cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Element Composition Analysis of Airborne Particulate Matter (PM_(10) and PM_(2.5)) by Instrument Neutron Activation Analysis

A sampling station was set up in the suburb of southwest Beijing.PM2.5(diameter 2.5 μm,fine) and PM10(diameter 10 μm,coarse) airborne particulate matter(APM) were collected by a Gent stacked filter unit sampler.The samples,collected during spring and summer of 2005,were analyzed by k0 instrument neutron activation analysis(INAA) using the software of ADVNAA.The average volume concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 APM during spring season are found to be 41.43 μg/m3 and 140.82 μg/m3,respectively,while those during summer season are 50.63 μg/m3 and 119.10 μg/m3,respectively.The major pollution elements and their variations with season and special weather condition are primarily identified by enrichment factor analysis.
Legionella Surveillance in 13 public places of Daxing District,Beijing

Objective:Selecting 13 large-scale places using central air conditioning system to test their Legionella contamination.Methods: Collecting monitoring samples to carry on Legionella isolation,identification and counting.Results: In the 104 cooling tower water samples from 13 places,16 Legionella pneumophila strains(15.38%) in five places(38.4%) were detected.Conclusion: We should strengthen supervision and carry out the central air-conditioning units cleaning and disinfecting.
Peptide Translocation through Single Lysenin Channels

Nano-sized pore forming proteins (PFPs) inserted into lipid membranes are excellent tools for single molecule detection and characterization. However, difficult insertion, reduced transport capabilities, and undesired interactions with analytes are among the major reasons for which only several PFPs are currently studied for nanobiotechnology applications. In order to overcome these inherent limitations, scientists are actively looking for alternative PFPs that will allow expanding their use for biosensing, sequencing, and diagnostic.To address this problem, our work focused on investigating lysenin channels as stochastic sensors for peptide molecules. Lysenin, a 297 amino acid pore forming toxin extracted from the earthworm E. foetida self-inserts large conductance pores (∼3 nm diameter) in artificial and natural lipid membranes containing sphingomyelin. The channel's larger opening might accommodate the electrophoretical-driven passage of larger analytes thus their translocation may be electronically detected by using the long-revered Coulter approach.In the present study, we investigated translocation of angiotensin II, a short positively charged peptide, through single lysenin channels inserted into planar lipid bilayer membranes. Our data show that the average current blockage and dwell time recorded during translocation depends on the magnitude of the applied transmembrane voltage, consistent with previous studies employing either synthetic or biological nanopores. In addition, mass spectroscopy analysis of angiotensin II translocated for extended time through large populations of inserted lysenin channels indicated that successful translocation is conditioned by both the presence of channels and proper electric field orientation. These results warrant further studies on using lysenin channels for single molecule detection and characterization with a special emphasis on peptide molecules.
Abstract MP15: Physical Activity is Inversely Associated with Calcified Atherosclerotic Plaque in the Coronary Arteries: The NHLBI Family Heart Study

Background: Physical activity is integral to the primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases. However, studies have reported mixed findings on the association between physical activity and coronary artery calcification (CAC). Hypothesis: Our primary hypothesis is that physical activity is inversely associated with prevalent CAC. Methods: In a cross-sectional design, we studied 2,971 participants of the NHLBI Family Heart Study without a history of MI, CABG or PTCA. A standardized questionnaire was used to ascertain the number of blocks walked daily to compute block metabolic equivalent hours per week. CAC was measured by cardiac CT, and we defined prevalent CAC using an Agatston score of at least 100. Generalized estimating equations were used to calculate adjusted prevalence ratios of CAC. Results: Mean age was 55 (±12.7) years and 60.3% of participants were women. Compared to 0-4 blocks/d, prevalence ratios for CAC after adjusting for age, sex, race, BMI, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, diabetes, smoking, and alcohol abuse were 0.73, 95% CI: 0.55-0.97 for >4-8 blocks/d, 0.72, 95% CI: 0.58-0.89 for >8-20 blocks/d, and 0.82, 95% CI: 0.62-1.1 for >20 blocks/d, p for trend 0.02. Corresponding values for total block activity were 0.84, 95% CI: 0.53-1.30 for 1-4 met-hrs/wk, 0.50, 95% CI: 0.31- 0.81 for >4-7 met-hrs/wk, 0.68, 95% CI: 0.47-1.00 for >7-14 met-hrs/wk, and 0.54, 95% CI: 0.33-0.88 for >14-22 met-hrs/wk, p for trend 0.04 (Table 1). In a secondary analysis stratified by BMI (<25 and ≥25 kg/m2), the results remained statistically significant for those with BMI ≥ 25 (p=0.01). The number of participants with BMI < 25 was too small for analysis. The inverse association persisted when we repeated the main analyses using CAC cutoffs of 150 and 200, but not 50. Conclusion: The Family Heart Study data are consistent with an inverse association of mild to moderate physical activity with coronary artery calcification in adult men and women. ![][1] [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif
Recognizing Moral Disengagement and Its Impact on Patient Safety

