cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
You are not alone: effects of highlighting social aspects on responsiveness, joining, and profile information sharing in an information portal

Many information portals are adding social features to enable benefits of Web 2.0. Such additions are undertaken with hopes of increasing the usefulness of the information and enhancing the overall user experience. Invitations and welcome pages that highlight these social features are expected to encourage use and participation. We studied the effects of emphasizing social features on users' responses to invitations, decisions to join, and willingness to provide profile information. The results of a quasi-experiment found no effect of social emphasis in invitations on receiver responsiveness. However, subjects receiving invitations highlighting social benefits were less likely to join and provide profile information. Social emphasis in the initial welcome page for the site was also found to have a significant effect on whether individuals joined and how much profile information they provided and shared. Unexpectedly, subjects who were welcomed in a social manner were less likely to join and provided less profile information. This suggests that even in online contexts where social activity is an increasingly important factor, highlighting the presence of social features may not always be the optimal presentation strategy.
Fission-track Analysis of Detrital Zircon

Zircon has become one of the most important minerals for studying sediment provenance and the exhumation history of orogenic belts. The reason for this utility is that zircon is common in many igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks, it is resistant to weathering and abrasion, and it can be dated with various isotopic methods having reasonable high concentrations of uranium and thorium (Fig. 1⇓). Techniques used to date detrital zircon include U/Pb and (U-Th)/He dating, but in this chapter we focus exclusively on fission-track (FT) analysis. Figure 1. Suite of detrital zircon showing the whole spectrum of zircon shapes and colors that encountered in detrital samples. This particular samples is a suite of zircon from a single sandstone sample of the Eocene Ukelayet Flysch, Northern Kamchatka, Russia. Several end members are worth noting (see text for discussion): Very well-rounded grains are likely to be polycyclic; Colorless with little damage and/or low REE; Colorless and euhedral; Grains of the red series; Grains of the yellow series. FT analysis allows age determination of single zircon grains that may have cooling ages between several hundred thousand to a billion years or more. The datable range depends on individual uranium content and cooling history of a zircon grain. Fission tracks in zircon have an effective annealing temperature of ~240 °C ± 30 °C in natural systems (Hurford 1986; Brandon et al. 1998; Bernet et al. 2002). Therefore most detrital zircon are fairly resistant to thermal annealing in typical sedimentary basins after deposition, while the other low-temperature thermochronometers anneal at lower temperatures common in sedimentary basins (i.e., Helium dating and apatite FT) and therefore more readily have compromised provenance information (Fig. 2⇓). Consequently, the strength of detrital zircon fission-track (DZFT) analysis lies in the fact that this method provides robust cooling ages of source …
Nuclear Localization of NPR1 Is Required for Activation of PR Gene Expression

Systemic acquired resistance (SAR) is a broad-spectrum resistance in plants that involves the upregulation of a battery of pathogenesis-related (PR) genes. NPR1 is a key regulator in the signal transduction pathway that leads to SAR. Mutations in NPR1 result in a failure to induce PR genes in systemic tissues and a heightened susceptibility to pathogen infection, whereas overexpression of the NPR1 protein leads to increased induction of the PR genes and enhanced disease resistance. We analyzed the subcellular localization of NPR1 to gain insight into the mechanism by which this protein regulates SAR. An NPR1–green fluorescent protein fusion protein, which functions the same as the endogenous NPR1 protein, was shown to accumulate in the nucleus in response to activators of SAR. To control the nuclear transport of NPR1, we made a fusion of NPR1 with the glucocorticoid receptor hormone binding domain. Using this steroid-inducible system, we clearly demonstrate that nuclear localization of NPR1 is essential for its activity in inducing PR genes.
A General Junction-Transistor Equivalent Circuit for Use in Large-Signal Switching Analysis

This paper describes a general medium-speed junction-transistor equivalent circuit that is valid for large- and small-signal operation. Solutions of nonlinear differential equations written from the equivalent circuit for its response to large-signal driving pulses are obtained by graphical, analytic, and analog computer techniques. The static base-to-emitter V-I characteristic is used extensively in the various analysis techniques and produces the proper response to a driving source of any internal resistance. In Section II a charge-control equation is employed for constructing the equivalent circuit in a common-emitter hybrid ? configuration. Section III deals with the techniques for solving large-signal switching problems. Section IV discusses some of the required measurements.
‘We use it different, different’: Making sense of trends in mobile phone use in Ghana

Drawing on ideas from the sustainable livelihoods approach to poverty reduction and the concept of technology appropriation, this article discusses findings from a mixed methods study exploring mobile phone use in Ghana. The results suggest that most respondents value their phone for the connectivity it affords with a variety of personal and professional contacts. In this sense, the mobile phone is not an overt means of poverty reduction for respondents but an integral part of their lives, in which it serves multiple functions. The study contributes empirical data to the emerging body of research on mobile phone communication in African countries.
Nitrogen oxides from high-altitude aircraft: An update of potential effects on ozone

