cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Auger spectra of C2 hydrocarbons on Ni(100)

Abstract The Auger spectra of acetylene and ethane on Ni(100) at 20 K and the Auger spectrum of ethylene on Ni(100) as a function of temperature from 20 K to 600 K have been obtained. At 20 K all three molecules physically adsorb with coupling to the surface insufficient to delocalize the two final-state Auger holes further than expected for the molecule. Shifts of the ethylene spectra to lower two-hole binding energies at higher temperature are interpreted in terms of decreasing values of Ueff, or greater delocalization of the two final-state holes. These shifts correlate with changes in the chemical nature of the surface species.
Side-Match Vector Quantizers Using Neural Network Based Variance Predictor for Image Coding

Side-match vector quantizer reduces bit-rates in image coding through exploiting the correlations of neighboring vectors. This paper presents a new side-match vector quantization method for image coding using a neural network-based variance predictor. In this method, the master codebook used for generating the state codebooks in side-match vector quantization is sorted according to the variances of the codewords. Unlike the regular side-match vector quantization which side-matches all of the codewords in the master codebook to select codewords to construct the state codebooks, the proposed method side-matches subsets of the codewords in the master codebook, selected based on the variance of the current vector being encoded. The variance of the current vector is predicted by a feed-forward three-layered neural network. Experimental results demonstrate that in terms of PSNR (Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio) of the reconstructed images, the proposed method significantly outperforms the regular side-match vector quantizer, especially at lower coding bit-rates.
Envisioning a Future for Macromarketing

The author reflects on the early years of macromarketing, the evolution of the field, and shares new visions for the discipline and the journal. Four developments already visible are believed to be important to future welfare. Macromarketers and macromarketing furthermore are encouraged to be more expansive and inclusive, engaging empirical research and studying topics that reach out to other academic disciplines and to practitioners.
An Application of Targeted Maximum Likelihood Estimation to the Meta-Analysis of Safety Data

Safety analysis to estimate the effect of a treatment on an adverse event poses a challenging statistical problem even in randomized controlled trials because these events are typically rare, so studies originally powered for efficacy are underpowered for safety outcomes. A meta-analysis of data pooled across multiple studies may increase power, but missingness in the outcome or failed randomization can introduce bias. This article illustrates how targeted maximum likelihood estimation (TMLE) can be applied in a meta-analysis to reduce bias in causal effect estimates, and compares performance with other estimators in the literature. A simulation study in which missingness in the outcome is at random or completely at random highlights the differences in estimators with respect to the potential gains in bias and efficiency. Risk difference, relative risk, and odds ratio of the effect of treatment on 30-day mortality are estimated from data from eight randomized controlled trials. When an outcome event is rare there may be little opportunity to improve efficiency, and associations between covariates and the outcome may be hard to detect. TMLE attempts to exploit the available information to either meet or exceed the performance of a less sophisticated estimator.
The design of parsers for incremental language processors

An incremental language processor is one that accepts as input a sequence of substrings of the source language and maps them independently onto fragments in some object code. The ordered sequence of these object code fragments are then either compiled, in which case we have an incremental compiler, or interpreted. In the first case the advantage resulting is that subsequent changes in the source program entail only reprocessing the source fragments affected and recompiling the updated collection of object code fragments. In an environment where small changes are made frequently to large programs, e.g. debugging, the curtailment of reprocessing is attractive. In the second case the object code fragments are the actual run-time program representation, and hence inter-fragment relations are transiently evaluated as needed in the process of execution, with no long-term preservation of these relationships beyond the scope of their immediate need in execution time. This permits the possibility of program recomposition in the midst of execution, one of the principal characteristics of conversational computing. Many conversational language processors execute a program representation functionally analogous to parse trees, i.e. the syntax analysis of a fragment, insofar as it is possible, is done at fragment load time. This representation choice is popular because many of the expensive aspects of interpretation, including character string scanning, symbol table lookup, and parsing, are performed once only and do not contribute to the execution overhead. This paper is devoted to examining the question of the construction of such a parser in a general manner for an arbitrary source language.
Reliability analysis for flexible electronics: case study of integrated a-Si:H TFT scan driver

Flexible electronics fabricated with thin-film and bendable substrates (e.g., plastic) have great potential for novel applications in consumer electronics such as flexible displays, e-paper, and smart labels; however, the key elements --- namely thin-film transistors (TFTs) --- often suffer from electrical instability. Therefore, thorough reliability analysis is critical for flexible circuit design to ensure that the circuit would operate reliably throughout its lifetime. In this paper, we propose a methodology for a-Si:H TFT circuits' reliability simulation. We show that: (1) the threshold voltage (VTH) shift of a single TFT can be modeled by analyzing its operating conditions and (2) the circuit lifetime can be predicted accordingly using SPICE. We also propose an algorithm to reduce the simulation time by orders of magnitude with negligible accuracy loss. To validate our analytical model and simulation methodology, we compare the SPICE simulation results with the actual measurements of our integrated a-Si:H TFT scan driver fabricated on the glass substrate and demonstrate very high consistency in the overall results.
Testing the Effects of Vertical and Horizontal Collectivism A Study of Reward Allocation Preferences in China

