cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bivariate Dimension Polynomials of Non-Reflexive Prime Difference-Differential Ideals.: The Case of One Translation

We use the method of characteristic sets with respect to two term orderings to prove the existence and obtain a method of computation of a bivariate dimension polynomial associated with a non-reflexive difference-differential ideal in the algebra of difference-differential polynomials with several basic derivations and one translation. As a consequence, we obtain a new proof and a method of computation of the dimension polynomial of a non-reflexive prime difference ideal in the algebra of difference polynomials over an ordinary difference field. We also discuss applications of our results to systems of algebraic difference-differential equations.
Automatic Detection of Opioid Intake Using Wearable Biosensor

A plethora of research shows that recreational drug overdoses result in major social and economic consequences. However, current illicit drug use detection in forensic toxicology is delayed and potentially compromised due to lengthy sample preparation and its subjective nature. With this in mind, scientists have been searching for ways to create a fast and easy method to detect recreational drug use. Therefore, we have developed a method for automatic detection of opioid intake using electrodermal activity (EDA), skin temperature and tri-axis acceleration data generated from a wrist worn biosensor. The proposed system can be used for home and hospital use. We performed supervised learning and extracted 23 features using time and frequency domain analysis to recognize pre- and post-opioid health conditions in patients. Feature selection procedures are used to reduce the number of features and processing time. For supervised learning, we compared three classifiers and selected the one with highest accuracy and sensitivity: decision tree, k-nearest neighbors (KNN) and eXtreme Gradient Boosting utilizing modified features. The results show that the proposed method can detect opioid use in real-time with 99% accuracy. Moreover, this method can be applied to identify other use of additional substances other than opioids. The numerical analysis is completed on data collected from 30 participants over a span of 4 months.
Oxidant stress stimulates mucin secretion and PLC in airway epithelium via a nitric oxide-dependent mechanism

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of a wide variety of respiratory diseases. We investigated mechanisms of ROS-induced mucin secretion by guinea pig tracheal ep...
Dietary Calcium and Prevention of Calcium Stones: More or Less?

Prevention of stone disease is the key to breaking the cycle of recurrence, patient suffering, and mounting costs. Dietary modifications are an attractive means to prevent stone formation because they are generally well tolerated and inexpensive. Although urinary calcium is thought to play an important role in stone formation, since hypercalciuria comprises the most common metabolic abnormality identified in stone formers and approximately 70–80 % of stones contain calcium (Ca), the impact of dietary Ca on urinary Ca levels and risk of urinary stones remains controversial. Moreover, the effect of altering dietary Ca potentially impacts not only stone formation but also bone health. In this chapter we review the evidence regarding dietary Ca and its effects on urinary Ca and stone risk.
What Makes Investors Overreact in the Short Run

This paper analyzes how return consistency of a security affects future returns for short horizons. The primary hypothesis is that securities with consistently positive returns are perceived to be riskier, since an investor with diffuse priors regarding the distribution of positive and negative information presumes that most of the favorable information has been released. These perceptions lead to clear predictions for short-horizon returns, which should be higher for stocks with negative consistency and lower for stocks with positive consistency. It is found that stocks with 6 - 12 days of consistently positive or negative returns show strong return predictability over 1 - 4 week investment periods. Positive consistency leads to lower returns than other stocks, while negative consistency leads to abnormally high returns. It is also found that short-term momentum reversals do not exist without consistency, but consistency effects continue to exist without momentum. Controlling for firm size, momentum and liquidity measures, longer periods of consistency lead to more profitable consistency-based trading strategies. Although consistency is clearly distinct from momentum, there is a strong interaction between the two effects, and portfolios formed on both criteria are highly profitable. During the month of January, this interaction is magnified, implying that past return consistency may be a subjective mitigating factor for information asymmetry issues in equity markets. High share turnover serves to exaggerate consistency effects over short horizons. These results have implications regarding how there may be path dependence in the formation of expected returns in noisy equity markets.
Timing for Intervention and Standard of Care

From its initial reports it was clear that prompt intervention was indicated to treat subclavian vein thrombosis. In an extensive review published in 1934 [1] Matas, recognized that, even though etiology of the problem was unknown at that time, the presence of persistent edema and pain in the arm warranted an urgent exploratory operation. He recommended thrombectomy, because, in his words, “waiting was not a logical option; so called expectant treatment should yield without too a long delay to surgical exploration for the seat of the lesion.” Lawen [2] in 1937 proposed the same approach and reported several cases of thrombectomy, noting that the earlier the thrombectomy was undertaken, the better the results obtained in relieving the symptoms of venous obstruction. Drapanas [3] reported a small series of cases treated with emergency thrombectomy with good reestablishment of flow and gratifying relief of symptoms. He stressed that emergency thrombectomy appeared to offer the best possibility for restoring the upper extremity to normal in a very short period of time using a relatively simple procedure and to prevent extensive organization of thrombus, therefore avoiding all sequels of this disease. Mahorner and others came to believe [4] that removal of the thrombus in the early stage was the only procedure of any benefit to treat this condition.
Cytological stability of common wheats with leaf rust resistance derived from Triticum timopheeviZhuk

