cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of concept recognizers for building the Open Biomedical Annotator.

The National Center for Biomedical Ontology (NCBO) is developing a system for automated, ontology-based access to online biomedical resources. The system's indexing workflow processes the text metadata of diverse resources such as datasets from GEO and ArrayExpress to annotate and index them with concepts from appropriate ontologies. This indexing requires the use of a concept-recognition tool to identify ontology concepts in the resource's textual metadata. In this paper, we present a comparison of two concept recognizers – NLM's MetaMap and the University of Michigan's Mgrep. We utilize a number of data sources and dictionaries to evaluate the concept recognizers in terms of precision, recall, speed of execution, scalability and customizability. Our evaluations demonstrate that Mgrep has a clear edge over MetaMap for large-scale service oriented applications. Based on our analysis we also suggest areas of potential improvements for Mgrep. We have subsequently used Mgrep to build the Open Biomedical Annotator service. The Annotator service has access to a large dictionary of biomedical terms derived from the United Medical Language System (UMLS) and NCBO ontologies. The Annotator also leverages the hierarchical structure of the ontologies and their mappings to expand annotations. The Annotator service is available to the community as a REST Web service for creating ontology-based annotations of their data.
Predicing Yeast Synthetic Lethal Genetic Interactions Using Short Polypeptide Clusters

Synthetic lethal genetic interactions (SLGI) among proteins have been widely used to define functional relationships between proteins and pathways. However, the molecular mechanism of synthetic lethal genetic interactions is still unclear. In this study we used the clusters of short polypeptide sequences, which are typically shorter than the classically defined protein domains, to characterize the functionalities of proteins. We developed a framework to identify significant short polypeptide clusters from yeast protein sequences. We then used these short polypeptide clusters as features to predict SLGIs. Both cross-validation and evaluation on experimental data sets showed that the short polypeptide clusters based approach is superior to the previous protein domain based approach. The short polypeptide clusters based approach provides significantly higher coverage for predicting SLGIs. Moreover, the short polypeptide clusters based approach produced less false positive predictions.
Online Identity as a Leverage Point for Learning in Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs)

Several researchers have argued for the use of games in the classroom because they are engaging and provide many valuable learning opportunities. In many cases, however, edutainment has failed. This paper argues that not enough attention has been given to video games role in identity development and exploration, important corequisites for learning. A case study of a five-week course is included, in which fourteen students participated in two massively multiplayer online games (MMORPGs) as a technology for identity and learning. We propose that identity may be the key to transcending the engagement/learning tradeoff in educational gaming.
Genetic and Physiological Characterization of Two Clusters of Quantitative Trait Loci Associated With Seed Dormancy and Plant Height in Rice

Seed dormancy and plant height have been well-studied in plant genetics, but their relatedness and shared regulatory mechanisms in natural variants remain unclear. The introgression of chromosomal segments from weedy into cultivated rice (Oryza sativa) prompted the detection of two clusters (qSD1-2/qPH1 and qSD7-2/qPH7) of quantitative trait loci both associated with seed dormancy and plant height. Together, these two clusters accounted for >96% of the variances for plant height and ~71% of the variances for germination rate in an isogenic background across two environments. On the initial introgression segments, qSD1-2/qPH1 was dissected genetically from OsVp1 for vivipary and qSD7-2/qPH7 separated from Sdr4 for seed dormancy. The narrowed qSD1-2/qPH1 region encompasses the semidwarf1 (sd1) locus for gibberellin (GA) biosynthesis. The qSD1-2/qPH1 allele from the cultivar reduced germination and stem elongation and the mutant effects were recovered by exogenous GA, suggesting that sd1 is a candidate gene of the cluster. In contrast, the effect-reducing allele at qSD7-2/qPH7 was derived from the weedy line; this allele was GA-insensitive and blocked GA responses of qSD1-2/qPH1, including the transcription of a GA-inducible α-amylase gene in imbibed endosperm, suggesting that qSD7-2/qPH7 may work downstream from qSD1-2/qPH1 in GA signaling. Thus, this research established the seed dormancy-plant height association that is likely mediated by GA biosynthesis and signaling pathways in natural populations. The detected association contributed to weed mimicry for the plant stature in the agro-ecosystem dominated by semidwarf cultivars and revealed the potential benefit of semidwarf genes in resistance to preharvest sprouting.
Organizational Sectors and the Institutionalization of Job-Training Programs: Evidence from a Longitudinal National Organizations Survey:

This study assesses the institutional impact of coercive, normative, and mimetic pressures on job-training programs and the extent to which the institutionalization of such programs is contingent upon the environment in which organizations operate. Event-history analysis of a retrospective data set (1967 to 1997) of 301 American organizations indicates that having an external human resources attorney and competing with a number of other organizations with training—two of the mimetic institutional effects—are the driving factors behind the spread of job-training programs. Furthermore, these mimetic institutional pressures exert a stronger impact on governmental organizations' choice to adopt training programs than on for-profit firms. Governmental agencies appear to be more responsive to institutional influences because, compared with for-profit firms, they are in greater need of external legitimation of their procedures and operations, one of the crucial benefits of being an institutional conformist.
Externalities in a spatial context

