cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Increased osteoblast adhesion on nanograined Ti modified with KRSR

Peptide sequences such as lysine-arginine-serine-arginine (KRSR) selectively bind transmembrane proteoglycans (e.g. heparin sulfate) of osteoblasts (bone-forming cells) and are, therefore, actively being investigated for orthopedic applications. Further, nanophase materials (or materials with grain or particle sizes less than 100 nm) are promising new materials that promote new bone growth more than compared to conventional (that is, micron grain or particle size) materials. To combine the above two promising approaches for improving orthopedic implants, the objective of this in vitro study was to functionalize titanium (Ti) surfaces (both nanophase and conventional) with KRSR peptides and study their osteoblast cell adhesive properties. Materials were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. Results of this in vitro study provided evidence of increased osteoblast adhesion on nanophase compared to conventional Ti whether functionalized with KRSR or not. Results further showed that the immobilization of KRSR onto Ti (both nanophase and conventional) increased osteoblast adhesion compared to respective nonfunctionalized Ti and those functionalized with the negative control peptide KSRR. Most importantly, osteoblast adhesion on nonfunctionalized nanophase Ti increased compared to conventional Ti functionalized with KRSR. Further, select initial osteoblast adhesion was observed to occur at particle boundaries for any type of nanophase and conventional Ti formulated in this study. In summary, results provided evidence that not only should nonfunctionalized nanophase Ti be further studied for improved orthopedic applications but so should nanophase Ti functionalized with KRSR.
Congenital goiter with exophthalmos andhyperthyroidism

Summary A review of the literature revealedten cases of hyperthyroidism in infants under one year of age. Even more unusual is its occurrence at birth. There was one previous report of congenital hyperthyroidism. This case, I believe, is the second reported and differs from the original case in that the mother conceived and delivered in a hypothyroid states and the baby lived. Because of the hypothyroid state of the mother, the hyperthyroid state in the baby was explained on the basis of stimulation of the fetal thyroid by excessive maternal thyrotropic hormone. Reports of thyrotoxicosis beginning in the neonatal period would lead one to believe that its course is quite benign. In this case of c congenital hyperthyroidism, however, without good supportive care, and a good response to iodine therapy, the baby would not have lived.
A possible role for human papillomaviruses in head and neck cancer.

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) cause benign tumors in the respiratory tract. Mounting evidence suggests that they also play a role in the etiology of a subset of head and neck cancers. Carcinomas in patients with a history of recurrent respiratory papillomatosis clearly are caused by persisting HPV interacting with one or more carcinogenic agents. Verrucous carcinomas of the oral cavity, tonsillar and tongue carcinomas are strongly linked with HPVs, based on molecular epidemiologic data. Tonsillar cancers have been shown to express HPV RNA, presumed necessary to induce and maintain a carcinoma, supporting a viral etiology. This paper reviews the molecular and cellular basis for considering HPVs as causttive agents of cancer, and reviews the literature that considers the possible role of HPVs in head and neck cancer.
Geocoding for classification of ERS/JERS-1 SAR composites

Using combined SAR image data acquired by the Japanese JERS-1 (L-band, hh-polarization) and the European ERS-1 (C-band, vv-polarization) yields excellent classification results. An important preprocessing step prior to classification is the geometric and radiometric calibration of the image data from each instrument. In order to match and radiometrically calibrate JERS-1 and ERS-1 radar images the geocoding of the scenes using terrain height information is indispensible. Therefore the generation of digital elevation models (DEM) and vector/point data for the search of ground control points is necessary. An invaluable data resource is made available on-line on the Internet through the US Geological Survey (USGS). Using DEM data, the sensor/target geometries are analyzed to derive the local incidence angle and determine layover and shadow regions from the DEM data. Layover and shadow regions need to be determined for both JERS-1 and ERS-1 scenes, and than excluded from the classification procedure. The radiometric information in both scenes needs to be calibrated using area correction terms derived from the local angle of incidence. This paper discusses the generation of DEM's from USGS data the generation of layover/shadow mask and local incidence angle maps, as well as the radiometric correction for ERS-1/JERS-1 SAR data at the University of Michigan.
Blind image quality assessment without training on human opinion scores

We propose a family of image quality assessment (IQA) models based on natural scene statistics (NSS), that can predict the subjective quality of a distorted image without reference to a corresponding distortionless image, and without any training results on human opinion scores of distorted images. These `completely blind' models compete well with standard non-blind image quality indices in terms of subjective predictive performance when tested on the large publicly available `LIVE' Image Quality database.
Teachers as Psychotherapeutic Agents for Withdrawn Children.

