cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Enzymes manage biofilms on crab surfaces aiding in feeding and antifouling

Abstract Biofilms are sticky exopolymer matrices with embedded microorganisms that form on virtually all submerged surfaces. Depending on the context, biofilms are beneficial or detrimental to macroorganisms. Two groups of decapod crustaceans, sand fiddler crabs (Uca pugilator) and blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus), were investigated to test whether externally secreted enzymes were present and if they were used to remove or prevent biofilm formation in the environment and on their surfaces. Three hydrolytic enzymes were of interest because of their ability to degrade biofilm components: amylase, trypsin and lysozyme. The role of these enzymes was investigated in two contexts, removal of biofilms from the environment for food detection and processing and prevention of biofilm formation on the macroorganism surface itself. To test this, enzyme activity was measured on feeding appendages of fiddler crabs, which feed on biofilms, and on egg masses externally brooded by blue crabs. All three enzyme activities were found on feeding appendages of fiddler crabs and in egg masses of blue crabs. For the context of removal of biofilms from the environment, the combined data of the enzymes present in fiddler crab saliva and the high diatom extraction efficiency (60–90% removal in less than 9 s), suggests a role in separation of organic content from sand particles. Secondly, the data of enzymes present on fiddler crab legs (the main location of their chemoreceptors) and that leg exposure to a human amylase inhibitor significantly decreased fiddler crab feeding responses, suggests a role of the enzymes on fiddler crab legs in generating phagostimulants. For the context of prevention of microfouling, it was found that the same enzymes are present in blue crab egg mass fluids and that the activity levels increase as the eggs mature, particularly amylase, which increased dramatically in clutches with late stage embryos. These findings of enzymes present in egg mass fluid throughout maturation inform a large body of work on pheromones and hatching cues for blue crabs. Detachment of brooded eggs and incubation with enzymes at levels found in egg masses resulted in survival and hatching while detachment without addition resulted in death. These findings suggest that the same suite of enzymes is important to biochemically manage biofilms in two ecologically relevant contexts. Biochemical management of biofilms may be more prevalent in macroorganisms than previously thought.
Effects of Time and Perceptual Orientation on Actors' and Observers' Attributions

-The actor/observer effect was examined by Storms in a 1973 study which manipulated perceptual orientation using video recordings. Storms' study was complex and some of his results equivocal. The present study attempted to recreate the perceptual reorientation effect using a simplified experimental design and an initial difference between actors and observers which was the reverse of the original effect. Female undergraduates performed a motor co-ordination task as actors while watched by observes. Each person made attributions for the actor's behaviour before and after watching a video recording of the performance. For a control group the video recording was of an unrelated variety show excerpt. Actors' initial attributions were less situational than observers'. Both actors and observers became more situational after the video replay but this effect occurred in both experimental and control groups. I t was suggested the passage of time between first and second recording of attributions could account for the findings and care should be taken when interpreting Storms' (1973) study and others which did not adequately control for temporal effects.
An analysis of the administration of antibiotics in our hospital

Objective: To understand in our hospital antibiotic service conditions and to draw a conclusion of whether the administration was rational or not.Methods: 4,140 prescriptions for outpatients were randomly collected and filled into tabulations,and an analysis was done on the antibiotic service conditions.Results: The rate of antibiotic administration was 57.61%,single utilization and two medicines combined utilization rates were 86.92% and 11.82%,respectively.The utilization ratio was higher in cephalosporins,penicillin and macrolides class than in other medicines.Conclusions: The administration of antibiotics was rather reasonable,but the utilization ratio was a little bit high,which should be brought to attention.
Study on Dielectric Loss Test of 750 kV CVT under Rated Voltage

Dielectric Loss test is an important means for detecting insulation condition of electrical equipment.With the continuous increase of operating voltage of power system,traditional 10 kV dielectric loss test for high-vohage electrical equipment can't reflect the difference of the insulation behavior of equipment under rated operating voltage.This paper studies the dielectric loss Lest of 750 kV CVT under rated voltage based on lab-scale experiments,and provides test methods data reference for field test.
Archaeology and the Social History of Ships: Underwater archaeology: The state of the art

N early all archaeological recording techniques represent trade-offs between the desire for precision and the practical limitations imposed by funding, time, logistics, and personnel. Underwater archaeology has available to it a wide array of tools, ranging from the simple trowel to sophisticated remote-sensing devices like the magnetometer, side-scan sonar, and subbottom profiler, none of which were ever originally intended or designed specifically for archaeological use. As we characterize the current state of the art in underwater archaeology, it is important to keep in mind the minimalist principle of using the simplest tool or technique available for the task required. This does not mean taking shortcuts with controls needed to obtain convincing results, but it does warn against relying on complex and often untried or experimental technologies when simpler or more reliable techniques are available to accomplish the same task. The reason for such caution is the destructiveness of archaeological excavation. Careless or inadequately controlled excavation will result in the permanent disruption of archaeological associations and the consequent loss of essential information about the site and how it formed. The choice of archaeological techniques and controls employed at a particular site where excavation is deemed necessary is perhaps the most critical decision the archaeologist faces. An example of what can happen in the absence of archaeological techniques and controls is the recovery of the USS Cairo , a Federal ironclad river gunboat that sank in 1862 near Vicksburg, Mississippi, after falling victim to a Confederate explosive mine during the Civil War.
A priori Knowledge

