cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Influence of attachment theory on hotel service for specific customers

AbstractSpecific strategies for hotel brand quality development are demonstrated based on the attachment theory. Customers are identified by their levels of anxiety and avoidance. The study used a random sample of 376 U.S. hotel guests in 2013 to test the hotel brand attachment model. The study found that (1) emotional attention with discounted price is most important for guests with base hotel membership; (2) prompt service with discounted price within a time limit is for guests with no hotel membership at a midscale hotel; (3) safety and accuracy service with a full price is for guests with no hotel membership at a luxury hotel; and (4) best performance with a full price is for guests with elite hotel membership.
Novel control architecture for dual-output DC-DC converters driving DC-AC inversion system

To interface low-voltage dc-output power sources to ac grid, the split dc-bus dc-ac inverters driven by step-up isolated dual-output dc-dc converters can be a solution. When the split dc-bus dc-ac inverter is loaded with single-phase ac or unbalanced three-phase ac, current ripples will propagate through the dc-dc converters at frequencies that are related to the ac side fundamental. For the dc-dc converter close-loop voltage regulation to be robust against the disturbance introduced by those low frequency current ripples, a novel control architecture is proposed. In this paper, a combined control structure for dual-output dc-dc converters with common mode (CM) and differential mode (DM) compensation loops are presented. Simulation and experimental results have been provided for validation.
Defining free amino acid contents of grass pea (Lathyrus sativus) genotypes in Turkey

AbstractFree amino acid contents, including Arginine (Arg), Aspartic acid (Asp), Glutamic acid (Glu), Proline (Pro), Methionine (Met), Tyrosine (Tyr), Leusine + Isoleucine (Leu + Ile) and Phenylalanine (Phe) of 173 different Lathyrus sativus (grass pea) genotypes were studied. Arg was the most fluctuated and at the same time it gave the highest and the lowest yielded free amino acids among the all genotypes, ranging from 0.10 to 506.85 mg g−1. However, regarding to the mean values, Glu is having the highest levels with 311.61 mg g−1 among the all. This study provides an additional data for this field of work and seems to be unique.
The social networks and distinctive experiences of intensively involved online gamers

Relying on a novel integration of both survey data (N=3629) and egocentric social network interviews (N=53), this study explores associations between patterns of social support and online gaming involvement and experience. In both our large survey and network interviews, informants who possess a greater number of alters (social ties) who support their gaming are more likely to report deriving pleasure from their online play. We also find that intensive or hardcore gamers show evidence of homophily, with such players having a greater number of gamer-alters in their important person social networks and thus a more homogenous social composition. Importantly, more intensively involved gamers social networks also tend to be less dense and more fragmented. Interpreting the results, we argue that network consensus of social norms may compel gamers to both behave and judge their behavior in certain distinctive positive and negative ways. At the same time, gamers may also construct different types of networks by surrounding themselves with more supportive and like-minded alters. The employment of an ethnographically derived, mixed methodology allows us to go beyond more standard approaches that often rely on survey data alone. Our method lets us test social network theory hypotheses within gaming-related offline/online networks, ascertaining possible causal processes underlying links between social support and online gaming involvement and experience. The social network diagram of a positively involved online gamer, showing the manner that gamers come to dominate her important person network. Conceptual demonstration of advantages to integrating survey and social network data.Intensive gamers have demonstrably different network composition and structure.Network opinions and social norms can shape online gaming experiences.Level of gaming involvement may produce distinctive network structures.
Editorial - Chief Medical Officer Perspective on End-of-Life Issues in a Health System.

All of us die. Some of us will die suddenly and without warning. Most of us will go through a process of dying as we approach the end of life. Just as we healthcare professionals struggle to extend and improve life, we also have an obligation to improve the process of dying. How do we help our
GGE biplot analysis of reactions of bread wheat pure lines selected from central anatolian landraces of Turkey to leaf rust disease (Puccinia triticina) in multiple location-years

The present study was conducted to determine the reactions of 88 bread wheat pure lines selected from landraces collected in Central Anatolian Region of Turkey against leaf rust (Puccinia triticina) under field conditions in 7 locations. GGE biplot analysis was used to determine the reactions of landrace genotypes against the disease. The GGE biplot explained 73.89% of total variation. Among the experimental locations, 6 (except for E3) were placed close to each other over the biplot graph, indicating two apparent mega-environments. The GGE biplot visually displayed the resistance and stability of the pure lines to leaf rust. The landrace genotypes L18, L19, L45, and L2 were identified as the most resistant/stable genotypes in all environments and L31 and L56 were the most susceptible/stable genotypes.
How gender determines the way we speak about professionals.