Moral disengagement refers to a process that involves justifying one's unethical actions by altering one's moral perception of those actions. The moral disengagement that occurs in the health care industry poses serious threats to patient safety, the culture of the institution, and even the mental health of care providers. This article describes the factors that create moral distress and impact moral disengagement among health care professionals, as well as ways to identify moral disengagement.
Comments on Computational Methods

There are numerous types of molecular orbital calculations that are routinely performed. One of the early versions is the extended Huckel method that begins with the approach used in the Huckel method, but with the overlap and exchange integrals (approximated by the Wolfsberg-Helmholtz, Ballhausen-Gray, or Cusachs' method) included. A more robust type of calculation is that in which an electron is presumed to move in a field generated by the nucleus and other electrons. A trial wave function with some adjustable parameter(s) is taken, and the energy calculated. The wave function improves and the calculations continue until there is no additional improvement (i.e., a “self-consistent field” has been obtained). There are numerous variations of this approach that differ in the trial wave function chosen, extent of electron-electron interaction included, etc. Density functional theory is a newer approach that uses less computational capacity. These types of molecular orbital calculations are surveyed briefly in this chapter.
Aldo Ruffinatto, La lingua di Berceo: osservazioni sulla lingua dei manoscritti della "Vida de Santo Domingo de Silos". Università di Pisa, Pisa, 1974; 176 pp. (Istituto di Letteratura Spagnola e Hispanoamericana, 27).

Se reeno el libro: La lingua di Berceo: osservazioni sulla lingua dei manoscritti della "Vida de Santo Domingo de Silos".
Standardized echography of the optic nerve

Standardized Echography, a special advanced method of diagnostic ultrasound in ophthalmology (Ossoinig [21]) has become an effective, clinically very useful and, at times, indispensable diagnostic aid in the evaluation of the orbital portion of the optic nerve. Standardized Echography provides by far the most precise and accurate measurements of the thicknesses of the optic nerve and its sheaths throughout their orbital course. This method also provides a unique opportunity to study the in vivo dynamics of the subarachnoidal fluid surrounding the optic nerve and thus gives invaluable insight into the mechanism of compressive optic neuropathy and of BIH, and adds tremendously to the clinical differential diagnosis of optic nerve and related disorders.
Division of Reproductive Science Research

The Division of Reproductive Science Research at the University of Iowa has a long tradition and was formally organized in 2009. Since then, the division has enjoyed extensive growth and development in many areas of reproductive research. Sponsored by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and the NIH Office of Research on Women’s Health, a Women’s Reproductive Health Research Career Development Center, was established to train future physician-scientists. Further, to enhance our capability to perform translational research, the Women’s Health Tissue Repository was established. This robust bio-repository includes the Maternal Fetal Tissue Bank, the Paternal Contributions to Children’s Health Biobank, the Well Woman Bank, the Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Biobank, and the Gynecologic Malignancies Biobank. Together, these biobanks collect samples from all stages of women’s lives and have deep clinical annotations.
Hotel Belmar: Analytical Review of the Challenges Facing an Eco-Hotel in Costa Rica

The owners of the Hotel Belmar, an eco-hotel in Monteverde, Costa Rica, were concerned about the acceptance of their sustainability practices by guests. In September 2013, the hotel had adopted a sustainability program and had applied it to their hotel, restaurant, garden, animal farm, and microbrewery. However, the owners had received complaints about issues arising from their environmentally friendly practices such as the presence of bugs and rodents, the lack of televisions in the rooms, and a problem with heat in the summer and cold in the winter due to the lack of heating and air conditioning in the hotel. Pedro, the hotel9s manager, wondered how he could identify and reach guests who might enjoy the environmentally friendly eco-hotel and deal with the complaints that arose from the hotel9s sustainable practices.
Do It Right! Requiring Multiple Submissions of Math and NMR Analysis Assignments in the Laboratory

The first-semester introductory organic chemistry laboratory has been adapted to include mini postlab assignments that students must complete correctly, through as many attempts as prove to be necessary. The use of multiple drafts of writing assignments is a standard approach to improving writing, so the system was designed to require drafts for assignments that involve calculations, NMR interpretation, the creation of good figures, and other nonwriting forms of analysis. The system was created to require students to pay attention to faculty feedback and to review their own work. Scores on a written lab final suggest that the “Do It Right!” system has had a statistically significant improvement in students’ abilities to perform stoichiometric calculations and to answer questions about a standard aqueous workup.
Against “We,” or an Argument for a Pluralistic Definition of Personhood in Bioethics

In Nancy Jecker and Andrew Ko's “Is that the Same Person? Case Studies in Neurosurgery” (2017), the authors make a series of statements about identity, and these kinds of statements can often be fo...
Unanticipated Contexts for Vulnerability: An Exploration of How Black College Men Made Meaning of a Research Interview Process Involving Sensitive Topics:

There is an emerging call for empirical studies that examine the development of masculine identity among Black college men. However, the varied ways Black college men made meaning of participating ...
Measuring Variation Across Dimensions of Integrated Care: The Maryland Medicaid Health Home Model.

