cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Who are ‘The People’?: Gender, Citizenship, and the Making of the American Nation

Although theorization about the role of the state and nation building has been a key element in the revitalization of human geography in recent years, very little attention has been paid to the concept of citizenship and its relationship to the state and the nation. This paper is an attempt to draw arguments about citizenship, particularly as they relate to gender, into the current human geographic discourse on theories of the state and nationalism. An examination of some of the historical research on how cultural ideals about the natural roles of men and women interacted with the construction of the early American national community is undertaken. The focus is upon seventeenth-century and eighteenth-century liberal bourgeois notions about public and private life and the way in which the problematic relationship between gender and nationhood undermined republican claims to universal membership. Geographers interested in issues of state formation and nationalism are encouraged to consider the importance of...
Actinin-associated LIM protein-deficient mice maintain normal development and structure of skeletal muscle.

The actinin-associated LIM protein, ALP, is the prototype of a large family of proteins containing an N-terminal PDZ domain and a C-terminal LIM domain. These PDZ-LIM proteins are components of the muscle cytoskeleton and occur along the Z lines owing to interaction of the PDZ domain with the spectrin-like repeats of a-actinin. Because PDZ and LIM domains are typically found in proteins that mediate cellular signaling, PDZ-LIM proteins are suspected to participate in muscle development. Interestingly the ALP gene occurs at 4q35 near the heterochromatic region mutated in facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy, indicating a possible role for ALP in this disease. Here, we describe the generation and analysis of mice lacking the ALP gene. Surprisingly, the ALP knockout mice show no gross histological abnormalities and maintain sarcolemmal integrity as determined by serum pyruvate kinase assays. The absence of a dystrophic phenotype in these mice suggests that down-regulation of ALP does not participate in facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy. These data suggest that ALP does not participate in muscle development or that an alternative PDZ-LIM protein can compensate for the lack of ALP.
Application of hydrogel polymers for development of thyrotropin releasing hormone-loaded adhesive buccal patches

To utilize hydrogels for fabricating thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) adhesive buccal patches, type of hydrogels such as polyacrylic acids (Polycarbophil AA1, Carbopols 934P, 974P and 971P), celluloses (HPMC K4M, K4MCR and K15M), polysaccharide (sodium alginate) and polyacrylic acid combinations with either cellulose or polysaccharide were evaluated for adhesion force, water uptake and swelling capacity. Upon the characterization of hydrogel polymers, TRH-loading of patches fabricated from these hydrogels was evaluated at various polymer concentrations, combinations and ratios and then in vitro release kinetics of TRH from these patches were studied. Results indicated that maximum adhesion force was shown by polyacrylic acids. Adhesive force of polymer combination mainly resulted from combination of adhesive force, according to ratio proportion used, of each polymer without any superimposed effect of polymer combination. Polycarbophil AA1 showed highest water uptake and swelling capacity. Maximum TRH-loading was obtained with sodium alginate and Polycarbophil AA1 and sodium alginate combination. TRH release profiles revealed that release was sustained from Polycarbophil AA1 and its combination with celluloses or polysaccharide at 2:1 level of polymer ratio. Based on adhesion, loading and release characteristics, patches of Polycarbophil AA1 with K4M, K4MCR and sodium alginate were concluded to be suitable for further development.
Electronic Cigarettes: Perhaps the Devil Unknown Is Better Than the Devil Known.

Whether electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) should be viewed as potentially beneficial or only as a new form of cigarette-related harm is controversial. In this commentary, the author argues that ...
Effects of Soy Consumption on Gonadotropin Secretion and Acute Pituitary Responses to Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone in Women

Soy contains the isoflavone phytoestrogens, genistein and daidzein. These isoflavones are partial estrogen agonists in cell and animal models, but effects from dietary soy in humans are unclear. Experiments were conducted in pre- and postmenopausal women to examine whether dietary isoflavones from soy behave as estrogen agonists, antagonists or have no effect on the estrogen-sensitive pituitary. Pituitary sensitivity to gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), an estrogen-sensitive endpoint, was measured during GnRH challenge tests administered before, during and after dietary soy consumption. The response to an isoflavone-rich soy food diet was examined in five premenopausal and seven postmenopausal women using transdermal estrogen replacement therapy. Estrogen agonists suppress gonadotropin concentrations and enhance GnRH priming (enhanced gonadotropin secretion in response to repeated doses of GnRH), whereas antagonists elevate gonadotropin concentrations and have no effect on GnRH priming. Each subject consumed 50 g textured soy protein containing 60 mg total isoflavones daily for 10-14 d. Baseline estradiol concentrations were consistent among study periods. In both pre- and postmenopausal women, soy consumption did not affect mean baseline or peak luteinizing hormone (LH) concentrations, indicating a lack of estrogen-like effect at the level of the pituitary. However, in postmenopausal subjects, mean LH secretion decreased after discontinuing soy, suggesting a residual estrogenic effect. In one premenopausal woman, enhanced LH secretion was observed after soy treatment, suggesting there may be subpopulations of women who are highly sensitive to isoflavones.
Assisted common information

