported by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology Disclosure: Dr. Thompson-Stone has nothing to disclose.
A Borkean Revival

This Commentary focuses on Judge Robert Bork’s arguments outlined in his book, The Tempting of America, that detail the dangers of venturing outside the parameters of the Constitution when interpreting law. In particular, it focuses on substantive due process and the privacy right.
Healthcare utilization by children with asthma displaced by Hurricane Katrina

Objective: To assess the performance of TexKat, the largest Hurricane Katrina Medicaid Emergency Waiver, in providing care to asthmatic children. Methods: Medicaid enrollment and encounter data for...
Eliminative Induction as a Method of Discovery: How Einstein Discovered General Relativity

So began Einstein’s weary and consoling response of August 1915 to his correspondent Paul Hertz on a yet another proposal concerning the troubled and still incomplete general theory of relativity. Einstein had been working on the theory for eight years and within a few months would overcome his final obstacles, bringing to completion his greatest scientific achievement.’ My concern in this paper is to establish two theses about Einstein’s discovery of his general theory of relativity. The first concerns the heuristic methods he used to navigate the “chaos of possibilities”; the second concerns an important moral Einstein, the “mathematical ignoramus,” drew from the experience:
Meropenem-vaborbactam: a carbapenem and beta-lactamase inhibitor with activity against carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae.

Meropenem-vaborbactam is a carbapenem and β-lactamase inhibitor combination that is newly indicated for the treatment of complicated urinary tract infections (cUTI), including adult pyelonephritis. Vaborbactam was developed due to emergence of carbapenem-resistant strains of Enterobacteriaceae. In a phase I trial, patients that received meropenem-vaborbactam 2–2 g intravenously over 3 h every 8 h, Cmax was 58.2 ± 10.8 μg/mL for meropenem and 59.0 ± 8.4 μg/mL for vaborbactam. AUC0–8 was 186 ± 33.6 μg • h/mL for meropenem and 204 ± 34.6 μg • h/mL for vaborbactam. Vss = 16.3 ± 2.6 L for meropenem and 17.6 ± 2.6 L for vaborbactam. Protein binding for vaborbactam averaged 33% in humans. Plasma clearance ranged from 10.42 ± 1.85 to 14.77 ± 2.84 L/h. One phase III trial evaluated efficacy for meropenem-vaborbactam 2–2 g intravenously every 8 h versus piperacillin-tazobactam 4–0.5 g intravenously every 8 h in complicated UTI. It found non-inferiority and statistical superiority for meropenem in overall success at the end of treatment primary end point. In another phase III trial evaluating efficacy in carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) infections, meropenem-vaborbactam 2–2 g intravenously every 8 h was associated with decreased 28-day mortality and increased clinical cure compared with a best available therapy group.
Tardive Dyskinesia-like Syndrome Due to Drugs that do not Block Dopamine Receptors: Rare or Non-existent: Literature Review.

Background: Although tardive dyskinesia (TD) is most commonly defined as a movement disorder caused by chronic exposure to dopamine-receptor-blocking drugs (DRBDs), it has also been thought to result from exposure to some non-DRBDs. Methods: We critiqued many reviews making the association between non-DRBDs and a TD-like syndrome and almost all case reports. We checked whether cases met criteria for the diagnosis of TD-like syndrome and whether DRBDs had been excluded. Results: We found that both tricyclic antidepressants and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants may unmask or exacerbate TD after prior exposure to or with concurrent use of DRBDs. We found support for its existence outside of this context to be extremely weak. Discussion: There is little evidence that drugs other than DRBDs by themselves cause a TD syndrome; most reported cases appear to occur as a result of a “priming” effect induced by a DRBD, which is later unmasked.
The Role of Value Orientations and Political Preference on Political and Judicial Human Rights Among the Croatian Youth

