cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reductively methylated, tritiated rhodopsin of high specific activity; a convenient sensitive tracer for use in the radioimmunoassay of rhodopsin

Bovine rhodopsin was subjected to reductive methylation in the dark using formaldehyde and high specific activity sodium borotritide. After purification by gel filtration and affinity chromatography on Concanavalin A-Sepharose, the product retained its immunoreactive properties. [3H]-Reductively methylated rhodopsin (specific activity, 32 Ci/mmole) was suitable for use in radioimmunoassays for rhodopsin, having many advantages over radioiodinated rhodopsin for this purpose. The site of the reductive methylation was shown to be the non-active site lysines with the production of tritiated N-epsilon-dimethyllysine and tritiated N-epsilon-methyllysine in a molar ratio of about 1.3:1, respectively. In terms of stability, ease of preparation, and specificity, tritiated, reductively methylated rhodopsin presents itself as a preferable ligand to radioiodinated rhodopsin in many applications, such as the radioimmunoassay.
Decentralized cognitive MAC for opportunistic spectrum access in ad hoc networks: A POMDP framework

We propose decentralized cognitive MAC protocols that allow secondary users to independently search for spectrum opportunities without a central coordinator or a dedicated communication channel. Recognizing hardware and energy constraints, we assume that a secondary user may not be able to perform full-spectrum sensing or may not be willing to monitor the spectrum when it has no data to transmit. We develop an analytical framework for opportunistic spectrum access based on the theory of partially observable Markov decision process (POMDP). This decision-theoretic approach integrates the design of spectrum access protocols at the MAC layer with spectrum sensing at the physical layer and traffic statistics determined by the application layer of the primary network. It also allows easy incorporation of spectrum sensing error and constraint on the probability of colliding with the primary users. Under this POMDP framework, we propose cognitive MAC protocols that optimize the performance of secondary users while limiting the interference perceived by primary users. A suboptimal strategy with reduced complexity yet comparable performance is developed. Without additional control message exchange between the secondary transmitter and receiver, the proposed decentralized protocols ensure synchronous hopping in the spectrum between the transmitter and the receiver in the presence of collisions and spectrum sensing errors
Native like structure in the unfolded state of the villin headpiece helical subdomain, an ultrafast folding protein.

The villin headpiece subdomain, HP36, is the smallest naturally occurring protein that folds cooperatively. Its small size, rapid folding, and simple three-helix topology have made it an extremely popular system for computational studies of protein folding. The role of unfolded state structure in rapid folding is an area of active investigation, but relatively little is known about the properties of unfolded states under native conditions. A peptide fragment, HP21, which contains the first and second helices of HP36 has been shown to be a good model for structure in the unfolded state of the intact domain but a detailed description of the conformational propensities of HP21 is lacking and the balance between native and nonnative interactions is not known. A series of three-dimensional NMR experiments were performed on 13C, 15N-labeled HP21 to investigate in detail its conformational propensities. Analysis of 13Cα, 13Cβ, 13CO chemical shifts, Δδ13Cα − Δδ13Cβ secondary shifts, the secondary structure propensity scores, NOEs, 15N R2 values and comparison of experimental chemical shifts with those of HP36 and with chemical shifts calculated using the SHIFTS and SHIFTX programs all indicate that there is significant native like structure in the HP21 ensemble, and thus by implication in the unfolded state of HP36.
Feasibility and Acceptability of a Resilience Training Program for Intensive Care Unit Nurses

Background The critical nursing shortage is particularly apparent in specialty areas such as intensive care units (ICUs). Some nurses develop resilient coping strategies and adapt to stressful work experiences, mitigating the development of common maladaptive psychological symptoms. Objectives To determine if a multimodal resilience training program for ICU nurses was feasible to perform and acceptable to the study participants. Methods In a randomized and controlled 12-week intervention study, treatment and control groups completed demographic questions and measures of resilience, anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and burnout syndrome before and after the intervention. The intervention included a 2-day educational workshop, written exposure sessions, event-triggered counseling sessions, mindfulness-based stress reduction exercises, and a protocolized aerobic exercise regimen. Nurses in the intervention arm also completed satisfaction surveys for each component of the intervention. Results This mulitmodal resilience training program was feasible to conduct and acceptable to ICU nurses. Both nurses randomized to the treatment group and nurses randomized to the control group showed a significant decrease in PTSD symptom score after the intervention. Conclusions A multifaceted resilience training program for ICU nurses was both feasible and acceptable. A sufficiently powered, randomized clinical trial is needed to assess the effect of the intervention on improving individuals' level of resilience and improving psychological outcomes such as symptoms of anxiety, depression, burnout syndrome, and PTSD.
Stochastic and deterministic networks for texture segmentation