Abstract Eleven volunteer elementary grade teachers, trained and supervised in client-centered play therapy by a psychologist and social worker, conducted weekly 45 minute sessions for 14 weeks with nine of their most withdrawn pupils. Coding of classroom assertiveness by independent, naive judges showed a statistically significant rise in assertiveness. A control group of six similarly withdrawn children showed no such change. Increased assertiveness was more notable vis-a-vis peers than teachers, suggesting general improvement. There was a significant correlation between teacher's therapeutic role performance and degree of child's improvement, suggesting that the specific technique used was the instrumental factor.
Solution of inverse problems for obtaining protein concentrations from fluorescent microscopy images

The development of quantitative models of signal transduction, as well as parameter estimation to improve existing models, depends on the ability to obtain quantitative information about various proteins that are part of the signaling pathway. However, commonly-used measurement techniques such as Western blots and mobility shift assays provide only qualitative or semi-quantitative data which cannot be used for estimating parameters. This paper presents a solution of an inverse problem for quantitatively determining transcription factor profiles from green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter data. We have used this technique to quantitatively characterize activation of the transcription factor NF-kB by the cytokine TNF-α. The obtained results are in good agreement with qualitative descriptions of NF-kB activation as well as semi-quantitative experimental data from the literature. While the presented approach has been applied to NF-kB and TNF-α signaling, it can be used to determine the profile of other transcription factors with only minor modifications.
Two-Dimensional Electron Gases at Complex Oxide Interfaces

Two-dimensional electron gases (2DEGs) at oxide interfaces may exhibit unique properties, including effects from strong electron correlations, extremely high electron densities, magnetism, and 2D superconductivity. This article discusses routes to high-mobility 2DEGs in complex oxide heterostructures, with a particular focus on 2DEGs that involve transport in SrTiO3. We discuss what is known about the electronic states in SrTiO3 2DEGs, both experimentally and theoretically. Examples from the current literature are summarized.
Transcriptional Regulation of the Human P450 Oxidoreductase Gene: Hormonal Regulation and Influence of Promoter Polymorphisms

P450 oxidoreductase (POR) is the flavoprotein that acts as the obligatory electron donor to all microsomal P450 enzymes, including those involved in hepatic drug metabolism as well as three steroidogenic P450 enzymes. The untranslated first exon of human POR was located recently, permitting analysis of human POR transcription. Expression of deletional mutants containing up to 3193 bp of the human POR promoter in human adrenal NCI-H295A and liver Hep-G2 cells located the proximal promoter at −325/−1 bp from the untranslated exon. Common human POR polymorphisms at −208 and −173 had little influence on transcription, but the polymorphism at −152 reduced transcription significantly in both cell lines. EMSA and supershift assays identified binding of Smad3/Smad4 between −249 and −261 and binding of thyroid hormone receptor-β (TRβ) at −240/−245. Chromatin immunoprecipitation showed that Smad3, Smad4, TRα, TRβ, and estrogen receptor-α were bound between −374 and −149. Cotransfection of vectors for these transcription factors and POR promoter-reporter constructs into both cell types followed by hormonal treatment showed that T3 exerts major tropic effects via TRβ, with TRα, estrogen receptor-α, Smad3, and Smad4 exerting lesser, modulatory effects. T3 also increased POR mRNA in both cell lines. Thyroid hormone also is essential for rat liver POR expression but acts via different transcription factor complexes. These are the first data on human POR gene transcription, establishing roles for TRβ and Smad3/4 in its expression and indicating that the common polymorphism at −152 may play a role in genetic variation in steroid biosynthesis and drug metabolism.
An efficient algorithm for the transshipment along a single road problem

This paper presents a specialized algorithm for the transshipment along a single road problem. The problem is a specially structured network flow problem. For larger problems, the specialized algorithm is in excess of a hundred times faster than the primal simplex method on a graph.
Design and Characterization of a $W$ -Band Micromachined Cavity Filter Including a Novel Integrated Transition From CPW Feeding Lines

This paper demonstrates a novel coplanar waveguide (CPW) to rectangular waveguide (RWG) transition and its application as an integration enabling structure for filters at W-band for the first time to the best of the authors' knowledge. In the proposed wideband transition, the CPW and RWG are integrated on one side of the substrate, while the coupling probe is patterned directly on the substrate instead of being made separately. The transition is fabricated using silicon micromachining and thick-film surface micromachining techniques with high precision, which is suitable for millimeter-wave subsystems and are easily extendable to terahertz applications compared to the existing approaches. In the proposed filter design, the metallized probes are used to couple signals from the CPW to waveguide resonant cavities, therefore, the need for waveguide input/output ports is eliminated. This significantly reduces the size of the filter by approximately 30%. The transition and filter components are optimized using Ansoft's high frequency structure simulator 10 (HFSS 10). The measured response of the filter has the center frequency at 96.6 GHz, 2.9% bandwidth, and a 4.14-dB insertion loss in the passband.
Japan, a circumscribed balancer: Building on defensive realism to make predictions about east Asian security

(2000). Japan, a circumscribed balancer: Building on defensive realism to make predictions about east Asian security. Security Studies: Vol. 9, No. 4, pp. 167-205.
Periodic reflecting function of a nonlinear quasiperiodic differential system with a two-frequency basis

