cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Project Discrepancies in Roadway Construction and Preservation: A Statistical Analysis of Public–Private Partnership Contract Types in the US

At the planning stage of a roadway construction or preservation project, public agencies face a crucial challenge; to adopt and implement the appropriate contractual framework that can minimize the anticipated project discrepancies, on the basis of project-specific conditions. Focusing on Public-Private Partnerships (PPP), a deeper understanding of the factors that affect each type of discrepancy can assist public agencies in thoroughly evaluating and comparing PPP options. This paper seeks to provide an empirical but comprehensive analysis on PPP-specific project discrepancies, by identifying influential factors that significantly affect cost savings, cost overrun, change orders, and time delays in roadway projects. Using data from 645 PPP projects implemented in the USA between 1996 and 2011, seven popular PPP contracting approaches in the USA were considered in the analysis, and a number of random parameters linear and non-linear statistical models were estimated by PPP approach. The results demonstrate that PPP-specific attributes such as project cost, size, types of constituent activities, and expected duration, have mixed effects on the occurrence and the magnitude of each type of discrepancy.
Applications of parallel synthetic lead hopping and pharmacophore-based virtual screening in the discovery of efficient glycine receptor potentiators.

Glycine receptors (GlyRs) are pentameric glycine-gated chloride ion channels that are enriched in the brainstem and spinal cord where they have been demonstrated to play a role in central nervous system (CNS) inhibition. Herein we describe two novel classes of glycine receptor potentiators that have been developed using similarity- and property-guided scaffold hopping enabled by parallel synthesis and pharmacophore-based virtual screening strategies. This effort resulted in the identification of novel, efficient and modular leads having favorable in vitro ADME profiles and high CNS multi-parameter optimization (MPO) scores, exemplified by azetidine sulfonamide 19 and aminothiazole sulfone (ent2)-20.
Precision Medicine and Challenges in Research and Clinical Implementation

Abstract The personalized medicine movement pivots on the integration of patients’ genetic and genomic data for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. However, it does not refer to a single test or type of data like a gene sequence, but rather assessment of a range of molecular-based changes that are impacted by and can impact the macro- and micro-environment. At this point in time, several areas of research are actively under investigation, yielding new clues about human health and disease, and informing development of new clinical interventions. These areas of research and clinical applications also raise a host of issues that will need to be addressed to enable the continued pace of research and clinical implementation. This chapter aims to provide an overview of several areas of research that are driving the personalized medicine movement as well as some of the ethical, legal, and clinical issues that have been raised.
Isolation of Differentially Expressed Genes from Tomato Flowers

The development of a higher plant is a complex process involving interactions between environmental cues and genetically determined programs for growth and differentiation that result in shifting patterns in cell division, and differential gene expression. The processes of flower induction and development provide a system in which all of these events can be studied.
Treating Sleep Apnea with Positive Airway Pressure Does Not Reduce Adverse CV Outcomes or Mortality.

The use of PAP for adults with sleep apnea does not reduce adverse CV events or mortality. Patients who experience daytime fatigue at baseline benefit from reduced sleepiness and improved physical and mental well-being. Order sleep testing only in patients with signs or symptoms of sleep apnea who also experience clinically significant symptoms of daytime fatigue. No one else will benefit.
Identifying Financially Sustainable Pricing Interventions to Promote Healthier Beverage Purchases in Small Neighborhood Stores.

INTRODUCTION Residents of low-income communities often purchase sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) at small, neighborhood "corner" stores. Lowering water prices and increasing SSB prices are potentially complementary public health strategies to promote more healthful beverage purchasing patterns in these stores. Sustainability, however, depends on financial feasibility. Because in-store pricing experiments are complex and require retailers to take business risks, we used a simulation approach to identify profitable pricing combinations for corner stores. METHODS The analytic approach was based on inventory models, which are suitable for modeling business operations. We used discrete-event simulation to build inventory models that use data representing beverage inventory, wholesale costs, changes in retail prices, and consumer demand for 2 corner stores in Baltimore, Maryland. Model outputs yielded ranges for water and SSB prices that increased water demand without loss of profit from combined water and SSB sales. RESULTS A 20% SSB price increase allowed lowering water prices by up to 20% while maintaining profit and increased water demand by 9% and 14%, for stores selling SSBs in 12-oz cans and 16- to 20-oz bottles, respectively. Without changing water prices, profits could increase by 4% and 6%, respectively. Sensitivity analysis showed that stores with a higher volume of SSB sales could reduce water prices the most without loss of profit. CONCLUSION Various combinations of SSB and water prices could encourage water consumption while maintaining or increasing store owners' profits. This model is a first step in designing and implementing profitable pricing strategies in collaboration with store owners.
Methods of Inquiry in Social Sciences: An Introduction

The purpose of this paper is an introduction to scientific methods that are organized and systematic scientific approaches used by scholars for controlled investigations and experiments to efficiently solve theoretical and practical problems, generate discoveries and/or advance scientific fields. The paper presents, briefly, the development of methods of inquiry in the philosophy of science. After that it will be discussed general methods of inquiry (deduction, induction, abduction and hypothetical-deductive) and specific models of scientific inquiry in social sciences. In general, modern research fields are multifaceted, requiring diverse processes for generating new concepts, for creating new hypothesis and performing controlled experiments. Different methods of inquiry are never contradictory, often they are complementary tools that facilitate problem solving and knowledge creation within and between research fields.
The First Professional Degree: Master of Engineering?