Nine common wheat strains derived from crosses involving Triticum timopheevi were studied for cytological stability and resistance to individual physiologic races of leaf rust of wheat. One strain 53R-201-4 was resistant to all the eleven races used. Another five stable strains had resistance to some of the races and were susceptible to others. Three highly unstable strains had resistance to a few of the leaf rust races used. The six stable strains had normal meiosis, varying between the most stable ‘Cheyenne’ and the less stable ‘Minturki’-the two checks. In general, the inheritance of resistance to leaf rust race 9 in crosses of three unstable and one stable strain was monogenic and regular. Metaphase I chromosome pairing and meiotic irregularities at anaphase-I, dyad and quartet stages in stable strain 55–2687 and in F1 and F2 plants from the cross strain 55–2687 × Cheyenne indicated only slight reduction in chromosome pairing or chiasma formation in the F1 plants. The F2 was meiotically less stable than the F1. The possible reasons for the increased meiotic instability of the F2 are discussed.
The feasibility and promise of mobile technology with community health worker reinforcement to reduce rural preterm birth

Objectives (1) Assess feasibility of a smartphone platform intervention combined with Community Health Worker (CHW) reinforcement in rural pregnant women; (2) Obtain data on the promise of the intervention on birth outcomes, patient activation, and medical care adherence; and (3) Explore financial implications of the intervention using return on investment (ROI). Sample A total of 98 rural pregnant women were enrolled and assigned to intervention or control groups in this two-group experimental design. Intervention The intervention group received usual prenatal care plus a smartphone preloaded with a tailored prenatal platform with automated texting, chat function, and hyperlinks and weekly contact from the CHW. The control group received usual prenatal care and printed educational materials. Measurements Demographics, health risk data, interaction with platform, medical records, hospital billing charges, Client Satisfaction Questionnaire-8, satisfaction comments, and the Patient Activation Measure. Results A total of 77 women completed the study. The intervention was well-received, showed promise for improving birth outcomes, patient activation, and medical care adherence. Financial analysis showed a positive ROI under two scenarios. Conclusions Despite several practical issues, the study appears feasible. The intervention shows promise for extending prenatal care and improving birth outcomes in rural communities. Further research is needed with a larger and more at-risk population to appreciate the impact of the intervention.
An Integrated Model of Voice-User Interface Continuance Intention: The Gender Effect

Advanced speech recognition technology facilitated the development of voice-based smart devices. Voice user interface (VUI) is now a common feature on smartphones, computers, smart home devices, an...
Recent trends in cyclic vomiting syndrome-associated hospitalisations with liberalisation of cannabis use in the state of Colorado.

BACKGROUND Currently, 33 states in the United States along with the District of Columbia have legalised cannabis in some forms. There is a paucity of data on the impact of legalisation of cannabis use on hospitalisations due to cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS). AIM To study the trends in CVS-related hospitalisations and cannabis use in CVS in relation to legalisation of recreational cannabis use in Colorado. METHODS All hospital admissions in Colorado between 2010 and 2014 with the diagnosis of CVS were identified using the Colorado State Inpatient Database. Five-year trends in CVS-related hospitalisations along with the cannabis use were analysed. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to determine predictors of cannabis use in CVS. RESULTS There was a significant increase in CVS-related hospitalisations by 46% from 806 in 2010 to 1180 in 2014 when CVS was included as all-listed diagnoses (P < 0.001). The overall prevalence of cannabis use in CVS (13% with CVS as primary diagnosis and 17% with CVS as all-listed diagnoses) was much higher than non-CVS-related hospitalisations (1.7%) (P < 0.001 for both comparisons). Cannabis use increased dramatically in both CVS and non-CVS-related hospitalisations following legalisation of cannabis for recreational use in 2012. CONCLUSION Our study shows a significant increase in CVS-related hospitalisations concomitant with an increase in cannabis use with its liberalisation in Colorado. Future studies on the relationship between cannabis use and hyperemesis are warranted, especially with its ongoing legalisation in the United States.
G-wires: The growth and characterization of a G4-DNA nanostructure

