cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION ON ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION BY FUZZY MATTER-ELEMENT METHOD

There are a lot of pollutant sources in oil and natural gas industry. They should be tackled in a comprehensive way in no time. The comprehensive evaluation of polluted extent, polluted range and damaged extent can provide scientific foundation for pollutants control. However, an evaluated method of fuzzy matter-element is presented because the concepts of polluted extent, polluted range and damaged extent themselves are fuzzy. The basic thinking of this method is to combine fuzzy analysis with matter-element analysis, build up several kinds of composite matter-element according to the three main factors----polluted extent, polluted range and damaged extent and corresponding secondary ones and their weights, and then take mean and maximum and minimum of the value of fuzzy parameter corresponding to the weights of the main factors of environment pollution as evaluation indexes at the same time and make evaluated composite fuzzy matter-element. Take an accident of environment pollution occurred in the suburbia canal in certain county as an example, results have shown effectiveness of the method.
Distribution of Electric Field Strength and Spectral Characteristic of UHF Signal of Partial Discharge Inside GIS at Resin Sprue of Metal Ring

For the majority of gas insulated switchgear(GIS) being operated the built-in ultra-high-frequency(UHF) coupler has still not been installed, and in view of that the basin-type insulator is overlaid by metal ring, the conventional detection method cannot detect the UHF signal of partial discharge inside the GIS, therefore the detection of the UHF signal radiated out from the resin sprue of the metal ring becomes the only method to detect the partial discharge inside the GIS. On the basis of analyzing the impact of the resin sprue on the propagation and attenuation characteristics of UHF electromagnetic wave, the propagation process of UHF signal of the partial discharge inside the GIS is simulated by finite-difference-time-domain(FDTD), and the distribution of electric field strength and its spectral characteristic are emphatically analyzed, and the experimental verification is performed on the platform of GIS and a better consistence is achieved. Research results show that the direction of the principal component of electric field strength of UHF signal at the resin sprue is parallel to the narrow side of the sprue, and the energy mainly concentrates on the frequency range from 0.7 GHz to 2 GHz. This conclusion offers important theoretical foundation and guidance for improving the performance of UHF partial discharge signal detection system.
Cardiovascular Manifestations of Hypertension in Children

Hypertension has its roots in childhood. Electrocardiographic, echocardiographic, and exercise testing in young patients point to early abnormalities of cardiovascular status in children with early hypertensive disease. Altered morphology of the cardiovascular system and vascular reactivity is also seen in the hypertensive or prehypertensive child. Perhaps investigation and preventive tactics may be best applied to the pediatric population.
Some New and Some Unusual Psychological and Educational Measures: Description and Evaluation.

New tests are proliferating at an ever increasing pace just as are the school psychologist's needs to provide more in-depth, valid assessments of handicapped children. This paper is the first in an...
Bounding Expected Sup-Norms of Empirical and Rademacher Processes

In what follows, we will use a number of bounds on expectation of suprema of empirical and Rademacher processes. Because of symmetrization inequalities, the problems of bounding expected suprema for these two stochastic processes are equivalent. The bounds are usually based on various complexity measures of function classes (such as linear dimension, VC-dimension, shattering numbers, uniform covering numbers, random covering numbers, bracketing numbers, generic chaining complexities, etc). It would be of interest to develop the bounds with precise dependence on such geometric parameters as the L2.P /-diameter of the class. Combining the bounds on expected suprema with Talagrand’s concentration inequalities yields exponential inequalities for the tail probabilities of sup-norms.
Review. Radiologic Changes of the Aging Brain and Skull

Computed tomographic (CT) studies during life reveal the involutionary changes in the brain found in postmortem studies. Beginning about the fourth decade, gradual widening of the third ventricle, sylvian and interhemispheric fissures, superficial sulci, and basal cisterns occurs. Enlargement of the lateral ventricles is most striking after the sixth decade of life. Regression of the brain with aging is a normal process. There is marked individual variation in the degree of involutional changes; not all lives are identical, and the longer the life span the less predictable one would expect the involutionary changes to be.
Michelin Tire Baby Syndrome Variant

A syndrome of multiple congenital anomalies, mental retardation, and symmetrical circumferential skin creases of arms and legs in a 4.5-year-old male is reported from the Montreal Children’s Hospital, Quebec, Canada.
Inflammation and Mechanical Stretch Promote Aortic Stiffening in Hypertension Through Activation of p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase

Rationale: Aortic stiffening commonly occurs in hypertension and further elevates systolic pressure. Hypertension is also associated with vascular inflammation and increased mechanical stretch. The interplay between inflammation, mechanical stretch, and aortic stiffening in hypertension remains undefined. Objective: Our aim was to determine the role of inflammation and mechanical stretch in aortic stiffening. Methods and Results: Chronic angiotensin II infusion caused marked aortic adventitial collagen deposition, as quantified by Masson trichrome blue staining and biochemically by hydroxyproline content, in wild-type but not in recombination activating gene-1–deficient mice. Aortic compliance, defined by ex vivo measurements of stress–strain curves, was reduced by chronic angiotensin II infusion in wild-type mice ( P P Conclusions: Our data define a pathway in which inflammation and mechanical stretch lead to vascular inflammation that promotes collagen deposition. The resultant increase in aortic stiffness likely further worsens systolic hypertension and its attendant end-organ damage.
The persistence of invasive populations of kudzu near the northern periphery of its range in New York City determined from historical data1,2