This chapter deals with the issue of the first professional degree in engineering in the United States of America (USA). At the present time, the bachelor's degree is commonly recognized as the first professional degree. However, there is increasing recognition that a 4-year bachelor's degree is no longer sufficient to properly prepare an engineering professional. The US National Academy of Engineering recommends that the 4-year bachelor's degree be a pre-engineering program, and that a master's degree be the first professional degree. This chapter explores a practice-oriented Master of Engineering degree, as a candidate for the first professional (ABET accredited) engineering degree.
Adenosine: autoradiographic localization and electrophysiologic effects in the cat retina.

Autoradiography with 3 H-adenosine was used to localize cells that accumulate adenosine in the cat retina. Electrophysiologic effects elicited by adenosine on DC-electroretinograms (ERG) and optic nerve responses (ONR) were studied in isolated, arterially perfused cat eyes. Subpopulations of cells localized in the ganglion cell layer and inner nuclear layer showed clear labeling for adenosine. This purine nucleoside enhanced the ERG b-wave and the standing potential; depressed the light peak; and markedly depressed the ONR, in which it reduced the amplitudes of the ON-, plateau-, and OFF-components. A vasodilatory action of adenosine was documented by an increase in perfusion flow rate. Our data suggest that adenosine in cat retina has complex modulatory effects, involving the retinal pigment epithelium, neuronal structures, blood vessels, and probably glial cells. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 30:2533-2536, 1989
The Land They Fought For

Visitors to Gettysburg battlefield almost always grasp immediately what the fighting was about: which side would control the roughly three-mile-long piece of high ground known as Cemetery Ridge (Fig. 4.1). For three fearfully bloody days in July 1863, Union General George G. Meade’s Army of the Potomac sat atop this north-south trending spine of rock while Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia tried and failed to take it from them. Perhaps the single most important piece of contested land in the war, Cemetery Ridge is there thanks to geology.
Biology of four sympatric sticklebacks in Cobscook Bay, Maine, a boreal, macrotidal bay

Four species of sticklebacks were collected during May, June, August, and September 2011–2013 in a survey of fishes of Cobscook Bay, a macrotidal bay in eastern Maine, U.S.A. Threespine (Gasterosteus aculeatus) and ninespine (Pungitius pungitius) sticklebacks have circumpolar distributions; blackspotted (Gasterosteus wheatlandi) and fourspine (Apeltes quadracus) sticklebacks are limited to northeastern North America. Sticklebacks were collected in the intertidal zone with beach seines and in the pelagic zone with trawls. Up to 30 individuals of each species from each sample were measured and weighed. Individuals were identified as gravid or not in 2012 and 2013. Catch-per-unit-efforts of the most abundant threespine (18,878 individuals) and second most abundant blackspotted sticklebacks (2433) were greatest in the innermost part of the bay, on mudflats, in 2012, and in August. Fewer than 100 fourspine and fewer than 50 ninespine sticklebacks were caught over the three years, mostly in the inner bay. Length-frequency distributions suggested age classes of 0+, 1+, 2+ and a few 3+ for threespine sticklebacks and 0+ and 1+ for blackspotted sticklebacks. Most gravid individuals of those two species were present in May and June. Spawning occurred earlier in 2012, an unusually warm year, than in 2013. Changes in presence, timing, and abundance of other species in the fish survey corroborated the influence of the record warm conditions in 2012 in the Gulf of Maine on the fish community of Cobscook Bay. Blackspotted and ninespine sticklebacks are vulnerable to population decline from warming in the Gulf of Maine because they are near the southern limits of distribution.
Modeling of oxygen diffusion from the blood vessels to intracellular organelles.

We describe recent models of oxygen transport in tissue along the pathwayfrom the hemoglobin molecule to the mitochondria and illustrate their applications. Microvasculature is the major site of exchange between blood and parenchymal cells for gases (O2, CO2, CO, NO), nutrients, metabolic products, and drugs. These exchange processes are affected by the architecture of the microvessels and the surrounding cells; distribution of blood flow; transport characteristics of blood, cells, and interstitial space; and rates of various chemical reactions associated with the transport processes. These processes operate at multiple levels of biological organization, from the molecular to the organ levels. Quantitative understanding of molecular transport in cells and tissues, specifically of oxygen transport, is the prerequisite for understanding the mechanisms of many diseases and for designing effective therapies. Mathematical and computational models provide a powerful set of tools for studies of these complex phenomena.
Self-assembled reversed bilayers directed by pnictogen bonding to form vesicles in solution