Several texture segmentation algorithms based on deterministic and stochastic relaxation principles, and their implementation on parallel networks, are described. The segmentation process is posed as an optimization problem and two different optimality criteria are considered. The first criterion involves maximizing the posterior distribution of the intensity field given the label field (maximum a posteriori estimate). The posterior distribution of the texture labels is derived by modeling the textures as Gauss Markov random fields (GMRFs) and characterizing the distribution of different texture labels by a discrete multilevel Markov model. A stochastic learning algorithm is proposed. This iterated hill-climbing algorithm combines fast convergence of deterministic relaxation with the sustained exploration of the stochastic algorithms, but is guaranteed to find only a local minimum. The second optimality criterion requires minimizing the expected percentage of misclassification per pixel by maximizing the posterior marginal distribution, and the maximum posterior marginal algorithm is used to obtain the corresponding solution. All these methods implemented on parallel networks can be easily extended for hierarchical segmentation; results of the various schemes in classifying some real textured images are presented. >
Glucuronoxylomannan, galactoxylomannan, and mannoprotein occupy spatially separate and discrete regions in the capsule of Cryptococcus neoformans.

The capsular polysaccharides of Cryptococcus neoformans have historically been divided into three components namely, glucuronoxylomannan (GXM), galactoxylomannan (GalXM), and mannoprotein (MP) but their relative spatial-geographical relationship in the capsule is unknown. To explore this problem would require the capacity for visualizing these components in the capsule. Prior studies have reported serological reagents to GXM and GalXM but no antibodies are available against MPs. Consequently, we immunized Balb/c mice with C. neoformans recombinant mannoprotein 98 and recovered twelve monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) of which one, an IgG2a designated 18F2, bound to intact cells by immunofluorescence. mAb 18F2 bound to the cell wall surface in acapsular and encapsulated cells. Using mAb 18F2 and previously generated antibodies to GXM and GalXM we have established the localization of three capsular components GXM, GalXM and one type of mannoprotein, MP98 on the C. neoformans cell. The results show that MP98...
Financial Incentives for Living Kidney Donation: Ethics and Evidence

The widening gap between the number of donated kidneys and the need for kidney transplants has driven interest in incentivizing living kidney donation. Proposals to increase living kidney donation rates using financial incentives have generated vigorous ethical critiques, which can be placed into
Multi-Analyte Sensing: From Site-Selective Deposition to Randomly-Ordered Addressable Optical Fiber Sensors

In this report we review the progress in the development of imaging fiber chemical sensors. Emphasis is placed on the chemical sensor component and the fabrication of architectures appropriate for multi-analyte sensing, such as optical fiber sensors. Two main approaches in the fabrication of such sensors will be highlighted: first, sensors made with spatially-resolved sensing sites by site-selective polymerization, second, sensors prepared by random distribution of microsphere sensors on an optical imaging fiber containing thousands of μm-scale wells. Examples of each are given.
High-frequency diffraction of electromagnetic waves by a circular aperture in an infinite plane conducting screen

The scattering of plane electromagnetic wave of wave number k by a circular aperture of radius a in an infinitely conducting plane screen of zero thickness and infinite extent is considered. In the limit of large ka and at normal incidence, the ratio of the transmission cross section to the geometrical optical value \pi a^{2} , is found up to the order (ka)^{-5^{j}2} .
Edward Chamberlin: Monopolistic Competition And Pareto Optimality

In treatments of Monopolistic Competition, Edward Chamberlin and Joan Robinson are usually credited with simultaneously and independently developing the theory of monopolistic or imperfect competition. While their contributions were indeed simultaneously developed, it is inappropriate to treat them as having duplicated each other’s efforts. Yet it has become customary in many treatments to regard them as having done just that, and modern textbook treatments tend to mention the two as if they were interchangeable. In no respect were they less so than in their views of the welfare implications of monopolistic competition. But the passage of time seems to have resulted in a blurring of the distinction between them, and it has become a common practice to ascribe to monopolistic competition an incompatibility with Pareto optimality. An important point of focus of this paper is Chamberlin’s response to the tendency to treat his analysis as indicating a market failure.
Cardiovascular Single-Unit Stay: A Case Study in Change

A cardiovascular single-unit-stay program began at North Memorial Medical Center, Robbinsdale, Minn, in January 2000. Before then, cardiac surgery patients had been admitted to the intensive care unit directly from the operating room and then transferred to the postcoronary care unit on postoperative day 1 or 2. The traditional care delivery model created multiple transfers and delays in care, which often led to dissatisfaction among patients, increased costs, and greater potential for errors. The cardiovascular single-unit-stay program allows patients to stay in the same room with a consistent care team throughout the patients' postoperative course. Decreased lengths of stay, decreased morbidity and mortality, increased satisfaction among patients and their families, and improved collaboration between members of the multidisciplinary team are just a few of the positive trends since the program's inception.
Low Temperature Tolerance in the Perennial Sunflower Helianthus maximiliani