What Bolzano had to say about the Kantian conception of a priori knowledge in his early essay on the philosophy of mathematics, the Contributions to a Better Founded Exposition of Mathematics, is valuable on many accounts. In the Appendix to the latter — the title is On the Kantian Doctrine of the Construction of Concepts in Intuition — Bolzano criticises Kant’s doctrine of pure intuition. The views he puts forward in the latter have been discussed in some detail (Laz 1993; Rusnock 2000; Sebestik 1992).1 In fact, commentators tend to rely exclusively on this short text when it comes to assessing Bolzano’s criticism of Kant’s views on a priori knowledge. In 1810, however, Bolzano’s theory remained overall tentative. In particular, Bolzano did not provide a substantial alternative to Kant’s views. By contrast, in the Theory of Science, Bolzano not only offered a thorough and mature criticism that became the basis for the comprehensive assessment of Kant’s philosophy later published under the title The New Anti-Kant (Přihonský 1850) but also developed his own alternative conception of a priori knowledge.
Intergenerational Transmission, Discourse, and the Recent Past

Last year, I heard a report on the radio about a study of Czech deer that still avoided the Iron Curtain a quarter of a century after the end of the Cold War.1 Tracking 300 deer showed that the animals maintained the boundary even though the electric fences dividing the Czech-German border had been taken down. Despite the fact that the land is now a forested part of a national park with no barriers, the deer continue to stay on “their side” of the border. Since the life expectancy of deer is about 15 years, none of the deer now living would have encountered the physical barrier. How do they learn these boundaries? The scientists involved in the study believe that the fawns learn these boundaries and movement patterns by following their mothers. Thus, the territory remains the same for new generations, because of the reproduction of embodied practices. The story is a metaphor for the main goals of this book. I seek to reveal how intergenerational transmission of recent history occurs and how, in this process, youth construct a historical identity.
Wilm's Tumor 1 Gene Expression Is a Useful Marker for Minimal Residual Disease in Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

Abstract One of the difficulties in managing patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the detection of minimal residual disease. Only a fraction of AML patients have a distinct phenotype on flow cytometry or a genetic abnormality which can be followed as a sensitive marker for minimal residual disease (MRD). The Wilm's tumor - 1 gene (WT1) is overexpressed in leukemic blasts, but not in normal blood or marrow cells, and thus can be used as a marker for MRD in leukemia patients who otherwise do not have a characteristic immunophenotypic or molecular marker that can be monitored. We prospectively measured serial peripheral blood WT1 levels by RQ-PCR in 54 patients with AML. Of the 54 patients, 23 patients were newly diagnosed. The remaining 31 patients were in complete remission prior to a planned allogeneic transplant. Subsequent WT1 levels were obtained during routine evaluation both during and up to three years after completion of either chemotherapy and/or transplant. Using regression analysis, we found that a normalized WT1 level greater than 10−4 (as compared to a level of 1 in K562 cells) indicates a higher likelihood of the patient having active leukemia with a sensitivity of 87.5% and a specificity of 89.1%. The positive and negative predictive values are 71.19% and 95.89% respectively. We also compared WT1 levels with peripheral blood and bone marrow blasts to determine whether a correlation existed. We found a strong correlation between WT1 expression and bone marrow blasts with a correlation coefficient of 0.77 (p
Recent developments in the pig industry of Fiji.

An account is given of the technical, administrative and field work which led to an increase in pork production from the small farms of Fiji.
Error Prediction for a Nuclear Power Plant Fault-Diagnostic Advisor Using Neural Networks

AbstractThe objective of this research is to develop a fault-diagnostic advisor for nuclear power plant transients that is based on artificial neural networks. A method is described that provides an error bound and therefore a figure of merit for the diagnosis provided by this advisor. The data used in the development of the advisor contain ten simulated anomalies for the San Onofre Nuclear Power Generating Station. The stacked generalization approach is used with two different partitioning schemes. The results of these partitioning schemes are compared. It is shown that the advisor is capable of recognizing all ten anomalies while providing estimated error bounds on each of its diagnoses.
Predictive biomarkers in circulating tumor cells (CTC) from patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) through genomic analysis.

4562 Background: Mutations in the ligand binding domain of androgen receptor (AR) in prostate cancer cells may alter their sensitivity to treatment with specific antiandrogens. To predict for tumor...
Optimal Map Classification Incorporating Uncertainty Information

A choropleth map frequently is used to portray the spatial pattern of attributes, and its mapping result heavily relies on map classification. Uncertainty in an attribute has an influence on map cl...
CORR (®) Tumor Board: Is Prophylactic Intervention More Cost-Effective than the Treatment of Pathologic Fractures in Metastatic Bone Disease?

