cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Physical activity and motivating factors of participants in a financially incentivized worksite wellness program

Worksites are continuing to use wellness programs to encourage employees to adopt and maintain healthy behaviors. Some of these programs offer financial incentives to maximize employee participation and motivate behavior change. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to gather information regarding a financially incentivized worksite wellness program at a Southeastern United States university. Participants: A 15-item electronic survey was distributed to participants enrolled in the Virgin Pulse HealthMiles (VHM) program at Belmont University. Methods: Steps per day were uploaded to the VHM website by program enrollees (N = 458). The survey inquired about physical activity habits, motivating factors, and improvements in cardiovascular disease risk factors since joining the program. Results: VHM enrollees took an average of 7321 steps/day, as measured by objective pedometer data. Among the 146 respondents, the most motivating factor for participation was the financial incentive, which was considered ‘strong...
Approximate analytical time-domain Green's functions for the Caputo fractional wave equation

The Caputo fractional wave equation [Geophys. J. R. Astron. Soc. 13, 529–539 (1967)] models power-law attenuation and dispersion for both viscoelastic and ultrasound wave propagation. The Caputo model can be derived from an underlying fractional constitutive equation and is causal. In this study, an approximate analytical time-domain Green's function is derived for the Caputo equation in three dimensions (3D) for power law exponents greater than one. The Green's function consists of a shifted and scaled maximally skewed stable distribution multiplied by a spherical spreading factor 1/(4πR). The approximate one dimensional (1D) and two dimensional (2D) Green's functions are also computed in terms of stable distributions. Finally, this Green's function is decomposed into a loss component and a diffraction component, revealing that the Caputo wave equation may be approximated by a coupled lossless wave equation and a fractional diffusion equation.
Reducing hostile parenting through computer-mediated parenting education

Abstract Objective The present study evaluated a computer-mediated parent education program aimed at improving parents' self-concept and dysfunctional parenting practices. Design Employer-based parent education services were offered as part of a corporation's employee wellness program. Participants (N = 247) were asked to complete pre- and post-test surveys including surveys of demographic information, parental self-concept, and dysfunctional parenting behaviors. Results Participants reported clinically significant levels of dysfunctional parenting practices at baseline. Results from the single-dose intervention indicated a significant decrease in hostile parenting from pre-test to post-test, which was likely predicted by parents' sense of competence at baseline. Conclusion Computer-mediated parent education workshops were efficacious in improving parents' self-concept and reducing parents' use of hostile parenting tactics. The study provides an important contribution to the extant literature by documenting the effectiveness of computer-mediated parenting programs, particularly those offered through the workplace.
Impacts of standardizing school start time on children and household workers – An examination with NHTS data

Abstract Due to demonstrated health, safety, and performance benefits to children from delayed school start time, academics and government agencies in the United States are increasingly insisting on starting schools at or after 8:30 AM – the time recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Despite this urging, schools across the country continue to start well before that time. A common argument against the change is potential negative impacts on working household members. Using data from the 2009 National Household Travel Survey (NHTS), this paper therefore examines the potential impacts of nationally standardizing school start time at 8:30 AM with a focus on household members who give children rides to/from school and their travel patterns before and after escorting children. In addition to estimating the number of household members and workers that may be directly affected by delayed school start time, the paper examines through multinomial logit and probit models the individual and household characteristics of children who take rides from household members and the workers who may be adversely affected by delayed school start time of household children. Analysis showed that around 4% of the country's population may have to adjust their trips before and after escorting children to/from school. Around 65% of them are workers. A comparison of adversely affected workers with other workers revealed that the delay of school start time is not likely to have disparate impacts on disadvantaged populations, but the impacts may be more significant in some regions of the country than others.
Ich Bin Ein Nerd!: Geek Identity in Insider and Outsider Media

Neterer analyzes several geek characters through the eyes of both insiders (who are familiar with geek culture) and outsiders to geek culture, and how these characters can shape the way geeks are viewed in society. Focusing on examples from Revenge of the Nerds and The Big Bang Theory, Neterer explores the ways in which outsider characters can perpetuate stereotypes about geeks, particularly as they relate to gender and masculinity. The chapter then highlights the differences between these examples and examples created by “geeks, for geeks,” including The Guild and The IT Crowd. In these examples, “geek” is portrayed as a chosen identity rather than a label, and engagement with geek culture is depicted as an effective method of understanding oneself and the world.
Direct target NOTES: prospective applications for next generation robotic platforms.

