cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of Ambient Temperature on Sexual Maturity in Chickens

Ninety-six, 14-day-old Single Comb White Leghorns (48 males and 48 females) in each of two trials were divided into three groups and grown thereafter under one of the ambient temperatures of 21, 29, or 35 C. Age at sexual maturity of males was decreased in both trials as temperature was increased. First semen was produced at 54 and and 56 days of age in Trials 1 and 2, respectively, when the ambient temperature was 35 C and 68 and 63 days at 21 C for Trials 1 and 2, respectively. Sexual maturity of females was significantly delayed at the highest ambient temperature. Semen quality was only slightly affected by the highest ambient temperature. Although egg production was seriously affected at 35 C, fertility and hatchability, except in a few instances, were only mildly affected.
LEASING AS A STRATEGIC FINANCING OPTION: THE NAVY'S MARITIME PREPOSITIONED SHIPS EXPERIENCE

Recently, leasing has been prominent in the press due to the Air Force’s recent ill-fated attempt to obtain the use of Boeing re-fueling tankers. Forgotten is that, in the early 1980’s, a highly controversial Navy long-term leasing program of Maritime Prepositioned Ships had a different result. However, an unintended consequence of the Navy’s success was that future government leases were practically eliminated. This research examines the issues and parties involved in this unprecedented creative and innovative leasing program for ships used by the Navy’s Military Sealift Command. While the analysis concludes that the Navy’s leasing program was successful and cost effective, laws and policies were changed so that long-term leasing is no longer viable for the strategic financing of military requirements. The case is presented here that existing laws and regulations should be reconsidered so that leased military resources can once again be used to provide and maintain national security.
Timing of Infectious Complications Following Breast-Conserving Therapy with Catheter-Based Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation

Background Accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) has been used as an alternative to whole-breast irradiation as part of breast-conserving therapy. Indications and outcomes are topics of ongoing investigation. Previous publications have focused on early postoperative infections and reported low rates of delayed infection. We investigated the pattern of infection after catheter-based APBI at our institution.
Photosynthesis by protoplasm extruded from Chara and Nitella.

(a) Photosynthesis with protoplasm isolated from Chara or Nitella as measured by C14 fixation has been obtained at a rate 12 to 15 per cent of that of the whole cells. (b) Photosynthesis by cut cells of Chara or Nitella with the vacuolar sap removed was at a rate comparable to that of the whole cells. (c) Both the protoplasm and the cut cells reduced CO2 in the light to sucrose and hexose phosphates. Other products formed were also detected by paper chromatography. In contrast, dark controls fixed the C14 into products associated with plant respiration. (d) An important difference in the products from the extruded protoplasm was the absence of C14-labelled pentoses or sedoheptulose which were formed, however, by the whole or cut cells. This suggests that the most sensitive site affected by disruption of the cells may be the steps involved in the regeneration of the "C-2 acceptor" for CO2 fixation in photosynthesis.
Improved semi-arid community type differentiation with the NOAA AVHRR via exploitation of the directional signal

Mapping semi-arid vegetation types at the community level is extremely difficult for optical sensors with large ground footprints such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR). Attempts to use solar wavelength AVHRR data in community type differentiation have often resulted in unacceptable classification errors which are usually attributed to noise from topographic and soil background variations, inaccurate reflectance retrieval and poor registration. One source of variation which is rarely accounted for adequately is the directional signal resulting from the combined effects of the surface bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) and the variation of viewing and illumination geometry as a function of scan angle, season, latitude and orbital overpass time. In this study, a linear semiempirical kernel-driven BRDF model is used to examine the utility:of the directional signal in community and cover type differentiation over discontinuous but statistically homogeneous semi-arid canopies in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China, and New Mexico, USA. This research shows that the directional signal resulting from the physical structure of the canopy-soil complex can be retrieved to provide information which is highly complementary to that obtained in the spectral domain.
The Trojan Horse for Hematologic Malignancies

Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), a transcription factor present in both malignant and nonmalignant tumor–associated cells, is critical for the survival of many types of blood cancers. Development of a STAT3-specific inhibitor is a promising therapeutic approach for the treatment of hematologic malignancies but has been difficult to achieve so far. A recently reported strategy promises to overcome these difficulties by targeting Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9), a pathogen-recognition receptor found on immune cells, for cell-specific delivery of small interfering RNA (siRNA) against STAT3. To do this, the authors coupled their siRNA with CpG oligonucleotides, the natural ligand of TLR9, producing conjugates called CpG(A)- STAT3 and CpG(B)- STAT3 siRNA (the A type normally stimulates interferon production, whereas the B type activates B cells). Zhang et al. demonstrated in a mouse model of B cell lymphoma that CpG(B)- STAT3 siRNA treatment combined with local radiotherapy can prevent the growth of TLR9-positive lymphomas and provide long-term protective immunity against the primary cancer. They also showed that human cell–specific CpG(A)- STAT3 siRNA was quickly and efficiently internalized by cultured dendritic cells and primary B cells, but not by monocytes, which express almost undetectable levels of TLR9. Once inside the cells, the siRNA activated TLR9 and reduced STAT3 expression, without any evidence of toxic side effects. The inhibition of STAT3 mRNA expression, however, was transient and faded after prolonged cell culture. In vivo experiments in immunodeficient mice bearing subcutaneous grafts of TLR9-positive human leukemia showed that CpG(A)- STAT3­ siRNA reduced STAT3 protein expression and was directly cytotoxic to the tumors. CpG(A)-siRNA targeting BCL-XL (another protein that promotes tumor survival) had a similar effect. Aside from its tumoricidal effects, CpG(A)- STAT3 siRNA also activated plasmacytoid dendritic cells and increased tumor infiltration by innate immune cells such as neutrophils, which could contribute to the overall antitumor effect. In summary, Zhang and coauthors developed a promising method of using RNA interference to decrease the survival of TLR9-positive cancer cells by attacking them from within, while simultaneously activating human dendritic cells in the tumor microenvironment to restore antitumor immunity. Further studies are needed to optimize the serum stability and circulatory half-life of the new siRNA conjugates before this Trojan horse approach can be used to treat hematologic malignancies. Q. Zhang et al. , TLR9-mediated siRNA delivery for targeting of normal and malignant human hematopoietic cells in vivo. Blood , published online 3 January 2013 (10.1182/blood-2012-07-442590). [[Abstract]][1] [1]: http://bloodjournal.hematologylibrary.org/content/early/2013/01/03/blood-2012-07-442590.abstract
Age related differences in the mechanical properties of the mouse lumbar motion segments

In previous studies mouse lumbar spines have been used to model the human lumbar spine in order to investigate disc degeneration. While disc stiffness has been know to increase with age in humans, how mouse mechanical properties change with respect to age has not been examined. Uniaxial mechanical testing was performed utilizing motion segments that were harvested from lumbar spines representing two age groups. Force and displacement data were normalized using disc geometry and used to calculate neutral zone and stiffness. Results showed a significant difference between the neutral zones of the two age groups and trends were found in normalized stiffness. Studies in human disc mechanics use stiffness as a measure of change in disc mechanics, but our testing methods have allowed us to generate a stress/strain curve that utilizes three parameters for measuring change in disc mechanics instead of one.
Design Under Uncertainty: Balancing Expected Performance and Risk

The problem of quantifying uncertainty in the design process is approached indirectly. Nonquantifiable variability resulting from lack of knowledge is treated as epistemic uncertainty and quantifiable variability caused by random influences is treated as aleatory uncertainty. The emphasis in this approach is on the effects of epistemic uncertainty, left unquantified, on design performance. Performance is treated as a random function of the epistemic uncertainties that are considered as independent variables, and a design decision is based on the mean and variance of design performance. Since the mean and variance are functions of the uncertainties, multicriteria decision methods are employed to determine the preferred design. The methodology is illustrated on a three-spring model with stochastic forcing and two uncertain damping coefficients. Based on the example, the concept of balancing expected performance and risk is explored in an engineering context. Risk is quantified using aleatory uncertainty for fixed values of epistemic uncertainty. The study shows the unique features of this approach in which risk-based design decisions are made under both aleatory and epistemic uncertainties without assuming a distribution for epistemic uncertainty.
Creativity and Giftedness: Published Instrument Uses and Abuses

This article reports a study of schools' assessment of creativity as part of their identification procedures for gifted programs. School districts across the nation were asked to supply information...
Work in progress - building autonomous students: Modeling curricular approaches for lifelong learning

Student development of self-directed learning skills is critical for success in today's rapidly-changing engineering world. The details of how instructors may best foster engagement in life-long learning, however, are unclear; many educators have struggled to define, implement, and assess lifelong learning in engineering curricula. We present a framework for student autonomy that may serve as a useful curriculum design tool by aiding instructors' consideration of learner responsibility and development. The model describes lifelong learning as a set of choices over which students may gradually gain control. These areas of learning autonomy include four question categories: why is learning necessary, what should one learn, how should learning occur, and how well is learning achieved. Instructors may create policies in these four areas that produce low or high degrees of learning autonomy. Awareness of the areas of student autonomy may enable course designers to more effectively adopt approaches that meet student needs and foster lifelong learning skill development.
A Moment to Come Together: Personal Reflections on Trayvon Martin

Three personal reflections provided by doctoral students of the Michigan School of Professional Psychology (Farmington Hills, Michigan) address identification of individual perspectives on the tragic events surrounding Trayvon Martin’s death. The historical ramifications of a culture-in-context and the way civil rights, racism, and community traumatization play a role in the social construction of criminals are explored. A justice orientation is applied to both the community and the individual via internal reflection about the unique individual and collective roles social justice plays in the outcome of these events. Finally, the personal and professional responses of a practitioner who is also a mother of minority young men brings to light the need to educate against stereotypes, assist a community to heal, and simultaneously manage the direct effects of such events on youth in society. In all three essays, common themes of community and growth are addressed from varying viewpoints. As worlds collided, a historical division has given rise to a present unity geared toward breaking the cycle of violence and trauma. The authors plead that if there is no other service in the name of this tragedy, let it at least contribute to the actualization of a society toward growth and healing.
Risk Factors and Comorbidities in Chronic Rhinosinusitis

