cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
AIDS-Kaposi's sarcoma complex: evolution of a full-blown lymphologic syndrome.

An hypothesis is presented to explain the link between acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and Kaposi's sarcoma (KS). According to this hypothesis, AIDS involves all four components of the integrated lymphatic system--lymphatics, lymph nodes, lymphocytes, and lymph--and thereby resembles various congenital and acquired lymphologic syndromes characterized by one or more of the following features: lymphostasis, angiogenesis, and fibrosis; depletion of immunocompetent cells and immunosuppression; opportunistic infections; and vascular neoplasms. A better understanding of the steps in the evolution of these processes and their interrelationships to the four components of the lymphatic system should provide insight into the immunopathogenesis of AIDS-KS as well as its detection and treatment
HLA-B5 Associated with Duodenal Ulcer

In a search for further genetic factors contributing to ulcer disease we undertook a study of the frequency of HLA antigens in patients with duodenal ulcer. Seventy-seven male patients (of two races) were typed for the HLA-A and-B loci. Thirteen of the 54 (24%) white males were found to have antigen B5 compared to 10% of controls. These results have a P value of 0.0016 which remains significant even when multiplied by the number of antigens tested (28). These results demonstrate a significant association between duodenal ulcer and HLA antigen B5 in white males, with a relative risk of 2.9, greater than that associated with the combination of blood group O and nonsecretor status.
Nuclear magnetic resonance secular relaxation measurements as a method of extracting internal magnetic field gradients and pore sizes

AbstractNuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) has been used as a common and powerful tool for petrophysical investigation of fluid-bearing porous media. A major complication of NMR analysis occurs, however, when diffusion of fluid protons through magnetic field heterogeneities becomes nonnegligible. A quantity called the secular relaxation rate (1/T2 sec) has been defined as the difference in transverse and longitudinal relaxation rates (1/T2-1/T1) and can be shown to isolate the effects of diffusion as a function of pore system parameters. We have developed results that extract internal magnetic field gradient strengths based on changes in T2 sec as a function of the NMR interecho spacing. We also indicated that an optimization algorithm can be used to invert for volumetrically weighted mean pore sizes. The benefit of these types of analyses is to provide simple methodologies for inferring the average strengths of internal magnetic field gradients and pore sizes from NMR measurements without the need for inde...
Survey of Optical Velocimetry Experiments - Applications of PDV, A Heterodyne Velocimeter

Optical velocimetry has been an important experimental diagnostic for many experiments. Recent improvements to heterodyne techniques have resulted in compact, inexpensive and high performance velocimetry measurement systems. We report on developments and improvements in this area and illustrate the performance of Photon Doppler Velocimetry (PDV) by showing several experimental examples.
Post-Subdural Hematoma Transient Ischemic Attacks: Hypoperfusion Mechanism Supported by Quantitative Electroencephalography and Transcranial Doppler Sonography.

An 81-year-old right-handed woman with hypertension developed mild left hemiparesis over 1 week. Computed tomography of the head showed a right acute on chronic subdural hematoma (SDH). She underwent burr hole evacuation, her weakness resolved, and she was discharged to home after 4 days. One week later, she experienced transient left hemiplegia and confusion lasting a few hours. On arrival to the emergency department, her symptoms had resolved. Blood pressure was 140/90 mm Hg. Repeat head computed tomography showed a small residual SDH and mild right hemispheric edema; both hematoma volume and edema were stable compared with those of previous imaging. Magnetic resonance imaging showed no diffusion restriction underlying the SDH, and magnetic resonance angiography showed normal intra- and extracranial vasculature. Electroencephalography (EEG) showed no epileptiform activity; however, there was mild slowing in the right hemisphere. Quantitative EEG (qEEG) analysis showed reduced alpha/delta ratio within the right hemisphere (Figure 1). Levetiracetam was empirically started, and she was admitted for close observation. Figure 1. Soon after a syncopal event, electroencephalography (EEG) shows right hemispheric slowing ( A ). An hour of quantitative EEG ( B ) before and after syncope (arrow) demonstrates reduced alpha/delta ratio on the right hemisphere (red) compared with the left (blue) after the event. The asymmetry spectrogram ( C ) represents frequency of the EEG (1–18 Hz) averaged over the hemispheres, in which red represents the right hemisphere and blue represents the left. This is consistent with more slowing of the right hemisphere. The asymmetry index ( D ) shows the degree of total absolute asymmetry (yellow) with increased asymmetry after the event and relative asymmetry (green) with increased downward signal representing increased slowing on the right after the syncope. On day 2 of admission, she developed left face, arm, and leg weakness, right gaze deviation, and left-sided neglect. Blood pressure at the time was 110/78 mm Hg. EEG …
What teachers understand of model lessons