Based on a review of the individualism-collectivism literature, a vertical dimension of collectivism is distinguished from a horizontal dimension. The vertical dimension concerns the relationship between the individual and the collective, and often includes subordination of the individual's goals to those of the collective. The horizontal dimension concerns the relationship of the individual to other individuals, and often includes conceptions of equality. A study of attitudes toward reforms to the egalitarian reward system in Chinese business enterprises found that vertical collectivists were supportive of the reform whereas horizontal collectivists were resistant to it. The study provides preliminary evidence for the validity and the usefulness of distinguishing individualism-collectivism on the vertical and the horizontal dimensions.
The first fifty years of the International Phycological Society: The Organizing Committee, Executive Councils/Boards of Directors, ad hoc Committees, Editorial offices, International Phycological Congresses

This article is based on the current edition of the Board of Directors operating manual [updated and revised by the current International Phycological Society (IPS) Secretary, A. K. S. K. Prasad 20...
Oral manifestations of drug therapy

The oral cavity may be the target organ for a number of diverse abnormalities that develop from side effects of medications. Because of the widespread and increasing use of prescription, over-the-counter, and herbal remedies, it is becoming increasingly likely that the dentist will encounter soft tissue or dental pathologies that represent a complication of a therapeutic agent. The more common abnormalities that may occur include gingival hyperplasia, tooth discoloration, candidiasis, chemical injuries, and altered taste perception. The dental practitioner is often the primary health care provider who can recognize, diagnose, treat, and/or prevent these conditions.
Friction factors and pressure drop for sinusoidal laminar flow of water and blood in rigid tubes

From the Navier-Stokes equations and a modified Fanning equation, a theoretical equation was derived for computing friction factors and pressure drop for sinusoidal flow in rigid pipes. The friction factor equation was f = (π/16S) (16/NRe), which is analogous to the usual laminar flow equation. The factor S is dependent on the frequency and kinematic viscosity and is easily computed. Friction factors were calculated from experimental data and it was found that the theoretical friction factors predicted the experimental values to within less than 5%.
Reactions to other-generated face threats on Facebook and their relational consequences

Impression management refers to an individual's deliberate efforts to cultivate a particular image. Sometimes impression management occurs in reaction to a face threat-an incident or behavior that could create an impression inconsistent with one's desired self-image. On social network sites (SNSs) such as Facebook, where content can be shared widely and is often persistent, studies have repeatedly shown that people are vulnerable to face threats resulting from other-generated content. While there has been much documentation of face threats occurring in the context of SNSs and how people react to them, we know very little about the relational consequences of carrying out a particular reaction. This paper reports on a survey (N?=?150) of adult Facebook users examining how certain reactive strategies and the severity of the face threat affect perceived changes in closeness between the victim and offender. Examines how people react to face threats on Facebook.Examines how reactions to face threats affects relationships.Survey of 150 adult Facebook users.
Empirical Measurement of Judicial Performance: Thoughts on Choi and Gulati's Tournament of Judges?

This paper was written as part of a symposium on Stephen Choi and Mitu Gulati's article, "A Tournament of Judges?", 92 Cal. L. Rev. 299 (2004), that will be published in the Florida State University Law Review. Part I of this commentary examines the assumptions driving Choi and Gulati's proposed tournament of judges. I conclude that those assumptions may not be correct, or at least require some elaboration to support the strong claims that Choi and Gulati make in their paper. My criticisms are intended not to dismiss the proposal, but rather to encourage Choi and Gulati to refine it. They have already shown that a tournament can be run fairly easily, and that it can produce some surprising results. Explaining and defending their assumptions may increase the possibility that it is taken up by participants in the process. In Part II, I argue that if we abandon an extreme form of the tournament, i.e., "one that bars the president and the Senate from putting forward merit-based rationales outside [a] list of objective factors," a tournament may be extremely useful to many of the interested parties in the selection and confirmation process even as I doubt that it could be as transformative as Choi and Gulati sometimes suggest. A brief conclusion follows in Part III.
Reduced Graphene Oxide–Silver Nanoparticle Composite as an Active SERS Material