Secure multi-party computation is a central problem in modern cryptography. An important sub-class of this are problems of the following form: Alice and Bob desire to produce sample(s) of a pair of jointly distributed random variables. Each party must learn nothing more about the other party's output than what its own output reveals. To aid in this, they have available a set up — correlated random variables whose distribution is different from the desired distribution — as well as unlimited noiseless communication. In this paper we present an upperbound on how efficiently a given set up can be used to produce samples from a desired distribution. The key tool we develop is a generalization of the concept of common information of two dependent random variables [Gacs-Korner, 1973]. Our generalization — a three-dimensional region — remedies some of the limitations of the original definition which captured only a limited form of dependence. It also includes as a special case Wyner's common information [Wyner, 1975]. To derive the cryptographic bounds, we rely on a monotonicity property of this region: the region of the “views” of Alice and Bob engaged in any protocol can only monotonically expand and not shrink. Thus, by comparing the regions for the target random variables and the given random variables, we obtain our upperbound.
Self-Regard and Other-Regard: Reflexive Practices in American Psychology, 1890–1940

Psychology has been frequently subjected to the criticism that it is an unreflexive science — that it fails to acknowledge the reflexive properties of human action which influence psychologists themselves as well as their subjects. However, even avowedly unreflexive actions may involve reflexivity, and in this paper I suggest that the practices of psychology include reflexive ones. Psychology has an established tradition of silence about the self-awareness and sell-consciousness of its actors, whether those actors are experimenters, theorists, or participants (subjects) in research, yet this silence has been established and maintained through sophisticated exercises in self-regard — through sustained reflexive work. Historical analysis reveals some of the ways in which psychologists recognized and then neglected, covered over, or denied reflexivity. Study of those instances where psychologists have engaged in self-conscious reflection or have attended to the sell-consciousness of research subjects indicates both the dangers of reflexivity to governing investigative practices and the resilience which psychology has built against reflexive work. Canonized procedures for scientific work reproduce selves of experimenters and subjects alike, selves who acknowledge only part of their reflexive engagements. Historians of psychology have a special opportunity (and obligation) to explore the reflexive dynamics of investigative practices, and, hence, to theorize about scientists, along with their actions and interactions, just as we theorize about science, its products, and its evolution.
“But I Am Not Moving”: Residents’ Perspectives on Transitions Within a Continuing Care Retirement Community

Purpose: This article investigates how continuing care retirement community (CCRC) residents defi ne transitions between levels of care. Although older adults move to CCRCs to “ age in place, ” moving between levels of care is often stressful. More than half a million older adults live in CCRCs, with numbers continually increasing; yet, no studies address transitions between levels of care in these communities. Design and Methods: I completed 23 months of live-in observation and conducted 35 faceto-face in-depth interviews with CCRC residents across 3 levels of care. I performed a thematic analysis of observation notes and interview transcripts. Results: Residents perceived transitions as both disempowering and fi nal. They discussed decreases in social networks that occurred after such moves. Resident-maintained social boundaries exacerbated these challenges. Implications: Although the transition to institutional living is one of the most important events in older persons ’ lives, transitions within CCRCs also are consequential especially because they are coupled with declining functional ability. These fi ndings may inform policy for retirement facilities on topics such as increasing privacy, challenging social boundaries, and educating residents to prepare them for transitions.
Projection and Parallax

Projection and its time or spatially varying derivative, parallax, are a common thread through my work in computer graphics, stereoscopic display, human vision, and, most recently, light-field display and capture. In this talk I'll present insights, anecdotes, and epiphanies I've accumulated along the way.
Nanoparticles: Correlation Between Surface Chemistry and Electrocatalytic Properties of Monodisperse PtxNi1-x Nanoparticles (Adv. Funct. Mater. 1/2011)

Monodisperse and homogeneous PtxNi1-x alloy nanoparticles of various compositions are synthesized via an organic solution approach in order to reveal the correlation between surface chemistry and their electrocatalytic properties. Atomic-level microscopic analysis of the compositional profile and modeling of nanoparticle structure are combined to follow the dependence of Ni dissolution on the initial alloy composition and formation of the Pt-skeleton nanostructures. The developed approach and acquired knowledge about surface structure-property correlation can be further generalized and applied towards the design of advanced functional nanomaterials.
Not too large and not too small--just the right size: a hippo-sized heart.

