cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Empowering Rural Sociology: Exploring and Linking Alternative Paradigms in Theory and Methodology1

Theoretical and methodological approaches to rural social change are explored, especially those that give visibility to the range of heterogeneous experiences and perspectives that often are overlooked or ignored. Theoretical developments in postmodern, narrative, and feminist theory are described as are the methodological approaches they imply. Examples of research on rural social change that attempt to integrate theory and methods in ways that respect the complicated, processual nature of social life are discussed. They provide concrete illustrations of how alternative approaches can be fruitfully applied to some of the issues and problems rural sociologists typically study.
The Effect of Capillary Dimension on Gas Transport in Alveolar Region of the Lungs

Convection in blood capillary gas transport has been considered negligible for many years. For instance, blood flow effect on gas transport in capillaries was neglected in the recent work of Hsia et al. (1995) based on the seminal work by Aroesty and Gross (1970) who studied steady-state gas transfer in a straight muscle capillary including convection effects by assuming an axisymmetric (cylindrical capillary) model with cylindrical RBCs. The goal of the current study is to demonstrate the effects of red blood cell (RBC) shape and channel dimension on convective gas transport in an alveolar capillary. This report presents numerical simulations of carbon monoxide diffusion onto the alveolar region with capillary blood flow. The alveolar region involves three basic constituents namely the tissue (a region including the alveolar and capillary membranes and the interstitial fluid), the blood plasma (a liquid region), and the RBCs as shown in Figure 1. Simulations of a single, straight capillary with one parachute-shaped RBC is considered in this preliminary study.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
INVESTIGATIONS OF A RAPID METHOD FOR MEAT TENDERNESS EVALUATION USING MICROWAVE COOKERY

In an effort to reduce the time spent in making objective measurements of meat tenderness, 1.2 × 1.2 × >2.0 cm long strips of longissimus and semimembranosus muscle were cooked in a microwave oven and sheared with a Warner-Bratzler shear device without further preparation. Shear force values thus obtained correlated significantly with shear force and sensory panel scores obtained on broiled steaks from the same muscles. The mean shear force values were higher for the microwave strips than for the broiled steaks but the standard deviations for shear force were similar for both methods of preparation. These results indicate the feasibility of using microwave cooking to reduce the time required for meat tenderness evaluations.
A threatening exchange: gender and life history strategy predict perceptions and reasoning about sexual harassment

Abstract Sexual harassment is a serious societal issue, with extensive economic and psychological consequences, yet it is also an ill-defined construct fundamentally defined in terms of subjective perception. The current work was designed to examine the ways in which individual differences between people are systematically related to different perceptions of sexual harassment scenarios, as well as reasoning about those harassment situations. Participants ( N = 460) read several possible harassment scenarios and rated how uncomfortable they would find them. They then also evaluated a quid pro quo sexual harassment situation in terms of their interpretation of it as a threat or a social exchange and completed a deductive reasoning task about the same situation. Females and individuals with slow life history strategies were more uncomfortable with potential harassment situations and were more likely to interpret the quid pro quo scenario as a threat. Further, interpreting the scenario as a threat was associated with poorer performance on the deductive logic task, compared to those who interpreted the scenario as a social exchange.
Extensible file system (ELFS): an object-oriented approach to high performance file I/O

Scientific applications often manipulate very large sets of persistent data. Over the past decade, advances in disk storage device performance have consistently been outpaced by advances in the performance of the rest of the computer system. As a result, many scientific applications have become I/O-bound, i.e. their run-times are dominated by the time spent performing I/O operations. Consequently, the performance of I/O operations has become critical for high performance in these applications. The ELFS approach is designed to address the issue of high performance I/O by treating files as typed objects. Typed file objects can exploit knowledge about the file structure and type of data. Typed file objects can selectively apply techniques such as prefetching, parallel asynchronous file access, and caching to improve performance. Also, by typing objects, the interface to the user can be improved in two ways. First, the interface can be made easier to use by presenting file operations in a more natural manner to the user. Second, the interface can allow the user to provide an “oracle” about access patterns, that can allow the file object to improve performance. By combining these concepts with the object-oriented paradigm, the goal of the ELFS methodology is to create flexible, extensible file classes that are easy to use while achieving high performance. In this paper we present the ELFS approach and our experiences with the design and implementation of two file classes: a two dimensional dense matrix file class and a multidimensional range searching file class.
Myosin IIA Dependent Retrograde Flow Drives 3D Cell Migration