Abstract Species distributed across diverse climate and thermal conditions represent opportune systems for studying tolerance of low temperature stress. We examined variation in cold acclimation capacity and freezing tolerance among three natural populations (Texas, Kansas, and Manitoba) of the perennial sunflower species Helianthus maximiliani, originally collected across 2134 km in central North America. Tolerance to low temperatures was evaluated through leaf electrolyte leakage assays that quantify loss of cellular electrolytes into an aqueous medium due to plasma membrane damage. Freezing tolerance was highest for plants from the northernmost latitude (Manitoba population) under both non cold- acclimated and cold- acclimated experimental conditions. Individuals from Kansas and Texas populations exhibited lower freezing tolerance compared to Manitoba but did not differ from one another. Plants from all populations retain the ability to increase freezing tolerance through the process of cold acclimatio...
Nicolas Courtois: The Linearization Method

This chapter discusses a heuristic technique called “linearization” that has been quite powerful in attacking cryptosystems. An attack developed by Courtois and co-workers is turned into a method for proofs in the complexity of learning Boolean functions.
Auditory-Spatial Executive Function across Spatial Frames of Reference

An experiment utilizing an auditory-spatial Stroop paradigm was created to assess whether participants are better able to attend to spatial or semantic information across near and far regions of space. Participants were instructed to attend to either the semantic information of a stimulus or identify the location of where the stimulus came from, depending on the condition. The sounds came from speakers that were physically located in either near space (peripersonal region of space) or far space (extrapersonal region of space) and the words were either “near” or “far.” Results indicate that participants in general were quicker at responding to the semantic condition than the location condition. Furthermore, consistent with findings of many other Stroop-like experiments, there was a significant difference between congruent and incongruent trials in both task conditions. The results of this investigation provide additional insight into how people process different types of information across near and far regions of space.
The Hydroxylation of Naphthalene-1-C14 by House Fly Microsomes

Techniques used in isolating a sub-cell fraction of house fly ( Musca domestica L.) tissue capable of converting naphthalene to l-naphthol and 1:2-dihydro-1:2-dihydroxy naphthalene are described. Incubation conditions studied include pH, temperature, time, substrate level, microsome level, and co-factor requirements. The hydroxylating activity of house fly microsomes appears to vary with the growth and development of the life stages, with older adults exhibiting greatest activity and larvae the least. The co-factor TPNH seems to be more critical in the microsomal activity of mature adults.
Phosphorus zoning reveals dendritic architecture of olivine

Quantitative spot analyses were acquired with the JEOL JXA-8500F field-emission gun electron probe micro-analyzer of the University of Hawaii – Manoa over two sessions. Olivine was analyzed during the first session with an electron beam tuned at 20 keV, 50 nA and 10 µm probe diameter. The elements were acquired using five analyzing crystals as followed: one LiFH for Cr and Ni, one LiF for Fe and Mn, one PETJ for Ca and Ti, one PETH for P, and two TAPJ crystals for Al, Si and Mg. The standards used were Verma garnet for Mn, San Carlos olivine USNM 111312/444 for Fe, Si, Mg and Ni, sphene glass for Ti, chromite USNM 117075 for Al and Cr, and fluor-apatite USNM 104021 for Ca and P. The on-peak and off-peak counting times were each 20 s for Si, Al and Mg, 30 s for Mn, Ti and Ni, 35 s for Fe, Ca and Cr, and 70 s for P. The off-peak correction method was linear for major elements and exponential for trace elements Ti, Al, Cr and P, using Probe for EPMA software. Detection limits are in the range 0.005 – 0.01 wt%. Precision and accuracy (1) are 0.4 – 2 % for major elements (reported in weight percent oxide), 3 – 5 % for minor elements (Ca, Mn and Ni – reported in µg/g) and 20 – 70 % for trace elements (Al, P, Ti, and Cr – reported in µg/g in Table DR1), based on repeated analyses of San Carlos olivine standard (USNM 111312/444). Matrix glasses and melt inclusions were analysed during the second session with a beam tuned at 15 keV, 15 nA and 10 µm probe diameter. Elements were acquired using one LiFH for Ti and Cr, one LiF for Fe and Mn, one PETH for Ca and K, and two TAPJ crystals for Mg, Al, Na and Si (Na measured first). The standards were Verma garnet for Mn, Kakanui augite USNM 122142 for Al, Fe, Si, Mg and Ca, sphene glass for Ti, chromite USNM 117075 for Cr, Amelia albite for Na, and orthoclase OR-1 for K. The on-peak and off-peak counting times were 30 s for all elements. Detection limits for Cr2O3 and S are 0.02 wt%. Precision is better than 1% for all elements (1), except Na and K (<3%). Accuracy (1) is better than 5 % for all elements.
Bioengineering Lungs for Transplantation.