### Hippo Pathway Inhibits Wnt Signaling to Restrain Cardiomyocyte Proliferation and Heart Size Heallen et al Science . 2011;332:458–461. Hippo signaling is an important regulator of organ size by balancing both cell proliferation and apoptosis. In cardiac development, Wnt signaling has been shown to be an important mediator of early cardiomyocyte proliferation and differentiation. Recent studies have now shown that the Hippo pathway negatively regulates heart size through recruitment of the coactivator Yap to the Wnt transcriptional effector β-catenin to balance the level of cardiomyocyte proliferation.1 How organs obtain the correct size during development is one of the least understood processes during development. The coordination of the proper level of cell proliferation as well as differentiation and maturation is regulated by multiple developmental pathways, but few have been specifically implicated in controlling organ size. Heart function is quite sensitive to the effects of cardiac organ size, especially during development. A heart that is too small can lead to cardiac insufficiency and developmental demise. In contrast, in the adult, pathological cardiac hypertrophy, which can cause an enlarged heart, can result in decreased cardiac function and severe heart disease. Thus, during development, regulation of cardiac size can have an important impact on cardiovascular function. The Hippo pathway was originally shown to regulate organ size in Drosophila imaginal disc development.2,3 In vertebrates, the function of the Hippo pathway is less understood, but several orthologues of the Drosophila Hippo genes Mst1 and Mst2, which are serine/threonine kinases, have been identified as well as …
Power Optimization for SRAM and Its Scaling

With technology scaling, there is a strong demand for smaller cell size, higher speed, and lower power in SRAMs. In addition, there are severe constraints for reliable read-and-write operations in the presence of increasing random variations that significantly degrade the noise margin. To understand these tradeoffs clearly and find a power-delay optimal solution for scaled SRAM, sequential quadratic programming is applied for optimizing 6-T SRAM for the first time. The use of analytical device models for transistor currents and formulate all the cell-operation requirements as constraints in an optimization problem. Our results suggest that, for optimal SRAM cell design, neither the supply voltage (Vdd) nor the gate length (Lg) scales, due to the need for an adequate noise margin amid leakage and threshold variability and relatively low dynamic activity of SRAM. This is true even with technology scaling. The cell area continues to scale despite the nonscaling gate length (Lg) with only a 7% area overhead at the 22-nm technology node as compared to simple scaling, at which point a 3-D structure is needed to continue the area-scaling trend. The suppression of gate leakage helps to reduce the power in ultralow-power SRAM, where subthreshold leakage is minimized at the cost of increase in cell area
Academic practice of emergency medicine in the nation's Veteran's Affairs Hospitals ☆

Section of Emergency Medicine, Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California-San Diego, San Diego, CA 92101, USA Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Publich Health, University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA University of Illinois-Chicago College of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
PoLi: A Virtual Screening Pipeline Based on Template Pocket and Ligand Similarity.

Often in pharmaceutical research the goal is to identify small molecules that can interact with and appropriately modify the biological behavior of a new protein target. Unfortunately, most proteins lack both known structures and small molecule binders, prerequisites of many virtual screening, VS, approaches. For such proteins, ligand homology modeling, LHM, that copies ligands from homologous and perhaps evolutionarily distant template proteins, has been shown to be a powerful VS approach to identify possible binding ligands. However, if we want to target a specific pocket for which there is no homologous holo template protein structure, then LHM will not work. To address this issue, in a new pocket-based approach, PoLi, we generalize LHM by exploiting the fact that the number of distinct small molecule ligand-binding pockets in proteins is small. PoLi identifies similar ligand-binding pockets in a holo template protein library, selectively copies relevant parts of template ligands, and uses them for VS....
Remote Monitoring of Cardiac Implantable Electronic Devices

The concept of remote monitoring of cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED) dates back to the early ninteeen seventies when trans telephonic monitoring of cardiac pacemakers were introduced. In those days, it was limited to transmission of single lead electrocardiograms by analogue telephone lines. In a couple of decades, the facility was expanded to include sensing, capture, lead function and arrhythmia detection. Current day CIEDs have the option of wireless transmission to a device nearby which can connect to the internet for web based secure transmission to even remote centres located on another continent. Remote monitoring saves time for the patient in terms of travel and waiting at hospital clinics, though with some limitations. Currently each remote monitoring system can be used only with the devices of the same manufacturer. The system is in place in pacemakers, implantable defibrillators and heart failure devices. It is used more often in implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD: 74%) and cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT: 69%) than in cardiac pacemakers (22%).
Refugees and Asylum-Seekers

The trauma stories of refugees are told in many different ways. Because of the complexity and difficulty of the experiences, the stories often are related as unstructured, and sometimes confusing, narratives. Some memories have been forgotten. Some are pronounced, intrusive, and painful. The story is rarely coherent or chronologically straightforward. Those providing care have a responsibility on hearing these stories to help organize them in a way that makes sense to the patient and that will help guide health care decisions. One story follows here.
Validity of the InBody 520™ to predict metabolic rate in apparently healthy adults.