Despite the proliferation of initiatives to integrate services for people with serious mental illness (SMI), measures of distinct dimensions of integration, such as spatial arrangement and care team expertise, are lacking. Such measures are needed to support organizations’ assessment of progress toward integrated service delivery. We developed measures characterizing integration of behavioral, somatic, and social services to operationalize the integrated care dimensions conceived by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. In a survey fielded to 46 Maryland Medicaid health homes (response rate: 96%) serving adults with SMI during 2015–2016, we found that these measures provided a useful description of variation across dimensions of integration.
Long-term outcomes following partial atrioventricular septal defect (AVSD) repair in Ireland.

We describe the long-term results of partial atrioventricular septal defect (AVSD) repair in a single centre encompassing a 22-year period. Described are rates of survival, reoperation and complications. We performed a retrospective review of 556 patients undergoing AVSD repair to identify the 51 patients who underwent partial AVSD repair in Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin, Ireland, between 1993 and 2015 with long-term follow-up where available. A total of 29 (56.8%) of patients were male and mean age at operation was 3.32 years. Mean weight was 13.2 kg. Trisomy 21 was present in 29 (56.8%). Five patients (9.6%) had undergone prior surgery. Mean cardiopulmonary bypass time was 89 ± 36 min and mean aortic cross-clamp time was 57 ± 28 min. One patient underwent partial AVSD repair and concomitant tracheal resection and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation decannulation. One patient was managed with suture atrial septal defect (ASD) closure, the remainder with patch repair of ASD and mitral cleft closure. The length of hospital stay was 9 ± 5 days. Median follow-up was 6.06 years (IQR, 1.65–10.2 years). There were no early mortalities. One patient died 1 year following surgery (1.9%). One patient required reoperation at an interval of 2 years for severe mitral regurgitation (1.9%). Short- and long-term survival following partial AVSD repair in Ireland revealed excellent results compared with other published series. Reoperation incidence also compared excellently with other reports published in the literature.
Gender Blindness and IPV Screening

The United States Preventative Services Task Force recently released a draft recommendation that clinicians screen women for intimate partner violence (IPV), such as domestic violence. The recommendation report is blind to male victims of IPV, even though the 2010 CDC national survey demonstrated that more men than women are victims of IP physical violence. It ignores studies demonstrating the positive predictive value of IPV screening of men. Its evidence review found only three studies rated higher than “fair.” One was for screening for childhood sexual abuse. The authors of the other two later concluded that there was insufficient evidence to support IPV screening. The evidence review and draft report ignored studies and a significant meta-analysis that conflicted with its recommendation. Ignoring IPV against men harms women, since female-initiated IPV is one of the most important predictors of subsequent female injury.
Synthesis of Pprbiotic Peptides and Oligonucleotides on Clay Mineral Surfaces: A Scanning Force Michoscopy Study

We have used the technique of scanning force microscopy (SFM) to investigate the reactions of the amino acid glycine and the activated nucleotide ImpA (Im is imidazole, pA is adenosine-5’ -phosphate) on the surface of Cu2+ -exchanged hectorite. In “prebiotic” cycling experiments with glycine monomer on Cu2+ -exchanged hectorite, peptides of up to 6 mer were formed. SFM images showed the surface step edges to be the active sites at which polymerization occurred. The presence of copper gallery cations at these surface step edges is crucial for this reaction to proceed. Similar cycling experiments using ImpA indicated largescale formation of surface oligonucleotides. Many of these oligonucleotides were detached from large steps or faults in the surface layer, indicating that the phosphodiester bonding was occurring either on the true surface or, possibly, in the clay intergallery regions.
A laser communication adaptive optics system as a testbed for extreme adaptive optics

The Integrated Optical System (IOS) is an extreme adaptive optics system designed for NASA’s Laser Com- munication Relay Demonstration mission. There is a great deal of overlap between the requirements for laser communication AO and high-contrast exoplanet imaging AO systems. Both require very high Strehl ratios with narrow fields of view. This overlap allows the IOS to serve as a testbed and technology demonstrator for astronomical extreme adaptive optics systems. There are several example technologies from the IOS that are already making the transition to astronomical AO systems. The first is that the real time controller based on Direct Memory Access transfer between the WFS camera link frame-grabber and a DSP board is being reused on the upgrade to PALM-3000 AO system at Palomar Observatory. This enables the system to minimize latency by bypassing the CPU and its inherent timing jitter. Technologies like this will be crucial to enabling high contrast imaging on the next generation of extremely large telescopes. In addition, the IOS measures Fried’s parameter from wavefraont measures in near real time. This technology has already been deployed to PALM-3000. The main function of Laser Communication AO systems is to couple the incoming light into single mode fiber. This is the same configuration that will be used by AO coupled radial velocity spectrographs. The adaptive optics system is a woofer/tweeter design, with one deformable mirror correcting for low spatial frequencies with large amplitude and a second deformable mirror correcting for high spatial frequencies with small amplitude. The system uses a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor. The system has achieved first light and is undergoing commissioning. We will present an overview of the system design and initial performance.
Tunneling Through Metallic Quantum Dots

