cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A paradigm shift in our understanding of the development of the hypertrophic cardiomyopathy phenotype?: not so fast!

It has now been more than 2 decades since the seminal observation that hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is caused by mutations encoding for the contractile proteins of the cardiac sarcomere.1 Over this relatively short period of time, our understanding of the molecular basis of this disease has grown enormously, including the identification now of >1400 individual mutations (in at least 11 different sarcomere genes) associated with HCM.2–8 This genetic heterogeneity is undoubtedly responsible for the diverse phenotypic expression and natural history observed within HCM.4,9,10 However, from a clinical perspective, perhaps the most important advance to have emerged from the current molecular era is automated DNA sequencing, which has led directly to the development of comprehensive genetic testing panels which identify mutations responsible for HCM.6–8 Article see p 48 The powerful clinical application for genetic testing has provided the opportunity for family screening and diagnosis.6–8,11,12 If a disease-causing sarcomere mutation can be identified in the affected proband, relatives can then be genetically tested to determine whether they have the same mutation, and as a consequence whether they are at risk of developing disease. If such relatives do not carry the mutation there is virtually no future risk of developing HCM, and no further screening is necessary.5–8 This information can have a positive impact on HCM family members, lifting the substantial psychological burden often created by the possibility of transmitting a genetic heart disease, as well as the chance to eliminate the need for additional testing and the cost-burden associated with screening. However, it should be underscored that this strategy is predicated on the ability to identify a pathogenic mutation in the proband, a potential limitation because <50% of the time …
Effect of Red and Far-Red Irradiation on Nucleotide Phosphate and Adenosine Triphosphate Levels in Dark-Grown Bean and Avena Seedlings

The adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content of Black Valentine bean seedlings and of the Avena coleoptile and mesocotyl has been investigated in relation to red (600 to 700 m mu ) and far-red (700 to 750 m mu ) radiant energy respoases. The nucleotide phosphate and ATP contents of the leaves, hypocotyl hook, elongated portion of the hypocotyl, and roots of 6-day-old dark-grown bean plants were proportional to the protein content. No detectable differences in the ATP level could be measured upon irradiation of the bean hooks with either red or far-red radiant energy. Dinitrophenol (10/sup -4/ M) reduced the ATP level of hooks to approximately 50% of the level of control hooks. When exposed to red radiant energy, the dinitrophenol-treated hooks of bean plants responded to about 60% of the response induced in the control. The ATP levels in the coleoptile and mesocotyl of Avena also were not influenced by red light. These results are interpreted as indicating the ATP is required for a light-induced growth response to occur, but alteration of the ATP level by red, far-red irradiation is probably not the system regulated by the photoreaction. (auth)
Sum rule for nonleptonic hyperon decay

Abstract A simple sum rule is derived which relates the p-wave amplitudes to those of the s-wave of the non-leptonic hyperon decay.
A bound for the optimal constant in an inequality of Ladyzhenskaya and Solonnikov

Ladyzhenskaya & Solonnikov (1976) introduced a representation theorem in R 3 , which contained an integral inequality involving a multiplicative dimensionless constant. The existence of the constant was established but not its magnitude which depends only on the shape of the domain. In this paper, we derive an upper bound for the optimal constant when the underlying domain is star shaped.
Changes in blood coagulation markers associated with uterine artery embolization for leiomyomata.

PURPOSE To determine whether a transient hypercoagulable state is induced by the uterine artery embolization (UAE) procedure. MATERIALS AND METHODS Serial periprocedure blood samples were obtained from 27 patients undergoing the UAE procedure. Five blood samples were obtained from each patient at set time intervals: before the procedure (for baseline determination), immediately before and after embolization of the uterine arteries, 90 minutes after conclusion of the procedure, and between 18 and 24 hours later. Each blood sample was analyzed for the peripheral levels of the following parameters: thrombin-antithrombin complex (TAT), prothrombin fragment 1.2 (F1.2), platelet factor 4 (PF4), D-dimer, and plasmin–α 2 -antiplasmin complex (PAP). For each parameter, the baseline values were statistically compared with the pre- and postembolization values for each individual to detect change over time. Overall and global occasion effects for continuous variables were assessed with the Friedman statistic and individual comparisons between occasions with the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. RESULTS No evidence was found for a difference in coagulability among the five occasions for D-dimer ( P = .7645) or PF4 ( P = .09). All three of the remaining measures were found to have statistically significant differences ( P P = .0026 for PAP, and P = .0006 for TAT). No evidence was found for a difference between preprocedure and preembolization levels for these three latter parameters ( P = .595 for F1.2, P = .128 for PAP, P = .9705 for TAT). Hypercoagulability potential as measured by prothrombinase and F1.2 generation increased between preembolization samples and each of the successive postprocedure samples ( P P P = .0082), whereas PAP increased at 90 minutes ( P = .0023) and TAT increased immediately after embolization ( P CONCLUSIONS Surrogate markers of hypercoagulability increase as a result of UAE, suggesting that a prothrombotic state may result after the procedure.
Enhancing Communications in Globally Distributed Teams by Leveraging Internet Technology