A new era in surgical robotics has centered on alternative access to anatomic targets and next generation designs include flexible, single-port systems which follow circuitous rather than straight pathways. Such systems maintain a small footprint and could be utilized for specialized operations based on direct organ target natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES), of which transanal total mesorectal excision (taTME) is an important derivative. During two sessions, four direct target NOTES operations were conducted on a cadaveric model using a flexible robotic system to demonstrate proof-of-concept of the application of a next generation robotic system to specific types of NOTES operations, all of which required removal of a direct target organ through natural orifice access. These four operations were (a) robotic taTME, (b) robotic transvaginal hysterectomy in conjunction with (c) robotic transvaginal salpingo-oophorectomy, and in an ex vivo model, (d) trans-cecal appendectomy. Feasibility was demonstrated in all cases using the Flex® Robotic System with Colorectal Drive. During taTME, the platform excursion was 17 cm along a non-linear path; operative time was 57 min for the transanal portion of the dissection. Robotic transvaginal hysterectomy was successfully completed in 78 min with transvaginal extraction of the uterus, although laparoscopic assistance was required. Robotic transvaginal unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy with transvaginal extraction of the ovary and fallopian tube was performed without laparoscopic assistance in 13.5 min. In an ex vivo model, a robotic trans-cecal appendectomy was also successfully performed for the purpose of demonstrating proof-of-concept only; this was completed in 24 min. A flexible robotic system has the potential to access anatomy along circuitous paths, making it a suitable platform for direct target NOTES. The conceptual operations posed could be considered suitable for next generation robotics once the technology is optimized, and after further preclinical validation.
East African Neolithic

RELATIVE TIME PERIOD: Follows the East African Microlithic and precedes the historic period.
A Proposal for Legalizing Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia in South Africa

There is a serious initiative in South Africa (S.A.) to legalize physician-assisted suicide (PAS) and voluntary active euthanasia (VAE). In 1991, the S.A. Law Commission (the Commission) was requested to consider legislation regarding a “living will.” This is a statutory1 advisory body, appointed by the President, whose aim is the continuing renewal and improvement of South African law. It agreed to hear this request, but expanded its task to include the whole spectrum of end-of-life health-care decision-making issues, including physician-assisted suicide and voluntary active euthanasia.
Fast reaction kinetics of ferredoxin.

The reduction of spinach ferredoxin by the hydrated electron (ea aq − ) and the formyl radical (CO 2 − ) has been studied in 0.1N sodium formate solutions using steady state and pulsed radiolytic techniques.
The Blood-Brain Barrier in Experimental Seizures

Our studies have indicated that (1) micropinocytosis plays a major role in the increased permeability of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) during seizures, (2) seizure-induced hypertension causes most of the barrier breakdown and enhanced micropinocytosis, and (3) under these conditions there is no evidence of cerebral edema in the areas of obvious BBB breakdown.
Progress Toward Artificial Photosynthesis

Several years ago we proposed an artificial scheme to store chemically the energy of sunlight as a reactive chemical species (1).Its salient features included immobilized dyes, at least one immobilized enzyme, and a series of election transfer agents. The various species and chemical reaction events were postulated to be coupled cyclically so that the energies of two photons could be combined and trapped in a single molecule of some chemical species. This series of events is based on the major features of the “z scheme” of photosynthesis as it is presently understood.
Relative Advantages of Continuous Versus Batch Processes

New process technology is often developed to increase unit productivity which should give manufacturers real cost-saving benefits and increased efficiency. However for this new technology to become accepted as a production process, manufacturers need the assurance that it is as reliable as existing systems, and that regulatory requirements can be met. Thus this discussion of whether the future of animal cell biotechnology is with a batch or continuous process examines both the technical feasibility and the problem of what additional control data are necessary to ensure regulatory approval for a continuous process.
Words Speak Louder than Actions: Public Responsiveness to Elite Communication

Canonical theories posit that reelection-seeking legislators engage in advertising, position taking, and credit claiming, yet empirical studies reach largely mixed conclusions about the electoral returns from these behaviors. We argue that constituent evaluations are responsive to legislators’ self-presentations through official communications. By emphasizing some components of their records over others, legislators prime the considerations constituents use to evaluate them. We present evidence from two studies to show how this process shapes partisan evaluations of U.S. Senators. In the first, we show that partisanship increases in importance for Senators’ evaluations when Senators’ communications place greater emphasis on their policy positions. In the second, experimental results confirm the causal effects of elite rhetoric and reveal substantially greater partisan differences in evaluations of officeholders who highlight their policy positions. Our results demonstrate that voters are responsive to how officeholders present their records and have important implications for how political communication affects democratic representation.
Relation of Venous Thromboembolism Risk to Ischemic Stroke Risk in Hospitalized Patients with Cancer.