AbstractOver the past two decades, researchers in mathematics teacher education have identified characteristics of high quality professional development (PD). This report describes an investigation of a common approach to PD with secondary mathematics teachers, providing teachers with opportunities to experience reform-oriented model lessons as students of the lesson’s mathematics. Teachers experienced a lesson, as students, on the design of displays of statistical data as a method to investigate statistical questions. The investigation then examined the ways in which teachers assimilated the lesson by having them attempt to reconstruct the lesson for their own use. The author points to ways in which teachers’ current meanings and ways of thinking about statistics in particular, and mathematics in general, interfered with their ability to create a coherent reconstruction of the lesson and identifies two potential sources that account for the difficulties teachers exhibited in their attempts to reconstruct...
Spectrum attacks aimed at minimizing spectrum opportunities

Unutilized spectrum, i.e. spectrum holes, are opportunities that may be used for communication or other RF services. In this paper, we explore adversarial attacks that reduce the size of spectrum holes by showing their advantage compared to a random jammer. Using a game-theoretical approach, we design an optimal scanning strategy that provides an increased probability of detecting such an attack. The advantage of our strategy is achieved by focusing scanning efforts on bands that are more likely to be attacked, and neglecting the others. However, such focused scanning is a disadvantage since, if the adversary has a different objective, he can safely sneak usage of the bands neglected by such a specially-tuned spectrum scanner. To deal with this problem, we also derive the optimal scanning allocation that balances between applying the anti-spectrum holes attack scanning strategy and scanning the neglected bands so as to prevent the possibility of the adversary using those bands without being detected.
Hydrodynamic function of dorsal fins in spiny dogfish and bamboo sharks during steady swimming.

A key feature of fish functional design is the presence of multiple fins that allow thrust vectoring and redirection of fluid momentum to contribute to both steady swimming and maneuvering. A number of previous studies have analyzed the function of dorsal fins in teleost fishes in this context, but the hydrodynamic function of dorsal fins in freely-swimming sharks has not been analyzed, despite the potential for differential functional roles between the anterior and posterior dorsal fins. Previous anatomical research has suggested a primarily stabilizing role for shark dorsal fins. We evaluated the generality of this hypothesis by using time-resolved particle image velocimetry to record water flow patterns in the wake of both the anterior and posterior dorsal fins in two species of freely-swimming sharks: bamboo sharks ( Chiloscyllium plagiosum ) and spiny dogfish ( Squalus acanthias ). Cross correlation analysis of consecutive images was used to calculate stroke-averaged mean, longitudinal and lateral velocity components, and vorticity. In spiny dogfish, we observed a velocity deficit in the wake of the first dorsal fin and flow acceleration behind the second dorsal fin, indicating that the first dorsal experiences net drag while the second dorsal fin can aid in propulsion. In contrast, the wake of both dorsal fins in bamboo sharks displayed increased net flow velocity in the majority of trials, reflecting a thrust contribution to steady swimming. In bamboo sharks, fluid flow in the wake of the second dorsal fin had higher absolute average velocity than the first dorsal fin, and this may result from a positive vortex interaction between the first and second dorsal fins. These data suggest that the first dorsal fin in spiny dogfish has primarily a stabilizing function, while the second dorsal fin has a propulsive function. In bamboo sharks both dorsal fins can contribute thrust and should be considered as propulsive adjuncts to the body during steady swimming. The function of shark dorsal fins can thus differ considerably among fins and species, and is not limited to a stabilizing role.
Emotion perception as conceptual synchrony

Psychological research on emotion perception anchors heavily on an object perception analogy. We present static “cues,” such as facial expressions, as objects for perceivers to categorize. Yet in the real world, emotions play out as dynamic multidimensional events. Current theoretical approaches and research methods are limited in their ability to capture this complexity. We draw on insights from a predictive coding account of neural activity and a grounded cognition account of concept representation to conceive of emotion perception as a stream of synchronized conceptualizations between two individuals, which is supported and shaped by language. We articulate how this framework can illuminate the fundamental need to study culture, as well as other sources of conceptual variation, in unpacking conceptual synchrony in emotion. We close by suggesting that the conceptual system provides the necessary flexibility to overcome gaps in emotional synchrony.
Identifying interphase properties in polymer nanocomposites using adaptive optimization

