cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Factors Affecting Acceptance of a Web-Based Self-Referral System

With the growing availability of health information on the web, people are becoming more knowledgeable on their health conditions and treatment options, and more patients seek specialists by themselves. To aid patients in requesting self-referrals, we have developed and evaluated a web-based self-referral system in three specialty clinics at the University of Washington. Two clinics adopted the system for routine clinical use, while the third clinic decided not to. A major difference between these two groups was in how fast online requests from patients were handled, which significantly influenced patients' satisfaction. Clinic's preparedness for handling the temporarily increased workload due to the introduction of a new health information system played a role as well. Also, we noticed that the physician leadership/championship made a difference in the acceptance of our system.
Three-dimensional MEMS simulation using Euler parameters

Lumped-constant simulation of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) is performed by solving numerically systems of coupled ordinary differential equations expressing Kirchhoff's laws and those of classical mechanics. One of the challenges is to describe mathematically the dynamics of these systems in a form that is both numerically stable and computationally efficient. The goal of this paper is to show that the representation of rigid-body dynamics based on the Euler parameters satisfies these requirements: it can describe arbitrary three-dimensional motion, its numerical stability properties are superior to those of other more frequently used parametrizations, and it can be implemented in a simulator in an efficient manner using so-called element stamps.
The Elements of Nonreciprocal Microwave Devices

This paper gives an elementary but nevertheless quite complete introduction to the basic theory of nonreciprocal microwave devices. The concept of reciprocity, itself, is introduced and some of the consequences which result when one violates reciprocity are pointed out. The basic theory of microwave ferrite devices is developed from a classical theory which gives one a strong intuitive feeling for extrapolating the theory to devices not discussed in the paper. The analysis is extended to include basic design criterion for the three general types of microwave ferrite devices which exist today. The operation of these devices are compared and advantages and disadvantages of the various devices are pointed out for the benefit of the component engineer.
SETTLEMENT ANALYSIS, A REVIEW OF THEORY AND TESTING PROCEDURES

A review is presented of major developments influencing the conduct in engineering practice, of settlement analyses for buildings on saturated clays. Beginning with Terzaghi's theory of consolidation, the significant guidelines to this study are delineated. Within this framework, contributions to the ASCE Conference on Design of Foundations for Control of Settlement are examined. Even in this barest outline a number of controversial issues can be noted. A great need exists for field data and research investigations on the settlement of foundations on sands and partially saturated clays.
A transovarian transmission study of Marek's disease in Japanese quail.

Abstract Experiments were conducted to determine if transovarian transmission of the JM strain of Marek’s disease virus (MDV) occurs in Japanese quail. In one experiment, parent quail were infected with MDV when one-day-old; in another experiment, parent quail were infected when seven weeks old. No precipitating antigen or cytopathic or infective agent was isolated from the egg yolks, embryos, newly hatched quail, or progeny quail of the infected parents. During the eight weeks observation period, the progeny of infected parents showed no clinical symptoms, mortality, gross or microscopic lesions, MD viremia, or antibody. However, an MD-specific fluorescent antigen was observed in fibroblast and kidney cell cultures from embryos of parents infected at one day of age. Approximately 10% of the embryos contained this fluorescent antigen. Fluorescent antigen was not observed in cultures from embryos of quail infected at the age of seven weeks or control quail.
Ab initio studies of structural features not easily amenable to experiment. 17. The molecular structures of some strained cyclic hydrocarbons and estimates of their strain energies

The molecular structures of tricyclohexane, norbornane, quadricyclane, and cubane were completely refined by standard ab initio force relaxation on the 4-21G level. The results can be used as a basis to interpret some contradictory experimental reports found in the literature and to establish some hitherto unobserved structural trends involving the CC and CH bond distances of the cases studied. Group Delta;E values for C(H)3(C), C(H)2(C)2, and C(H)(C)3 (Benson's notation) derived from the total energies of the completely relaxed 4-21G geometries of a number of unstrained hydrocarbons are also listed. The values are used to estimate the strain energies of the systems studied and of the optimized 4-21G geometries of cyclopropane, cyclobutane, cyclohexane, and bicyclo (2.1.0)pentane. Cooperative effects in the strain energies are discussed.
Algal assay of relative abundance of phytoplankton nutrients in northeast United States coastal and shelf waters

Abstract Regulation of phytoplankton growth by chemical water quality, in the coastal and shelf region between Cape Hatteras and the Gulf of Maine, was assessed by enrichment bioassay. Water sample collections, made in five surveys over an annual cycle, were assayed in the laboratory. The assay results, based on growth of a centric diatom, Thalassiosira pseudonana (clone 3H) Hasle and Heimdal, suggest that nitrogen, potentially, was the most important growth-limiting nutrient region-wide and year-round. The results also suggest that phosphorus had considerable importance and that silicon and vitamin B 12 occasionally were limiting. The potential regulatory importance of phosphorus apparently was less consistent, temporally and spatially, than that of nitrogen. Phosphorus limitation was detected primarily in just two of the collections, from March and July surveys. In the March collection it was evident predominantly in the inshore samples, but in the July collection its incidence was approximately the same among samples from inner, mid and outer shelf. Inhibitory water quality was prevalent in two of the collections, particularly in samples from inshore locales. The cause of this inhibition has not been identified but it was not associated with nutrient concentration. It is possible that adverse water quality was an important growth regulator in the region, at least for species having sensitivities analogous to that of the assay organism.
Introducing Locality and Softness in Subspace Classification