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a heterogeneous disorder that creates a significant burden on the healthcare system. It is caused by a combination of inflammatory, environmental, and host factors; however, the precise mechanism of how each factor leads to CRS continues to be a source of debate. Previous data regarding this topic is often inconsistent or of lower quality. In this article, we review the recent literature on the risk factors and comorbidities in CRS. Large population-based studies have helped establish smoking as a significant risk factor for CRS. The focus has now shifted towards smoking and its effect on long-term outcomes after endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS). Ciliary dyskinesia, both primary and secondary, can affect both the sinonasal cavity and lower airways simultaneously by decreasing the beat frequency of cilia and inducing mucostasis. The effects of secondary dyskinesia may be reversible and there is some evidence to suggest the use of topical mucolytics in patients with CRS. Allergy and variants of sinonasal anatomy have been hypothesized to increase the risk of developing CRS by inducing chronic inflammation and obstructing the sinus ostia. Nevertheless, emerging data regarding these topics continue to produce inconclusive results. Inflammation of the upper and lower airways can occur simultaneously as seen in patients with asthma and aspirin sensitivity. The connection between these pro-inflammatory disease states has been known for many years. Newer evidence include large population-based studies and studies that correlate objective tests, such as computer tomography scans to pulmonary function tests. However, the treatment of CRS and its effects on obstructive airway disease continues to be a topic of debate. More large prospective studies are needed in order to continue refining our knowledge of the disease processes in CRS.
Section 10 Additional Common Elements

This is significantly generalized to allow implementation-defined granularities. The non-terminal is removed, and are added, and the following non-terminals are modified.
Assessment of an Interactive Environment for Developing Human-Computer Interfaces

The goal of this research was to empirically evaluate the usefulness of an interactive environment for developing human-computer interfaces. In particular, it focused on a set of interactive tools, called the Author's Interactive Dialogue Environment (AIDE), for human-computer interface implementation. AIDE is used by an interface design specialist, called a dialogue author, to implement an interface by directly manipulating and defining its objects, rather than by the traditional method of writing source code. In a controlled experiment, a group of dialogue author subjects used AIDE 1.0 to implement a predefined interface, and a group of application programmer subjects implemented the identical interface using programming code. Dialogue author subjects performed the task more than three times faster than the application programmer subjects. This study empirically supports, possibly for the first time, the long-standing claim that interactive tools for interface development can improve productivity and re...
Molten LiCl Layer Supported on MgO: Its Possible Role in Enhancing the Oxidative Dehydrogenation of Ethane

Molten lithium chloride, supported on various oxides, promotes the catalytic activity for oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) of ethane. As a first step toward understanding these systems, we use ab initio molecular dynamics to examine the solvation of ethane, ethylene, oxygen, and water in molten lithium chloride supported on magnesium oxide. Among these molecules, only water dissolves readily in molten LiCl. Possible reactions between O2 and LiCl(l) have been studied in an effort to identify an intermediate for the ODH mechanism. We found that the formation of LiClO, LiO2, Li2O, LiOH, and Cl2 requires a substantial increase in the free energy; therefore, we propose that they are not reaction intermediates for ODH. The only process that cannot be ruled out is molecular adsorption of O2 at the LiCl/MgO interface.
Entropy analysis of OCT signal for automatic tissue characterization

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) signal can provide microscopic characterization of biological tissue and assist clinical decision making in real-time. However, raw OCT data is noisy and complicated. It is challenging to extract information that is directly related to the pathological status of tissue through visual inspection on huge volume of OCT signal streaming from the high speed OCT engine. Therefore, it is critical to discover concise, comprehensible information from massive OCT data through novel strategies for signal analysis. In this study, we perform Shannon entropy analysis on OCT signal for automatic tissue characterization, which can be applied in intraoperative tumor margin delineation for surgical excision of cancer. The principle of this technique is based on the fact that normal tissue is usually more structured with higher entropy value, compared to pathological tissue such as cancer tissue. In this study, we develop high-speed software based on graphic processing units (GPU) for real-time entropy analysis of OCT signal.
Preparation of Al-Si Master Alloy by Electrochemical Reduction of Volcanic Rock in Cryolite Molten Salt