Patients with cancer are at increased risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE). However, the relationship of cancer type to the risk of arterial thrombosis in patients with high VTE risk has not been described. The goal of this study is to determine the rate of arterial thrombosis in patients with different types of solid tumors stratified by VTE risk. Using the 2012 National Inpatient Sample, we identified 373,789 hospitalizations involving patients ≥18 years associated with solid tumors, stratified by type. Data were collected on clinical characteristics, VTE (deep vein thrombosis [DVT] and pulmonary embolism [PE]), and arterial thrombosis (primary diagnosis of myocardial infarction [MI] and ischemic stroke). Subjects with solid tumors (stages I to IV) were stratified by VTE risk – high versus low. Certain solid tumor types (esophageal, lung, melanoma, ovarian, pancreatic, stomach, and uterine) were found to be associated with a higher rate of VTE compared with other cancer types (6.8% vs 3.9%, p
An upper bound on Wiener Indices of maximal planar graphs

Abstract The Wiener index of a connected graph is the summation of distances between all unordered pairs of vertices of the graph. The status of a vertex in a connected graph is the summation of distances between the vertex and all other vertices of the graph. A maximal planar graph is a graph that can be embedded in the plane such that the boundary of each face (including the exterior face) is a triangle. Let G be a maximal planar graph of order n ≥ 3 . In this paper, we show that the diameter of G is at most ⌊ 1 3 ( n + 1 ) ⌋ , and the status of a vertex of G is at most ⌊ 1 6 ( n 2 + n ) ⌋ . Both of them are sharp bounds and can be realized by an Apollonian network, which is a chordal maximal planar graph. We also present a sharp upper bound ⌊ 1 18 ( n 3 + 3 n 2 ) ⌋ on Wiener indices when graphs in consideration are Apollonian networks of order n ≥ 3 . We further show that this sharp upper bound holds for maximal planar graphs of order 3 ≤ n ≤ 10 , and conjecture that it is valid for all n ≥ 3 .
Optical recording reveals topological distribution of functionally classified colorectal afferent neurons in intact lumbosacral DRG.

Neuromodulation as a non-drug alternative for managing visceral pain in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) may target sensitized afferents of distal colon and rectum (colorectum), especially their somata in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG). Developing selective DRG stimulation to manage visceral pain requires knowledge of the topological distribution of colorectal afferent somata which are sparsely distributed in the DRG. Here, we implemented GCaMP6f to conduct high-throughput optical recordings of colorectal afferent activities in lumbosacral DRG, that is, optical electrophysiology. Using a mouse ex vivo preparation with distal colorectum and L5-S1 DRG in continuity, we recorded 791 colorectal afferents' responses to graded colorectal distension (15, 30, 40, and 60 mmHg) and/or luminal shear flow (20-30 mL/min), then functionally classified them into four mechanosensitive classes, and determined the topological distribution of their somata in the DRG. Of the 791 colorectal afferents, 90.8% were in the L6 DRG, 8.3% in the S1 DRG, and only 0.9% in the L5 DRG. L6 afferents had all four classes: 29% mucosal, 18.4% muscular-mucosal, 34% low-threshold (LT) muscular, and 18.2% high-threshold (HT) muscular afferents. S1 afferents only had three classes: 19.7% mucosal, 34.8% LT muscular, and 45.5% HT muscular afferents. All seven L5 afferents were HT muscular. In L6 DRG, somata of HT muscular afferents were clustered in the caudal region whereas somata of the other classes did not cluster in specific regions. Outcomes of this study can directly inform the design and improvement of next-generation neuromodulation devices that target the DRG to alleviate visceral pain in IBS patients.
Hydrolytic degradation and lifetime prediction of poly(lactic acid) modified with a multifunctional epoxy-based chain extender

Abstract The effect of adding chain extender (Cex) during the production of poly (lactic acid) (PLA) films on the hydrolytic degradation of the films was evaluated at temperatures from 40 to 95 °C. The hydrolytic degradation of PLA–Cex film estimated using the Pan model was significantly lower than that of neat PLA film (PLA–Con) at all temperature conditions. The Vogel-Tammann-Fulcher and Williams-Landel-Ferry models were used to study the hydrolytic degradation of the PLA films over a broad range of temperature crossing Tg. A master curve technique was constructed using the time-temperature superposition principle to predict the lifetime of PLA films at any temperature in the tested range. Specifically, accelerated degradation testing at 85 °C was used to predict the degradation behavior at 40 °C. Findings indicate that PLA–Cex would take approximately 130% more time than PLA–Con to degrade to the critical molecular weight for chain entanglement of PLA.
Primary caregiver education level and sleep problems in children with autism spectrum disorder

In children with autism spectrum disorder, there have been equivocal results regarding primary caregiver education level and its influence on sleep. Thus, we assessed if lower primary caregiver education level is associated with more sleep problems. We evaluated 4,636 children with autism spectrum disorder in the Autism Speaks Autism Treatment Network's United States and Canadian registry, whose caregivers completed the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire. Using regression analysis, there was an association between lower primary caregiver education level and more sleep problems. Secondary analyses demonstrated that younger age, Hispanic ethnicity, higher IQ, autism diagnosis and lower adaptive function were also associated with more sleep problems. The finding that lower primary caregiver education level was associated with increased sleep problems in a large sample of children with autism spectrum disorder highlights the importance of screening for risk factors affecting sleep to help moderate sleep problems.
Fast Affinity Induced Reaction Sensor Based on a Fluorogenic Click Reaction for Quick Detection of Protein Biomarkers