Abstract In this paper air pollution externalities are analyzed in an explicit spatial setting that recognizes the spatial interdependence of polluters and their victims. Optimal environmental policies are shown to consist not only of Pigouvian taxes but of two other policies. First, regulations controlling the allocation of land between polluters and victims are needed. Secondly, if pollution taxes are imposed by local governments, in general it will be necessary for the federal government to take some of the tax proceeds and redistribute them amongst localities. For example, some of the proceeds in heavily taxed and polluted communities may have to be redistributed to lightly taxed and polluted communities.
Security considerations in a multi-programmed computer system

Security can not be attained in the absolute sense. Every security system seeks to attain a probability of loss which is commensurate with the value returned by the operation being secured. For each activity which exposes private, valuable, or classified information to possible loss, it is necessary that reasonable steps be taken to reduce the probability of loss. Further, any loss which might occur must be detected. There are several minimum requirements to establish an adequate security level for the software of a large multi-programmed system with remote terminals.
The Contribution of Proteoglycans on the Mechanical Properties of the Corneal Stroma

This paper studies the electrostatic contribution to the elasticity of corneal stroma using the Poisson-Boltzmann (PB) equation. Corneal stroma is a transparent connective tissue consisting of regularly organized collagen fibrils and proteoglycans (PGs) within an aqueous matrix. The cornea proteoglycan decorin is crucial for the regulation of collagen fibril diameters and their spacings. Decorin is the simplest small leucine-rich PG and is made up of a core protein and a glycosaminoglycan (GAG) side chain. Under physiological pH conditions, GAG molecules are completely ionized and become negatively charged. Their repulsive electrostatic interaction, mediated by free ions inside the bath, controls collagen interfibril spacings and contributes to corneal stiffness. In order to quantify the electrostatic contribution of GAGs to the elastic properties of the cornea, we define a unit cell in which GAGs are represented as cylindrical rods with a fixed charge density. The unit cell is deformed affinely and the electrical potential and free ion distribution inside the unit cell are obtained from the solution of the nonlinear PB equation. Having the potential and charge distribution, the changes in electrostatic free energy due to the deformation gives the electrostatic elastic moduli.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Statistical inference for a class of life distributions

Life distributions with hazard rate functions of the form r(t) = Ag(t) + Bh(t) are considered. It is assumed that g(t) and h(t) are known and are independent of the unknown parameters A and B. The maximum likelihood estimators are studied for complete and censored samples. The estimation problem is reduced to a solution of one equation with one unknown parameter and it is observed that the solution is unique. The estimation procedure under the assumption of aging is also described. Some comments about the asymptotic variance-covariance matrix are given, and tests of hypo-theses are described for some cases.
Elder Abuse: Systematic Review and Implications for Practice

This article is based on the lecture for the 2014 American Geriatrics Society Outstanding Scientific Achievement for Clinical Investigation Award. Elder abuse is a global public health and human rights problem. Evidence suggests that elder abuse is prevalent, predictable, costly, and sometimes fatal. This review will highlight the global epidemiology of elder abuse in terms of its prevalence, risk factors, and consequences in community populations. The global literature in PubMed, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, BIOSIS, Science Direct, and Cochrane Central was searched. Search terms included elder abuse, elder mistreatment, elder maltreatment, prevalence, incidence, risk factors, protective factors, outcomes, and consequences. Studies that existed only as abstracts, case series, or case reports or recruited individuals younger than 60; qualitative studies; and non-English publications were excluded. Tables and figures were created to highlight the findings: the most-detailed analyses to date of the prevalence of elder abuse according to continent, risk and protective factors, graphic presentation of odds ratios and confidence intervals for major risk factors, consequences, and practical suggestions for health professionals in addressing elder abuse. Elder abuse is common in community-dwelling older adults, especially minority older adults. This review identifies important knowledge gaps, such as a lack of consistency in definitions of elder abuse; insufficient research with regard to screening; and etiological, intervention, and prevention research. Concerted efforts from researchers, community organizations, healthcare and legal professionals, social service providers, and policy-makers should be promoted to address the global problem of elder abuse.
Anti‐inflammatory effects of the Nigella sativa seed extract, thymoquinone, in pancreatic cancer cells