This paper examines the relationship between value orientations and attitudes towards political and judicial rights among the Croatian youth and how political preference moderates that relationship. First, it examines which of Schwartz’s value types are reliable predictors for the level of agreement with political and judicial human rights. Next, it examines how value types are related with political preference expressed in a general scale from left to right. Finally, we describe how political preference interacts with value types in their relation to political and judicial rights. The results indicate that value types such as ‘self-direction’ and ‘universalism’ (as well as ‘benevolence’ and ‘achievement’) are related to positive attitudes towards human rights and the political left, while ‘power’ and ‘tradition’ relate to negative attitudes towards human rights and the political right. It was also found that when political preference corresponds with specific value ​types, it enhances the existing relationship between value orientations and attitudes towards human rights, while a combination of political preference with value types that are atypical for this preference reduces the relationship between value orientations and attitudes towards human rights. The results are discussed against the background of relevant characteristics of present-day Croatia.
Proprioception and Charcot Joint

The evidence related to the neurophysiology of position sense, “proprioception,” is reviewed, and it documents that proprioception is due to sensory receptors originating in the skin, not from within the joint. The evidence is reviewed that joint denervation alone will not result in a Charcot joint.
Developing the Pedagogical Capabilities of Elementary Mathematics Specialists during a K-5 Mathematics Endorsement Program.

This mixed-methods study explored the pedagogical practices of Prospective Elementary Mathematics Specialists (PEMSs) as they completed a university K-5 Mathematics Endorsement program. Participant...
Modeling and Autopilot Design for an Autonomous Catamaran Sailboat Based on Feedback Linearization

This paper deals with the design of a feedback linearization and decoupling algorithm for controlling the heading and the sail opening angle of an autonomous catamaran sailboat. A nonlinear four degrees of freedom dynamic model of the sailboat was developed, it includes roll and sway motions. An autopilot was designed through the determined model in order to keep the catamaran sailboat on a predefined heading and ensure a suitable sail position. Some simulation results are presented to illustrate the behavior of the control design.
E-cigarette use and COVID-19 in youth and young adults: serious questions about data reliability and call for retraction

In a recent study, Gaiha et al. examined the association between e-cigarette use and COVID-19 in an online cross-sectional study of people aged 13-24 years conducted from May 6 to May 14, 2020. We have noticed serious issues in population weighting, response bias and biological implausibility. The suggested conclusions and interpretation of the study findings cannot be considered reliable. These issues raise the question of retracting the study.
Robust normalization and transformation techniques for constructing gene coexpression networks from RNA-seq data

Abstract Background Constructing gene coexpression networks is a powerful approach for analyzing high-throughput gene expression data towards module identification, gene function prediction, and disease-gene prioritization. While optimal workflows for constructing coexpression networks – including good choices for data pre-processing, normalization, and network transformation – have been developed for microarray-based expression data, such well-tested choices do not exist for RNA-seq data. Almost all studies that compare data processing/normalization methods for RNA-seq focus on the end goal of determining differential gene expression. Results Here, we present a comprehensive benchmarking and analysis of 30 different workflows, each with a unique set of normalization and network transformation methods, for constructing coexpression networks from RNA-seq datasets. We tested these workflows on both large, homogenous datasets (Genotype-Tissue Expression project) and small, heterogeneous datasets from various labs (submitted to the Sequence Read Archive). We analyzed the workflows in terms of aggregate performance, individual method choices, and the impact of multiple dataset experimental factors. Our results demonstrate that between-sample normalization has the biggest impact, with trimmed mean of M-values or upper quartile normalization producing networks that most accurately recapitulate known tissue-naive and tissue-specific gene functional relationships. Conclusions Based on this work, we provide concrete recommendations on robust procedures for building an accurate coexpression network from an RNA-seq dataset. In addition, researchers can examine all the results in great detail at https://krishnanlab.github.io/norm_for_RNAseq_coexp to make appropriate choices for coexpression analysis based on the experimental factors of their RNA-seq dataset.
Resolving the FEDLEV vs. CALEV dispute

The US Environmental Protection Agency has been quietly working to resolve an issue which could significantly alter transportation in the US. Alternate plans for limiting pollution from new cars have been proposed by north–eastern states and large car manufacturers, and EPA has been searching for a compromise agreement. This paper examines the conflict in the context of Clean Air act Amendments of 1990 and promising choices for reducing air pollution.
Ultrasound-guided intraoperative trans-epicardial needle biopsy of an intracardiac tumor