Abstract To predict the properties of nanocomposites, computational models have demonstrated that the interphase behavior can be expressed using the matrix properties with a modified (shifted) frequency. The amount of the shift necessary for a given sample data set can be determined by achieving the best fit between the predicted curve from a computation model and the experimental data through trial-and-error. However, with the complexity of experimental data and expensive computational costs, a manual process to solve this inverse problem is impractical to handle many experimental data sets. This difficulty hinders investigation of the underlying principles behind nanocomposite interphase. In this work, we present an adaptive optimization approach that accelerates the search for interphase properties in polymer nanocomposite data sets by solving the inverse problem using global optimization. The objective is to minimize the difference between the predicted bulk property of a nanocomposite with that from the experiment data. A Gaussian Process (GP) model is built as a surrogate of the objective function with quantification of prediction uncertainty. An adaptive sampling strategy is applied to effectively navigate the complex search space by iteratively selecting the next sampling point based on an expected improvement function. The surrogate model and the optimal solution evolve until the desired objective is achieved. The approach is tested on both the simulations of dielectric and viscoelastic properties in nanocomposites. Our work provides insight into identifying the interphase properties for polymer nanocomposites using adaptive optimization and demonstrates the potential of data-driven approach for achieving a deeper understanding of the interphase properties and its origins.
Funding profiles of multisector health care alliances and their positioning for sustainability.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between different aspects of alliance funding profiles (e.g. range of sources, dependence on specific sources) and participant’ perceptions of how well the organization is positioned for the future. Design/methodology/approach A mixed method study in the context of eight alliances participating in the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Aligning Forces for Quality program. Data collection approaches included surveys of alliance participants and semi-structured interviews with alliance leaders. Findings The findings indicate that dependence on grant revenues, in particular, may be problematic for how well alliances are positioned for sustainability. While a number of approaches were identified to reduce dependence on grants, implementing these strategies presented more of a challenge for alliances due to the contextual demands of their external environment and a need to strike a balance between pursuing alternative revenue sources and fidelity to the mission and identity of the organization. Practical implications Alliance leaders need to have not only a broad and accurate understanding of their external environment, but also an appreciation of the alliance’s identity in that environment. Collectively, the findings can help organizational leaders be more informed about their funding choices and the implications those choices have for the future of their organization. Originality/value Collaborative forms of organizations (e.g. alliances, coalitions, networks) are increasingly viewed as an effective means of addressing complex, multifaceted health, and social challenges. For collaborative organizations that depend on the coordinated efforts of volunteers, addressing such complex issues is predicated on sustaining programmatic activities as well as the interest and participation of stakeholders over extended periods of time. This study sheds light on how leaders of these organizations may improve their prospects for sustainability.
Parents' Ratings of the Acceptability of Behavioral Treatment Recommendations Made in an Outpatient Clinic: A Preliminary Analysis of the Influence of Treatment Effectiveness:

Ratings of acceptability were obtained from 20 parents who came to a behavior management outpatient clinic for assistance with their children's behavior problems. Ratings of treatment acceptability...
Black women talk about stereotypical transference enactments in cross-cultural supervision

Little is known about cross-cultural supervision dynamics between Black, female supervisors who provide clinical supervision of White supervisees. This study examined transference enactments which ...
Does 3-T fetal MRI induce adverse acoustic effects in the neonate? A preliminary study comparing postnatal auditory test performance of fetuses scanned at 1.5 and 3 T

Fetal MRI at 3 T is associated with increased acoustic noise relative to 1.5 T. The goal of this study is to determine if there is an increased prevalence of congenital hearing loss in neonates who had a 3-T prenatal MR vs. those who had it at 1.5 T. We retrospectively identified all subjects who had 3-T fetal MRI between 2012 and 2016 and also underwent universal neonatal hearing screening within 60 days of birth. Fetuses with incomplete hearing screening, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies at both field strengths or fetuses affected by conditions associated with hearing loss were excluded. A random group of controls scanned at 1.5 T was identified. Five subjects had repeat same-strength MRIs (one at 3 T and four at 1.5 T). The pass/fail rate of the transient otoacoustic emissions test and auditory brainstem response test were compared using the Fisher exact test. A logistic regression was performed to assess the effects of other known risk factors for congenital hearing loss. Three hundred forty fetal MRI examinations were performed at 3 T, of which 62 met inclusion criteria. A control population of 1.5-T fetal MRI patients was created using the same exclusion criteria, with 62 patients randomly selected from the eligible population. The fail rates of transient otoacoustic emissions test for the 1.5-T and 3-T groups were 9.7% and 6.5%, respectively, and for the auditory brainstem response test were 3.2% and 1.6%, respectively. There was no significant difference in the fail rate of either test between groups (P=0.74 for transient otoacoustic emissions test, and P=0.8 for auditory brainstem response test). The median gestational age of the 3-T group was 30 weeks, 1 day, significantly higher (P<0.001) than the 1.5-T group (median gestational age: 20 weeks, 2 days). Our findings suggest that the increase in noise associated with 3 T does not increase the rate of clinically detectable hearing abnormalities.
Buthionine sulfoximine induced growth inhibition in human lung carcinoma cells does not correlate with glutathione depletion.