Artificial vesicles can aid in the study and understanding of biological cell membranes. This study employs pnictogen bonding to actively direct the self-assembly of a true reversed bilayer. Antimony(III) alkoxide cages that self-assemble through multiple strong Sb⋯O interactions propagate in two dimensions to form a reverse bilayer structure in the solid state. Long alkyl tails allow these reverse bilayers to be processed into vesicles in solution that are a reverse of biological cell membranes.
Polyphosphazenes as an Example of the Element-Blocks Approach to New Materials

Polyphosphazenes are inorganic-organic high polymers with a backbone of alternating phosphorus and nitrogen atoms and two organic or organometallic side groups attached to each phosphorus. Most of these polymers are synthesized by macromolecular substitution reactions carried out on poly(dichlorophosphazene), (NPCl2)n. The chlorine substitution reactions involve alkoxides, aryloxides, primary or secondary amines, or a range of organometallic reagents. Structural variations are accomplished via the use of one, two, or more different nucleophiles and substituents along the polymer chain and by the employment of reagent size and reactivity to control polymer properties and emphasize specific uses. Applications have been developed for these polymers as elastomers, thermoplastics, biostable or bioerodible medical materials, fire-resistant lithium battery electrolytes, films, or foams, and gas and liquid separation membranes.
Strong Nonreciprocity in Modulated Resonator Chains through Synthetic Electric and Magnetic Fields.

We study nonreciprocity in spatiotemporally modulated 1D resonator chains from the perspective of equivalent 2D resonator arrays with a synthetic dimension and transverse synthetic electric and magnetic fields. The synthetic fields are respectively related to temporal and spatial modulation of the resonator chain, and we show that their combination can induce strong transmission nonreciprocity, i.e., complete isolation with only a weak perturbative modulation. This nonreciprocal effect is analogous to the Hall effect for charged particles. We experimentally implement chains of two and three spatiotemporally modulated resonators and measure over 58 dB of isolation contrast.
Designing Vision Systems that See Better

This chapter introduces computational sensing and imaging—a branch of computer vision that deals with embedded processing for capturing higher quality imagery, to the embedded vision developer. In this research domain, issues such as exposure, motion blur, and dynamic range are addressed by fundamentally changing how light is sensed, captured, and made available for downstream semantic processing. Some important applications enabled are in digital photography and situational awareness. We present several design examples on these camera platforms where modifications of the image-capture process result in significant improvements in image quality, allowing downstream vision analysis to perform better. Motivated by example applications, we then describe the basic architecture of an embedded vision system that dynamically tunes and adapts to the task at hand.
Discrimination, Sexual Harassment, and the Impact of Workplace Power:

Research on workplace discrimination has tended to focus on a singular axis of inequality or a discrete type of closure, with much less attention to how positional and relational power within the e...
Directional Distribution of Ocean Surface Roughness Observed in Microwave Radar Backscattering

The directional distribution of ocean surface roughness is examined using the Ku, C and L band microwave radar backscattering. The parameters characterizing the upwind-downwind and upwind-crosswind variations show nonmonotonic dependence on wind speed based on the analysis of Ku, C and L band geophysical model functions (GMFs). A similarity relationship is derived from the GMFs of the three frequency bands to serve as the foundation of modeling the ocean surface roughness directional distribution function. The quantitative impacts on the magnitude and directional properties of the calculated radar backscattering cross section from using different directional distribution functions are investigated. The result indicates that it is important to include both upwind-downwind and upwind-crosswind variations in the directional distribution function in order to correctly model the radar scattering from the ocean surface.
The less spoken of extreme: Fetal macrosomia

When describing growth, a fetus may be appropriate for gestational age (AGA), too small (SGA, sometimes confused with intra uterine growth restriction, IUGR) or too large (LGA), a condition often defined as macrosomia. While the literature on IUGR is extensive and many lectures/conferences are dedicated to this topic, macrosomia is less often discussed. Macrosomia is a term that should be applied only to the newborn, since it relates to an actual weight. When describing a fetus, the only term one should use is LGA. There are various definitions for macrosomia. In developed countries, the most commonly used threshold is weight above 4500 g (9 lb 15 oz). Weight above 4000 g (8 lb 13 oz) or 10 lb (4536 g) are also commonly used. When describing fetuses, weight percentiles for gestational age, rather than actual estimated weight, are preferable. Etiologies for macrosomia include metabolic (maternal diabetes), genetic (various overgrowth syndromes such as Beckwith-Wiedemann), constitutional as well as maternal factors, such as obesity and excessive gestational weight gain. There are maternal and fetal risk factors: for example, increased incidence of cesarean deliveries and genital tract lacerations as well as shoulder dystocia. During pregnancy, ultrasound is the ideal diagnostic tool, although its precision declines as fetal weight increases. Sonographic measurements of the fetal head, abdomen and femur are the most commonly employed criteria but soft tissues and volumes (obtained, generally, by 3D methods) have also been described. Measuring the fetal abdominal circumference (AC) may be the best tool for diagnosing risk of macrosomia, with AC >35 cm identifying >90% of fetuses with macrosomia that are at risk for shoulder dystocia.
The Execution of the Saulides according to Josephus