We obtain necessary and sufficient conditions under which nonlinear quasiperiodic differential systems with a two-frequency basis are equivalent, in the sense of the coincidence of reflecting functions, to periodic differential systems and have a periodic reflecting function.
A scalar homotopy method for parallel and robust tracking of line spectral pairs

We present an adaptive path-following method based on the technique of homotopy, which efficiently computes the line spectral pairs by exploiting their natural ordering and low frame-to-frame variation. We first define continuous paths from known roots of the LSP polynomials of a prior speech frame to the unknown roots of the next frame in the sequence. A gradient-search based numerical predictor-corrector procedure is then used for tracing these paths in order to compute the unknown roots. This method uses only scalar operations and allows for all paths to be tracked independently. Conditions guaranteeing the existence of continuously differentiable paths are established by using a transformation between the s and z domains, and simulation results are presented to verify these conditions. Finally, we suggest guidelines for algorithm parameter selection as well as for reducing the computational complexity.
Primary lymphedema of the genitalia in children and adolescents.

AbstractPurpose: Congenital lymphedema is a rare disorder that may result in disfiguring edema of the male genitalia. We reviewed our experience with 5 cases to advance our understanding of this challenging problem.Materials and Methods: Four boys with significant lymphedema underwent excision of the involved subcutaneous genital tissue and coverage with local skin flaps. Two boys in whom this approach failed later underwent complete excision of the involved subcutaneous tissue and skin, and coverage with split thickness skin grafts. The boy with minimal edema was observed.Results: Two of the 4 boys who underwent subcutaneous genital tissue resection and coverage with local skin flaps are markedly improved, although 1 requires further revision. In the other 2 boys treatment failed, necessitating repeat genital tissue excision and grafting. While there have been no recurrences in the grafted areas, each patient has required additional operations to manage recurrent edema in adjacent tissues of the perineum...
Rapid cytokeratin stains enhance the sensitivity of Mohs micrographic surgery for squamous cell carcinoma.

background. Recurrence of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) following Mohs micrographic surgery is uncommon. However, such cases do exist, presumably because of incomplete excision. Identification of single cells or small clumps of SCC tumor may be extremely difficult and can be compromised by inflammatory reaction. objective. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the benefits of incorporating rapid cytokeratin (CK) stains into Mohs technique. methods. Simple modification of standard immunoenzyme techniques allows keratin-specific staining to be achieved in less than 90 minutes on Mohs cryostat sections. We used the rapid labeled streptavidin biotin anticytokeratin method at the stage when no tumor was apparent by hematoxylin and eosin staining in 20 patients with large, aggressive, or recurrent invasive SCCs. results. In eight cases, single cells or small clumps of SCC tumor were identified utilizing AE-1 monoclonal antibody. These patients subsequently underwent further surgery, including wider tumor resection, superficial parotidectomy, or postoperative radiation therapy. conclusion. The rapid CK antibody staining technique enhances the sensitivity of tumor identification in Mohs micrographic surgery, and should reduce tumor recurrence rates.
Comparison of feature selection techniques for viral DNA replication origin prediction

As the replication of their DNA genomes is a central step in the reproduction of many viruses, procedures to find replication origins, which are initiation sites of the DNA replication process, are of great importance for controlling the growth and spread of such viruses. Existing computational methods for viral replication origin prediction have mostly been designed to use only the composition of a region of viral DNA to predict if such region is an ORI or not. This paper proposes the application of several feature selection techniques to help find the most significant features of the replication origins in herpesviruses. The results suggest that features based on the relative positions of the regions in the genomes containing replication origins and the information about the subfamily of the virus can be highly useful features to be incorporated into the computational tools for viral replication origin prediction.
A miniaturized dual-band dipole antenna with a modified meander line for laptop computer application in the 2.5 and 5.25 GHz WLAN band

In this paper, a reduced size dual-band balanced antenna is presented and tested in a lid of a laptop computer. The antenna size is only 0.28 /spl lambda//sub 0/, which is 44% smaller than the conventional dipole antenna and is comparable to the size of unbalanced antenna. A modified meander line technology is used in the particular antenna configuration to achieve dual-band operation in the 2.5 and 5.25 GHz WLAN bands.
Use of Bayesian Networks for Qualification Planning: A Predictive Analysis Framework for a Technically Complex Systems Engineering Problem☆

Abstract This paper discusses the viability of using Bayesian Network (BN) models to support qualification planning in order to predict the suitability of Six Degrees of Freedom (6DOF) vibration testing for qualification. Qualification includes environmental testing such as temperature, vibration, and shock to support a stochastic argument about the suitability of a design. Qualification is becoming more complex and restricted yet available new technologies are not fully utilized. Technology has advanced to the state where 6DOF vibration shakers and control systems capable of high frequency tests are possible, but the problem using these systems is far more complex than traditional single degree of freedom (SDOF) tests. This challenges systems engineers as they strive to plan qualification in an environment where technical, environmental, and political constraints are coupled with the traditional cost, risk and schedule constraints. New technologies are also available for systems engineers to combine technical understanding with cost, risk and schedule factors to aid in decision making for complex problems such as qualification planning. BN models may provide the framework to aid Systems Engineers in planning qualification efforts with complex constraints. This paper discusses related work, the current approach and results of this research.
INTEGRATE: gene fusion discovery using whole genome and transcriptome data