Treatment of A549 human lung carcinoma cells with L-buthionine-[S,R]-sulfoximine (BSO) results concomitantly in cellular glutathione (GSH) depletion and growth inhibition. The nature of BSO effects on cell growth and the relationships between BSO inhibition of cell growth and BSO effects on cellular GSH levels were determined in this study. A dose dependent effect of BSO on cell growth was observed, but this effect was found not to correlate with BSO effects on cellular GSH levels. Treatment with BSO for 60 h at concentrations of 5 and 10 mM was found to deplete cellular GSH at similar rates and to an undetectable level (below 0.5 nmol/mg protein). However, cessation of growth occured in 10 mM BSO whereas growth continued at better than one half the control rate in 5 mM BSO. The results suggest there may be a distinct threshold level of intracellular G GSH (on the order of or less than 0.5 nmol/mg protein) required for cell growth and for cells to protect themselves from the antiproliferative effects of BSO. At a concentration of 10 mM, BSO inhibited both DNA and protein synthesis and arrested growth of A549 cells throughout rather than at a specific phase of the cell cycle. BSO inhibition of growth was not, as indicated by colony-forming efficiency (CFE) and electron microscopy studies, accompanied by indications of cytotoxic effects. A stimulatory effect of 0.1 mM BSO on the growth of A549 cells was found also.
A Basic Structure for Grids in Surfaces.

A graph $G$ embedded in a surface $S$ is called an $S$-grid when every facial boundary walk has length four, that is, the topological dual graph of $G$ in $S$ is 4-regular. Aside from the case where $S$ is the torus or Klein bottle, an $S$-grid must have vertices of degrees other than four. Let the sequence of degrees other than four in $G$ be called the curvature sequence of $G$. We give a succinct characterization of $S$-grids with nonempty curvature sequence $L$ in terms of graphs that have degree sequence $L$ and are immersed in a certain way in $S$; furthermore, the immersion associated with the $S$-grid $G$ is unique and so our characterization of $S$-grids also partitions the collection of all $S$-grids.
Enhanced-Resolution SMAP Brightness Temperature Image Products

The NASA-sponsored Calibrated Passive Micro- wave Daily Equal-Area Scalable Earth Grid 2.0 Brightness Temperature (CETB) Earth System Data Record Project team has generated a multisensor, multidecadal time series of high-resolution radiometer products designed to support climate studies. This project uses image reconstruction techniques to generate conventional and enhanced-resolution daily brightness temperature images on a standard set of map projections. Sensors included in CETB are the Aqua Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer–Earth Observing System (AMSR-E), Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer, and all Special Sensor Microwave/Imager and Special Sensor Microwave Imager/Sounder radiometers. These span frequencies between 6 and 89 GHz. This paper considers the issues of adding the L-band (1.6 GHz) Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) radiometer measurements to the CETB climate record, with emphasis on optimizing the reconstruction to provide the highest possible spatial resolution at the lowest noise level. SMAP radiometer reconstruction on SMAP-standard grids is also considered. Simulation is used to optimize the reconstruction, and the results confirmed using actual data. A comparison of the performance of the Backus–Gilbert approach and the radiometer form of the Scatterometer Image Reconstruction algorithm is provided. These are compared to the conventional drop-in-the-bucket gridded imaging.
Context, Culture, and Collaboration in AIDS Interventions: Ecological Ideas for Enhancing Community Impact

The paper describes developments in preventive interventions in AIDS/HIV that signal the emergence of a new perspective focusing on community-level intervention and community-level impact. These developments are reviewed, and a ecological framework from community psychology is offered as an integrating and guiding mind-set for future community impact interventions. Key ingredients are community assessment, the ecology of lives lived in different sociocultural communities, the development of collaborative relationships, and enhancing community empowerment through the development of local community resources. The perspective is outlined using existing examples of AIDS/HIV preventive interventions, which focus on such community-level issues as norms regarding sexual risk behavior. The paper concludes with a call to explore more fully the wisdom found in existing community-level work in the AIDS/HIV area and to develop an ecological mind-set when engaging in preventive community interventions.
Review of vegetarian nutrition and wellness

Vegetarian Nutrition and Wellness (VNW) is an edited volume written by academic researchers working in the fields of nutrition, public health, food studies, and health and human sciences. The edito...
Smoke-Free Home Intervention in Permanent Supportive Housing: A Multifaceted Intervention Pilot.