This essay examines Josephus' account of the execution of the Saulides in Ant. 7.294-297 in relation to its Biblical source, 2 Sam 21,1-14, (as attested by MT, the Vaticanus and Lucianic/Antiochene manuscripts and Targum Jonathan on the Former Prophets) as well as the Rabbinic treatments of the episode. The study makes clear that, notwithstanding its brevity, the passage offers noteworthy examples of Josephus' «rewriting techniques», just as it exemplifies the care and purposefulness with which he developed his own version of Israel's history.
Bifurcation Analysis of Weak Electrical Grids Considering Different Load Representations

The mathematical modeling, bifurcation analysis and simulation of a weak electrical network supplying an isolated load represented by a constant power and constant impedance model is presented in this paper. The features that characterize a weak grid namely the R / X ratio and the inertia are considered as bifurcation parameters. It has been observed that a Hopf bifurcation occurs when the R / X ratio exceeds a particular value in the system with constant power load. Also, a Hopf bifurcation occurred when the inertia of the system goes below a particular value in the system consisting of constant power and constant impedance loads. Time domain simulation results reveal the existence of a limit cycle at the bifurcation point confirming the occurrence of Hopf bifurcation.
Vibronic coherence evolution in multidimensional ultrafast photochemical processes

The complex choreography of electronic, vibrational, and vibronic couplings used by photoexcited molecules to transfer energy efficiently is remarkable, but an unambiguous description of the temporally evolving vibronic states governing these processes has proven experimentally elusive. We use multidimensional electronic-vibrational spectroscopy to identify specific time-dependent excited state vibronic couplings involving multiple electronic states, high-frequency vibrations, and low-frequency vibrations which participate in ultrafast intersystem crossing and subsequent relaxation of a photoexcited transition metal complex. We discover an excited state vibronic mechanism driving long-lived charge separation consisting of an initial electronically-localized vibrational wavepacket which triggers delocalization onto two charge transfer states after propagating for ~600 femtoseconds. Electronic delocalization consequently occurs through nonadiabatic internal conversion driven by a 50 cm−1 coupling resulting in vibronic coherence transfer lasting for ~1 picosecond. This study showcases the power of multidimensional electronic-vibrational spectroscopy to elucidate complex, non-equilibrium energy and charge transfer mechanisms involving multiple molecular coordinates. Energy transfer in light harvesting complexes involves electronic, vibrational, and vibronic couplings which are challenging to resolve. Here the authors observe the time-evolution of vibronic coherences driving charge transfer in a photoexcited solvated transition metal complex by two- and three-dimensional electronic-vibrational spectroscopy.
Common humanity in the classroom: Increasing self-compassion and coping self-efficacy through a mindfulness-based intervention.

Objective: To examine the effectiveness of a classroom-based mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) in improving stress, coping, and psychological well-being in college students. Participants: Sixty-...
Differential Medication Attitudes to Antihypertensive and Mood Stabilizing Agents in response to an Automated Text-Messaging Adherence Enhancement Intervention.

Abstract Individuals with serious mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder (BD) are at an increased risk for poor medication adherence compared to the general population. Individuals with BD also have high rates of chronic comorbid medical conditions like hypertension (HTN), diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Cognitive-behavioral therapies often integrate strategies to improve medication adherence by targeting medication attitudes and self-efficacy, but the pathway toward behavior change needs further investigation. This 3-month prospective, single-arm cohort study tested an automated SMS intervention entitled Individualized Texting for Adherence Building-Cardiovascular (iTAB-CV) in 38 participants with BD and HTN. The Tablets Routine Questionnaire (TRQ) measures the percentage of BD and HTN non-adherence over the past week and the past month. Attitudinal and habit measures including the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (Brief IPQ), the Medication Adherence Self-Efficacy Scale-Revised (MASES-R), the Self-Report Habit Index (SRHI), the Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ), and the Attitudes toward Mood Stabilizers Questionnaire (AMSQ) were given for BD and HTN medications. Correlational analyses were run to determine the associations between BD and HTN attitudinal and habit indices. Additionally, longitudinal analyses were conducted to determine if attitudes changed over time as a function of a 2-month mobile-health intervention. Illness attitudes towards BD were worse than towards HTN at the start of the study. Attitudes toward BD and towards mood-stabilizing drugs as well as antihypertensives improved following a mHealth intervention aimed at improving adherence. Furthermore, self-efficacy and habit strength for both BD and HTN drugs were correlated and were responsive to the intervention, with most of the change occurring after the first month of the intervention and not requiring the addition of the explicit reminders. Participants who received iTAB-CV showed improved attitudes towards BD and mood-stabilizing medication, and had an improvement in self-efficacy and habit strength towards taking both BD and HTN medications. Increased attention to mechanisms of change in mHealth interventions for adherence may facilitate impact. It should be noted that the methodology of the study limits drawing causal conclusions and suggests the need for a randomized control trial.
Perception of frequency modulation is mediated by cochlear place coding