In the study of fuel consumption rate by stratospheric aircraft, the range of nitric oxide injection is interpreted as an eightfold range of emission index (5-40) with both the one- and the two-dimensional models. Possible effects of future aircraft NO(x) emissions on stratospheric ozone are considered for a broad range in magnitude, altitude, and latitude of the assumed NO(x) emissions. Results of the sensitivity studies using both models are discussed. Large ozone reductions are found to be outside the expected range of validity of these models and are to be anticipated if there should be a large fleet of stratospheric aircraft with NO(x) emission characteristics of current commercial aircraft. Under the test conditions, a global ozone reduction of about 9 percent is estimated for a jet engine emission index of 15 in both models. If engines are redesigned to reduce the emission index to the NASA goal of 5, global average ozone reductions are between 2 and 3 percent, and those of the Northern Hemisphere are about 4 percent. The effects of stratospheric aircraft on ozone could be further reduced through operation at lower altitudes, reduction of aircraft, and efficient fuel consumption.
A new description of arterial function : The compliance-pressure loop

Hypertension and atherosclerosis are associated with reduced arterial compliance, which is the principal component that reflects the dynamic behavior of the arterial system. Hence, change in arterial compliance has been used as a compass of arterial wall properties, as well as an effective parameter for assessing therapeutic treatment efficacy. The arterial compliance-blood pressure loop concept is introduced here for assessment of arterial function. Aortic pressure and flow were measured in experimental dogs during normal and acute hypertension. The compliance-pressure loops were constructed from pulsatile blood pressure waveforms and the corresponding compliances. The features of the loop are that, for any given heart beat, arterial compliance is seen to be maximal in early systole to facilitate ventricular ejection, compliance decreasing during the remainder of systole owing to increased blood pressure and reduced aortic flow, compliance in diastole increasing as pressure declines. The arteries are stiffer with reduced compliance in hypertension. Thus, the compliance-pressure loop can provide an effective characterization of the dynamic behavior of the arterial system in terms of pressure-flow relation and blood vessel properties.
A Comparison-Contrast between Adam Smith and Paul Davidson on the Definition and Application of the Uncertainty Versus Risk Concept in Economics

Adam Smith was the first philosopher – economist-political theorist to give a precise definition of uncertainty and then provide his readers with a number of applications of how uncertainty impacts the real economy. Smith even used his uncertainty approach to evaluate his own endeavors. Smith had a complete understanding of the differences involved in decision making under uncertainty, as opposed to risk.Smith explained the highly limited nature of the probability calculus in real world applications and devised an interval valued estimate approach to decision making that would be used instead of the probability calculus by a decision maker. The decision maker would concentrate on the lower bound.Smith was an intellectual giant who was at least 150 years ahead of his time. There was no economist of Smith’s time who was even close to Smith in mastering decision making under uncertainty, as opposed to risk. This was demonstrated by Smith’s exposition of an Ellsberg Paradox type problem involving two options. The risky option was the Home or Domestic trade. The ambiguous or uncertain option was the foreign trade. Smith correctly argued that the majority of business men were uncertainty or ambiguity averse. Therefore the majority would choose the Home trade. Smith’s reference to an “Invisible Hand” is a metaphor, first pointed out by G Kennedy, to help the reader grasp Smith’s point.
Evaluating Lidar Point Densities for Effective Estimation of Aboveground Biomass

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) was recently established to provide airborne lidar data coverage on a national scale. As part of a broader research effort of the USGS to develop an effective remote sensing-based methodology for the creation of an operational biomass Essential Climate Variable (Biomass ECV) data product, we evaluated the performance of airborne lidar data at various pulse densities against Landsat 8 satellite imagery in estimating above ground biomass for forests and woodlands in a study area in east-central Arizona, U.S. High point density airborne lidar data, were randomly sampled to produce five lidar datasets with reduced densities ranging from 0.5 to 8 point(s)/m 2 , corresponding to the point density range of 3DEP to provide national lidar coverage over time. Lidar-derived aboveground biomass estimate errors showed an overall decreasing trend as lidar point density increased from 0.5 to 8 points/m 2 . Landsat 8-based aboveground biomass estimates produced errors larger than the lowest lidar point density of 0.5 point/m 2 , and therefore Landsat 8 observations alone were ineffective relative to airborne lidar for generating a Biomass ECV product, at least for the forest and woodland vegetation types of the Southwestern U.S. While a national Biomass ECV product with optimal accuracy could potentially be achieved with 3DEP data at 8 points/m 2 , our results indicate that even lower density lidar data could be sufficient to provide a national Biomass ECV product with accuracies significantly higher than that from Landsat observations alone.
Incidence of Listeria spp. in shrimp, oysters, and estuarine waters.