We discuss single-electron tunneling measurements at dilutionrefrigerator temperatures on metallic grains, sufficientlysmall that the quantum levels of the conduction electrons canbe resolved. These measurements directly reveal the energyeigenvalues of the electrons in a grain that typicallycontains a few thousand conduction electrons. Suchmeasurements were first carried out a few years ago by Ralph,et al. on nanograins of Al. More recently, this workhas been extended to measurements on nanoparticles of theheavy metal Au by Davidovic and on nanoparticles ofalloys of Al and Au by Salinas, et al. This morerecent work has pointed up the need to go beyond the simplestindependent-electron model, to include the Coulomb interactionbetween electrons and also nonequilibrium electronpopulations. These interactions cause the energy levels tomerge into a continuum above the Thouless energy and can causea single quasiparticle level to show up as a cluster ofresonances. The strong spin-orbit interaction in Au cancause levels to split in magnetic fields with a g-factor of∼0.3, instead of the free electron g=2. In addition,there is evidence for a proliferation of low-lying energylevels suggestive of system spin values greater than1/2 induced by the exchangeinteraction. This paper will review the evolving progress thathas been made in interpreting these observations.
Young, Male and Middle Class: Representations of Masculinity in Mexican Film

This essay examines the portrayal of young, middle-class males and discusses the filmic representation of masculinity vis-a-vis changing gender roles in society. Both Temporada de patos/Duck Season (dir. Fernando Eimbcke, 2004) and Gueros (dir. Alonso Ruizpalacios, 2014) deal with male bonding among brothers and friends. Though each of the films contains critical commentary on Mexican society, the focus is on the subjective experiences of young males in families that have been destabilised by divorce or death. As backdrop to their experiences is their status as middle- or lower-middle-class urban youths. The tightly focused filmic narratives bracket larger questions of nation-state and society, opting to stage the struggles inherent to coming of age in the neoliberal era.
Water vapor and oxygen barrier properties of extrusion-blown poly(lactic acid)/cellulose nanocrystals nanocomposite films

Abstract This paper examined the effect of cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) content on water vapor permeability (WVP) and oxygen permeability (OP) of extrusion-blown poly(lactic acid) (PLA) films recorded at various temperatures and relative humidities. While both WVP and OP followed the Arrhenius equation, the WVP decreased with increasing temperature whereas an opposite trend was observed for OP, resulting in negative activation energy (E p ) for WVP but positive E p for OP, regardless of CNC content. However, the E p for both WVP and OP increased by adding CNC into PLA matrix. WVP was not affected by the relative humidity agreeing with Fick’s law. Nanocomposite films had lower WVP (∼40%) and OP (∼75%) than neat PLA films because of the tortuosity effect created by the presence of highly crystalline CNCs in the nanocomposites, which increased PLA’s degree of crystallinity. Indeed, the values of WVP and OP negatively correlated with increased crystallinity, irrespective of testing conditions.
County and Physician Variation in Benzodiazepine Prescribing to Medicare Beneficiaries by Primary Care Physicians in the USA

Physicians widely prescribe benzodiazepines (BZD) despite well-recognized harms. To determine county and provider characteristics that predict high-intensity BZD prescribing by primary care physicians (PCPs) to Medicare beneficiaries. Cross-sectional analysis of the 2015 Medicare Part D Public Use Files (PUF). n = 122,054 PCPs who prescribed 37.3 billion medication days. Primary outcome was intensity of BZD prescribing (days prescribed/total medication days) at the county- and physician levels. PCP and county characteristics were derived from the Part D PUF, Area Health Resources Files, and County Health Rankings. Logistic regression determined the characteristics associated with high-intensity (top quartile) BZD prescribing. Beneficiaries were prescribed over 1.2 billion days of BZD in 2015, accounting for 2.3% of all medication days prescribed in Part D. Top quartile counties had 3.1 times higher BZD prescribing than the lowest (3.4% vs. 1.1%; F = 3293.8, df = 3, p < 0.001). Adjusting for county-level demographics and health care system characteristics (including supply of mental health providers), counties with more adults with at least some college had lower odds of high-intensity prescribing (per 5% increase, adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 0.80, 99% confidence interval (CI) 0.73–0.87, p < 0.001), as did higher income counties (per US$1000 increase, AOR 0.93, CI 0.91–0.95, p < 0.001). Top quartile PCPs prescribed at 6.5 times the rate of the bottom (3.9% vs. 0.6%; F = 63,910.2, df = 3, p < 0.001). High-intensity opioid prescribing (AOR 4.18, CI 3.90–4.48, p < 0.001) was the characteristic most strongly associated with BZD prescribing. BZD prescribing appears to vary across counties and providers and is related to non-patient characteristics. Further work is needed to understand how such non-clinical factors drive variation.
Myth, History, and Metaphor in the Hebrew Bible