Volcanic rock found in the Longgang Volcano Group in Jilin Province of China has properties essentially similar to Apollo lunar soils and previously prepared lunar soil simulants, such as Johnson Space Center Lunar simulant and Minnesota Lunar simulant. In this study, an electrochemical method of preparation of Al-Si master alloy was investigated in 52.7 wt.%NaF-47.3 wt.%AlF3 melt adding 5 wt.% volcanic rock at 1233 K. The cathodic electrochemical process was studied by cyclic voltammetry, and the results showed that the cathodic reduction of Si(IV) is a two-step reversible diffusion-controlled reaction. Si(IV) is reduced to Si(II) by two electron transfers at −1.05 V versus platinum quasi-reference electrode in 52.7 wt.%NaF-47.3 wt.%AlF3 molten salt adding 5 wt.% volcanic rock, while the reduction peak at −1.18 V was the co-deposition of aluminum and silicon. In addition, the cathodic product obtained by galvanostatic electrolysis for 4 h was analyzed by means of x-ray diffraction, x-ray fluorescence, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectrometry. The results showed that the phase compositions of the products are Al, Si, Al5FeSi, and Al3.21Si0.47, while the components are 90.5 wt.% aluminum, 4.4 wt.% silicon, 1.9 wt.% iron, and 0.2 wt.% titanium.
Guarding the Borders of Rembrandt Connoisseurship

AbstractWhy are the attributions and quality judgments of some authors accepted in the literature, while the opinions of others meet with contempt or even mockery? Max Lautner in Wer ist Rembrandt? (1891) challenged the attribution of nearly all paintings then given to Rembrandt, and assigned them to his follower Ferdinand Bol. John C. Van Dyke in Rembrandt and His School (1923) asserted that only 48 Rembrandt paintings in public collections were actually authentic, and that the hundreds of other works given to him were by students, followers, and imitators. The critical reception of these books serves as examples of the policing of art history as a scholarly discipline. These cases also illuminate the fact that connoisseurship has not merely been subjective, but also a highly personal process, embedded in specific social contexts and practiced in ways that make questionable claims for scholarly objectivity.
Analysis of Epidemic of Intestinal Infectious Diseases in Qinhuangdao City during 2007—2008

[Objective]To understand the epidemic features of intestinal infectious diseases in Qinhuangdao City,and explore the control strategy for its prevention and control.[Methods]Totally 4072 cases were analyzed by descriptive epidemiological method.[Results]During 2007—2008,a total of 4072 cases of intestinal infectious diseases were reported,annual reported incidence was 55/100 000 in average,among which 3 cases (0.07%)were typhoid,65 cases of hepatitis A(1.6%),369 cases of hepatitis E (9.1%),834 cases of bacillary dysentery (20.5%),2801 cases of other infectious diarrhea (68.8%).The incidence was 51.0% in summer.Male incidence was higher than female incidence.[Conclusion]The peak incidence of diarrhea appears in summer of Qinghuangdao City.The major type of diarrhea was other infectious diarrhea,with children as high risk group.
Analysis on Epidemiological characteristic of Measles and Works of Surveillance System in Chaohu during 2003～2007

Objective To understand epidemiological characteristics of measles and current status of measles Surveillance System(MSS)so as to provide basis for controlling and eliminating measles in chaohu.Methods The data of measles surveillance was analyzed and evaluated during 2003~2007.Results 628 suspected measles cases were reported by MSS,which were 19.62% higher than that by national notified disease reporting system.The annual average incidence was 1.66/105 and the highest was occurred in 2005 during 2003~2007.The incidence peak of measles was from March to June.65.25% cases were under 15 years old.But it appeared a mixing pattern in general.In 331 cases that were above 8 months old,19.34% cases was vaccinated at least 1 dose of MV only,22.36% unvaccinated and 58.31% unknown.Suspects measles cases timely reported rate,timely investigating rate,sample collection rate,qualified sample collection rate,timely sending rate,results reporting timely were 95.86%,95.38%,75.48%,99.79%,88.40% and 93.25% respectively.The ratio of discarded and confirmed cases was 0.67:1.Conclusions Lower coverage and vaccination quality of MV were the main cause of measles incidence,measles cases of above 15 years and under 8 months old increased gradually.It was necessary not only to improve vaccination rate of 2 doses MV,strengthen immunization in adults,conduct MV supplementary immunization activities at suitable time,but also further improve sample collection rate,timely sending rate,unite many systems,strengthen laboratory testing and improve quality of measles surveillance.
Reliability of Steel Buildings under Winds

The reliability of buildings under winds is evaluated. The uncertainties in terms of the first and second statistical moments are included in the formulation. The dynamic response of the structure is obtained based on a random vibration analysis. In estimating the statistics of the wind load effects, uncertainties in the wind environment parameters and dynamic structural properties are considered. Risks of exceeding various safety and serviceability limit states are evaluated at critical sections of a 25 story steel building. Results indicate that uncertainties in the dynamic structural properties and wind environment parameters contribute significantly to the risk. The risk is also sensitive to the form of the extreme value distribution and errors in sampling and estimation of distribution parameters. The proposed method provides a tool for a comprehensive assessment of reliability of structures under wind loadings.
Chronic active liver disease: classification and treatment.