Selectivity and enhanced sensitivity for SERS measurements are highly desirable for environmental and analytical applications. Interaction of a target molecule with SERS substrate plays a pivotal role in determining the magnitude of enhancement and spectral profile of the SERS signal. A reduced graphene oxide–Ag nanoparticle (RGO-Ag NP) composite has been designed to boost SERRS sensitivity of a porphyrin derivative. Complexation between 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(1-methyl-4-pyridinio)porphyrin tetra(p-toluenesulfonate) (TMPyP) porphyrin and the RGO-Ag NP composite is evidenced by a red-shifted porphyrin absorption band. Results indicate complexation is influential in improved surface-enhanced resonance Raman (SERRS) signal for TMPyP and thus offers an advantage for target molecule detection at low concentration levels. The combined effects of RGO and Ag NPs in the enhancement of SERS signal of TMPyP are discussed.
P3.237 An Assessment of STD Screening Practices in New Patients Attending an HIV Primary Care Clinic

Background Since 2003, national guidelines recommend that all new HIV patients undergo screening for sexually transmitted diseases (STD) during their initial visit. We evaluated STD screening practises in new patients attending an HIV Primary Care Clinic in North Carolina. Methods This retrospective cohort study included HIV-infected patients greater than 18 years of age enrolled in the clinic between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2010. Data on rapid plasma reagin (RPR) testing for syphilis and Neisseria gonorrheoeae (GC) and Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) testing by site of exposure, within 1 year of the new patient visit, were extracted via chart review to examine comprehensiveness of STD screening practises. Results Between 2008 and 2010, 693 (68% male and 32% female) new patients entered care, most of whom were screened for syphilis within one year of the new patient visit (94.5% in 2008, 96.6% in 2009, 96.9% in 2010, p = 0.41). In contrast, only 21.3% were tested for GC and CT within one year of the first visit in 2008, 34.3% in 2009, and 54.3% in 2010 (p = Conclusion While screening practises improved from 2008 to 2010, new HIV patients continue to be under-screened for gonorrhoea and chlamydia, particularly at extra-genital sites. This deficiency is particularly important as, of those screened, prevalence was higher in extra-genital compared to genital sites. Efforts should be made to increase routine extra-genital screening.
Synthesizing Data Programs

1. ABSTRACT At least two important tasks in modern data management exist outside traditional database models and query languages: data transformation and feature programs. Data transformation is the informal preprocessing code that transforms raw data into a dataset that is appropriate for import into a relational database for deeper analysis. Feature programs transform raw data into a compact piece of training data that is suitable for use in a statistical training procedure. These two tasks are driven by two applications that are intellectually exciting, economically important, and which rightfully garner substantial attention in the database community: data analytics and machine learning. Unfortunately, to date, both data transformation and feature programs have largely existed in an ad hoc netherworld of Python programs and shell scripts. Consider a stock trader engaged in an analytics task, who is interested in downloading a text le that describes large executive stock
Fluorescence in Situ Hybridization Techniques for Cytogenetic and Genomic Analyses

Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) is a powerful method to visualize DNA sequences in the context of the whole chromosome. Yet despite the value of FISH analysis for cytogenetic studies, there are surprisingly few labs that are able to adapt the technique for their experiments in chromosomal and genome biology. Here we present a comprehensive FISH protocol acquired from over 20 years of collective experience using different plant species. Our description uses rice as a model for performing a complete FISH procedure, but the protocol can be readily adapted for other plant species. We have provided more specialized instruction beyond routine FISH, which includes the preparation of meiotic and mitotic samples suitable for FISH analysis, procedures for direct and indirect labeling of DNA probes, and techniques for increasing signal strength using layers of antibodies.
Optimal Economic Interdependence

Practically all technical questions of international economic arrangements for trade, money, capital flows and payments adjustment reduce to one general issue: should these arrangements be revised to facilitate linking the developed countries into a single integrated system? If so, what should be the nature of the system? If not, what are the optimal arrangements for giving or preserving the necessary national independence of economic policy with mixed negative repercussions of one country’s policies on other countries ?
Preoperative Anemia and Low Hemoglobin Level Are Associated With Worse Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Bladder Cancer Undergoing Radical Cystectomy: A Meta-Analysis.