Natural sounds convey information via frequency and amplitude modulations (FM and AM). Humans are acutely sensitive to the slow rates of FM that are crucial for speech and music. This sensitivity has been thought to rely on precise stimulus-driven auditory-nerve spike timing (time code), whereas a coarser code, based on variations in the cochlear place of stimulation (place code), represents faster FM. Here we test this longstanding theory in listeners with normal and impaired hearing, resulting in widely varying place-coding fidelity. Contrary to predictions, FM detection thresholds at slow and fast rates are highly correlated and closely related to the fidelity of cochlear place coding. We support this conclusion with additional data showing that place-based coding degrades at high modulation rates and in high spectral regions in ways that were previously interpreted as reflecting the limits of fine neural timing. The results suggest a unitary place-based neural code for FM.
Clinical characteristics and etiological analysis of 32 critical patients with mechanical ventilation in children of severe hand-foot and mouth disease

Objective To explore the clinical features of criticall ill of severe hand-foot and mouth disease and provide the basis for clinical diagnosis and treatment.Methods Summary the clinical data of 32 critical patients of severe hand-foot and mouth disease with mechanical ventilation in children' s hospital of Kunming from January 2010 to December 2011,analysis clinical characteristics and etiology,and its treatment effect.The main treatment measures were mechanical ventilation,mannitol,phentolamine to lower blood pressure and steroids,intravenous immunoglobulin.Results Thirty-two patients with mechanical ventilation not only had clinical manifestation of nervous system involvement,but also had lower extremity cold,apparent heart rate and faster breathing or breathing rate changes and hypertension.The age from 7 month to 8 years and 10 months.The age under 3 years accounted for 81.25％,14 patients with neurogenic pulmonary edema,pulmonary hemorrhage,7 patients died,the fatality rate was 21.88％,fecal pathogenic test of EV71,the positive were 31cases,accounted for 96.88％.Conclusions EV71 was the main pathogens of severe hand-foot-mouth disease and death.The critical ills of severe hand-foot and mouth disease with EV71 infection were age of small,rapid progression and higher fatality rate,occured respiratory failure,circulatory failure,neuerogenic pulmonary edema and brain dysfunction or failure,it was crucial to early recognition and treatment and early application of mechanical ventilation for the treatment. Key words: Hand-foot and mouth disease; Critical ills; Pathogens; Mechanical ventilation; Neurogenic pulmonary edema; Hypertension
Adoption of telemedicine services by substance abuse treatment facilities in the U.S

Abstract Objective To describe trends in licensed substance use treatment facilities' adoption of telemedicine and how adoption varies across local factors, including county-level drug overdose rates, urbanicity measures, and state policy laws. Methods We analyzed data (2016–2019) from the National Directory of Drug and Alcohol Abuse Treatment Facilities. Our main outcome was telemedicine use by a treatment facility. We also captured independent variables from other datasets, including estimated county-level drug poisoning deaths and state-level telemedicine policies. We estimated a multivariable logistic regression model to determine which facility characteristics were associated with offering telemedicine. Results From 2016 to 2019, an average of 12,334 treatment facilities were included. During this period, the unadjusted proportion of facilities offering telemedicine grew from 13.5% to 17.4% (p Discussion Use of telemedicine is increasing steadily among substance use disorder (SUD) treatment facilities; however, uptake is uneven and relatively low. As such, telemedicine may be an underutilized tool to expand access to care for patients with SUDs.
Aspectual Knowledge of High Proficiency L2 and Heritage Speakers of Russian.

This study reports the results of an interpretation task that captures whether high proficiency heritage language (HL) learners of Russian converge with monolingual (L1) speakers or proficiency-matched foreign language (L2) learners in their interpretation of aspectual pairs and whether the absence of convergence arises in the lexical component of aspect (telicity) or in the grammatical component of aspect (boundedness). In Russian, both aspectual features are overtly marked on the verb, but by different morphemes: telicity is encoded in prefixes and boundedness in suffixes. The goal of the task is to test: 1) whether HL learners have an advantage over L2 learners on the same overall proficiency level when they interpret aspectual pairs, 2) which type of aspectual contrast poses greater difficulty, and 3) what role the morphological structure of predicates plays in incomplete acquirers’ interpretation of verbal aspect. The results reveal that, while the L2 group and the monolingual controls diverge significantly in most contrasts, the HL group converges with both L1 and L2 groups. For both test groups, telicity contrasts in activity/accomplishment verbs, which are expressed via prefixation, and boundedness contrasts in achievement verbs, which are expressed via suffixation, presented less difficulty than boundedness contrasts in accomplishment verbs, expressed via both prefixation and suffixation.
The effects of handwheel position on torque production capability of operators