A total of 227 samples, including oysters, shrimp, and water, was collected along the U.S. Gulf Coast and examined to determine the presence of Listeria spp. Listeria spp. were recovered more frequently from shrimp than from water but were not recovered from oysters. Recovery of Listeria spp. from shrimp and waters was improved at temperatures ≤20°C; however, recovery was not affected by salinity or related to the fecal coliform standard for shellfish-growing waters. Although only 5% of the test samples were positive for L. monocytogenes , all Listeria positive shrimp contained L. monocytogenes . The incidence of Listeria spp. in shrimp was low; nevertheless, shrimp represent a potential source of Listeria contamination to processing plants and their products.
SECTION 6.4 – Anisotropic Damage

This chapter presents several anisotropic damage models. Damage variables are first introduced. Then the damage-coupled constitutive equations and the damage evolution equations are formulated within the framework of irreversible thermodynamics based on the Helmholtz free energy, the yield surface, and the damage surface. A distinct advantage of the damage models is their ability to be readily incorporated in the finite element analysis through a damage-coupled stiffness matrix. Further, several CDM models are applied successfully to characterize the failure analysis of different materials for ductile fracture, metal forming, and fatigue failure in the last decade. The failure analyses include the following: crack initiation and propagation in mixed-mode ductile fracture; three-dimensional ductile failure analysis; damage analysis in composite materials; prediction of forming limit diagrams; and fatigue failure analysis.
The Effects of CEO Founder Status and Stock Ownership on Entrepreneurial Orientation in Small Firms

This paper studies how governance drives entrepreneurial orientation (EO) in small firms. We argue that founder status and ownership create powerful personal incentives for small firm CEOs to engage in behaviors that influence EO. Integrating stewardship theory and the principal-principal branch of agency theory, we test our hypotheses on a sample of 339 Swedish firms, and find that CEO founder status is significantly and positively associated with EO, while CEO stock ownership significantly but negatively predicts EO. We additionally test two boundary conditions that show that the founder-CEO's prior managerial experience in start-up firms positively moderates the founder-EO relationship, while contrary to expectations, CEO ownership diversification has no effect on the negative association between ownership and EO. Thus, our study adopts a corporate governance perspective to explain how variations in EO across small firms are driven by the goals and motivations of its leader. Our research also shows that in small, private firms the balance of power is tipped in favor of the CEO rather than the board of directors. Finally, we underline the importance of adopting alternative theoretical lens like stewardship and principal-principal agency, given that traditional principal-agent problems are largely mitigated in the small firm context.
ID: 99: PREVELNACE, MORBIDTY AND MORTALITY OF INFECTIVE ENDOCARDITIS IN THE MOST DIVESE AREA OF USA IN NEW YORK CITY

Background Infective endocarditis (IE) is a serious illness associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The primary purpose of this study was to evaluate the mortality and morbidity of IE in a community public hospital of the most diverse area in New York. Methods An analysis of 209 patients that were admitted to hospital from 2000 to 2012, found to have IE based on Duke9s criteria. Results The incidence rate of IE is trending down since 2000 (figure 1A). Among our study population, the overall mortality rate of IE was 20.1% (95% CI: 9.84–19.56%), readmission rate within 30 days after discharge was 21.5% (95% CI: 16.22–27.58%) with an average age of 59 years (95% CI: 57.63–60.37%). The most common causative organisms were staphylococcus aureus (43.7%), followed by streptococcus viridians (17%) and Group D enterococcus (14.7%). We divided the patients into two groups; male (n=107) versus female (n=102). And the same aspects were identified and studied in each gender group. The incidence of IE has a slight female predominance, except two age groups with male significant predominance; 40–49 and 50–59 years. (figure 1-B). The mortality rate in males was 17% vs 23% in females (p=0.09) and Readmission rate within 30 days after discharge from the hospital was 20% in males vs 22% in females (p=0.1). Of the 209 patients, 188 patients were with native hearts and 21 patients had non-native heart valves. Of the 188 native heart valves, 114 had risk factors such as: CABG surgeries, were active drugs users, had pacemakers, valves disease or CHF. Mortality rate in non-native hearts and/or patients with risk factors were 27.7% compared to patients with native heart without risk factors of 8.11%(OR:3, P The causative organism of IE was evaluated in our study and we found that S. aureus is the most common cause in males and females among all age groups. The only exception to that is a slightly higher prevalence of S. viridians in males between the ages of 30–39 (figure1-C). Similarly, the prevalence of group D enterococcus appeared higher in females aged 70–79 years. (figure 1-D). Approximately 71% of males9 patient with S. aureus IE between ages 50–49 had DM. Also, 80% of female patients with IE between ages 60–69 had DM which could explain the high prevalence of IE with S. aureus in this age groups as DM may complicated with skin infections which is mostly Staphylococcus infection that led to IE. The highest incidences of IE in our study were in Hispanic ethnicity group (38%) follow by white (29%). However, the lowest incidences were observed in South Asia population (5%). Conclusion Despite appropriate prophylaxis and treatment of IE patients, high rates of incidences, morbidity and mortality remained especially in population >50 years. Risk factors for developing IE such as Diabetes Mellitus which might complicated with skin infection and lead to IE, raising the importance of controlling and monitoring risk factors for IE in patients older than 50 years of age.
Qualitative differences between on-orbit and transition RCS control