The telomeric DNA oligonucleotide 5'-G4T2G4-3' (Tet 1.5) spontaneously assembles into large superstructures we have termed G-wires. G-wires can be resolved by gel electrophoresis as a ladder pattern. The self-association of Tet 1.5 is non-covalent and exhibits characteristics of G4DNA, a parallel four-stranded structure stabilized by guanine tetrads. Formation of G-wires is dependent upon the presence of Na+ and/or K+ and, once formed, G -wires are resistant to denaturation. The assembly process further defines the proposed Na+/K+ switch mechanism observed for G4-DNA. The results described here extend our understanding of the structural potential of G-rich nucleic acids and may provide insight into the possible roles of G-rich sequences, and the novel structures they can form, in biological systems. INTRODUCTION Telomeres are specialized protein-DNA complexes at the ends of linear eukaryotic chromosomes. They are responsible for presen/ing chromosome structural integrity and stability, ensuring complete replication of chromosomal termini and association of chromosomes with the nuclear matrix (Blackburn, 1991; Henderson and Larson, 1991; Price, 1992). In most cases, telomeric DNA consists of short repetitive sequences containing a guanine-rich strand running 5' to 3' toward the end of the chromosome and a complimentary cytosine rich strand (Greider, 1991; Zakian, et al., 1990). At the very end of the chromosome the guanine strand forms a 3' overhang of approximately two sequence repeats (Henderson and Blackburn, 1989; Klobutcher, et al., 1981; Pluta, et al., 1982). In many instances, telomeric repeat sequences from diverse species are very similar in composition. Examples of telomeric sequences are TTAGGG in vertebrates and Trypanosomes, TTTTGGGG in the ciliates Oxytricha and Euplotes, TTGGGG in Tetrahymena and TG1-3S. cerevisiae. In the presence of monovalent cations, guanosine monophosphates, guanosine derivatives (Guschlbauer and Chantot, 1976) and guanine rich oligonucleotides (Sundquist, 1991) including telomeric sequences, have the capacity to form higher order structures. These higher order structures are stabilized by G-quartets; planar structures composed of four Hoogsteen base-paired guanines in a cyclical array (Henderson, et a!., 1987; Sen and Gilbert, 1988; Williamson, et al., 1989; Sundquist
Long-term outcomes in mouse models of ischemia-reperfusion-induced acute kidney injury.

Severe acute kidney injury has a high mortality and is a risk factor for progressive chronic kidney disease. None of the potential therapies that have been identified in preclinical studies have su...
Interplay between compartmentalized NAD+ synthesis and consumption: a focus on the PARP family

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) is an essential cofactor for redox enzymes, but also moonlights as a substrate for signaling enzymes. When used as a substrate by signaling enzymes, it is consumed, necessitating the recycling of NAD+ consumption products (i.e., nicotinamide) via a salvage pathway in order to maintain NAD+ homeostasis. A major family of NAD+ consumers in mammalian cells are poly-ADP-ribose-polymerases (PARPs). PARPs comprise a family of 17 enzymes in humans, 16 of which catalyze the transfer of ADP-ribose from NAD+ to macromolecular targets (namely, proteins, but also DNA and RNA). Because PARPs and the NAD+ biosynthetic enzymes are subcellularly localized, an emerging concept is that the activity of PARPs and other NAD+ consumers are regulated in a compartmentalized manner. In this review, I discuss NAD+ metabolism, how different subcellular pools of NAD+ are established and regulated, and how free NAD+ levels can control signaling by PARPs and redox metabolism.
When COVID-19 meets centralized, personalized power.

The debate over whether autocracies or democracies are better at fighting epidemics is misguided. Under President Xi Jinping’s centralized command, his administration has both succeeded and failed at handling the COVID-19 crisis. While it effectively curbed infections within China after the virus had spread, it failed to stem the outbreak before it went global.
Financial incentives promote engagement in employment services for unemployed adults in treatment for opioid use disorder.

Abstract Background Promoting employment among unemployed adults with substance use disorder is a difficult challenge for which existing interventions have had limited effects. This study examined whether financial incentives could increase engagement in employment services for unemployed adults in treatment for opioid use disorder. Methods The study was conducted from 2014 to 2019 in Baltimore, MD. After a 3-month abstinence initiation and training period, participants (N = 91) were randomly assigned to a Control group or an Incentive group and were invited to work with an employment specialist to seek employment in a community job for 12 months. Participants assigned to the Control group (n = 47) did not receive incentives for working with the employment specialist. Participants assigned to the Incentive group (n = 44) could earn financial incentives for working with the employment specialist, but had to provide opiate- and cocaine-negative urine samples to maximize pay. Results Incentive participants attended the employment services and worked with the employment specialist on significantly more days than Control participants (41.8 % versus 1.1 % of days; OR = 40.42, 95 % CI = 32.46–48.38, p Conclusions Financial incentives were effective in promoting engagement in employment services for individuals who often do not utilize employment services.
Chapter 2 – Photovoltaic

This chapter discusses solar radiation characteristics: solar constant, direct and diffuse sunlight, air mass, irradiance, insolation, peak sun hours, and the solar window. Moreover, it considers photovoltaic (PV) conversion, the photovoltaic cell, and the performance evaluation of PV cells, module, panels and arrays that include: current‒voltage (I–V) characteristics, power–voltage (P–V) characteristics. The chapter also studies the effect of irradiance on a PV cell voltage and current, the equivalent circuit of a solar cell, and the connection of the PV devices (parallel and series). The chapter explores ways of optimization PV arrays: maximum power point trackers, sun trackers, batteries' use, and proper matching with loads and solar concentration. It talks about photovoltaic systems: stand-alone and interactive, PV sizing of a stand-alone PV systems, PV applications, and utility interconnection issues and requirements.
Bacillus Calmette-Guérin Retains Clinically Relevant Viability for up to 72 Hours After Reconstitution: Potential Implications for Clinical Practice in Times of Shortage.