BACKGROUND The present study seeks to assess the validity of the InBody 520™ device to predict RMR in apparently healthy adults relative to a metabolic cart (the standard, yet time-intensive, method for determining resting metabolic rate). METHODS Twenty-six apparently healthy adults participated in the study. Predicted RMR (pRMR) was calculated by the InBody 520™ and measured RMR (mRMR) was determined by 30-minute gas analysis and ventilated hood system. Of the 78 measurement trials conducted, 64 yielded acceptable measurement trials. RESULTS A Pearson product-moment correlation was used to determine the relationship between pRMR and mRMR (r=0.87, P<0.001). No significant difference existed between the pRMR (1650.89±295.96 kcal) and mRMR (1675.36±278.69 kcal) values (P=0.19). CONCLUSIONS Study findings suggest that the InBody520™ provides valid measurements of RMR in apparently healthy adults and can be an effective and efficient method for collecting data in a clinical setting.
Treatment of Metastatic Endocrine-Unresponsive Carcinoma of the Prostate Gland With Multiagent Chemotherapy: indicators of Response to Therapy

Eighty-eight patients with metastatic and hormonally unresponsive carcinoma of the prostate gland were treated with a multiagent chemotherapy protocol. Because of the difficulty in evaluating the response of patients to therapy, data were collected in a prospective fashion and analyzed for clinical or laboratory changes that correlated with improved survivorship. Decrease of initially abnormal values of either acid or alkaline phosphotase into the normal range was associated with prolonged survival; weight gain of more than 10% was also associated with improved survival. Thirty-three patients demonstrated a fall of acid or alkaline phosphatase into the normal range or they increased their weight by at least 10%. The median survival time for this group of patients was 76.1 weeks as compared to 28.2 weeks for patients who failed to exhibit these changes. In future studies of the treatment of metastatic prostate cancer, these changes might be used as criteria of response to therapy.
The Influence of Spatial Abilities and Age in Using Telephone Menu Systems

Previous research has demonstrated the importance of spatial abilities in the performance of computer-based tasks, most of which involve menu navigation. This has been found among younger and older adults. Spatial abilities are usually thought to be composed of two distinct sub-factors: spatial visualization and spatial orientation. Various spatial abilities have been shown to exhibit normative declines with age suggesting that older adults may have trouble using computer-based technologies. The current research aims to examine the role of the different types of spatial abilities in the successful use of telephone menu systems.
Channel Management Issues in New Product Planning

This article discusses some of the fundamental channel management issues that should be considered in new product planning to promote channel member support for new products. These are: 1) obtaining channel member input into new product planning, 2) enhancing the product’s acceptability to channel members in terms of margin requirements, 3) fitting the product into channel member assortments, 4) providing education and training and 5) detecting “problem products” before they reach the channel members.
Docetaxel for Metastatic Hormone-sensitive Prostate Cancer: Urgent Need to Minimize the Risk of Neutropenic Fever

First-line docetaxel treatment for metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer is associated with higher rates of neutropenic fever compared with those with castration-resistant disease, and prophylactic granulocyte colony-stimulating factor should be considered in those harboring risk factors for developing neutropenia.
Robust footstep counting and traveled distance calculation by mobile phones incorporating camera geometry

Most available approaches for step counting rely on accelerometer data, and thus are prone to over-counting. In addition, most existing devices calculate the traveled distance based on the counted number of steps and a preset stride length. We present a robust and autonomous method for counting steps and tracking and calculating stride length by using accelerometer, gravity sensor and camera data from smart phones. To provide higher precision, instead of using a preset step and/or stride length, the proposed method calculates the distance traveled with each step by using the camera data. If camera is tilted significantly, the angle data obtained from the gravity sensor is used to account for camera geometry and increase the precision of the calculated step length. Experiments are performed with different subjects and the proposed method is compared with accelerometer-based step counter apps. The results show that incorporating camera geometry increases the accuracy, and the proposed method provides the lowest average error rate in number of steps taken and the calculated traveled distance.
Parkin and PINK1 functions in oxidative stress and neurodegeneration.

Loss-of-function mutations in the genes encoding Parkin and PINK1 are causally linked to autosomal recessive Parkinson’s disease (PD). Parkin, an E3 ubiquitin ligase, and PINK1, a mitochondrial-targeted kinase, function together in a common pathway to remove dysfunctional mitochondria by autophagy. Presumably, deficiency for Parkin or PINK1 impairs mitochondrial autophagy and thereby increases oxidative stress due to the accumulation of dysfunctional mitochondria that release reactive oxygen species. Parkin and PINK1 likely have additional functions that may be relevant to the mechanisms by which mutations in these genes cause neurodegeneration, such as regulating inflammation, apoptosis, or dendritic morphogenesis. Here we briefly review what is known about functions of Parkin and PINK1 related to oxidative stress and neurodegeneration.
Human immunodeficiency virus-infected and uninfected adults with non-genotype 3 hepatitis C virus have less hepatic steatosis than adults with neither infection