Two separate reaction control system (RCS) digital autopilots (DAPs) evolved from one original Space Shuttle orbital autopilot concept. A computer overload forced this evolution. Part of the overload problem was due to unique performance requirements imposed on the RCS controller during each of several different flight regimes. The two resultant RCS DAPs yield different effector responses because they rely on different sources of sensory input and they process data differently. This paper describes the evolution of the two RCS controllers and illustrates their behavioral differences. The transition autopilot, used in orbital insertion and deorbit, is sensitive to orbiter flexure due to its feedthrough character. The on-orbit autopilot is sensitive to transient rate control degradation from large disturbances due to feed-forward rate estimation. Simulation results and flight data are used to illustrate performance differences between the two autopilots under various conditions. These include computer failures where electronic stringing and procedural reconfiguration differences affect autopilot behavior.
Lassa fever in the United States. Investigation of a case and new guidelines for management.

LASSA fever, first identified in northeastern Nigeria in 1969,1 is endemic in much of western Africa. Mastomys natalensis, a rat that is common around human habitations in the region, is the host of enzootic Lassa fever virus.2 The virus is spread to humans primarily through the urine of infected rats and is also transmissible from person to person. Its incubation period ranges from 7 to 18 days.3 Lassa fever virus may cause as many as 300,000 human infections and 5000 deaths per year in areas where the disease is endemic.4 Lassa fever is infrequently encountered in areas where the disease . . .
Nanosecond Thermal Processing of Polysilicon Thin Films

Significant improvement in properties of polysilicon thin films for VLSI applications was achieved using nanosecond thermal processing causing laser-induced melting followed by recrystallization. Sheet resistance was reduced by as much as a factor of five on polysilicon thin films and underlying oxide integrity was not detectably disturbed.
Mathematical modeling and analysis of a dark money network

In this article, the authors present background and analysis on a dark money network. An AHP/TOPSIS (analytical hierarchy process/technique of order preference by similarity to ideal solution) hybrid model is used to find the key nodes of the network. The analysis of the key nodes leads to improved targeting strategies against the network. Game theory applications using kinetic versus non-kinetic strategies in dealing with the network are developed after using AHP to obtain cardinal utility from the ordinal ranking originally provided. These methods provide an additional metric that can be employed when dealing with and analyzing any dark network.
Power in Practice: Moments of Reflection

Power in practice reveals itself in many ways. There are many definitions of power but in nursing care it could be said that the power is within the patient. Nurses facilitate patients power by engaging them in dialogical engagements. This helps patients to decide how to utilize the power of living their quality.
Have the results of mitral valve replacement improved

To test the contention that the results of cardiac surgery are better in recent years, we analyzed patients undergoing isolated or combined mitral valve replacement in an earlier era (1975 to July, 1979; n = 478) and a later era (July, 1979, to July, 1983; n = 341). Patients in the later era were older, had a higher left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, and a higher prevalence of ischemic mitral valve disease and a lower one of rheumatic mitral disease. Patients operated on in the later era had, on the average, longer and more extensive operations. Patients in the later era had a slightly but inconclusively lower 2 week and 4 1/2 year survival rate than those in the earlier era; their hazard functions were similar. A higher proportion of the deaths in the later era than in the earlier era were due to chronic heart failure. However, neither the era nor the specific year in which a patient was operated on was a risk factor for death in a multivariate analysis. By contrast, in many subsets of patients with congenital and ischemic heart disease, the risks have been shown to be lower in the current era. Continuing delay in advising mitral valve replacement and imperfections in the methods for myocardial protection are probably responsible for this lack of improvement across time.
THE CHILD'S FEELING OF SECURITY

This chapter discusses a child's feeling of security. The child's feeling of security is to a large degree dependent on his home situation. The preschool child cannot be easily approached by methods of questionnaires and of associations. The problem of security and insecurity is closely linked up with the child's emotional social reactions of cooperation and mischievousness, timidity and aggression. The feeling of insecurity frequently is the effect of frustration and can find its outlet in sudden aggression. Aggressive behavior in the form of competition is a normal outlet of the child's emotions. However, a child, who lacks the feeling of security, exhibits an indirect form of aggressive behavior. The child has a large and organized spatial concept. He has a social feeling in making the house immediately for somebody else, and only later for himself. Children's drawings can be classified according to the degree of security expressed by the handling of forms, lines, and features.
Stochastic Resource Allocation for Well Control With Digital Oil Field Infrastructure