INTRODUCTION Smoke-free homes (SFHs), the voluntary adoption of home smoking restrictions, are associated with reduced secondhand smoke exposure. However, SFHs are uncommon in permanent supportive housing (PSH) for formerly homeless adults, who have fivefold higher smoking rates than the general population. We pilot-tested a brief intervention to increase voluntary adoption of SFHs among PSH residents in the San Francisco Bay Area. AIMS AND METHODS We pilot-tested a brief intervention to increase voluntary adoption of SFHs among PSH residents in the San Francisco Bay Area. Rest of the methods, PSH residents (n = 100) and staff (n = 62) from 15 PSH sites participated in the intervention between October 2017 and February 2018. Research staff provided counseling to PSH residents on how to adopt an SFH and trained PSH staff on how to counsel residents on smoking cessation. The primary outcome was self-reported voluntary adoption of an SFH for ≥90 days, and the secondary outcome was carbon monoxide-verified PPA at 6-month follow-up. PSH staff completed the Smoking Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices survey at baseline and 3-month follow-up. RESULTS At 6 months, 31.3% of PSH residents had adopted an SFH (vs. 13.0% at baseline) and 16.9% reported carbon monoxide-verified PPA. A positive attitude toward an SFH policy was associated with increased odds of SFH adoption (adjusted odds ratio = 8.68, 95% confidence interval: 2.42, 31.17). Voluntary SFH adoption was associated with increased PPA (adjusted odds ratio = 26.27, 95% confidence interval: 3.43, 201.30). PSH staff reported improved attitudes toward and self-efficacy in delivering cessation care, and decreased barriers to discussing smoking cessation among PSH residents between baseline and 3-month follow-up. CONCLUSIONS In this single-arm study, a brief intervention increased SFH adoption and PPA among PSH residents. IMPLICATIONS To date, few interventions have addressed SFHs and their association with tobacco use among PSH residents. A "ground-up" approach that relies on buy-in from residents and that promotes voluntary SFHs is an innovative way to increase smoke-free living environments in PSH. This approach could pave a pathway for smoke-free policy implementation in these sites. PSH can play a role in reducing the burden of tobacco use by empowering its residents to adopt voluntary SFHs, which could increase smoking cessation among residents.
The Roman Mimae: Female Performers in Ancient Rome

Most Roman theatrical entertainments were performed by men and in masks; the major exception to this rule was the genre of mime, which employed actresses to play female roles and did not use masks. Mime was a broad genre, encompassing mostly comic performances ranging from scripted plays to improvised skits, variety shows, and musical numbers. Unlike its modern silent counterpart, Roman mime was a spoken (and sung) genre. Because of Roman social stigmas against elites and women performing onstage, mime actresses (mimae) were assumed to be prostitutes and occupied the same legal status category as them, that of infamis, ‘without honour’ (literally ‘unspeakable’). This chapter examines surviving mime scripts, known mime plots and literary, inscriptional and archaeological evidence about historical mimae to illuminate women’s contributions to Roman performance culture. Women also performed in public as pantomimes (interpretive dancers), singers, musicians, and, rarely, gladiators. By the end of the Roman Empire, mime was the most popular theatrical genre and mimae, despite and because of their social stigma, were the stars of the show.
Influence of prescribed fire and forest structure on woodland salamander abundance in the central Appalachians, USA

Prescribed fire is used in the central Appalachians to promote and maintain mixed-oak and pine forests, create open forest conditions, improve habitat for wildlife, and to reduce the risk of impact of higher intensity wildfires on human development. Few studies have investigated responses of terrestrial salamander populations to habitat management using fire, and estimated responses have been neutral, negative, and positive depending on geography, species, and fire-severity. We examined woodland salamander (genus Plethodon) population responses to habitat management using prescribed fire on Shenandoah Mountain in the George Washington National Forest in West Virginia and Virginia, USA. We focused on responses of the Cow Knob Salamander (P. punctatus), a talus specialist and species of high conservation concern, but also examined responses of the Eastern Red-Backed Salamander (P. cinereus), a widespread habitat generalist. Three burn units were subjected to two low-severity burns and one unit was burned five times with ca. 40% tree mortality. Using a combination of nighttime visual encounter surveys and coverboard surveys, we compared terrestrial salamander abundance and body condition in unburned and burned areas. We also measured habitat characteristics at sampling sites to determine if prescribed burn histories were correlated with habitat conditions important to woodland salamanders. Mean abundance for P. punctatus was lower at sites that were burned, but there was not a strong burn effect for P. cinereus. Abundance of both species was positively correlated with canopy cover. Mean and median body condition index (BCI) score was higher for P. punctatus and lower for P. cinereus on the West Virginia side of Shenandoah Mountain, and lower in burned areas for both species. However, the most parsimonious BCI models did not contain the burn predictor. Management using prescribed fire altered microhabitat conditions that are important for woodland salamanders, such as canopy cover, leaf litter depth, and vegetation groundcover. Our study suggests that woodland salamanders in the central Appalachians can persist in forests managed using prescribed fire, but also indicates that prescribed fire can result in reduced habitat quality for some woodland salamander species.
Hybrid Decentralized Data Analytics in Edge-Computing-Empowered IoT Networks