Despite numerous biosensors currently available, the routine biomarker detection still largely relies on traditional ELISA and Western blot. Those standard techniques are labor intensive and time-consuming. Herein we introduce a fast affinity induced reaction sensor (FAIRS) that overcomes a few limitations of traditional and emerging biosensors. FAIRS is a general, one-step method and is naturally specific in detection. FAIRS probes are composed of a sandwich ELISA antibody pair that is conjugated with two fluorogenic click chemicals. This technology leverages significant differences of antibody affinity and chemical reaction rate, which are characterized to guide probe design. The stability, sensitivity, detection range, and response time are fully characterized. Application to IL-6 detection using blood serum and cell culture medium demonstrates that FAIRS can quantify IL-6 with high sensitivity in one step. With the unique features, FAIRS probes may find broad applications in medical sciences and clinical diagnostics, where quick detection of biomarkers is demanded.
The Surprising Truth(s) about William J. Newman, MD

There are things I bet you don't know about William (aka “Will”) Newman, MD. In writing this article, the old game called “Two Truths and a Lie” came to mind. In this game, often used as a getting-to-know-you icebreaker, players are instructed to list three statements about themselves, two
213 Credit scores as a novel measurement tool to examine violence inequities in Philadelphia, PA

Statement of Purpose Neighborhood Violence is a major social and public health issue throughout the United States and specifically in urban areas. Credit scores are an emerging novel measurement tool to examine violence across communities. Area-level credit scores reflect elements of neighborhoods’ economic structure that is not captured by traditional socioeconomic position measures. Methods/Approach Our ecological cross-sectional study obtained Census Block Group (CBG) Equifax Vantage 3.0 credit score averages for all CBGs (n=1,325) in Philadelphia, PA from 2013–2017. We joined credit score data with geocoded data from 78,184 individual violent crime incidents between 2013–2017 and across Philadelphia CBGs. We created five separate analytic datasets for each year of our study time period by combining credit score and violence CBG data with covariates from the US Census. We used Poisson regression to determine associations between CBG credit scores and CBG violent crime counts, after controlling for population density and percentages of home ownership, vacant houses, black residents, female-headed households, and poverty. Results Across the five-year period, 27%-32% of CBGs had poor/fair credit score averages, 56–57% had good, and 12%-16% had excellent credit score averages. Moreover, violent crime counts per CBG across the five-year period ranged from 0–93 with a median of 8–10 incidents per CBG. CBGs with good credit scores had 18% - 28% less risk of violent crime compared to poor/fair credit CBGs. Furthermore, CBGs with excellent credit scores had a 36%-46% less risk of violent crime compared to poor/fair credit CBGs. Conclusions Excellent and good credit score averages by CBG are associated with lower violent crime counts compared to CBGs with poor/fair averages across Philadelphia. Significance and Contributions to Injury and Violence Prevention Science Credit scores have potential for improving the understanding of violence inequities and what contributes to violence, over and above traditional socioeconomic position measures.
Dry Ultra-Precision Machining of Tungsten Carbide with Patterned nano PCD Tool

Abstract Texturing on the rake face of the tool without the metal working fluid is a potential method to reduce the friction coefficient in ultra-precision machining of tungsten carbide (WC) with a diamond tool. Low friction coefficient of the patterned tool would generate less heat in the tool-work interface and improve the tool life. This paper studies the effect of texturing on the cutting performance in ultra-precision machining of WC with a nano-polycrystalline diamond (PCD) tool. Orthogonal cutting experiments were conducted to verify the cutting performance of the textured diamond tool in machining of WC. The linear patterns parallel and perpendicular to the cutting direction were fabricated on the rake face of the nano-PCD tool by using the focused ion beam process. The experimental result showed that the friction coefficient of the perpendicular patterned tool decreased by 10%. WC surface machined with the patterned tool and non-patterned tool was also analyzed and compared. Material separation at grain boundary between tungsten grains and cobalt and full detachment of tungsten grains dominantly affected the surface quality of the machined WC surface.
Porencephalic cyst after endoscopic third ventriculostomy and Ommaya reservoir placement: case report and review of the literature.