To investigate the flux patterns for a digital oil field system, the modeling and analysis need to include waterflood optimization, which is generated to maintain pressure and sweep oil to production. In this paper, a life-cycle well control optimization is integrated with proactive resource allocation to increase computational efficiency of mature fields. Based on a noninvasive and derivative-free approach, the combinatorial model is developed to address geological uncertainty by modifying injection and production rates at individual wells. With the derived model, the joint well control and field development algorithm is proposed based on their influence on the control variables. The possible benefits from the hybrid method and heuristics are clarified. In addition, the Benders decomposition method is adopted considering the computation burden with the optimal number of wells in a distributed manner at the cost of iteration. With the relaxation technique and acceleration technique, the optimal solutions are achieved to strengthen the cuts generated and to find better feasible solutions in less time. Simulation and experimental results are presented to verify the achievements of the proposed methods.
Proximity localization with the Mobile Imaging and Spectroscopic Threat Identification (MISTI) system

The Mobile Imaging and Spectroscopic Threat Identification (MISTI) system was developed by the Naval Research Lab to perform stand-off gamma ray detection of potential threat sources. A new method for localizing sources at standoff using proximity techniques has been developed and demonstrated using the MISTI system.
Overview of Ataxias in Children

In children, ataxia may be caused by a wide number of hereditary or acquired diseases. The prevalence varies significantly in causes between pediatric and adult ataxia. Pediatric ataxia may be classified as acute, progressive, non-progressive, intermittent, and episodic. Cerebellar dysfunction is the leading cause of pediatric ataxia, while sensory (afferent) and vestibular ataxias are less common in children. A careful history and neurological examination are essential in classifying pediatric ataxia based on the course of symptoms and involved systems and narrowing the differential diagnosis. Neuroimaging plays a key role in the further work-up of pediatric ataxia and may be diagnostic or allow planning targeted further investigations.
To the Editor: Menopausal hormone therapy.

TO THE EDITOR : I much enjoyed the important article by Drs. Lipold, Batur, and Kagan on whether there is a time limit for systemic menopausal hormone therapy.[1][1] The simple answer is no. The authors did a good job of reviewing the factors to consider in terms of contraindications and precautions
Understanding the Enhanced Kinetics of Enzyme-Quantum Dot Constructs

Bio-inspired, hybrid architectures employing quantum dots (QDs) appended with functionally active biomolecules such as enzymes have the potential to be utilized in numerous applications. Some examples include nanosensors for medical diagnostics, chemical/biological threat detection, as well as “bio-factories” in complex industrial synthetic processes. The main advantage in creating these nanofactories is increased rates in catalysis and efficiency when enzymes are associated with nanoscaffolds, as shown in numerous studies. However, the mechanism for this enhancement remains elusive. Gaining a fundamental, mechanistic understanding of enzyme-QD nanostructures is important in the development of numerous device applications. In this work, we review an array of enzymes attached to QDs and generate a hypothesis in regards to the unique architecture of the enzyme-nanoparticle (NP) construct that leads to increases in catalysis. We highlight work with phosphotiresterase (PTE) attached to two distinctly sized QDs in neutralizing a simulant nerve agent, as well as in other enzyme systems.
Neoliberalism and Rule by Experts

This chapter explores neoliberalism not as a specific kind of expertise but as a form of critical technopolitical reflection on the way that the authority of truth and the legitimate exercise of political power both ground and limit each other. Focusing on the work of the political scientist Vincent Ostrom, it examines how American neoliberalism emerged as a critique of expert rule established during the Progressive Era and the New Deal and as an argument in favor of an alternative model of administration that is embedded in a “polycentric” democratic polity. It proposes that Ostrom’s work suggests a reappraisal of the critique of technical expertise and democracy that has been advanced in recent social theory.
Temporal progression in functional connectivity determines individual differences in working memory capacity

Working memory (WM) plays a critical role in cognitive skills such as, learning, reasoning, and language comprehension. WM capacity is widely used as a predictor of academic performance and many other cognitive skills. Yet, how the human brain coordinates this complex skill through its functional networks and also whether individual's WM limitations are due to contrasts in regional activation or cross-regional interconnections, remain controversial. We hypothesized that, individual differences in behavioral WM capacity could be explained by temporal dynamics in functional coupling, and the information flow within the connectome of the WM network. We recorded electrical brain activity as participants performed a visual WM task with varying degrees of cognitive load. Functional connectivity analyses on the EEG recordings were performed to identify prominent hubs and the temporal segmentation of inter-regional activities as WM processing unfolds over time. We found that neural communication during memory processing occurs predominately through short pulses of alpha-band (8–13 Hz) phase coupling that propagate in a temporally sequential manner with feedforward (bottom-up) and feedback (top-down) communication within a set of frontoparietal and fronto-temporal regions of brain. We also observed that the degree of phase coupling within fronto-parietal/temporal pathways strongly predicts working memory capacity. Additionally, this functional connectivity could distinguish individual with low vs. high WM capacity. These results underscore the importance of long-range neural network communication (phase synchrony) in WM skills and additionally the significance of temporal dynamics in functional connectivity and in particular phase synchrony.
Improvement of Blood-Brain Barrier Integrity in Traumatic Brain Injury and Hemorrhagic Shock Following Treatment With Valproic Acid and Fresh Frozen Plasma.