Chronic active liver disease may be sudden in onset and difficult to distinguish from acute hepatitis and other liver disorders. Typical clinical, biochemical and histologic features aid in differential diagnosis. Treatment with prednisone or a combination of prednisone and azathioprine significantly increases survival and often brings about remission of the disease.
A revision of Octolepis Oliv. (Thymelaeaceae, Octolepidoideae)

Une revision taxonomique d'Octolepis Oliv. (Thymelaeaceae) basee sur la morphologie est presentee. Six especes sont reconnues. La seule espece infeodee au continent africain, O. casearia Oliv., est l'unique membre de la sect. Octolepis ; les cinq autres especes de Madagascar sont placees dans une nouvelle sect. Dioicae. Deux varietes sont reconnues au sein de O. casearia (var. casearia et flamignii) ; O. decalepis Gilg est formellement mis en synonymie sous O. casearia pour la premiere fois. Trois des cinq especes de la sect. Dioicae sont nouvellement decrites (O. aymoniniana, O. ibityensis et O. ratovosonii) ; O. dioica Capuron f. oblanceolata Capuron est elevee au rang d'espece. Cette revision inclut des descriptions completes, des illustrations des nouvelles especes, des cles d'identification et des estimations du statut de conservation pour chaque taxon.
Ambient Coarse Particulate Matter and the Right Ventricle: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis

Background: Coarse particulate matter (PM10–2.5) is primarily mechanically generated and includes crustal material, brake and tire wear, and biological particles. PM10–2.5 is associated with pulmon...
Abortion as empowerment: reproductive rights activism in a legally restricted context

This paper analyzes the strategies used by activist health professionals in Argentina who justify providing abortion despite legal restrictions on the procedure. These “insider activists” make a case for abortion rights by linking pregnancy termination to a woman’s ability to exert agency at a key point in her reproductive life, and argue that refusing women access to the procedure constitutes a grievous health risk. This argument frames pregnancy termination as an issue of empowerment and also as a medical necessity. This article is based on ethnographic research conducted in Argentina in 2013 and 2015, which includes in-depth interviews with abortion activists and health professionals and ethnographic observation at activist events and in clinics. During the period of my field research, the medical staff in one clinic shifted from abortion counseling, based on a harm reduction model, to legal pregnancy termination, a new mode of abortion provision where they directly provided abortions based on the legal health exception. These insider activists formalized the latter approach by creating a diagnostic instrument that frames women’s “bio-psycho-social” reasons for wishing to terminate a pregnancy as medically justified. The clinical practice analyzed in this article raises important questions about the potential for health professionals to take on an activist role by making safe abortion accessible, even in a context where the procedure is highly restricted.
Have You Ever Considered Becoming a Law Librarian

If you think you'd enjoy academia, research, relatively low stress, and predictability in your career, check out a career as a law librarian.
Price competition in the market for business telecommunications services

We estimate a two-step control-function model that relates incumbent prices for small-business telecommunications services to the number of facilities-based entrants, cost, demand, regulatory conditions, and a correction for endogenous market structure. Results show that the price effects from entry are understated in ordinary least squares regressions. When controlling for endogeneity, prices are negatively related to the number of entrants, indicating that markets without a competitive presence could exhibit market power. These findings should prove helpful to the Federal Communications Commission and other State regulators determining the conditions under which price and other forms of regulation may be relaxed.
Two kinds of calcium-induced release of calcium from the sarcoplasmic reticulum of skinned cardiac cells.

This article compares the Ca2+-induced release of Ca2+ that is triggered by a rapid increase of free Ca2+ concentration at the outer surface of the sarcoplasmic reticulum of a skinned cardiac cell to the spontaneous release of Ca2+ that is produced by a steady-state high free Ca2+ concentration which overloads the sarcoplasmic reticulum with Ca2+ in a skinned cardiac cell. The first process, that is triggered by a rapid increase of free Ca2+ concentration at the outer surface of the sarcoplasmic reticulum, has a time- and Ca2+-dependent activation and inactivation, does not require any preload of the sarcoplasmic reticulum with Ca2+, and is not affected by the addition of inositol(1,4,5)-trisphosphate. The second process, i.e. the spontaneous release of Ca2+ from the sarcoplasmic reticulum, is not inactivated by a high free Ca2+ concentration, requires an overload of the sarcoplasmic reticulum with Ca2+ and is enhanced by inositol(1,4,5)-trisphosphate. The filling inside the sarcoplasmic reticulum with Ca2+ is critical for the triggering of the spontaneous release of Ca2+. On the other hand, the spontaneous release of Ca2+ has many similarities to the “Ca2+-induced release of Ca2+” that is observed for isolated sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles incorporated into a lipid bilayer which is triggered by the increase of free Ca2+ concentration at the outer surface of the sarcoplasmic reticulum. Although the Ca2+-induced release of Ca2+with time-and Ca2+-dependent activation and inactivation and the spontaneous release of Ca2+ are regulated by difference mechanisms, they are both inhibited by ryanodine, which suggests that they may take place through the same channel and may even have some partial common pathway.
Regulation of serum amyloid A (SAA) synthesis in Hep 3B cells by cytokines and corticosteroids.