A Note from the Editor-in-Chief: We are pleased to present the next installment of The CORR® Tumor Board column. The CORR® Tumor Board column provides multidisciplinary perspective on the themes raised in selected CORR®tumor papers. In this column, we will discuss the implications of the highlighted article from the varied disciplines of the Tumor Board members: Orthopaedic surgery, pathology, and radiology. This month’s column features the study “Is Prophylactic Intervention More Cost-effective Than the Treatment of Pathologic Fractures in Metastatic Bone Disease? by Blank and colleagues available at: DOI: 10.1007/s11999-016-4739-x . The authors certify that they, or any members of their immediate families, have no funding or commercial associations (eg, consultancies, stock ownership, equity interest, patent/licensing arrangements, etc.) that might pose a conflict of interest in connection with the submitted article. All ICMJE Conflict of Interest Forms for authors and Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research® editors and board members are on file with the publication and can be viewed on request. The opinions expressed are those of the writers, and do not reflect the opinion or policy of CORR® or The Association of Bone and Joint Surgeons®. This CORR Tumor Board column refers to the article available at DOI: 10.1007/s11999-016-4739-x .
Infertility Education in Baccalaureate Schools of Nursing

The increasing number of couples who enter the current health care system for assistance with fertility needs warrants an examination of the ways nurse educators are preparing nurse generalists to meet those needs. A survey was conducted of baccalaureate nursing programs to determine what, if any, information was being presented on infertility. Analysis of data with a 50% return rate indicated most schools of nursing in this sample are in fact including some information on infertility in their curricula. What is interesting to note is only slightly more than half of respondents included information on the emotional and psychosocial issues of infertility, despite the fact that the greatest cost of infertility is the emotional one. One of the major concerns of infertile couples is health care providers, including nurses, do not seem to understand what they are experiencing. How do nurses obtain such understanding if they are not prepared in their educational program to do so?
Microfluidic—based sperm sorting & analysis for treatment of male infertility

Microfluidics technology has emerged as an enabling technology for different fields of medicine and life sciences. One such field is male infertility where microfluidic technologies are enabling optimization of sperm sample preparation and analysis. In this chapter we review how microfluidic technology has been used for sperm quantification, sperm quality analysis, and sperm manipulation and isolation with subsequent use of the purified sperm population for treatment of male infertility. As we discuss demonstrations of microfluidic sperm sorting/manipulation/analysis, we highlight systems that have demonstrated feasibility towards clinical adoption or have reached commercialization in the male infertility market. We then review microfluidic-based systems that facilitate non-invasive identification and sorting of viable sperm for in vitro fertilization. Finally, we explore commercialization challenges associated with microfluidic sperm sorting systems and provide suggestions and future directions to best overcome them.
The relationships between fluoride intake levels and fluorosis of late-erupting permanent teeth.

Objectives To examine the relationships between fluoride intake levels and fluorosis of late-erupting permanent teeth. Methods The current study used information collected from 437 children in the longitudinal Iowa Fluoride Study. Participants' fluoride intake information was collected using questionnaires from birth to age 10 years. Estimated mean daily fluoride intake was categorized into low, moderate, and high intake tertiles for each age interval (2-5, 5-8, and 2-8 years). Bivariate analyses were performed to study the relationships between self-reported fluoride intake levels during three age intervals and dental fluorosis. Results For canines and second molars, the prevalence of mostly mild fluorosis was less than 10% in the lowest fluoride intake tertile and more than 25% in the highest intake tertile. For both first and second premolars, the prevalence in the low and high intake tertiles was approximately 10-15% and 25-40%, respectively. When estimated total daily fluoride intake was 0.04 mg/kg BW during ages 2-8 years, the predicted probability of fluorosis was 16.0%, 20.5%, 21.8%, and 15.4% for canines, 1st and 2nd and premolars and 2nd molars, respectively. We found that an incremental increase in fluoride intake during the age 5- to 8-year interval led to greater odds for development of mostly mild dental fluorosis in late-erupting teeth compared to increases in fluoride intake during other age intervals. Conclusions Our results clearly show that dental fluorosis prevalence is closely related to fluoride intake levels and that teeth have greater susceptibility to fluoride intake during certain age intervals.
Continuous Probability Distributions

There are many random variables whose ranget† consists of the positive real line (0, ∞) or a portion of the real line.
Implicit self-esteem is associated with higher levels of trait gratitude in women but not men

Higher levels of trait gratitude have been associated with measures of greater self-reported self-esteem. However, such self-report measures may be influenced by self-report biases. In this study w...
In Defense of Secular Justification as a Normative Constraint on Law-Making