Epithelial cell migration is an essential part of embryogenesis and tissue regeneration, yet their migration is least understood. Using our three-dimensional (3D) motility analysis, migrating epithelial cells formed an atypical polarized cell shape with the nucleus leading the cell front and a contractile cell rear. Migrating epithelial cells exerted traction forces to deform both the anterior and posterior extracellular matrix toward the cell body. The cell leading edge exhibited a myosin II-dependent retrograde flow with the magnitude and direction consistent with surrounding network deformation. Interestingly, on a two-dimensional substrate, myosin IIA-deficient cells migrated faster than wild-type cells, but in a 3D gel, these myosin IIA-deficient cells were unpolarized and immobile. In contrast, the migration rates of myosin IIB-deficient cells were similar to wild-type cells. Therefore, myosin IIA, not myosin IIB, is required for 3D epithelial cell migration.
Regional earnings differences in estonia: The influence of demographic characteristics

Recent events indicate that the Republic of Estonia is on the fast track for catching up with its Western European neighbors. However, the country's successful performance has not translated to improved economic conditions for all regions of Estonia. This paper examines the nature of this regional diversity as it relates to the labor market. A statistical analysis indicates that age, educational, and nationality distributions vary across regions, causing earnings to vary as well. Policy initiatives to change the nature of these distributions, either through migration or educational incentives in regions with low earnings, or social policy changes to enhance the well-being of those living in the low-earnings regions, may provide more opportunity for those left behind in the transition process.
Effect of L-type calcium channel modulators on stimulant-induced hyperactivity

Abstract The present study investigated the effect of L-type calcium channel modulators on stimulant-induced locomotor activity. The L-channel activator, (±)BayK8644, produced a marked, long-lasting enhancement of cocaine-induced activity, while having no effect on amphetamine hyperactivity. Nicardipine reduced cocaine hyperactivity but had no effect on the amphetamine response.
A link between microwave extinction length, firn thermal diffusivity, and accumulation rate in West Antarctica

[1] The relationship between time series of physical surface temperature and microwave brightness temperature of polar firn depends both on the physical properties of the firn and the surface temperature history. In perennially dry firn this relationship is well characterized by a timescale, referred to as the extinction-diffusion time, which is the ratio of the microwave extinction length squared to the firn thermal diffusivity. The extinction-diffusion time is calculated over Antarctica from 1982 to 1999 by comparing thermal infrared observations of physical surface temperature from the advanced very high resolution radiometer (AVHRR) with passive microwave brightness temperatures measured by the scanning multichannel microwave radiometer (SMMR) and Special Senor Microwave Imager (SSM/I). Independent estimates of accumulation rate are derived both from ice cores and from spatially extensive ground and airborne radar echo sounding lines. The extinction-diffusion time is found to vary linearly with accumulation rate from approximately 10 to 50 cm/yr ice equivalent over a large area in West Antarctica. Although this simple relationship does not appear to hold at very low or very high accumulation rates, these results suggest that the extinction-diffusion time holds promise as a viable proxy for accumulation rate variability on polar ice sheets.
Student attitudes and motivation for peer review in CS2

Computer science students need experience with essential concepts and professional activities. Peer review is one way to meet these goals. In this work, we examine the students' attitudes towards and engagement in the peer review process, in early, object-oriented, computer science courses. To do this, we used peer review exercises in two CS2 classes at neighboring universities over the course of a semester. Using three groups (one reviewing their peers, one reviewing the instructor, and one completing small design or coding exercises), we measured the students' attitudes, their perceptions of their abilities, and how many of the reviews they completed. We found moderately positive attitudes that generally increased over time but were not significantly different between groups. We also saw a lower completion rate for students reviewing peers than for the other groups. The students' internal motivation, as measured by their need for cognition, was not shown to be strongly related to their attitudes nor to the number of assignments completed. Overall, our results show a strong need for external motivation to help engage students in peer reviews.
What's Going On in the Counselor's Office?

School administrators are not always as familiar as they might be with the education and training of school counselors. As a result, school counselors may be assigned non-counseling activities such as supervision or paperwork tasks that would be more closely suited to the duties of an assistant principal or member of the clerical staff. These non-counseling duties are time-consuming and allow school counselors less time to spend with the students assigned to them. Resources and creative thinking are needed to reduce or eliminate many of the non-counseling functions that school counselors are required to assimilate into their workday, so that they can spend their time helping students. This case study examines the dilemma faced by the principal of a large high school as she confronts an unhappy counseling staff and the culminating desire of one school counselor to leave the profession and return to the classroom. She realizes the difficulties have been growing for some time and she has not adequately addressed the counselor's concerns. Upon overhearing a hallway discussion about one of her counselors, she decides it is time to find out what is going on in the counselor's office.
Benthic Exchange and Biogeochemical Cycling in Permeable Sediments