While next-generation sequencing (NGS) has become the primary technology for discovering gene fusions, we are still faced with the challenge of ensuring that causative mutations are not missed while minimizing false positives. Currently, there are many computational tools that predict structural variations (SV) and gene fusions using whole genome (WGS) and transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) data separately. However, as both WGS and RNA-seq have their limitations when used independently, we hypothesize that the orthogonal validation from integrating both data could generate a sensitive and specific approach for detecting high-confidence gene fusion predictions. Fortunately, decreasing NGS costs have resulted in a growing quantity of patients with both data available. Therefore, we developed a gene fusion discovery tool, INTEGRATE, that leverages both RNA-seq and WGS data to reconstruct gene fusion junctions and genomic breakpoints by split-read mapping. To evaluate INTEGRATE, we compared it with eight additional gene fusion discovery tools using the well-characterized breast cell line HCC1395 and peripheral blood lymphocytes derived from the same patient (HCC1395BL). The predictions subsequently underwent a targeted validation leading to the discovery of 131 novel fusions in addition to the seven previously reported fusions. Overall, INTEGRATE only missed six out of the 138 validated fusions and had the highest accuracy of the nine tools evaluated. Additionally, we applied INTEGRATE to 62 breast cancer patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and found multiple recurrent gene fusions including a subset involving estrogen receptor. Taken together, INTEGRATE is a highly sensitive and accurate tool that is freely available for academic use.
Back to the Future: The New General Common Law

This Article advances a general theory of federalism, insofar as it concerns the allocation of lawmaking power in the United States. The Article argues that Justice Brandeis's opinion in the famous case of Erie v. Tompkins (Supreme Court 1938) was drawn too narrowly for the needs of American federalism. It argues that critics of judge-made federal law misunderstand those needs and would subvert our federalism. The proposed general theory builds on Justice Brandeis's insights in Erie. But, unlike Erie, which applies only to state law, only to case law, and only to federal courts, the proposed general theory, based on concepts of due process and American legal positivism, applies to statutes as well as case law, state law as well as federal law, and in state courts as well as federal courts. The Article further argues that the proposed general theory has strong underpinnings in the Supreme Court's existing jurisprudence, and in fact accurately and comprehensively describes, as we know it, the dual-law, dual-court federal system.
Gate-width impact on NIR FRET lifetime fitting using gated ICCD

Forster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) is widely used to sense molecular interactions occurring at the nanoscale. In vitro and ex vivo protocols for visualizing FRET are already well-established, but in vivo studies have proven to be more challenging. One issue that hinders in vivo visualization of FRET is the higher absorption and scattering of visible light within tissues. In this case, light in the near-infrared (NIR) spectral window is required for increased depth sensing. Moreover, due to spectral variation in optical properties as well as heterogeneous spatial distribution, lifetime-based FRET imaging is preferred. Herein, we investigate the effect of temporal acquisition settings on the lifetime-based estimation of the fraction of quenched donor molecules (A1) as well as the quenched donor lifetime (τ1). We performed in silico, in vitro, and in vivo experiments under gate widths of 300ps to 1000ps in 100ps intervals to determine the effect on quantification of A1 and τ1. Even though the NIR fluorescent dyes have shorter lifetimes then visible fluorophores, we were still able to accurately quantify FRET under all tested system gate widths and experimental conditions.
Grounding Diaspora: Negotiating Between Home and Host

The term “diaspora” connotes a dynamic social formation—a process of settlement and a tenuous sense of belonging based on the negotiation between the collective memory of home and responsive adaptations to host locales. While a global phenomenon, the local impact of shifting patterns of settlement in the multicultural city transforms urban spaces through the varied and overlapping inscriptions of new and adapted rituals. Using a Landscape Architecture studio conducted at the University of Toronto as the experimental means through which to investigate diasporic and transnational urban settlement and its implications for design, this paper focuses on final proposals for the case study site—a particular area of contestation in Queens, New York—as well as the pedagogical methodology used to generate them.
Effects of algae incorporation into broiler starter diet formulations on nutrient digestibility and 3 to 21 d bird performance