Abstract There have been repeated supply shortages of bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG), the gold-standard immunotherapy for patients with high-grade non–muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). Organizations have issued guidance on coping with this shortage, including administering split-dose BCG such that one vial may treat up to three patients. However, logistical implementation of this strategy in a real-world setting is hampered by the recommendation to use BCG within 2 h of reconstitution. We assessed BCG viability in terms of colony-forming units (CFUs) and demonstrated that viability remained constant for at least 8 h after reconstitution (decline at 8 h of 9.1% for lot 1 [p = 0.3] and 4.8% for lot 2 [p = 0.2]). While the viability at 24 h was lower, it did not drop to a level below that of reducing the BCG dose to one-third (67% for lot 1 and 60% for lot 2) and remained close to 50% for at least 72 h. An in vitro model using co-culture of BCG and leukocytes with a BCG-sensitive cell line (RT4-V6) demonstrated no decrease in the cytotoxic potential of BCG at 72 h. In times of shortage, BCG vials may be split and administered for up to at least 8 h (or even 72 h) after reconstitution, allowing more patients to benefit from BCG while placing less strain on the logistics of clinical practice. Patient summary The current supply of and increased demand for bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG), used in the treatment of bladder cancer, have led to repeated BCG shortages. One way to address this is to provide a reduced BCG dose to allow more patients to be treated. In this study we found that BCG viability remains clinically relevant up to 72 h after reconstitution, thus allowing for more patients to be treated from a single vial.
Not All ACL Autografts Are Biologically Created Equal: An In Vitro Analysis of Graft Cellular Responses to Cyclic Strain:

Objectives:Common autografts for ACL reconstruction include patellar (PT), hamstring (HT), and quadriceps tendons (QT). Various adverse outcomes, including osteoarthritis and revision risk, have be...
Heterojunction Bipolar Transistors

The concept of the heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) was introduced by William Shockley in 1948 (U.S. patent: 2569347). The detailed theory of the device was developed by Kromer in 1957 (Kromer, 1957). The great potential advantages of such a heterostructure design over the conventional homostructure design have long been recognized (Kromer, 1957, 1982), but it was not until the early 1970s, that technology evolved to build practically useful transistors of this kind. The situation began to change with the emergence of liquid-phase epitaxy (LPE) as a technology for III—V compound semiconductor heterostructures. Since the mid-1970s, two additional very promising technologies have appeared: metal—organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) (Dupuis et al., 1979) and molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) (Cho and Arthur, 1975). Impressive results on MOCVD and MBE-grown heterojunction bipolar transistors have been attained (Konnzai et al., 1979; Beneking and Su, 1980).
Whole Blood Thrombin Generation in Severely Injured Patients Requiring Massive Transfusion.

Background Despite the prevalence of hypocoagulability after injury, the majority of trauma patients paradoxically present with elevated thrombin generation (TG). While several studies have examined plasma TG post-injury, this has not been assessed in whole blood. We hypothesize that whole blood TG is lower in hypocoagulopathy, and TG effectively predicts massive transfusion. Study Design Blood was collected from trauma activation patients at an urban Level-1 trauma center. Whole blood TG was performed with a prototype point-of-care device. Whole blood TG values in healthy volunteers were compared to trauma patients, and TG values were examined in trauma patients with shock and massive transfusion requirement (MT). Results Overall, 118 patients were included (Table 1). Compared to healthy volunteers, trauma patients overall presented with more robust TG; however, those arriving in shock (n=23) had a depressed TG, with significantly lower peak thrombin (88.3 versus 133.0 nM, p=0.01) and slower maximum rate of thrombin generation (27.4 versus 48.3 nM/min, p=0.04). Patients who required massive transfusion (n=26) had significantly decreased TG, with a longer lag time (median 4.8 min versus 3.9 min, p=0.04), decreased peak thrombin (median 71.4 nM versus 124.2 nM, p=0.0003), and lower maximum rate of TG (median 15.8 nM/min versus 39.4 nM/min, p=0.01). AUROC analysis revealed lag time (AUROC 0.6), peak thrombin (AUROC 0.7), and maximum rate of TG (AUROC 0.7) predict early MT. Conclusion These data challenge the prevailing bias that all trauma patients present with elevated TG and highlight that deficient thrombin contributes to the hypocoagulopathic phenotype of trauma-induced coagulopathy. Further, whole blood TG predicts massive transfusion, suggesting point of care whole blood TG may be a useful tool for diagnostic and therapeutic strategies in trauma.
#RadialFirst and #RadialForNeuro: A descriptive analysis of Twitter conversations regarding transradial access

BackgroundTransradial access for neurointerventional procedures was adopted and modified from cardiovascular intervention and is increasingly established as a safe and effective alternative to tran...
The Animals’ Perspective and Its Impact on Welfare During Animal-Assisted Interventions