The sandy sediments that blanket the inner shelf are situated in a zone where nutrient input from land and strong mixing produce maximum primary production and tight coupling between water column and sedimentary processes. The high permeability of the shelf sands renders them susceptible to pressure gradients generated by hydrodynamic and biological forces that modulate spatial and temporal patterns of water circulation through these sediments. The resulting dynamic three-dimensional patterns of particle and solute distribution generate a broad spectrum of biogeochemical reaction zones that facilitate effective decomposition of the pelagic and benthic primary production products. The intricate coupling between the water column and sediment makes it challenging to quantify the production and decomposition processes and the resultant fluxes in permeable shelf sands. Recent technical developments have led to insights into the high biogeochemical and biological activity of these permeable sediments and their role in the global cycles of matter.
Migration, Development and US Labor Markets: The Mexican-US Case

This paper explores economic and technological changes and the evolution of labor markets in sending and receiving countries, with an emphasis on developments in a major emigration country, Mexico, and the impacts of migrants from Mexico and Latin America on the labor markets of Canada and the US. There are four major conclusions. Firstly, while immigrant workers are important in many industries, occupations, and areas, no major US industry or occupation is dependent on foreign-born or Mexican-born workers. Secondly, Mexican-born workers tend to be near the low end, often filling jobs that would be eliminated or modified by technology if wages rose. Thirdly, the short- and long-run effects of trade and investment on migration may be very different, producing a migration hump in the short-term that may increase migration flows before they decline. Finally, current demographic changes in Mexico's labor market can lead to a near-term decline in the volume of unauthorized migration to the United States even if emigration probabilities continue to rise moderately. Mexico, the US, and Canada are on the path toward closer economic integration that could soon reduce permanent or settler migration, even as temporary or sojourner migration increases for business and other purposes. The reduction in emigration pressure in Mexico may be noticeable sooner than is commonly realized for demographic and economic reasons. The policy challenge is to do no harm, to avoid policies that produce unintended negative consequences or that prolong Mexican-US unauthorized migration during the transition.
Allometric scaling of maximum population density: a common rule for marine phytoplankton and terrestrial plants

A primary goal of macroecology is to identify principles that apply across varied ecosystems and taxonomic groups. Here we show that the allometric relationship observed between maximum abundance and body size for terrestrial plants can be extended to predict maximum population densities of marine phytoplankton. These results imply that the abundance of primary producers is similarly constrained in terrestrial and marine systems by rates of energy supply as dictated by a common allometric scaling law. They also highlight the existence of general mechanisms linking rates of individual metabolism to emergent properties of ecosystems.
A role for pp125FAK in suppression of apoptosis in fibroblasts.

Integrins are the transmembrane receptors that serve to anchor the cell to the extracellular matrix. Integrins are found clustered in specialized membrane domains called focal adhesions. In addition to cell-to-matrix adhesion, a number of functions have been attributed to focal adhesions, including anchorage of the actin cytoskeleton to the membrane and bi-directional signal transduction across the membrane. The integrins are thought to participate in all of these functions; but integrins do not possess any endogenous catalytic activity. Therefore, the signal transduction function of integrins must involve binding partners that can serve to generate second messengers within the cytoplasm. ~~125~~~ is a tyrosine kinase that may be involved in such a secondary messenger cascade. FAK colocalizes with integrins in the focal adhesions, and FAK’s kinase activity is up-regulated when integrins bind to the extracellular matrix as cells are spreading. The precise downstream functions of FAK are not known, but they could include the initiation of focal adhesion assembly or the regulation of actin attachment to integrins
Inhaled anti-inflammatory pharmacotherapy and subsequent hospitalizations and emergency department visits among patients with asthma in the Texas Medicaid program

Background Rates of asthma-related hospitalizations and emergency department (ED) visits continue to rise in the United States. The National Asthma Education and Prevention Program recommends the use of controller pharmacotherapy for patients with persistent asthma. Objective To investigate the influence of initiating inhaled anti-inflammatory (IAI) pharmacotherapy following an asthma-related hospitalization or ED visit on risk of subsequent morbid events. Methods Texas Medicaid asthma-related medication and medical services claims for September 1997 to July 2001 were extracted. An asthma-related morbid event served as the index event (ED visit or hospitalization for cohort 1; hospitalization for cohort 2). Members of both cohorts were then followed up until a subsequent morbid event occurred or until 1 year after index. Logistic regression was used to compare patients who used IAI medication within 100 days following their index event with nonusers. Results Controlling for demographic and resource use variables, there was a 52% reduction in the risk of a subsequent ED visit or hospitalization in the year following the index event among users of IAI medication within cohort 1 (risk ratio [RR], 0.485; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.416–0.565; P P Conclusions Less than half of the patients had a prescription claim for an IAI medication within 100 days following their index event. Patients who received these medications had a lower risk of a subsequent asthma-related morbid event for the next year.
Nonoverlapping domain decomposition: a linear algebra viewpoint