Abstract Algae, a human supplement and alternative fuel source, has potential as a feed ingredient for poultry. Three studies were conducted with the following objectives: determine digestible nutrient values for a commercially availableSpirulina algae (Study 1), formulate and pellet a practical broiler starter diet using these data (Study 2), and assess feeding diet formulations with varying levels of algae on Hubbard X Cobb 500 broiler performance and apparent ileal amino acid digestibility (AIAAD; Study 3).Spirulina algae TMEn (2,839 kcal/kg) and true amino acid digestibility (TAAD) values (2.10, 1.07, 0.42, and 1.97% lysine, methionine, cysteine, and threonine, respectively) from Study 1 were used to formulate a practical broiler starter diet containing 21% algae. A diet containing 0% algae was also formulated. Both diets were pelleted, ground, and mixed at different ratios to create diets containing 6, 11, and 16% algae. The 21% algae diet resulted in a nominally lower production rate and an increase in hot pellet temperature and pellet durability compared to the 0% algae diet. Diets containing up to 16% algae resulted in statistically similar ending parameter compared birds fed the 0% algae diet: ending bird weight (EBW), live weight gain, and feed intake (P > 0.05). The 16% algae diet resulted in the highest level of digestible cysteine and lysine (P
Immunohistologic localization of immunoglobulins, secretory component, and lactoferrin in the developing human fetus.

SummaryImmunohistological localization of γG, γA, γM, secretory component (SC) and lactoferrin (LF) in various tissues of 8–22 week human fetuses was studied, using direct immunofluorescent staining technique.No immunoglobulin-containing cells have been detected in various tissues studied. However, SC was found in the lungs of the earliest fetuses studied (8 weeks) and is readily recognized in most secretory tissues by 18–22 weeks of gestation. The role SC may play in the intrauterine development of the immune system is not known but it is present at a time when immunoglobulins (specifically γA) are not detectable.Lactoferrin was found regularly in the older fetuses (18–22 weeks) only in polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Epithelial cells such as those of the kidney tubules which contain this protein in the adult, were apparently not synthesizing lactoferrin in sufficient quantity to be detectable by the fluorescent antibody method.
Entomophthora tenthredinis, a Fungal Pathogen of the Introduced Pine Sawfly in Northwestern Wisconsin,

Entomophthora tenthredinis Fresenius was first recorded from a sawfly in 1858 (Fresenius 1858), and subsequent reports have been rare. It was reported infrequently on several members of the Tenthredinidae from Europe (Gustafsson 1965, Leatherdale 1970), once from the United States (Thaxter 1888), and on two lepidopterans from Canada (MacLeod 1956). Limited reports of Entomophthora on the Diprionidae include E. (Empusa) aulicac Cohn from Diprion similis (Hartig) in Germany (MA¼ller-KA¶gler 1965), E. sphacrosperma Fresenius from Neodiprion tsugae Middleton and Entomophthora sp. from N. abictis (Harris) and N. lecontei (Fitch) in Canada (MacLeod 1956).
Congruent Validity and Reliability of Two Metabolic Systems to Measure Resting Metabolic Rate

Determine the congruent validity and intra- and inter-day reliability of RMR measures assessed by the ParvoMedics Trueone 2 400 hood dilution method (Parvo) and Cosmed K4b 2 (Cosmed) breath-by-breath metabolic systems. Participants underwent 6 RMR assessments over 2 consecutive mornings, 3 with the Parvo (Day 1: Parvo 1; Day 2: Parvo 2, 3), 3 with the Cosmed (Day 1: Cosmed 1; Day 2: Cosmed 2, 3). Measured V E , F E O 2 , F E CO 2 , VO 2 , VCO 2 , kcal/day, and HR values were averaged over a minimum of 10 min. Intra- and inter-day reliability within each system was determined with RMANOVA, and congruent validity was assessed via paired sample t-tests. 31 participants (13 females, 18 males; 27.3±7 years, 24.8±3.1 kg.m 2 ) completed the study. There were no significant differences in any within or between day Parvo values or Cosmed values. When systems were compared, there was a significant difference between V E (Parvo2: 25.03 L/min, Cosmed2: 8.98 L/min) and F E O 2 (Parvo2: 19.68%, Cosmed2: 16.63%), however, there were no significant difference in device-calculated RMR (kcals/day). The Parvo and Cosmed are reliable metabolic system with no intra- or inter-day differences in RMR. Due to differences in measurement technology, F E O 2 , V E were significantly different between systems, but the resultant RMR values were not significantly different.
Identification and Analysis of Genomic Homing Endonuclease Target Sites

Homing endonucleases (HEs) are highly site-specific enzymes that enable genome engineering by introducing DNA double-strand breaks (DSB) in genomic target sites. DSB repair from an HE-induced DSB can promote target site gene deletion, mutation, or gene addition, depending on the experimental protocol. In this chapter we outline how to identify potential genomic target sites for HEs with known target site specificities and the different experimental strategies that can be used to assess site cleavage in living cells. As an example of this approach, we identify potential human genomic target sites for the LAGLIDADG HE I-CreI that, by nine different selection criteria, may be new "safe harbor" sites for gene insertion.
Vasoactive effect of sera from preeclamptic patients.