In 1989, Edward Frankel recorded the distribution of Pueraria montana var. lobata (kudzu) in and around New York City, motivated by the concern that kudzu was extending its range northward from the southeastern USA, where it is an aggressive invasive species. Understanding species persistence is important in determining the dynamics of the distribution of invasive species as they spread, particularly since harsh environmental conditions at the periphery of a species range might result in frequent extinctions. Long-term species persistence data are difficult to obtain; the Frankel (1989) data thus represent a valuable contribution to documenting population persistence. In this study, we were able to identify unambiguously 22 of Frankel's original 34 sites of kudzu in the New York City metropolitan area. After more than 20 yr, we found only 32% of kudzu populations persisted in and around New York City. In contrast, we used herbarium records to identify 19 sites in Georgia and South Carolina where P. montana var. lobata was documented to occur in the same approximate time period as Frankel's data, and found that 95% of these populations persisted. Even accounting for the difference between urban and rural sites, populations of P. montana var. lobata go extinct more often near the periphery of the range than at the core of the invasion.
Hes4: A potential prognostic biomarker for newly diagnosed patients with high‐grade osteosarcoma

Background Prognostic biomarkers for osteosarcoma (OS) at the time of diagnosis are lacking. Necrotic response of OS to preoperative chemotherapy correlates with survival and is determined 3–4 months after diagnosis. The purpose of this study is to identify biomarkers that will stratify patients into good or poor responders to chemotherapy at diagnosis and determine the role of potential biomarkers in OS pathogenesis. Procedure Because OS may be caused by disruptions of osteogenic differentiation, and the Notch pathway is one regulator of bone development, we examined the link between Notch effectors, OS differentiation, and OS outcome. We probed the R2: Genomics Analysis and Visualization Platform for RNA expression levels of Notch targets in mixed high-grade OS pretreatment biopsies. We used human OS cell lines in vitro and in mice to determine the role of the Notch target hairy/enhancer of split 4 (Hes4) in OS. Results We found that in OS patients, high expression of Hes4 is correlated with decreased metastasis-free and overall survival. Human OS cells that overexpress Hes4 are more immature and have an increased invasive capacity in vitro. This was not universal to all Notch effectors, as Hes1 overexpression induced opposing effects. When injected into NSG mice, Hes4-overexpressing OS cells produced significantly larger, more lytic tumors and significantly more metastases than did control cells. Conclusions Hes4 overexpression promotes a more aggressive tumor phenotype by preventing osteoblastic differentiation of OS cells. Hes4 expression may allow for the stratification of patients into good or poor responders to chemotherapy at diagnosis.
Stress and gender effects on prefrontal cortex oxygenation levels assessed during single and dual-task walking conditions.

The ability to walk is critical for functional independence and wellbeing. The pre-frontal cortex (PFC) plays a key role in cognitive control of locomotion, notably under attention-demanding conditions. Factors that influence brain responses to cognitive demands of locomotion, however, are poorly understood. Herein, we evaluated the individual and combined effects of gender and perceived stress on stride velocity and PFC Oxygenated Hemoglobin (HbO2 ) assessed during single and dual-task walking conditions. The experimental paradigm included Normal Walk (NW); Cognitive Interference (Alpha); and Walk-While-Talk (WWT) tasks. An instrumented walkway was used to assess stride velocity in NW and WWT conditions. Functional Near-Infrared-Spectroscopy (fNIRS) was used to quantify PFC HbO2 levels during NW, Alpha and WWT. Perceived task-related stress was evaluated with a single 11-point scale item. Participants were community residing older adults (age = 76.8 ± 6.7 years; %female = 56). Results revealed that higher perceived stress was associated with greater decline in stride velocity from single to dual-task conditions among men. Three-way interactions revealed that gender moderated the effect of perceived stress on changes in HbO2 levels comparing WWT to NW and Alpha. Attenuation in the increase in HbO2 levels, in high compared to low perceived stress levels, from the two single task conditions to WWT was observed only in men. Thus, older men may be more vulnerable to the effect of perceived stress on the change in PFC oxygenation levels across walking conditions that vary in terms of cognitive demands. These findings confer important implications for assessment and treatment of individuals at risk of mobility impairments.
Variants of the Erdős–Szekeres and Erdős–Hajnal Ramsey problems