Abstract Background Both hereditary and sporadic forms of chronic pancreatitis are associated with an increased risk of developing pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA). Inflammation has been identified as a significant factor in the development of solid tumour malignancies. We have recently shown that thymoquinone (Tq), the major constituent of Nigella sativa oil extract, induced apoptosis and inhibited proliferation in PDA cells. Tq also increased p21 WAF1 expression, inhibited histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity, and induced histone hyperacetylation. HDAC inhibitors have been shown to ameliorate inflammation-associated cancer. In this study, we evaluated the anti-inflammatory potential of Tq in PDA cells in comparison with that of a specific HDAC inhibitor, trichostatin A (TSA). Methods PDA cells were treated with or without Tq (25–75 µM), with or without pre-treatment of tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α (25 ng/ml). The effect of Tq on the expression of different proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines was analysed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Luciferase-labelled promoter studies evaluated the effect of Tq on the transcription of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB). The effect of Tq on the constitutive and TNF-α-induced activation and nuclear translocation of NF-κB was examined by ELISA and immunohistochemistry. Results Tq dose- and time-dependently significantly reduced PDA cell synthesis of MCP-1, TNF-α, interleukin (IL)-1β and Cox-2. At 24 h, Tq almost completely abolished the expression of these cytokines, whereas TSA had a less dramatic effect. Tq, but not TSA, significantly and dose-dependently reduced the intrinsic activity of the MCP-1 promoter. Tq also inhibited the constitutive and TNF-α-mediated activation of NF-κB in PDA cells and reduced the transport of NF-κB from the cytosol to the nucleus. Conclusions Our data demonstrate previously undescribed anti-inflammatory activities of Tq in PDA cells, which are paralleled by inhibition of NF-κB. Tq as a novel inhibitor of proinflammatory pathways provides a promising strategy that combines anti-inflammatory and proapoptotic modes of action.
Three-dimensional modeling of intense bunched beams in RF accelerators and sources

A three-dimensional model of intense bunched beams is developed for cylindrical and corrugated conducting pipes. Updated comparisons between the current limits derived from this model and experimental data from PPM focusing klystrons are presented. An electrostatic Green's function is formulated for azimuthally symmetric slow-wave structures. Analytical and numerical results are presented for the potential of a periodic bunched pencil beam in a small-rippled waveguide approximation.
The dynamics of scapegoating in small groups

An analysis is made of the proposition that the scapegoat role emerges in small groups to unconsciously allow other members to distance themselves from the anxiety and threat aroused by the intrapsychic and interpersonal conflict displaced onto the scapegoat. The analysis concentrates on describing the scapegoating process in small groups, the underlying dynamics, and the consequences for a group. Researchable propositions derivable from the dynamics of the scapegoating process are presented
Function of the Drosophila POU domain transcription factor Drifter as an upstream regulator of Breathless receptor tyrosine kinase expression in developing trachea

Organogenesis of the Drosophila tracheal system involves extensive directed cell migrations leading to a stereotypic series of interconnected tubules. Although numerous gene products have been shown to be essential for tracheal morphogenesis, direct functional relationships between participants have not been previously established. Both the breathless gene, encoding a Drosophila fibroblast growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase homologue, and the POU-domain transcription factor gene, drifter, are expressed in all tracheal cells and are essential for directed cell migrations. We demonstrate here that ubiquitously expressed Breathless protein under control of a heterologous heat-shock promoter is able to rescue the severely disrupted tracheal phenotype associated with drifter loss-of-function mutations. In the absence of Drifter function, breathless expression is initiated normally but transcript levels fall drastically to undetectable levels as tracheal differentiation proceeds. In addition, breathless regulatory DNA contains seven high affinity Drifter binding sites similar to previously identified Drifter recognition elements. These results suggest that the Drifter protein, which maintains its own expression through a tracheal-specific autoregulatory enhancer, is not necessary for initiation of breathless expression but functions as a direct transcriptional regulator necessary for maintenance of breathless transcripts at high levels during tracheal cell migration. This example of a mechanism for maintenance of a committed cell fate offers a model for understanding how essential gene activities can be maintained throughout organogenesis.
UNC-18 Promotes Both the Anterograde Trafficking and Synaptic Function of Syntaxin

The SM protein UNC-18 has been proposed to regulate several aspects of secretion, including synaptic vesicle docking, priming, and fusion. Here, we show that UNC-18 has a chaperone function in neurons, promoting anterograde transport of the plasma membrane soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor (SNARE) protein Syntaxin-1. In unc-18 mutants, UNC-64 (Caenorhabditis elegans Syntaxin-1) accumulates in neuronal cell bodies. Colocalization studies and analysis of carbohydrate modifications both suggest that this accumulation occurs in the endoplasmic reticulum. This trafficking defect is specific for UNC-64 Syntaxin-1, because 14 other SNARE proteins and two active zone markers were unaffected. UNC-18 binds to Syntaxin through at least two mechanisms: binding to closed Syntaxin, or to the N terminus of Syntaxin. It is unclear which of these binding modes mediates UNC-18 function in neurons. The chaperone function of UNC-18 was eliminated in double mutants predicted to disrupt both modes of Syntaxin binding, but it was unaffected in single mutants. By contrast, mutations predicted to disrupt UNC-18 binding to the N terminus of Syntaxin caused significant defects in locomotion behavior and responsiveness to cholinesterase inhibitors. Collectively, these results demonstrate the UNC-18 acts as a molecular chaperone for Syntaxin transport in neurons and that the two modes of UNC-18 binding to Syntaxin are involved in different aspects of UNC-18 function.
Polar Climate Simulation of the NCAR CCM3