The concept of collaborative software development between groups spanning the globe is becoming more commonly accepted as a means of reducing development time and costs. It may be argued that the distributed development process is less efficient than a localized development process of comparable magnitude, especially because of the overheads involved in synchronization between the distributed teams. While code artifacts can be transferred from one site to the next, the transfer of knowledge -- such as the rationale behind the key architectural decisions -- is more difficult. Context-driven knowledge transfer via Internet can provide an effective mechanism for transcending these barriers through the use of intuitive interfaces and visualizations, which, when applied in conjunction with existing versioning systems and code repositories, can allow developers to gain several benefits: rapid contextual understanding of the previous teams' contributions; and more effective handling of management tasks such as task assignment and planning.
Soot Nanostructure: Definition, Quantification and Implications

Although the relation between carbon structure and reactivity is well-known from thermal and oxidative studies of coal, char and graphite, the relation for soot remains unstudied. In this article, the dependence of the soot oxidation rate upon nanostructure, namely the length, separation distance and curvature of the graphene segments is shown. Soots possessing graphitic, fullerenic or amorphous nanostructure are used for this comparison. Surprisingly, the different soot nanostructures are readily produced by using different fuels and pyrolysis conditions. Reflecting different ratios of edge to basal plane sites or amounts of ring strain imposed by curvature, burnout rates are found to differ by nearly 500% for the soots studied here. Using high resolution transmission electron images as input data, this paper interprets the varied oxidation rates in terms of differences in nanostructure between the soots. In addition to fringe length, the fringe analysis algorithm can also provide fringe separation distance and tortuosity. Results are shown in the form of histograms for each of these quantities. The combination of the three measurements can give a better indication of the graphitic structure within nanoscale carbons and can distinguish carbon nanostructure based upon fullerenic, graphitic and amorphous content.
Algorithms and adaptivity gaps for stochastic probing

A stochastic probing problem consists of a set of elements whose values are independent random variables. The algorithm knows the distributions of these variables, but not the actual outcomes. The only way to learn the actual outcomes is to probe these elements. However, there are constraints on which set of elements may be probed. (E.g., we may have to travel in some metric to probe elements but have limited time.) These constraints are called outer constraints. We want to develop an algorithm that picks some set of elements to maximize the (expected) value, subject to the picked subset of elements satisfying some other set of constraints, called the inner constraints. In the past, probing problems were studied for the case when both inner and outer constraints were intersections of matroids; these modeled kidney matching and Bayesian auctions applications. One limitation of past work was their reliance on linear-programming-like techniques, which made going beyond matroid-like structures difficult.In this work, we give a very general adaptivity gap result that holds for all prefix-closed outer constraints, as long as the inner constraints are intersections of matroids. The adaptivity gap is O(log n) for any constant number of inner matroid constraints. The prefix-closedness captures most "reasonable" outer constraints, like orienteering, connectivity, and precedence. Based on this we obtain the first approximation algorithms for a number of stochastic probing problems, which have applications, e.g., to path-planning and precedence-constrained scheduling.
Relaxin Content of Blood, Urine and Other Tissues of Pregnant and Postpartum Guinea Pigs.∗:

SummaryRelaxin is found in the blood of guinea pigs on about the 21st day of pregnancy, at which time relaxation of the symphysis pubis may first be detected by palpation. The concentration of relaxin reaches a peak of 0.5 G.P. units per ml of blood serum on the 28th day and is maintained until the 63rd day when the concentration falls to 0.33 G.P. units per ml. Immediately after parturition a precipitous decline of the relax-in content of the blood serum takes place. The urine shows a concentration of 0.5 G.P. units of relaxin per ml at 42 and 56 days of pregnancy with a drop to 0.25 G.P. units by the 63rd day. The uterus contains about 10 G.P. units per gram of tissue on the 56th and 63rd day of pregnancy whereas the placenta shows 5 G.P. units per gram of tissue on the 56th day and 2.5 G.P. units on the 63rd day. It seems probable that the drop in serum relaxin in the latter part of pregnancy may be due to a decreased output from the placenta.
Influence of various conditioning photoperiods on the subsequent feeding activity of Dermacentor variabilis nymphs (Acari: Ixodidae).