There are multiple modalities in which we have the opportunity to engage with animals through animal-assisted interventions (AAI). These can range from assisting in nursing care or occupational therapy in a hospital setting or psychotherapy in a more controlled environment and with a particular goal in mind. One overarching theme is that, throughout the different AAI options, animals are used to improve the quality of life of humans. The presence of animals in a variety of settings has been shown to benefit humans greatly, and it behooves us to consider whether these interactions are mutually beneficial or whether they might result in potential negative consequences to the animals’ well-being. The present book offers an overview of the uses of animals in assisted interventions and therapy from the perspective of the animal. This chapter describes the present understanding of the science of animal welfare with a primary focus on how it applies to such interactions.
T-cells as carriers of telomerase transcriptionally targeted retroviral vectors or oncolytic vesicular stomatitis virus for enhanced delivery of cancer gene therapy

1366 The utility of systemic administration of viral gene therapy vectors in clinical trials is limited. Strategies to improve efficacy are therefore vital. Viral ‘hitchhiking’ tackles this problem by exploiting the non-specific adherence of various viral vectors to the surface of T-cell carriers and their subsequent localized release at the tumor site. Here we investigate T-cells as carriers of transcriptionally-targeted, replication-defective, retroviral vectors or oncolytic vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) in two contrasting systems. We have previously shown that hitchhiking of replication-defective viral vectors on T-cells improves the systemic delivery of gene therapy and can result in tumor control in murine models (1). To further investigate T-cells as carriers of transcriptionally targeted replication-defective vectors in epithelial tumors, we have developed a variety of self-inactivating (SIN) retroviral vectors. Internal tumor-selective telomerase promoters (human telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter-hTERTp, and human telomerase RNA promoter- hTRp) drive expression of an enhanced Green Fluorescent Protein (eGFP) marker transgene. We have successfully demonstrated the ability of these SIN vectors to transduce epithelial tumour cell lines. This results in telomerase-dependent eGFP expression, maintained (at lower levels) when the human Jurkat T cell line is used to carry the vectors in vitro, as assessed by FACS analysis. We also present a comparison of the cytotoxicity of directly transduced versus hitchhiked SIN vectors containing Herpes Simplex Virus Thymidine Kinase (HSV-tk) and Nitroreductase (NTR) suicide transgenes. An alternative approach is to harness oncolytic viral vectors which hold the potential to improve the efficacy of virus-mediated cancer gene therapy. We have used T-cells as carriers of oncolytic VSV in a haematological context. We demonstrate tumour-selective oncolytic ability of VSV variants VSV-delta 51 and VSV-GFP when directly transducing malignant haematological cell lines, but, importantly, not primary T cells, in vitro. Over 80% cell kill was observed in haematological malignant human cell lines, at multiplicity of infection (MOI) as low as 0.1. In contrast, primary T-cells from healthy human donors are relatively resistant to the virus, with 85-90% survival, at MOI as high as 100. Our in vitro model of a potential clinical scenario uses adoptively transferred, autologous T cells as carriers of oncolytic VSV to haematological tumours. We therefore investigated the ability of VSV-GFP to hitchhike on primary T-cells and have demonstrated transgene expression in Molt-4 cells. In vivo assessment of the efficacy of viral hitchhiking on T cells is on going. (1) Cole et al. Nat. Med. 2005; 11: 1073-1081.
Proximity of Cellular and Physiological Response Failures in Sepsis

Sepsis is a devastating multi-stage health condition with a high mortality rate. Its complexity, prevalence, and dependency of its outcomes on early detection have attracted substantial attention from data science and machine learning communities. Previous studies rely on individual cellular and physiological responses representing organ system failures to predict health outcomes or the onset of different sepsis stages. However, it is known that organ systems’ failures and dynamics are not independent events. In this study, we identify the dependency patterns of significant proximate sepsis-related failures of cellular and physiological responses using data from 12,223 adult patients hospitalized between July 2013 and December 2015. The results show that proximate failures of cellular and physiological responses create better feature sets for outcome prediction than individual responses. Our findings reveal the few significant proximate failures that play the major roles in predicting patients’ outcomes. This study's results can be simply translated into clinical practices and inform the prediction and improvement of patients’ conditions and outcomes.
Zeolite-like performance for xylene isomer purification using polymer-derived carbon membranes

Polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIMs) have been used as precursors for the fabrication of porous carbon molecular sieve (CMS) membranes. PIM-1, a prototypical PIM material, uses a fused-ring structure to increase chain rigidity between spirobisindane repeat units. These two factors inhibit effective chain packing, thus resulting in high free volume within the membrane. However, a decrease of pore size and porosity was observed after pyrolytic conversion of PIM-1 to CMS membranes, attributed to the destruction of the spirocenter, which results in the “flattening” of the polymer backbone and graphite-like stacking of carbonaceous strands. Here, a spirobifluorene-based polymer of intrinsic microporosity (PIM-SBF) was synthesized and used to fabricate CMS membranes that showed significant increases in p-xylene permeability (approximately four times), with little loss in p-xylene/o-xylene selectivity (13.4 versus 14.7) for equimolar xylene vapor separations when compared to PIM-1–derived CMS membranes. This work suggests that it is feasible to fabricate such highly microporous CMS membranes with performances that exceed current state-of-the-art zeolites at high xylene loadings.
HTSQualC is a flexible and one-step quality control software for high-throughput sequencing data analysis.