We describe the use of a novel interventional approach to the histopathologic diagnosis of a ventricular septal tumor using intraoperative ultrasound-guided trans-epicardial biopsy without the need for cardiopulmonary bypass in a 2-year-old child. This novel approach has not been previously reported. Multidisciplinary collaboration between cardiothoracic surgery, cardiology, cardiac imaging, and interventional radiology provided the ability to perform cardiac biopsy. This technique may be used in specific cases of cardiac tumors where tissue diagnosis is important, but surgical resection is deemed excessively risky or impossible.
A case of secondary tension pneumothorax in COVID-19 pneumonia in a patient with no prior history of lung disease

Complications that arise in patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia are acute respiratory distress syndrome, often leading to mechanical ventilation, shock requiring vasopressors, acute kidney injury, stroke, thromboembolic phenomena, and myocardial injury. To date, there are four cases of tension pneumothorax in patients with COVID-19, published in literature. We present a 33-year-old man with no prior history of lung disease who was admitted to our hospital on account of hypoxic respiratory failure secondary to COVID-19 pneumonia. During his hospitalization, he developed sudden onset of chest pain which worsened with coughing. A chest X-ray showed a right-sided pneumothorax with left-sided mediastinal shift. He required placement of chest tubes with eventual resolution of the pneumothorax several days later. This case highlights the need for clinical recognition, consideration of differential diagnoses, prompt evaluation, appropriate imaging, and management of this severe life-threatening unusual complication of COVID-19 pneumonia.
Extended Use of the Candy-Plug Technique with the Cook Dissection Stent.

Inducing false lumen (FL) thrombosis is crucial to achieve aortic remodeling when treating aortic dissection. One method to achieve FL thrombosis is modifying a graft and placing a plug inside it known as the candy-plug (CP) technique. CP stent graft is typically placed at the level of the celiac artery (CA) as noted by the original authors. Here, we present a case where the CP had to be placed distal to the CA but also require placing a bare metal dissection stent in the true lumen to oppose the radial force and expand the true lumen as well as to prevent re-entry tear in the visceral segment in the future.
The Relationship Between Surgeon Gender and Stress During the Covid-19 Pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between surgeon gender and stress during the Covid-19 pandemic. BACKGROUND: Although female surgeons face difficulties integrating work and home in the best of times, the Covid-19 pandemic has presented new challenges. The implications for the female surgical workforce are unknown. METHODS: This cross-sectional, multi-center telephone survey study of surgeons was conducted across 5 academic institutions (May 15-June 5, 2020). The primary outcome was maximum stress level, measured using the validated Stress Numerical Rating Scale-11. Mixed-effects generalized linear models were used to estimate the relationship between surgeon stress level and gender. RESULTS: Of 529 surgeons contacted, 337 surgeons responded and 335 surveys were complete (response rate 63.7%). The majority of female respondents were housestaff (58.1%), and the majority of male respondents were faculty (56.8%) (P = 0.008). A greater proportion of male surgeons (50.3%) than female surgeons (36.8%) had children ≤18âyears (P = 0.015). The mean maximum stress level for female surgeons was 7.51 (SD 1.49) and for male surgeons was 6.71 (SD 2.15) (P < 0.001). After adjusting for the presence of children and training status, female gender was associated with a significantly higher maximum stress level (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings that women experienced more stress than men during the Covid-19 pandemic, regardless of parental status, suggest that there is more to the gendered differences in the stress experience of the pandemic than the added demands of childcare. Deliberate interventions are needed to promote and support the female surgical workforce during the pandemic.
Infant Eye Gaze While Viewing Dynamic Faces.