In general, day length is an important factor controlling the activity and diapause of ticks in the field, as well as in the laboratory. Smith & Cole (1941, Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 34 : 426–31) observed that Dermacentor variabilis activity increased as the photoperiod increased and, conversely, activity decreased as photoperiod decreased. Gladney & Wright (1971, Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 64 : 303–05) reported that Amblyomma americanum reacted to long photoperiods with an enhanced tendency to attach to a host, but that exposure to short photoperiods resulted in comparatively lower rates of attachment. Wright (1969, Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 62 : 285–87) found that in short photoperiods the rate of attaching of D. albipictus increased, but exposure to longer photophases had the opposite effect. This apparent discrepancy would be expected as D. albipictus , the winter tick, is most active during the winter months when short photoperiods prevail. However, A. americanum and D. variabilis are active during the spring and summer months when the longer photoperiods prevail.
The concept of overuse. The primary care aspects of overuse syndromes in sports.

SUMMARY Prevention of overuse injuries can be accomplished by appraising the environment in which the athlete participates, the type of training techniques the athlete uses, or the possibility of congenital, genetic, or injury-induced structural problems. Many individuals who injure themselves either chronically or as a result of acute trauma believe they can return to a normal training regimen following the cessation of pain. In many cases, injury will affect the biomechanics of the particular individual, causing either voluntary or involuntary compensation and overuse of otherwise healthy musculoskeletal areas of the body. This, in turn, can quickly lead to further overuse problems. An additional factor in the prevention of overuse injuries involves the quality of athlete education. Ideally, athletes should know what pain means, when to stop exercising, and what initial action to take even prior to seeking a physician’s advice. Finally, an athlete’s personal philosophy of exercise and motivations should be discussed and appreciated by the primary care physician. A practical clinical guide for the consistent diagnosis and treatment of the majority of musculoskeletal overuse injuries has been presented. Overuse syndromes can present in any individual no matter which sport or activity is being pursued. For the majority of these injuries, the clinical guide can serve the primary care practitioner well.
Scalable Algorithms for Data and Network Analysis

In the age of Big Data, efficient algorithms are now in higher demandmore than ever before. While Big Data takes us into the asymptoticworld envisioned by our pioneers, it also challenges the classical notionof efficient algorithms: Algorithms that used to be considered efficient,according to polynomial-time characterization, may no longer be adequatefor solving today's problems. It is not just desirable, but essential,that efficient algorithms should be scalable. In other words, their complexityshould be nearly linear or sub-linear with respect to the problemsize. Thus, scalability, not just polynomial-time computability, shouldbe elevated as the central complexity notion for characterizing efficientcomputation.In this tutorial, I will survey a family of algorithmic techniques forthe design of provably-good scalable algorithms. These techniques includelocal network exploration, advanced sampling, sparsification, andgeometric partitioning. They also include spectral graph-theoreticalmethods, such as those used for computing electrical flows and samplingfrom Gaussian Markov random fields. These methods exemplifythe fusion of combinatorial, numerical, and statistical thinking in networkanalysis. I will illustrate the use of these techniques by a few basicproblems that are fundamental in network analysis, particularly for theidentification of significant nodes and coherent clusters/communities insocial and information networks. I also take this opportunity to discusssome frameworks beyond graph-theoretical models for studying conceptualquestions to understand multifaceted network data that arisein social influence, network dynamics, and Internet economics.
A comprehensive weight-loss program for soldiers.

A weight-loss treatment program for active duty military personnel is discussed and evaluated. The Fat Loss and Exercise Program at U.S. Army Hospital, Bremerhaven, Germany, consisted of a 3-week inpatient treatment program and 6 months of weekly outpatient follow-up. The program combined a multidisciplinary team approach to the treatment of obesity-psychology, internal medicine, nursing, nutrition care, and physical therapy. Patients showed a significant weight and body fat loss [F (2,90) = 52.91 and 65.85, p < 0.001, respectively] from the initiation of treatment (mean = 205.9 pounds, 28.91%) to the end of the inpatient program (mean = 192.8 pounds, 25.97%) with maintenance over 6 months (mean = 190.4 pounds, 25.03%). Changes in cholesterol levels by treatment phase are also discussed. Results demonstrate positive increases in high-density lipoprotein at each phase. These results support a comprehensive, multidisciplinary inpatient treatment of obesity within the military.
Role of Business Support Services in the Economy of Blair & Cambria Counties

The business support services industry is an important part of the history and economy of Blair and Cambria counties in Pennsylvania. The industry creates jobs and compensation for workers throughout these counties and influences tax revenues in the counties.
Monitoring of Breast Cancer with the AID of Tissue Polypeptide Antigen

Abstract Tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA) in serum was tested for its role in monitoring breast cancer progress in patients. In patients undergoing mastectomy, we observed no clear correlation between the TPA values and clinical recurrences. On the other hand, in patients with metastatic disease of sufficient quantity, or in patients having significant increase or decrease of metastatic disease while on systemic therapy, the metastatic disease state appeared to be reflected in TPA values.
Improved decoding for Raptor codes with short block-lengths over BIAWGN channel