Investigated was a bioassay method for measurement of vasoactivity in the serum of preeclamptic patients. Intravital microscopy was used to measure the diameter of the principal arteriole and venule in the gastrolienal mesentery of mice before (VD 1 ) and after (VD 2 ) the intravenous injection of sera from preeclamptic primigravid patients and from preeclamptic primigravid patients after treatment with magnesium sulfate (MgSO 4 ). A vasoactive index (VI) was calculated as VD 1 /VD 1 . The Vla (vasoactive index for arteriole) of preeclamptic primigravid patients (0.64±0.39, mean±SD) was significantly different (p 4 -treated preeclamptic patients yielded a Vla of 0.91±0.14, which was not significantly different from that for either the normal primigravid patients or the saline controls. This Vla value was significantly different (p 4 .
Categories of Mapping Filters

The subject of this paper is a topic in that branch of universal algebra called the theory of models. The main trait that distinguishes model theory from other approaches to algebra is the fact that in model theory the language in which theorems and definitions are to be coined is explicitly, indeed formally, specified. This gives, of course, a peculiar slant to the type of problems that are of immediate interest to model theorists. The generalities in which we are interested concern the exact extent of definability of mathematical notions and the characterizability of types of mathematical structures in various formal languages, the existence of structures with particular properties in formally characterizable classes of structures, formal descriptions of types of properties preserved under various mathematical constructions, and the like. In a nutshell, the difference between an algebraist and a model theorist is the following: To an algebraist two mathematical structures A, ℬ are “essentially the same” if they are isomorphic, $$ A\, \cong \,B, $$ while to a model theorist they are essentially the same in case they are elementarily equivalent, $$ A\, \equiv \,B, $$ (if A and ℬ have the same first-order properties).
From the Soviet Bloc to the European Union: Lasting changes in the structure of income, employment, welfare institutions, education, and settlement

Living standards, unemployment, and poverty Social transformation opened the previously closed societies in hardline countries of the Soviet bloc and abolished state controls and regulations as well as paternalistic patronage in the entire region. The overwhelming atmosphere of freedom filled the air. No sooner was the window of opportunity opened wide to people long dissatisfied with strict limitations than they were hit by the decline of state socialism. For the majority, however, the negative effects were felt first: erosion and collapse of the social safety net, and the rise of permanent unemployment and poverty. These new phenomena replaced security and egalitarianism and generated social polarization according to the market capitalist pattern. There were both unavoidable and avoidable dangers on the road of social transformation. There were suggestions that it would be sensible to establish – and there were attempts to do so – an appropriate institutional framework in the form of a social safety net and a corporatist social contract system. It was hoped that these would pave the way for self-restraint and compromise. In turn, necessary reform would follow, and social pain would be mitigated in the process. As one of the experts noted: In post-war West European history social partnership models have established a long track record that they can successfully manage [the] process of economic and social transformation. It was reasonable, therefore, to expect that especially social corporatism would be [a] popular idea among East European policy makers trying to cope with the transition process. (Heinisch, 1999: 51–52)
Adults Who Order Sugar-Sweetened Beverages: Sociodemographics and Meal Patterns at Fast Food Chains.

Introduction Approximately 30% of adults consume sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) daily, many at fast food restaurants. Researchers examined fast food purchases to better understand which consumers order SSBs, particularly large SSBs. Methods Fast food customers in New York City and New Jersey provided receipts and participated in a survey during 2013–2014 (N=11,614). Logistic regression analyses predicted three outcomes: ordering no beverage or a non-SSB, a small/medium SSB, or a large SSB. Among respondents who ordered a beverage ( n =3,775), additional analyses predicted number of beverage calories and odds of ordering an SSB. Covariates included demographic and behavioral factors. Results Respondents aged 18–29 years were 88% more likely to order a large SSB than a non-SSB or no beverage, as compared with respondents aged ≥50 years ( p p =0.001) or if the restaurant had a large cup size >30 ounces (+36.07 kcal, p =0.001). Hispanic and Asian respondents were less likely to order a large SSB (AOR=0.49 and 0.52, respectively, both p ≤0.026) than non-Hispanic white respondents. Odds of ordering a large SSB were higher for respondents who ate in the restaurant (AOR=1.66, p p Conclusions Young adults and customers of restaurants with a larger cup size were more likely to purchase SSBs, and their beverage calories increased with meal size. Increased understanding of these factors is an important step toward limiting unhealthy SSB consumption.
Singapore Hawker Centers: Origins, Identity, Authenticity, and Distinction