Whole lung extracellular matrix scaffolds can be created by perfusion of cadaveric organs with decellularizing detergents, providing a platform for organ regeneration. Lung epithelial engineering must address both the proximal airway cells that function to metabolize toxins and aid mucociliary clearance and the distal pneumocytes that facilitate gas exchange. Engineered pulmonary vasculature must support in vivo blood perfusion with low resistance and intact barrier function and be antithrombotic. Repopulating the native lung matrix with sufficient cell numbers in appropriate anatomic locations is required to enable organ function.
Toward effective science delivery among recreation personnel

ABSTRACTEffective science delivery to practitioners can improve recreation experiences and environmental educational outcomes. This project explored U.S. Department of Agriculture-Forest Service recreation personnel's research-based information sources, constraints to access and use of research, and opinions about how to improve science delivery to practitioners. Responses revealed research-based information seeking and use was constrained by lack of time and personnel. While increased time and funding is unlikely, forging partnerships and promotion of existing information resources can facilitate effective science delivery. A searchable recreation research database, white papers, executive summaries, and online videos were of greatest interest to staff. Community-building efforts could expand awareness of and accessibility to research.
Investigation on pattern of urinary iodine excretion of lactating women and their infants after taking 200 mg iodized oil capsules

Objective To understand effective protection of 200 mg dose of iodized oil pills taken by lactating women,and to explore their variation pattern of urinary iodine.Methods At four villages of Yaha Town of Kuche County,Aksu,109 lactating women and their children(20-day to 18-month infants) without taking iodized oil pills within half a year were selected to carry out on-site intervention investigation.Urine samples(above 5 ml) of the women were collected after taking the pills 1,3,7,14,30,50,75,100 days,respectively,and urine samples of their infants in experimental group and control group were also collected to detect for urinary iodine.Results After taking the pills,median of urinary iodine of the lactating women and their children reached peak on the first day of intervention with the value of 1 399.42μg/L and 1 383.94μg/ L.And then,it began to decline to 140.24μg/L and 261.42μg/L after intervention for 50 days.It kept higher during 1 day to 7 days,decreased rapidly in period of 7 to 30 days and descended slowly after 30 days,with intervention group more than the control during 1 day to 30 days.The difference was of a statistical significance(P0.01),and no statistical significance was found between the two groups after 50 days(P0.05).Conclusions The longest effective protection of 200 mg iodized oil pills taken orally by the lactating women is less than 50 days.
Liquid Chromatographic Determination of Cyclopiazonic Acid in Poultry Meat

A liquid chromatographic procedure has been developed for the determination of cyclopiazonic acid (CPA) in poultry meat. CPA is extracted from ground meat with chloroform-methanol (80 + 20), partitioned into 0.1N sodium hydroxide, acidified, and extracted into dichloromethane. An interfering component of meat is removed by transferring the dichloromethane extract to a minicolumn containing silica gel and washing the column with petroleum ether and chloroform. CPA is eluted with methanol-acetic acid (99 + 1), and subjected to ligand-exchange liquid chromatography. Recovery of CPA from 40 separate samples of meat spiked with CPA at levels from 0.016 to 15.6 ppm was 70.4 +/- 14.1%. Analysis of meat from a chicken orally dosed with 10 mg CPA/kg body weight revealed that 14.5% of the dose was in muscle 48 h after administration.
Quality Improvement Science in the PICU

This chapter describes important aspects of health-care quality, what it is, and how to engage clinical providers in improvement efforts. The case for improving healthcare quality is outlined, with an emphasis on the special considerations within the pediatric intensive care unit setting. Common terminology to facilitate an understanding of quality is reviewed – including near misses, preventable and non-preventable adverse events. Models for understanding system and process performance are discussed – including the system of profound knowledge, aims oriented change, Plan-Do-Study-Act applications of the scientific method, and features of high reliability organizations. Provided is a basic tool kit for implementing change through the use of error proofing, process control, lean engineering, standardization, checklists, and protocols. Additionally, an introductory review of statistical process control and understanding variation through control charts is provided.
Laser thermal ablation for mesiotemporal epilepsy: Analysis of ablation volumes and trajectories

SummaryObjective To identify features of ablations and trajectories that correlate with optimal seizure control and minimize the risk of neurocognitive deficits in patients undergoing laser interstitial thermal therapy (LiTT) for mesiotemporal epilepsy (mTLE). Methods Clinical and radiographic data were reviewed from a prospectively maintained database of all patients undergoing LiTT for the treatment of mTLE at the University of Miami Hospital. Standard preoperative and postoperative evaluations, including contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and neuropsychological testing, were performed in all patients. Laser trajectory and ablation volumes were computed both by manual tracing of mesiotemporal structures and by nonrigid registration of ablation cavities to a common reference system based on 7T MRI data. Results Among 23 patients with at least 1-year follow-up, 15 (65%) were free of disabling seizures since the time of their surgery. Sparing of the mesial hippocampal head was significantly correlated with persistent disabling seizures (p = 0.01). A lateral trajectory through the hippocampus showed a trend for poor seizure outcome (p = 0.08). A comparison of baseline and postoperative neurocognitive testing revealed areas of both improvement and worsening, which were not associated with ablation volume or trajectory. Significance At 1-year follow-up, LiTT appears to be a safe and effective tool for the treatment of mTLE, although a longer follow-up period is necessary to confirm these observations. Better understanding of the impact of ablation volume and location could potentially fine-tune this technique to improve seizure-freedom rates and associated neurologic and cognitive changes.
Structural and Classification Theory of Compact Lie Groups and Their Representations