Present-day Arctic and Antarctic climate of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Community Climate Model version 3 (CCM3) is presented. The CCM3 simulation is from a prescribed and interannually varying sea surface temperature integration from January 1979 through August 1993. Observations from a variety of sources, including the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts analyses, rawinsonde, and surface station data, are used for validation of CCM3’s polar climate during this period. Overall, CCM3 can simulate many important polar climatic features and in general is an incremental improvement over CCM2. The 500-hPa polar vortex minima are too deep by 50‐100 m and too zonally symmetric. The Arctic sea level pressure maximum is displaced poleward, while the Icelandic region minimum is extended toward Europe, and the Aleutian region minimum is extended toward Asia. The Antarctic circumpolar trough of low sea level pressure is slightly north of the observed position and is 2‐3 hPa too low. Antarctic katabatic winds are similar to observations in magnitude and regional variation. The Antarctic surface wind stress is estimated to be 30%‐ 50% too strong in some regions. Polar tropospheric temperatures are 28‐48C colder than observations, mostly in the summer season. Low-level winter inversions over the Arctic Ocean are only 38‐48C, rather than the observed 108C. In the Antarctic midcontinent they are around 258‐308C (about 58 stronger than observed) and continue to be stronger than observed along the coast. Although water vapor column is uniformly low by 10%‐ 20% compared to analyses in both polar regions, the regional patterns of minima over Greenland and the East Antarctic plateau are well represented. Annual 708 to pole CCM3 values are 5.8 kg m22 for the Arctic and 1.7 kg m22 for the Antarctic. The regional distribution of precipitation minus evaporation compares reasonably with analyses. The annual 708 to pole values are 18.1 cm yr21, which are close to the most recent observational estimates of 16 to 18 cm yr21 in the Arctic and 18.4 6 3.7 cm yr21 in the Antarctic. In both polar regions, summer surface energy budgets are estimated to be low by roughly 20 W m22. Suggestions as to causes of simulation deficiencies are 1) polar heat sinks that are too strong; 2) inadequate representation of sea-ice‐atmosphere heat exchange, due to lack of fractional coverage of sea ice of variable thickness; 3) effects of low horizontal resolution; and 4) biased extrapolar influence.
The Siebs and the Moulton

Book reviewed in this article: Siebs, Deutsche Aussprache. Reine und gemasigle Hochlautung mit Ausspracheworterbuch. Edited by Helmut de Boor, Hugo Moser and Christian Winkler. 19th, revised edition. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 1969. Pp. ix+494. DM32.
PARTIAL CHARACTERIZATION OF A NEW AMPELOVIRUS ASSOCIATED WITH GRAPEVINE LEAFROLL DISEASE

SUMMARY A virus associated with leafroll symptoms in Vitis vinifera was selected for further analysis because it was undetectable in all reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests available for Grapevine leafroll associated viruses (GLRaVs). Extracts of infected plant material were also negative in all enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays available for GLRaVs. Nonetheless, the unknown virus caused typical grapevine leafroll symptoms in the indicator host, V. vinifera cv Cabernet Franc. High molecular weight double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) purified from an infected vine appeared typical of the dsRNA recovered from plants infected by viruses in family Closteroviridae. RT-PCR was performed using this purified dsRNA with degenerate oligonucleotide primers designed to amplify a fragment from the heat shock protein 70 homologue (HSP70) from any closterovirus. Sequence information from the resulting RT-PCR products allowed the determination of a full length HSP70 sequence from the unknown virus for comparison with those of other GLRaVs. A specific RT-PCR assay based on primers developed from this sequence was negative for all GLRaVs tested, other than the unknown virus. The name Grapevine leafroll associated virus 9 (GLRaV-9) is tentatively proposed for the novel pathogen.
Realizing the Jesuit Mission: Teaching Teachers in the 21st Century

This article describes the relationship between professional development initiatives for teachers in under-served schools and the Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm and Jesuit, Catholic mission and identity. It summarizes the goals, objectives, and outcomes of a one-year professional learning project at Canisius College in Buffalo, NY. The project involved education professors and graduate pre-service teacehrs offering mentorship and instruction in interdisciplinary learning to teachers in a neighboring Diocesan middle/intermediate school. An innovative model for professional development that provides alternative clinical experiences to pre-service graduate education students is described in detail. A literature review and theoretical framework that examines the connection between teacher training and mission is also provided. As well, perspectives on outreach projects in general are offered by Canisius Jesuit faculty, the College President and the contributing author of this article, an undergraduate English Educaiton Honors student. Findings demonstrate positive outcomes and a strong need for university instruction in underserved schools and its role in carrying out the mission of Jesuit education.
Models for Guiding Management of Prairie Bird Habitat in Northwestern North Dakota