Objective:Combined traumatic brain injury and hemorrhagic shock are highly lethal. Following injuries, the integrity of the blood-brain barrier can be impaired, contributing to secondary brain insults. The status of the blood-brain barrier represents a potential factor impacting long-term neurologic
α-Synuclein-Dependent Calcium Entry Underlies Differential Sensitivity of Cultured SN and VTA Dopaminergic Neurons to a Parkinsonian Neurotoxin

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a debilitating neurodegenerative disease characterized by a loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra (SN). Although mitochondrial dysfunction and dysregulated α-synuclein (aSyn) expression are postulated to play a role in PD pathogenesis, it is still debated why neurons of the SN are targeted while neighboring dopaminergic neurons of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) are spared. Using electrochemical and imaging approaches, we investigated metabolic changes in cultured primary mouse midbrain dopaminergic neurons exposed to a parkinsonian neurotoxin, 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+). We demonstrate that the higher level of neurotoxicity in SN than VTA neurons was due to SN neuron-specific toxin-induced increase in cytosolic dopamine (DA) and Ca2+, followed by an elevation of mitochondrial Ca2+, activation of nitric oxide synthase (NOS), and mitochondrial oxidation. The increase in cytosolic Ca2+ was not caused by MPP+-induced oxidative stress, but rather depended on the activity of both L-type calcium channels and aSyn expression, suggesting that these two established pathogenic factors in PD act in concert.
Anterior Knee Pain: Diagnosis and Treatment

Anterior knee pain is a common complaint when managing patients for knee pain. The differential diagnosis for anterior knee pain can be broad with a variety of physical manifestations and patients’ complaints. Common causes of anterior knee pain include patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS), patellar tendinopathy, quadriceps tendinopathy, and pes anserine bursitis. The following chapter discusses the clinical presentation, treatment, and outcomes of each of these entities.
Predicting risk for adverse health events using random forest

Estimation of person-specific risk for adverse health events in medicine has been approached almost exclusively using parametric statistical methods. Random forest is a machine learning method base...
Knowledge Management and Learning in Urban Revitalization Processes of Selected Non-profit Cultural Organizations in Slovakia

The aim of this paper is to present selected revitalization processes of inadequately used city buildings reflecting the implementation of lessons learned and effective knowledge management tools. We focus on the leaders of non-profit organizations who together with their teams have participated in successful conversions of historical buildings to alive cultural and community centers. Our research, covering a period of the years 2013–2016, has primarily concentrated on defining, delivering and exploiting tacit and explicit knowledge in certain revitalizing and operating stages of the studied venues in three Slovak cities – Bratislava, Žilina and Kosice. On the basis of Nonaka-Takeuchi SECI model, a set of case studies and interviews as well as monitoring stakeholders’ opinions and observing more than 200 events, the authors designed a tailored knowledge management model for non-profit organizations. The model has an ambition to serve as a framework to present best practices and to assist in managing urban revitalizing and sustainable approaches in the field of non-profit organizations. The crucial elements of such effort are creative and innovative actors with interdisciplinary thinking, who emphasize responsible and transparent organizational behavior and who, therefore, gain a necessary stakeholders’ support. Outputs from our research have led us to generalizing and designing a knowledge management model that allows us to recommend it as an effective and inspiring learning tool for other non-profit organizations and useful material for students of management.
Research Development and Demonstration Efforts in France on Climatic Control of Buildings Using Solar Energy

In 1979, the energy consumption in France was 180 million tons of oil equivalent, of which two thirds was imported. Since 1973, the country has been facing a sharp increase in its expenditure on importing oil, and more recently on importing natural gas. This fact eventually led our government to set up a very ambitious energy programme whose three main components are as follows: (a) diversification of oil and natural gas imports; (b) enactment of a very determined energy conservation policy in industry, housing and transportation; (c) development of national energy resources, among them, nuclear power and renewable energies.
Growth and Development in Children and Adolescents with Klinefelter Syndrome (47,XXY)