Gender inequality persists in many professions, particularly in high-status fields, such as science, technology, engineering, and math. We report evidence of a form of gender bias that may contribute to this state: gender influences the way that people speak about professionals. When discussing professionals or their work, it is common to refer to them by surname alone (e.g., “Darwin developed the theory of evolution”). We present evidence that people are more likely to refer to male than female professionals in this way. This gender bias emerges in archival data across domains; students reviewing professors online and pundits discussing politicians on the radio are more likely to use surname when speaking about a man (vs. a woman). Participants’ self-reported references also indicate a preference for using surname when speaking about male (vs. female) scientists, authors, and others. Finally, experimental evidence provides convergent evidence: participants writing about a fictional male scientist are more likely to refer to him by surname than participants writing about an otherwise identical female scientist. We find that, on average, people are over twice as likely to refer to male professionals by surname than female professionals. Critically, we identified consequences of this gender bias in speaking about professionals. Researchers referred to by surname are judged as more famous and eminent. They are consequently seen as higher status and more deserving of eminence-related benefits and awards. For instance, scientists referred to by surname were seen as 14% more deserving of a National Science Foundation career award.
Postoperative Adverse Events in Teaching and Nonteaching Hospitals

Background and Objectives: With the recent attention on quality of care and residency training, teaching hospitals are coming under greater scrutiny. Despite several studies, there is still no consensus on whether teaching hospitals deliver higher quality of care than nonteaching hospitals. Methods: This was a retrospective cross-sectional study, using national hospital data. The sample consisted of 3,818 acute care hospitals in the National Inpatient Sample from 1990‐1996. The quality indicators were postoperative adverse events, including venous thrombosis/pulmonary embolism (DVT/PE), pulmonary compromise, pneumonia, and urinary tract infection (UTI). Hospitals were classified as major teaching, other teaching, and nonteaching. Quality indicator rates of hospital types were compared and multivariate regression performed to control for specific hospital characteristics. Results: Teaching hospitals had higher rates of postoperative DVT/PE and pulmonary compromise but lower rates of UTI, compared with nonteaching hospitals. In the multivariate analysis, teaching hospitals were more likely to have higher postoperative DVT/PE rates, and other teaching hospitals had higher rates of pulmonary compromise and UTI. Postoperative pneumonia rates were higher in major teaching hospitals than nonteaching hospitals. Conclusions: Rates of postoperative adverse events were higher in teaching hospitals compared to nonteaching hospitals. These findings suggest that quality of care, as measured by postoperative adverse events, may not be higher in teaching hospitals.
4.20 – The NMDA Receptor

The NMDA receptor was one of the first molecules identified as being critical for synaptic plasticity and memory formation. This chapter reviews the basic functional properties of the NMDA receptor and describes the complex biochemical mechanisms regulating its function. A unifying theme for the chapter is that the NMDA receptor serves as a molecular signal integration platform underlying synaptic plasticity and memory formation.
Quantitative Electron Probe Microanalysis of Fly Ash Particles

Fly ash particles or other similar particles may be quantitatively analyzed with a flat-sample, matrix-correction method that has been modified to include the peak-to-background ratio for each element as a normalizing factor. The effects of the different matrix corrections on particles are discussed. Examples of analyses of standard reference material glass particles by both a standard matrix correction program (FRAME C) and a modified correction program (FRAME P) are presented as well as analyses of fly ash (SRM-1633).
Regional Specialization in Antigen Presentation

Cells of the reticuloendothelial system were recognized as essential to immunologic functions even before a unitary description of the RES was achieved. Metchnikoff, in the late 1800s, first identified phagocytes as important cells in protective immunity. Since then, an enormous amount of experimental data has confirmed the pivotal role of cells of the RES in immune responses.
Expert opinion on existing and developing drugs to treat female sexual dysfunction.

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Female sexual dysfunction (FSD) is a highly prevalent, yet commonly underdiagnosed and undertreated condition. This paper reviews the diagnostic terminology for FSD, and basic sexual physiology in women. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved drugs for FSD are discussed, followed by investigational drugs for FSD currently in phase 2 or 3 clinical trials, reasons for failure of drug development, and potential future drug targets.Areas covered: A literature review was conducted for available treatments for FSD: flibanserin, estrogen, ospemifene and prasterone. Potential treatments are assessed, as was the Pharmaprojects database which includes clinical trial information. Testosterone, bremelanotide, bupropion-trazodone, PDE-5 inhibitors, prostaglandins, tibolone and combination therapies, and the theoretical basis of potential drug targets are discussed.Expert opinion: The lack of established endpoints for phase 3 studies of FSD has impeded approval of new treatments, and requ...
Isolation and Identification of Primary Metabolite Feeding Stimulants for Adult Western Corn Rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera Leconte, from Host Pollens