De Vries and Muller-Salo begin with an interpretation of my view on the need for adequate secular reasons in supporting coercion in politics—specifically, in law-making and establishing public policies. Most laws and public policies are coercive. A public policy, for instance, may be established by a governmental or quasi-governmental institution such as a public university, and it may be enforced using sanctions that include fines and possible imprisonment. Even temporary policies established by agencies of government as opposed to legislative bodies may have the authority to impose serious penalties for non-compliance. Muller-Salo and De Vries consider various problems my approach raises and conclude by offering a principle weaker than my principle of secular rationale but aimed at making a similar contribution to formulating an ethics of citizenship—a set of standards applicable both to individual citizens and to government officials.
Radial transport modeling of high density deuterium plasmas in proto-MPEX with the B2.5-Eirene code

High density (≥6 × 1019 m−3), low temperature (2–6 eV) helicon discharges in the Prototype Material Plasma Exposure eXperiment (Proto-MPEX) are analyzed with the coupled multifluid plasma, kinetic neutrals code B2.5-Eirene. The interpretative analyses are constrained by data from multiple diagnostics, including Langmuir probes, Mach probes, filterscopes, infrared TV system, Thomson scattering, and baratrons. The objectives of the transport simulations include: investigation of the effects of heating, fueling, and plasma production; pumping, and assumed radial transport models on the calculated density and temperature distributions; plasma flow profiles and power balance. The primary objective in this report is to investigate the effects of the radial transport model in full plasma (the entire length of the plasma column in Proto-MPEX) data-constrained simulations. Results from three assumed forms of the radial transport coefficients are presented, including spatially constant, radially decreasing, and Bohm (D,χ ∼ Te/|B|). The results from each of the three transport coefficient sets agree qualitatively with the core (near axis) data. With the implicit Te dependence, the Bohm coefficients tend to decrease as functions of radius, although not as strongly as the centrally peaked set. The axial variation in the Bohm coefficients is largely due to the axial structure of the magnetic field. The agreement of the simulations and the diagnostic data with the Bohm set indicates that transport in the plasma column of Proto-MPEX is dominated by Bohm diffusion.High density (≥6 × 1019 m−3), low temperature (2–6 eV) helicon discharges in the Prototype Material Plasma Exposure eXperiment (Proto-MPEX) are analyzed with the coupled multifluid plasma, kinetic neutrals code B2.5-Eirene. The interpretative analyses are constrained by data from multiple diagnostics, including Langmuir probes, Mach probes, filterscopes, infrared TV system, Thomson scattering, and baratrons. The objectives of the transport simulations include: investigation of the effects of heating, fueling, and plasma production; pumping, and assumed radial transport models on the calculated density and temperature distributions; plasma flow profiles and power balance. The primary objective in this report is to investigate the effects of the radial transport model in full plasma (the entire length of the plasma column in Proto-MPEX) data-constrained simulations. Results from three assumed forms of the radial transport coefficients are presented, including spatially constant, radially decreasing, and Boh...
Associations between eating expectancies and Eating disorder symptoms in men and women.

Abstract Eating expectancies, or learned expectations that an individual has about eating, prospectively predict eating disorder (ED) symptoms. Most studies examining eating expectancies have focused on one or two eating expectancies and their relation with bulimic symptoms. In addition, these studies have been conducted mostly in women. Thus, it is unclear whether: 1) associations between eating expectancies and ED symptoms vary between men and women, and 2) extend to ED symptoms other than bulimic symptoms. The current study (N = 197 undergraduate men and 246 undergraduate women) investigated sex variance in a model of eating expectancies and ED symptoms, including factors associated with ED symptoms (i.e., negative urgency, negative affect, alcohol use, drug use, and body mass index). Sex variance was tested using path analysis in a model including eating expectancies and associated factors, with excessive exercise, negative attitudes toward obesity, restricting, cognitive restraint, binge eating, purging, muscle building, and body dissatisfaction as dependent variables. Unconstrained (i.e., unconstrained paths across men and women) and constrained (i.e., constraining paths across men and women) models were tested. The unconstrained and constrained models differed significantly, indicating that the models varied by sex. For both sexes, eating expectancies were uniquely associated with ED symptoms. For men, Eating Manages Negative Affect was significantly associated with the most ED symptoms. In contrast, for women, Eating Leads to Feeling Out of Control was associated with the most ED symptoms. Previous findings regarding eating expectancies and ED symptoms in women may not generalize to men. Intervening on eating expectancies in a sex-specific way may help reduce specific ED symptoms.
Management of the adult Fontan patient