This chapter consists of a concise exposition of the structure and classification theories of compact Lie groups and their representations from the geometric viewpoint of transformation groups. An explicit and neat understanding of the orbit structure of the adjoint action of a compact Lie group G plays a central role in the classification theory developed by E. Cartan and H. Weyl. This more geometric approach is actually more natural and straightforward than the usual Lie-algebra-theoretical approach. Furthermore, such an approach will also provide us with valuable examples and insight for later investigation of topological transformation groups.
“Everything Matters”: Mexican-American Prospective Elementary Teachers Noticing Issues of Status and Participation While Learning to Teach Mathematics

When prospective teachers learn to teach mathematics, they develop an understanding of content and pedagogy, which also includes strategies that encourage all children to participate in their learning. There is research that shows that issues of status and inequitable participation can hinder children’s access to learning mathematics and can give children the impression that only some students can do mathematics. The following book chapter presents the experiences of three Mexican-American immigrant prospective teachers as they learn how to teach elementary mathematics and to notice issues of status and participation in their fieldwork. Data sources include coursework artifacts from the methods classroom, observations in the field and semi-structured individual interviews with the participants. Using the professional noticing framework, the findings suggest that the prospective teachers attended to, interpreted, and acted upon moments of unequal status and participation with children in the field over the course of the semester. Implications for teacher education and future research will be discussed.
Abstract 173: Simple Guidance Improves Appropriate Telemetry Utilization

Introduction: Cardiac telemetry is an in-hospital monitoring tool intended for ischemia surveillance, monitor QT-interval prolongation, and detect arrhythmias. It is a costly and limited resource t...
Construction of Gendered Identities through Cultural Memory in Moses Isegawa’s Novel, Snakepit

Creative writing from Uganda hardly passes without the mention of the Idi Amin era which has significantly influenced the writing from that country. In this paper I examine how Isegawa narrates a people’s cultural memory to define gender identities in his novel, Snakepit. Cultural memory permeates individual as well as social identity formation. Narrating cultural memory results from long interactions with others as well as semiotic objects in a particular social setting. Snakepit was purposively sampled to underscore the interpenetrating relationship between cultural memory and gendered identity formations. The discussion applies itself to the post-colonial theory to explore and make meaning out of the narrative.
Boy Soldiers of the American Revolution. By Caroline Cox. (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 2016. Pp. xvi, 211. $29.95.)

Shedding light on the previously overlooked experiences of American soldiers under the age of sixteen during the American Revolution, the late Caroline Cox has produced a carefully researched study...
Some Historically Based Essential General Distinctions

Toward contextualization, essential general distinctions are discussed regarding the interpretation of psychology throughout Western history, especially the distinction between natural and human science. Providing arguments against attempts to deny the selection of, and commitment to, principles, for example, the positions of eclecticism and anarchism, the chapter discusses principles and distinctions associated with hermeneutics and the “philosophy of psychology,” so that readers may employ such distinctions to think through the systems of psychology in later chapters. The general distinctions used to organize the material of the remaining chapters is introduced; that is, in the remaining chapters, the philosophical principles of psychology constituting the various historical systems in the West are organized in terms of: structure, function, and methodology.
Precision oncology in pancreatobiliary cancers: A longitudinal study.

399Background: Precision oncology – the use of next-generation sequencing (NGS) to identify therapeutic options for advanced cancer patients – is being used widely, but its utility in patients with...
Too Important to Ignore: Leveraging Digital Technology to Improve Chronic Illness Management Among Black Men

Health disparities associated with chronic illness experiences of black men demonstrate widespread, systematic failures to meet an urgent need. Well-established social and behavioral determinants that have led to health disparities among black men include racism, discrimination, and stress. While advocacy work that includes community-engagement and tailoring health promotion strategies have shown local impact, evidence shows the gaps are increasing. We suspect that failure to reduce current disparities may be due to conventional public health interventions and programs; therefore, we submit that innovative interventions, ones that embrace digital technologies and their ability to harness naturally occurring social networks within groups, like black men, have particular importance and deserve attention. This commentary characterizes the current literature on chronic illness among black men as well as health interventions that use digital technology, to build a case for expanding research in this area to reduce the overwhelming burden of chronic illness among black men.
Framework for Evaluating Learning from Computer Programming Courses: Problem Solving in an Introductory Computer Science Course