Abstract With grassland bird populations in the Great Plains exhibiting steep declines, grassland managers require information on bird habitat needs to optimally manage lands dedicated to wildlife. During 1993–1994, we measured bird occurrence and corresponding vegetation attributes on mixed-grass prairie in northwestern North Dakota. Three hundred and ten point-count locations over a wide range of successional stages were sampled. Ten grassland passerine species occurred commonly (i.e., at >10% of point count locations), including two species endemic to the northern Great Plains [Baird's sparrow (Ammodramus bairdii) and Sprague's pipit (Anthus spragueii)], and several species of management concern [bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus), grasshopper sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum), clay-colored sparrow (Spizella pallida)]. Some species were ubiquitous and had generalized habitat associations [e.g., savannah sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis)]. Others exhibited more finely tuned, closely overlapping use of rel...
Unidirectional Invisibility of photonic periodic structures induced by P T-Symmetric arrangements

Parity-time symmetric grating structures, near the spontaneous PT-symmetry point, can act as unidirectional invisible media where the reflection and transmission from one side, is indistinguishable from those expected in the absence of a grating.
Hardware Trojan vulnerability

Many basic analog blocks and structures, which contain positive feedback loops, are vulnerable to the presence of one or more undesired stable equilibrium points. The phenomena of multiple equilibrium points is investigated with emphasis on using a temperature-domain representation to identify equilibrium points in some circuits that have a single positive feedback loop. By example, it is shown that the presence of multiple equilibrium points can often be observed as hysteresis in a plot of an output circuit electrical variable versus temperature obtained from a bidirectional temperature sweep over a temperature interval [ T1, T2 ] of interest. The hysteresis can be associated with a relationship comprised of a single continuous locus of points or comprised of two or more disjoint continuous loci of points. The concept of an “isolation region” that can occur in the temperature transfer characteristics of a circuit is discussed where an “isolation region” in the closed interval [T1, T2] is defined as any continuous locus of points in 2 that forms a closed path and that does not include either of the temperature interval endpoints, T1 or T2 . Challenges of determining the presence or absence of multiple stable equilibrium points with standard approaches to simulation and mixed-signal verification will be discussed. Vulnerability of circuits to analog hardware Trojans where the location and size of the hysteresis window can be engineered to serve as a Trojan trigger will be addressed. Concern associated with exploitation of an isolation region as a method for embedding and triggering analog hardware Trojans that are extremely difficult to detect will be raised. Keywords— Positive Feedback Loop; Hardware Trojan; Isolation Region; Inverse Widlar circuit; Wilson circuit
Molecular subtyping of Vibrio cholerae serotype Ogawa isolated in Guangzhou area from 2000 to 2005

Objective To study epidemic characteristics and trends of Vibrio cholerae(V.cholerae) serotype Ogawa in Guangzhou area and analyze the pathogenicity-related genes types and pulse field gel electrophoresis(PFGE)types of V.cholerae serotype Ogawa strains isolated from 2000 to 2005. Methods Phage-biotyping and multiplex polymerase chain reaction assay were applied in detecting the four pathogenicity-related genes of Ogawa V.cholerae.PFGE was employed for the molecular subtyping and PFGE results were then analyzed with BioNumerics Version 4.0 software.Results There were three pathogenicity-related gene types found in isolated V.cholerae Ogawa strains,which were named as type A,B and C.Ninety-eight percent of the isolates from people infected belonged to pathogenicity-related genes type A and forty-five percent of environmental strains belonged to type C.Thirty-nine distinct PFGE types were obtained from all 82 isolated strains.The same PFGE subtyping characteristics existed in both strains isolated from outbreak and those from sporadic events at the same year,while different PFGE subtypes were found in the environmental strains.The local strains and those imported from other provinces and even from foreign countries showed the similar subtyping sometimes.Conclusions There is a correlative relationship among the results of phage- biotyping,multiplex polymerase chain reaction assay and PFGE.Molecular subtyping database of V.cholerae should be established in order to prevent and control outbreak of cholera.
Turbulent boundary layers along straight and curved long thin circular cylinders at low angles-of-incidence

Long thin circular cylinders commonly serve as towed sonar tracking devices, where the radius-of-curvature along the longitudinal axis is quite low [ρr = O(10−4)]. Because no understanding presently exists about the direct impact of longitudinal curvature on the turbulent statistics, the long cylinder is simply viewed as a chain of straight segments at various (increasing then decreasing) small inclinations to the freestream direction. Realistically, even our statistical evidence along straight thin cylinders at low incidence angles is inadequate to build solid evidence towards forming reliable empirical models. In the present study, we address these shortcomings by executing Large-Eddy Simulations (LESs) of straight and longitudinally curved thin cylinders at low to moderate turbulent radius-based Reynolds numbers (500 ≤ Rea ≤ 3500) and small angles-of-incidence (α = 0° → 9°). Coupled with the previous experimental measurements and numerical results, the new expanded database (311 ≤ Rea ≤ 56 500) delivered sufficient means to propose power-law expressions for the longitudinal evolution of the skin friction, normal drag, and turbulent boundary layer (TBL) length scales. Surprisingly, the LES computations of the curved cylinders at analogous geometric and kinematic conditions as the straight cylinder showed similar character in terms of the longitudinal skin friction. Beyond incidence 1°-3° (upper end corresponds to the highest simulated Rea), the skin friction was directly proportional to the yaw angle and monotonically shifted downward with higher Rea. Conversely, the flow structure, normal drag, TBL length scales, Reynolds stresses, and the separation state of the transverse shear layers towards regular vortex shedding for the curved cylinder were highly dissimilar than the straight one at equivalent incidence angles.
Knowledge-Based Recommender Systems