Subspace classifiers classify a pattern based on its distance from different vector subspaces. Earlier models of subspace classification were based on the assumption that individual classes lie in unique subspaces. In later extensions, locality was introduced into subspace classification allowing for a class to be associated with more than one sub manifold. The local subspace classifier is thus a piecewise linear classifier, and is more powerful when compared to the linear classification performed by global subspace methods. We present extensions to the basic subspace method of classification based on introducing locality and softness in the classification process. Locality is introduced by (subspace) clustering the patterns into clusters, and softness is introduced by allowing a pattern to be associated with more than one cluster. Our motivation for introducing both locality and softness is based on the premise that by introducing locality, it is possible to reduce the bias though at the cost of a possible increase in variance. By introducing softness (or aggregation), the variance can be reduced. Consequently, by introducing both locality and softness, we avoid the possibility of high variance that locality typically introduces. We derive appropriate algorithms to construct a local and soft model of subspace classifiers and present results obtained with the proposed algorithm.
Black/immigrant competition re-assessed: new evidence from Los Angeles.

Findings are presented from a survey of employers conducted to assess the impact of immigration and employer practices upon the chances of Blacks finding employment in Los Angeles. The highest ranking person involved in the hiring process at each of 44 restaurants 46 printers 41 hotels and 39 furniture manufacturers was interviewed. The hiring of new employees drawn from the network of current employees seems to have the dual function of bringing immigrant communities into the workplace while detaching vacancies from the open market thereby reducing the number of employment opportunities for Blacks. Employers also perceived immigrants to be far more desirable employees than Blacks partly because they believe that immigrants will work more productively. Immigrants are also seen as the more tractable laborers. Any managerial propensity to favor immigrants over Blacks will probably be reinforced by the attitudes of the mainly Latino work force for placing a Black worker in a mainly Latino work crew may frustrate productivity given the animosity between the two ethnic groups. Blacks also appear to opt out of the low-level labor market in response to rising expectations on the one hand and the anticipation of encountering employment difficulties on the other.
The Hopf bifurcation theorem for quasilinear differential-algebraic equations

Abstract We prove a generalization of the Hopf bifurcation theorem for quasilinear differential equations (DAEs), i.e. equations of the form A(μ, χ)χ = G(μ, χ) where the matrix A(χ, μ) has constant but not full rank and hence the system cannot be made into an explicit ODE. The paper includes an appendix by J. Ernsthausen addressing the numerical calculation of the Hopf points in the DAE setting.
Cooperative MIMO gateways: a promising technique for fast handoff

The multi-input multi-output (MIMO) technique has been portrayed as the next revolution for wireless technologies. The MIMO technique is an effective mechanism to increase capacity and reliability of wireless communications by taking advantage of its spatial multiplexing gain or diversity gain. However, conventional MIMO is expensive: the form factor of the radio is large, multiple RF front ends are required, multiple antennas can be difficult to place on a mobile platform, and the parallel propagation channels may be correlated. The paper investigates an alternative way of implementing MIMO: cooperative MIMO, where multiple nodes coordinate their transmissions so that cooperative parallel transmissions can be established between multiple source nodes and a destination node, and space/time coding is applied on the transmissions. We not only investigate the capacity gain from using cooperative MIMO, we also use cooperative MIMO to perform fast handoff for wireless networks. The performance of the proposed fast handoff approach is evaluated using modeling and simulation (M&S).
Bayesian Compressed Sensing Based Dynamic Joint Spectrum Sensing and Primary User Localization for Dynamic Spectrum Access

In cognitive radio (CR) and dynamic spectrum access (DSA) network research, most of current work on spectrum sensing focuses on the detection of existence of the spectrum holes for secondary user (SU) to harness. However, in a more sophisticated CR, the SU needs to detect more than just the existence of primary users (PUs) and spectrum holes: e.g., the transmission power and location of the primary users. In our previous work, we combined the spectrum sensing and PU power/localization detection together, and developed a joint PU detection and power/localization detection algorithm via compressed sensing (CS). By employing compressed sensing, the measurement ratio for the spectrum sensors is significantly reduced. However, if the measurement ratio is too low, the compressed sensing algorithm will not provide accurate estimates. Since the sparsity in the frequency domain is dynamically changing, it is unfeasible to set a predetermined measurement ratio. In this paper, we extend our previous work to employ the Bayesian Compressed Sensing (BCS) to improve the reconstruction results and dynamically determine the measurement ratio. Specifically, the BCS algorithm provides an "error bar" along with the reconstruction of the target vector. This "error bar" can then be used to determine if the current measurement ratio is sufficient. When the spectrum environment changes, the "error bar" will change accordingly, giving us direction to increase or decrease the measurement ratio. Simulation results including the measurement ratio, the miss detection probability (MDP), false alarm probability (FAP) and reconstruction probability (RP) confirm the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed method.
Neuronal IP3 3-kinase is an F-actin-bundling protein: role in dendritic targeting and regulation of spine morphology.