Hepatic steatosis (HS) is common in individuals with hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections, but the independent contributions of HCV and HIV to HS are unclear. Magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy were used to measure visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and liver fat fraction (LFF) (total lipids/[total lipids + water]) in 356 adults: 57 with HCV monoinfection, 70 with HIV/HCV coinfection, 122 with HIV monoinfection, and 107 with neither infection. Participants who were infected with HCV genotype 3 were excluded because of the genotype's reported steatogenic effects. For prevalence estimates, HS was defined as LFF ≥ 0.05. We estimated the association of HIV and HCV status with LFF using multivariable linear regression, adjusting for demographics, lifestyle, and metabolic factors including the homeostasis model assessment estimate of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and liver fibrosis defined using the aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI). The prevalence of HS was highest in the uninfected (33%) and HIV-monoinfected (28%), followed by the HCV-monoinfected (19%) and HIV/HCV-coinfected (11%) (P = 0.003 across groups). Compared with uninfected participants-and after adjusting for demographics, lifestyle, and metabolic factors-HIV monoinfection, HCV monoinfection, and HIV/HCV coinfection were associated with 19% (95% confidence interval [CI], -39% to 6%), 38% (95% CI, -55% to -12%), and 42% (95% CI, -59% to -18%) lower LFF, respectively. HCV monoinfection and HIV/HCV coinfection remained strongly associated with lower LFF after further adjusting for APRI, and results were unchanged after excluding subjects with suspected cirrhosis. Among the entire cohort, Hispanic ethnicity, male sex, VAT, and HOMA-IR were independently associated with greater LFF. Conclusion Contrary to expectations, HIV/HCV-coinfected and HCV-monoinfected adults had significantly less liver fat than uninfected adults, even after adjusting for demographics, lifestyle, metabolic factors, and hepatic fibrosis. Our findings suggest that non-genotype 3 HCV infection may be protective against HS. The mechanisms by which this occurs and the impact of HCV treatment on HS requires further investigation. (Hepatology 2017;65:853-863).
Perceived quality of life among caregivers of children with a childhood-onset dystrophinopathy: a double ABCX model of caregiver stressors and perceived resources

Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophies, collectively referred to as dystrophinopathies, are recessive X-linked disorders characterized by progressive muscle weakness and ultimately cardiac and respiratory failure. Immediate family members are often primary caregivers of individuals with a dystrophinopathy. We explored the impact of this role by inviting primary caregivers (n = 209) of males diagnosed with childhood-onset dystrophinopathy who were identified by the Muscular Dystrophy Surveillance, Tracking, and Research Network (MD STARnet) to complete a mailed questionnaire measuring perceived social support and stress, spirituality, and family quality of life (FQoL). Bivariate and multivariate analyses examined associations between study variables using the Double ABCX model as an analytic framework. Higher stressor pile-up was associated with lower perceived social support (r = -0.29, p 0.05). FQoL was positively associated with all support measures (correlations ranged from: 0.25 to 0.58, p-values 0.01–0.001) and negatively associated with perceived stress and control (r = -0.49, p < .001). The association between stressor pile-up and FQoL was completely mediated through global perceived social support, supportive family relationships, and perceived stress and control; supportive non-family relationships did not remain statistically significant after controlling for other mediators. Findings suggest caregiver adaptation to a dystrophinopathy diagnosis can be optimized by increased perceived control, supporting family resources, and creation of a healthy family identity. Our findings will help identify areas for family intervention and guide clinicians in identifying resources that minimize stress and maximize family adaptation.
Making Meaningful Clinical Use of Biomarkers

This review discusses the current state of biomarker discovery for the purposes of diagnostics and therapeutic monitoring. We underscore relevant challenges that have defined the gap between biomarker discovery and meaningful clinical use. We highlight recent advancements in and propose a way to think about future biomarker development.
Dynamic Bioelectrochemistry – Charge Transfer in Biological Systems

If electrostatic forces define the chemical shape of our world, to a great degree it is the movement of charge that brings that world to life. The movement of charge is necessary for sensation, mental activity, muscular movement, and energy transduction by photosynthesis and metabolism to name just several examples. When an electric field exists either in free space or in a conducting medium, charges will move under the field’s influence. This movement of charge is the electric current. The principles of conduction and ionic current have been introduced already in Chapter 23 and Appendix P reviews the fundamentals of electrical circuits. Now we will explore the movement of charge in biochemical systems of multiple phases (electrokinetics) and in a matrix of biochemicals (electron transfer).
Brand Names as Keywords in Sponsored Search Advertising