Abstract Given integers l , n , the l th power of the path P n is the ordered graph P n l with vertex set v 1 v 2 ⋯ v n and all edges of the form v i v j where | i − j | ≤ l . The Ramsey number r ( P n l , P n l ) is the minimum N such that every 2-coloring of [ N ] 2 results in a monochromatic copy of P n l . It is well-known that r ( P n 1 , P n 1 ) = ( n − 1 ) 2 + 1 . For l > 1 , Balko–Cibulka–Kral–Kyncl proved that r ( P n l , P n l ) c l n 128 l and asked for the growth rate for fixed l . When l = 2 , we improve this upper bound substantially by proving r ( P n 2 , P n 2 ) c n 19.5 . Using this result, we determine the correct tower growth rate of the k -uniform hypergraph Ramsey number of a ( k + 1 ) -clique versus an ordered tight path. Finally, we consider an ordered version of the classical Erdős–Hajnal hypergraph Ramsey problem, improve the tower height given by the trivial upper bound, and conjecture that this tower height is optimal.
Dance for Your Health: Exploring Social Latin Dancing for Community Health Promotion

ABSTRACTThe goal of Dance for Your Health was to explore the relationship between social Latin dance and health as described by members of the Tucson social Latin dance community. Social Latin dance was selected because of the variety of dances, cultural relevance and popularity in Tucson, and the low-key, relaxed atmosphere. Dance has been prescribed to help manage diseases such as Parkinson’s; however, not much is known about the use of dance for health promotion. Through qualitative methodologies, the project focused on the role dance can play in health promotion and in creating community connections. The project explored personal stories and experiences on the broader impact of health, the meaning of community from the social Latin dancer’s point of view, thoughts on how social Latin dancing could be applied to help people in the community live healthier lives, and how to demystify social Latin dancing for people who are not currently dancing.
Fatigue response of notched graphite/epoxy laminates

Tests were performed to determine the damage states in quasi-isotropic graphite/epoxy laminates with center holes caused by cyclic tensile loading. The influence of the stacking sequence on the initiation and interaction of damage modes and the relationship between damage, strength, stiffness, and life of the laminates were also studied. X-ray radiography, moire interferometry, and stiffness change were used to monitor damage. Fatigue damage in both laminates began with matrix cracks around the holes leading to delaminations. In laminates cycled at the same percent of notched tensile strength the stacking sequence influenced the density of the matrix cracks and the modes and distribution of the damage. Ply cracking was also caused by the stacking sequence. The damage states in the two laminates produced stiffness changes of 15 to 20 percent, different rates of change in residual strength, and a factor of two to four difference in fatigue life. It was determined that continued cyclic loading produced matrix cracks which led to fatigue of the laminates.
Prevalence of Indoor Tanning and Association With Sunburn Among Youth in the United States.

Importance Indoor tanning and sunburns, particularly during adolescence and young adulthood, increase the risk of developing skin cancer. Objective To examine the trends in the prevalence of indoor tanning and the association between indoor tanning and sunburn among US high school students. Design, Setting, and Participants This study pooled and examined cross-sectional data from the 2009, 2011, 2013, and 2015 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey. During 2009, 2011, 2013, and 2015, the overall response rates were 71%, 71%, 68%, and 60%, respectively, and unweighted sample sizes were 16 410, 15 425, 13 538, and 15 624, respectively. It included nationally representative samples of US high school students. Data were collected during the spring semester (January to June) in each survey cycle beginning February 9, 2009, through June 18, 2015. Main Outcomes and Measures Prevalence of indoor tanning in the past year from 2009 to 2015 and its association with sunburn in 2015. Results Among high school students in the United States, the prevalence of indoor tanning decreased from 15.6% (95% CI, 13.7%-17.6%) in 2009 to 7.3% (95% CI, 6.0%-8.9%) in 2015. Decreases in indoor tanning were found among male (from 6.7% in 2009 to 4.0% in 2015) and female (from 25.4 % in 2009 to 10.6 % in 2015) students overall, non-Hispanic white (from 21.1 % in 2009 to 9.4% in 2015) and Hispanic (from 8.2% in 2009 to 4.7% in 2015) students overall, and all age groups. Among non-Hispanic white female students, the prevalence decreased from 37.4% (95% CI, 33.6%-41.4%) in 2009 to 15.2% (95% CI, 11.7%-19.5%) in 2015. In 2015, indoor tanning was associated with sunburn in the adjusted model: 82.3% (95% CI, 77.9%-86.0%) of indoor tanners had at least 1 sunburn during the preceding year compared with 53.7% (95% CI, 48.9%-58.4%) of those who did not engage in indoor tanning (P Conclusions and Relevance Despite declines in the prevalence of indoor tanning from 2009 to 2015 among high school students nationwide, indoor tanning remains commonplace among certain subgroups, especially non-Hispanic white female students. Three-quarters of those who engaged in indoor tanning had experienced at least 1 sunburn. Efforts by the public health and medical communities are needed to further reduce the prevalence of indoor tanning and sunburn and thus prevent future cases of skin cancer.
Sketching Computation with Stochastic Processing Engines