Both content-based and collaborative systems require a significant amount of data about past buying and rating experiences. For example, collaborative systems require a reasonably well populated ratings matrix to make future recommendations. In cases where the amount of available data is limited, the recommendations are either poor, or they lack full coverage over the entire spectrum of user-item combinations.
Seizure incidence by treatment pressure in patients undergoing hyperbaric oxygen therapy

INTRODUCTION: Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) therapy uses different maximum treatment pressures. A side effect of HBO2 is oxygen toxicity seizure. The purpose of this study was to determine the overall incidence of oxygen toxicity seizure and assess risk at different treatment pressures. METHOD: A retrospective chart review was performed on patients who underwent HBO2 at a university hospital and at an outpatient center. Statistical analysis was performed to determine overall incidence of seizure and identify risk factors including maximum treatment pressure. RESULTS: A total of 931 patients were identified representing a total of 23,328 treatments. The overall incidence of seizure was one in 2,121 treatments (five per 10,000). There were zero per 10,000 at 2.0 atmospheres absolute/atm abs (0/16,430), 15 per 10,000 at 2.4/2.5 atm abs (1/669) and 51 per 10,000 at 2.8 atm abs (1/197). There was a statistically significant difference for seizure between the different pressures (χ2 (2, 23,540) = 31.38, p < .001). DISCUSSION: The overall incidence of oxygen toxicity seizure in this study is consistent with recent reports. This study demonstrated a statistically significant increased risk of seizure with increasing treatment pressure. Treatment at higher pressure should be chosen based on demonstrable benefit with a clear understanding of increased risk with higher pressure.
Fire Alarms as Urban Social Indicators

Fire alarms normally include three kinds of events: (1) calls to the fire department because of the need to extinguish fires, (2) calls because of the need for emergency or ambulance (but nonfire-related) aid, and (3) false alarms. In the aggregate, the alarms are a record of physical and social deterioration in the central city; the highest incidence of alarms in any large city is nearly always found in the neighborhoods with the lowest-income population and with buildings in the poorest condition. Moreover, the incidence of alarms often varies directly with other forms of urban disorder. The U.S. Riot Commission (1968), for instance, noted that fires, along with rock throwing or sniping at control forces and along with the looting of stores, were the most common events that characterized the urban riots of the mid-1960s. Thus the record of fire alarms constitutes a potentially valuable resource as an urban social indicator. The purpose of this chapter is to explore this possibility in greater detail by examining three types of alarm patterns: cross-city trends, seasonal (temporal) patterns, and neighborhood differences.
Current State of Value-Based Purchasing Programs

The US healthcare system is rapidly moving toward rewarding value. Recent legislation, such as the Affordable Care Act and the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act, solidified the role of value-based payment in Medicare. Many private insurers are following Medicare’s lead. Much of the policy attention has been on programs such as accountable care organizations and bundled payments; yet, value-based purchasing (VBP) or pay-for-performance, defined as providers being paid fee-for-service with payment adjustments up or down based on value metrics, remains a core element of value payment in Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act and will likely remain so for the foreseeable future. This review article summarizes the current state of VBP programs and provides analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for the future. Multiple inpatient and outpatient VBP programs have been implemented and evaluated; the impact of those programs has been marginal. Opportunities to enhance the performance of VBP programs include improving the quality measurement science, strengthening both the size and design of incentives, reducing health disparities, establishing broad outcome measurement, choosing appropriate comparison targets, and determining the optimal role of VBP relative to alternative payment models. VBP programs will play a significant role in healthcare delivery for years to come, and they serve as an opportunity for providers to build the infrastructure needed for value-oriented care.
Highly vibrationally excited CO generated in a low-temperature chemical reaction between carbon vapor and molecular oxygen

Abstract A chemical flow reactor is used to study the vibrational population distribution of CO produced by a reaction between carbon vapor generated in an arc discharge and molecular oxygen. The results demonstrate formation of highly vibrationally excited CO, up to vibrational level v = 14, at low temperatures, T = 400–450 K, with population inversion at v = 4–7, in a collision-dominated environment, 15–20 Torr. The average vibrational energy per CO molecule formed by the reaction is 0.6–1.2 eV/molecule, which corresponds to 10–20% of reaction enthalpy. The results show feasibility of development of a new CO chemical laser using carbon vapor and oxygen as reactants.
Instabilities in oxide semiconductor transparent thin film transistors