Research using eye tracking methods has revealed that when viewing faces, between 6 to 10 months of age, infants begin to shift visual attention from the eye region to the mouth region. Moreover, this shift varies with stimulus characteristics and infants’ experience with faces and languages. The current study examined the eye movements of a racially diverse sample of 98 infants between 7.5 and 10.5 months of age as they viewed movies of White and Asian American women reciting a nursery rhyme (the auditory component of the movies was replaced with music to eliminate the influence of the speech on infants’ looking behavior). Using an analytic approach inspired by the multiverse analysis approach, several measures from infants’ eye gaze were examined to identify patterns that were robust across different analyses. Although in general infants preferred the lower regions of the faces, i.e., the region containing the mouth, this preference depended on the stimulus characteristics and was stronger for infants whose typical experience included faces of more races and for infants who were exposed to multiple languages. These results show how we can leverage the richness of eye tracking data with infants to add to our understanding of the factors that influence infants’ visual exploration of faces.
Internalized racism and the pursuit of cultural relevancy: Decolonizing practices for critical consciousness with preservice teachers of color

In this article, we explore the need for decolonizing practices in teacher education for developing critical consciousness with preservice teachers of Color (PTOC). We assert that the development o...
Low-cost physical computing platforms for end-user prototyping of smart home systems

End-user development (EUD) seeks to facilitate the extension and customisation of systems during use, with increasing possibilities as the Internet-of-Things (IoT) computing paradigm becomes widesp...
Learning to Be Creative: A Mutually Exciting Spatiotemporal Point Process Model for Idea Generation in Open Innovation

This study investigates the creative idea generation process in an open innovation platform. The idea generation process is simultaneously influenced by multiple activities: knowledge acquisition f...
The role of ideation on the effect of an SBC intervention on consistent bed net use among caregivers of children under 5 years in Nigeria: a multilevel mediation analysis.

BACKGROUND Malaria remains a significant public health challenge in Nigeria. Consistent bed net use (sleeping under a treated net every night) has been identified as a key malaria prevention behavior. This paper explores the relationship between mass media social and behavior change interventions, psychosocial factors, and consistent bed net use. METHODS Data is from the endline survey of a USAID-funded social and behavior change communication campaign conducted from 2012 to 2017 across five states in Nigeria. The outcome measure was consistent bed net use, and the mediator variable was a composite measure called ideation from a set of psychosocial factors believed to influence bed net use. The independent variable was recall of malaria specific media messages. Multilevel mediation analysis explored if recall of malaria specific media messages had any effect on bed net related ideation and if this ideation had any effect on consistent net use. RESULTS Respondents included in this study were on average aged 31 years, mostly married or cohabiting (97.5%) and female 75%. Four in 10 (39.7%) respondents were able to recall malaria specific messages. Respondents with low, moderate and high recall were 23, 32 and 80% more likely to have a higher ideational score in the emotional domain compared to those not able to recall. Respondents were more likely to have higher ideational scores in the cognitive domain if they had low (AOR = 1.26, 95% CI 1.15-1.38), moderate (AOR = 1.16, 95% CI 1.00-1.34) or high recall (AOR = 1.55, 95% CI 1.16-2.06), respectively compared to those with no recall. Similarly, respondents with low (AOR = 1.03, 95% CI .99-1.08), moderate (AOR = 1.15, 95% CI 1.08-1.23) and high (AOR = 1.15, 95% CI 1.01-1.30) recall were more likely to have a higher ideational score in the social domain compared to those with no recall. After adjusting for recall of media messages and other potential covariates, all three ideational domains also had a significant positive effect on consistent bed net use. For every unit increase in ideational score, the likelihood of reporting consistent bed net use increased by 5 to 10%. There was a significant indirect effect of recalling malaria specific messages on consistent bed net use through each of the ideational domains. CONCLUSION Access to a bed net is a critical first step in the process of bed net utilization. However, psychosocial factors e.g., emotional, cognitive, and social domains of ideation also play a major role in bed net use. Mass media SBC interventions could potentially influence bed net related ideation and consequently improve net use behavior. Future Social and behavior change interventions should employ approaches that improve these domains of ideation within their audiences in order to increase bed net utilization.
Challenging problems arising in the simulation of Body Area Networks (BANs)

A new multi-scale FDTD approach is introduced that allows the treatment of structures with fine geometrical details, whose dimensions are smaller than the cell size, to be handled with little modification to the basic updating scheme. The method incorporates the known near-field behaviour as determined through a numerical approach that reduces the structure into an array of dipole moments.
Environmental and endocrine control of reproduction in the song sparrow, Melospiza melodia: I. Temporal organization of the breeding cycle