This article explores how to leverage stochastic principles to gracefully exploit partial computation results, hence achieving quality-scalable embedded computing. Our work is inspired by the concept of incremental sketching frequently found in artistic rendering, where the drawing procedure consists of a series of steps, each gradually improving the quality of results. The essence of our approach is to first encode input signals as probability density functions (PDFs), then perform stochastic computing operations on all signals in the probabilistic domain, and finally decode output signals by estimating the PDF of these resulting random samples. Although numerous approximate computing schemes exist, such as inaccurate adders and multipliers that reduce bit width or weaken logic circuit design, none of them can seamlessly improve computing accuracy incrementally without making any changes to the computing hardware at runtime. Furthermore, in conventional embedded computing, a sudden shortage of computing resources, such as premature termination, often means a complete computing failure and totally unusable results. Our sketching computing scheme can readily trade off between the quality of results and computing efforts without modifying its circuit design. To validate our proposed architecture design, we have implemented a proof-of-concept computation sketching engine based on a probabilistic convolver using a Virtex-6 FPGA device. Using three widely deployed image processing applications—image correspondence, image sharpening, and edge detection—we have demonstrated that important embedded computing applications can indeed be “sketched” in a graceful manner using roughly one third the hardware and one fifth the energy compared to the traditional multiplier-based computing method.
Lung clearance index is sensitive to small airway disease in pediatric lung transplant recipients.

Background The principal obstacle to long term survival after lung transplant is chronic lung allograft dysfunction, which primarily affects the small airways. Post-transplant patients are monitored with spirometry, which is a generally insensitive detector of small airways obstruction. The lung clearance index is a measure obtained during multiple breath washout maneuvers. We hypothesized that among lung allograft recipients, lung clearance index will detect small airway disease not evident with spirometry. Methods Fifteen patients were enrolled in this study, five already had a diagnosis of chronic lung allograft dysfunction. To the established post-transplant routine care protocol, we added multiple breath washout as an additional index of peripheral airway function. Results 87.9% of trials yielded valid measurements and single maneuvers ranged from two to 8 minutes. Lung clearance index did not call any false negatives; no patients were considered obstructed by FEV 1 , but normal by lung clearance index. At enrollment, there were six patients without chronic lung allograft dysfunction that measured an elevated lung clearance index, four of which progressed to chronic lung allograft dysfunction. Of those four, only two would have been identified by a decrease in FEV 1 . Conclusions Lung clearance index identified lung allograft dysfunction in more patients than the use of standardized spirometric measures, including patients identified with abnormal FEV 1 . This data suggests that lung clearance index from multiple breath washout may be a more sensitive means to detect allograft peripheral airway disease than standard methods for measurement of small airways function.
Update and Lessons Learned from RULET Assessments on Potentially Polluting Wrecks in the US

In response to a 2010 mandate from Congress, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) produced a specifically-designed Risk Assessment for Potentially Polluting Wrecks in U.S. Wat...
An Adaptive Stencil Finite Differencing Scheme for Linear First Order Hyperbolic Systems—A Preliminary Report

The simulation of wave propagation through highly heterogeneous media is important in many applications, e.g., seismic and ultrasound modeling and imaging. In these applications, material parameters may vary widely over short length scales. In practice, these rapid variations are often modeled with hyperbolic partial differential equations having discontinuous parameters.
Targeted Delivery of Auristatin-Modified Toxins to Pancreatic Cancer Using Aptamers.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal malignancies. Treatment with the first-line agent, gemcitabine, is often unsuccessful because it, like other traditional chemotherapeutic agents, is non-specific, resulting in off-target effects that necessitate administration of subcurative doses. Alternatively, monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE) and monomethyl auristatin F (MMAF) are highly toxic small molecules that require ligand-targeted delivery. MMAE has already received FDA approval as a component of an anti-CD30 antibody-drug conjugate, brentuximab vedotin. However, in contrast to antibodies, aptamers have distinct advantages. They are chemicals, which allows them to be produced synthetically and facilitates the rapid development of diagnostics and therapeutics with clinical applicability. In addition, their small size allows for enhanced tissue distribution and rapid systemic clearance. Here, we assayed the toxicity of MMAE and MMAF conjugated to an anti-transferrin receptor aptamer, Waz, and an anti-epidermal growth factor receptor aptamer, E07, on the pancreatic cancer cell lines Panc-1, MIA PaCa-2, and BxPC3. In vitro, our results indicate that these aptamers are a viable option for the targeted delivery of toxic payloads to pancreatic cancer cells.
CHAPTER 4 – Differential Calculus

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the concept of functions, means of combining functions, and the properties of limits. A function may have gaps at some points but not at others. For the graph of a function f(x) not to have a gap at a point x = a, the function must certainly be defined at a. It is necessary that the values of f(x) at points near a approach the value of f(x) at a. In other words, if the graph has no gap at x = a, it is also necessary that limx→af(x) = f (a). A function f(x) is said to be continuous at x = a if (1) f(x) is defined at a, (2) limx→af(x) exists, and (3) limx→af(x) = f(a). Discontinuous functions occur frequently in economic applications. The chapter provides examples to illustrate that. It discusses slopes of tangent lines to a curve, derivatives of functions, and rules for differentiation. The chapter discusses general methods for computing derivatives of functions.
Minimizing cycle time and group scheduling, using Petri nets a study of heuristic methods