Adults with congenital heart disease who underwent the Fontan operation to palliate single ventricle heart defects-by direct connection of caval venous return to the pulmonary circulation-have improved survival due to advancements in surgical and interventional techniques. However, cardiac and non-cardiac comorbidities often coexist, complicating management, and contributing to premature morbidity and mortality. Cardiac issues include heart failure symptoms related to systolic and diastolic dysfunction, atrial and ventricular arrhythmias and systemic atrioventricular valve regurgitation. Structural issues may be related to obstruction of the Fontan pathway, or to branch pulmonary artery stenosis, both of which exacerbate symptoms. Non-cardiac complications in adults involve hepatic congestion, fibrosis and cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, chronic kidney disease, stroke, venous stasis, lymphatic issues and involvement of other organ systems. 'Fontan failure' refers to circulatory dysfunction, either cardiac, non-cardiac, or both, diagnosed after exclusion or treatment of reversible contributors such as structural issues and arrhythmias. Counselling about reproductive health, mental health, perioperative management and overall wellness are paramount for patients' well-being. Fontan patients are typically managed in highly specialised adult congenital heart centres, but may present to cardiologists or other practitioners with cardiac and non-cardiac emergencies or urgencies, sometimes after being out of care. In this review, we discuss the management of the adult Fontan patient, including surveillance, cardiac and non-cardiac complications, reproductive health, and advanced therapies.
Pediatric flexible laryngoscopy: Trends in diagnostic abilities throughout training

Abstract Objectives Our objectives were to evaluate the ability of residents to diagnose pathology of the pediatric larynx on laryngoscopy, to trend this ability throughout training, to compare their skills to pediatric otolaryngologists, and to determine whether reviewing digitally captured videos in slow motion, as opposed to a live exam, enhanced diagnostic abilities. In addition, we identified pathologies and anatomical sub-sites that posed diagnostic challenges. Methods Qualtrics was used to design and distribute an online test, which included 15 pediatric laryngoscopy videos. Participants selected a diagnosis for each video after (1) watching it once at full speed and (2) watching the video multiple times in slow motion. Anonymous responses were exported into excel for statistical analysis, including T-test, ANOVA, and descriptive statistics. Results There were 21 total participants. Median scores for full speed versus slow motion video review were 47% and 60% respectively. When analyzed by training level, there was no significant difference in scores for full speed videos, but there was a significant difference across groups for slow motion review (p = 0.04). Post Graduate Year (PGY) 4 residents and pediatric otolaryngologists performed best with an average of 69% and 77% respectively. Base of tongue, subglottic, and laryngeal cleft lesions were the most difficult to diagnose. Motor, laryngeal, and vallecular pathologies were more accurately identified. Conclusions The ability to diagnose pathology on pediatric laryngoscopy tends to improve throughout residency training. Slow motion review enhances diagnostic skills. Laryngeal and vallecular pathologies are more easily diagnosed than base of tongue and subglottic lesions.
Demonstrating the Cosmic Distance Ladder with Cepheids

To span the great distance from our solar system to the farthest clusters of galaxies in our universe, astronomers break down the distance indicators into steps. The nearest ones are measured geometrically, with what is known as parallax. Among the objects whose distances are thus directly measured are a rare type of star known as a Cepheid variable. Henrietta Leavitt about a hundred years ago discovered, by looking at a number of such stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud, that the brighter the star, the longer its period. This secondary indicator can be used in nearby galaxies to calibrate as a standard candle a specific type of supernova (Type Ia, from explosions of white-dwarf stars), whose peak intensities are so bright that they can be seen throughout the observable universe.
ANATOMIC PREDICTORS OF CORONARY OBSTRUCTION IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING TAVR FOR NATIVE AORTIC STENOSIS: AN ANAYLSIS OF THE INTERNATIONAL, MULTI-CENTER COBRA-TAVR REGISTRY

Coronary obstruction is a rare (<1%) complication of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in native aortic valves that portends a poor prognosis. There are limited CT criteria to assess coronary obstruction risk in patients with native aortic stenosis. This is an international, multi-
Impact of oral health service expansion funding at health centers in the United States

Author(s): Nguyen, Vy; Daniel, Marlon; Joskow, Renee; Lu, Connie; Chen, Xiao; Zhou, Weihao; Lin, Sue; Sripipatana, Alek; Nair, Suma; Pourat, Nadereh | Abstract: ObjectivesThis study aims to assess the impact of Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) investment in oral health through the HRSA FY16 Oral Health Service Expansion (OHSE) funding on workforce, access, and quality in health centers (HCs) from 2015 to 2017.MethodsAnalyses were conducted using data from the Uniform Data System from 2015 and 2017, and the 2015 Area Health Resource File. Change in indicators of oral health workforce, access, and quality of care by the receipt of OHSE funding received by HCs in 2016 were examined. Regression models for 1,345 HCs were developed to conduct a difference-in-difference analyses of the comparative change from 2015 to 2017 in the dependent variables among OHSE and non-OHSE awardees while controlling for confounders.ResultsOHSE awardees showed a significant difference in the oral health workforce with a higher mean number increase by 0.6 full time equivalent (FTE) dentists, 0.4 dental hygienists, 1.1 dental assistants, and 2.3 for other dental staff compared to non-OHSE awardees. Compared to non-OHSE awardees, OHSE awardees showed a mean increase of 712 dental patients served who received 1,402 dental visits, representing a 9-percentage point increase in the percentage of HCs that had an oral health program and a 3-percentage point increase in the ratio of dental patients to total patients.ConclusionsFunding dedicated to oral health service expansion in HCs may result in outcomes ranging from increasing workforce to reduction in access and financial barriers. Retrospective analysis demonstrated improved capacity for oral healthcare delivery attributable to HRSA support to HCs.
A Data-Driven Reinforcement Learning Based Multi-Objective Route Recommendation System