The actin microstructure in dendritic spines is involved in synaptic plasticity. Inositol trisphosphate 3-kinase A (ITPKA) terminates Ins(1,4,5)P3 signals emanating from spines and also binds filamentous actin (F-actin) through its amino terminal region (amino acids 1-66, N66). Here we investigated how ITPKA, independent of its kinase activity, regulates dendritic spine F-actin microstructure. We show that the N66 region of the protein mediates F-actin bundling. An N66 fusion protein bundled F-actin in vitro, and the bundling involved N66 dimerization. By mutagenesis we identified a point mutation in a predicted helical region that eliminated both F-actin binding and bundling, rendering the enzyme cytosolic. A fusion protein containing a minimal helical region (amino acids 9-52, N9-52) bound F-actin in vitro and in cells, but had lower affinity. In hippocampal neurons, GFP-tagged N66 expression was highly polarized, with targeting of the enzyme predominantly to spines. By contrast, N9-52-GFP expression occurred in actin-rich structures in dendrites and growth cones. Expression of N66-GFP tripled the length of dendritic protrusions, induced longer dendritic spine necks, and induced polarized actin motility in time-lapse assays. These results suggest that, in addition to its ability to regulate intracellular Ca2+ via Ins(1,4,5)P3 metabolism, ITPKA regulates structural plasticity.
Highway Performance and Time-Sensitive Industries

This report addresses delays to freight shippers. Although the focus is on just-in-time (JIT) businesses, the authors also note that non JIT businesses also suffer delays that impact their productivity. The table of contents lists the following headings: CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION - A trial application: the Des Moines metropolitan area; Structure of the report; CHAPTER 2 - RELIABILITY AT THE FOREFRONT OF FREIGHT TRANSPORT DEMAND - Manufacturing and inventory; Just-in-time operations in the U.S.; Transportation consequences; Summary; CHAPTER 3 - JIT OPERATIONS IN IOWA - Survey and sample; Trucking activity and service; Just-in-time truck transportation in Iowa; Assessment of factors affecting truck transportation service; Summary and conclusions; CHAPTER 4 - TRAVEL TIME UNCERTAINTY INDUCED BY INCIDENTS - A probabilistic model for incident occurrences and durations; Calculation of delay; Trial application; Conclusions; and CHAPTER 5 - CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS - Conclusions; Recommendations.
On the form of the strain energy function for a family of SBR materials

Styrene-butadiene materials with varying crosslink densities are analyzed through use of a strain energy function of the type introduced by Valanis and Landel (1967). A form of the strain energy function derived from strip biaxial tests proves to be accurate when checked against uniaxial and other biaxial test results.
Clinical outcomes after radical prostatectomy in diabetic patients treated with metformin.

Objectives To investigate the relationship between diabetes and metformin use with outcomes after radical prostatectomy (RP) for clinically localized cancer. Methods A total of 112 diabetic metformin users and 98 diabetic non–metformin users treated with RP from 1990 to 2009 were identified. Nondiabetic controls were match using their 5-year risk of biochemical recurrence (BCR) as calculated by the preoperative Kattan nomogram. Results A total of 616 patients were evaluated in this study. There was no significant difference between nondiabetic and diabetic patients, including metformin users, with respect to age, clinical stage, preoperative prostate-specific antigen (PSA) score, pathologic Gleason score, and pathologic stage. Diabetic patients, including metformin users, were more likely to be of African American or Hispanic background than were nondiabetic controls ( P = .001). The estimated 5-year BCR-free survival was 75.0% for nondiabetic patients, compared with 66.1% for metformin users and 59.3% for diabetic non–metformin users ( P = .004). In multivariate analysis, metformin use was not significantly associated with risk of BCR (HR = 0.94; 95% CI = 0.6-1.5, P = .817). However, being diabetic, regardless of metformin use, resulted in a 55% increase in risk of BCR (HR = 1.55; 95% CI = 1.03-2.33, P = .034). Conclusions Diabetes, regardless of metformin use, was significantly associated with an increased likelihood of BCR after RP. Metformin use did not prove to be of any benefit. These observations underscore the importance for further studies evaluating the metabolic pathways that affect prostate cancer biology.
The role of government in health care: a societal issue