Edge computing is emerging as a new infrastructure for Internet-of-Things (IoT) networks by placing computation and analytics near to where data are generated. This article presents a novel data analytics framework for edge computing. The framework is based on a new decentralized algorithm, which enables all the nodes to obtain the global optimal model without sharing raw data. The resulting scheme executes in a hybrid mode: local IoT nodes send computed information to edge nodes. The edge nodes cooperate with each other by exchanging analytics with their neighbors only. The presenting approach is analyzed and evaluated on various applications and the experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology in providing fast data analytics to edge computing infrastructure.
Continuing processes of uneven development in post-apartheid South Africa

Despite the multitude of political and economic changes in post-apartheid South Africa, poverty is being relocated from former Bantustans and townships to peri-urban areas. Examining historical eco...
Comparative Effects of E-cigarette Aerosol on Periodontium

Introduction: Tobacco use is one of the main causes of periodontitis. E-cigarettes are gaining in popularity, and studies are needed to better understand the impact of e-cigarettes on oral health. Objective: To perform a longitudinal study to evaluate the adverse effects of e-cigarettes on periodontal health. Methods: Naive e-cigarette users, cigarette smokers, and non-smokers were recruited using newspaper and social media. Demographics, age, gender, and ethnicity, were recorded. Participants were scheduled for two visits 6 months apart. At each visit, we collected data on the daily frequency puffs of an e-cigarette, the number of cigarettes smokes, and other parameters, such as alcohol consumption. Carbon monoxide levels, cotinine levels, salivary flow rate, probing depth, and bleeding on probing were determined at both baseline and follow-up visits. P-values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: We screened 159 subjects and recruited 140 subjects. One-hundred-one subjects (31 cigarette smokers, 32 e-cigarette smokers, and 38 non-smokers) completed every assessment in both visits. The retention and compliance rate of subjects was 84.1%. The use of social media and craigslist was significant in recruiting e-cigarette subjects. Ethnicity and race differed between cohorts, as did average age in the male subjects. Carbon monoxide and salivary cotinine levels were highest among cigarette smokers. Bleeding on probing and average probing depths similarly increased over time in all three cohorts. Increase in the rates of severe periodontal disease were significantly higher in cigarette smokers and e-cigarette users than non-smokers. Confounding factors were subjects9 age as most of the e-cigarette group were much younger than cigarette smokers. Conclusion: Among the recruited participants, periodontal severity status after 6 month was significantly worse in cigarette smokers and e-cigarette smokers than non-smokers. This study design and protocol will assist in future larger studies on e-cigarette and oral health.
Reducing Load Latency with Cache Level Prediction.

High load latency that results from deep cache hierarchies and relatively slow main memory is an important limiter of single-thread performance. Data prefetch helps reduce this latency by fetching data up the hierarchy before it is requested by load instructions. However, data prefetching has shown to be imperfect in many situations. We propose cache-level prediction to complement prefetchers. Our method predicts which memory hierarchy level a load will access allowing the memory loads to start earlier, and thereby saves many cycles. The predictor provides high prediction accuracy at the cost of just one cycle added latency to L1 misses. Experimental results show speedup of 7.8\% on generic, graph, and HPC applications over a baseline with aggressive prefetchers.
Racial group affect and support for civil liberties in the United States

Civil liberties are a linchpin of liberal democracy, and are central to the practice and discourse of American politics. However, there is little research exploring whether or to what extent group ...
A Comparison of high level intratracheal saline lavage and conventional routes of antibiotic administration in the treatment of acute bovine bacterial pneumonia

After diagnosis of pneumonia, 5619 cattle were given an antibiotic intratracheally. The results were compared with 1025 cattle given antibiotic intravenously, intramuscularly and subcutaneously. 93% of intratracheally treated cattle completely recovered and 2% died; 82% of cattle treated by the other routes completely recovered and 6% died.
Ka Suwe: Culturally Sustaining and Responsive Practices in Expressive Therapies Education

Abstract Indigenous methodology, which includes story, the arts, and Native language, is defined and applied in this article as a response to the appropriation and misrepresentation of Indigenous spirituality and cultural practices, the silencing and erasure of American Indian genocide, and the denigration of Indigenous worldviews experienced by this author in expressive therapies education. Throughout the article, this author identifies and incorporates Indigenous methodology as one route to promoting culturally sustaining and responsive practices in expressive therapies education.
The Nature of Serological Relationships Among Influenza Viruses

Publisher Summary This chapter describes some of the recent work with antigens extracted from virus-infected tissues and suspensions of influenza virus particles. In many ways these studies represent promising approaches to several problems in virology. Primary emphasis has been on serologic studies with the antigenic complexes represented by populations of virus particles. A major portion concerns antigenic relationships among strains as defined by several methods of analysis with animal antisera. An effort has been made to summarize pertinent data resulting from studies on mechanisms of antigenic variation—namely, immunologic selection and genetic exchanges. Observations of immune responses in man are also discussed. It is shown that conclusions derived from results of vaccine trials and sero-epidemiological research has complemented interpretations of analyses of virus strain antigenic composition. Modern concepts and doctrines concerning the importance and nature of antigenic relationships among strains are also reviewed and discussed in relation to application in prophylaxis of influenza by vaccination.
Preclinical positron emission tomographic imaging of acute hyperoxia therapy of chronic hypoxia during pregnancy