Consumption of pollens from several host plants was quantified for adult western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera, with significantly more sweet corn and winter squash pollen consumed than that of common sunflower and Canada goldenrod. Sequential solvent extraction and chromatographic fractionation of host pollens, guided by a feeding bioassay of respective fractions, isolated dominant phagostimulatory activity in pools of free amino acids. Amino acid profiles were determined by TLC and HPLC analysis. For sweet corn pollen, proline was predominant, accounting for 70% of a total 95.3 μmol free amino acid/g pollen; serine, alanine, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and asparagine occurred in decreasing order of concentration. In squash pollen, β-alanine predominated (30% of 111 μmol amino acid/g pollen), followed by asparagine, alanine, proline, and GABA. Histidine (42% of 83.8 μmol amino acid/g pollen), proline, aspartic acid, asparagine, and alanine were dominant for sunflower pollen; and for goldenrod, proline (51% of 50.6 μmol amino acid/g pollen), trans-hydroxyproline, serine, histidine, and alanine predominated. The five dominant amino acids from each pollen accounted for 80–90% of total amino acid content. Simple mixtures of some dominant amino acids, approximating levels found in sweet corn and squash pollen, gave phagostimulation similar to that of the crude extracts.
Effect of Ni on the Corrosion Behavior of Haynes 230 Alloy in MgCl2-KCl Salt

The long-term dipping corrosion experiments were performed on Haynes 230 (H230) in molten eutectic MgCl2-KCl at 973 K with and without connection with Ni-201 alloy. The results showed that the corrosion rate of H230 was 1.62 mg/cm2/day while connecting with Ni-201 alloy. However, for the H230 which was not connecting with Ni-201 alloy, the corrosion rate was 0.95 mg/cm2/day. Therefore, Ni-201 alloy accelerates the corrosion rate of H230 in the molten MgCl2-KCl salt while connecting to each other. For the analysis of SEM-EDS, W deposition was found on the connected Ni-201 alloy. However, no deposition was shown on the surface of the Ni-201 alloy which was not connected with H230. In addition, based on the SEM-EDS and ICP-OES, the weight of dissolved elements in salt is in good agreements with weight loss of samples.
Response to single agent dasatinib post allogeneic transplant in B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia with NUP214-ABL1.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02420717.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02883049.The majority of Philadelphia-like (Ph-like) acute lymphoblastic leukemi...
Robotic Assisted Total Laparoscopic Hysterectomy: Uterine Didelphys and Vaginal Septum Resection

Video Objective This video depicts a robotic assisted laparoscopic approach to hysterectomy in a patient with uterine didelphys and a longitudinal vaginal septum. Setting This is a 49 year old woman who presented with worsening abnormal uterine bleeding and dysmenorrhea, which was refractory to medical management. She desired definitive surgical management. This was performed as an ambulatory surgery within a hospital setting. Interventions Within the operating room, the uterine manipulator was only able to be placed in the left hemiuterus. The right hemiuterus subsequently lacked a colpotomy ring. The video itself demonstrates the resection of a rectovesical ligament, endometriosis resection off the left uterosacral ligament, ureterolysis, as well as bladder dissection off both cervices and vagina. A circumferential colpotomy is performed with only one colpotomy ring, and the longitudinal vaginal septum is resected robotically. The vaginal repair, distal uterosacral ligament suspension, and vaginal cuff closure complete the surgery. Conclusion Mullerian anomalies may require modifications to typical surgical procedure in performing hysterectomy. If present, the rectovesical ligament should be resected. With uterine didelphys, it may only be feasible to place one uterine manipulator. This critically leaves one cervix without a colpotomy cup. Begin colpotomy posteriorly and on the hemicervix with a colpotomy cup. The surgeon can then pull cephalad on the specimen while completing the colpotomy around the contralateral hemicervix. Ureteral awareness is critical while performing cuff suspension and closure due to the wide lateral colpotomy resulting from two cervices. The ureter is much closer in proximity and risks getting kinked. Consider ureterolysis and more extensive bladder dissection before cuff closure, and cystourethroscopy to ensure ureteral jets after closure.
Interference-enhanced optical magnetism in surface high-index resonators: a pathway toward high-performance ultracompact linear and nonlinear meta-optics

Artificial magnetism in optical frequencies is one of the most intriguing phenomena associated with metamaterials. The Mie resonance of high-index resonators provides an alternative approach to achieving optical magnetism with simple structures. Given the generally moderate refractive index exhibited by available materials at optical frequencies, Mie resonances usually suffer from coupling between the multipole modes, and the corresponding response of the Mie metasurfaces can be analyzed based on the concept of “meta-optics.” Here, we show that the optical magnetism in high-index resonators can be significantly enhanced by adding a highly reflective back mirror to the system. To highlight the transformative ability of this approach for improving meta-optics in the linear and nonlinear regimes, two proof-of-concept demonstrations are presented. Theoretical modeling reveals that low-pump power ultrafast nonlinear optics can be realized in periodic Si nanodisk arrays backed with a gold film, a system supporting guided resonance modes. Moreover, based on the enhanced magnetism of individual high-index resonators, a pair of silicon cuboids is demonstrated as a magnetic antenna for directional excitation of surface plasmon waves. The interference-enhanced magnetism of high-index resonators provides a disruptive technology for enabling meta-optics comprising ultracompact, high-speed, and power-efficient photonic devices.
The Influence of Superoxide Dismutase and Glutathione Peroxidase Deficiencies on Noise-Induced Hearing Loss in Mice