The business models of major Web search engines depend on online advertising, primarily in the form of keyword advertising. In recent years, a controversy has gained notoriety worldwide, in both the international court systems and the media. It concerns a form of potential “bait and switch” advertising where a consumer, searching using the brand name of one company, is presented with an advertisement by a competitor of the searched-for brand. We refer to this practice as “piggybacking.” In the U.S. in particular, the legality of this practice, and the potential liability of the search engines for contributing to trademark infringement, is unclear. However, the eventual resolutions of the issue could significantly and negatively impact the business model of Internet search engines. In this paper, we investigate the actual prevalence of piggybacking of major brands in U.S. search engines. We submitted 100 search queries consisting of top global brand names to three major search engines. Analysis of 2,350 advertisements from search engine results pages showed that just 4 percent were triggered by competitors’ trademarked terms. There was even lower use of those trademark terms in the ad text. Thus, overall competitive piggybacking does not appear to be a deceptive or widespread phenomenon. Implications for this are discussed, and suggestions for future research are presented.
The Rise of Sustainability Committees and the Role of Uncertainty on the Path Toward Sustainability

This study utilizes effectuation theory --“a general theory of decision making in uncertain situations” (Sarasvathy et al., 2008:227) -- to explain how the inherent uncertainty embedded in issues o...
The Living Experience of Suffering: Lakota Voices.

Suffering, as a universal humanuniverse living experience, was explored utilizing the Parsesciencing mode of inquiry. Ten Lakota historians engaged in discussion to answer the question, “What is yo...
Efficiency of Energy Harvesting in Ni–Mn–Ga Shape Memory Alloys

Many researchers have reported on the voltage and power generated while energy harvesting using Ni–Mn–Ga shape memory alloys; few researchers report on the power conversion efficiency of energy harvesting. We measured the magneto-mechanical behavior and energy harvesting of Ni–Mn–Ga shape memory alloys to quantify the efficiency of energy harvesting using the inverse magneto-plastic effect. At low frequencies, less than 150 Hz, the power conversion efficiency is less than 0.1%. Power conversion efficiency increases with (i) increasing actuation frequency, (ii) increasing actuation stroke, and (iii) decreasing twinning stress. Extrapolating the results of low-frequency experiments to the kHz actuation regime yields a power conversion factor of about 20% for 3 kHz actuation frequency, 7% actuation strain, and 0.05 MPa twinning stress.
Resource Demand Misalignment: An Important Factor to Consider for Reducing Resource Over-Provisioning in Cloud Datacenters

Previous resource provisioning strategies in cloud datacenters allocate physical resources to virtual machines (VMs) based on the predicted resource utilization pattern of VMs. The pattern for VMs of a job is usually derived from historical utilizations of multiple VMs of the job. We observed that these utilization curves are usually misaligned in time, which would lead to resource over-prediction and hence over-provisioning. Since this resource utilization misalignment problem has not been revealed and studied before, in this paper, we study the VM resource utilization from public datacenter traces and Hadoop benchmark jobs to verify the commonness of the utilization misalignments. Then, to reduce resource over-provisioning, we propose three VM resource utilization pattern refinement algorithms to improve the original generated pattern by lowering the cap of the pattern, reducing cap provision duration and varying the minimum value of the pattern. We then extend these algorithms to further improve the resource efficiency by considering periodical resource demand patterns that have multiple pulses in a pattern. These algorithms can be used in any resource provisioning strategy that considers predicted resource utilizations of VMs of a job. We then adopt these refinement algorithms in an initial VM allocation mechanism and test them in trace-driven experiments and real-world testbed experiments. The experimental results show that each improved mechanism can increase resource utilization, and reduce the number of PMs needed to satisfy tenant requests. Also, our extended refinement algorithms are effective in improving resource efficiency of the refinement algorithms.
Structure-Function Analysis of Yeast Tubulin

Microtubules play essential roles in a wide variety of cellular processes including cell division, motility, and vesicular transport. Microtubule function depends on the polymerization dynamics of tubulin and specific interactions between tubulin and diverse microtubule-associated proteins. To date, investigation of the structural and functional properties of tubulin and tubulin mutants has been limited by the inability to obtain functional protein from overexpression systems, and by the heterogeneous mixture of tubulin isotypes typically isolated from higher eukaryotes. The budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, has emerged as a leading system for tubulin structure-function analysis. Yeast cells encode a single beta-tubulin gene and can be engineered to express just one of two alpha isotypes. Moreover, yeast allows site-directed modification of tubulin genes at the endogenous loci expressed under the native promoter and regulatory elements. These advantageous features provide a homogeneous and controlled environment for analysis of the functional consequences of specific mutations. Here, we present the techniques to generate site-specific tubulin mutations in diploid and haploid cells, assess the ability of the mutated protein to support cell viability, measure overall microtubule stability, and define changes in the specific parameters of microtubule dynamic instability. We also outline strategies to determine whether mutations disrupt interactions with microtubule-associated proteins. Microtubule-based functions in yeast are well defined, which allows the observed changes in microtubule properties to be related to the role of microtubules in specific cellular processes.
Urine sample preparation in 96-well filter plates to characterize inflammatory and infectious diseases of the urinary tract.