Endocrinologic investigations of free-living populations of song sparrows, Melospiza melodia, have revealed temporal patterns of secretion of reproductive hormones that differ from those of other monogamous avian species. Males arrive in the breeding area in March whereas females arrive 1–2 weeks later. In males the periods of territory establishment and attraction of a mate are characterized by high circulating levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) and testosterone (T), whereas testis mass is low, and growth of the cloacal protuberance (CPL) is just beginning. In April, testes and CPL develop rapidly reaching a peak in early May when females are laying eggs, and when most copulations occur. Plasma LH and T decline in early April, but increase for a second time in late April and early May coincident with the egg-laying period. Thereafter, circulating LH and T decline during the parental phase, but not to basal levels. Although there is an increase in LH during the egg-laying period for the second clutch, there is no change in T levels. Testis mass, CPL, plasma LH, and T all decline to basal levels simultaneously in late July and August. The high levels of LH and T in March, followed by a temporary decline and resurgence in April and May, indicate that environmental factors in addition to the well known effects of increasing day length can regulate secretion of these hormones. In females, plasma levels of T and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) are also elevated in March and early April, and decline to low levels as the nesting phase progresses. A further decline to basal levels, occurs in August during the molt. LH and estradiol (E2) titers in females show two peaks coincident with the egg-laying periods for each clutch. Plasma levels of corticosterone (B) increase during the breeding season in males, but not females. In both sexes B levels are basal during the moult and increase in October after moult is completed. Body mass and fat depot decline in males as the nesting phase progresses, and then increase dramatically after breeding is terminated. As expected, females show two peaks of body mass and fat depot coincident with the two periods of egg laying. The postbreeding increases in body mass and fat depot are much less pronounced in females than in males.
Defective B-cell tolerance in New Zealand black mice: Fc receptor-independence of resistance to low-epitope-density tolerogens

Abstract Trinitrophenyl (TNP) human γ-globulin with low-epitope-density tolerizes B cells from normal BDF 1 mice in a Fcγ receptor-dependent manner but does not tolerize B cells from preautoimmune NZB mice. In order to investigate the relationships between tolerance induction and epitope density independently of Fcγ receptor function in these two strains, TNP conjugates of two additional thymic-independent tolerogenic carriers, d -glutamic acid- d -lysine ( d -GL) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), were tested. A brief pulse with low-epitope-density conjugates such as TNP 4.4 - d -GL rendered unfractionated or T-cell-depleted spleen cells from BDF 1 but not NZB mice tolerant in a hapten-specific manner. Spleen cells from NZB mice, however, were susceptible to tolerization with TNP 13.5 - d -GL. NZB mice were also resistant to tolerance induction in vivo with TNP 5.5 - d -GL, TNP 3 -CMC, and TNP 6 -CMC, all of which tolerize BDF 1 mice in vivo . Both strains were tolerized with TNP 13.5 - d -GL and TNP 13 -CMC in vivo . NZB mice were also significantly less susceptible to tolerance induction with TNP 3 -CMC when TNP-Ficoll was substituted for TNP Brucella abortus as the challenge antigen. These findings militate against the possibility that an Fcγ receptor defect is the principal mechanism of resistance of NZB B cells to tolerance induction with-low-epitope density conjugates.
Molecular epidemiology of Tay-Sachs disease.

Publisher Summary This chapter review the frequency of the various mutations underlying Tay-Sachs disease (TSD) and the related disorders such as the Gaucher disease (GD), Niemann-Pick disease (NPD), and mucolipidosis type IV (ML IV), and the frequency of mutations in the same genes in other, non- Jewish populations and non-Ashkenazi Jews, the demographic history of the Ashkenazim in Europe, and the conclusions drawn from mathematical analysis of these data. The usual list of potential explanations includes a high mutation rate, stochastic or chance effects, typically manifest by founder effects, and selective advantage. Multiple mutations have been identified for three of the four, while the fourth gene is yet to be identified. A significant advance in the understanding of the population genetics of TSD and other Jewish genetic disease occurred through the discovery over the past decade of the actual mutations underlying them. Numerous mutations and their frequencies present a picture consistent with selective advantage of carriers, especially two most common mutations. The observed distribution is consistent with genetic drift and random founder effects.
Feminist Pedagogy and the Teaching of Social Work Practice