Abstract Purpose The aim of this study was to determine the effect of preoperative anemia status and hemoglobin level on clinical outcomes in patients with bladder cancer undergoing radical cystectomy. Materials and Methods A systematic review of literature with meta-analyses of predefined outcomes based on a search of PubMed and EMBASE was performed. Hazard ratios (HRs) measuring the association between preoperative anemia/hemoglobin and all-cause mortality, cancer-specific mortality, and disease recurrence were calculated with random effects model. Study heterogeneities were quantified by I 2 tests. Publication bias was assessed with funnel plots. Results A total of 17 studies evaluating the impact of preoperative anemia status (categorical, 11 studies) and hemoglobin level (continuous, 7 studies) on clinical outcomes were included. The cutoff value of anemia varied among studies (10.5-13.5 g/dL for male, 10.5-13.4 g/dL for female). Meta-analyses showed that compared with non-anemia, anemia was associated with increased all-cause mortality (HR, 1.75; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.48-2.05; P 2 = 30%), cancer-specific mortality (HR, 1.80; 95% CI, 1.45-2.25; P 2 = 26%), and disease recurrence (HR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.16-1.62; P = .0002; I 2 = 9%). Meta-analyses showed that higher level of hemoglobin was associated with decreased all-cause mortality (HR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.87-0.92; P 2 = 13%), cancer-specific mortality (HR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.85-0.95; P = .0003; I 2 = 61%), and disease recurrence (HR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.91-0.99; P = .01; I 2 = 53%). No obvious publication bias was observed. Conclusions Preoperative anemia and low hemoglobin level are associated with earlier recurrence and shorter survival of patients with bladder cancer undergoing radical cystectomy. However, well-designed prospective studies with large sample size and limited confounding factors are needed to confirm and update our findings.
Robotic Cystotomy for Pessary Extraction With Vesicovaginal Fistula Repair

Abstract Study Objective To demonstrate a robotic approach to foreign body extraction and vesicovaginal fistula repair. Design Video case presentation with narration discussing the step-by-step robotic surgical approach to the removal of a pessary, via cystotomy, followed by vesicovaginal fistula and cystotomy repair. Setting University of Louisville Hospital. The local Institutional Review Board deemed the video exempt from formal approval (Canadian Task Force Classification III). Patient A 77-year-old woman presented with complaints of vaginal leakage of urine, dysuria, and pelvic pain. She had a Gellhorn pessary placed 12 years prior without further evaluation or removal. The patient had a leukocytosis with a pseudomonal urinary tract infection. Imaging confirmed a Gellhorn pessary free floating within the urinary bladder. Interventions The patient was taken to the operating room for an exam under anesthesia where a copious amount of urine was found coming from the vagina. A small vesicovaginal fistula was appreciated but could not be thoroughly explored. Cystoscopy revealed the foreign object in the urinary bladder. A robotic approach to the foreign body extraction was then performed with the davinci Xi robot (da Vinci Xi Intuitive Surgical, Sunnyvale, CA). The pessary was evident in the bladder on abdominal entry. Cystotomy was performed with the monopolar curved scissors. A vaginal EEA sizer was found to be advanced through the vesicovaginal fistula. The pessary was then grasped and removed from the bladder. Bilateral ureteral orifices were visualized. The fistula was then closed in 2 layers with 3-0 vicryl V-loc sutures (Covidien Medtronic, St. Paul, MN). The bladder was then closed in 2 layers with 3-0 vicryl V-loc sutures. A no. 15 Jackson-Pratt drain was then inserted through the right lower quadrant port and placed in the pelvis under direct visualization. The pessary was then removed via mini-laparotomy. A Foley catheter was left in place for prolonged drainage for a total of 6 weeks because of the multiple bladder repairs on the inflamed tissue. The patient denied any leakage of urine at her following postoperative appointment. Conclusion A robotic surgical approach, as an alternative to vaginal surgery, improves ease of dissection, provides a method for thorough anatomy surveillance, and can be used for successful repairs in complicated urogynecologic cases.
Relationship Between BMI and Fatigability Is Task Dependent

Objective:The objective of the current study was to determine the effect of body mass index (BMI) on fatigability of three different muscle groups at four different work intensities.Methods:Forty-nine normal-weight, 50 overweight, and 43 obese adults (32.1 ± 9.2 years; 50% males) performed fatiguing handgrip, shoulder flexion, and trunk extension exertions at 20%, 40%, 60%, and 80% of the associated maximum voluntary contractions.Results:Obese adults demonstrated 22% to 30% shorter endurance times than normal-weight adults, but this was only observed at lower intensities and with larger and more postural muscles of the shoulder and low back. Strength and fatigue-related strength loss remained comparable across BMI groups in both males and females in these task-specific conditions. Obesity was associated with faster progression in perception of effort at low-intensity shoulder and trunk exertions. While males were stronger than females across all muscle groups, females exhibited greater shoulder fatigue re...
Developing a gonococcal protein I vaccine.

After many years of intensive research by numerous investigators, a safe and effective gonorrheal vaccine remains elusive. Our attention has focused on the outer membrane of the gonococcus and the potential advantages or disadvantages in the use of some of these gonococcal components for such a vaccine. The use of chromatographically purified products was selected over using boiled organisms (Braude et al., 1985) or delipidized gonococcal membrane vesiclesj Arminon et al., ( 1987; Buchanan and Arko, 1977) in order for us to monitor and assure the consistency of the vaccine. Reported here are some of our efforts on one such potential vaccine candidate, gonococcal protein I, and some of our studies on a minor but potentially hazardous contaminant, protein III.
Controllability of stochastic differential equations with Markovian switching