The goal of this work was to study the efficacy of the positron emission tomography (PET) tracers 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose ([18F]FDG) and 64Cu-diacetyl-bis(N4-methylthiosemicarbazone) ([64Cu...
Managing ‘American Islam’

Focusing on the case of Islam in post-9/11 United States, this article highlights the particularity of how US secularism is enacted by the state. In much sociological theory, the United States has been understood to be a neutral and non-interfering state with regard to religion, thereby fostering a pluralist religious context of free consumer choice. Some Muslim reformists have argued that this context makes the US highly fertile ground upon which to reform Islam and to improve women's status in Islam. This article argues that, in the context of the US-led ‘war on terror’, the government has drawn on and amplified this discourse in the service of producing a representation of the US as tolerant, while also seeking to promote a concept of ‘true’ Islam and produce patriotic Muslim citizens. At the center of this discourse are contested portrayals of Muslim women as symbolic of a modern and liberated Islam that is uniquely ‘American’ and opposed to other presumably oppressive Islams. While this context may i...
Modification of the gelatin-matrix method for enumeration of respiring bacterial cells for use with salt-marsh water samples.

Abstract In this report I describe a modification of the gelatin-matrix method for determining the percentages of bacterial cells having active electron transport systems. This modification is one-step fluorochroming followed by use of an antioxidant solution instead of the secondary gelatin layer. The modified technique is more successfully applicable to water samples containing high densities of flocculant particulate matter, owing to the brighter green fluorescence of the cells, which contrasts with the red-orange fluorescence of the floc.
Nitric Oxide in Cell-to-Cell Communication Coordinating the Plant Hypersensitive Response

The primary and probably only important role that NO. plays in the hypersensitive response is communication between dying cells and neighboring cells. NO. accumulates extracellularly immediately prior to programmed cell death of infected cells and inhibits extracellular H2O2-degrading enzymes, leading to H2O2 accumulation. NO. and/or H2O2 travel to adjacent cells, where H2O2 accumulation induces salicylic acid biosynthesis. Salicylic acid mediates the observed NO.-dependent potentiation of programmed cell death triggering. These effects appear to depend upon augmentation of plasma membrane depolarization by direct effects of salicylic acid; whereas delayed negative feedback on programmed cell death is gene expression-dependent.
Erosion behavior of high silicon bainitic structures: II: High silicon steels

Abstract The erosion behavior of two austempered high silicon (2.5 wt.% Si) steels, one containing 1 wt.% Mn and the other 1 wt.% Ni, has been compared with the mechanical property variations after austempering for various times in the upper bainite temperature range (420 °C). For both steels the erosion resistance is a maximum for austempering times near the end of stage II. The erosion resistance correlates directly with the tensile toughness and with the percentage elongation divided by the percentage reduction in area and inversely with the hardness in all three stages of austempering. It is shown that the strain-hardening coefficient peaks at the minimum erosion rate and that the high strain-hardening character of the retained austenite in these austempered steels is beneficial to erosion resistance. Comparison with the austempered cast irons in Part I of this study shows that the graphite nodules of the cast irons have no significant effect upon erosion rate.
Beyond anecdotal evidence: Do subsidized housing developments increase neighborhood crime?

While planners and policymakers have advocated the need for project-based subsidized housing, they often face the challenge of strong community opposition due to the negative perceptions of subsidized housing and subsidized households, and the fear that these developments and residents would bring increased crime. This paper aims to extend beyond anecdotal evidence by examining the impact of a popular U.S. affordable housing program, the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program, on neighborhood crime rates. We estimate the levels and trends in neighborhood crime before and after LIHTC developments, based on crime incidents data from 2000 to 2009 in Austin, Texas, using the Adjusted Interrupted Time Series–Difference in Differences (AITS–DID) approach to clarify the causal direction of impacts of LIHTC developments. Results show that LIHTC subsidized housing tended to be developed in neighborhoods where crime was already prevalent, and contrary to popular perception, LIHTC developments have a mitigating impact on neighborhood crime. These results suggest that LIHTC developments may be an effective tool for revitalizing distressed neighborhoods by ameliorating the “broken windows” problem and reducing neighborhood crime.
Squeezing the antibiotic balloon: the impact of antimicrobial classes on emerging resistance.