Foodways in Singapore embody the anxieties of the island-state—namely heritage, race, identity, and authenticity. Hawking in Singapore was initially seen as a nuisance that had to be tolerated and later regulated by both the colonial administration and newly independent government. The relocation of hawkers to centralized food centers marked the imposition of order and hygiene onto a squalid industry. Street peddlers, once an administrative problem, were refashioned into a potent symbol of Singapore9s heritage. Hawker food has also been used as a trope of multiculturalism to unite a racially diverse people. The influx of foreign workers from the mid-1980s presented new tensions that shed light on the cultural power of food to articulate inclusion and exclusion. Markers of authenticity, namely historical traditions and artisanal expertise, map haphazardly onto the realities of actual foodways. Finally, a breed of connoisseurs, who grew up in a cosmopolitan nation-state, was birthed in the 1990s. Embracing the low culture of hawker food, local foodies impute new cultural meanings to hawker food that embody the tension between distinction and democracy.
Fried Green Tomatoes and The Color Purple: A case study in lesbian friendship and cultural controversy

Published in the 1980s, Fannie Flagg's Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe and Alice Walker's The Color Purple are lesbian coming-of-age narratives that share a great deal in common in te...
Awareness of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among women who inject drugs in NYC: the importance of networks and syringe exchange programs for HIV prevention

Women who inject drugs (WWID) are at heightened risk for HIV due to biological, behavioral, and structural factors. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) could aid in HIV prevention for WWID. However, little is known about WWID awareness of PrEP, which is a necessary step that must occur before PrEP uptake. We report factors associated with greater awareness among WWID to identify efficient means of awareness dissemination. Data from the 2015 National HIV Behavioral Surveillance (NHBS) system cycle on injection drug use collected in New York City (NYC) were used. Bivariable analyses, using chi-squared statistics, were conducted to examine correlates of awareness of PrEP with socio-demographic, behavioral, and health care variables. Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate adjusted associations and determine differences in awareness of PrEP. The analysis consisted of 118 WWID. Awareness of PrEP was relatively low (31%), and risk factors were high. In the last 12 months, almost two thirds (65%) reported condomless sex, approximately one third (31%) reported transactional sex, and one third (32%) reported sharing injection equipment. In multivariable logistic regression, increased PrEP awareness was associated with reported transactional sex (AOR 3.32, 95% CI 1.22–9.00) and having a conversation about HIV prevention at a syringe exchange program (SEP) (AOR 7.61, 95% CI 2.65–21.84). We did not find race, education, household income, age, binge drinking, or sexual identity to be significantly associated with PrEP awareness. Large proportions of WWID were unaware of PrEP. These findings suggest that social networks (specifically sex work and SEP networks) are an efficient means for disseminating messaging about prevention materials such as PrEP. We recommend that SEP access increase, SEP processes be adopted in other health care settings, and WWID networks be utilized to increase PrEP awareness.
Biotechnology and Advances Environmental Health Research

Scientific advances made in emerging biotechnological areas of genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabonomics have had a major impact on approach of environmental health and biomedical research. Although the DNA microarray technology has provided a new tool to critically assess changes in gene expression on a genome-wide basis, the transcriptomic technology has helped to explore gene expression at the RNA level. Building on genomics and transcriptomics knowledge, the proteomic technology has allowed the assessment of the activities, regulation, and interactions of proteins in response to internal and external stimuli. In addition, the metabonomic technology has provided unique opportunities for studying metabolic responses to drugs, environmental changes, and disease processes. These innovative technologies have provided a framework for understanding human biology at the cellular and molecular levels, as well as the mechanisms involved in the dysregulation of functional networks by environmental agents, and the biochemical processes associated with human diseases and environmental exposures. They are also helping to unravel the complex relationships between genes, gene products, and cellular and biological functions, to develop novel therapeutic, diagnostic, and prognostic agents, and to formulate personalized medicine.
Corrigendum to “Fuel economy testing of autonomous vehicles” [Transp. Res. Part C: Emerging Technol. 65 (2016) 31–48]

Abstract This paper presents a reanalysis of two of the models and one of the vehicles used in a previously published paper “Fuel Economy Testing of Autonomous Vehicles” (Mersky and Samaras, 2016). In that paper, a method for testing the fuel economy of automated vehicle features was proposed and tested, via simulation. In that paper, for the rule-sets and vehicles tested, it was estimated that fuel economy could change from −3 to +10%; this has been amended to −3 to +5%. In the prior paper, it was concluded that the VelocityACC control method occasionally improved fuel economy, that HeadwayACC generally performed worse than VelocityACC and that PlannedACC performed best. HeadwayACC and VelocityACC were also found to be insensitive to target headway. In this paper implementation errors were corrected in VelocityACC and HeadwayACC. Additionally, of the four vehicles tested, the 2011 Toyota Camry was rerun with four cylinders, rather than six. Under the assumptions used, VelocityACC has been found to never increase fuel economy, when following base EPA cycles. HeadwayACC has been found to always increase fuel economy and perform better than PlannedACC, when following base EPA cycles. Both HeadwayACC and VelocityACC were found to be sensitive to desired headway, improving fuel economy as desired headway increased. These amended results serve to further reinforce the importance of testing automated vehicle feature fuel economy as was concluded in the previous paper.
Asymptotic normality of the trace for a class of distributions on orthogonal matrices