Driving route recommendation systems have been becoming popular due to high demands on such systems and their high socio-economic impacts. Existing route recommendation systems cannot provide a well-balanced route by considering the user preference on multiple criteria or make route recommendation in a short time. This paper presents a multi-objective route recommendation system considering three different attributes (i.e., fuel consumption, travel time, and air quality). The proposed route recommendation system uses the Q-learning based reinforcement learning algorithm to leverage the available datasets to make route recommendations in a timely manner. First, we build a road network graph using a publicly available map service (i.e., OpenStreetMap) and other real-world datasets on traffic, weather, and air substances. Second, we utilize the existing predictors for air quality, travel time, and fuel consumption estimations to update the road network graph periodically. Third, we design the route recommendation system using the Q-learning reinforcement learning approach considering the given user’s preference for travel time, fuel consumption, and air quality. To evaluate the proposed approach’s performance, we conduct experimental evaluations based on the real-world datasets with publicly available map service.
Substantive Due Process, the Concept of Law, and the Role of Courts

Much has been written about the landmark decision Obergefell v. Hodges, in which the Supreme Court held that same-sex couples have a right to marry protected by the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution. Most commentators analyze the decision through the prism of constitutional theory, which has the effect of depicting Kennedy and Roberts as polar opposites. The present essay undermines that characterization in two ways. First, it explores the Justices’ differences in light of the concepts of law elaborated by H.L.A. Hart and Lon Fuller. From the perspective of legal theory, although Kennedy and Roberts reflect distinct approaches to the concept of law, their stances are not totally opposed. This conclusion is strengthened by Hart’s claim that originalist legal theories are animated by policy concerns in the same manner as theories explicitly referencing contemporary social needs. Second, from the perspective of political theory, Kennedy and Roberts reflect a fundamental kinship in their fidelity to the constitutional design of the American legal system because both adopt a view of judicial decisionmaking that is internal to the Constitution’s basic framework, rather than transforming it based upon external sources of law. These distinctions matter, in practice as well as in theory. There is a tendency to emphasize the degree to which the Supreme Court is polarized, paralleling the political polarization in the country as a whole. Recognizing the commonalities of the two sides provides a broader context often lacking in contemporary debates and suggests that the tendency of each side to dismiss the reasoning of the other as illegitimate is itself illegitimate.
Vanguard Management: An Emerging New Paradigm

There is an increasing body of evidence that significant and exciting changes are under way in how some organizations are seeing their world and transforming themselves to fit this new vision. The change is so fundamental as to constitute a paradigm shift. There is further evidence that some hospitality firms may be part of this transformation. The author advocates the use of vanguard management in this article
An Associative Model of Computation

This chapter formally defines a specific associative model of computation based on the SITDAC model and provides a conceptual realization of this model, the associative computing (ASC) language. An associative processor has a cellular memory that is partitioned into cells each consisting of a processor and its memory. The memory in a cell is sufficiently large to hold one or more association entries plus any required data for the operating system and/or other utilities. The cell processors are dedicated to operating on the data in their cells. At any one time, only one cell may be read, resulting in the equivalent of a global broadcast capability. The fundamental mode of operation is SIMD. That is, if more than one instruction stream is present, they are all executing in SIMD mode, each on its own subset of memory cells.
Slender tube-shaped and square rod-shaped IPMC actuators with integrated sensing for soft mechatronics

This paper describes the development of slender millimeter-size hollow (tube) and sub-millimeter-size solid (rod) shaped ionic polymer-metal composite (IPMC) actuators. The outer electrodes on the IPMC actuators are sectored to enable control for multiple degrees of freedom motion. Such small-size slender (high aspect ratio) IPMC actuators can be used to create active catheter devices, bio-inspired propulsion mechanisms in underwater autonomous systems, artificial cilia structures for micro-fluidic devices, and other emerging soft mechatronic systems. An experimental tube-shaped IPMC actuator is fabricated from Nafion polymer tube with inner and outer diameters of 1.3 and 1.6 mm, respectively. Likewise, the fabrication of a sub-millimeter size square cross-section rod IPMC actuator is described, with dimensions of 150 μm by 150 μm and 500 μm by 500 μm. The outer surface of the IPMC actuators are plated with platinum metal via an electroless plating process. The platinum plating is sectored into four isolated electrodes using a custom surface milling technique. Independent control of the patterned electrodes on the outer surface of the tube results in three-dimensional motion. A strain sensor is developed and integrated with the tube-shaped IPMC to sense the bending motion of the actuator as an example of its functionality. The integrated sensor is low cost and avoids the need for bulky external sensors such as lasers for measuring deflection. Thus, the sensor can be employed in practical applications including feedback control. The actuators are characterized and experimental results are presented to demonstrate performance.
Acute Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage

Acute gastrointestinal hemorrhage can be a challenging problem and, depending upon its severity, may require resources from various hospital areas and coordination of several team physicians. The morbidity and mortality can be profoundly affected by delays in delivery of care and, therefore, a well-integrated system is necessary to ensure an optimal outcome. All physicians participating in the care of these patients must maintain an excellent working knowledge of the proper diagnostic and therapeutic maneuvers that are currently available.
Preparation and optimization of protein-DNA complexes suitable for detailed NMR studies.