In this work we consider the Helmholtz equation in a hyperparallelepipedR d , d D 1, 2, 3, ::: , under Dirichlet boundary conditions and for its solution we apply the averaging technique of the nonoverlapping Domain Decom- position, whereis decomposed in two, in general not equal, subdomains. Unlike what many researchers do that is first to determine regions of convergence and optimal values of the relaxation parameters involved at the PDE level, next discretize and then solve the linear system yielded using the values of the parameters determined, we determine regions of convergence and optimal values of the parameters involved after the discretization takes place, that is at the linear algebra level, and then use them for the solution of the linear system. In the general case the parameters obtained in this work are not the same with the ones which are known and which have been obtained at the PDE level. ©2000 IMACS/Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. Primary 65F10; 65N05; 65N35
My Hot Toddler

This is a commissioned attempt to think-about the intense and intimate reactions my hypertypical toddler, Jasper, evokes with his capable and beautiful body and mind. It is a short meditation on desire, sexuality, gender, and maternal love through the dialectical frame of feminism, queer sensibility, and the dreaded essentialism.
Fos expression following isotonic volume expansion of the unanesthetized male rat

Cardiopulmonary afferents, baroreceptor afferents, or atrial natriuretic peptide binding to circumventricular organs may mediate the central response to volume expansion, a condition common to preg...
Amphioxus and the Utility of Molecular Genetic Data for Hypothesizing Body Part Homologies between Distantly Related Animals 1

ported by developmental gene expression domains, which have properties of special quality and relative position. With expression patterns of AmphiNk2-l and AmphiPax2/5/8, we reexamine the proposed homology between the amphioxus endostyle and the vertebrate thyroid gland, and a previously good homology is made better. When body plans of animals are disparate, body part homologies supported by molecular genetic data are less convincing, because the criterion of relative position of gene expression domains becomes uncertain. Thus, when expression of amphioxus AmphiBMP2l4 is used to compare the dorsoventral axis between am? phioxus and other animals, a comparison between amphioxus and vertebrates is more convincing than comparison between amphioxus and other invertebrates with disparate body plans. In spite of this difficulty, the use of developmental genetic evidence comparing animals with disparate body plans is currently putting the big picture of evolution into new perspective. For example, some molecular geneticists are now suggesting that the last common ancestor of all bilaterian animals might have been more annelid-like than flatworm-like.
A high efficiency, soft switching DC-DC converter with adaptive current-ripple control for portable applications

A novel control scheme for improving the power efficiency of low-voltage dc-dc converters for battery-powered, portable applications is presented. In such applications, light-load efficiency is crucial for extending battery life, since mobile devices operate in stand-by mode for most of the time. The proposed technique adaptively reduces the inductor current ripple with decreasing load current while soft switching the converter to also reduce switching losses, thereby significantly improving light-load efficiency and therefore extending the operation life of battery-powered devices. A load-dependent, mode-hopping strategy is employed to maintain high efficiency over a wide load range. Hysteretic (sliding-mode) control with user programmable hysteresis is implemented to adaptively regulate the current ripple and therefore optimize conduction and switching losses. Experimental results show that for a 1-A, 5- to 1.8-V buck regulator, the proposed technique achieved 5% power efficiency improvement (from 72% to 77%) at 100 mA of load current and a 1.5% improvement (from 84% to 85.5%) at 300 mA, which constitute light-load efficiency improvements, when compared to the best reported, state-of-the-art techniques. As a result, the battery life in a typical digital signal processing microprocessor application is improved by 7%, which demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed solution.
Acupuncture as Part of a Pediatric Pain Clinic in a Safety-Net Hospital: Acupuncture Wednesday

Abstract Background: Chronic pain impacts 15%–20% of U.S. children. Integrative medicine (IM) services, including acupuncture, are used in many children's hospitals and pain clinics to address complex chronic-pain syndromes. However, few facilities specifically address chronic pain in underserved pediatric populations. Objective: The aim of this article is describe the process of establishing an integrative pediatric pain clinic that includes acupuncture therapy in a children's hospital, and to report acupuncture utilization during the first 6 months. Methods: A needs assessment was conducted, and its findings led to the assembly of an interdisciplinary integrative team and the establishment of the Pediatric Pain Clinic. Experience from an existing program for IM provided the infrastructure and model for the Pediatric Pain Clinic. Results: Thirty-six referrals were received, 26 patients underwent initial evaluations, 23 returned for follow-up visits, and 3 have “graduated” pain-free. Nineteen of the 26 pa...
Determinants of renal vasoconstriction after systemic inhibition of nitric oxide synthesis in rats