The ongoing problem of emerging antimicrobial resistance has been likened to a balloon where settling one specific issue results in a ‘bulge’ of even worse problems. However, much has been learned about how to best use our critical antibacterial agents in ways to avoid or even repair some of the resistance damage that has been done. A compilation of current literature strongly suggests that to slow the development of resistance to antimicrobial agents it is optimal to use drugs with more than one mechanism of action or target, to prescribe those with demonstrated ability to minimise or reverse resistance problems, and to avoid underdosing of potent antibiotics. The most recent information also indicates that it is best to limit empirical use of β-lactam plus fluoroquinolone combination therapy, since these two classes activate some common resistance responses, and using them together can facilitate multidrug resistance in important pathogens, particularly Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter species. This review discusses the role of each major antimicrobial class on resistance development and presents specific strategies for combating the growing problem of multidrug-resistant bacteria. We now have the knowledge to better manage our antimicrobial agent prescribing practices, but finding the will and resources to apply our understanding remains a formidable challenge.
Cooperatively Mapping of the Underwater Acoustic Channel by Robot Swarms

This paper presents a novel approach that employs coordinated robot swarms to create a spatial map for parameters of underwater acoustic communication channels. Understanding spatial variations of acoustic channel parameters is crucial to underwater networking with mixed static and mobile communication nodes. We envision using multiple marine robots maintained in a formation to collect simultaneous measurements of communication signals transmitted by a sound source. The data collected is processed by a cooperative filtering algorithm to generate a local map of a class of channel parameters. The motion of the robots will then be planned by an explorability based method to facilitate map construction under the influence from uncertainty in channel parameters. Our work integrates robotic mapping methods with underwater acoustic communication channel modeling and identification algorithms. We have also combined simulation tools from robotic map making and acoustic channel simulations, which may be valuable for future field experiments.
On summary measures of binarized dominance data

Abstract Data on outcomes of dominance contests in groups of animals are often binarized (the original matrix of counts transformed into a matrix of ones and zeros indicating, for each pair, which animal won more contests). Various measures attempt to summarize the structure of the binarized data. We discuss uncertainty in such summary measures, and suggest ways to account for this uncertainty. We consider the summary measure both for an observed finite sample and for the unobserved underlying probability structure. We illustrate the general ideas with one particular summary measure, Appleby's K , and one data set, Appleby's red deer data.
Visidep (TM): A Three-Dimensional Imaging System For The Unaided Eye

The VISIDEP process for creating images in three dimensions on flat screens is suitable for photographic, electrographic and computer generated imaging systems. Procedures for generating these images vary from medium to medium due to the specific requirements of each technology. Imaging requirements for photographic and electrographic media are more directly tied to the hardware than are computer based systems. Applications of these technologies are not limited to entertainment, but have implications for training, interactive computer/video systems, medical imaging, and inspection equipment. Through minor modification the system can provide three-dimensional images with accurately measureable relationships for robotics and adds this factor for future developments in artificial intelligence. In almost any area requiring image analysis or critical review, VISIDEP provides the added advantage of three-dimensionality. All of this is readily accomplished without aids to the human eye. The system can be viewed in full color, false-color infra-red, and monochromatic modalities from any angle and is also viewable with a single eye. Thus, the potential of application for this developing system is extensive and covers the broad spectrum of human endeavor from entertainment to scientific study.
Efficiency properties of cell means variance component estimates

Abstract Variance component estimates based on cell means have been shown to have useful diagnostic properties and computational simplicity. Here we establish analytic efficiency properties under conditions involving sample sizes and parameters, in general k -way unbalanced factorial models. The cell means estimates are also established as a special case of the minimum norm quadratic unbiased (or MINQUE) estimates.
Meeting Our Users Where They Conference: A Texas A&M Model to Support Librarian Attendance at Subject-Specific Conferences

Today's academic librarian is frequently called upon to function as a subject specialist, with or without advanced degrees in other disciplines. One method of monitoring trends within a given field is to study its literature; another is to attend conferences in the discipline. Discipline-specific conference attendance by academic librarians provides opportunities to interact with faculty in their disciplines that result in an increased communication with faculty, improved reference expertise, and more focused collection development. This paper describes the Texas A&M University Libraries' support for conference attendance and examples of the resulting benefits.
Fracture Test Methods for Plastically Responding COPV Liners

An experimental procedure for evaluating the validity of using uniaxial tests to provide a conservative bound on the fatigue crack growth rate behavior small cracks in bi-axially loaded Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessel (COPV) liners is described. The experimental procedure included the use of a laser notch to quickly generate small surface fatigue cracks with the desired size and aspect ratios. An out-of-plane constraint system was designed to allow fully reversed, fully plastic testing of thin sheet uniaxial coupons. Finally, a method was developed to determine to initiate small cracks in the liner of COPVs.
Candida haemulonii from clinical specimens in the USA

Classical yeast identification procedures and DNA relatedness studies confirmed the occurrence of Candida haemulonii among clinical specimens in the USA, particularly isolations from the foot. None of the six clinical isolates studied produced identical API 20C profile codes.