Klinefelter syndrome (KS) is the most common chromosomal aberration in men. The prevalence of KS in male reproductive practices is 3–4%; however, most children and adolescents are either never diagnosed or are diagnosed late because of infertility in adulthood. KS has an effect on normal development, growth, social interactions, bone structure, and sexual and reproductive function. The aim of this chapter is to review critical aspects of growth and development in children and adolescents with KS (47,XXY) based on available literature and personal experience of authors practicing in specialized academic practice. Newborns with KS may have decreased muscle tone but in general children with KS reach developmental milestones at normal or just slightly delayed age. During early childhood boys with KS present with deficits in language and auditory processing. The depressed verbal IQ relative to overall performance of IQ is very common and should lead to karyotype prior to puberty. During puberty immaturity, insecurity, poor judgment, inappropriate assertive activities are typical. Phenotypically children with KS are indistinguishable from non-KS peers; however, during puberty simple physical exam and identification of small testes of disproportionate size to developmental stage should trigger cytogenetic evaluation. Historically young men with KS were at higher risk of autoimmune diseases, diabetes mellitus, leg ulcers, osteopenia and osteoporosis, tumors (breast and germ cells), and increased mortality in case of severe obesity, although it is now believed that morbidity associated with KS is a result of hypogonadism and hyperestrogenism in addition to abnormal function of X chromosome-linked genes. Early androgen replacement therapy, weight control, speech therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and educational services have resulted in significant decrease in rate of obesity and improved both academic and socioeconomic status of young patients with KS. Early detection and appropriate management may have significant potential to improve general health, academic progress, and social integration of many boys and adolescents born with additional X chromosome. Because of high prevalence of KS and beneficial effects of early interventions, pediatricians, psychiatrists, psychologists, and neurologists should have low threshold to perform cytogenetic analysis to establish diagnosis of Klinefelter syndrome.
A monocot pollen-specific promoter contains separable pollen-specific and quantitative elements

The region of the promoter of the pollen-specific maize gene, ZM13, from -119 to -37 was analyzed by a linker-scanning type of substitution mutagenesis and two areas were shown to be responsible for pollen expression: a proximal region delineated by mutations from -84 to -53 that conferred pollen specificity, and an upstream region delineated by a mutation from -107 to -102 (Q-element) that could increase the expression of the proximal region but showed no ability to cause expression in pollen on its own. Replacement of both of these areas with other sequences including the CaMV 35S promoter failed to replace activity.
Viability and cell cycle studies of metastatic triple negative breast cancer cells using low voltage electrical pulses and herbal curcumin

Cancer is a disease of cell cycle, characterized by uncontrolled cell division. The tumor suppressor gene p53 plays a major role in cell cycle control, blocking the cell progression at G1/S phases. In triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), the lack/mutation of p53 is a common genetic irregularity leading that promotes survival signals leading to tumorigenesis. Due to its unique molecular profile, aggressive behavior, and metastasis, no targeted therapies exist for TNBC. This motivates our exploration of the influence of Electro-Curcumin-Therapy on the viability, cell cycle and p53 expression profile of TNBC cells. MDA-MB-231, human TNBC cells were treated with curcumin and eight 200V/cm electric pulses (EPs) of either 100µs or 5ms duration. The synergy of 5ms EPs and curcumin reduced viability to as low as 6% at 48h after treatment. Combining the 100µs EPs with curcumin arrested 80% cells in the G0/G1 phase, compared to control. Applying 5ms EPs with curcumin caused cells to shift from the G2 phase (9% reduction) to the S phase population (21% increase) compared to control. Combining 100µs EPs with curcumin significantly downregulated the p53 level, while the p53 level significantly increased for 5ms EPs with and without curcumin. These results indicate the potent effect of combining EPs and curcumin to effectively cause cell death in TNBC cells with different mechanistic behaviors, while having a much-reduced impact on cell death in normal mammary cells.
Stormwater management actions under regulatory pressure: a case study of southeast Wisconsin

In the United States, new legislation has given regulatory authorities greater oversight of municipal stormwater management programs. However, estimating the impact of greater oversight on municipa...
Cardiac biometrics for continuous and non-contact mobile authentication: poster

Continuous authentication is superior to conventional one-pass authentication by maintaining the security level of a system throughout the entire login session. Leveraging the unique geometric and non-volitional credentials in the cardiac motion, we present a trustworthy, continuous, and non-contact user authentication system. Based on a pilot study with 78 subjects, we evaluate Cardiac Scan in terms of accuracy, authentication time, permanence, and vulnerability. The results show that Cardiac Scan is a robust and usable continuous authentication system.
Student perceptions of the value they bring to APPE sites.