In Hep 3B cells, in which the combination of IL-6 and IL-1 had previously been found to be required for SAA induction, checkerboard titration of these cytokines showed that each cytokine played an enabling role, permitting the effect of the other cytokine to be perceived at the level of synthesis in a dose-related manner. Dexamethasone (dex) markedly potentiated SAA induction by both monocyte conditioned medium and IL-6 plus IL-1α, although it had no effect when employed alone. SAA induction by these cytokine preparations in the presence of dex was inhibited by TGFs-1 at concentrations of 4-10 ng/ml. The combination of IL-6 and TNFa was capable of SAA induction at levels about 20-60% of those achieved by IL-6 and IL-la. [TGFs-1 (4-10 ng/ml) inhibited SAA induction by cytokine.] These cytokine effects were detectable at the pretranslational level. These data suggest that SAA synthesis in human hepatocytes might be regulated by IL-6, IL-1, TNFa, and TGFs and corticosteroids in various combinations.
Global Perspectives on Family Life Education: Introduction

This introductory chapter sets the stage for this Global Perspectives on Family Life Education volume and provides an overview of the advancements and challenges encountered in the development of different family life education services for families and their members. Contemporary global changes have significant impact on families all around the world. Developing effective services to support families in facing these changes and living fulfilling lives is thus of outmost importance. This chapter provides an overview of family life education program design, implementation, and evaluation, underlying strengths and challenges encountered during this process. The book uses the Framework for Best Practices in Family Life Education introduced by Ballard and Taylor (Family life education with diverse populations, 2012) to reflect on these issues. The Introduction presents a short overview of the included chapters which are from across the world.
Designing Gamification Technology for and with Students with Behavioral Disorders

Ubiquitous computing has previously demonstrated its ability to streamline the processes of data collection and analysis for practitioners. However, little has been said about designing technology where students with behavioral disorders are the primary users. In this position paper, we use previous research to identify the need for students with behavioral disorders to be more involved with their data and the potential positive outcomes that could arise with their involvement. We present our first iteration of a human-centered design process for creating Tadpole, an interactive digital media experience designed for students with behavioral disorders. This platform enables students and their guardians to interact with and monitor their behavioral progress in the classroom through data driven incentives in the form of interactive visuals and avatar features. As a second iteration design, we present our research proposal to involve students with behavioral disorders in the design process. We reflect on the challenges we face in designing with this population.
Informed, Patient-Centered Decisions Associated with Better Health Outcomes in Orthopedics: Prospective Cohort Study.

Background. A goal of shared decision making (SDM) is to ensure patients are well informed and receive preferred treatments. However, the relationship between SDM and health outcomes is not clear. ...
A quasi-experimental study examining a nurse-led education program to improve knowledge, self-care, and reduce readmission for individuals with heart failure

Background: Heart failure affects more than 6 million Americans and an estimated 23 million people worldwide. Inadequate self-care is associated with readmissions and are identified as a marker for...
Biomimetic, Soft-Material Synapse for Neuromorphic Computing: from Device to Network

Neuromorphic computing refers to a variety of brain-inspired computers, devices, and models inspired by the interconnectivity, performance, and energy efficiency of the human brain. Unlike the ubiquitous von Neumann computer architectures with complex processor cores and sequential computation, biological neurons and synapses operate by storing and processing information simultaneously with the capacity of flexible adaptation resulting in massive computational capability with much less power consumption. The search for a synaptic material which can closely imitate bio-synapse has led to an alamethicin-doped, synthetic biomembrane which can emulate key synaptic functions due to generic memristive property enabling learning and computation. This two-terminal, biomolecular memristor, in contrast to its solid-state counterparts, features similar structure, switching mechanism, and ionic transport modality as biological synapses while consuming considerably lower power. In this paper, we outline a methodology for using this biomolecular synapse to build neural networks capable of solving real-world problems. The physical mechanism underlying its volatile memristance is explored followed by the development of a model of this device for circuit simulation. We outline a circuit design technique to integrate this synapse with solid-state neuron circuit for hardware implementation. Based on these results, we develop a high level simulation framework and use a training scheme called Evolutionary Optimization for Neuromorphic System (EONS) to generate networks for solving two problems, namely iris dataset classification and EEG classification task. The small network size and comparable to state-of-the-art accuracy of these preliminary networks show its potential to enhance synaptic functionality in next generation neuromorphic hardware.
Do Audit Firm Tenure and Size Moderate Changes in Financial Reporting Quality Due to Mandatory IFRS Adoption

SUMMARY Regulators have expressed concerns that auditors become less effective external monitors as the length of the auditor-client relationship increases. I examine how audit firm tenure is assoc...
Asymptotic analysis for multi-objective sequential stochastic assignment problems