Use of high-throughput sequencing (HTS) has become indispensable in life science research. Raw HTS data contains several sequencing artifacts, and as a first step it is imperative to remove the artifacts for reliable downstream bioinformatics analysis. Although there are multiple stand-alone tools available that can perform the various quality control steps separately, availability of an integrated tool that can allow one-step, automated quality control analysis of HTS datasets will significantly enhance handling large number of samples parallelly. Here, we developed HTSQualC, a stand-alone, flexible, and easy-to-use software for one-step quality control analysis of raw HTS data. HTSQualC can evaluate HTS data quality and perform filtering and trimming analysis in a single run. We evaluated the performance of HTSQualC for conducting batch analysis of HTS datasets with 322 samples with an average ~ 1 M (paired end) sequence reads per sample. HTSQualC accomplished the QC analysis in ~ 3 h in distributed mode and ~ 31 h in shared mode, thus underscoring its utility and robust performance. In addition to command-line execution, we integrated HTSQualC into the free, open-source, CyVerse cyberinfrastructure resource as a GUI interface, for wider access to experimental biologists who have limited computational resources and/or programming abilities.
Large inter-assay difference of serum creatinine in pediatric population: a threat to accurate staging of chronic kidney disease

Serum creatinine concentration is a primary component of Bedside Schwartz equation for estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in children. To standardize creatinine measurement, most manufacturers have adopted calibration procedures traceable to isotope dilution mass spectrometry (IDMS) using National Institute of Standards and Technology reference material. However, reference material representing much lower creatinine concentrations seen in children is not available and it is unclear how well commercial assays perform at pediatric levels. One thousand nine hundred seventy-one specimens from consecutive children <19 years, with creatinine ≤0.8 mg/dL by Abbott Jaffe method were included. Creatinine measurements were compared between Abbott-Jaffe and Abbott-enzymatic methods. Furthermore, we evaluated performance of six commercial creatinine assays at concentrations seen in pediatric patients utilizing IDMS traceable serum samples. Median difference (enzymatic-Jaffe) for prepubertal females was –0.18 mg/dL (2.5%tile, 97.5%tile: –0.30, –0.06), –0.12 mg/dL (–0.25, –0.00) for pubertal females, –0.17 mg/dL (–0.30, –0.04) for prepubertal males, –0.11 mg/dL (–0.24, 0.01) for pubertal males. Bias appeared proportional for each subgroup and decreased as creatinine concentrations increased. Using IDMS traceable samples, the greatest inter-assay variability was seen with the lowest creatinine levels (target 0.273 mg/dL), where 67% (4/6) of methods failed to reach minimal bias specification of 8% (range –7.5 to 86%). For samples with higher creatinine targets (0.440–0.634 mg/dL), two methods failed to meet minimal bias specification, whereas four showed bias <8%. Many commonly used creatinine assays remain inaccurate for pediatric populations after over a decade of nationwide efforts to standardize measurements. When creatinine-based eGFR is used for chronic kidney disease (CKD) staging in children, large inter-assay variability can lead to disease misclassification, inappropriate diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. A higher resolution version of the Graphical abstract is available as Supplementary information
Experience with the Development of a Group-Contribution Equation of State for the Prediction of Physical Properties for Process Engineering Purposes

The PFGC group-contribution equation of state as an example of a promising method to solve industrial application problems for complex mixtures containing non-polar, polar, associating, sub- and supercritical components, has been used to demonstrate the following aspects of general interest: The industrial requirements for improved physical properties prediction methods, and the range of molecular com, lexity of mixtures encountered in gas purification processes, are discussed. A general strategy for the preselection of physical property prediction methods, and especially those for testing equations of state or group- contribution equations of state, has been developed. The industrial boundary conditions which determine success or failure are given. A general multiproperty-multicomponent-multiphase strategy to be used for the fit of the parameters of equations of state or group-contribution equations is proposed.
Chapter 8 Environmental Law