New amorphous oxide semiconductor transparent thin film transistors (TTFTs) exhibit good mobility (5 to ≫50cm 2 /V-sec), are transparent, and can be processed at low temperatures. They show great promise for high performance large area electronics applications such as flexible electronics, transparent electronics, and analog current drivers for OLED displays. An overview of TFT operation, expected reliability concerns, and an up to date review of recently emerging work on the stability of these devices will be presented.
Collaborative Study of the Coulter Counter-Chemical Method for Counting Somatic Cells in Raw Milk1

Variation between laboratories for Electronic Somatic Cell Counting by the chemical method (ESCC) was evaluated by a collaborative study. Eight laboratories counted somatic cells in 12 milk samples (six replicated samples) by the ESCC method. The somatic cell count for the same milk samples was also evaluated by the Direct Microscopic Somatic Cell Counting procedure (DMSCC) as a comparison for the level of error. The standard deviation of the variation of logarithms of ESCC counts between laboratories was 0.04368. The standard deviation for the variation of logarithms of DMSCC counts between technicians was 0.08617. The corresponding value for the DMSCC analysis of the last set of federal split milk samples was 0.141. An earlier study of electronic counting by the centrifuge method showed a standard deviation of 0.0711.
Comprehensive analysis of the relationship between thermal comfort and building control research - A data-driven literature review

Abstract Buildings are responsible for about 30–40% of global energy demand. At the same time, we humans spend almost our entire life, up to 80–90% of the time, inside of buildings. Reducing energy demand through optimal operation is the subject of building control research, while human satisfaction in buildings is studied in the thermal comfort community. Thus, balancing the two is necessary for a sustainable and comfortable building stock. We review both research fields and their relationship using a data-driven approach. Based on specific search terms, all relevant abstracts from the Web Of Science database are downloaded and analyzed using the text mining software VOSviewer. We visualize the scientific landscapes of historic and recent trends, and analyze the citation network to investigate the interaction between thermal comfort and building control research. We find that building control focuses predominantly on energy savings rather than incorporating results from thermal comfort, especially when it comes to occupant satisfaction. We identify potential research directions in terms of bridging the two fields.
Expansion of major urban areas in the US Great Plains from 2000 to 2009 using satellite scatterometer data

Abstract A consistent dataset delineating and characterizing changes in urban environments will be valuable for socioeconomic and environmental research and for sustainable urban development. Remotely sensed data have been long used to map urban extent and infrastructure at various spatial and spectral resolutions. Although many datasets and approaches have been tried, there is not yet a universal way to map urban extents across the world. Here we combined a microwave scatterometer (QuikSCAT) dataset at ~ 1 km posting with percent impervious surface area (%ISA) data from the National Land Cover Dataset (NLCD) that was generated from Landsat data, and ambient population data from the LandScan product to characterize and quantify growth in nine major urban areas in the US Great Plains from 2000 to 2009. Nonparametric Mann-Kendall trend tests on backscatter time series from urban areas show significant expanding trends in eight of nine urban areas with p-values ranging 0.032 to 0.001. The sole exception is Houston, which has a substantial non-urban backscatter at the northeastern edge of the urban core. Strong power law scaling relationships between ambient population and either urban area or backscatter power (r2 of 0.96 in either model) with sub-linear exponents (β of 0.911 and 0.866, respectively) indicate urban areas become more compact with more vertical built-up structure than lateral expansion to accommodate the increased population. Increases in backscatter and %ISA datasets between 2001 and 2006 show agreement in both magnitude and direction for all urban areas except Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP), likely due to the presence of many lakes and ponds throughout the MSP metropolitan area. We conclude discussing complexities in the backscatter data caused by large metal structures and rainfall.
Comparison of Apolipoprotein (ApoB/ApoA-1) and Lipoprotein (Total Cholesterol/HDL) Ratios in Obese Adolescents.

Abstract Background: Serum (ApoB/ApoA-1) ratio is considered a stronger predictor of systemic inflammation and atherosclerosis than serum total cholesterol/HDL (TC/HDL) ratio among adults. We evaluated the relationships between ApoB/ApoA-1 and TC/HDL ratios with surrogate markers of inflammation and insulin resistance (IR) among obese adolescents. Methods: Body mass index z-score (BMI-z), body composition, fasting glucose, insulin, lipids, high-sensitive c-reactive protein (hs-CRP), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were evaluated in 143 obese adolescents. Results: Male subjects had higher BMI-SDS, fat-free mass (FFM), and glucose than female subjects (P < 0.01). Furthermore, 54.5% met diagnostic criteria for metabolic syndrome (MS) and displayed higher SBP, BMI-SDS, fat mass (FM), HOMA-IR, hs-CRP, TG, TC/HDL, TG/HDL, ApoB/ApoA-1, and HbA1c, but lower HDL and ApoA-1 than the non-MS group (P < 0.05) with similar gender distribution. In the entire coho...
Parenting and the association between maternal criminal justice involvement and adolescent delinquency