A 13-year-old female patient was diagnosed with a tectal glioma (TG), a subgroup of astrocytoma that can result in obstructive hydrocephalus secondary to aqueductal stenosis. Endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) is used to treat this type of hydrocephalus with a good success rate. Our institution performs ETV and Ommaya reservoir (OR) placement in these cases. The OR allows measurement of intracranial pressure (ICP) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) access and a method for performing ventricular dye studies to evaluate third ventricular stoma (TVS) patency. In this case, a porencephalic cyst (PC) developed around the OR’s ventricular catheter (OVC) two and a half months after surgery. The PC is thought to have developed in association with TVS stoma closure and resolved after ETV revision.
Anchoring surface proteins to the bacterial cell wall by sortase enzymes: how it started and what we know now

In Gram-positive bacteria, the peptidoglycan serves as a placeholder for surface display of a unique class of monomeric and polymeric proteins, or pili - the precursors of which harbor a cell wall sorting signal with LPXTG motif that is recognized by a conserved transpeptidase enzyme called sortase. Since this original discovery over two decades ago, extensive genetic, biochemical and structural studies have illuminated the basic mechanisms of sortase-mediated cell wall anchoring of surface proteins and pili. We now know how LPXTG-containing surface proteins are folded post-translocationally, how sortase enzymes recognize substrates, and how a remnant of the cell wall sorting signal modulates intramembrane signaling. In this review, we will highlight new findings from a few model experimental paradigms and present future prospects for the field.
Where are you taking me?Understanding Abusive Traffic Distribution Systems

Illicit website owners frequently rely on traffic distribution systems (TDSs) operated by less-than-scrupulous advertising networks to acquire user traffic. While researchers have described a number of case studies on various TDSs or the businesses they serve, we still lack an understanding of how users are differentiated in these ecosystems, how different illicit activities frequently leverage the same advertisement networks and, subsequently, the same malicious advertisers. We design ODIN (Observatory of Dynamic Illicit ad Networks), the first system to study cloaking, user differentiation and business integration at the same time in four different types of traffic sources: typosquatting, copyright-infringing movie streaming, ad-based URL shortening, and illicit online pharmacy websites. ODIN performed 874,494 scrapes over two months (June 19, 2019–August 24, 2019), posing as six different types of users (e.g., mobile, desktop, and crawler) and accumulating over 2TB of data. We observed 81% more malicious pages compared to using only the best performing crawl profile by itself. Three of the traffic sources we study redirect users to the same traffic broker domain names up to 44% of the time and all of them often expose users to the same malicious advertisers. Our experiments show that novel cloaking techniques could decrease by half the number of malicious pages observed. Worryingly, popular blacklists do not just suffer from the lack of coverage and delayed detection, but miss the vast majority of malicious pages targeting mobile users. We use these findings to design a classifier, which can make precise predictions about the likelihood of a user being redirected to a malicious advertiser.
The impact of project team characteristics and client collaboration on project agility and project success: An empirical study

Abstract Although many companies pursue agile projects, extant literature reveals a lack of research on project agility determinants. This study examines the project team characteristics' impact on project agility and success using cross-sectional survey data from 292 agile projects. Using agile principles and complex adaptive systems theory, we find that project team autonomy, team diversity, and client collaboration have significant positive relationships with project agility. Project agility, in turn, has a significant positive relationship to project success. We measure project success by on-time completion, on-budget completion, specifications' attainment, and success rating by the project sponsor, client, and project team members. We find that project team members' adaptive performance partially mediates the relationship between project agility and success. These results guide agile project managers while facilitating team members to independently schedule their work, determine effective work methods, and develop innovative solutions. Moreover, they help agile managers recruit team members with relevant, diverse skill sets, domain knowledge, and expertise. Agile project managers must emphasize client collaboration in requirements gathering, designing, testing, and project reviews.
Genetic Algorithm based Energy-Aware CNN Quantization for Processing-In-Memory Architecture

We present a genetic algorithm based energy-aware convolutional neural network (CNN) quantization framework (EGQ) for processing-in-memory (PIM) architectures. EGQ predicts layer-wise dynamic energy consumption based on the number of ADC access. Also, EGQ automatically optimizes layer-wise weight/activation bitwidth that can reduce total dynamic energy with negligible accuracy loss. As EGQ requires basic CNN model information such as weight/activation dimensions to predict the dynamic energy, various models can be compressed by EGQ. We analyse the effectiveness of EGQ on the area, dynamic energy, and energy efficiency of PIM architectures for VGG-19, ResNet-18, and ResNet-50 using NeuroSim. We observe EGQ is an effective approach for the CNN models to reduce the dynamic energy in various PIM designs with SRAM, RRAM, and FeFET technologies. EGQ achieves 6.1 bit of average weight bitwidth and 6.3 bit of average activation bitwidth in ResNet-18, that improves energy efficiency by 6.5× than the 16-bit model. For ResNet-18 with CIFAR-10, 2.5 bit and 3.9 bit of average weight and activation bitwidth are achieved. Both results show the negligible accuracy loss of 2%.
Innocent or Inconclusive? Analyzing Abolitionists’ Claims About the Death Penalty

This is a brief analysis of the death penalty innocence issue, using the July 2018 book The Death Penalty (part of the Concepts and Insights Series) as a reference point.
19. Augment, revival and repair