This book examines the long-debated issue of the relationship between the Hebrew Bible and ancient Near Eastern myths. Using an innovative, interdisciplinary methodology that combines theories of metaphor and narrative, Paul Cho argues that the Hebrew Bible is more deeply mythological than previously recognized. Because the Hebrew Bible contains fragments of the sea myth but no continuous narrative, the study of myth in the Hebrew Bible is usually circumscribed to the level of motifs and themes. Cho challenges this practice and demonstrates that the Hebrew Bible contains shorter and longer compositions studded with imagery that are structured by the plot of sea myths. Through close analysis of key Near Eastern myths and biblical texts, Cho shows that myth had a more fundamental influence on the plot structure and conceptual framework of the Hebrew Bible than has been recognized.
Cultural Considerations in School Psychopharmacology

Mental health providers who use multimodal treatment approaches that combine both psychosocial and psychopharmacological treatments should take into consideration sociocultural factors when addressing mental health disparities. This chapter highlights the sociocultural context of the child and family when developing treatment plans that involve psychopharmacological intervention. First, we provide an overview of notable sociocultural factors that should be considered when working with ethnic minority and/or immigrant children and families. Second, we include a brief primer on cultural psychiatry and the integration of clinical services with school support. Lastly, we discuss recommendations for school personnel when providing mental health services to diverse children and families, with a focus on psychopharmacological treatment for children. A set of references and web-based materials are provided to readers for additional information.
Coupling the liquid sampling – atmospheric pressure glow discharge, a combined atomic and molecular (CAM) ionization source, to a reduced-format mass spectrometer for the analysis of diverse species

The LS-APGD microplasma has shown potential as a combined atomic and molecular (CAM) ionization source, though to this point it has been solely interfaced with large, laboratory-scale instruments. There are many instances wherein reduced-format, lower operating overhead, analyzers are appropriate. To this end, the LS-APGD has been coupled with an Advion ExpressionL Compact Mass Spectrometry (CMS) for the analysis of diverse samples. This instrument has been previously travel hardened in accordance to MIL-SPEC-810, demonstrating its suitability for in-field analysis. The coupling of the LS-APGD to this instrument expands its capability for diverse analyses, with early-stage figures of merit presented here. With this new coupling, a thorough optimization of both the instrument ion optics and the LS-APGD operating parameters was necessary as this platform does not have a direct method for collisional dissociation of potentially-deleterious molecular species. Under the optimized conditions, analytical response curves were constructed for Na, Rb, Cs, and Tl, demonstrating detection limits between 17.6–146 ng mL−1 (single ng, absolute). Furthermore, CAM sampling capabilities can be realized upon changing from a 2% HNO3 to a 70 : 30 MeOH : H2O solvent system, providing molecular-level chemical information readily obtained from atomic ionization sources such as the inductively coupled plasma (ICP-MS). Here detection limits between 1–32 nM (single pg, absolute) were obtained for caffeine, acetaminophen, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabidiol, sulfadimethoxine, terfenadine, and reserpine. The unique features of the CAM ionization source on this flexible MS platform hold promise for many operation environments.
Malnutrition, poor post-natal growth, intestinal dysbiosis and the developing lung.

In extremely preterm infants, poor post-natal growth, intestinal dysbiosis and bronchopulmonary dysplasia are common, and each is associated with long-term complications. The central hypothesis that this review will address is that these three common conditions are interrelated. Challenges to studying this hypothesis include the understanding that malnutrition and poor post-natal growth are not synonymous and that there is not agreement on what constitutes a normal intestinal microbiota in this evolutionarily new population. If this hypothesis is supported, further study of whether “correcting” intestinal dysbiosis in extremely preterm infants reduces postnatal growth restriction and/or bronchopulmonary dysplasia is indicated.
A novel vertical flow assay for point of care measurement of iron from whole blood.