Abstract This paper proves that the trace of the random orthogonal matrices generated by the QR procedure on a matrix with independent identically distributed entries is asymptotically standard normal. This generalizes a well known result of Diaconis and Mallows (1990). A more general case is considered and open problems are suggested.
Coupling a Federal Minimum Wage Hike with Public Investments to Make Work Pay and Reduce Poverty

For more than a century, advocates have promoted minimum wage laws to protect workers and their families from poverty. Opponents counter that the policy has, at best, small poverty-reducing effects. We summarize the evidence and describe three factors that might dampen the policy’s effects on poverty: imperfect targeting, heterogeneous labor market effects, and interactions with income support programs. To boost the poverty-reducing effects of the minimum wage, we propose increasing the federal minimum wage to $12 per hour and temporarily expanding an existing employer tax credit. This is a cost-saving proposal because it relies on regulation and creates no new administrative functions. We recommend using those savings to “make work pay” and improve upward mobility for low-income workers through lower marginal tax rates.
The ring-shaped hexameric helicases that function at DNA replication forks

DNA replication requires separation of genomic duplex DNA strands, an operation that is performed by a hexameric ring-shaped helicase in all domains of life. The structures and chemomechanical actions of these fascinating machines are coming into sharper focus. Although there is no evolutionary relationship between the hexameric helicases of bacteria and those of archaea and eukaryotes, they share many fundamental features. Here we review recent studies of these two groups of hexameric helicases and the unexpected distinctions they have also unveiled.
Escherichia coli cellular responses to exposure to atmospheric-pressure dielectric barrier discharge plasma-treated N-acetylcysteine solution.

AIM To understand the underlying cellular mechanisms during inactivation of Escherichia coli in response to antimicrobial solution of nonthermal plasma-activated N-acetylcysteine (NAC). METHODS AND RESULTS The recommended techniques were used to demonstrate E. coli cellular and transcriptomic changes caused associated with peroxynitrite and compared with plasma-treated NAC solution. The findings demonstrate that E. coli cells respond to plasma-treated NAC and undergo severe oxidative and nitrosative stress, and leading to stress-induced damages to different components of bacterial cells, which includes loss of membrane potential, formation of oxidized glutathione (GSSG), formation of nitrotyrosine (a known marker of nitrosative stress), DNA damage, and generated a prominent pool of peroxynitrite. Reverse-transcriptase (RT)-polymerase chain reaction analysis of reactive nitrogen species (RNS) responsive genes indicated their differential expressions. CONCLUSION For the first time, we report that the plasma-treated NAC solution activates predominantly nitrosative stress-responsive genes in E. coli and is responsible for cell death. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY The reactive species generated in solutions by nonthermal plasma treatment depends on the type of solution or solvent used. The plasma-treated NAC solution rapidly inactivates E. coli, mostly involving highly RNS generated in NAC solution, and has high potential as disinfectant.
Interrelations between phosphorus, calcium, parathyroid hormone, and phosphate excretion in the normal and uremic dog.

Phosphorus homeostasis is maintained in animals and man by excretion through the kidneys of the same amount of phosphorus absorbed from the intestines on an ongoing basis. There is apparently little impairment of gastrointestinal phosphorus absorption in uremia (1); yet phosphorus balance is well maintained in animals and man with advancing chronic renal disease. This balance is accomplished by progressive increases in fractional excretion of phosphate (\((F{{E}_{P{{O}_{4}}}})\)) by the kidneys and associated increases in para-thyroid hormone (PTH) secretion (2–5).
Prospects for Industrial Vision

The proceedings of this symposium contain many impressive examples of what can be accomplished today in factories with computer vision. Compared with human vision, however, the capabilities of these specialized systems are still very rudimentary. In this paper, we will examine some important industrial vision requirements that are simple for humans to fulfill but well beyond the ability of any existing machine. We will try to understand what limitations of current systems make these tasks so hard for a machine and use this knowledge to outline the design of a general-purpose computer vision system, capable of high performance in a wide variety of industrial vision tasks. We will conclude by suggesting some promising research directions towards realizing such a system.
Complex Spine Surgery

Recent developments in surgical technique and technology have advanced the capabilities for surgical treatment of complex spinal pathology. Various surgical approaches allow for anterior, lateral, posterior, and circumferential exposure of the vertebral column, spinal cord, and nerves from the skull base to the pelvis. Contemporary spinal instrumentation provides optimal three-dimensional spinal fixation with improved biomechanical advantage for correction of spinal malalignment and long-term stabilization. The combination of these advances has resulted in broadened capabilities for treating traumatic, infectious, oncologic, and spinal deformity conditions in patients with complicated underlying primary disease as well as comorbidities. Optimal care includes a collaborative multidisciplinary effort including spine surgeons, neuro-anesthesiologists, and advanced neuro-critical care physicians. In this chapter, surgical approaches, techniques, and instrumentation are outlined with focus on specific anatomic and clinical considerations as well as potential complications.