The effects of NG-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA, 10 mg/kg i.v.) on renal hemodynamics were examined in control rats, rats in which renal perfusion pressure was prevented from rising after L-NNA by constricting the abdominal aorta, and rats in which tubuloglomerular feedback was inhibited by furosemide pretreatment, ureteral ligation, or both interventions combined. In control rats, L-NNA increased (P < 0.05) renal vascular resistance (274 +/- 27%) along with systemic arterial (54 +/- 4%) and renal perfusion (54 +/- 5%) pressures and decreased (P < 0.05) renal blood flow (57 +/- 4%). In rats in which renal perfusion pressure was prevented from increasing along with systemic arterial pressure (54 +/- 4%), the L-NNA-induced elevation of renal vascular resistance (173 +/- 27%) was less intense (P < 0.05). In another study, where renal perfusion pressure was fixed at pre-L-NNA levels, L-NNA-induced increases in renal vascular resistance (130 +/- 20%) were attenuated (P < 0.05) further with furosemide pretreatment (52 +/- 12%), with ureteral ligation (75 +/- 10%), and with furosemide pretreatment and ureteral ligation combined (32 +/- 8%). These data suggest that vasoconstrictor mechanisms linked to tubuloglomerular feedback and perfusion pressure elevation contribute to renal vasoconstriction after systemic inhibition of nitric oxide synthesis with L-NNA.
Government Allocation of First Amendment Resources

The government has undertaken a major role in protecting, structuring, organizing and allocating opportunities for free speech. In light of those activities, a view of free speech law which concentrates on government censorship is inadequate to modern communications, political campaign and education law. First Amendment doctrine needs to be reexamined to develop standards for government intervention which will preserve freedom of thought. The article examines the possibility that government allocation of speech resources should be built on the basis of a concept of fairness or equality.
A Hand Up: How State Earned Income Tax Credits Help Working Families Escape Poverty in 2001.

Johnson reviews recent developments in state adoption and modification of earned income tax credits. In the 2000 and 2001 legislative sessions, 10 states (counting the District of Columbia as a state) enacted new earned income tax credits or expanded existing EITCs.
Re-Thinking Ballet Pedagogy: Approaching a Historiography of Fifth Position.

This article addresses the use of the fifth position in historical and current dance training practices with particular emphasis upon examining the 180° aesthetic and its hegemonic, idealized persistence in dancing bodies, as a marker of perfection and “beauty”. Historical research is interwoven with practice-based experience and dance medicine research to reveal the conflicted issues within the pedagogy, its rationale, ideology and continued practice in dance classrooms. The author argues for a more thorough the examination of how traditional dance practices and their dominant aesthetics exert power and control in the psyches of today’s dancing bodies, urging pedagogical re-evaluation and evolution.
To improve our patients' health, look beyond reducing readmissions.

Focusing on the readmission rate diverts attention from more proactive ways to improve safety, quality, and value.
Dynamics and Stability of Surfactant Coated thin Spreading Films

Within lubrication theory, we investigate the hydrodynamic stability of a thin surfactant coated liquid film spreading strictly by Marangoni stresses. These stresses are generated along the air-liquid interface because of local variations in surfactant concentration. The evolution equations governing the unperturbed film thickness and surface surfactant concentration admit simple self-similar solutions for rectilinear geometry and global conservation of insoluble surfactant. A linear stability analysis of these self-similar flows within a quasi steady-state approximation (QSSA) yields an eigenvalue problem for a single third-order nonlinear differential equation. The analysis indicates that a thin film driven purely by Marangoni stresses is linearly stable to small perturbations of all wavenumbers. The insights gained from this calculation suggest a flow mechanism that can potentially destabilize the spreading process.
On Consumption Characteristics of Livestock Products and Development Trend

This paper makes a statistical analysis for livestock products consumption characteristics and development trend in and outside of home,discovering that pork is the main source of meat for both rural and urban residents inside of home.With income increasing,the growth speed of milk is the highest.Beef and mutton consumption speed is more than pork in town region,whereas pork and chicken consumption speed are more than beef and mutton in rural region.The impact of income and price on eating-out consumption is extremely remarkable.Pork is the main source of meat for eating-out consumption.With income increasing,the growth speed of beef and mutton is the highest,next is pork,chicken and egg.This research points out that at the present stage,make pork production stable development is the main task for livestock industry,at the same time,speed up the development of milk industry and animal processing industry.
The Theory of Social Cost and Costing

There are two important sides to any decision and choice when alternatives are present. The two sides are simply the costs that may be incurred in order to receive the benefits that may be associated with a particular decision. As such in all types of non-trivial decisions we have to consider the costs and benefits that may be associated with decision alternatives. This applies to individual decisions as well as those of either a group or community. In this chapter, we shall concentrate on cost concept, measurement and estimates of cost of decisions while taken as known those of benefits. Thus our problems are to define costs, measure them and estimate them.
Outcomes in thyroid surgery are affected by racial, economic, and healthcare system demographics