Most computer science programs at various universities offer courses in problem solving which are generally taken by the student in the first year. The student learns problem solving methodology which includes problem definition, analysis, design, and documentation. Although a student is graded/evaluated in each course, it may not reflect the student’s success potential in a real work environment. What is lacking is standards for various components of problem solving methodology.
Propulsion System Sizing For Powered Lift And Mechanical Flap Quiet Aircraft

A method of propulsion system sizing for mechanical flap and externally blown flap aircraft is demonstrated. Included in this study is the effect of various levels of noise suppression on the aircraft final design characteristics. Both aircraft are sized to operate from a 3000-ft runway and perform the same mission. For each aircraft concept, propulsion system sizing is demonstrated for two different engine cycles - one having a fan pressure ratio of 1.5 and a bypass ratio of 9 and the other having a fan pressure ratio of 1.25 and a bypass ratio of 17.8. The results presented include the required thrust to weight ratio and wing loading and the resulting gross weight and direct operating costs as functions of the engine noise level for each of the four combinations of engine cycles and aircraft concepts.
Modeling the willingness to work as crowd-shippers and travel time tolerance in emerging logistics services

Abstract The objective of this study is to understand the different behavioral considerations that govern the choice of people to engage in a crowd-shipping market. A binary logit model and an ordinary least-square regression model have been developed. Those models are integrated by a selectivity-bias term. The results suggest that socio-demographic characteristics, freight transportation experience, and social media usage significantly influence respondents’ decisions to participate in the crowd-shipping market. The selectivity is found available in the dataset and has strong heterogeneity. Moreover, the crowd-shippers’ expect to-be-paid rate is found concurrent with value-of-time literature. Findings from this research are valuable to crowd-shipping companies recruiting employees and developing business strategies.
A Coordinated Attack: Rett Syndrome Therapeutic Development

Rett syndrome (RTT) is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by mutations in the Methyl CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2) gene. This Science & Society article focuses on pharmacological strategies that attack RTT treatment from multiple angles, including drug repurposing and de novo discovery efforts, and discusses the impacts of preclinical study design and translationally relevant outcome measures.
Multienzyme, Multistep Biosensor Produced through Kinetic Doping

The recently developed kinetic doping technique has shown promise in loading individual enzymes for use as a biosensor. In this study, the first example of kinetic doping to produce a biosensor loaded with more than one enzyme and using a multistep reaction pathway for detection is presented. Glucose oxidase (GOD) is shown to load both individually and together with horseradish peroxidase (HRP) with the tandem action of the two enzymes proving to be effective at detecting glucose in solution. Using a calculation based on known maximum loadings and experimentally determined activities, the final dual-enzyme thin films of known volume are shown to contain 1.8 ± 0.1 mmol/L of HRP and 0.22 ± 0.01 mmol/L of GOD, which represent 33 and 92% of loading efficiencies that each enzyme is known to be, respectively, capable of in a singularly loaded thin film. With the high loading afforded by the kinetic doping process under benign conditions, the thin films are able to load both enzymes all at once in an amount sufficient to function as an efficient biosensor. The most advantageous aspects of this process are its ease of production, involving only a few steps to produce highly loaded thin films that require no additional processing to function as intended, as well as the protein friendly environment that exists in the sol-gel film at the time of enzyme loading. This removes many typical restrictions on immobilizing protein and opens up a wider range of enzymes amenable to the process that enables the fabrication of more complex multistep biosensors utilizing a large array of proteins in the foreseeable future.
On-Demand Radial Electrodeposition of Alginate Tubular Structures

We present an electrodeposition technique for fabricating tubular alginate structures. In this technique, two electrodes (anode and cathode) are suspended in a solution of alginate and insoluble calcium carbonate particles, and the application of an electrical potential produces a localized pH change at the anode surface causing suspended divalent cations to become soluble and cross-link the alginate. We robustly characterize how the fabrication parameters influence the rate of radial deposition on the anode, including deposition time, applied voltage, alginate concentration, type of divalent cation and concentration, and anode diameter. Furthermore, we produce gels with a range of tailorable features, including mechanical properties, dimensions (thickness and lumen size), customizable tubular geometries, and radial compositional heterogeneity.
The association between alexithymia and eating behavior in children and adolescents.