Abstract This chapter provides an economic perspective of environmental law and policy. We examine the ends of environmental policy, that is, the setting of goals and targets, beginning with normative issues, notably the Kaldor–Hicks criterion and the related method of assessment known as benefit–cost analysis. We examine this analytical method in detail, including its theoretical foundations and empirical methods of estimation of compliance costs and environmental benefits. We review critiques of benefit–cost analysis, and examine alternative approaches to analyzing the goals of environmental policies. We examine the means of environmental policy, that is, the choice of specific policy instruments, beginning with an examination of potential criteria for assessing alternative instruments, with particular focus on cost-effectiveness. The theoretical foundations and experiential highlights of individual instruments are reviewed, including conventional, command-and-control mechanisms, market-based instruments, and liability rules. Three cross-cutting issues receive attention: uncertainty; technological change; and distributional considerations. We identify normative lessons in regard to design, implementation, and the identification of new applications, and we examine positive issues: the historical dominance of command-and-control; the prevalence in new proposals of tradeable permits allocated without charge; and the relatively recent increase in attention given to market-based instruments. We also examine the question of how environmental responsibility is and should be allocated among the various levels of government. We provide a positive review of the responsibilities of Federal, state, and local levels of government in the environmental realm, plus a normative assessment of this allocation of regulatory responsibility. We focus on three arguments that have been made for Federal environmental regulation: competition among political jurisdictions and the race to the bottom; transboundary environmental problems; and public choice and systematic bias.
Optimal EREW parallel algorithms for connectivity, ear decomposition and st-numbering of planar graphs

Parallel EREW deterministic algorithms for finding the connected components, ear decomposition and st-numbering of a planar graph are presented. The algorithms take O(log(n)) time with /sub log(n)///sup n+m/ processors. Previous results have the same complexity, but use the CRCW model. The same algorithms can be used for graphs with low genus. Let g be the genus of the minimal embedding of the graph, n the number of vertices and m the number of edges. The new algorithm takes T=O(log(n)+log/sup 2/(g)) time and using optimal space and P=O(/sub log(n)///sup n+m/) processors. >
Teaching Games for Understanding

(1996). Teaching Games for Understanding. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance: Vol. 67, No. 4, pp. 49-51.
Yawn, yawn, yawn, yawn; yawn, yawn, yawn! The social, evolutionary and neuroscientific facets of contagious yawning

Contagious yawning is a common phenomenon affecting upwards of 60% of healthy humans. It has also been observed, at a lesser rate, in great apes and other primates. Here I summarize the suggestion that contagious yawning is a primitive expression of social cognition, namely empathy. Susceptibility to contagious yawning is correlated with the speed in recognizing one's own face, theory of mind processing, and is also associated with activation in regions of the brain that have been associated with social cognitive processes. This suggests that contagious yawning may be an evolutionarily old process that begot a higher level of social cognition in certain species.
Willow, Split Willow

In the heat of such a day there is nothing for it but to follow the man. What man? The Salvadoran. Who follows? Beth. Who is Beth? Beth is a graduate student gone bad. Bad, who says? I say. Who are you? In the heat of such a day: this is California, southern California; it is a Santa Ana, still, in San Diego, without the mountains, the canyons to whip the winds to such a frenzy, still, with nothing moving, shadows as if etched where they fall: it is so hot. I am she who is writing these words. That is all the answer you will get; the rest is volumes?volumes, or silence. I am, after all, the one with a his tory; Beth is, first of all, the sound of her name. Ah Beth, what will happen is this.
Bayesian Comparison of Fit Parameters Application to Time-Resolved X-Ray Spectroscopy

Analysis of X-ray data of the stars AD Leo and Wolf 630, obtained with the Rontgen Satellit (ROSAT) provide important clues to the structure of the coronae on these low-mass, main-sequence (i.e., young) stars. In particular, time- resolved X-ray spectroscopy of these stars allow us to derive estimates for the low- and high-temperature components of the plasma emission measures. Using Bayes’ theorem, we show that these temperature components are physically distinct and that the high-T components are correlated with the X-ray light-curves of the stars, while the low-T components are steady. Thus we are able to model the low-T emission as relatively compact, quiescent, static coronal loops, and the high-T emission as unstable flaring components. The work reported here was carried out in collaboration with Mark Giampapa1, Robert Rosner2, Tom Fleming3, Jurgen Schmitt4, and Jay Bookbinder5 (Giampapa et al., 1995).
Evaluation of results of endoscopic gastrocnemius recession

Background: Gastrocnemius recession is traditionally done as an open procedure. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of gastrocnemius recession performed endo...
Offene Lizenzen in den Digitalen Geisteswissenschaften

Bericht uber die vom Munchner Zentrum fur digitale Geisteswissenschaften organisierten Tagung „Offene Lizenzen in den Digitalen Geisteswissenschaften“ am 27. und 28. April 2015
Adsorbate-adsorbate interaction effects in surface diffusion

The results of MC simulations of the fluctuation, LID and mean-square diffusion distance methods of determining D for circular probed regions are presented for attractive and repulsive nearest-neighbor interactions, respectively, over a wide temperature range. In the absence of interactions all three methods give identical D values. For attractive interactions D from mean-square dispacements is larger than that obtained from the LID method which in turn is bigger than the equilibrium value obtained from the fluctuation method, while the inverse order holds for repulsive interactions. The activation energies obtained from the LID method differ by several J (J being the nn interaction energy) from the equilibrium values, but, possibly fortuitously the prefactors D0 are very similar to the equilibrium values. The reason for the difference in E is that the LID method measures a complicated average over different coverages, while deviations from mean coverage are very small in the fluctuation method. It was also shown that Boltzmann-Matano analysis cannot be carried out for cylindrical geometry, because the relevant solutions do not take the form (cr,t) = f(rt12).
Responding to intimate partner violence in the workplace