This chapter describes the methods to form and optimize samples of protein–DNA complexes that are suitable for detailed structure and dynamics studies by NMR spectroscopy.
Digital Image Enhancement of Indic Historical Manuscripts

Historical documents in Indic scripts can be found on a wide range of media such as paper, palm leaves, and parchment. Palm leaves are believed to be one of the earliest forms of writing media and their use as writing material has been recorded in various parts of the world including India. Ancient palm leaf manuscripts relating to religion, science, medicine, astronomy are still available for reference today due to many ongoing efforts for preservation of ancient documents by libraries and universities around the world. These manuscripts typically last a few centuries but with time the leaves degrade and the writing becomes illegible. Image processing techniques can help enhance the images of these manuscripts so as to enable readability of the written text. In this chapter, we propose methods for enhancing digital images of palm leaf and other historical manuscripts. We approximate the background of a gray-scale image using piece-wise linear and nonlinear models. Normalization algorithms are used on the color channels of the palm leaf image to obtain an enhanced gray-scale image. Experimental results show significant improvement in readability. An adaptive local connectivity map is used to try to segment lines of text from the enhanced images with the objective of facilitating techniques such as keyword spotting or partial OCR and thereby making it possible to index these documents for retrieval from a digital library.
The Effect of Fire on Fungal and Microarthropod Populations of Blacktail Buttes

Because of the failure to burn Blacktail Butte in 1973 (the area that we sampled intensively that summer), our strategy during the summer of 1974 was to arrange our field work so that even if areas in the Park were not burned, some interesting information could still be obtained from a summer's field work. To accomplish this end we included in our sampling two communities on Forest Service land that were scheduled to be burned, aspen and sage on Burro Hill. We also expanded our sampling to include a large segment of the above ground insect community. Project Number 197.
The Generation of Gravitational Waves: A Review of Computational Tecniques

In these lectures I shall review techniques for calculating gravitational-wave generation. My emphasis will be on the techniques themselves, on their realms of validity, and on typical applications of them. Most derivations will be omitted or sketched only briefly, but I shall give references to places where the derivations can be found.
Primary squamous cell carcinoma of the endometrium: two cases and a review of the literature.

Primary squamous cell carcinoma of the endometrium (PSCCE) is a rare entity, with fewer than 100 cases reported in the literature. We report two cases of PSCCE and review the literature regarding associated markers and treatment outcomes. Many different markers have been tested for association with PSCCE, with mixed results. Thus, it is likely that several etiologic factors are responsible for the development of PSCCE. Further, due to the rarity of the condition, the optimal postoperative management of patients with PSCCE remains to be defined. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2013;41:817–820. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
D. Merrill, Negotiating Paradise: U.S. Tourism and Empire in Twentieth-Century Latin America

Dennis Merrill has written a fascinating analysis of the role of tourism in the U.S. Latin American empire that should give readers food for thought on how “soft power” can influence larger bilater...
Nerve-dependent regulation of absolute rates of protein synthesis in newt limb regenerates: Measurement of methionine specific activity in peptidyl-tRNA of the growing polypeptide chain☆

Abstract Limb regeneration in the newt requires the presence of nerve fibers at the amputation surface. Regeneration does not occur upon denervation. Incorporation of [ 35 S]methionine into hot TCA-precipitable material (cpm/μg of protein) increased sharply in the first few hours after denervation, then declined rapidly and plateaued at about 60% of the innervated control side at 48 hr. The specific activity of methionine was determined from hydrolyzed peptides of peptidyl-tRNA of the growing peptide chain. The hydrolyzed peptides were reacted with 3 H-labeled 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (FDNB), and the resulting DNP-methionine was isolated by two-dimensional thin-layer chromatography. Since the specific activity of [ 3 H]DNP is given, the ratio of 35 S to 3 H in DNP-methionine is a measure of methionine specific activity. Our results show that nervous control does not affect the specific activity of methionine in the growing polypeptide chain; the absolute rate of protein synthesis is affected. In both denervated and innervated regenerates, methionine specific activity in nascent peptides of membrane-bound polysomes was approximately half that of free polysomes, suggesting the existence of two distinct intracellular pools which are utilized for protein synthesis. Moreover, our results indicate that the specific activity of methionine in the acid soluble pool is 2–5 times lower than that found in the nascent peptides. Therefore, the acid-soluble pool cannot serve as a precursor pool for protein synthesis. We also estimated the half translation time of the nascent peptide chains. At any given moment, the nascent chain on the polysomes could be assumed to be half synthesized. Half translation time was measured as the time needed to release the labeled nascent peptides into the supernatant fluid. Denervation did not significantly affect the half translation time of average mRNA.
Effect of experimental phosphorus enrichment on oligotrophic tropical marshes in Belize, Central America