Abstract Objective Alexithymia, or the difficulty identifying or describing one's own emotions, may be a risk factor for dysregulated eating and excess weight gain. However, the relationships between alexithymia and eating behaviors in community samples of non-clinical youth have not been well-characterized. We hypothesized that alexithymia would be positively associated with disordered and disinhibited eating in a community-based sample of boys and girls without an eating disorder. Method Two hundred children (8–17 years old) across the weight spectrum completed an interview to assess loss of control (LOC) eating and eating-related psychopathology, a laboratory test meal designed to induce disinhibited eating, and questionnaires to assess alexithymia, eating in the absence of hunger, and emotional eating. Linear and logistic regressions were conducted to examine the relationship between alexithymia and eating variables, with age, sex, race, and fat mass as covariates. Test meal analyses also adjusted for lean mass. Given the overlap between alexithymia and depression, all models were repeated with depressive symptoms as an additional covariate. Results Alexithymia was associated with an increased likelihood of reporting LOC eating (p Discussion In healthy children, alexithymia is associated with some facets of eating behavior and food intake. If supported prospectively, these preliminary findings suggest alexithymia may be a modifiable risk factor to reduce disordered eating and excess weight gain in youth.
Integrating Entrepreneurship Education into Project Based Design Education

The effort to transform innovation into economic goods and new organizations is addressed in this paper by way of combining entrepreneurial engineering education and project-based design for optimal results. Traditional engineering education, which focuses on technical activities or issues associated with product, service and design, must be reevaluated to include innovation and entrepreneurship activities. A seven-step project-based design learning model is presented that has shown to be effective, and it is proposed that this model can be successfully integrated with principles of entrepreneurship that better prepare students for the establishing new businesses or being strong contributors to innovative startups.
Transcription of the human colony-stimulating factor-1 receptor gene is regulated by separate tissue-specific promoters.

Receptors for macrophage colony-stimulating factor (CSF-1R) are expressed not only by monocytes, macrophages, and their progenitors, but also by placental trophoblasts during fetal development. In monocytes, CSF-1R gene transcripts originate at multiple sites immediately upstream of the gene9s coding sequences, whereas in placental cells the transcripts include an additional noncoding exon, located 26 kb upstream near the 3′ end of the B-type platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) receptor gene. Physically distinct CSF-1R transcription origins suggest separate promoter usage by the two cell types. To identify regulatory elements of these promoters, we fused CSF- 1R genomic sequences to bacterial reporter genes and introduced the resulting constructs into human cell lines and mouse fibroblasts. A 775- bp genomic fragment containing CSF-1R placental transcription origins and adjacent upstream sequences mediated reporter gene expression in BeWo choriocarcinoma cells and mouse NIH-3T3 fibroblasts, but not in myeloid or lymphoid cells. By contrast, a 550-bp genomic fragment containing CSF-1R monocyte transcription origins and 5′ flanking sequences directed gene expression in U-937 human myeloid cells, but not in the other cell types. Thus, nucleotide sequences of fewer than 1,000-bp upstream of the two independent CSF-1R transcription origins contain the minimal promoter elements needed to program appropriate tissue-specific expression of reporter genes.
ZBED2 is an antagonist of interferon regulatory factor 1 and modifies cell identity in pancreatic cancer

Lineage plasticity is a prominent feature of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) cells, which can occur via deregulation of lineage-specifying transcription factors. Here, we show that the zinc finger protein ZBED2 is aberrantly expressed in PDA and alters tumor cell identity in this disease. Unexpectedly, our epigenomic experiments reveal that ZBED2 is a sequence-specific transcriptional repressor of IFN-stimulated genes, which occurs through antagonism of IFN regulatory factor 1 (IRF1)-mediated transcriptional activation at cooccupied promoter elements. Consequently, ZBED2 attenuates the transcriptional output and growth arrest phenotypes downstream of IFN signaling in multiple PDA cell line models. We also found that ZBED2 is preferentially expressed in the squamous molecular subtype of human PDA, in association with inferior patient survival outcomes. Consistent with this observation, we show that ZBED2 can repress the pancreatic progenitor transcriptional program, enhance motility, and promote invasion in PDA cells. Collectively, our findings suggest that high ZBED2 expression is acquired during PDA progression to suppress the IFN response pathway and to promote lineage plasticity in this disease.
Defining Relictual Biodiversity: Conservation Units in Speckled Dace (Cyprinidae: Rhinichthys osculus) of the Greater Death Valley Ecosystem

The tips in the tree of life serve as foci for conservation and management, yet clear delimitations are masked by inherent variance at the species-population interface. Analyses using thousands of nuclear loci can potentially sort inconsistencies, yet standard categories applied to this parsing are themselves potentially conflicting and/or subjective [e.g., DPS (distinct population segments); DUs (Diagnosable Units-Canada); MUs (management units); SSP (subspecies); Evolutionarily Significant Units (ESUs)]. One potential solution for consistent categorization is to create a comparative framework by accumulating statistical results from independent studies and evaluating congruence among data sets. Our study illustrates this approach in speckled dace (Cyprinidae: Rhinichthys osculus) endemic to two basins (Owens and Amargosa) in the Death Valley ecosystem (DVE). These fish persist in the Mojave Desert as isolated Pleistocene-relicts and are of conservation concern, but lack formal taxonomic descriptions/designations. Double-digest RAD (ddRAD) methods identified 14,355 SNP loci across 10 populations (N=140). Species delimitation analyses [multispecies coalescent (MSC) and unsupervised machine learning (UML)] delineated four putative ESUs. FST outlier loci (N=106) were juxtaposed to uncover the potential for localized adaptations. We detected one hybrid population that resulted from upstream reconnection of habitat following contemporary pluvial periods, whereas remaining populations represent relics of ancient tectonism within geographically-isolated springs and groundwater-fed streams. Our study offers three salient conclusions: A blueprint for a multi-faceted delimitation of conservation units; a proposed mechanism by which criteria for intraspecific biodiversity can be potentially standardized; and a strong argument for the proactive management of critically-endangered DVE fishes.
Risk Factors for Unplanned Readmissions Following Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion and Posterior Lumbar Fusion Procedures: Comparison of Two National Databases.