ABSTRACTWe provide an asymptotic analysis of multi-objective sequential stochastic assignment problems (MOSSAP). In MOSSAP, a fixed number of tasks arrive sequentially, with an n-dimensional value ...
Adaptive Path Planning for Tracking Ocean Fronts with an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle

Ocean fronts are productivity hot spots, supporting marine life from plankton to whales. These dynamic systems contain a vast amount of information, and have the potential to significantly expand our knowledge of aquatic ecosystems in relation to climate change. However, ocean fronts and other dynamic features cannot be studied through conventional oceanographic techniques. In this paper, we address the problem of sampling and tracking an ocean front with an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle based on predictions and/or priors provided by a heterogeneous team of assets and ocean models. Specifically, given a prior (that may not be accurate or up-to-date) we present a method for an underwater vehicle to plan a mission and adapt this mission on-the-fly to track a dynamic feature. Results from field trials are presented, and demonstrate that the vehicle is able to adapt its path to follow a desired contour.
Photoluminescence and stimulated emission in Si‐ and Ge‐disordered AlxGa1−xAs‐GaAs superlattices

Photoluminescence and absorption data are presented on Al x Ga1−x As‐GaAs superlattices(SLs) disordered into bulk‐crystal Al y Ga1−y As (0≤y≤x) by Si or Gediffusion. The bulk‐crystal Al y Ga1−y As produced by impurity‐induced disordering (by Al‐Ga interchange) is determined by transmission electron microscopy, absorption measurements, and photoluminescence to be homogeneous, with an alloy composition (y) that agrees with the average Al concentration of the SL. For low enough Al concentration (y≊0.23<y c =0.44, the direct‐indirect crossover), in absorption the Ge‐ or Si‐disordered SL exhibits (4.2 and 77 K) the bulk‐crystal exciton, which is characteristic of homogeneous alloy (Al y Ga1−y As). Stimulated emission (4.2 and 77 K) in bulk‐crystal Al y Ga1−y As is observed ΔE≤50 meV below the band edge via photopumping for both Si‐ and Ge‐disordered SLs of Al concentration yielding y∼0.23 and y∼0.39. Shallow hydrogenlike donor or acceptor states are characteristic of Al x Ga1−x As‐GaAs SLs disordered with Ge or with Si. For the Si impurity (i.e., an Al x Ga1−x As‐GaAs SL disordered with Si), however, much deeper states (transitions) are observed that saturate at higher photoexcitation levels. These states are attributed to nearest‐neighbor or extended Si‐Si pairs since similarly disordered Al x Ga1−x As‐GaAs SLs doped with Ge do not exhibit deeper states.
Gastrointestinal duplications causing relapsing pancreatitis in children

Two cases of children with relapsing pancreatitis due to intramural gastrointestinal duplications with ductal communication to the pancreas are reported. A gastric duplication with ectopic pancreatic tissue was detected by endoscopic cholangiopancreatography in the gastric antrum of a 6-yr-old girl. A periampullary duodenal duplication was visualized preoperatively by duodenoscopy and computed tomography in a 10-yr-old boy. Resection of the duplication was curative in each case.
The effects of di-butyl phthalate exposure from medications on human sperm RNA among men.

Endocrine disruptors, such as phthalates, are suspected of affecting reproductive function. The Mesalamine and Reproductive Health Study (MARS) was designed to address the physiological effect of in vivo phthalate exposure on male reproduction in patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). As part of this effort, the effect on sperm RNAs to DBP exposure were longitudinally assessed using a cross-over cross-back binary design of high or background, exposures to DBP. As the DBP level was altered, numerous sperm RNA elements (REs) were differentially expressed, suggesting that exposure to or removal from high DBP produces effects that require longer than one spermatogenic cycle to resolve. In comparison, small RNAs were minimally affected by DBP exposure. While initial study medication (high or background) implicates different biological pathways, initiation on the high-DBP condition activated oxidative stress and DNA damage pathways. The negative correlation of REs with specific genomic repeats suggests a regulatory role. Using ejaculated sperm, this work provides insight into the male germline’s response to phthalate exposure.
Paraspinal interfascial plane blocks: a well-defined novel terminology becomes clinically essential.

We would like to thank Drs Saikia and Sen for writing the letter “Standardization of nomenclature for paraspinal interfasical nerve block: adding some more confusion”, in response to our article.[1 2][1] After reviewing their concerns, it appears that there are two points to address. First, they
The utility of cell blocks for international cytopathology teleconsultation by whole slide imaging.