Disorders in iron metabolism are endemic globally, affecting more than several hundred million individuals and often resulting in increased rates of mortality or general deterioration of quality of life. To both prevent and monitor treatment of iron related disorders, we present a point of care medical device which leverages a simple smartphone camera to measure total iron concentration from a finger-prick sample. The system consists of a smartphone and an in-house developed app, a 3D printed sensing chamber and a vertical flow membrane-based sensor strip designed to accommodate 50 μl of whole blood, filter out the cellular components and carry out a colorimetric chelation reaction producing a colour change which is detected by our smartphone device. The app's accuracy and precision were assessed via comparison of the mobile app's RGB output to a reference imaging software, ImageJ for the same colorimetric sensing strip. Correlation plots resulted in slopes of 0.99 and coefficient of determination (R2 = 0.99). The device was determined to have a signal to noise ratio >40 and a mean bias of 2% which both indicate high analytical accuracy and precision (in terms of RGB measurement). The smartphone device's iron concentration readout was then studied using an extensively validated laboratory developed test (LDT) for iron detection, which is an optimized spectrophotometry-based technique (this is considered the gold standard for iron quantification among LDTs). In comparison of the smartphone-based technique with the gold standard LDT, a calibration slope of 0.0004 au μg−1 dL−1, a correlation plot with slope of 1.09 and coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.96 and a mean bias of 5.3%, our device can accurately measure iron levels in blood. With detection times of five minutes, fingerpick sample and sensor cost less than 10 cents, the device shows great promise in being developed as the first ever commercial device for iron quantification in blood.
Glucose regulation of the paralogous glucose sensing receptors Rgt2 and Snf3 of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Abstract Background The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae senses extracellular glucose levels through the two paralogous glucose sensing receptors Rgt2 and Snf3, which appear to sense high and low levels of glucose, respectively. Methods Western blotting and qRT-PCR were used to determine expression levels of the glucose sensing receptors. Results Rgt2 and Snf3 are expressed at different levels in response to different glucose concentrations. SNF3 expression is repressed by high glucose, whereas Rgt2 is turned over in response to glucose starvation. As a result, Rgt2 is predominant in cells grown on high glucose, whereas Snf3 is more abundant of the two paralogs in cells grown on low glucose. When expressed from a constitutive promoter, however, Snf3 behaves like Rgt2, being able to transduce the high glucose signal that induces HXT1 expression. Of note, constitutively active Rgt2 does not undergo glucose starvation-induced endocytic downregulation, whereas signaling defective Rgt2 is constitutively targeted for vacuolar degradation. These results suggest that glucose protects Rgt2 from endocytic degradation and reveal a previously unknown function of glucose as a signaling molecule that regulates the stability of its receptor. Conclusion Expression of Rgt2 and Snf3 is regulated by different mechanisms: Rgt2 expression is highly regulated at the level of protein stability; Snf3 expression is mainly regulated at the level of transcription. General significance The difference in the roles of Rgt2 and Snf3 in glucose sensing is a consequence of their cell surface abundance rather than a result of the two paralogous proteins having different functions.
Generalization Error of GAN from the Discriminator's Perspective.

The generative adversarial network (GAN) is a well-known model for learning high-dimensional distributions, but the mechanism for its generalization ability is not understood. In particular, GAN is vulnerable to the memorization phenomenon, the eventual convergence to the empirical distribution. We consider a simplified GAN model with the generator replaced by a density, and analyze how the discriminator contributes to generalization. We show that with early stopping, the generalization error measured by Wasserstein metric escapes from the curse of dimensionality, despite that in the long term, memorization is inevitable. In addition, we present a hardness of learning result for WGAN.
No Retreat: The Impact of Stand Your Ground Laws on Violent Crime

Since the early 1990s, 27 states passed statutes known as “stand your ground laws” to give legal protection to citizens who use lethal force in self-defense. The first state to pass a stand your ground law, Utah, has had the rule on the books since 1994, and 8 states have acted as de facto stand your ground states due to court rulings. Proponents of these laws believe they act as a criminal deterrent while opponents say they legitimize vigilantism. The aim of this paper is to determine whether there is a relationship between stand your ground laws and crime. Data from fixed effects and negative binomial regression models using state level panel data from 1980-2018 find no strong relationship between stand your ground laws and crime in either direction. In sum, this study finds no evidence these laws either increase or decrease crime. Policy implications are discussed, namely, the primary costs and benefits of these laws are not likely to stem from increases or decreases in crime but rather the legal and ethical consequences of increasing protections for civilians who act in self-defense.
Overview and Performance Evaluation of Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) Power Transactions

Vehicle to Grid (V2G) systems allow the accumulated energy of electric vehicles' storage systems to flow back to the electric grid. This power transaction provides the grid with the ability to meet the increasing energy demand of modern society. This paper investigates the criteria for vehicle to grid systems topology selection and uses MATLAB simulation to demonstrate bidirectional power transactions between electric vehicles and the power grid. Our simulation results illustrate the benefits of bidirectional power transactions.
Hillock formation in β-Sn films during high frequency cyclic bending at low strains

Abstract Cyclic bending of s-Sn films with 1 μ m thickness on atomic force microscopy silicon cantilevers was performed at resonance in both first and second mode vibration. The stress response as a function of position along the cantilever at very small strain amplitudes was examined by changes in surface morphology. Hillock formation and growth, the dominant responses observed, were measured using scanning electron microscopy as a function of the number of cycles and the strain distribution along the cantilever. New hillocks formed with increasing numbers of cycles, with their morphologies similar to the pre-existing hillocks observed before cycling. However, all hillocks exhibited a constant diameter-to-height ratio observed of 1: (1-1.2), with both pre-existing and new hillocks reached a limiting height which did not grow with further cycling. A saturation in the number of hillocks was observed with increased cycling, with the cycles to saturation depending on the vibration mode. The hillock density along the cantilever was found to be proportional to the local strain amplitude in both the first and second vibration modes. These results demonstrate that even the small maximum strain amplitudes in these experiments are sufficient to drive the nucleation and growth of hillocks as a stress relaxation response. Comparisons between these experiments and prior studies of whisker and hillock formation on β-Sn films due to Cu-Sn intermetallic compound growth and thermal mismatch stresses in thermal cycling are made in terms of morphologies, densities, and time dependence of nucleation and growth.
LPS-activated Scavenger Receptor SREC-I can Induce entry of TLR4 into Lipid Microdomains, Mediate Signal Transduction and trigger cytokine release