Abstract This article draws on feminist social work practice scholarship and on feminist pedagogy, primarily from the field of education, to identify and discuss the application of that literature to the practice classroom in schools of social work. The author describes epistemologies of adult learning, particularly those that identify the unique ways women organize and impart meaning to information; discusses their relevance for integrating feminist pedagogical principles in the practice classroom; and draws parallels between student learning in the feminist “liberatory” classroom and practice with clients.
Coupling of Mangroves to the Productivity of Estuarine and Coastal Waters

Most of the tropical coastline between 25° N and 25° S latitude is vegetated by forested wetlands called mangroves (McGill, 1958). These plant communities have received considerable botanical investigation because of their unique taxonomy and ovivipary (Tomlinson, 1986), and the diverse fauna that inhabit these coastal areas (Macnae, 1968;Chapman, 1976). However, the ecology of mangroves is poorly understood, particularly the significance of these ecosystems to the productivity and nutrient cycling of estuarine and adjacent coastal waters. It has been suggested that the high fishery yields of coastal tropical waters are due to the presence of these communities (Macnae, 1974; Turner, 1977; Jothy, 1984), yet there is no evidence of a cause and effect relationship for mangroves and fisheries (Macnae, 1974). Thus the function of these wetlands in supporting secondary productivity continues to be a complex issue. Mangroves may also influence the primary productivity of coastal waters by controlling the fate of dissolved nutrients and suspended sediments. Mangroves are considered a source of organic detritus yet a nutrient sink, contributing to the confusion of their role in coastal processes.
Designing antisense to inhibit the renin-angiotensin system

Overactive renin-angiotensin system has been indicated in numerous pathological situations. Current treatment is based on pharmaceutical compounds, which work on the proteins level. Undisputedly helpful, it is not, however, flawless. Some of the drawbacks include adverse effects and non-compliance problem, since in many cases medicine has to be taken at least once a day for a long time. Therefore it seems logical to try a different approach, for instance to correct the disease at the gene expression level, possibly having a choice of shorter or longer-lasting effects. This current review combines results, relevant to the angiotensin system, with the antisense approach, which decreases amount of target protein by interfering at the mRNA level. Dependent on the tool used - oligodeoxynucleotide, plasmid or viral vector, the antisense effect lasts from few days to months.
Análisis acústico y perceptivo de las vocales que preceden elisión de /-s/ final en las hablas de Granada, España y Cartagena, Colombia

espanolThis study sets out to verify the claim that the tense-lax alternation undergone by vowels preceding deletion of post-nuclear /s/ in Eastern Andalusian Spanish may serve as a functional marker when distinguishing singular from plural in nouns rendered homophonous by the deletion of final /-s/, e.g. calle [ˈka.je] ‘street’ vs. calles [ˈka.jɛO] ‘streets.’ Samples from Granada Spanish speakers revealed a significant opening for the vowels with deleted final /-s/. In a subsequent speech perception test, speakers were prompted with stimuli and determine whether they heard the singular form calle [ˈka.je] with the closed allophone or the plural form calles [ˈka.jɛO] with the open allophone. Results reveal that, despite the significant vocalic alternation, participants were unable to consistently identify between singular and plural forms based solely on the open and closed allophonic contrast. With the purpose of establishing a cross dialectal comparison, both the vowel analysis and perception test were replicated with native speakers of Cartagena, Colombia, and similar results were obtained. EnglishEl presente estudio investiga la hipotesis de que el desdoblamiento vocalico o la alternancia tensa laxa de las vocales que preceden elision de /s/ posnuclear en el espanol de Andalucia Oriental tiene una funcion que permite distinguir entre el singular y el plural con formas homofonas debido a la perdida de /s/ final, por ejemplo, calle [ˈka.je] vs. calles [ˈka.jɛO]. Un analisis acustico con muestras tomadas de hablantes nativos de espanol de Granada revelo una apertura significativa para aquellas vocales que preceden elision de /s/ final. En una subsiguiente prueba de percepcion, los participantes escuchaban el estimulo y debian determinar si escuchaban la forma singular calle [ˈka.je] con el alofono cerrado o si escuchaban la forma plural calles [ˈka.jɛO] con el alofono abierto. Los resultados muestran que, a pesar de la significativa apertura vocalica, los participantes no podian identificar consistentemente entre las formas singulares y plurales basados en el contraste entre alofonos abiertos o cerrados. Del mismo modo, con el proposito de establecer una comparacion dialectal, el analisis acustico y la prueba de percepcion se replicaron con hablantes nativos de espanol de Cartagena, Colombia, donde se obtuvieron resultados similares.
Study of the local structure of GaxIn1−xAsySb1−y, a quaternary III–V semiconductor alloy, using extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) technique