It is well known that decreased temperature results in the suppression of metabolic activity and, thus, in a reduction of the rate at which deterioration of an unnourished biological system would occur. The freezing process, however, is not necessarily benign; it generally induces extreme variations in chemical, thermal, and electrical properties that could be expected to alter cellular membranes, intracellular organelles, and the associated delicate intracellular system functions. Given the extreme complexity of even the simplest biological cells, it is therefore remarkable that a reversible state of suspended animation by freezing is possible at all. Biological responses to cold stress can include (among others) disassembly of cell cytoskeleton, apoptosis, osmotic stress, oxidative stress and attenuation of transcription and translation. As a result, surviving post thawed cells may not function immediately as they did before, or may have been completely compromised. As deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms has been uncovered, issues affecting the transcriptome due to cold stress have become identifiable as areas requiring attention. While the goal of any preservation strategy should be geared towards outcomes with no change to the cell or biological system (e.g. tissue or organ) pre-preservation, the ability to repair cells post preservation could mitigate inevitable compromises. Additionally, arbitrary “viability” counts generally accepted by various regulatory bodies need to be examined from the standpoint of evidence. Historically, some situations, such as autologous peripheral blood hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, have required higher doses of cells with lower viability due to the nature of preserving that system. Outcomes from these transplants can still yield good results in vivo. Preservation protocols that combine optimized preservation, “adjuvants” and factors that can provide support in vivo might be key to solving the very complex situations in organ preservation and importantly, use.
The Political Determinants of Migration Control: A Quantitative Analysis

Although most analysts agree that the fundamental causes of international migration are overwhelmingly economic and demographic—pushes, pulls, and social networks—the migration policies of host states are filters through which these factors operate. At a minimum, lower migration quotas, more emphasis on enforcement, and barriers to migrant integration reduce the expected benefits of migration and raise the expected costs, which deters some migrants and causes others to choose alternate destinations.
A deep neural network based approach to mandarin consonant/vowel separation

In this paper, we study the problem of Mandarin consonant/vowel separation which is an integral part of many Mandarin speech applications. We propose a deep neural network (DNN) based approach and compare its performance with the support vector machine (SVM) method. Our results demonstrate an improved separation performance yielded by the proposed method, especially on consonant identification.
White photoluminescence from SiNx films prepared by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition

Intense visible blue to red emissions were obtained from SiN x thin films prepared by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) using SiH 4 and NH 3 as the source gases. A continuous blue shift of the photoluminescence (PL) peak from 660nm to 440nm was observed by increasing the NH 3 flow rate from 20 to 150sccm, while the flow rate of N 2 diluted 2% SiH 4 was fixed at 650sccm. This controllable PL was attributed to the quantum confinement effect of Si quantum dots (QDs) which were formed during the deposition process and embedded in the SiN x films. White photoluminescence with multiple emission peaks was achieved for potential solid state lighting applications from multi-layered SiN x films by changing the SiH 4 /NH 3 ratio during the deposition process. This was attributed to a combination of Si quantum dots with different sizes within the different layers. Surface texturing of the thin film samples was conducted by potassium hydroxide (0.56%) etching the (100) Si substrate for 3~40 min at 80°C before deposition. The reflectivity of the etched samples decreased with increasing etch time due to increased surface roughness. The extraction efficiency of light emission from the textured SiN x thin films was significantly improved, owing to a depression of the internal reflection and interference effects. In addition, the elimination of the multiple emission peaks by surface texturing significantly affected the color coordinates of the output spectrum.
Maintenance of genomic methylation requires a SWI2/SNF2-like protein

Altering cytosine methylation by genetic means leads to a variety of developmental defects in mice1, plants2,3,4,5 and fungi6,7. Deregulation of cytosine methylation also has a role in human carcinogenesis8. In some cases, these defects have been tied to the inheritance of epigenetic alterations (such as chromatin imprints and DNA methylation patterns) that do not involve changes in DNA sequence3,8,9,10. Using a forward genetic screen, we identified a gene (DDM1, decrease in DNA methylation) from the flowering plant Arabidopsis thaliana required to maintain normal cytosine methylation patterns11. Additional ddm1 alleles (som4, 5, 6, 7, 8) were isolated in a selection for mutations that relieved transgene silencing12 (E.J.R., unpublished data). Loss of DDM1 function causes a 70% reduction of genomic cytosine methylation, with most of the immediate hypomethylation occurring in repeated sequences11. In contrast, many low-copy sequences initially retain their methylation in ddm1 homozygotes, but lose methylation over time as the mutants are propagated through multiple generations by self-pollination3,13. The progressive effect of ddm1 mutations on low-copy sequence methylation suggests that ddm1 mutations compromise the efficiency of methylation of newly incorporated cytosines after DNA replication. In parallel with the slow decay of methylation during inbreeding, ddm1 mutants accumulate heritable alterations (mutations or stable epialleles) at dispersed sites in the genome that lead to morphological abnormalities3,5,14. Here we report that DDM1 encodes a SWI2/SNF2-like protein, implicating chromatin remodelling as an important process for maintenance of DNA methylation and genome integrity.
Incentive and Trust Issues in Assured Information Sharing

Assured information sharing among different organizations in a coalitional environment is an important first step in accomplishing many critical tasks. For example, different security agencies may need to share intelligence information for detecting terrorist plots. At the same, each organization participating in the assured information sharing process may have different incentives. In this paper, we explore the effects of different incentives and potential trust issues among organizations on the assured information sharing process by developing an evolutionary game theoretic framework. In addition, we provide extensive simulation analysis that illustrates the impact of various different information sharing strategies.
Crystal structure of yeast phenylalanine transfer RNA. I. Crystallographic refinement.