Decoding of Raptor codes consists of decoding of both the LT part and the precode part of the codes. When LT decoding is performed, a scenario may arise where the message passing-based decoding process is unable to provide non-zero log-likelihood ratio (LLR) updates to a fraction of input symbols even if it is mathematically possible to do so. The problem is even more critical for codes with short block-lengths and for smaller overheads. We show that this problem degrades the overall decoding performance of Raptor codes over binary input additive white Gaussian noise (BIAWGN) channel. To combat this problem, the Gauss-Jordan elimination (GJE) is used to assist decoding so that the decoder can continuously provide non-zero LLR updates to all the input symbols connected in the decoding graph. Through simulation results we show that the GJE-assisted method provides significantly better bit error rate (BER) performance of Raptor codes than the traditional method across a wide range of signal to noise ratio (SNR) and transmission overheads.
Transfer of phthalates from c-polyvinyl chloride and cross-linked polyethylene pipe (PEX-b) into drinking water

Several different materials have been used for production of domestic water pipes throughout history. In recent years, the use of cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) pipe has increased dramatically. Yet, the potential for leaching of phthalates, which are endocrine disrupting compounds associated with adverse reproductive effects in humans, has not been examined. In this study, the potential of chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (cPVC) and red, blue, and heat PEX piping to leach phthalates into static hot and cold water after 2, 8, and 48 hours was evaluated. Concentrations of six phthalates, dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), benzyl-butyl phthalate (BBP), di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, and di(n-octyl) phthalate, were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Pipe type (F3,71 = 15.6, P = 0.001) contributed significantly to phthalate concentrations in water, while temperature (F4,71 = 1.74, P = 0.106) and time (F4,71 = 1.02, P = 0.427) were not significant factors. Significantly higher concentrations of DEP, DBP, and BBP were observed in cPVC pipe (<method detection limits (MDL) to 466 ng L−1, 252–4,219 ng L−1, 473–18,400 ng L−1, respectively) compared to blue PEX (T2 = 12.2, P < 0.001; <MDL, <MDL − 140 ng L−1, <MDL − 459 ng L−1, respectively), red PEX (T2 = 19.3, P < 0.001; <MDL, <MDL − 188 ng L−1, <MDL − 881 ng L−1, respectively), and heat PEX (T2 = 19.9, P < 0.001; <MDL, <MDL − 162 ng L−1, <MDL − 169 ng L−1, respectively). Phthalate exposure from drinking water via cPVC or PEX is low when compared to other dietary sources. Nonetheless, a shift from cPVC to PEX pipes in households would decrease potential exposure to phthalates.
The Validity of Pleading Guilty

The overwhelming majority of convictions in the U.S. are the result of guilty pleas. In theory, for guilty pleas to be valid, plea decisions should be made knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily, and by defendants who are factually guilty. In this chapter, I examine the validity of pleading guilty. Validity here concerns (1) knowingness and intelligence—having sufficient information to make a decision, having the ability to understand and appreciate the information, and actually understanding, (2) voluntariness—having the choice to enter a guilty plea (as well as the knowledge that one has the choice), and (3) actual guilt—being factually guilty of the charges. Using judicial plea colloquies and tender-of-plea forms as the ‘test’ of knowing, intelligent, and voluntary decisions, the validity of the methods used to ensure that guilty pleas are valid (i.e., the extent to which a test measures what it purports to measure) is reviewed. It is tentatively concluded that the methods purported to assess valid plea decisions fall short of this goal. Pathways for research going forward are also identified.
Qualifications of Offshore Personnel: LSTs and Diving Supervisors

On 1 August 1984 the AODC set up a scheme to certify life support technicians (LSTs) which included terminal objectives, training and examination requirements.
Density‐Driven Free‐Convection Model for Isotopically Fractionated Geogenic Nitrate in Sabkha Brine

Subsurface brines with high nitrate (NO3- ) concentration are common in desert environments as atmospheric nitrogen is concentrated by the evaporation of precipitation and little nitrogen uptake. However, in addition to having an elevated mean concentration of ∼525 mg/L (as N), NO3- in the coastal sabkhas of Abu Dhabi is enriched in 15 N (mean δ15 N ∼17‰), which is an enigma. A NO3- solute mass balance analysis of the sabkha aquifer system suggests that more than 90% of the nitrogen is from local atmospheric deposition and the remainder from ascending brine. In contrast, isotopic mass balances based on Δ17 O, δ15 N, and δ18 O data suggest approximately 80 to 90% of the NO3- could be from ascending brine. As the sabkha has essentially no soil, no vegetation, and no anthropogenic land or water use, we propose to resolve this apparent contradiction with a density-driven free-convection transport model. In this conceptual model, the density of rain is increased by solution of surface salts, transporting near-surface oxygenated NO3- bearing water downward where it encounters reducing conditions and mixes with oxygen-free ascending geologic brines. In this environment, NO3- is partially reduced to nitrogen gas (N2 ), thus enriching the remaining NO3- in heavy isotopes. The isotopically fractionated NO3- and nitrogen gas return to the near-surface oxidizing environment on the upward displacement leg of the free-convection cycle, where the nitrogen gas is released to the atmosphere and new NO3- is added to the system from atmospheric deposition. This recharge/recycling process has operated over many cycles in the 8000-year history of the shallow aquifer, progressively concentrating and isotopically fractionating the NO3- .
Die Gewährleistung von Ziviler Sicherheit bei Großveranstaltungen