Objectives/Hypothesis Disparities in economic and social parameters have been identified as underlying factors that influence diseases outcomes. We aim to examine the influence of community-specific measures on outcomes related to thyroid surgery. Study Design A cross-sectional study utilizing the State Inpatient databases and State Ambulatory Surgery and Services databases, 2010 to 2011. Those databases were merged with the County Health Ranking database. Methods The study population included adult (≥18 years) inpatients and outpatients who underwent thyroidectomy. Access and outcomes of thyroidectomy was assessed in relation to demographics and health-risk status of the patient's community. Results A total of 14,220 inpatient and 7,215 outpatient thyroidectomies were included. Low-volume surgeons were more likely to operate on patients living in high-risk communities (P $34,535.55) compared to low-health-risk communities (P < .001). Conclusions Patients from high-health-risk communities and who are undergoing thyroidectomies are more likely to be women and African Americans. Management of those patients is more likely to be performed by low-volume surgeons and more likely to be associated with unfavorable outcomes. Level of Evidence 4. Laryngoscope, 2016
Enzyme mediated concise synthesis of NH-Fmoc-S-Trityl-Cα-Methyl Cysteine

Abstract A concise, chiral auxiliary free, methodology for the preparation of orthogonally protected Cα-Methyl Cysteine has been developed. Curtius rearrangement of malonate halfester from PLE hydrolysis (J. Pept. Sci. 2008, 14, 1151; J. Org. Chem. 2003, 68, 5403) and simultaneous Fmoc protection using Titanium(IV) Isopropoxide yielded Fmoc protected amino ester that is then transformed into (R)-NH-Fmoc-S-Trityl-Cα-Methyl Cysteine in three steps. For the synthesis of the S enantiomer of the protected amino acid, enantiomerically enriched CO2-t-Bu half ester derived from PLE hydrolysis was subjected to Curtius reaction followed by Fmoc protection using Titanium(IV) Isopropoxide which is then converted to (S)-NH-Fmoc-S-Trityl-Cα-Methyl Cysteine in two steps. Download : Download full-size image
Agricultural influences on the magnitude of stream metabolism in humid tropical headwater streams

The production and respiration of organic carbon in streams (stream metabolism) is a fundamental ecosystem process. The extent to which the magnitude of stream metabolism changes with forest conversion to agriculture in humid tropical headwaters is poorly understood. We measured whole-stream metabolism in headwaters draining forest-agricultural boundaries to investigate metabolic rates in areas with abrupt land-use transitions and the role of remnant riparian vegetation. We used linear mixed models to test the hypotheses that gross primary production (GPP) and ecosystem respiration (ER) would be higher in agricultural areas due to higher light availability and nutrient concentrations, respectively. We found a 257% increase in GPP and 30% increase in ER in agricultural stream reaches. GPP was driven by light and ER was mainly controlled by GPP. These results highlight the overriding influence of light in agricultural streams with large fractions of upstream forest cover. Our findings suggest that high riparian canopy cover (~90%) is necessary to support stream metabolic rates similar to forests in agricultural areas. This study adds to our understanding of the within-biome variation of metabolism resulting from agriculture, and the potential similarities between forested biomes and the role of tropical streams in the global carbon cycle.
An Augmented Reality/Internet of Things Prototype for Just-in-time Astronaut Training

We present a mobile prototype for just-in-time astronaut training and initial human-computer interaction guidelines for augmented reality training tools. The mobile prototype takes advantage of the Microsoft HoloLens augmented reality glasses and a network of custom “Internet of Things” sensors based on an ESP8266 chipset. This combined prototype allows for operational procedures to be displayed to and interacted with by a user in real-time. This mobile procedure viewer allows for just-in-time training using holograms to provide contextually relevant information to novice or out of practice users. We summarize a first look at best practices and guidelines for augmented reality assisted procedure execution from user testing conducted at NASA Ames Research Center.
Validation of ABI 3500xL Genetic Analyzer after decommissioned and recommissioned at new premises

This validation was aimed to demonstrate that there is no effect on the Applied Biosystems® 3500xL Genetic Analyzer (Thermo Fisher Scientific®, UK) after decommissioned and recommissioned at new premises. Same sample sets were tested on the ABI 3500xL Genetic Analyzer at both old and new premises using current accredited procedures. The results showed genotyping concordance which means using the ABI 3500xL Genetic Analyzer at the new premises provides no risk regarding the accuracy, precision and reproducibility of the results and also showed a very good performance on sensitivity, specificity, repeatability and good profile quality based on the assessment of locus peak balance and peak height.
Recognition of self-DNA drives cardiac inflammation: why broken hearts fail.