We present the results of the Jimal stage of the X-ray crystallographic studies of yeast phenylalanine transfer RNA in an orthorhombic crystal form. The crystal structure of the transfer KNA has been refined by a least-squares procedure to minimize the difference between the observed (F,) and calculated (F’,) structure factors from X-ray diffraction patterns. The final crystallographic discrepancy index, R = IIF,, - Fcl/IF,, is 0.198, based upori 8426 structure factors with magnitudes over twice the estimated standard deviation, corresponding to 96.4% of the complete set of data with resolutions up t,o 2.7 A. During the refinement, bond lengths and angles within each phosphate group and each rmcleoside (base plus sugar) were constrained exactly to their appropriate standard values, while those for the linkages between the nucleosides and phosphates were elastically restrained close to their standard values. The details of the application of the constraint-restraint least-squares (CORELS) refinement method to the crystal structure of yeast phenylalanine tRNA are described in this paper. A complete list of atomic co-ordinates and the rigid group thermal factors are presented. The st,ereochemical details of this structrire and their frictional implications are described in the following paper.
Vibrational-level-dependent yields of O2(b 1Σg+, v=0) following collisional removal of O2(A 3Σu+, v)

Abstract The vibrational level dependence of the branching ratio for the production of O 2 (b 1 Σ g + , v =0) from the collisional deactivation of O 2 (A 3 Σ u + ) with ground-state O 2 is studied. Using the ultraviolet output from a frequency-doubled tunable dye laser, we excite O 2 molecules to a specific vibrational level (5≤ v ≤9) in the A 3 Σ u + state and monitor the b 1 Σ g + –X 3 Σ g − fluorescence near 762 nm. The relative signals following excitation to different vibrational levels are compared to the signals following v =8 excitation. The branching ratio for b 1 Σ g + state production following O 2 collisions is approximately constant for v =5–8, and decreases by ∼30% for v =9. This decrease in the production of the b 1 Σ g + state is attributed to the opening of a reactive channel to produce O atoms and ozone.
The effects of embryonic pars distalis grafts and albumen on the growth of chick embryos.

Normal chick embryos swallow and utilize the albumen in the egg between the 11th and 15th day of incubation (Witschi, 1949). They use approximately two-thirds of the yolk by the end of incubation (Romanoff & Romanoff, 1949). Thus the embryo has access to 4 g of protein in the albumen and 3 g of protein in the yolk (Romanoff & Romanoff, 1949). Embryos which have been hypophysectomized by partial decapitation, which is the only practical way of hypophysectomizing chick embryos (Betz, 1965 a , see also the reviews of Benoit (1962) and of Hinni & Watterson (1963), do not develop an upper beak and do not swallow much of the albumen since most of it remains in the egg (Witschi, 1959; Betz, 1965 b ). The rate of growth of hypophyseoprivic embryos between the 14th and 18th day of incubation is reduced to 53 % of the normal rate (Vogel, 1965).
Outcomes of heart failure-related hospitalization in adults with congenital heart disease in the United States.

Background Heart failure (HF) accounts for >3 million hospital admissions annually in adults with acquired cardiovascular disease, but there are limited data on HF admissions in adults with congenital heart disease (ACHD). The purpose of this study was to test the hypotheses that HF admissions are common in ACHD and associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Methods The 2007 Nationwide Inpatient Sample was used to assess national prevalence, morbidities, and risk factors for mortality during hospitalizations among ACHD with HF. Results Of the 84 308 (95% CI 71 345–97 272) ACHD admissions in the United States in 2007, 17 193 (95% CI 14 157–20 229) had a diagnosis of HF (20%). ACHD with HF was associated with an increased risk of death compared to ACHD without HF (OR 3.3, 95% CI 2.6–4.1). On multivariable analysis independent risk factors for mortality included nonoperative intubation (OR 6.1, 95% CI 3.3–11.4), sepsis (OR 4.3, 95% CI 2.4–7.4), and acute myocardial infarction (OR 3.2, 95% CI 1.8–5.7). Cardiac defects associated with an increased risk of mortality included ventricular septal defects (VSDs) (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.0–3.4). Conclusions In this large population-based study, HF-related hospitalizations were common in ACHD and associated with an increased risk of death compared to non-HF admissions. The risk of mortality is increased with the diagnoses of VSDs and the presence of specific comorbidities such as respiratory failure and sepsis.
The New Generation of Citation Indexing in The Age OF Digital Libraries