The history of the role of government in health care is briefly reviewed and more fully discussed in the United States since the establishment of Medicare 40 years ago. Data and other evidence of the unintended consequences of this historic event are presented, identifying thorny and onerous issues that government has created, showing failed attempts at band-aid solutions, and suggesting that our present health care system is in disarray and cannot be rectified by the "incrementalism" approach. The establishment of a high-level commission jointly endorsed by the President of the United States and Congress is recommended to consider and analyze scrupulously all the components of our health care complex and provide a "roadmap" toward achieving a universal health care system that is culturally acceptable, affordable, and of optimal quality while avoiding its administration and total control by an ultimately rigid and unwieldy governmental or insurance-industry bureaucracy.
Spurious Replication in Analysis: Making 2 × 2 Tables out of Paired Data

Abstract An example is cited from a published study of forceps (cerci) asymmetry and copulatory success in earwigs (Forficula auricularia). Its authors scored eight pairs of male earwigs—one with symmetric and one with asymmetric forceps—according to which male first succeeded in mating with a female earwig enclosed with them in a petri dish. Their categories “symmetric males successful” (seven observed among the eight pairs) and “asymmetric males unsuccessful” (the seven pairmates of the successful males) were thereby locked together like the observations “seven Heads up” and “seven Tails down” in tosses of eight coins. The authors assumed, however, that their eight petri dishes were providing two independent observations per dish. They analyzed this assumed total of 16 observations by the Fisher exact test of a 2 × 2 table, obtaining an apparent two-sided probability of 0.01. In fact, the study provided only eight independent observations, correctly testable by a binomial exact test of the 7:1 ratio. By...
Overview of Structural Interventions to Decrease Injection Drug-Use Risk

Injection drug equipment sharing continues to contribute dramatically to the worldwide spread of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other blood-borne pathogens among injection drug users (IDUs). After acquiring a blood-borne infection through contaminated injection paraphernalia, IDUs may then pass it to their drug sharing and sexual partners as well as their future offspring (Taussig, Weinstein, Burris, & Jones, 2000). HIV often spreads rapidly among IDUs, in part because very few health and social services are available to them. Internationally, as many as 92% of IDUs in low- and middle-income countries have no access to any type of HIV prevention (Fiellin, Green, & Heimer, 2008). Furthermore, on average IDUs engage in less safe sex practices than the general population, possibly due to decreased judgment when under the influence and/or unsafe sex in exchange for money or drugs.
Child fear reactivity and sex as moderators of links between parenting and preschool behavior problems

Reduced supportive parenting and elevated negative parenting behaviors increase risks for maladaptive social adjustment during early childhood (e.g., Campbell, Shaw, & Gilliom, 2000). However, the magnitude of these risks may vary according to children's individual characteristics, such as sex and temperament. The current study examines whether children's sex and fear reactivity moderate the associations between mothers' observed parenting and children's behavior problems 1 year later. The sample consists of 151 predominantly African American, low-income families with one sibling who is approximately 2 years old and the closest aged older sibling who is approximately 4 years old. Results from fixed-effects within-family models indicate that fear distress (i.e., fearfulness) moderated associations between mothers' observed negative parenting and children's increased behavior problems, such that only those children with mean or higher observed fear distress scores showed increased behavior problems when exposed to mother's negative parenting. Child sex moderated associations between fear approach reactivity (i.e., fearlessness) and mothers' observed supportive parenting. Specifically, low fear approach combined with supportive parenting was associated with fewer behavior problems for boys only. Implications of these findings for preventive intervention are discussed.
Necropsy of Adult Cattle

This article presents a brief overview of some examination techniques commonly used during necropsy of adult cattle. A few common diseases and their typical lesions are described and appropriate laboratory techniques to confirm or help deny the roles of specific agents are mentioned.
Traffic and Flight Guidance Depiction on a Synthetic Vision System Display: The Effects of Clutter on Performance and Visual Attention Allocation

Fourteen pilots flew a synthetic vision system (SVS) display, through a terrain and traffic-rich environment in a high fidelity flight simulator. Traffic information was hosted on the SVS display. ...
Graphene investigated by synchrotron radiation

From the earliest days of graphene electronics, epitaxial graphene grown on SiC has been the focus of both academic and industrial research because it is potentially scalable to large electronic systems. Yet, epitaxial graphene electronics is still in its infancy. In the race to demonstrate devices, the fundamental work of understanding and controlling this material has just begun. It is entirely possible that graphene’s potential for electronics lies in new ways of thinking about electronics. In that case, significant advances will come only after serious materials physics and engineering research. One of the arguably most important properties of epitaxial graphene is that it can be studied with a variety of analytical probes beyond electron-transport measurements. Synchrotron studies have been key to understanding a wide variety of properties, including the role of the graphene–SiC interface in graphene’s transport properties, how the films are doped, whether and how a bandgap (critical to digital electronics) can be formed, and how metals and insulators can be grown on graphene for critical ohmic contacts and gate structures. These important studies are discussed in this review.
Core Concepts: Fetal Cardiac Physiology