Violence in the workplace has become an important issue for the modern-day security manager. The security manager continually faces a variety of threats that originate from within and beyond the confines of the workplace. As the workforce becomes more diverse, the security manager will face new issues. Increasingly, he or she is confronted with instances of intimate partner violence (IPV) at the workplace. The context of such threats creates unique circumstances in terms of how security personnel should respond. The security manager’s responsibility is evolving into areas that were once thought to be beyond the purview of his or her duties. Having knowledge of law that addresses workplace restraining orders, understanding liability as it relates to negligent security, and recognizing the characteristics of the workplace stalker can well serve the security manager when responding to IPV at work.
Sulfasalazine-induced lupus erythematosus

Pneumonitis, bilateral pleural effusions, echocardiographic evidence of cardiac tamponade, and positive autoantibodies developed in a 43-year-old man, who was receiving long-term sulfasalazine therapy for chronic ulcerative colitis. After cessation of the sulfasalazine and completion of a six-week course of corticosteroids, these problems resolved over a period of four to six months. It is suggested that the patient had sulfasalazine-induced lupus, which manifested with serositis and pulmonary parenchymal involvement in the absence of joint symptoms. Physicians who use sulfasalazine to treat patients with inflammatory bowel disease should be aware of the signs of sulfasalazine-induced lupus syndrome.
SEARCHING FOR EVOLUTIONARY PATTERNS IN THE SHAPE OF A PHYLOGENETIC TREE.

If all species in a clade are equally likely to speciate or become extinct, then highly symmetric and highly asymmetric phylogenetic trees are unlikely to result. Variation between species in speciation and extinction rates can cause excessive asymmetry. We developed six non-parametric statistical tests that test for nonrandom patterns of branching in any bifurcating tree. The tests are demonstrated by applying them to two published phylogenies for genera of beetles. Comparison of the power of the six statistics under a simple model of biased speciation suggests which of them may be most useful for detecting nonrandom tree shapes.
Review of State and National Renewable Energy Policies

There is a growing importance for improving renewable energy policies especially in the United States to achieve a goal of 20% or more of nation's electricity from wind energy by 2030. Governments at various local, state and federal levels often revise the policy design and implementation to encourage renewable electricity generation. This paper illustrates some of the renewable energy policies (especially wind) of Texas at state level and United States at federal level and also discusses issues within those policies. Special focus is put on the following topics: Renewable portfolio standards, Production Tax credits, Feed-in tariffs and Net-metering.
Simulated Annealing and Genetic Algorithms for the Facility LayoutProblem: A Survey

The facility layout problem (FLP) has many practical applications and is known to be NP-hard. During recent decades exact and heuristic approaches have been proposed in the literature to solve FLPs. In this paper we review the most recent developments regarding simulated annealing and genetic algorithms for solving facility layout problems approximately.
Light extraction enhanced white light-emitting diodes with multi-layered phosphor configuration

Phosphor-converted white light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with separate red and yellow phosphor layers are investigated under current regulation conditions. This novel packaging scheme of bi-layered phosphors leads to more than 18% increase in luminous flux compared to conventional random mixed phosphor case at the same correlated color temperature. Lower junction temperatures of bi-layered phosphor white LEDs are also observed. This advantage in the thermal characteristics is due to the reduced back reflection of light inside the packages. It is also found that the phosphor conversion efficiency of bi-layered phosphor scheme is higher than that of mixed phosphor case. This is attributed to the enhanced light extraction from the LED packages. In addition, the chromaticity coordinates shifts compared bi-layered phosphor with mixed phosphor white LEDs are almost the same under current regulation conditions. The technology of bi-layered phosphor white LEDs with high efficiency and high color rendering index provides an appropriate solution for general white LED lighting.
The Effect of Long Versus Short Pectoralis Minor Resting Length on Scapular Kinematics in Healthy Individuals

Study Design Two-group comparison. Objective To compare scapular kinematics during arm elevation between groups distinguished by pectoralis minor resting length. Background Studies have demonstrated that individuals with subacromial impingement have altered scapular kinematics, such as loss of posterior tipping and increased internal rotation. One proposed mechanism for these alterations is an adaptively short pectoralis minor. This anterior scapulothoracic muscle may impact normal scapular kinematics if adaptively short. Methods and Measures Fifty volunteers without shoulder pain were divided into long or short groups according to normalized pectoralis minor resting length. An electromagnetic motion capture system determined the angular orientation of the scapula, humerus, and trunk during arm elevation in 3 separate planes. Groups were compared for 3-dimensional scapular orientation relative to the trunk at arm elevation angles of 30°, 60°, 90°, and 120°, using a mixed-model analysis of variance (ANOVA)...