One consequence of noise exposure is increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as superoxide, hydrogen peroxide, and hydroxyl radicals, in the cochlea. ROS can cause oxidative damage to diverse cellular components, including membranes, proteins, and DNA, if they are not "neutralised" by antioxidant defences. Two important enzymes of the cochlear antioxidant defense system are cytosolic copper/zinc superoxide dismutase (SOD1) and selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase (GPx1). These metalloenzymes work together to regulate ROS production in virtually every cell in the body, and they may be important for limiting cochlear damage associated with aging and acoustic overexposure. In this chapter, we describe a series of experiments using mice with targeted deletions of Sod1 or Gpx1, the mouse genes that code for SOD1 and GPx1, respectively, to study the cellular mechanisms underlying noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). The results from Sod1 and Gpx1 knockout mice provide insights into the link between endogenous levels of antioxidant enzymes and susceptibility to NIHL.
Cybersecurity vulnerability mitigation framework through empirical paradigm: Enhanced prioritized gap analysis

Abstract Existing cybersecurity vulnerability assessment tools were designed based on the policies and standards defined by organizations such as the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Frameworks such as the cybersecurity capability maturity model (C2M2) and the NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) are often used by the critical infrastructure owners and operators to determine the cybersecurity maturity of their facility. Although these frameworks are exceptional at performing qualitative cybersecurity analysis and identifying vulnerabilities, they do not provide a means to perform prioritized mitigation of those vulnerabilities in order to achieve a desired cybersecurity maturity. To address that challenge, we developed a framework and software application called the cybersecurity vulnerability mitigation framework through empirical paradigm (CyFEr). This paper presents the detailed architecture of CyFEr’s enhanced prioritized gap analysis (EPGA) methodology and its application to CSF. The efficacy of the presented framework is demonstrated by comparing against existing similar models and testing against the cyber injects from a real-world cyber-attack that targeted industrial control systems (ICS) in critical infrastructures.
Lipid profile in pre-eclampsia in comparison with normal subjects

Introduction: The present study was designed to evaluate the association of dyslipidemia (abnormal lipid metabolism) in pre-eclampsia in comparison with non pregnant women, normotensive pregnant women and post partum subjects. Material ad Methods: This study was conducted on 200 subjects who were further divided in four groups (50 subjects in each group). The four groups were non pregnant subjects, normotensive pregnant subjects, pre-eclamptic patients and post partum subjects. Each serum sample from different groups was evaluated for total cholesterol (mg/dl), HDL-cholesterol (mg/dl), LDL-cholesterol (mg/dl), VLDL-cholesterol (mg/dl) and triglyceride (mg/dl). Result: On comparison of non pregnant subjects, normotensive pregnant subjects and post partum subjects with pre-eclamptic patients, the levels of total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, VLDL cholesterol and triglycerides were found to be significantly increased (p values ≤ 0.001) and that of HDL cholesterol levels were found to be statistically significantly (p values ≤ 0.001) in pre-eclamptic patients. Conclusion: Deranged lipid metabolism in pre-eclampsia is associated with development of atherosclerotic diseases which increases the morbidity and mortality in mother as well as foetus. The various factors responsible for development of dyslipidemia and its prevention need to be studied and evaluated.
Network Segregation and Water Governance: The Case of the Spiny Lobster Initiative

This chapter reviews five mechanisms related to network segregation in the context of water and environmental governance: geography, policy beliefs and preferences, social group identity, sectoral affiliations, trust and reciprocity. We identify the social processes associated with each mechanism, provide examples from existing research, and describe issues related to measurement and analysis. We then explore these mechanisms in the case of the Spiny Lobster Initiative in Honduras, a collaborative process that attempted to build boundary-spanning relationships across geographic and sectoral boundaries. Our analysis highlights the enduring nature of network segregation, and the difficulty of short collaborative processes to overcome them.
A facile synthesis of hierarchically porous carbon derived from serum albumin by a generated-templating method for efficient oxygen reduction reaction

Hierarchically porous carbons (HPCs), with large specific surface area, abundant porous channels and adequate anchor points, act as one type of ideal carbon supports for the preparation of single-atom electrocatalysts. In this study, the blood plasma-derived HPC with an interconnected porous framework is constructed via a generated-template method, with the formation of ZnS nanoparticles from the abundant disulfide bonds (–S–S–) in serum albumin. After the thermal activation with heme-containing molecules (also from the bovine-blood biowaste), the HPC exhibits high-exposure and low-spin-state Fe(II)–N4 atomic active sites, and thereby presents a superior oxygen reduction reaction activity (the half wave potential of 0.87 V) and excellent stability (a 4 mV negative shift after 3000 potential cycles), even comparable with the benchmark Pt/C. This work delivers a new insight into the design and synthesis of porous carbons and carbon-based electrocatalysts to develop bio-derived materials in the field of clean energy conversion and storage.
Genetical and biochemical evidence for further interrelationships between the polyaromatic synthetic and the quinate-shikimate catabolic pathways in Neurospora crassa.