The fetal myocardium and circulation differ from that of the adult in many important ways. Postnatal circulation occurs in series with the right ventricle providing a full cardiac output to the pulmonary circulation and the left ventricle delivering that same cardiac output to the body (systemic circulation). In the fetus, however, there is a parallel circulation in which organs receive blood flow from both ventricles, and the ventricular output is described as combined. Due to this arrangement, the fetus has unique methods to adapt to intrauterine stressors on the cardiovascular system. There are several normal physiologic transitions that take place after birth which may be perturbed by a compromised hemodynamic state or the presence of congenital heart disease. The transition to an adult circulation is a dynamic process, of which the understanding is critical to the care of neonates.
A randomized comparison of postremission therapy in acute myelogenous leukemia: a Southeastern Cancer Study Group trial

The Southeastern Cancer Study Group conducted a post-remission induction randomized trial in adult acute myelogenous leukemia to assess the efficacy of alternate drug therapy during consolidation and of immunotherapy during maintenance. Of 508 evaluable patients entered into the study, 335 (66%) achieved a complete remission treated with a 7-day infusion of cytosine arabinoside at a dose of 100 mg/sq m/day and 3 days of daunorubicin at a dose of 45 mg/sq m/day. Those in remission were randomized to receive 3 courses of 1 of 3 consolidation regimens: (A) a continuous infusion of 5-azacytidine, 150 mg/sq m/day for 5 days; (B) 5-azacytidine plus beta-deoxythioguanosine, 300 mg/sq m/day for 5 days; or (C) cytosine arabinoside, 100 mg/sq m/day intravenously, and thioguanine, 100 mg/sq m orally every 12 hr, plus daunorubicin, 10 mg/sq m every 24 hr daily for 5 days. There was no difference in relapse rate among the 3 arms. Those completing consolidation and remaining in remission were randomized to 1 of 3 maintenance regimens: (D) chemotherapy, 5-day infusion of cytosine arabinoside and 2 days of daunorubicin (same doses as induction) given every 13 wk for 1 yr; (E) BCG given twice weekly for 1 mo and then monthly for 1 yr; or (F) the combination of regimens D and E. The median duration of remission was significantly better on regimen D (17.4 versus 9.4 and 9.5 mo), and median survival was 29 mo compared to 21 mo for the other regimens. Those given different drugs during consolidation than used for induction (regimens A and B) and subsequent chemotherapy for maintenance (regimen D) had the longest remission durations and survival. Immunotherapy was not as good as intensive chemotherapy for maintenance.
Images and ecological culture

Ecological aesthetics holds ecological over human egocentricity,though schools usually take subjectivity as the target of the construction,despite sporadic arguments of the distance between nature and man.Therefore,the writer of this paper switches to the images that might represent Chinese aesthetic category,in an attempt to construct the ecological subjectivity and the distance between nature and man.
A Madness to the Method: Fixing the Joint Infringement System for Method Patents after Akamai Technologies, Inc. v. Limelight Networks, Inc.

The Federal Circuit’s 2012 joint decision in Akamai Technologies, Inc. v. Limelight Networks, Inc. and McKesson Technologies, Inc. v. Epic Systems Corporation marked a pivotal moment in the federal courts’ development and application of joint patent infringement. In overruling the "single-entity" and "control or direction" rules and establishing a new "inducement-only" rule, the Federal Circuit case destroyed the backbone of joint infringement jurisprudence without a second thought. Surprisingly, the en banc majority avoided several of the primary concerns that were the basis for the en banc rehearing in the first place, including whether or not direct infringement can occur through the joint actions of multiple entities. In contrast, Judge Newman’s dissenting opinion identified the shortcomings of both the previous law as well as the majority’s new rule and proposed an alternative approach which would bring a level of stability to the area of joint patent infringement that has not existed for decades.This Comment will first explain the historical development of joint patent infringement, the major judicial and legislative steps that lead to the present state of the law, including an examination of each of the Akamai Techs., Inc. v. Limelight Networks, Inc. opinions and the newly established "inducement-only" rule. This Comment will then discuss the inadequacies that will result from the adoption of either the majority’s opinion or Judge Linn’s dissenting opinion. Finally, this Comment will propose the implementation of Judge Newman’s recommendations and opinion and the benefits which it will entail in creating clarity and protection for method patent owners.
Educational Productivity: Theory, Evidence, and Prospects:

A central problem of psychological research in education is to determine how to make learning more effective and productive. Effective learning means that students reach stated goals; productive le...
Principles of 60S ribosomal subunit assembly emerging from recent studies in yeast

Ribosome biogenesis requires the intertwined processes of folding, modification, and processing of ribosomal RNA, together with binding of ribosomal proteins. In eukaryotic cells, ribosome assembly begins in the nucleolus, continues in the nucleoplasm, and is not completed until after nascent particles are exported to the cytoplasm. The efficiency and fidelity of ribosome biogenesis are facilitated by >200 assembly factors and ∼76 different small nucleolar RNAs. The pathway is driven forward by numerous remodeling events to rearrange the ribonucleoprotein architecture of pre-ribosomes. Here, we describe principles of ribosome assembly that have emerged from recent studies of biogenesis of the large ribosomal subunit in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae . We describe tools that have empowered investigations of ribosome biogenesis, and then summarize recent discoveries about each of the consecutive steps of subunit assembly.
Butyrate and the colonocyte. Production, absorption, metabolism, and therapeutic implications.