Der Bereich der Sicherheitsgewahrleistung von Grosveranstaltungen dient als bedeutendes Referenzgebiet fur das Recht der Zivilen Sicherheit. Das Feld der Grosveranstaltungssicherheit ist mit zahlreichen Risiken und Gefahren konfrontiert. Deren Bewaltigung ist die Aufgabe vieler verschiedener Akteure – sowohl offentlicher als auch privater Natur.
Bayesian estimation of hazard models of airline passengers’ cancellation behavior

Abstract This study explores the use of Bayesian methods to estimate hazard models of airline passengers’ cancellation behavior. We show how the discrete time proportional odds (DTPO) cancellation model can be rewritten as an equivalent fixed parameter discrete choice model that can be easily estimated using Bayesian methods and extended to random parameters that account for unobserved heterogeneity. The use of Bayesian methods allows us to address several limitations of existing airline cancellation models. First, because of the random parameter reformulation, it is possible to calculate individual-specific cancellation probabilities. Second, unlike existing DTPO models that forecast average cancellation probabilities only, our model can be used to forecast both means and a measure of variance (credible intervals) associated with an individual’s cancellation probability. We apply the Bayesian estimation method to a dataset of tickets purchased over a two-year period by employees of a university in Atlanta, Georgia. During this time period, the major carrier in Atlanta terminated an agreement in which it allowed employees to purchase discounted fares that could be refunded or exchanged without a fee. The data allow us to investigate how passenger cancellation behavior changed when these fares were discontinued. Cancellations are reduced on average 3.3% when customers must pay to exchange their tickets. For a simulated hypothetical flight the coefficient of variation of cancellation is 43% when the state rate was offered, and 83% without state rates.
Optimization of an AC electrokinetics immunoassay lab-chip for biomedical diagnostics

This paper describes the improvement of an immunoassay lab-chip based on AC electrokinetics (ACEK) effects. Reagent and analyte delivery, incubation and flushing are performed using AC electrothermal (ACET) micropumps, which operate by applying low-voltage AC signals over interdigitated electrode arrays on the microchannel bottom. As such, the immunoassay chip is low cost and disposable. Furthermore, ACET flow will generate vortices above the electrodes, which helps to transport biomolecules towards the binding sites. Concomitant ACEK effects, especially dielectrophoresis (DEP), create enhanced trapping, however, lead to severe nonspecific response. The work in this paper involves improving the binding process in a multifunctional microfluidic system. Our experiments observed a 30-fold acceleration in detection with actual serum samples, i.e., the incubation time is shortened from 30 min to around 1 min, while achieving differentiation between the disease positive and negative sera.
A security analysis of police computer systems

Every day we entrust our privacy, safety, and security to police officers sworn to protect and serve. While many critical infrastructure computer systems have been well studied, the computer infrastructure supporting these officers remains to be surveyed in public literature. We remedy this by characterizing a sample police department's systems through a security lens, discussing weak points and areas for future work. Pen-testing of the security camera and web application systems were performed to give hard data points on the security of this department's systems. Our characterization shows that the security of the department we study is good overall, but enough weaknesses exist in this department and others to be concerned for the state of police security. We determine that compliance with FBI security policies is an appropriate first step for departments, but it is not sufficient. More research and increased support for security education and resource services is needed in order to defend these critical systems against adapting adversaries.
Variation within coral colonies and its importance for interpreting fossil species

Patterns of variation within colonies of two species of the reef-coral Montastraea are quantitatively described to determine if within-colony variation can be used to predict nonheritable, ecophenotypic variation between populations of colonial marine invertebrates. The samples were drawn from populations in four proximate, environmentally distinct habitats near Discovery Bay, Jamaica. The characters analyzed consist of linear measurements and counts on features commonly used in taxonomy to distinguish scleractinian species and genera. Multivariate statistical analyses show that significant variation can be described using 2-3 character complexes within colonies and 2-3 complexes between populations in each species. Withincolony complexes are not the same in different populations, and within-colony variation is not correlated with between-population variation in either species. Univariate results indicate that within-colony variation in single characters follows similar trends in most colonies of each population. However, within-colony trends in different populations and species are highly complex and sometimes completely opposite in direction. Box's test suggests that magnitude of withincolony variation is only slightly related to magnitude of between-population variation. Multiple regression indicates that the observed trends can be only partially explained by growth (extension) rate. These results show that within-colony variation cannot be used to predict patterns of betweenpopulation variation, even when the variation between populations is induced largely by the environment. Because of widespread local environmental heterogeneity and possible genetic variation, many colonies within many populations must be studied simultaneously to elucidate patterns of within-species variation.
Western Montanan Rancher’s, Hunter’s and Trapper’s Wolf Tolerance in Light of Public Hunting and Trapping