Studies have been performed with a special class of revertants occurring with a high spontaneous frequency as suppressor mutations in mutants of the arom-1 + gene, which encodes the enzyme dehydroshikimate reductase in the constitutive, polyaromatic, biosynthetic pathway in Neurospora crassa. Combined genetical and biochemical evidence indicates that these reversions to prototrophy result from mutations in the unlinked qa-4 + gene, which encodes the enzyme dehydroshikimate dehydrase in the inducible, quinate-shikimate catabolic pathway. Additional evidence indicates that such revertants can occur only if a qa-3 + gene (which encodes shikimate, and quinate, dehydrogenase) is present. These results support the hypothesis that prototrophic arom-1 qa-4 double mutants accumulate high levels of dehydroshikimate which lead to the induction of high levels of shikimate dehydrogenase (the enzyme normally degrading shikimate to dehydroshikimate) and by mass action cause a net conversion of dehydroshikimate to shikimate. Thus, shikimate dehydrogenase effectively replaces dehydroshikimate reductase and supplies the aromatic amino acid requirements of arom-1 mutants. In this situation, a mutation leading to the loss of a biochemically distinct second enzyme activity acts as a special type of suppressor mutation——not by restoring the first activity as is true of nonsense suppressor mutations——but by causing the enzymic activity originally missing to be replaced by a catalytically related but otherwise physically distinct enzyme encoded in an unlinked gene.
Nonparametric Learning Algorithms for Joint Pricing and Inventory Control with Lost Sales and Censored Demand

We consider a joint pricing and inventory control problem in which the customer’s response to selling price and the demand distribution are not known a priori. Unsatisfied demand is lost and unobse...
Análisis de la implementación de rincones lectores en jardines infantiles

A reading corner is a pedagogical innovation that is defined as a space characterized by being comfortable, welcoming and accessible where children feel identified, generating a variety of experiences and reading experiences with different stories that motivates the reader to give themselves the opportunity to share with others and convey the importance that reading has from a centralized approach to enjoyment, playful and dialogue. The objective of this study was to analyze the transformations that occur in the educational community by implementing this pedagogical innovation in children's gardens in the San Antonio district, Valparaiso region, Chile. A qualitative study was designed, using semi-structured interviews conducted on teams from three children's gardens in the district. The results were systematically analyzed based on three main categories: I. Motivation of participants in the implementation of reader corners; II. Process of implementation of reader corners and III. Perception of the effect of reader corners on educational communities. Subcategories were derived from each of these main categories and were analyzed individually. From the analysis of the interviews conducted, findings emerged regarding the positive effect generated by the implementation of the reader corners, which emphasize the emotional and cognitive development of children, the link between the educational community and teamwork among the actors involved, among others.
Digital delivery of a contingency management intervention for substance use disorder: A feasibility study with DynamiCare Health.

Abstract Digital health tools can provide convenient delivery of evidence-based treatments. The DynamiCare Health smartphone app delivers a contingency management intervention for substance use disorder consisting of remote self-testing for alcohol (breath) and drugs (saliva) with remote test validation and delivery of financial incentives for negative test results. This study examined feasibility, engagement (duration and consistency of app utilization), and impact on usual care treatment participation when a community substance use treatment program implemented this digital therapy among its patients. The study randomly assigned patients with alcohol use disorder (N = 61) to receive either DynamiCare along with treatment-as-usual (TAU; N = 29) or TAU only (N = 32) during a 90-day evaluation period. Mean duration between first and last app use was 64 (±35) days, with mean earnings of $248 ( ± $209, out of $600 maximum). Among those with any app use (n = 25), compliance was 68% and 74%, respectively for requested breath and saliva samples. Overall, two thirds of patients (66%) assigned to the app used it for at least 57 days and with high rates of self-testing compliance. Those completing the assessment (n = 13; 45% of sample) endorsed high satisfaction ratings. DynamiCare versus TAU participants were more likely to be retained in usual care treatment at 90 days (24% vs 3%; (χ2 (1, 61) = 5.9, p
Out of milk: infant food insecurity in a rich nation: by Lesley Frank, Vancouver, University of British Columbia Press, 2020, 192 pp., $29.95, ISBN 9780774862486

Breastmilk is free, so why are low-income women more likely to feed their babies formula? This “breastfeeding paradox” is the entree point for Lesley Frank’s Out of Milk: Infant Food Insecurity in ...
Comparative venous thromboembolic safety of oral and transdermal postmenopausal hormone therapies among women Veterans.