Scavenger receptor associated with endothelial cells I (SREC-I) has been shown to be expressed in dendritic cells (DC) and activated macrophages and to play an important role in endocytosis of anti...
The cigarette century. The rise, fall and deadly persistence of the product that defined America, Brandt, A.M. (2007), Perseus, NY

The Cigarette Century (Brandt, 2007) is the perfect title for a history of cigarette smoking in the United States. The conquest of western societies by the cigarette between 1900 and 1950 is one of the most characterizing traits of the 20th century. Its author, Allan M. Brandt, has been a fixture in the history of public health at Harvard where he directs the Program in the History of Medicine and the Division of Medical Ethics. The book comprises four geometrically assembled chapters (‘Culture’, ‘Science’, ‘Politics’ and ‘Law’), of 100 pages each. Each chapter flows chronologically and covers around a quarter of a century. The body of the text is sandwiched between an introduction and a conclusion of 50 pages each, both of which are written in a more personal tone with the author recalling his impressions upon discovering the Camel Man in Times Square as a child, and his experiences as an expert witness for anti-tobacco litigation.
A Design Aid for Improved Documentation in Aircraft Maintenance: A Precursor to Training

With the increasing demand for error reduction in civil aviation maintenance has come a need to ensure that complex work instructions are presented so as to minimize error opportunities. Guidelines have been developed for improving human factors aspects of work control cards and proven effective in the design of both paper-based and computer-based. The current study examined ways of providing such guidelines in a form which document writers will use. Guideline content came from a literature search, plus currently-available design guides. Guideline structure was developed in conjunction with a user team at a partner airline. Both paper-based and computer-based versions of a Documentation Design Aid (DDA) were developed, with iterative input from the user team. These versions were tested on engineering technical writers to measure performance and usability, with generally positive results. The user team approach produced a list of issues in documentation which went beyond document design into the whole docu...
Cavernous Sinus Thrombosis in Children Imaging Characteristics and Clinical Outcomes

Background and Purpose—Cavernous sinus thrombosis (CST) is a rare life-threatening cerebrovascular disease known to cause carotid artery narrowing (CAN) and arterial ischemic stroke. The imaging features of CST and related complications have been reported in adults, but rarely in children. Methods—We performed a retrospective review of children with imaging confirmed CST from 2003 to 2014, describing presenting symptoms, imaging findings, and treatment. Results—Ten patients with CST were identified. All had CAN and 6 of 10 developed infarcts. Of 8 patients treated with anticoagulation therapy, 3 developed new infarcts. None required discontinuation of anticoagulation therapy because of bleeding. Visual impairment secondary to infectious neuritis was common. Imaging characteristics include cavernous sinus expansion, filling defects, restricted diffusion, arterial wall enhancement, empyema, superior ophthalmic vein enlargement and thrombosis, orbital cellulitis, and pituitary inflammation. CAN resolved in 6...
A population-based assessment of pediatric all-terrain vehicle injuries.

Objective. To describe the types of injuries sustained by children who ride all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), to estimate the hospital charges associated with these injuries, and to determine adherence to existing rules and regulations governing ATV use. Methods. Analysis of statewide hospital admissions (1992–1996) and emergency department (ED) visits (1996) in Utah. All patients who were younger than 16 years and had an external cause of injury code for ATV use were included. Results. In 1996, 268 ED visits by children involved an ATV. Boys were twice as commonly injured as girls (male:female ratio: 2.1:1), and skin and orthopedic injuries were most frequent. The median ED charge was $368, and ED charges for these patients totaled $138 000. From 1992 to 1996, 130 children were hospitalized as a result of injuries sustained during ATV use, with median charges of $4240 per admission. Male to female ratio was 2.7:1, and the average age was 11.2 ± 3.6 years. Mean injury severity score was 8.0 ± 6.0, and median length of stay was 2 days (range: 0–43 days). Orthopedic injuries were most frequent, but 25% (n= 32) of children sustained head or spinal cord injury. Most children (94%) were discharged from the hospital, but 8 children died as a result of their injuries. Utah regulations prohibit children who are younger than 8 years from driving an ATV and advise against carrying passengers on ATVs. However, 25% (n = 15) of all injured children who were younger than 8 were driving the ATV when injured, and 15% (n = 60) of injured children were passengers on ATVs. Four of the 8 fatally injured children were younger than 8, and all were driving the ATV at the time of the crash. Finally, the estimated injury rate per 100 registered ATVs is significantly higher for children than for adults (3.41 vs 1.71). Conclusions. ATV use results in significant injuries to children. Efforts to educate parents regarding the risks of ATV use, proper supervision, and use of safety equipment are warranted. Manufacturers of ATVs should continue to improve the safety profile of these inherently unstable vehicles.
Cross-National Coverage of Water Handling: A Community Structure Approach