For systems of switching diffusions, a concept of controllability is proposed by using the finite expected value of the first reaching time (or mean reaching time) to an arbitrarily small open set of the terminal point. A necessary and sufficient condition is obtained utilizing positive recurrent. A verification criterion is provided by using Liapnov functions, and a matrix form criterion if the system is linear. Finally, a simulation example is provided to show that when coupled with regime switching, the hybrid system of uncontrollable ODEs could be controllable.
Photomixotrophic cultures of blueberries ( Vaccinium corymbosum ) accumulate or release phenylpropanoids via inductive treatments

The in vitro production of phenylpropanoids has been studied in temporary immersion bioreactors (TIBs) cultures of blueberries (Vaccinum corymbosum) supplemented with 0.4 MPa CO2, light intensity of 150 μM/m2/s, and induced with ABA (4 mM) and H2O2 (5 mM). Results demonstrated differences in the accumulation and/or the release of patterns of metabolites. In TIBs plus ABA, a reddish-maroon color was consistent with the accumulation of phenolics, where shoots formed clusters without internodal segments. While in TIBs plus H2O2, the phenylpropanoids were released into the culture medium. In both cases, experimental treatments with sucrose-reduced medium displayed the highest phenylpropanoids values, in contrast with the controls (conventional culture). Altogether, differential expressions of genes, linked to key pathways as photosynthesis, phenylpropanoids, and oxidative burst, could corroborate for the increase in the phenolics production in parallel with an improvement of photosynthesis in photomixotrophic culture.
Control and Operating Range Analysis of an AC-Stacked PV Inverter Architecture Integrated With a Battery

This letter presents a control scheme to operate a battery-integrated ac-stacked photovoltaic (PV) inverter architecture and its operating range analysis. The main operation strategy is the combination of decentralized controls of individual inverter members; PV and battery. In ac-series integration, battery charging and discharging operations affect operating margins of the PV inverter members. The interactive operation needs to be analyzed to identify the system operating range under different conditions. A ramp-rate control, which mitigates PV output variations and improves grid stability, is a suitable application for the PV-battery ac-stacked inverter architecture utilizing a panel-level modular inverter design. In this letter, decentralized ramp-rate control is proposed and demonstrated to analyze the system operating range. The detailed system control and analysis are performed through controller hardware-in-the-loop testing.
CBSN: The Streaming Cable News Channel and the Argument for More Millennial-Focused Streaming News Networks:

Thanks to the internet and steaming video options, traditional cable news channels have seen a decline in viewership among millennials. In 2014, CBS launched CBSN, an online streaming channel that ...
What are the Rates, Reasons, and Risk Factors of 90-day Hospital Readmission After Lumbar Discectomy?: An Institutional Experience.

Study design This is a retrospective cohort study. Objective To report the rate, reasons, and risk factors for 90-day readmissions after lumbar discectomy at an academic medical center. Summary of background data Several studies have reported complications and readmissions after spine surgery; however, only one previous study has focused specifically on lumbar discectomy. As the patient profile and morbidity of various spine procedures is different, focus on procedure-specific complications and readmissions will be beneficial. Materials and methods Patients who underwent lumbar discectomy for unrelieved symptoms of prolapsed intervertebral disk and had at least 90 days of follow-up at an academic institution (2013-2014) were included. Retrospective review of electronic medical record was performed to record demographic and clinical profile of patients. Details of lumbar discectomy, index hospital stay, discharge disposition, hospital readmission within 90 days, reason for readmission and treatment given have been reported. Risk factors for hospital readmission were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results A total of 356 patients with a mean age of 45.0±13.8 years were included. The 90-day readmission rate was 5.3% (19/360) of which two-third patients were admitted within 30 days giving a 30-day readmission rate of 3.7% (13/356). The top 2 primary reasons for readmission included back and/or leg pain, numbness, or tingling (42.9%), and persistent cerebrospinal fluid leak or seroma (25.0%). On adjusted analysis, risk factors associated with higher risk of readmission included incidental durotomy [odds ratio (OR), 26.2; 95% confidence interval (CI), 5.3-129.9] and discharge to skilled nursing facility/inpatient rehabilitation (OR, 25.2; 95% CI, 2.7-235.2). Increasing age was a negative predictor of readmission (OR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.91-0.99). Conclusions Incidental durotomy, younger age, and discharge to nursing facility were associated with higher risk of 90-day hospital readmission after lumbar discectomy. As compared with extensive spine procedures, patient comorbidity burden may not be as significant in predicting readmission after this relatively less invasive procedure.
Neurotransmitters as morphogens.