Butyrate is one of the three principal short chain fatty acids (SCFA) in humans generated by colonic microbial fermentation of dietary substrates. SCFA are the C2-5 organic fatty acids, also called the volatile fatty acids (VFA), which include acetate, propionate and butyrate. Colonic intraluminal levels of butyrate may play a role in the pathogenesis of a variety of diseases of the large intestine. This chapter reviews the production, absorption, metabolism, and therapeutic implications of butyrate.
Multi-modality image registration for effective thermographic fever screening

Fever screening based on infrared thermographs (IRTs) is a viable mass screening approach during infectious disease pandemics, such as Ebola and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), for temperature monitoring in public places like hospitals and airports. IRTs have been found to be powerful, quick and non-invasive methods for detecting elevated temperatures. Moreover, regions medially adjacent to the inner canthi (called the canthi regions in this paper) are preferred sites for fever screening. Accurate localization of the canthi regions can be achieved through multi-modality registration of infrared (IR) and white-light images. Here we propose a registration method through a coarse-fine registration strategy using different registration models based on landmarks and edge detection on eye contours. We have evaluated the registration accuracy to be within ± 2.7 mm, which enables accurate localization of the canthi regions.
On Nonoscillatory Solutions of Emden-Fowler

We study the existence and asymptotic behavior of nonoscillatory solutions of Emden -Fowler dynamic sytems on time scales. In order to show the existence, we use Schauder , Knaster and Tychonoff Fixed Point Theorems. Some examples are illustrated as well.
How the City Air Made Us Free: The Self-Governing Medieval City and the Bourgeoisie Revaluation

The Great Enrichment of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries involved unprecedented increases in standards of living across Europe and its offshoots. (Conservatively, the increases were generally by a factor of between 30 and 45.) Deirdre McCloskey (2006, 2010, 2016) argues that by far the most important contributor to the Great Enrichment was “a rhetorical and ethical change causing the proliferation of ingenious ideas for betterment” (2016, p. 151). This rhetorical and ethical change was, to her mind, a product of “egalitarian accidents of 1517-1789” (p. 152). Alternatively, McCloskey heavily discounts the contribution of improved institutions. I argue that McCloskey’s characterization of the emergence of a bourgeois ethics and dignity as exogenous to the institutional environments is not convincing. Rather, I argue that the constitutional development of the self-governing medieval city was a necessary condition for the ethical and rhetorical change that McCloskey emphasizes. Furthermore, a bourgeois ethics and dignity were likely emerging in European cities as early as the twelfth century as the results of constitutional bargains. Given that literacy was largely confined to the clergy during the High Middle Ages, a paucity of pre-modern evidence for this emergence is not surprising.
Lysophosphatidic acid and amitriptyline signal through LPA1R to reduce P-glycoprotein transport at the blood–brain barrier:

The blood-brain barrier is a microvascular network that (1) provides neuroprotection from metabolic and environmental toxins and (2) limits the delivery of therapeutics to the central nervous system (CNS). The ATP-binding cassette transporter P-glycoprotein contributes to the latter by actively pumping clinical substrates back into circulation before they can reach the brain parenchyma. Targeting P-glycoprotein has proven effective in increasing the delivery of therapeutics to their cerebral targets. We provide a novel mechanism to achieve this end in functioning, intact rat brain capillaries, whereby the bioactive phospholipid lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) and tricyclic antidepressant (TCA) amitriptyline reduce basal P-glycoprotein transport activity through a distinct lysophosphatidic acid 1 receptor-mediated signaling cascade that requires G-protein coupling, Src kinase, and ERK 1/2. Furthermore, we demonstrate the ability of LPA and TCA amitriptyline to decrease induced P-glycoprotein transport activity in a human SOD1 transgenic rat model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. This work may translate to new clinical strategies for increasing the cerebral penetration of therapeutics in patients suffering from CNS diseases marked by exacerbated pharmacoresistance.
Precise modulation of neuronal activity with synthetic photoswitchable ligands.