Signals that govern immune cells in the heart remain poorly defined. A new report in mice shows that pathways involved in sensing viruses orchestrate monocyte and macrophage activation through recognition of DNA derived from dying cardiomyocytes following myocardial infarction.
Vademecum poético. Devenires más allá de la medicalización en oncogrrrls / Poetic Vademecum. Becomings beyond medicalization in oncogrrrls

Resumen: oncogrrls es un proyecto de creacion artistica, activacion politica y generacion de conocimientos situados en torno a la experiencia oncologica junto a mujeres y disidentes de genero. En el marco del laboratorio oncogrrrls llevado a cabo en Diciembre de 2016 en varias ciudades del Estado Espanol y en respuesta a las experiencias de aislamiento y desactivacion afectiva/politica/erotica, nos planteamos la pregunta: ?Como podemos devenir mas alla de la medicalizacion? Esta investigacion, tomando el metodo PaR (practice as research) propio de los Estudios de Performance, usa pautas performativas como metodo y ofrenda. Estas pautas devienen invitaciones a erotizar, suavizar, enmaranar y ritualizar, asi como a co-componer un vademecum poetico; practicas de ensayo para generar un onco-cuerpo multiple, situado y relacional. Palabras clave: Cancer, Performance, Practica como Investigacion, Ensayo, Activismo, Feminismo, Pautar, Erotica, Ritual. Abstract: oncogrrrls is an artistic, activist and situated knowledge-making project with women and queer individuals about the oncological experience. In the context of the laboratory-rehearsal held in several cities across Spain on December 2016, and in response to oncological experiences of isolation and affective/politic/erotic deactivation, we inquired: How can we become beyond medicalization? This research, grounded on the Performance Studies method PaR (Practice as Research), uses performative scores as method and offer. These scores become invitations to eroticize, soften, entangle and ritualize, as well as to co-compose a poetic vademecum; rehearsal practices to enact a situated, multiple and relational onco-body. Keywords: Cancer, Performance, Practice as Research, Rehearsal, Feminism, Activism, Scoring, Erotic, Ritual
Proving Properties of Concurrent Programs

How do you prove the correctness of multi-threaded code? This question has been asked since at least the mid-sixties, and it has inspired researchers ever since. Many approaches have been tried, based on mathematical theories, the use of annotations, or the construction of abstractions. An ideal solution would be a tool that one can point at an arbitrary piece of concurrent code, and that can resolve correctness queries in real-time. We describe one possible method for achieving this capability with a logic model checker.
Putrescine as indicator of manganese neurotoxicity: Dose-response study in human SH-SY5Y cells.

Disrupted polyamine metabolism with elevated putrescine is associated with neuronal dysfunction. Manganese (Mn) is an essential nutrient that causes neurotoxicity in excess, but methods to evaluate biochemical responses to high Mn are limited. No information is available on dose-response effects of Mn on putrescine abundance and related polyamine metabolism. The present research was to test the hypothesis that Mn causes putrescine accumulation over a physiologically adequate to toxic concentration range in a neuronal cell line. We used human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells treated with MnCl2 under conditions that resulted in cell death or no cell death after 48 h. Putrescine and other metabolites were analyzed by liquid chromatography-ultra high-resolution mass spectrometry. Putrescine-related pathway changes were identified with metabolome-wide association study (MWAS). Results show that Mn caused a dose-dependent increase in putrescine over a non-toxic to toxic concentration range. MWAS of putrescine showed positive correlations with the polyamine metabolite N8-acetylspermidine, methionine-related precursors, and arginine-associated urea cycle metabolites, while putrescine was negatively correlated with γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-related and succinate-related metabolites (P < 0.001, FDR < 0.01). These data suggest that measurement of putrescine and correlated metabolites may be useful to study effects of Mn intake in the high adequate to UL range.
Discovering places of interest using sensor data from smartphones and wearables

Accurate detection of a user's presence at certain locations during certain times of the day is becoming increasingly important, e.g., to study the mobility, behavior, or social interaction patterns of a user and to enable the delivery of various place and time dependent services. Yet, it is often more important to determine a locale that is significant to the user, e.g., the place of work, home, homes of family and friends, social gathering places, etc., instead of geographic locations. These significant personal places can be determined through the segmentation of location traces (e.g., collected on a smartphone) into a discrete sequence of places. However, segmentation of traces with many gaps are challenging since they results in a large number of small segments, where many of these segments actually belong together. Due to recent advances in smartphone and wearable technologies, we can opportunistically obtain additional context information to determine a user's location. This work proposes a new segmentation approach that opportunistically fills gaps in location traces with the help of other types of secondary information (e.g., sleep and battery charging data), possibly from multiple devices of the same user. Using data from more than 450 users, collected over a 2-year period, we show that this approach yields fewer, but longer segments, where each segment accurately represents the presence of a user at a significant personal place.
Random Sampling Approach to MCDM