Abstract Introduction Partner institutions invest much time and effort into educating pharmacy students, and ideally students should be viewed as valuable to those sites. Prior studies have demonstrated the perceptions that preceptors and administrators have about the value of students at their sites. However, students' perceptions of their own value at practice sites have not been described. Students do have perceptions about their own value to sites, and such information could be useful in learning about potential areas in which students perceive they are making an impact on patient care. Methods Five hundred qualitative student responses to an evaluation question regarding perceived value were analyzed from a United States pharmacy school. Nineteen categories of value were extracted. Responses fit into multiple categories, resulting in 783 data points for analysis. The categories were analyzed overall and with respect to advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) type (acute care, community, hospital, ambulatory care, and elective). Descriptive statistics were used. Results Providing patient counseling (15.7%) and therapeutic recommendations (14.7%) were the highest perceived values. In adult acute care and hospital APPEs, “providing therapeutic recommendations” (24.4% and 19.1% respectively) were rated highest. In community, ambulatory care, and elective APPEs, “providing patient counseling” (25%, 23%, and 13.8%, respectively) was highest rated. Conclusions Students perceive they are valuable to practice sites in several ways. These results demonstrate that students' self-reported perceptions of the value they bring to their sites are consistent with other literature reports based on perception of preceptors regarding student value to patient care.
Electrocardiogram interpretation in NCAA athletes: Comparison of the 'Seattle' and 'International' criteria.

Abstract Background Accurate electrocardiogram (ECG) interpretation in competitive athletes requires the distinction of physiological adaptations from findings suggestive of a pathological condition. The purpose of this study was to compare the performance of the Seattle Criteria to the International Criteria in a large dataset of NCAA athletes screened with an ECG. Methods ECGs from 5258 NCAA athletes who underwent prior ECG screening were re-examined by two experts in the field of sports cardiology and by ECG interpretation software by Cardea (© 2018 Cardiac Insight Inc.) using the Seattle and International Criteria. Each ECG was classified as normal or abnormal and the specific ECG abnormalities noted. Chi-squared analysis was used for statistical comparisons. Results The total number of ECGs flagged as abnormal by expert over-read decreased from 158 (3.0%) using the Seattle Criteria to 83 (1.6%) using the International Criteria (p Conclusions Use of the International Criteria for ECG interpretation significantly reduces the total abnormal and false-positive ECG rates compared to the Seattle Criteria without compromising sensitivity. Cardea interpretation software performs well and may be a useful tool to assist clinicians.
Clinical pregnancy and live birth increase significantly with every additional blastocyst up to five and decline after that: an analysis of 16,666 first fresh single-blastocyst transfers from the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology registry.

Objective To study the association between the number of blastocysts available and pregnancy outcomes in first fresh autologous single blastocyst transfer cycles. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Not applicable. Patient(s) Patients from the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology reporting fertility clinics (n=16,666). Interventions(s) None. Main Outcome Measure(s) Primary outcomes were clinical pregnancy (CP), live birth (LB), and miscarriage rates. Logistic regression was used to investigate the association between the number of blastocysts and each outcome. Result(s) When comparing fresh single blastocyst transfer rates, the odds of a positive pregnancy outcome (CP) increased significantly with each additional supernumerary blastocyst up to five and declined by 2% for every additional blastocyst after five. Similarly, the odds of an LB was 17% higher for each additional blastocyst up to five and declined by 2% for every additional blastocyst after five. There was no significant association between blastocyst number and miscarriage rate. Conclusion(s) Odds of positive pregnancy outcomes (CP, LB) increased significantly with every additional blastocyst up to five, but declined after that, in first fresh autologous cycles with single-blastocyst transfer. The decline after five may be explained by a detrimental effect on endometrial receptivity in patients with a large number of oocytes or inadequate selection of the best embryo for transfer based on morphology alone.
Genetic variation in insulin-like growth factor-1 influences risk of colorectal cancer.

3442 Insulin-like Growth Factor1 (IGF1) promotes colorectal cancer growth and progression, possibly through obesity-related insulin resistance. IGF1 levels vary markedly among normal healthy individuals. Genetic factors explain at least half of the normal IGF1 variation. The relevant IGF1 polymorphisms that underlie the variation in colorectal cancer rates remain ill-defined. We have previously argued that an IGF1 polymorphism in the IGF1 promoter region, a cytosine-adenosine microsatellite (CA15-22), is not responsible for variation in IGF1 levels, but rather is in linkage disequilibrium with functional IGF1 promoter variants. We characterized putative regulatory polymorphisms in the IGF1 upstream promoter region based on a comparative genomics approach within an ethnic group of Han Chinese in a rapidly westernizing country, Singapore. We identified one common IGF1 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) that lies in a potentially functional element: IGF1-2995 C/A. Based on transcription factor binding site prediction algorithms, this IGF1-2995 C/A resides in a consensus domain for a transcription factor: octamer binding factor (Oct1/Oct2). The A allele destroys the predicted binding site for Oct1/Oct2. The IGF1-2995 C/A SNP (rs12579108, dbSNP build 124) is common in Han Chinese (minor allele frequency,MAF=0.36 - 0.42, this study and the Perlegen database) but is rare in European-Americans and African-Americans (MAF