The objective of this paper is a study of minimizing the maximum completion time min F max, or cycle time of the last job of a given family of jobs using flow shop heuristic scheduling techniques. Three methods are presented: minimize idle time (MIT); Campbell, Dudek and Smith (CDS); and Palmer. An example problem with ten jobs and five machines is used to compare results of these methods. A deterministic t-timed colored Petri net model has been developed for scheduling problem. An execution of the deterministic timed Petri net allows to compute performance measures by applying graph traversing algorithms starting from initial global state and going into a desirable final state(s) of the production system. The objective of the job scheduling policy is minimizing the cycle time of the last job scheduled in the pipeline of a given family of jobs. Three heuristic scheduling methods have been implemented. First, a sub-optimal sequence of jobs to be scheduled is generated. Second, a Petri net-based simulator with graphical user interface to monitor execution of the sequence of tasks on machines is dynamically designed. A deterministic t-timed colored Petri net model has been developed and implemented for flexible manufacturing systems (FMS). An execution of the deterministic timed Petri net into a reachability graph allows to compute performance measures by applying graph traversing algorithms starting from initial global state to a desirable final state(s) of the production system.
Urban Violence, Youth

Inner-city violence has become an issue of national concern, and much of this public concern is targeted toward youth. Rates of serious and lethal crimes among juveniles have shown a steady increase since the late 1980s. These rates are highest in inner cities and have shown the greatest increases in urban areas with a population of more than one-quarter million people; violence is one of the leading causes of death for youth living in the inner city. Violent victimization rates indicate that the percentage of youths aged 10–16 ever victimized is highest in large cities, among African-Americans and Latinos, and among youths whose family income is under $20 000 per year. Individuals in their adolescence and early adulthood are also at greatest risk for becoming victims of violent crime. In addition to victimization, children living in inner-city communities also witness high rates of violence. Repeated exposure to violence can have negative consequences for families and psychological and emotional ramifications for youth.
Simulation Study of Spectrum Sharing between Microwave Links and Personal Communications Systems

The U.S. telecommunications industry has projected a need for 200-800MHz of new spectrum in order to be able to provide for the highly desirable new radio communications services, as well as to accommodate the growth needs of existing services. Since all existing practical spectrum is already allocated, the FCC must either re-allocate spectrum or determine that existing spectrum can be shared by new services without inter-service interference.
Women of Antioch: Political Culture and Powerful Women in the Latin East

This chapter focuses on the experiences of Alice of Antioch and her daughter, Constance, in order to better understand the political culture of the Latin East, defined here as the set of attitudes and assumptions that justified the exercise of power and allowed certain individuals access to authority while denying it to others. I argue that the tendency to privilege a single category, particularly gender, in any attempt to understand attitudes defining political participation in the Latin East fails to appreciate the array of factors, ranging from religion to diplomacy to dynastic principles, that comprised the political culture of the region and determined the ability of individuals, men and women, to exercise authority.
Theorizing a more radical approach to addiction through the lens of participatory spirituality

This article examines the cultural attitude of reluctance in the United States, as reflected in recent opinion polls and federal budgets, toward agency spending in relation to addiction prevention,...
Mercury Exposure and Altered Parental Nesting Behavior in a Wild Songbird

Methylmercury is a neurotoxin and endocrine disruptor and may impair avian reproduction directly through embryotoxicity or by altering parental care behaviors. We studied mercury exposure and incubation behavior of free-living tree swallows ( Tachycineta bicolor) nesting in artificial nest boxes. Using small temperature dataloggers, we measured incubation constancy (the proportion of each day the female spent incubating eggs), the number of incubation recesses taken per day, and the duration of incubation recesses. We also assessed maternal mercury exposure by measuring mercury concentrations in both blood and eggs. Females with higher mercury concentrations exhibited lower incubation constancy, took more frequent and shorter incubation recesses, and were more likely to take incubation recesses that caused nest temperature decreases that were likely to slow embryonic development. Overall, females that laid eggs with the highest observed mercury concentration (0.53 μg/g fww) spent an average of 12% less time incubating their eggs over the 14-day incubation period than females that laid eggs with the lowest mercury concentration (0.07 μg/g fww). Because less time spent incubating can lower egg temperatures, slow embryonic development, and potentially lengthen the incubation period, these results suggest that environmentally relevant mercury concentrations may negatively influence reproduction by altering parental nesting behaviors of wild songbirds.
Phorbol Ester (PMA)-Activated Protein Kinase C Phosphorylates the Class I HLA Heavy Chain

The intracellular domains of the class I HLA heavy chain contain a series of amino acid residues that can be phosphorylated by various protein kinases. Among them, two serine residues are phosphorylated by cAMP-dependent protein kinase (1–3), and a tyrosine residue can be phosphorylated in vitro by the pp60 src kinase of the rous sarcoma virus (4). We now report that the class I HLA heavy chains are phosphorylated on treatment with PMA in a dose-dependent manner in B-lymphoblastoid cell lines and purified T lymphocytes. According to IEF gel analysis, only one amino acid residue is phosphorylated by the phorbol ester-activated protein kinase C. We also observed that all HLA-A and HLA-B allelic products tested are phosphorylated by protein kinase C. This indicates that the substrate residue for protein kinase C in class I HLA antigens is well conserved.
Do State Opioid Policies Influence Nonprofit Hospitals' Decisions to Address Substance Abuse in Their Communities?