The use of the “better than most” (BTM) approach to solve mathematical programming problems was described in an earlier paper. The essence of the BTM approach is that it allows the analyst to formulate problems more realistically because he is not constrained by the necessity of formulating the problem in a way that will lead to an “optimal” solution. In the BTM approach a fixed number of solutions are generated in a random fashion, checked for feasibility, and ranked according to the decision maker’s criterion functions. The feasible random solution found to be most preferred in terms of these functions is “the” BTM solution. Although the earlier paper illustrated the BTM approach in terms of a MCDM decision problem with binary decision variables and linear criterion functions, it was argued that the BTM approach might be applicable to much more sophisticated formulations. The present paper explores such a formulation.
Clinical Consultation Guide on Imaging in Male Infertility and Sexual dysfunction

Imaging can benefit clinicians in evaluating men with infertility or sexual dysfunction by giving an overview of a patient's overall clinical condition before undertaking an invasive procedure. An understanding of the limitations and advantages of image modalities used in clinical practice will ensure that clinicians can optimize patient care with imaging when necessary. PATIENT SUMMARY: The objective of this article was to review the current literature on imaging modalities used for the diagnosis and management of male infertility and sexual dysfunction. An understanding of the advantages and limitations of these imaging modalities will ensure that clinicians can optimize patient care with imaging when necessary.
Quantum Microcanonical Entropy, Boltzmann's Equation, and the Second Law.

A recent proposal for a quantum entropy S univQ for a pure state of a system-environment "universe" is developed to encompass a much more realistic temperature bath. Microcanonical entropy is formulated in the context of the idea of a quantum microcanonical shell. The fundamental relation that holds for the classical microcanonical ensemble - TΔ S univ = Δ F sys is tested for the quantum entropy Δ S univQ in numerical simulations. It is found that there is "excess entropy production" Δ S x due to quantum time-energy uncertainty and spreading of states in the zero-order basis. The excess entropy production is found numerically to become small as the magnitude of the system-environment coupling nears zero, as one would hope for in the limit of the classical microcanonical ensemble. The quantum microcanonical ensemble and the new "universe entropy" thereby appear as well-founded concepts poised to serve as a point of departure for time-dependent processes in which excess entropy production is physically significant.
Capitate and Lunate Morphology in Normal Wrist Radiographs-A Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND Morphology may provide the basis for the understanding of wrist mechanics. METHODS We used classification systems based on cadaver dissection of lunate and capitate types to evaluate a normal database of 70 wrist radiographs in 35 subjects looking for associations between bone shapes. Kappa statistics and a log-linear mixed -effects model with a random intercept were used. RESULTS There were 39 type-1, 31 type- 2 lunates, 50 spherical, 10 flat and 10 V-shaped capitates. There was a significant difference in lunate and capitate shape between the hands of the same individual p <0.001. This may be due to different loads on the dominant vs. nondominant hands in the same individual. CONCLUSION Further study to better understand the development of radiographic parameters of the midcarpal joint may aid in our understanding of the morphology and mechanics of the wrist.
Interactions between sleep duration and quality as predictors of adolescents' adjustment.

Abstract Objectives We examined interactions between adolescents' sleep duration and quality as predictors of their internalizing symptoms and externalizing behaviors. As a secondary aim, we assessed adolescent sex, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status (SES) as additional moderators of risk (ie, 3-way interactions among sleep duration; quality; and sex, race, or SES). Design The study used a cross-sectional design. Setting Participants were from small towns and semirural communities in Alabama. Participants The sample consisted of 235 adolescents (Mage = 15.78 years, SD = 9.60 months) and was diverse with respect to sex (54% female), race/ethnicity (32% Black/African American, 67% White), and SES. Measurements Sleep duration (actual sleep minutes) was examined with actigraphs for 1 week. Adolescents reported on their subjective sleep quality, internalizing symptoms, and externalizing behavior with psychometrically sound measures. Results Findings revealed interactions between sleep duration and sleep quality as predictors of adolescents' adjustment. Adolescents with both short sleep duration in conjunction with poor sleep quality had the highest levels of internalizing symptoms and aggressive and rule-breaking behavior. SES interacted with sleep duration and sleep quality to predict rule-breaking behavior, and the highest level of problems was observed for adolescents from lower-SES homes who had short sleep duration accompanied by poor sleep quality. Conclusions Findings identify the conjoint role of sleep duration and quality as predictors of adolescents' socioemotional adjustment and emphasize the importance of examining multiple sleep parameters simultaneously toward a better understanding of adaptation in adolescence.