Publisher Summary This chapter presents considerable evidence for morphogenetic functions of neurotransmitters during embryonic development, a role that may derive from their appearance early in evolution, still evidenced today by their presence in primitive organisms. Use of the term “morphogen” in the context of neurotransmitters acting as regulators of morphogenetic processes gives it a more general meaning. Turing has originally defined it in a rather broad sense, even including hormones as possible morphogens. Neurotransmitter substances, including the catecholamines, serotonin acetylcholine and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), are found in a variety of primitive organisms and early invertebrate embryos in which no nervous system is present. In such cases, these substances appear to act as both intra- and intercellular signals involved in the control of cell proliferation, ciliary activity, motility, cell shape changes and morphogenetic cell movements. In the adult nervous system, neurotransmitters are discrete intercellular signalling devices that mediate communication between cells in complex neural circuitries. However, they may have evolved to this specialized role from more general humoral functions in primitive organisms where they were used as both intra- and intercellular signalling devices.
Preliminary Separation of Pea Stem NPA Receptors by High Performance Ion Exchange Chromatography

The auxin anion carrier (AAC) is one of the most interesting and important proteins in the transport and response system that allows higher plants to utilize the hormone auxin. It is this efflux carrier, hypothesized to occur in differentially greater numbers at the basal ends of auxin-transporting cells (8),that mediates and confers polarity upon the process of basipetally polar auxin transport (4,8). That process, in turn, is respondsible for the distribution of auxin from its sites of synthesis in the shoot apex and young leaves to its target tissues below. As evidence mounts that auxin action depends upon concentrations of free auxin in the cell cytoplasm as opposed to otherwise compartmentalized or conjugated forms of the hormone (1,5), the potential importance of the AAC as a regulatory point not only for transport but also for action has become clear. Fortunately,more is known about the regulation of the AAC’s activity than is the case for other auxin binding proteins and carriers, and the greatest amount of research has been done with the phytotropin naphthylphthalamic acid (NPA) (see discussion in 3). NPA can specifically inhibit polar auxin transport, and apparently does so by dramatically reducing basal efflux of the auxin anion from transporting cells (2,9).
Screening of Natural Products as HIV-1 And HIV-2 Reverse Transcriptase (RT) Inhibitors

The human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) is the etiologic agent for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), which has reached pandemic proportions in recent years. A second immunodeficiency virus (designated HIV-2), which is serologically distinct from HIV-1, was later isolated from West African patients with AIDS. Research efforts have intensified in an attempt to discover new therapeutic modalities for the treatment of this fatal disease. The complex replication process of the HIV in its host cell offers many potential target points for therapeutic intervention. Examples include viral attachment and uncoating, reverse transcription of the viral genome, proviral DNA integration into the host cell DNA and subsequent transcription and translation of this genetic material into viral proteins. As these viral proteins in turn undergo processing, e.g., protein glycosylation, which then leads to the assembly and release of progeny virus particles, additional target points are obvious.
Advances in rectal cancer treatment

Attempts at improving our management of rectal cancer engender controversies. Advances are being made in parallel with the themes seen in much of modern solid tumor management. These are the optimization of patient outcomes by (1) a detailed understanding of the pathology of rectal cancer and its relation to surgical techniques; (2) multidisciplinary management; (3) organ and function conservation; and (4) analysis of outcomes based on quality of life as well as morbidity, recurrence, and survival; and (5) treatment selection based on biologic factors. These principles are being applied in the management of patients with all stages of rectal cancer. Selection of the best route to accomplish these goals is guided by the extent of disease at presentation. Advances in management involve both clinical and translational research issues.
Luteinizing hormone and testosterone response of sexually active and inactive rams.

The objective of this study was to identify rams exhibiting high (HP) and low (LP) levels of sexual performance and to determine whether their respective behavioral responses to ewes in estrus were related to changes in serum testosterone (T) and LH concentrations. Rams were selected on the basis of standardized serving capacity tests. Plasma T and LH concentrations in rams were measured in three experiments: 1) after 15 min of exposure to estrous ewes, 2) after an injection of 500 ng of LHRH, and 3) during an 11-h exposure to estrous ewes. During 15 min of exposure to ewes, HP rams were sexually active, whereas LP rams showed no sexual interest. Secretion of LH was similar (P greater than .05) between ram groups. Sexual arousal, copulation, and ejaculation of HP males were not related (P greater than .05) to LH secretion. Exposure to estrous ewes for 11 h, however, stimulated LH pulse frequency and elevated basal LH and T concentrations in HP but not LP rams (P less than .001). Luteinizing hormone secretion was positively correlated to the frequency of mounts (r = .19; P less than .01) and ejaculation (r = .17; P less than .03). Aggressive behavior of rams directed at ewes was negatively correlated to LH (r = -.22 P less than .003). Concentrations of LH and T after LHRH injection were similar between HP and LP rams (P greater than .05). These results show that the effects of the ewe on LH secretion of rams depend on length of the exposure period and sexual activity of the male.
A method to prioritize and monitor wetland restoration for water-quality improvement