The U.S. epidemic of opioid abuse calls for broad collaboration between a wide range of health care institutions and the various levels of government. Through the community benefit programs they pr...
Best-Packing on Compact Sets

In this chapter we study the behavior of the leading term as N gets large of the N-point best-packing distance $$\begin{aligned}\delta _N(A)=\sup \limits _{\omega _N\subset A}\min \limits _{x, y\in \omega _N\atop x\ne y} \left| x-y\right| \end{aligned}$$ (defined earlier in Chapter 3) on a compact \((\mathcal H_d, d)\)-rectifiable set A in \(\mathbb R^p\) as well as the weak* limit distribution of point configurations \(\omega _N\) that attain the supremum in (13.0.1).
Cato Supreme Court Review 2010-11: Introduction

This is the tenth volume of the Cato Supreme Court Review, the nation’s first in-depth critique of the Supreme Court term just ended. We release this journal every year in conjunction with our annual Constitution Day symposium, about two and a half months after the previous term ends and two weeks before the next one begins. We are proud of the speed with which we publish this tome - authors of articles about the last-decided cases have no more than a month to provide us full drafts - and of its accessibility, at least insofar as the Court’s opinions allow. This is not a typical law review, after all, whose prolix submissions use more space for obscure footnotes than for article text. Instead, this is a book of articles about law intended for everyone from lawyers and judges to educated laymen and interested citizens - and even Chief Justice John Roberts, who this past summer questioned law reviews’ utility and relevance.And we are happy to confess our biases: We approach our subject matter from a classical Madisonian perspective, with a focus on individual liberty, property rights, and federalism, and a vision of a government of delegated, enumerated, and thus limited powers. We also try to maintain a strict separation of politics (and policy) and law; just because something is good policy doesn’t mean it’s legal, and vice versa. Similarly, certain decisions must necessarily be left to the political process: We aim to be governed by laws, not lawyers, so just as a good lawyer will present all plausibly legal options to his client, a good public official will recognize that the ultimate buck stops with him.
The BE GONE trial study protocol: a randomized crossover dietary intervention of dry beans targeting the gut microbiome of overweight and obese patients with a history of colorectal polyps or cancer.

Mouse and human studies support the promise of dry beans to improve metabolic health and to lower cancer risk. In overweight/obese patients with a history of colorectal polyps or cancer, the Beans to Enrich the Gut microbiome vs. Obesity’s Negative Effects (BE GONE) trial will test whether and how an increase in the consumption of pre-cooked, canned dry beans within the context of usual diet and lifestyle can enhance the gut landscape to improve metabolic health and reduce cancer risk. This randomized crossover trial is designed to characterize changes in (1) host markers spanning lipid metabolism, inflammation, and obesity-related cancer risk; (2) compositional and functional profiles of the fecal microbiome; and (3) host and microbial metabolites. With each subject serving as their own control, the trial will compare the participant’s usual diet with (intervention) and without (control) dry beans. Canned, pre-cooked dry beans are provided to participants and the usual diet continually assessed and monitored. Following a 4-week run-in and equilibration period, each participant provides a total of 5 fasting blood and 6 stool samples over a total period of 16 weeks. The intervention consists of a 2-week ramp-up of dry bean intake to 1 cup/d, which is then continued for an additional 6 weeks. Intra- and inter-individual outcomes are assessed across each crossover period with consideration of the joint or modifying effects of the usual diet and baseline microbiome. The BE GONE trial is evaluating a scalable dietary prevention strategy targeting the gut microbiome of high-risk patients to mitigate the metabolic and inflammatory effects of adiposity that influence colorectal cancer risk, recurrence, and survival. The overarching scientific goal is to further elucidate interactions between diet, the gut microbiome, and host metabolism. Improved understanding of the diet-microbiota interplay and effective means to target these relationships will be key to the future of clinical and public health approaches to cancer and other major diet- and obesity-related diseases. This protocol is registered with the U.S. National Institutes of Health trial registry, ClinicalTrials.gov, under the identifier NCT02843425. First posted July 25, 2016; last verified January 25, 2019.
The Evolution of Uneven Development in Dallas, TX:

Dallas has a long history of uneven development. It is the product of excess capital, white planning, and a desire to shape the land into something it is not. Communities in Dallas broke sharply al...
Comparison of CO2 and Produced Gas Hydrocarbons to Dissolve and Mobilize Bakken Crude Oil at 10.3, 20.7, and 34.5 MPa and 110 °C

ABSTRACT: The ability of an injected gas to dissolve crude oil hydrocarbons may be a major factor controlling the success of enhanced oil recovery (EOR) projects in unconventional reservoirs. Multi...
Impact of Dexamethasone on Length of Stay and Early Pain Control in Direct Anterior Approach Total Hip Arthroplasty With Neuraxial Anesthesia.