Fifty-two years ago, Eugene Garfield envisioned the potential powerful function of citation indexing in science, and developed the theory and application of citation analysis with the evaluative index of impact factor. With the creation of Science Citation Index, Social Science Citation Index, and Arts and Humanities Citation Index, citation analysis has become a widely used tool for retrospective and up-todate literature research, identification of visible scholars in a specific subject and mapping of intellectual structures of a discipline, and measurement of impact for justifying tenure and funding decisions in the academic and scientific community. With the development of information technology, all three citation indexes were incorporated into the Web-based citation database Web of Science (WoS). Prior to the Internet age, WoS has been the sole research tool for citation tracking.
Functional Fixation Surrounding the Adoption of SFAS 142

Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 142, Goodwill and Other Intangibles (FASB 2001) altered the treatment of goodwill by replacing the systematic amortization of goodwill with impairment testing. This change affected earnings in two ways by requiring many firms to take sizable goodwill impairments if they cannot justify the amount of goodwill being carried on their balance sheets and by producing a “cosmetic” boost to the earnings of all firms who previously amortized goodwill. This study investigates whether investors assign value relevance to adoption-year goodwill impairments and to the increase in earnings resulting from goodwill non-amortization. Furthermore, this study investigates whether the assigned value relevance is due to new information content or due to functional fixation. Results indicate that unsophisticated investors functionally fixate on earnings while sophisticated investors do not, and that investors find value relevant information in goodwill impairments.
Observationally derived and general circulation model simulated tropical stratospheric upward mass fluxes

[1] We quantify the vertical velocity and upward mass flux in the tropical lower stratosphere on the basis of accurate radiative heating rate calculations using 8-year Southern Hemisphere Additional Ozonesondes balloon-borne measurements of temperature and ozone and cryogenic frost-point hygrometer measured water vapor in the tropics (15S—10N). The impact of tropospheric clouds on the stratospheric heating rates is considered using cloud distributions from the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project. We find a nearly constant annual mean upward mass flux in the tropical lower stratosphere above the top of the tropical tropopause layer (i.e., � 70 hPa), which is 1.13 ± 0.40 kgm � 2 d � 1 for the 40- to 30-hPa layer, and 0.89 ± 0.48 kgm � 2 d � 1 for the 70- to 50-hPa layer. A strong seasonal cycle exists in the upward mass flux and it is found that the mass flux below � 70 hPa is decoupled from that above in the Northern Hemisphere summer. Simulations of the tropical lower stratosphere from two stratospheric General Circulation Models (GCMs) are compared with observations. The annual mean upward mass fluxes from both GCMs for the 40- to 30-hPa layer agree well with observations, while the simulated mass fluxes for the 70- to 50-hPa layer are twice as large. Both GCMs also simulate seasonal variation of the mass flux reasonably well but are incapable of simulating the observed interannual variability of the upward mass flux, which is closely correlated with the quasi-biennial oscillations.
Interaction of the Histone-Like Nucleoid Structuring Protein and the General Stress Response Regulator RpoS at Vibrio cholerae Promoters That Regulate Motility and Hemagglutinin/Protease Expression

The bacterium Vibrio cholerae colonizes the human small intestine and secretes cholera toxin (CT) to cause the rice-watery diarrhea characteristic of this illness. The ability of this pathogen to colonize the small bowel, express CT, and return to the aquatic environment is controlled by a complex network of regulatory proteins. Two global regulators that participate in this process are the histone-like nucleoid structuring protein (H-NS) and the general stress response regulator RpoS. In this study, we address the role of RpoS and H-NS in the coordinate regulation of motility and hemagglutinin (HA)/protease expression. In addition to initiating transcription of hapA encoding HA/protease, RpoS enhanced flrA and rpoN transcription to increase motility. In contrast, H-NS was found to bind to the flrA, rpoN, and hapA promoters and represses their expression. The strength of H-NS repression at the above-mentioned promoters was weaker for hapA, which exhibited the strongest RpoS dependency, suggesting that transcription initiation by RNA polymerase containing σS could be more resistant to H-NS repression. Occupancy of the flrA and hapA promoters by H-NS was demonstrated by chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP). We show that the expression of RpoS in the stationary phase significantly diminished H-NS promoter occupancy. Furthermore, RpoS enhanced the transcription of integration host factor (IHF), which positively affected the expression of flrA and rpoN by diminishing the occupancy of H-NS at these promoters. Altogether, we propose a model for RpoS regulation of motility gene expression that involves (i) attenuation of H-NS repression by IHF and (ii) RpoS-dependent transcription initiation resistant to H-NS.