To tackle some of the most fundamental questions in neurobiology at the molecular level, classical genetics and pharmacology have been effective tools to perturb the activity of neuronal receptors and ion channels. However, conventional pharmacology has several drawbacks that are especially problematic when studying neural circuits and synapses. First, standard diffusion and partitioning of the ligand mean poor spatial and temporal control of ligand activity. Second, even in cases of high specificity for ligand action, it is relatively common for the receptor or channel of interest to be expressed on multiple nearby cell types, or even on both sides of a synapse, making it difficult to isolate the effects of the target receptor within the circuit or synapse of interest. Light-based techniques that operate at the intersection of chemistry, biology, and neuroscience have been developed to overcome these challenges. We focus here on systems that contain a synthetic photoswitch, a small molecule that absorbs light to reversibly change its shape. The most commonly used photoswitch in biological applications is azobenzene due to its synthetic tractability, tunable photochemical properties, and biological compatibility (Fig. 1a). The lowest energy isomer, the straight trans-azobenzene, isomerizes to the bent cis-azobenzene configuration upon irradiation with near-UV light. Subsequent irradiation with longer wavelength visible light, or thermal relaxation, leads the metastable cis-azobenzene to revert to the trans-azobenzene isomer. Open in a separate window Figure 1 Strategies for incorporating synthetic photoswitches into neuroscience tools. A) The trans and cis isomers of azobenzene can be interconverted with different wavelengths of light. Cartoons show how the core azobenzene structure can be elaborated into photoswitchable tools. B) Photochromic ligands (PCLs) switch between active and inactive compounds that freely diffuse and function with endogenous channels and receptors. C) Photoswitchable Tethered Ligands (PTLs) covalently attach to an engineered protein to provide photocontrol. D) Photoswitchable orthogonal remotely tethered ligands (PORTLs) are conceptually a cross between PCLs and PTLs, they use a self-labeling protein fused to the target protein and a photoswitch ligand that has long linker to accommodate attachment farther from the ligand binding site.
Effect of dual laser beam on dissimilar welding-brazing of aluminum to galvanized steel

Abstract In this investigation, the joining of two types of galvanized steel and Al6022 aluminum alloy in a coach peel configuration was carried out using a laser welding-brazing process in dual-beam mode. The feasibility of this method to obtain a sound and uniform brazed bead with high surface quality at a high welding speed was investigated by employing AlSi12 as a consumable material. The effects of alloying elements on the thickness of intermetallic compound (IMC) produced at the interface of steel and aluminum, surface roughness, edge straightness and the tensile strength of the resultant joint were studied. The comprehensive study was conducted on the microstructure of joints by means of a scanning electron microscopy and EDS. Results showed that a dual-beam laser shape and high scanning speed could control the thickness of IMC as thin as 3 µm and alter the failure location from the steel-brazed interface toward the Al-brazed interface. The numerical simulation of thermal regime was conducted by the Finite Element Method (FEM), and simulation results were validated through comparative experimental data. FEM thermal modeling evidenced that the peak temperatures at the Al-steel interface were around the critical temperature range of 700–900 °C that is required for the highest growth rate of IMC. However, the time duration that the molten pool was placed inside this temperature range was less than 1 s, and this duration was too short for diffusion-control based IMC growth.
Matchmaking in Bioinformatics.

Ever return from a meeting feeling elated by all those exciting talks, yet unsure how all those presented glamorous and/or exciting tools can be useful in your research? Or do you have a great piece of software you want to share, yet only a handful of people visited your poster? We have all been there, and that is why we organized the Matchmaking for Computational and Experimental Biologists Session at the latest ISCB/GLBIO’2017 meeting in Chicago (May 15-17, 2017). The session exemplifies a novel approach, mimicking “matchmaking”, to encouraging communication, making connections and fostering collaborations between computational and non-computational biologists. More specifically, the session facilitates face-to-face communication between researchers with similar or differing research interests, which we feel are critical for promoting productive discussions and collaborations. To accomplish this, three short scheduled talks were delivered, focusing on RNA-seq, integration of clinical and genomic data, and chromatin accessibility analyses. Next, small-table developer-led discussions, modeled after speed-dating, enabled each developer (including the speakers) to introduce a specific tool and to engage potential users or other developers around the table. Notably, we asked the audience whether any other tool developers would want to showcase their tool and we thus added four developers as moderators of these small-table discussions. Given the positive feedback from the tool developers, we feel that this type of session is an effective approach for promoting valuable scientific discussion, and is particularly helpful in the context of conferences where the number of participants and activities could hamper such interactions.
Quality Oversight: Use of Administrative Data Bases

Several attempts have been made to use administrative databases to assess the quality of care, to make comparisons or to set benchmarks (Lee and Wan, 2002; Wan, et al., 2002). Of the large banks of administrative data in hospitals, insurance corporations and state and federal agencies, many are essentially files of reimbursement claims, but the files have recognized advantages. They are accessible due to routine collection and electronic storage. They contain information on thousands, sometimes millions, of cases. They provide a more complex, less skewed description of services than accounts from a single location do. Moreover, they contain information covering long time periods, allowing longitudinal studies; and the spectrum of cases allows study of large subgroups of populations.
Certum atque Confessum: Lorenzo Valla on the Forensics of Certainty

Im Zentrum von Vallas Umgestaltung der Dialektik als rhetorischer Methode steht ein neues Verstandnis von certum , das aus Quintilians Institutio oratoria stammt. Diesem Verstandnis zufolge ist Gewissheit in dem begrundet, was allgemein akzeptiert wird, nicht in dem, was wahr ist. Damit trennt Valla certum und verum . In den Dialecticae disputationes stellt er Dialektik nicht als eine logische oder philosophische Methode zum Beweis von Wahrheiten dar, sondern als Praxis Gestandnisse herbeizufuhren und als juristische Produktion konsensueller Gewissheiten. Auch in anderen Werken, etwa den Elegantiae und seinem Kommentar zu Quintilians Institutio , verbindet er durchweg certum mit Konsens, insbesondere Konsens im Sinne der rhetorischen Strategie der status -Theorie.
A Youth-Friendly Pharmacy Initiative: Decreasing Unintended Pregnancies Among Disenfranchised Youth:

Teens from neighborhoods that have experienced historical and contemporary disinvestment have among the highest rates of teen pregnancy, yet they have less access to resources to reduce unintended ...
Transformations to reduce the effect of particle size in mid-infrared spectra of biomass

Fourier Transform InfraRed (FTIR) spectroscopy is a very powerful technique for the characterization of the chemical composition of biomass and its modifications occurring during thermochemical and chemical pretreatments. However, method development is necessary to generate reproducible signals that can be used in combination with multivariate techniques (such as principal component analysis, PCA) to extract meaningful information on biomass composition and bond cleavage. Particle size is a great source of spectra variability in FTIR of biomass. The FTIR signal for an array of particle sizes (2–0.075 mm) was evaluated for hardwood and switchgrass, revealing that 0.5 mm renders higher intensity and spectral reproducibility for both the FTIR sampling techniques investigated (ATR and HTS-XT). Furthermore, the suitability of different signal processing approaches to decrease particle size variability of spectral signals was tested (signal normalization, derivation, and their combination). Normalization showed the highest contribution to enhance ATR spectral reproducibility of both biomass, as statistically shown by the 5-fold decrease of the ratio of signal variance with magnitude of spectral features (VM ratio) with respect to the unprocessed signal. Spectral signal analysis in combination with multivariate statistics (PCA) was used to extract information about the chemical differences between hardwood and switchgrass. The agreement of the biomass composition findings from FTIR-PCA and literature wet chemistry results (acid hydrolysis) contributed to corroborating that FTIR combined with PCA is a clean, quick, efficient, and versatile technique with potential to analyze and characterize biomass composition.
Three-Phase AC-Stacked PV Inverter Architecture and Output Balancing Control Strategy with Battery under Asymmetrical Irradiance Conditions

This paper presents three-phase AC-stacked photovoltaic (PV) inverter architecture integrated with battery and its output balancing control strategy under asymmetrical irradiance conditions. The main objective of this research is to verify the feasibility of decentralized control scheme in the three-phase AC-stacked PV inverter system and mitigate unbalanced output power caused by asymmetrical irradiance conditions. To keep the benefits of the decentralized control, the proposed output balancing control strategy uses local measurement information captured by individual energy storage inverter members. The proposed system is demonstrated and verified through a control-hardware-in-the-Ioop test.
Neuromodulation - Science and Practice in Epilepsy: Vagus Nerve Stimulation, Thalamic Deep Brain Stimulation, and Responsive NeuroStimulation

Introduction: Neuromodulation devices can be safe and effective for the treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy. A body of scientific work supports peripheral, subcortical and cortical targets, each with different fundamental methods of action. Areas covered: High-quality evidence is available for vagal nerve stimulation (VNS), deep brain stimulation (DBS), and responsive neurostimulation (RNS). Mechanistic research in animals and human studies are reviewed, along with key data from VNS, DBS, and RNS clinical trials. Specifically, the authors review some of the science behind the most frequently used medical devices for neuromodulation, the evidence that lead to their adoption, a delineation of the populations that often benefit from these devices, and perspectives on clinical practice to optimize benefit in treatment of seizures. Expert Commentary: Neuromodulation is increasingly used to complement medical management of refractory epilepsy. Device preference will be made on the basis of patient preference, physician familiarity and other individualized factors. Right now, the field is very new and decision-making will improve with experience.
Picture Perfect: The Relationship between Selfie Behaviors, Self-Objectification, and Depressive Symptoms

Social media use has been linked to depression, although there is evidence that how one uses social media matters. Self-objectification may influence social media-related behaviors, such as taking many pictures before posting and using photo editing. These may be related to negative outcomes, perhaps because they contribute to feeling disingenuous online. These relationships were explored in the context of selfie posting on Instagram among a sample of young U.S. women who completed self-report measures. Mediation analyses were used to determine whether self-objectification, operationalized as body surveillance, predicted depressive symptoms serially mediated by either (a) taking multiple pictures before posting or (b) photo-manipulation as well as through feeling disingenuous online. In the first model, body surveillance predicted taking multiple selfies before posting which, in turn, related to feelings of depression. Taking multiple selfies before posting was not related to feelings of deception. In the second model, there was a significant four-variable indirect effect wherein self-objectification predicted depression through photo manipulation and feelings of disingenuousness online. The present study shows that there are specific behaviors that women, especially those who self-objectify, engage in before actively using social media that can relate to negative consequences. Understanding how self-objectification impacts social media behaviors can help women became more aware of their engagement in potentially problematic behaviors and work toward self-acceptance.