Abstract Background Dexamethasone has been shown to reduce postoperative pain and opioid consumption for total joint arthroplasty patients; however, its impact on patients who received neuraxial anesthesia (NA) is not well described. We examined the impact of perioperative dexamethasone on outcomes for patients undergoing direct anterior approach total hip arthroplasty (THA) under NA. Methods A retrospective review was conducted for 376 THA patients from a single institution. Univariate analysis was used to compare postoperative outcomes for 164 THA patients receiving dexamethasone compared to 212 who did not receive dexamethasone. Results No differences in age, gender, body mass index, or American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Score were observed between the groups. Patients receiving perioperative dexamethasone reported statistically significantly lower postanesthesia care unit (PACU) pain numeric rating scale (Dexamethasone 1.6 vs No dexamethasone 2.3, P = .014) and received lower PACU morphine milligram equivalents (MME) (Dexamethasone 8.57 vs No dexamethasone 11.44, P Conclusion Perioperative dexamethasone is associated with decreased postoperative pain and narcotic consumption, and shorter length of stay for patients undergoing primary direct anterior approach THA with NA.
Comparison of selective excitation and multi-echo chemical shift encoding for imaging of hyperpolarized [1-13C]pyruvate.

Abstract Imaging methods for hyperpolarized (HP) 13C agents must sample the evolution of signal from multiple agents with distinct chemical shifts within a very brief timeframe (typically
Synthesis and cellular properties of a 131-substituted chlorin e6-nevirapine conjugate

The synthesis of a chlorin e6-nevirapine conjugate is reported, in which the nevirapine moiety is attached to the 131-position of chlorin e6 via a diethylene glycol linker. This conjugate was found...
Interventional Trials of Antioxidants

Prospective observational studies have found consistent associations between higher intakes of fruit and vegetables and reduced rates of coronary heart disease (CHD) and ischemic stroke. The exact mechanisms for these apparent protective effects are not entirely clear. It is possible that higher fruit and vegetable intake replaces fat and cholesterol intake, but alternatively, the observed beneficial effects may be due to micronutrients contained in the fruits and vegetables. Micronutrients with antioxidant properties might be responsible for the lower rates of cardiovascular disease (CVD) associated with fruit and vegetable consumption. Laboratory research has identified a possible mechanism – the inhibition of oxidative damage – by which antioxidants might reduce the risk of atherosclerosis and CVD. In addition, many cross-sectional, case-control, and cohort studies have found an association between antioxidant vitamin consumption and a reduced risk of CVD. These results suggest that antioxidants such as vitamin E, beta-carotene, and vitamin C may be involved in the prevention of CVD but do not provide a definitive answer. Several large-scale, randomized trials of antioxidant supplements have now been completed and are not entirely consistent. In this chapter, we discuss the rationale for conducting large-scale trials of antioxidant supplements and review completed and ongoing trials.
Free Energy Correction to Rigid Body Docking: Application to the Colicin E7 and Im7 Complex

We performed a 2-dimensional free energy calculation in the conformational space composed of two structures, best RMSD (Root Mean Square Distance) and the worst RMSD structures using ZDOCK on the Colicin E7 (protein) and Im7 (Inhibitor) complex. The lowest free energy minimum structure is compared to the X-ray crystal structure and the best RMSD docking structure. The free energy correction for the best RMSD structure shows an alternative in the prediction of a flexible loop position, which could not describe rigid body docking.
Absorption of zinc by the rat ileum: effects of histidine and other low-molecular-weight ligands.

The role of certain amino acids, dipeptides and organic acids as ligands to facilitate the intestinal absorption of zinc was investigated by using an in vivo procedure on ileal segments of adult rats. Ligand:zinc ratios equal to or less than 3:1 were optimal for amino acids and dipeptides such as L-glutamate, glycine, L-histidine, L-tryptophan and glycylglycine. An excess of ligand reduced zinc absorption. At a 130:1 L-histidine:zinc ratio the absorption of zinc was less than one-fourth that obtained at a 3:1 ratio. Picolinate was a less effective ligand. The kinetics of the complex L-histidine:zinc at a 2:1 ratio and at pH 7.5 were determined in the absence and presence of a 20 mM excess of amino acid in a zinc concentration range between 0.038 mM and 6.00 mM. In both cases the Vmax was 2200 pmol/(minute . cm), but the Kt increased from 0.54 mM to 1.46 mM in the presence of the L-histidine excess. These data suggest a competitive inhibition of the L-histidine:zinc complex by the amino acid. Such an effect was dependent on the stereoisomerism of histidine, since the unnatural D-isomer was far less effective than the natural L-isomer in facilitating zinc absorption. The presence of an intact protein (bovine serum albumin) sharply decreased the ileal absorption of the L-histidine:zinc complex.
Robustness and Stability Analysis of Time Delay Control