Abstract The high rate of adult criminal justice involvement in the United States has resulted in many unintended consequences for families of offenders. Families involved with the criminal justice system are disproportionately involved with the child welfare system, and adolescents involved in both systems (i.e., dual system involvement) exhibit higher levels of delinquency. Yet, a lack of research exists on dual system involvement and the effects on youth. The current study leveraged nationally representative and longitudinal data of families involved in the child welfare system to examine whether maternal criminal justice involvement predicted increases in youth delinquency. An ecological model tested the effects of maternal justice involvement beyond cumulative risks as well as the potential buffer of parental monitoring and non-violent discipline on system involvement. Results suggested child welfare-involved youth exhibited similar levels of delinquency over time, regardless of maternal justice involvement. Although youth with maternal justice involvement reported more parental monitoring, the level of monitoring mattered more for youth without maternal justice involvement who exhibited decreased delinquency in the presence of high parental monitoring compared to low monitoring. The differential pattern of association between parental monitoring and youth delinquency for dual-system involved families suggests they are distinct and may carry implications for treatment response aimed at delinquency reduction through parent training. These findings underscore the importance of interagency coordination around policy and interventions to identify these high risk families at risk of slipping through the cracks of multiple service involvement.
“Nature’s child” and “the diplomat”: A cross-case study of the emotional adjustment strategies of two gifted students

Scholars have expressed sustained interest in the social–emotional adjustment of gifted children, with conflicting views persisting: one that gifted students possess greater resiliency to environme...
Phase-field simulation of domain walls in rhombohedral ferroelectric single crystals

Abstract Domain engineered ferroelectric relaxor-PbTiO3 single crystals exhibit ultrahigh piezoelectric coefficients. A 10th order Landau-Devonshire energy function for rhombohedral PIN-PMN-PT ferroelectric single crystals was implemented in a phase-field model to study the behavior of domain walls under external electric field. The domain formation and domain wall evolution were simulated. A new way to apply periodic boundary conditions was implemented to accommodate nonzero strain during the domain formation and evolution. It was found that 71 and 109 domain walls reacted differently to external electric field along the [110] direction. A domain wall broadening effect was observed in the 71 domain walls when the electric field was below the coercive field. When the electric field exceeded the coercive field, homogeneous polarization switching occurred with no motion of the 71 domain walls. Heterogeneous polarization switching occurred by the sweeping of the 109 domain walls. The evolution mechanism of the two types of domain walls helps explain the behavior of engineered domain structures subjected to external electric field.
On-Site Maximum Voluntary Exertion Measurements and Job Evaluation

In recent years, measurements of muscular isometric maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) became popular with those involved in estimating capacity for physical work. One such example is the recently designed versatile unit for use by the U.S. Armed Forces Examination and Entrance Station (Knapik et al., 1979), which allows MVC measurements of the back extensors, arm-shoulder (upper extremities), flexors and knee-ankle extensors (lower extremities).
Historical Overview of Chemical Carcinogenesis

There is increasing evidence that carcinogens play a major role in causation of human cancer. This chapter reviews the advances in carcinogenesis research from a historical perspective. The classes of carcinogens surveyed include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, aromatic amines and amides, nitroarenes, heterocyclic amines formed in cooking, N-nitroso compounds, aflatoxins, natural oils such as safrole, and other natural products, such as the pyrrolizidine alkaloids. For each of these categories, information is presented on historical developments, environmental occurrence, the identities of the active metabolites, the pathways of enzymatic activation, and the structures of the adducts formed with DNA. Despite the chemical and structural diversity of the carcinogens, the evidence indicates that their mechanisms of tumorigenesis are fundamentally similar. The active metabolites of most carcinogens are electrophiles (or reactive oxygen species) that react with DNA to induce mutations and/or other genotoxic changes.
Shifting Patterns of Chinese Diglossia: Why the Dialects May Be Headed for Extinction

Over the past 100 years, the paradigm under which Chinese diglossia operates has undergone significant change, morphing from a system using literary Chinese for writing and regional vernaculars for speech to a setup in which Mandarin and its new offshoots replace both the literary language and spoken dialects in both written and oral modes. This paper traces the transition from writing in the literary language to the use of Mandarin for all manner of communication and shows how higher literacy and education in Mandarin and English are sounding the death knell for the regional dialects. Many of these dialects are going from mainstream to obsolete in the course of a generation, especially in the younger segment of the population in urban centers traditionally regarded as bastions of regional speech, sparking backlash (e.g., pro-Cantonese demonstrations in Guangzhou) and attempts to revive dying vernaculars (e.g., Taiwan’s indigenous language education movement). By examining the balance of power between Mandarin and dialect in Guangzhou, Shanghai, Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia, it will be shown that unless there is a counterbalance of prestige or economic utility, attempts to reverse the proliferation of Mandarin will prove futile, although the speech varieties being replaced will ultimately resurface in the phonology, lexicon, and syntax of the standard language, giving rise to new regional varieties of Mandarin.