Wetland restoration can improve water quality by reducing concentrations of sediment, total phosphorus, and nitrate in runoff. Managers need a simple method to choose among many possible restoration sites, particularly in large agricultural basins covering thousands of square kilometers. The purpose of this paper is to outline a method for prioritizing and monitoring wetland restoration sites in light of the factors that affect water-quality improvement by wetlands. These factors are categorized as loading factors, path factors, and process factors. The method for prioritizing wetland restoration sites depends primarily on assessing the potential effectiveness of the wetland for improving water quality. Three types of effectiveness are considered: problem effectiveness (is the site in an area with known water-quality problems?), function effectiveness (is the site likely to improve water quality more or less than other sites?), and information effectiveness (does the site fit within an overall research plan to gain information on how wetlands improve water quality?). The variables of hydraulic residence time, hydraulic flux, and wetland area, volume, and average depth are combined into a single variable termed e and used as a proxy for estimating the relative function effectiveness of potential restoration sites. Monitoring restoration sites is targeted at establishing a minimum data set that can be collected consistently at different sites over time, and that can be used for inter-site comparison with simple statistical techniques. The Minnesota River Basin is used as an example throughout to demonstrate the types of data that are available to plan wetland restoration. While this paper focuses on the water-quality benefits, wetland restoration should be a multi-disciplinary effort to integrate other benefits of restoration, such as improvement of wildlife habitat and flood abatement.
Analogical and Case-Based Reasoning

Analogical Reasoning (AR) involves the use of past experiences to solve problems that are similar to problems solved before. This kind of reasoning is pervasive in engineering disciplines, particularly design. As there are no established, widely accepted, theories and methods for engineering design, practitioners often rely on prior design cases to exploit past successes and to avoid repeating the same mistakes. Research in analogical problem solving concentrates on the process of similarity recognition, mapping of past cases to current situation, and modification of past cases to suit a given task. An important aspect of this research is the development of representations that accurately capture prior experiences, conditions, and explanations. The experiences (cases) are represented and stored in knowledge-bases called case memories. As case memories grow in size, issues relating to indexing and retrieval become important. This aspect of analogical reasoning is called case- based reasoning (CBR). The primary emphasis of case-based reasoning is on the organization, hierarchy indexing and retrieval of case memory, while the main emphasis of analogical reasoning is on the process of modifying, adapting and verifying past derivations (cases) [5]. However, our treatment of case-based reasoning will also include elements of analogical reasoning.
"Just because it's gay?": transgressive design in queer coming of age visual novels

While queer narratives have recently gained greater prominence and attention [35][51][48] both in games and game studies, they still represent a tiny portion of the playable romances available. Even fewer among these represent the potential of what Edmond Chang [12] has referred to as "queergaming," or games which refuse to conform in their narrative, mechanics, and modes of play to a cisgender, white, heteronormative gaze. We argue that meaningful queergaming is impossible within the current norms and genres of so-called AAA, or mainstream. It thus requires space and platforms dedicated to transgressive game design, building on Aarseth's [1] framework of transgressive play. To substantiate our argument, we use an examination of recent queer visual novels built using Ren'Py and released on Itch.io, with a case study of most popular current exemplar Butterfly Soup [32] alongside previous exemplars of queer romance in games.
CERENKOV2: improved detection of functional noncoding SNPs using data-space geometric features

We previously reported on CERENKOV, an approach for identifying regulatory single nucleotide polymorphisms (rSNPs) that is based on 246 annotation features. CERENKOV uses the xgboost classifier and is designed to be used to find causal noncoding SNPs in loci identified by genome-wide association studies (GWAS). We reported that CERENKOV has state-of-the-art performance (by two traditional measures and a novel GWAS-oriented measure, AVGRANK) in a comparison to nine other tools for identifying functional noncoding SNPs, using a comprehensive reference SNP set (OSU17, 15,331 SNPs). Given that SNPs are grouped within loci in the reference SNP set and given the importance of the data-space manifold geometry for machine-learning model selection, we hypothesized that within-locus inter-SNP distances would have class-based distributional biases that could be exploited to improve rSNP recognition accuracy. We thus defined an intralocus SNP “radius” as the average data-space distance from a SNP to the other intralocus neighbors, and explored radius likelihoods for five distance measures. We expanded the set of reference SNPs to 39,083 (the OSU18 set) and extracted CERENKOV SNP feature data. We computed radius empirical likelihoods and likelihood densities for rSNPs and control SNPs, and found significant likelihood differences between rSNPs and control SNPs. We fit parametric models of likelihood distributions for five different distance measures to obtain ten log-likelihood features that we combined with the 248-dimensional CERENKOV feature matrix. On the OSU18 SNP set, we measured the classification accuracy of CERENKOV with and without the new distance-based features, and found that the addition of distance-based features significantly improves rSNP recognition performance as measured by AUPVR, AUROC, and AVGRANK. Along with feature data for the OSU18 set, the software code for extracting the base feature matrix, estimating ten distance-based likelihood ratio features, and scoring candidate causal SNPs, are released as open-source software CERENKOV2. Accounting for the locus-specific geometry of SNPs in data-space significantly improved the accuracy with which noncoding rSNPs can be computationally identified.
Effects of Strategy Instruction with an Emphasis on Oral Language and Dramatization on the Quality of First Graders’ Procedural Writing