Urine has been an important body fluid source for diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of diseases for a long time. Technological advances during the last two decades have enabled a fundamental shift from the discovery of candidate protein biomarkers using single-assay platforms to highly parallel liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)-based proteomic analysis platforms. MS/MS-based approaches such as multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) are also being used increasingly for targeted protein biomarker validation. In large part due to the fact that the majority of protein in voided urine is soluble, such studies have focused on the analysis of urine supernatants, whereas the pellets were discarded after centrifugal sedimentation. Urine sediments are of particular value in the analysis of urinary tract infections (UTI). The LC-MS/MS methods now have sufficient resolving power and sensitivity to survey metaproteomes—the entirety of proteins derived from multiple organisms that interact with each other in mutualistic or antagonistic fashion. Challenges of proteomic analysis of urine include the high dynamic range of protein abundance, high levels of protein post-translational modifications, and high quantities of natural protease inhibitors. Recently, a robust and scalable workflow that can parallelize the processing of multiple urinary supernatant and sediment samples was developed and validated in our lab. This method utilizes 96-well format filter-aided sample preparation (96FASP) strategy and was shown to successfully identify large numbers of proteins from urine samples. Processing 10–50 µg total protein in single experiment, LC-MS/MS with a Q-Exactive mass spectrometer resulted in more than 1,100 distinct human protein identifications from urine supernatants, and around 400 microbial and 1,400 human protein identifications from urine sediments. The surveys are a rich data resource not only for biomarker discovery but also to interrogate mechanisms of pathogenesis in the urinary system.
Immunological Biomarkers and Immunotherapy for Melanoma

Advanced melanoma is an aggressive disease. It is among the most immunogenic of all tumors and many of the lessons learned in cancer immunology have involved the study of melanoma. Clinical regression of both benign and malignant melanocytic neoplasms lends further support for the potential powerful effect of the immune system targeting these neoplasms. However, only a subset of patients shows a favorable response to immune-based therapeutic interventions. Therefore, the identification of biomarkers that may assist in identifying patients who are likely to respond to immunotherapy would be a tremendous improvement with respect to the risk/benefit ratio, patient safety and cost.
Microstructural Evolution and Deformation Behavior of Ni-Si- and Co-Si-Containing Metastable High Entropy Alloys

Two high entropy alloy (HEA) compositions were compared to explore the individual effects of Co and Ni on phase stability and resultant deformation response in Fe-Mn-Cr-Si-containing HEAs. It was observed that Co-Si-containing HEA depicted responsive phase evolution upon friction stir processing owing to decreased γ (f.c.c.) matrix stability as against Ni-Si-containing HEA. As a result, the Co-Si HEA showed the presence of dual-phase microstructure with the dominance of e (h.c.p.) phase (52 pct), whereas the Ni-Si HEA showed single-phase γ microstructure under similar processing condition. Also, the dominant deformation mechanisms were different in the two alloys. Co-Si HEA showed uniform strain partitioning between the f.c.c. and h.c.p. phases. Conversely, single-phase f.c.c. microstructure in Ni-Si HEA accommodated strain by twinning-induced plasticity.
Immune response characterization of endometrial cancer.

Background The comprehensive characterization and prognostic relevance of immune activation in endometrial cancer remain largely unknown. Results We systematically reported a subset of endometrioid-type endometrial cancer characterized by multifaceted immune features such as low tumor purity, high leukocyte percentage, and striking CD8 lymphocytic infiltration with anti-tumor efficacy along with marked upregulation of immunosuppressive gene markers. We also showed that genes whose expression was significantly correlated with better survival were significantly enriched in the immune-related signaling pathways, suggesting that tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes give rise to a favorable prognosis in endometrial cancer. Furthermore, we showed that immune cell recruitment in this subset of tumors is likely due to the transcriptional activation of the STAT1 signaling network. Methods We obtained the multi-dimensional genomic data from publicly available databases and correlated them with the four gene expression-based subtypes we recently identified in endometrial cancer. Upstream regulator analysis was used to identify the most significantly enriched transcription regulators and Ingenuity pathway analysis was applied to determine enrichment of signaling pathways in survival-associated genes. Gene set enrichment analysis was performed on the 200-gene T-cell tumor infiltration gene signature comparing Cluster IV with the other three clusters combined. All statistical tests were two-sided, and a P value of less than 0.05 is considered significant across all analyses performed. Conclusion This study helps to identify patients with immune activation who are likely to benefit from emerging immune checkpoint inhibitors.
Characterization and Evaluation of Fluoridated Apatites for the Development of Infection-Free Percutaneous Devices