A study was conducted to determine how the position of the handwheel affected the amount of torque applied by an operator. Data were collected at a series of wheel heights and distances. Results indicate that the main effects of gender, wheel height, and wheel distance, and the interaction between gender and wheel distance were statistically significant. No practical differences in torque production among the 5 wheel heights used in this investigation were found. A strong correlation existed between torque production capability and a handwheel height of 101.6 cm and weight of the male participants.
Exterior Neumann Problem

The exterior Neumann problem consists in finding u such that $$\displaystyle \begin {array}{rl} &Au(x)=0,\quad x\in S^-,\\ {} &Tu(x)=\mathscr {N}(x),\quad x\in {\partial S},\\ {} &u\in \mathscr {A}, \end {array} $$ where the vector function \(\mathscr {N}\in C^{(0,\alpha )}({\partial S})\), α ∈ (0, 1), is prescribed.
REDCRAFT: A computational platform using residual dipolar coupling NMR data for determining structures of perdeuterated proteins in solution.

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is one of the three primary experimental means of characterizing macromolecular structures, including protein structures. Structure determination by solution NMR spectroscopy has traditionally relied heavily on distance restraints derived from nuclear Overhauser effect (NOE) measurements. While structure determination of proteins from NOE-based restraints is well understood and broadly used, structure determination from Residual Dipolar Couplings (RDCs) is relatively less well developed. Here, we describe the new features of the protein structure modeling program REDCRAFT and focus on the new Adaptive Decimation (AD) feature. The AD plays a critical role in improving the robustness of REDCRAFT to missing or noisy data, while allowing structure determination of larger proteins from less data. In this report we demonstrate the successful application of REDCRAFT in structure determination of proteins ranging in size from 50 to 145 residues using experimentally collected data, and of larger proteins (145 to 573 residues) using simulated RDC data. In both cases, REDCRAFT uses only RDC data that can be collected from perdeuterated proteins. Finally, we compare the accuracy of structure determination from RDCs alone with traditional NOE-based methods for the structurally novel PF.2048.1 protein. The RDC-based structure of PF.2048.1 exhibited 1.0 A BB-RMSD with respect to a high-quality NOE-based structure. Although optimal strategies would include using RDC data together with chemical shift, NOE, and other NMR data, these studies provide proof-of-principle for robust structure determination of largely-perdeuterated proteins from RDC data alone using REDCRAFT.
Seniors don’t use Medicare.Gov: how do eligible beneficiaries obtain information about Medicare Advantage Plans in the United States?

Managed care programs in the US are becoming a preferred alternative among low-income individuals in the US. Every year during open enrollment, seniors can enroll in Medicare Advantage (MA) or switch MA plans. However, there is very limited information about how seniors obtain information to help them make their choices. While the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare offer online resources that are designed to enable potential beneficiaries to make informed coverage decisions, there is no information as to whether seniors use these resources, and therefore whether these resources are effective compared to other information retrieval methods. The purpose of the present study was to qualitatively explore how seniors obtain information about insurance plans in MA. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 26 MA beneficiaries from Rhode Island. We found that most seniors have strong preferences for obtaining information in-person regarding benefits, cost and other plan information. Some seniors relied heavily on insurance brokers or representatives, and considered the information provided to them without questioning the potential for bias. Others consulted with family and/or friends for guidance, or to compare costs and benefits. Only a few of these seniors used the available internet resources, and in fact most of them mentioned that they did not have a computer/smart device with internet capabilities. However, among those who used and appeared to be comfortable with navigating the internet, www.medicare.gov was not discussed as a useful resource for making decisions regarding health insurance. This study suggests that existing online medical resource usage and effects among senior citizens in the United States may need supplementing with in-person communication among influential agents.
Response: Last Judgment on the Neighbor

Reading this special issue of Exemplaria, I had the unsettling experience, familiar to many, of returning to the old neighborhood and finding it changed. Parts of it were still recognizable, of cou...
Revisiting the Optimal Inflation Rate with Downward Nominal Wage Rigidity: The Role of Heterogeneity

In this paper, I study the optimal inflation rate in a sticky price economy in which workers are heterogeneous in labor productivity and wage changes are subject to asymmetric adjustment costs. The model calibrated to U.S. micro wage data implies downward nominal wage rigidity (DNWR). The optimal inflation rate is substantially higher than stated in the literature in the presence of worker heterogeneity. A key to understanding the result is that DNWR causes an inefficient cross-sectional allocation of labor as well as inefficient aggregate dynamics, enlarging the "grease of the wheels" effect of inflation.
Fracture testing of polymer materials processed via fused filament fabrication: a survey of materials, methods, and design applications