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of strategy instruction with an emphasis on oral language and dramatization on the quality of first graders’ procedural papers. Participants wer...
Utilization of Data Mining for Generalizable, All-Admission Prediction of Inpatient Mortality

The all-condition prediction of patient mortality at the time of hospital admission has significant clinical value and broader implications for patient care and clinical decision support capabilities. In this study we have applied machine learning models to predict inpatient mortality, that is whether a patient will die during the hospital stay, as predicted from a time near to admission. We have utilized an Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality-provided large dataset of hospital discharges, to develop and evaluate a number of machine learning models. We report on the performance of the best performing of these models, with the best performing model having an AUC score of 0.802. We also evaluate the generalizability of the models via evaluating these on a separate large dataset corresponding to a different time period. We describe the results and provide an analysis and discussion of their significance.
In vivo tibiofemoral cartilage strain mapping under static mechanical loading using continuous GRASP-MRI.

Background Quantification of dynamic biomechanical strain in articular cartilage in vivo; in situ using noninvasive MRI techniques is desirable and may potentially be used to assess joint pathology. Purpose To demonstrate the use of static mechanical loading and continuous 3D-MRI acquisition of the human knee joint in vivo to measure the strain in the tibiofemoral articular cartilage. Study type Prospective. Subjects Five healthy human volunteers (four women, one man; age 25.6 ± 1.7) underwent MRI at rest, under static mechanical loading condition, and during recovery. Field strength/sequence A field strength of 3T was used. The sequence used was 3D-continuous golden angle radial sparse parallel (GRASP) MRI and compressed sensing (CS) reconstruction. Assessment Tibiofemoral cartilage deformation maps under loading and during recovery were calculated using an optical flow algorithm. The corresponding Lagrangian strain was calculated in the articular cartilage. Statistical tests Range of displacement and strain in each subject, and the resulting mean and standard deviation, were calculated. Results During the loading condition, the cartilage displacement in the direction of loading ranged from a minimum of -673.6 ± 121.9 μm to a maximum of 726.5 ± 169.5 μm. Corresponding strain ranged from a minimum of -7.0 ± 4.2% to a maximum of 5.4 ± 1.6%. During the recovery condition, the cartilage displacement in the same direction reduced to a minimum of -613.0 ± 129.5 μm and a maximum of 555.7 ± 311.4 μm. The corresponding strain range reduced to a minimum of -1.6 ± 7.5% to a maximum of 4.2 ± 2.6%. Data conclusion This study shows the feasibility of using static mechanical loading with continuous GRASP-MRI acquisition to measure the strain in the articular cartilage. By measuring strain during the loading and recovery phases, dynamic strain information in the articular cartilage might be able to be investigated. Level of evidence 2 Technical Efficacy: Stage 1 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2020;51:426-434.
Effects of Aerobic Exercise on Oxidative Stress in Patients Diagnosed with Cancer: A Narrative Review.

Background: Oxidative stress (OS) can bring about an imbalance between the production of free radicals (pro-oxidants) and their elimination by protective mechanisms (antioxidants). Exercise and/or physical activity (PA) may provide a mechanism to control the variation and equilibrium between pro-oxidants and antioxidants. Purpose: The purpose of this narrative review is to investigate the evidence regarding the effect of exercise and/or PA on OS among individuals diagnosed with cancer. Methods: A narrative review study design involved a literature search (August 2016) across the databases: Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Cochrane, Excerpta Medica database (Embase), and PubMed. Articles included those published from January 2000 - August 2016; inclusive of the search terms “cancer” AND “neoplasm” AND “oncology” AND “oxidative stress” AND “exercise” AND “physical activity”; written in the English language; and utilizing human subjects. The references of the selected articles were then reviewed to identify any qualifying articles. A modified Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) review of each article was completed by two investigators. Results: Eight articles met the final inclusion criteria. Moderate exercise may provide protective mechanisms against OS via increased antioxidant activity, while exhaustive exercise may be responsible for increased levels of OS, increasing the risk for malignancy. While increased OS levels are utilized by current oncologic therapies to damage malignant and premalignant cells, they also damage healthy cells (cardiac, nerve, and lymphatic). Conclusion: Moderate levels of exercise and/or PA may provide preventative and protective qualities against the negative side effects associated with increased OS from cancer treatment.