The Public Trust Doctrine placed wildlife in trust, via state control and regulation, for the benefit of the people. Managing agencies that lose sight of the importance of public acceptance of predator policies and management actions may find themselves legislatively or judicially subverted. This study examines how the Montana public wolf hunting and trapping seasons have affected tolerance of gray wolves (Canis lupus) among rural resident ranchers, hunters, and trappers. Twenty residents from the Blackfoot, Bitterroot, and Ninemile Valleys were qualitatively interviewed over the summer and fall of 2013. Potential participants were initially identified using purposive sampling, with subsequent interviewees located through snowball sampling. Preliminary results show that the hunting and trapping seasons have not yet caused changes in attitudes towards wolves in these groups; however losing the hunting and trapping seasons would have a negative impact. The majority of interviewees stated a desire for some avenue of management and control of the Montana wolf population. One apparent theme was that residents are more likely to accept hunting as a means of lethal control over trapping due to concerns of indiscriminate, inhumane take. Wolf presence conjures up a mixture of both awe and fear in these groups. Ranchers are primarily concerned with the threat to livestock and livelihood, while hunters and trappers are uneasy about predator and big game balance on the landscape. As intended, the public wolf hunting and trapping seasons allow ranchers, hunters, and trappers to feel some measure of control over the perceived threat of wolf presence.
Return to Fundamentals? Tax Malpractice Damages - Recovery of Additional Taxes

This article argues that Serino v. Lipper, 123 A.D. 3d 34 (1st Dept., 2014) recognized that under the long-established precedent, in New York the fraud measure of damages differed from the negligence measure of damages. While extra taxes caused by erroneous tax advice may not be recoverable under the fraud measure of damages, such additional taxes could be recoverable under a negligence measure of damages. While this holding seems rather unexceptional, there are several cases in roughly the last decade that simply hold such additional taxes to be unrecoverable in negligence actions. For some unarticulated reason, these cases seem to apply the fraud measure of damages in negligence contexts. It is hoped that Serino will be interpreted as returning New York law to its traditional, fundamental principles.
Assessing daylight & low-dose rate photodynamic therapy efficacy, using biomarkers of photophysical, biochemical and biological damage metrics in situ.

Abstract Background Sunlight can activate photodynamic therapy (PDT), and this is a proven strategy to reduce pain caused byconventional PDT treatment, but assessment of this and other alternative low dose rate light sources, and their efficacy, has not been studied in an objective, controlled pre-clinical setting. This study used three objective assays to assess the efficacy of different PDT treatment regimens, using PpIX fluorescence as a photophysical measure, STAT3 cross-linking as a photochemical measure, and keratinocyte damage as a photobiological measure. Methods Nude mouse skin was used along with in vivo measures of photosensitizer fluorescence, keratinocyte nucleus damage from pathology, and STAT3 cross-linking from Western blot analysis. Light sources compared included a low fluence rate red LED panel, compact fluorescent bulbs, halogen bulbs and direct sunlight, as compared to traditional PDT delivery with conventional and fractionated high fluence rate red LED light delivery. Results Of the three biomarkers, two had strong correlation to the PpIX-weighted light dose, which is calculated as the product of the treatment light dose (J/cm2) and the normalized PpIX absorption spectra. Comparison of STAT3 cross-linking to PpIX-weighted light dose had an R = 0.74, and comparison of keratinocyte nuclear damage R = 0.70. There was little correlation to PpIX fluorescence. These assays indicate most of the low fluence rate treatment modalities were as effective as conventional PDT, while fractionated PDT showed the most damage. Conclusions Daylight or artificial light PDT provides an alternative schedule for delivery of drug-light treatment, and this pre-clinical assay demonstrated that in vivo assays of damage could be used to objectively predict a clinical outcome in this altered delivery process.
Genicular Radiofrequency Ablation for the Treatment of Post-traumatic Knee Pain: A Case Presentation

Abstract This is the first reported case presentation utilizing cooled genicular radiofrequency ablation (C-RFA) for the treatment of post-traumatic knee pain. The patient is a 29-year-old man who sustained open right femoral and tibial fractures following 2 motor vehicle collisions. He was deemed too young to undergo total knee arthroplasty by orthopedic surgery. It was recommended he trial diagnostic genicular nerve blocks followed by C-RFA. The procedure provided a >50% reduction in average pain with an increase in activity tolerance lasting 9 months. In this case, C-RFA of the genicular nerves was a safe, effective, and durable treatment modality for post-traumatic knee pain. Level of Evidence V
Dysregulation and restoration of homeostatic network plasticity in fragile X syndrome mice