Additive manufacturing (AM) provides a wide range of design freedoms, enabling engineers to create complex geometries. However, due to the inherent nature of the manufacturing process, defects are introduced in the material during AM. These defects may develop into cracks and lead to failure of the system at lower loads than predicted from datasheets for traditionally manufactured materials. Thus, it is essential for design engineers to understand fracture properties of AM materials. The fracture mechanics can provide valuable inputs for design-related decision making (for both material design and macro-scale product design) to minimize possibility of failure. This article collected and reviewed the relevant literature on fracture testing of AM-fabricated polymer materials. Information on the testing methods used, the materials and processes, and the standards followed were collected and discussed in terms of their impact on design perspectives. In addition to collecting a dataset and establishing the state-of-the-art, this article identified opportunities and areas that need further studies, discussed design-centric interpretations of AM polymer fracture data, and provided recommendations on how to improve future studies and ensure the data is useful for consideration during engineering design.
Debating the Two-child Policy on Sina Weibo: A Study of Social Media as Symbolic Space in China

The two-child policy profoundly impacted on many aspects of Chinese society, ranging from population structure to economic development. Social media served as a public symbolic space for diverse vi...
Kinetic networks identify key regulatory nodes and transcription factor functions in early adipogenesis

Sequence-specific transcription factors (TFs) bind DNA, modulate chromatin structure, regulate gene expression, and or- chestrate transcription cascades. Activation and repression of TFs drive tightly controlled regulatory programs that lead to cellular processes such as differentiation. We measured chromatin accessibility and nascent transcription at seven time points over the first four hours of induced adipogenesis of 3T3-L1 mouse preadipocytes to construct dynamic gene regulatory networks. Regulatory networks describe successive waves of TF binding and dissociation followed by direct regulation of proximal genes. We identified 14 families of TFs that coordinate with and antagonize each other to regulate early adipogenesis. We developed a compartment model to quantify individual TF contributions to RNA polymerase initiation and pause release rates. Network analysis showed that the glucocorticoid receptor and AP1 drive immediate gene activation, including induction of Twist2. Twist2 is a highly interconnected node within the network and its expression leads to repression of target genes. Although Twist2s role in adipogenesis has not been previously appreciated, both Twist2 knockout mice and Setleis syndrome (Twist2-/-) patients lack subcutaneous and brown adipose tissue. We found that kinetic networks integrating chromatin structure and nascent transcription dynamics identify key genes, TF functions, and coordinate interactions within regulatory cascades.
Modeling Strategy Guidelines

We begin this chapter by giving the rationale for having a strategy to determine a “best” model. Focus is on a logistic model containing a single dichotomous exposure variable that adjusts for potential confounding and potential interaction effects of covariates considered for control. A strategy is recommended, which has three stages: (1) variable specification, (2) interaction assessment, and (3) confounding assessment followed by consideration of precision. Causal diagrams are introduced as a component of the variable specification stage. The initial model must be “hierarchically well-formulated”, a term to be defined and illustrated. Given an initial model, we recommend a strategy involving a “hierarchical backward elimination procedure” for removing variables. In carrying out this strategy, statistical testing is allowed for assessing interaction terms but is not allowed for assessing confounding. Further description of interaction and confounding assessment is given in the next chapter (Chap. 7).
WHERE HAVE ALL THE REVOLUTIONARIES GONE? HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE REINVENTION OF REVOLUTION IN REBIYA KADEER’S DRAGON FIGHTER

For five and half years, Rebiya Kadeer was imprisoned as a political prisoner in China and was finally released in 2005 after Amnesty International campaigned for her release. Today, she now campaigns as a human rights activist against what many Uyghurs consider Chinese occupation of their homeland, Xinjiang. Although many organizationswork on human rights violations against the Uyghurs, Rebiya Kadeer has emerged as the primary symbol of Uyghur resistance in China, much like the Dalai Lama for Tibet.Her simultaneous position as both a human rights activist and resistance symbol offers a unique vantage point in exploring the relationship between memory, women, and nationalism. In sketching out these connections, this paper will analyze the agency and representation in the process of memory making and the gendering of resistance in relation to the life and memoir of Rebiya Kadeer. The political project of witnessing through representation offers a practical departure point for better understanding the formation of a feminine revolutionary subjectivity in contrast to the romanticized icon of the masculine, revolutionary hero. In proposing the relationship between memory, women and nationalism, this paper aims to ultimately understand whether the revolutionary subject has in effect become the human rights activist. And if this is the case, what then are the conditions for revolution, and is revolution possible within the logic of human rights discourse?
A Neural Mechanism Subserving Saccade-Vergence Interactions

Abstract When a saccade occurs during a vergence movement, the amplitudes of the saccades in the two eyes may be markedly unequal (Ono, Nakamizo & Steinbach, 1978; Kenyon, Ciuffreda & Stark, 1980). This results in a large increase in vergence velocity, regardless of the direction of the saccade or vergence movement. The observation of unequal saccades in the two eyes has led to speculation that humans retain circuitry which allows relatively independent control of the movements of the two eyes (Enright, 1984). This hypothesis is notable because, if it were correct, it would require an extensive revision of our basic models of oculomotor control systems. We report experiments which suggest an alternative hypothesis: saccadic facilitation of vergence results from the interruption of inhibition of vergence burst neurons by pontine omnipause neurons, which are involved in initiating saccades.
Families of Codes with Few Distinct Weights from Singular and Non-Singular Hermitian Varieties and Quadrics in Projective Geometries and Hadamard Difference Sets and Designs Associated with Two-Weight Codes

In this paper, we present several doubly infinite families of linear projective codes with two-, three- and five distinct non-zero Hamming weights together with the frequency distributions of their weights.
Autoimmunity and neoplasia. The possible role of C-type viruses.