Abstract The wound healing process in the soft tissues adjacent to percutaneous implants induces “epithelial downgrowth”, and subsequently, a sinus tract around the device. This provides an optimal environment for bacterial colonization and proliferation. In an attempt to arrest downgrowth and achieve epithelial attachment to a device surface, we have sought to mimic the most common and successful percutaneous organ, the tooth. Since teeth are composed of partially and fully fluoridated forms of hydroxyapatite (HA), it was hypothesized that the surface properties of fluoridated apatites, fluorohydroxyapatite (FHA) and fluorapatite (FA), would improve epithelial cellular adhesion and differentiation when compared to HA and titanium (Ti) surfaces. In this study, the apatites (HA, FHA, and FA) were synthesized and characterized. Following a high-temperature sintering treatment of these apatites, keratinocyte and fibroblast adhesion and differentiation properties were analyzed in vitro, revealing a statistically significant increase in keratinocyte adhesion and terminal differentiation on FA surfaces sintered at 1050–1150 °C as compared to Ti or HA. Moreover, fibroblasts displayed enhanced adhesion on FHA surfaces. This data suggests that percutaneous devices coated with, or fabricated from, fluoridated apatites may induce improved epithelial cellular adhesion and differentiation, potentially limiting deeply penetrating epithelial downgrowth and resultant bacterial ingress.
Computers in Medical Education

The concept of computers in medical education changes dynamically, depending on whether the emphasis is on computers or medicine or education. Early uses of computers in medical education focused on giving students new modalities of learning. The early interest in computer-assisted instruction paralleled the beginnings of the educational emphasis on differences in learning styles.
Local referrals as a strategy for increasing value of surgical care among medicare patients undergoing liver and pancreatic surgery

Abstract Background The focus of the current Medicare payment reform is to increase value – i.e. improve health care quality while lowering costs. This study sought to define cost variation and surgical quality among hospitals within small geographic areas typical of work commute patterns. Methods Medicare Provider Analysis and Review (MEDPAR) Inpatient Files was used to identify patients undergoing elective liver and pancreatic surgery between 2013 and 2015. Hospitals were assigned to combined statistical areas (CSAs) based on zip codes. Average price-standardized Medicare payments were used to identify highest- and lowest-cost hospitals within CSAs, and clinical outcomes were compared. Results The study included 12,016 patients. Medicare payments for index hospitalization were 45% ($12,580), 42% ($16,831), 44% ($12,901) and 50% ($18,605) higher for the highest-vs. lowest-cost hospitals for non-complex pancreatic procedures, complex pancreatic procedures, non-complex liver procedures, and complex liver procedures, respectively. Surgical quality was worse at highest-vs. lowest-cost hospitals, demonstrated by higher rates of complications, prolonged LOS and 90-day mortality. Conclusion There was a significant variation in surgical cost for each procedure between CSAs, and within CSAs. Highest-cost hospitals demonstrated worse quality metrics than the lowest-cost hospitals. Local referrals to low-cost hospitals represent an opportunity for increasing value of surgical care.
How Radical was Montesquieu

There are few political philosophers who have a more thorough understanding and relentless critique of despotism than Montesquieu. Indeed, one could argue that Montesquieu’s three major works are f...
Centrifuge modelling of cone penetration tests in unsaturated clayey sand under various hydraulic conditions

In-flight cone penetration tests (CPTs) have been conducted extensively to characterize centrifuge models of dry and saturated soils, but only a limited number of studies have focused on unsaturate...
Augmenting Simulations for SAR ATR Neural Network Training

A training data augmentation technique is presented that approximates the differences between measured and simulated SAR imagery. This method is applied to simulated images and a CNN is trained with them. We achieve over 95% cross-class classification using the SAMPLE dataset from AFRL, with 1% measured data in the training set. We compare this to 89.6% accuracy when the augmentation technique is not used. Our hypothesis is that, while simulations can be made to approximate the measurements very closely, further augmentation can increase accuracy over non-augmented simulations.
Composition and analysis of fatty acids in freshwater products in Hunan Province in 2014

Objective To investigate the nutritional composition of fatty acids in freshwater products in Hunan Province. Methods The edible parts of freshwater products were detected by gas chromatography, and fatty acid fingerprints were obtained by statistical analysis. Results A total of 18 freshwater products were monitored and 14-26 fatty acids were detected in each freshwater product. Among them, 12 were saturated fatty acids(SFA), ranging from 0. 74 to 3143 mg/100 g, 9 were monounsaturated fatty acids(MUFA), ranging from 1. 23 to 2790 mg/100 g, and 10 were polyunsaturated fatty acids(PUFA), ranging from 1. 75 to 2832 mg/100 g. The ratio of n-6 to n-3 in polyunsaturated fatty acids ranged from 0. 24∶1 to 15. 7∶1. Conclusion The composition of fatty acids in freshwater products in Hunan Province is mainly unsaturated fatty acids. Most freshwater products are rich in n-3 PUFA, and the ratio of n-6 PUFA to n-3 PUFA is less than 6, which is beneficial to the nutritional balance. The composition and content of fatty acids have ideal nutritional value.
Pain Signaling Processes

Pain signaling focuses on the initial transmission of pain and neurotransmitters involved in pain signaling. Similar to the previous chapter, knowledge of pain signaling allows practitioners to treat pain at distinctive locations along the pain pathway utilizing modalities with varying methods of action.