Objective Hormone therapy (HT) is used by menopausal women to treat vasomotor symptoms. Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is an important risk of HT use, and more knowledge on the comparative safety of different estrogenic compounds is useful for women who use HT for these symptoms. The objective was to compare the risk of VTE among users of oral conjugated equine estrogen (CEE), oral estradiol (E2), and transdermal E2, in a cohort of women veterans. Methods This retrospective cohort study included all women veterans aged 40 to 89 years, using CEE or E2, without prior VTE, between 2003 and 2011. All incident VTE events were adjudicated. Time-to-event analyses using a time-varying HT exposure evaluated the relative VTE risk between estrogen subtypes, with adjustment for age, race, and body mass index, with stratification for prevalent versus incident use of HT. Results Among 51,571 users of HT (74.5% CEE, 12.6% oral, and 12.9% transdermal E2 at cohort entry), with a mean age of 54.0 years, the incidence of VTE was 1.9/1,000 person-years. Compared with CEE use, in the multivariable regression model, there was no difference in the risk of incident VTE associated with oral E2 use (hazard ratio 0.96, 95% CI 0.64-1.46) or with transdermal E2 use (hazard ratio 0.95, 95% CI 0.60-1.49). Results were unchanged when restricting to incident users of HT. Conclusions Among women veterans, the risk of VTE was similar in users of oral CEE, oral E2, and transdermal E2. These findings do not confirm the previously observed greater safety of transdermal and oral E2 over CEE.
Age-related degradation of tectorial membrane dynamics with loss of CEACAM16.

ABSTRACT Studies of genetic disorders of sensorineural hearing loss have been instrumental in delineating mechanisms that underlie the remarkable sensitivity and selectivity that are hallmarks of mammalian hearing. For example, genetic modifications of TECTA and TECTB, which are principal proteins that comprise the tectorial membrane (TM), have been shown to alter auditory thresholds and frequency tuning in ways that can be understood in terms of changes in the mechanical properties of the TM. Here we investigate effects of genetic modification targeting CEACAM16, a third important TM protein. Loss of CEACAM16 has been recently shown to lead to progressive reductions in sensitivity. While age-related hearing losses have previously been linked to changes in sensory receptor cells, the role of the TM in progressive hearing loss is largely unknown. Here, we show that TM stiffness and viscosity are significantly reduced in adult mice that lack functional CEACAM16 relative to age-matched wild-type controls. By contrast, these same mechanical properties of TMs from juvenile mice that lack functional CEACAM16 are more similar to those of wild-type mice. Thus changes in hearing phenotype align with changes in TM material properties and can be understood in terms of the same TM wave properties that were previously used to characterize modifications of TECTA and TECTB. These results demonstrate that CEACAM16 is essential for maintaining TM mechanical and wave properties, which in turn, are necessary for sustaining the remarkable sensitivity and selectivity of mammalian hearing with increasing age.
Rhetoric as a Sociological Problem

This article revisits James Aune's sociological framework for rhetoric in his important but overlooked “Modernity as a Rhetorical Problem.” I situate Aune's essay within the history of sociological...
Rulemaking under the Illinois Pollution Law

Conceived at the height of the ecological movement in 1970, the Illinois Environmental Protection Act' essayed a thorough revision of the state's rather somnolent mechanism for pollution control. Drawn into a unified program were formerly scattered powers over air pollution, water pollution, solid-waste disposal, and public water supplies, along with a brand-new power to regulate noise. Three new agencies were created, with powers divided on functional lines. In order to separate prosecutor from judge, the Environmental Protection Agency was to file complaints and the independent Pollution Control Board to decide them, while the Institute for Environmental Quality was to engage in relatively long-term planning, free from the distractions of everyday enforcement duties. Rulemaking authority was given to the Board, not so much out of abstract public-administration principles as to assure that the authority would be exercised vigorously: it was known in the drafting stage that the Agency would necessarily be manned largely by the staffs of the previous agencies and headed by the longtime chief of staff to the old air and water boards, while the new Board would be chosen afresh by the Governor. Eliminated from the new statute were earlier provisions requiring certain Board members to be representatives of executive departments, of affected interest groups such as industry, or of specified professions: the first were thought to endanger the separation of Board from prosecutor, the second to create conflicts of interest, and the third to imply erroneously that certain professions possessed a monopoly of relevant information. Board membership was made a full-time job, in contrast to the previous volunteer Boards whose members could not devote adequate time to a very demanding assignment. Rulemaking authority was broadened; greater provision was made for public participation, including public access to most information in government files and the right of citizens to
Genome Diversity, Population Genetics, and Evolution of Malaria Parasites