Abstract Using the extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) technique, we have investigated the local structure of the quaternary alloy series Ga x In 1− x As y Sb 1− y . Our measurements reveal the types of atoms about the “average” As atom and their nearest-neighbor distances. We observed the deviation from random site occupation with Ga-As and In-Sb pairs being clearly preferred. This result was compared with a recent theoretical model. The near-neighbor distances were found to be nearly constant, in agreement with the results found for different ternary and quarternary alloys.
Transition to chaos in a differentially heated vertical cavity

We investigate numerically the transition from laminar to chaotic flow of a Boussinesq fluid with Pr = 0.71 in two-dimensional closed, differentially heated, vertical cavities having aspect ratios near unity. The cavities have rigid conducting sidewalls, and rigid insulating top and bottom walls. The physical nature of the resulting flow is a function of the aspect ratio and Rayleigh number.It is shown that an oscillatory approach to steady-state, oscillatory instabilities, quasi-periodic flow, and chaotic flow exist for the flow regimes investigated. We find that for aspect ratios of approximately three or larger the the first transition from steady-state is due to instability of the sidewall boundary layers, while for small aspect ratios, but larger than ½, it is due to internal waves near the departing corners. For both instabilities we obtain the critical Rayleigh number as a function of aspect ratio and write expressions relating the fundamental frequencies of the oscillatory flow to the Rayleigh number and aspect ratio. When Ra is increased significantly above the first critical value, the flow becomes complex since both types of instabilities can be present. With a further increase in Rayleigh number the flow becomes chaotic and eventually turbulent. The above results are illustrated for different Rayleigh numbers and aspect ratios using time histories, spectral analysis, and streamlines at different values of time.
New directions in internal wave and microstructure research

Collaboration of oceanographers across traditional boundaries always results in exciting new insights into the complex processes which govern oceanic motions. Such collaboration was evident at the second annual ‘Aha Huliko'a Hawaiian Winter Workshop, held in Honolulu, Hawaii, January 18–20, 1984. This year's topic was Internal Gravity Waves and Small-Scale Turbulence. Participants from Europe, Canada, and the United States reviewed recent developments and proposed intriguing studies in the kinematics and dynamics of internal waves, fine structure, and microstructure. Here we summarize the highlights of the meeting and identify some of the emerging trends, all subject to the participants’ biases.
Vocal jitter at different fundamental frequencies: A cardiovascular-neuromuscular explanation

Summary As a widely used descriptor of phonatory behavior, vocal fundamental frequency perturbation (jitter) has received much attention in the recent voice literature. Despite this, the exact causes of this cycle-to-cycle frequency variability are only poorly understood. Associated with attempts to characterize this vocal parameter and to standardize its measurement, many investigators have alluded to a relationship between jitter magnitude and the fundamental frequency of phonation without mention of the underlying physiology. This article reviews two jitter-inducing mechanisms (one based on normal cardiovascular function and the other on normal neuromuscular function) and describes how they help to explain the observed nonlinear dependence of short-term frequency variability on the frequency of phonation in the normal voice.
Los Angeles Unified School District Intern Program: Recruiting and Preparing Teachers for an Urban Context.

(1990). Los angeles unified school district intern program: Recruiting and preparing teachers for an urban context. Peabody Journal of Education: Vol. 67, The Alternative Certification of Teachers, pp. 84-122.