Chronic activity perturbations in neurons induce homeostatic plasticity through modulation of synaptic strength or other intrinsic properties to maintain the correct physiological range of excitability. Although similar plasticity can also occur at the population level, what molecular mechanisms are involved remain unclear. In the current study, we utilized a multielectrode array (MEA) recording system to evaluate homeostatic neural network activity of primary mouse cortical neuron cultures. We demonstrated that chronic elevation of neuronal activity through the inhibition of GABA(A) receptors elicits synchronization of neural network activity and homeostatic reduction of the amplitude of spontaneous neural network spikes. We subsequently showed that this phenomenon is mediated by the ubiquitination of tumor suppressor p53, which is triggered by murine double minute-2 (Mdm2). Using a mouse model of fragile X syndrome, in which fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) is absent (Fmr1 knockout), we found that Mdm2-p53 signaling, network synchronization, and the reduction of network spike amplitude upon chronic activity stimulation were all impaired. Pharmacologically inhibiting p53 with Pifithrin-α or genetically employing p53 heterozygous mice to enforce the inactivation of p53 in Fmr1 knockout cultures restored the synchronization of neural network activity after chronic activity stimulation and partially corrects the homeostatic reduction of neural network spike amplitude. Together, our findings reveal the roles of both Fmr1 and Mdm2-p53 signaling in the homeostatic regulation of neural network activity and provide insight into the deficits of excitability homeostasis seen when Fmr1 is compromised, such as occurs with fragile X syndrome.
The Role of Combination Biologic Therapy in the Immunotherapeutic Approach to the Treatment of Renal Cell Carcinoma

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common malignancy of the kidney accounting for approximately 3% of all adult cancers. The tumor is more common among urban dwellers and males, and occurs primarily in the fifth to seventh decades of life. Overt symptoms accompanying RCC are often associated with advanced local or distant disease. Approximately two-thirds of the all locally confined renal tumors are found incidentally (1). Surgical extirpation is the cornerstone of therapy of localized RCC. In spite of years of research and many clinical trials, the management of metastatic disease remains undefined.
Mean latency optimization in erasure-coded distributed storage systems

Modern distributed storage systems represent an elegant solution to accommodate the exponentially increasing need of storage space. They often use erasure coding because of its high resiliency with low storage overhead. Further, distributed data-center applications are known to be susceptible to long response time, and higher latency leads to reduction in customers' quality of experience. However, to the best of our knowledge, quantifying the impact of erasure coding on th mean latency is still an open problem for distributed erasure-coded storage. In this paper, we propose a framework for quantifying and optimizing the mean latency in erasure-coded storage systems. In particulate, we characterize mean latency in a tight upper bound. Then, we formulate an optimization problem to optimize the mean latency of all files over the choice of storage servers and auxiliary bound parameters. An alternating optimization algorithm is used to efficiently solve the nonconvex problem. Our evaluation results show the superiority of our approach as compared to the state of the art algorithms.
Should AI-Based, conversational digital assistants employ social- or task-oriented interaction style? A task-competency and reciprocity perspective for older adults

Abstract This study investigates whether social- versus task-oriented interaction of virtual shopping assistants differentially benefits low versus high Internet competency older consumers with respect to social (perceived interactivity, trust), cognitive (perceived information load), functional (self-efficacy, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness), and behavioral intent (website patronage intent) outcomes in an online shopping task. A total of 121 older adults (61–89 years) participated in a laboratory experiment with a 2 (digital assistant interaction style: (social-vs. task-oriented) × 2 (user Internet competency: low vs. high) × 2 (user exchange modality: text vs. voice) between-subjects design. The results revealed that users' Internet competency and the digital assistant's conversational style had significant interaction effects on social, functional, and behavioral intent outcomes. Social-oriented digital assistants lead to superior social outcomes (enhanced perceptions of two-way interactivity and trust in the integrity of the site) for older users with high Internet competency, who need less task-related assistance. On the other hand, low-competency older users showed significantly superior cognitive (lower perceived information load) and functional outcomes (greater perceived ease and self-efficacy of using the site) when the digital assistant employed a task-oriented interaction style. Theoretical and agent design implications are discussed.
Membrane Trafficking and Plant Signaling

Endocytosis and endosomal trafficking pathways control the composition and surface area of the plasma membrane. These pathways are regulated by protein complexes that recognize specific proteins (cargo), mediate their sorting into vesicles, and specify the identity of the acceptor organelles to which they fuse. Under abiotic stress, plants need to rapidly adjust the composition of their plasma membrane by inducing changes in endocytic and endosomal membrane fluxes. In this chapter, we discuss the molecular mechanisms that mediate the recognition and sorting of protein cargo along the endocytic and endosomal pathways and their connection to development and physiological responses to abiotic stress in plants.
Mindfulness-based interventions for teachers: A meta-analysis of the emerging evidence base