Malaria parasites infect an impressively broad range of vertebrate hosts, with over 100 species identified in mammals, reptiles, and birds. The majority of malaria parasites are transmitted by mosquitoes; human malaria parasites are transmitted by anopheline mosquitoes exclusively. The study of genome diversity and plasticity, particularly at chromosome ends, is a robust area of research within the malaria community. A class of polymorphisms contributing to genome diversity and plasticity is deletions and insertions (indels) of short repetitive DNA sequences, known as microsatellites (MS) or minisatellites depending on the size of the repeated unit. Gene copy number variation (CNV) is yet another factor contributing to genome diversity in malaria parasites. In Plasmodium falciparum CNV has been detected for many genes by using high-density microarray and/or real-time PCR. Malaria parasites have relatively high recombination rates compared with other organisms studied, such as humans and mice. The degree and extent of genome diversity is tightly linked to parasite origins and evolutionary history. Genome-wide polymorphic single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) can be applied to mapping genes or mutations that are associated with parasite phenotypes of interest. The P. vivax genome is at least as diverse as that of P. falciparum, according to estimates of the nucleotide substitution rate. An understanding of the genome diversity of malaria parasites provides valuable insights into parasite evolution, population structure, dynamics of transmission, mechanisms of drug resistance, immune evasion, and parasite development.
The Science of Schooling for Students with Learning Disabilities: Recommendations for Service Delivery Linking Practice with Research

Publisher Summary This chapter examines current realities and legal parameters of service delivery and views the knowledge base supporting effective practices for students with learning disabilities (LD) through contemporary syntheses of special education research. Students with LDs, in particular, are characterized by extreme individual differences that often pose significant academic and social challenges. Successful schooling for them relies on a distribution of labor, with school-based practitioners utilizing research knowledge and researchers capturing, refining, and documenting the dynamic craft of instruction. The field of special education is probably known more for its social policies addressing the equitable education of students with disabilities than for its scholarship supporting their effective instruction. The legal principles that guide the education of students with LDs actually encourage educators to be attentive rather than indifferent to students' achievement and personal learning needs. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) ensures that any student with a disability who needs special education is provided with a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in the least Restrictive Environment (LRE) and is taught by trained teachers who use effective practices. The statements of consensus that emerged from the Learning Disabilities Roundtable helped to clarify important issues of identification and programming. They also raised questions about the primary role of special education in this coherent system.
A quantitative analysis of histone methylation and acetylation isoforms from their deuteroacetylated derivatives: application to a series of knockout mutants

The core histones, H2A, H2B, H3 and H4, undergo post-translational modifications (PTMs) including lysine acetylation, methylation and ubiquitylation, arginine methylation and serine phosphorylation. Lysine residues may be mono-, di- and trimethylated, the latter resulting in an addition of mass to the protein that differs from acetylation by only 0.03639 Da, but that can be distinguished either on high-performance mass spectrometers with sufficient mass accuracy and mass resolution or via retention times. Here we describe the use of chemical derivatization to quantify methylated and acetylated histone isoforms by forming deuteroacetylated histone derivatives prior to tryptic digestion and bottom-up liquid chromatography-mass spectrometric analysis. The deuteroacetylation of unmodified or mono-methylated lysine residues produces a chemically identical set of tryptic peptides when comparing the unmodified and modified versions of a protein, making it possible to directly quantify lysine acetylation. In this work, the deuteroacetylation technique is used to examine a single histone H3 peptide with methyl and acetyl modifications at different lysine residues and to quantify the relative abundance of each modification in different deacetylase and methylase knockout yeast strains. This application demonstrates the use of the deuteroacetylation technique to characterize modification ‘cross-talk’ by correlating different PTMs on the same histone tail. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A rare case of intramedullary ‘whorling-sclerosing’ variant meningioma

A 52-year-old man with a seven-year history of progressive weakness, gait problems, and pain in his extremities presented with subacute worsening of his symptoms. Examination revealed weakness in all four extremities, increased tone, hyperreflexia, and sensory deficits. MRI of the cervical spine showed an area of signal abnormality and abnormal enhancement within the cervical cord at the C5–C6 level. The patient initially underwent biopsy followed a few days later by a debulking surgery. Postoperatively, the patient showed improvement in strength as well as ambulation. Intraoperatively, the lesion was confirmed to be intramedullary without any dural attachments. Histopathological examination revealed an extensively hyalinized tumor with sparse collections of cells that were immunopositive for both cytokeratin and GFAP, and immunonegative for EMA and progesterone receptor. This is an unusual pattern of expression, with cytokeratin immunopositivity suggesting a meningioma and GFAP immunopositivity suggesting a glioma. Considering the combination of extensive hyalinization with cytokeratin positivity the tumor was thought to be most consistent with a hyalinized meningioma with GFAP positivity. GFAP-positive meningiomas are rare, and these include the recently described ‘whorling-sclerosing’ variant. Only three cases of this tumor have been previously reported, all of which were intracranial. This is the first reported case of an intramedullary whorling-sclerosing meningioma.
Suppression of bacterial blight by a bacterial community isolated from the guttation fluids of Anthuriums