A cross-national community structure survey examined the relationship between national characteristics and newspaper coverage of water handling. Sampling all relevant 250+ word articles from September 1, 2000 (the implementation of UN Millennium Development Goal target 7c) to September 1, 2010 in 21 newspapers worldwide in NewsBank and AllAfrica databases yielded 394 articles. Articles were coded for visual/editorial “prominence” and “direction” (framing of clean water access as primarily “government responsibility,” “societal responsibility,” or “balanced/neutral” coverage), then combined to produce composite “Media Vector” scores for each newspaper (+.5241 to −.3886, a range of .9127). Thirteen of 21 Media Vectors (60%) reflected coverage favoring government responsibility for water handling. Pearson correlations revealed the potency of 4 variable cluster scales (all α = .70+) as major correlates of water handling coverage: “female empowerment,” “vulnerability,” “privilege,” and “press freedom,” with th...
Two methods to detect DNA fragments produced by restriction enzymes

Abstract This report summarizes two methods for detecting limited amounts of DNA from restriction endonuclease digests. The first is a photographic system for visualizing ethidium bromide-stained DNA fragments in agarose gels which can detect as little as 50–100 pg DNA per band. The second technique is direct sulfonation of DNA fragments bound to nylon membranes followed by visualization of the fragments by nonradioactive immunoblot methods. The immunohistochemical staining can detect 10 pg DNA per band. The direct sulfonation technique is not intended to identify specific DNA sequences; DNA-DNA hybridization with sulfonated probes has previously been described (P. Lebacq, D. Squalli, M. Duchenne, P. Poulety, and M. Johannes (1988) J. Biochem. Biophys. Methods 15, 255–266) . Direct sulfonation can be used when samples are relatively free of contaminating nucleic acids and is a useful alternative to end-labeling. These highly sensitive techniques may be suitable when the DNA source is of limited quantity or in instances where radiolabeling is not permitted.
Demographic effects of warming, elevated soil nitrogen and thinning on the colonization of a perennial plant

Global change is causing significant modifications to native plant communities. These effects can be direct through changes in productivity, or indirect through the spread of invading species. Identifying vital traits important for individual species’ response to environmental variation could be useful for making predictions about how entire communities may respond to global change. I studied the effects of factors associated with global change on the demography of an experimentally introduced species, Pityopsis aspera. In a Florida old-field, I investigated how warming, increased soil nitrogen and thinning of the extant plant community affected survival, growth and reproduction of P. aspera using a life table response experiment. The estimated population growth rate (λ) of P. aspera was reduced by nitrogen addition, as a result of decreased fecundity. However, λ increased in response to the warming treatment, as a result of increased fecundity. In the presence of thinning, both warming and nitrogen served to increase λ as a result of an increase in the growth of young individuals. This experiment illustrates how different vital rates contribute to the population level responses of an experimentally introduced plant to warming, and nitrogen deposition. Results also show how these demographic responses may occur via indirect effects through established species. This work highlights the importance of studying interactions among temperature, soil nitrogen and demography across the entire life cycle in order to capture the complex and, often, non-additive relationships mediating global change effects.
Heat Transfer Characteristics from Single Group Slot Jet Impingement on the Strip Surface for the Hot Rolling Ultra-Fast Cooling

As for the impinging jets of single group slot nozzles, the heat transfer of the top and bottom strip surface is uneven which is mainly caused by the various jet distances of the top and bottom nozzle to the strip surface and the effect of gravity. In this study, the convective heat transfer process of the top and bottom strip surface due to single group slot nozzles in the ultra-fast cooling (UFC) system was studied by the fluid-structure interaction finite element method. The distributions of the flow field and heat transfer for the top and bottom strip surfaces were obtained under the various parameters. The results showed that, the difference value of the average Nusselt numbe for the top and bottom strip surface was decreased with the increase of the jet velocity, but when the jet velocity was up to 5m/s it remained almost the same. The uniformity of the top and bottom surface was improved by the jet impingement height (h) for the h <45mm. It was found that for h =25mm, the heat transfers of the top and down surfaces were more evenly, and the different value of average Nusselt number for the decreased by about 12.6%-28% as the jet impingement height increased from 25mm to 45mm when the slot width was 5mm.
The impact of circular stapler diameter on the incidence of gastrojejunostomy stenosis and weight loss following laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass

Gastrojejunostomy stenosis after laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is a common occurrence. The incidence varies widely among reported series. We evaluated the impact of circular stapler size on the rate of stenosis and weight loss. Our initial technique utilized a 21-mm circular stapler to construct the gastrojejunostomy. We switched to a 25-mm stapler after a large preliminary experience. Stenosis was confirmed by endoscopy in patients complaining of the inability to eat or excessive vomiting, and was defined as a gastrojejunostomy diameter less than that of a therapeutic endoscope (11-mm). Stenosis occurred in 23 of 145 patients (15.9%) with a 21-mm gastrojejunostomy. Five of 81 patients with a 25-mm circular stapled anastomosis have developed a stenosis (6.2%, p = 0.03). Weight loss was similar for each sized stapler at 6 and 12 months. The use of a 25-mm circular stapler in laparoscopic gastric bypass is preferable to a 21-mm stapler. The larger stapler is associated with a significantly decreased incidence of gastrojejunostomy stenosis without compromising early weight loss.