INTRODUCTION Telecytology for second opinion consultation has largely been limited by technical issues, such as the inability to focus well on cellular material. Nevertheless, international telecytology consultation was undertaken at our institution with partners in China and Italy. To overcome issues with scanning cytology slides, we adopted a cell-block (CB) preference for teleconsultation. METHODS Telecytology consultation cases received over a 7.5-year period were retrospectively reviewed. Cytology glass slides were scanned without Z-stacking using different whole slide scanners. For one referring site, only haematoxylin-eosin-stained CBs were scanned, as well as immunostains requested by consultants. For another host centre, aspirate smears were also scanned in some cases. RESULTS A total of 51 non-gynaecological cases (44 CB only) were evaluated from 48 patients. The specimens included pleural fluids (19), pancreas (14), lymph nodes (6), peritoneal fluids (2) and miscellaneous samples (10). The cytological diagnoses spectrum included 16 (31.37%) cases positive for malignancy, 7 (13.72%) positive for neoplasm, 6 (11.76%) suspicious for malignancy, 10 (19.60%) atypical, 10 (19.60%) negative for malignancy and 2 (3.92%) non-diagnostic. In 42 (82.35%) cases, immunocytochemistry was requested. Turn-around-time ranged from 1.5 to 306 hours. CONCLUSIONS Our experience shows that international telecytology for consultation purposes involving non-gynaecological cases is feasible. A second opinion interpretation was rendered in the majority (64.7%) of cases. Utilising CB only for cytology consultations by whole slide imaging solved focus issues that typically plague evaluation of cytology aspirate smears.
Adam Jortner, Blood from the Sky: Miracles and Politics in the Early American Republic

Adam Jortner, Blood from the Sky: Miracles and Politics in the Early American Republic (Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2017), xiii + 247 pp., $45.00 (cloth), ISBN: 978-0-8139-958-2.
Integration of Place and Voicing Information in the Identification of Synthetic Stop Consonants.

Abstract A new “fuzzy logical” model of phoneme identification is proposed. The model describes the process by which continuous acoustic featural information about the place of articulation and the voicing of speech sounds is integrated in order to identify which phoneme each speech sound represents. The model was tested with the data of Sawusch & Pisoni (1974) in which acoustic cues to place and voicing were varied systematically. The fuzzy logical model provided a good account for the data of this experiment. The success of the model implies that place and voicing feature information are evaluated independently before being integrated during phoneme identification.
Site Civil Issues within Construction Defect Litigation

AbstractAcross the United States, increased development continues to lead to an increase in construction defect litigation, particularly for multifamily for-sale projects. This research builds on p...
Use of Anakinra to Prevent Mechanical Ventilation in Severe COVID-19: A Case Series.

Objective To report the clinical experience with anakinra in preventing mechanical ventilation in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), symptoms of cytokine storm syndrome, and acute hypoxemic respiratory failure. Methods To be included in this retrospective case series, patients must have had severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), fever, ferritin levels >1,000 ng/ml with 1 additional laboratory marker of hyperinflammation, and acute hypoxemic respiratory failure. Acute hypoxemic respiratory failure was defined as requiring 15 liters of supplemental oxygen via a nonrebreather mask combined with 6-liter nasal cannula or use of ≥95% oxygen by high-flow nasal cannula. We excluded patients in whom there was suspicion of bacterial infection or who were receiving immunosuppressants. Subcutaneous anakinra was initiated at 100 mg every 6 hours and gradually tapered off completely. The primary outcome was the prevention of mechanical ventilation. Results Of the 14 patients who met the criteria, 11 patients received anakinra for a maximum of 19 days. Seven of the patients who started anakinra treatment ≤36 hours after onset of acute hypoxemic respiratory failure did not require mechanical ventilation, and all were discharged home. Four patients who started anakinra ≥4 days after onset of acute hypoxemic respiratory failure required mechanical ventilation. Of those, 3 patients were extubated (2 discharged home and 1 remained hospitalized), and 1 died. All 3 patients who met the criteria but did not receive anakinra required mechanical ventilation. Two patients were extubated (1 discharged home and 1 remained hospitalized), and 1 remained on mechanical ventilation. Conclusion Our data suggest that anakinra could be beneficial in treating COVID-19 patients with evidence of cytokine storm syndrome when initiated early after onset of acute hypoxemic respiratory failure. Our patient selection and treatment approach should be considered for investigation in a clinical trial to determine the safety and efficacy of anakinra in treating patients with COVID-19 and symptoms of cytokine storm syndrome.
Parent Decision-Making and How to Influence Decisions

Parents make multiple decisions on a daily basis, and health-care providers may not fully understand the reasons behind specific decisions. We describe some theoretical frameworks that may help explain how parents make decisions about infant sleep practices. The socio-ecological model suggests that parents’ infant sleep practices influence, and are influenced by, factors at the infant, maternal, family and household, and community and society levels. The integrated behavioral model presents several constructs, including attitudes, perceived norms, personal agency, knowledge and skills, salience of the behavior, environmental constraints, and habit that impact a parents’ intentions to practice safe sleep recommendations and actual infant sleep practices. We present a decision-making path that parents may use when weighing all of the sources of information about infant sleep. Finally, we provide suggestions for how providers may use this information to influence parental decision-making about infant sleep practices.