Growth and survival of Xanthomonas campestris pv. dieffenbachiae in guttation fluids (xylem sap exuded from leaf margins) of anthuriums were suppressed by several bacterial strains indigenous to leaves of various anthurium cultivars. Inhibition of growth was not observed in filter-sterilized guttation fluids and was restored to original levels only by reintroducing specific mixtures of bacteria into filter-sterilized guttation fluids. The inhibitory effect was related to the species in the bacterial community rather than to the total numbers of bacteria in the guttation fluids. One very effective bacterial community consisted of five species isolated from inhibitory guttation fluids of two susceptible anthurium cultivars. The individual strains in this community had no effect on the pathogen, but the mixture was inhibitory to X. campestris pv. dieffenbachiae in guttation fluids. The populations of the individual strains remained near the initial inoculum levels for at least 14 days. The effect of the five inhibitory strains on reducing disease in susceptible anthurium plants was tested by using a bioluminescent strain of X. campestris pv. dieffenbachiae to monitor the progression of disease in leaves nondestructively. Invasion of the pathogen through hydathodes at leaf margins was reduced by applying the strain mixture to the leaves. When the strain mixture was applied directly to wounds created on the leaf margins, the pathogen failed to invade through the wounds. This bacterial community has potential for biological control of anthurium blight.
Pluralism and Global Justice

Una questio central en el debat al voltant de propostes contemporanies per a un nou ordre internacional es la de si acceptar el fet del pluralisme global ha de portar a rebaixar les nostres expectatives de justicia global . Molts dels participants en aquest debat responen de manera afirmativa a aquesta pregunta . Fins i tot autors com Rawls i Habermas -tots dos prominents defensors de concepcions ambicioses de justicia domestica - semblen arribar a aquesta conclusio pessimista en les seves respectives propostes per a un nou ordre internacional . En aquest article , questiono la plausibilitat d'aquesta conclusio a partir d'una analisi del projecte cosmopolita que Habermas ha articulat en publicacions recents . Argument que la seva presentacio del projecte oscil · la entre dos models . El primer es un model ambicios per a un futur ordre internacional dirigit a complir els objectius de drets humans continguts en la Carta de les Nacions Unides . El segon es un model minimalista on el deure de protegir els drets humans per part de la comunitatinternacional esta limitat a l'obligacio negativa de prevenir guerres d'agressio i violacions massives dels drets humans provinents de conflictes armats com neteges etniques o genocidi . Segons aquest model , qualsevol objectiu de justicia mes ambicios quedaria relegat a una politica domestica global acordada mitjancant la negociacio de compromisos entre unes grans potencies domesticades . En contra d'aquesta interpretacio minimalista ia favor de la interpretacio ambiciosa del model , argument que no hi ha cap base normativa plausible per tracar una distincio significativa entre violacions massives dels drets humans degudes a conflictes armats i violacions degudes a les regulacions internacionals de l'ordre economic global . Si aixo es cert , acceptar el fet del pluralisme global no ofereix una justificacio plausible per excloure la justicia economica dels principis de justicia transnacional reconeguts per la comunitat internacional .
Adaptive Content for Device Independent Multi-modal Browser Applications

Adapting content appropriate to the device and modality of a user's preference becomes more important as users begin to expect universal access to information, whether they are on the phone, on a desktop or using a PDA. This paper outlines the design of a travel application authored using an XForms compliant language and deployed using a DOM-based MVC multi-modal browser. The travel application authored in a language of conversational gestures that can be transcoded into multiple synchronized views for access via a variety of devices.
Intelligent testing systems

In this paper, we analyze features and functions of automated intelligent testers and suggest approaches, methodology and structures for their realization. Our approach is based on principles of life-long continuous testing as the most efficient and, may be, only possible way to achieve reliable software functioning. In addition, a typology of testers and testing approaches is developed to provide possibilities for finding AI methods correlated with each type. Stages of the life-long continuous software testing are described and the role of AI on each of these stages is analyzed. To understand advantages of the intelligent approach, testing abilities of different types of testers are estimated by means of the theory of algorithms.
Third-order coding rate for universal compression of Markov sources

We consider the universal source coding problem for first-order stationary, irreducible and aperiodic Markov sources for short blocklengths. Achievability is derived based on the previously introduced algorithm for universal compression of memoryless sources in the finite blocklengths, the Type Size Code, which encodes strings based on type class size. We derive the third-order asymptotic coding rate of the Type Size code for this model class. We also present a converse on the third-order coding rate for the general class of fixed-to-variable codes and show the optimality of Type Size codes for such Markov sources.
Valuing outdoor recreational activity: a methodological survey.

This paper surveys the economic literature relevant to the monetary valuation of outdoor recreational activity. The paper examines issues that arise in the design and application of the Travel Cost...
A Java Framework for Mobile Data Synchronization

An industry consortium has developed a Java framework for peer-to-peer synchronization of object stores on mobile devices. A device may issue or service requests for synchronization. Successful synchronization leaves replica stores in identical states. The framework is designed to accommodate memory-limited devices and unreliable and expensive connections. Stored objects belong to application classes with methods that are invoked by the framework during synchronization, for example to resolve update conflicts.