This paper proposes a modified Time Delay Controller for a class of uncertain nonlinear system. The controller uses delayed inputs and delayed derivative of some of the state variables to estimate the uncertain dynamics. To attenuate the noise amplified by the differentiation, the delay time is chosen to be much larger than the sampling period. Keeping the delay time at an appropriate level, the performance of the system is improved significantly by reducing the sampling period without further amplifying high-frequency noise. The analysis on a special class of systems shows that robustness to variation of the input matrix is also enhanced much further by the scheme. Since the estimation is updated at a sampling period much shorter than the observation period (the delay time), the control input which contains the estimated dynamics changes more smoothly with time, compared to the case when the sampling period is the same as the delay time.
Public Choice and Constitutional Political Economy

Public choice — or the economics of politics — is a relatively new science located at the interface between economics and politics (Rowley 1993, Mueller 1997, and Shughart and Razzolini 2001). It was founded in 1948 by Duncan Black, who died in 1991 without ever achieving full recognition as the Founding Father of the discipline (Tullock 1991). Its practitioners seek to understand and to predict the behavior of political markets by utilizing the analytical techniques of economics, most notably the rational choice postulate, in the modeling of non-market decision-making behavior.
The transmission of electronic effects

Abstract Rate of data for the reactions of seven 2-furoic acids (H, 5-NO2, 5-Br, 5-Cl, 5-(CH3)3C, 5-COOH, 5-CH2OH) with diphenyldiazomethane (DDM) in ethanol have been obtained. The range of the activation parameters for ΔH∡ is 13.6 to 16.1 kcal mole−1 and for ΔS∡ —3 to —11 cal deg−1mole−1. Satisfactory Hammett lines have been calculated for k in 1. mole−1min.−1: at 15.5°, log k  1.00σ + 0.2406 at 24.9°, log k  0.975 σ + 0.6135. The p values for nine families including the furoic acids follow the relation ϱRGCOOH/ϱRGCOS = constant: within the limit of ±10–20% in ϱ, the attenuation mechanisms by which electronic effects are changed by G are similar for acid dissociation or reaction with DDM. Based on three reactions, a fall off factor e = 1.2 ±0.2 is calculated for G = 2,5-furyl compared with phenyl.
Hierarchical Bayesian Time Series Models

Notions of Bayesian analysis are reviewed, with emphasis on Bayesian modeling and Bayesian calculation. A general hierarchical model for time series analysis is then presented and discussed. Both discrete time and continuous time formulations are discussed. An brief overview of generalizations of the fundamental hierarchical time series model concludes the article.
On the development of practice guidelines for evidence-based group approaches following disaster.

(2008). On the Development of Practice Guidelines for Evidence–Based Group Approaches Following Disaster. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy: Vol. 58, No. 4, pp. 567-574.
Catalytic transfer of hydride ions from NADPH to oxygen by the interconversions of proline and Δ1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate

Studies in reconstituted systems indicate that the interconversions of proline and delta 1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate can constitute a shuttle which transfers reducing equivalents into mitochondria as proline and oxidizing potential out as delta 1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate. The studies reported here determine if the transfer of reducing equivalents can be stoichiometrically greater than the utilization of shuttle intermediates. First, 3HOH production from [5-3H]proline was used to quantitate proline oxidation under conditions where delta 1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate could recycle back to proline in a system containing mitochondrial particles and pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase. In parallel incubations the metabolic fate of [U-14C]proline was determined. 3HOH production continued to increase while no net change occurred in 14C-labeled proline and delta 1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate indicating catalytic activity in this system. In another system that contained intact mitochondria and pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase, proline oxidation was quantitated by both [U-14C]proline recoveries and 3HOH production from [5-3H]proline. Proline oxidation was the same by both methods in incubations lacking NADPH and pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase. However, it was significantly underestimated by [U-14C]proline recoveries as compared to 3HOH production in incubations containing all shuttle components. These results indicate catalytic functioning of the proposed shuttle in a reconstituted system containing intact mitochondria. This shuttle may function at specific times to catalytically generate cytosolic NADP+ and in turn regulate enzymes limited by [NADP+]. We suggest that the proposed shuttle may function to increase ribose-5-phosphate synthesis by the oxidative limb of the pentose phosphate pathway and inturn increase PP-ribose-P and purine synthesis during the initiation of cell growth.
The physical environment as a global economic concern

From Aristotle to Scitovsky the nature and scope of human economy and economics have remained essentially the same, viz. the prudent/efficient/welfaremaximizing administration/utilization of the scarce resources (chremata, “choses utiles,” etc.) comprising the household and the expertise there-of. Aristotle’s protege, Theophrastus (d. 287 B.C.), went to the extent of counseling that, for the “health and well-being” of all its members (including the livestock), theoikos “should be airy in the summer and sunny in the winter,” it no doubt going without saying that its roof should be kept in good repair. Today, it behooves us to critically re-examine our traditional concepts of wealth, “land,” “the environment,” and the socioeconomic unit whose storehouse of resources is to be managed aright, particularly along the history-of-thought lines presented here.