Teachers report high levels of occupational stress, which is associated with teacher turnover and potential negative consequences for students. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) may improve the protective factors that buffer educators against occupational stress. Although previous meta-analytic reviews synthesized the effects of MBIs for healthy and clinical samples of adults, this study was the first to synthesize the effects of MBIs for teachers (grades pre-K through 12). A total of 347 effect sizes from 29 studies (N = 1,493) were synthesized using metaregression with robust variance estimation. Overall, MBIs had a medium treatment effect on teacher outcomes (g = .601, SE = .089). Visual and statistical evidence of publication bias suggested this estimate may be positively biased. Three potential study-level moderators for overall effects were also examined, but none were statistically significant. MBIs were associated with small-to-medium positive effects on therapeutic processes and therapeutic outcomes. MBIs had the smallest effects on measures of classroom climate and instructional practices. Overall, findings were similar to other meta-analytic reviews of MBIs for nonclinical adult populations and working professionals. The literature on MBIs for teachers appears to have similar gaps as research on MBIs for adults (e.g., Davidson & Kaszniak, 2015), including the primary use of self-report measures, the lack of active treatment comparisons, and rare reporting of treatment fidelity data. Directions for future research and implications are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).
Forecasting Cyberattacks as Time Series with Different Aggregation Granularity

Cyber defense can no longer be limited to intrusion detection methods. These systems require malicious activity to enter an internal network before an attack can be detected. Having advanced, predictive knowledge of future attacks allow a potential victim to heighten security and possibly prevent any malicious traffic from breaching the network. This paper investigates the use of Auto-Regressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) models and Bayesian Networks (BN) to predict future cyber attack occurrences and intensities against two target entities. In addition to incident count forecasting, categorical and binary occurrence metrics are proposed to better represent volume forecasts to a victim. Different measurement periods are used in time series construction to better model the temporal patterns unique to each attack type and target configuration, seeing over 86% improvement over baseline forecasts. Using ground truth aggregated over different measurement periods as signals, a BN is trained and tested for each attack type and the obtained results provided further evidence to support the findings from ARIMA. This work highlights the complexity of cyber attack occurrences; each subset has unique characteristics and is influenced by a number of potential external factors.
Thoracic surgery research on a “larger” scale

In this special issue of the Journal of Thoracic Diseases , the Editor-In-Chief, Professor Jie He, has graciously given the editors and authors a wonderful opportunity to highlight the value of outcomes research on a scale that is beyond that of each of our individual institutions. Hence, this special issue is entitled, “Population-based Research and Outcomes Associated with Thoracic Diseases” and is dedicated to providing the readers insights and guidance into pursuing outstanding science at the population level.
Comparing radical cystectomy with trimodal therapy for patients diagnosed with bladder cancer: Critical assessment of statistical methodology and interpretation of observational data.

373Background: Treatment guidelines for muscle-invasive bladder cancer recommend radical cystectomy. However, use of trimodal therapy has increased in recent years with conflicting survival outcome...
Opportunity Discrimination: A Hidden Liability Employers Can Fix

This article applies a model of workplace advancement where big employment decisions — like promotions and pay raises — are influenced in part by the disparate distribution of smaller opportunities over time. These smaller opportunities generally do not qualify as “adverse employment actions” for the purpose of a discrimination claim under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. However, their legal significance has been underestimated. The disparate denial of smaller opportunities has been successfully used as evidence of disparate treatment when plaintiffs are later denied a big opportunity. In addition, recent legislation passed in Washington state, the Equal Pay Opportunity Act, expanded gender discrimination law to more broadly protect women’s access to opportunities for advancement. The statute will likely encourage employers to scrutinize their distribution of smaller opportunities. In the MeToo era, other states may follow suit. This article argues that employers should identify and address disparities at the opportunity level to advance workplace equality. Drawing from social science research on discrimination in school discipline, employers could identify the particular decision points and contextual factors that drive disparities and use that information to address the problem. Such undertakings would also be compatible with existing internal employment structures.
Physiological identification of morphologically distinct afferent classes innervating the cristae ampullares of the squirrel monkey

1. Semicircular-canal afferents in the squirrel monkey were characterized by their resting discharge, discharge regularity, sensitivity to galvanic currents delivered to the ear (beta *), the gain ...
Numerical Studies of Absorption of Water in Polymers

We present two computer simulation studies on water penetration into polymers. A molecular dynamics model for the interaction between water molecules and a polymer of industrial interest allows us to determine where the water is bound and the shifts that this produces in the infrared spectrum. As a limiting case for diffusion of water in glassy polymers, we describe also Monte Carlo simulations for diffusion with trapping on a percolation lattice.