Background The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) and National Readmission Database (NRD) are 2 widely used databases that provide valuable information regarding the quality of health care. However, the 2 differ in sampling methodology, which may result in conflicting findings when used for research studies. The objective of this study is to evaluate the differences regarding predictors of 30-day readmissions after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) and posterior lumbar fusion (PLF). Methods In this case–control study, NSQIP and NRD were queried for patients undergoing elective ACDF and PLF between 2014 and 2015. The outcome of interest was 30-day readmissions following ACDF and PLF, which were unplanned and related to the index procedure. Subsequently, univariable and multivariable analyses were conducted to determine the predictors of 30-day readmissions using both databases. Results For ACDF procedures, diagnosis, outpatient status, American Society of Anesthesiologists class, and length of hospital stay were found to be significant predictors of 30-day readmissions in NSQIP, whereas only age and hypertension were significant in NRD. Among patients undergoing PLF procedures, body mass index, functional status, smoking, steroid use, diabetes, dyspnea, dialysis, emergency, discharge to rehab facility, and length of hospital stay were found to be significant predictors of 30-day readmissions in NSQIP, whereas only alcohol abuse and obesity were significant predictors in NRD. Conclusions Two databases differed in terms of significant predictors of 30-day readmissions following ACDF and PLF. This difference may emphasize the differences in the sampling methodology. Further analyses, potentially with an institutional validation, are needed to draw conclusions regarding the accuracy of the 2 databases for predictive analytics.
Mechanism for differential recruitment of orbitostriatal transmission during outcomes and actions in alcohol dependence

Psychiatric disease often produces symptoms that have divergent effects on neural activity. For example, in drug dependence, dysfunctional value-based decision-making and compulsive-like actions have been linked to hypo- and hyper-activity of orbital frontal cortex (OFC)-basal ganglia circuits, respectively, however, the underlying mechanisms are unknown. Here we show that alcohol dependence enhanced activity in OFC terminals in dorsal striatum (OFC-DS) associated with actions, but reduced activity of the same terminals during periods of outcome retrieval, corresponding with a loss of outcome control over decision-making. Disrupted OFC-DS terminal activity was due to a dysfunction of dopamine-type 1 receptors on spiny projection neurons (D1R SPNs) that resulted in increased retrograde endocannabinoid (eCB) signaling at OFC-D1R SPN synapses reducing OFC-DS transmission. Blocking CB1 receptors restored OFC-DS activity in vivo and rescued outcome-based control over decision-making. These findings demonstrate a circuit-, synapse-, and computation specific mechanism gating OFC activity following the induction of alcohol dependence.
CacheLoc: Leveraging CDN Edge Servers for User Geolocation

In nowadays’ Internet, websites rely more and more on obtaining users’ geolocation to provide customized services. However, besides Internet giants such as Google, who retains a large amount of detailed user information, most websites still rely on IP addresses for user geolocation, which is proven inaccurate and misleading by existing studies. In this paper, we propose a novel approach, namely CacheLoc, for coarse-grained user geolocation leveraging widely-deployed content delivery networks (CDNs). This work is motivated by the fact that CDN providers deploy a number of edge servers that are geographically distributed across the world. Many of these edge servers are assigned with unique identifiers that are tied to their location, which can be easily retrieved by inspecting HTTP responses headers served by these edge servers. As a result, a website can infer coarse-grained user location by asking a user to send an HTTP request to an arbitrary domain that is known being served by a CDN, and inspecting the corresponding responses. To evaluate the usability and accuracy of the cache-based user geolocation, we conducted practical experiments based on a commercial VPN with over 160 endpoints distributed in 94 countries. Our experiments demonstrate that cache-based geolocation can achieve at least accurate country-level granularity in the regions where CDN edge servers are densely deployed. Our work sheds light on a novel light-weight and self-contained user geolocation solution.
Cadence Clarity 3D Transient Solver

In this paper, we introduce the feature of Cadence Clarity 3D Transient Solver, a system-level simulation solution that solves electromagnetic interference (EMI) system design issues up to 10x faster than legacy 3D field solvers and offers unbounded capacity. Built on massively parallel solver technology, the Clarity 3D Transient Solver handles workload levels that previously required time-consuming and expensive anechoic test chambers to test prototypes for electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) compliance