Sedges from genus Eleocharisdominate extensive wetlands in the sugar cane growing areas of the Caribbean. Correlative data suggest that macrophytes in these wetlands are phosphorus limited. To determine effects of increased P input that can be expected, e.g. from agricultural runoff, a common sugar cane fertilizer was applied to representative plots in four marl-based and four peat-based marshes. The plots were located in the proximity of patches of Typha domingensis, which has been reported to be able to outcompete Eleocharis under nutrient rich conditions. Responses to the fertilizer treatment were documented as changes in: Plant height, density, biomass, net primary production, nutrient resorption, decomposition, plant and soil nutrient concentrations, percent cover of cyanobacterial mats, and potential colonization by Typha. Additions of phosphorus significantly increased plant density and height and, consequently, the aboveground net primary production. Phosphorus resorption efficiency following senescence was independent of fertilizer addition in Eleocharis but decreased in Typha from the fertilized plots. Phosphorus resorption proficiency was lower in fertilized plots for both Typha and Eleocharis. Decomposition of litter and cellulose assays was significantly faster in fertilized plots. No spontaneous establishment of Typha occurred in the fertilized plots, but survival of transplanted Typha was higher in fertilized plots than in controls. Increased plant density in fertilized plots led to elimination of a key component of these ecosystems, the nitrogen fixing cyanobacterial mats.
HOLOCENE HISTORY OF BERING GLACIER, ALASKA: A PRELUDE TO THE 1993–1994 SURGE

Within the last few centuries, Bering Glacier, the largest and longest glacier in continental North America, began to retreat from its Neoglacial maximum position. This position also represents the Holocene maximum extent of the glacier. For much of the period between 8000 yr B.P. and about 1500 yr B.P., the Bering Glacier was in a retracted position, although a readvance may have occurred about 5000 yr B.P. A major readvance began about 1500 yr B.P., culminating with the glacier reaching its Holocene maximum extent between 1000 and 500 years ago. During the last millennium, the glacier margin fluctuated near this maximum position, only beginning to retreat within the last 100–200 years. This century, the recession from the Neoglacial maximum position has been interrupted by at least six surges that have displaced parts of the glacier's terminus forward. Prior to the latest surge, beginning in 1993, retreat resulted in the net loss of more than 130 km2 of glacier in the terminus region, as much as 12 km o...
Exploding Dynamical Systems

In these lectures various generic properties of “exploding” systems in terms of their multiple solutions are presented. Dynamical models with varying “explosion complexities” are discussed and the relationship between the stabilities and explosions are drawn. It is shown that a “stability index” in the sense of Poincare may be introduced to identify the stability of the characteristic solutions and used as a tool of global analysis of exploding systems. Cardinality, stability and dimensionality issues of the systems are also considered, and illustrated with specific examples. Certain applications to celestial mechanics and astrodynamics are also conjectured and discussed.
1185 ST. MARK'S: MY TWO BROOKLYNS. Judith A. B. Lee

Dr. Lee's autobiographical novel 1185 St. Mark's: My Two Brooklyns covers two and a half decades, 1943–1966. Through these exciting pages written from the point of view of a child and young adult, ...
Nozzle and cavity wall cooling limitations on specific impulse of a gas-core nuclear rocket.

Experimental and theoretical study of the performance of a gas-core nuclear rocket, showing that in a uranium plasma nuclear rocket with an 8-ft cavity diameter the cavity wall can be cooled up to a power level of 7400 MW when the rocket operates at a pressure of 1000 atm and the propellant mass flow rate is 10 lbm/sec. A maximum cavity specific impulse of 5800 sec was obtained under such operating conditions. The fact that the wall heat flux was much lower for reactor powers below this level is linked to the presence of a relatively cool, opaque insulating layer of seeded propellant between the hot plasma and the solid wall. The additional coolant required for nozzle protection reduced the maximum cavity specific impulse to 5200 sec.
Intracranial hemorrhages in kittens: Hypernatremia versus hypoxia

Although CNS hemorrhages have long been observed in infants with hyaline membrane disease, the etiology of these hemorrhages is still unknown. Two proposed etiologies are hypoxia with acidosis and iatrogenic hypernatremia secondary to sodium bicarbonate therapy. An experiment on kittens comparing these two hypotheses suggested that intracranial hemorrhages were related only to elevated serum sodium concentrations. The CNS hemorrhages were independent of experimentally induced hypoxemia and its consequent acidosis.