Viruses have been implicated in autoimmune disease in animals and man. C-type RNA tumor viruses induce neoplasia in a variety of animals, but their role in human malignancy is unknown. An unusual C-type virus has been isolated from New Zealand black mice which have an inherited disease syndrome consisting of both autoimmune phenomena and neoplasia. This virus cannot be propagated in mouse cells but does grow in cells foreign to the host species. For this reason, it has been termed a xenotropic murine leukemia virus. Similar viruses have been detected at less frequency and lower titers in NIH Swiss and other mouse strains. Since horizontal infection in the host is unlikely, this xenotropic virus must represent an endogenous virus of mice. Because of its prevalence in NZB mice, particularly during embryonic life, its role in causing both autoimmune disease and malignancy is proposed. The possibility of a human xenotropic virus is also discussed.
Reading the Paratexts of Plath's Unabridged Journals

I often find myself resorting to the "paratexts" of Plath's unabridged Journals as a way of describing their textual superabundance and the pleasure I have taken in reading and teaching from them. Paratexts, in Gerard Genette's terms, are literary and printerly conventions such as prefaces and forewords, indexes and notes, illustrations, dust jacket materials and cover blurbs that mediate between the world of publishing and the world of the reader. 1 Examining the text of Plath's journals through the body of its paratexts is one way of tracking shifts in Plath's reception and of discovering new contexts for what she once termed her "litany of dreams, directives, and imperatives" (McCullough ix). As "thresholds of interpretation," neither wholly outside nor wholly inside the texts proper, paratexts of Plath's journals become, at best, epistemological tools for splaying open the cultural subtexts and the shifting, ambiguous "I" at the center of the journal's performances of writing. For me, what Tracy Brain called the "patchiness" of the journals—the fact that they amass so many different kinds of writing and so many sides of Plath—gives them their distinctive character ("Plath's Letters" 144). With each new printing and edition, Plath's journals have undergone a "rewriting"; the "paratexts" of each subsequent edition give us opportunities to characterize textual variants and (sometimes) to demonstrate how boundaries of writing and culture are crossed over time. On the tenth anniversary of the publication of Plath's unabridged Journals, it should also be noted that the situation of Plath's journals remains textually, archivally, and bibliographically complex. The existence of several editions of Plath's journals simultaneously in print complicates the question of fully defining the purpose of each. Although it now suffers markedly by comparison to the 2000 version, the 1982 "docked" text, Journals of Sylvia Plath edited by Ted Hughes and Frances McCullough, remains valuable as an artifact of an earlier era in the evolution of Plath's archive, an era in which the narrative of a final "leap" and "flood of incandescent energy" dominated Plath discourse ("Editorial Notes" 357). Since I often teach Plath and Woolf together, in the journey around my roomful of books, I measure the distance
Resveratrol Restores Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) Activity and Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Kinase 1 (PDK1) Expression after Hemorrhagic Injury in a Rat Model

Severe hemorrhage leads to decreased blood flow to tissues resulting in decreased oxygen and nutrient availability affecting mitochondrial function. A mitoscriptome profiling study demonstrated alteration in several genes related to mitochondria, consistent with the mitochondrial functional decline observed after trauma hemorrhage (T-H). Our experiments led to the identification of sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) as a potential target in T-H. Administration of resveratrol (a naturally occurring polyphenol and activator of SIRT1) after T-H improved left ventricular function and tissue ATP levels. Our hypothesis was that mitochondrial function after T-H depends on SIRT1 activity. In this study, we evaluated the activity of SIRT1, a mitochondrial functional modulator, and the mitochondrial-glycolytic balance after T-H. We determined the changes in protein levels of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase (PDK)-1 and nuclear c-Myc, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator (PGC)-1α and NF-E2-related factor (NRF)2 after T-H and after treatment with resveratrol or a combination of sirtinol (a SIRT1 inhibitor) and resveratrol. We have also tested the activity of mitochondrial complex 1. SIRT1 enzyme activity was significantly decreased after T-H, whereas resveratrol treatment restored the activity. We found elevated PDK1 and c-Myc levels and decreased PGC-1α, NRF2 and mitochondrial complex I activity after T-H. The reduced SIRT1 activity after T-H may be related to declining mitochondrial function, since resveratrol was able to reinstate SIRT1 activity and mitochondrial function. The elevated level of PDK1 (an inhibitor of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex) after T-H indicates a possible shift in cellular energetics from mitochondria to glycolysis. In conclusion, SIRT1 modulation alters left ventricular function after T-H through regulation of cellular energetics.