cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Recent advances with a virosomal hepatitis A vaccine

Background: Epaxal®, a virosomal vaccine against hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection, has been in use for nearly 15 years, especially among at-risk adults. Recent studies have shown that it is also a potent vaccine for children. Objective: To summarise recent advances of Epaxal® Junior (0.25 ml, paediatric formulation). Methods: Published papers reporting results on the virosomal HAV vaccine were abstracted and reviewed. Results/conclusion: In a comparative randomised trial, the paediatric dose was found to be highly immunogenic and non-inferior to the standard dose with respect to seroprotection rates. The concomitant administration of virosomal HAV vaccine with routine childhood vaccines was investigated in another trial. The virosomal HAV vaccine did not interact with the antibody response of routine childhood vaccines which in turn did not reduce the antibody response to HAV. In countries that recommend immunisation against hepatitis A, this virosomal vaccine is an excellent candidate with few side effe...
Relation between beta-adrenergic receptor density and lymphocyte proliferation associated with acute stress

The relations between acute changes in β-adrenoreceptor density on lymphocytes and lymphocyte proliferation to a laboratory speech stressor were examined. Male participants either prepared and delivered a challenging speech task or read from a list of words. Participants engaged in the speech task, but not those involved in reading, exhibited significant increases in systolic blood pressure (an index of sympathetic nervous system arousal) and β-adrenoreceptor density, accompanied by significant decreases in lymphocyte proliferation to pokeweed mitogen (PWM) but not concanavalin A (Con A). Increases in β-adrenoreceptor density significantly predicted decreases in lymphocyte activity in response to both mitogens. The increases in β-adrenoreceptor density in the speech task condition occurred within 5 min after the baseline period, when participants were preparing for the speech task, but not yet speaking. These findings suggest that an acute stressor eliciting sympathetic nervous system activity can evoke rapid changes in β-adrenoreceptor activity and decreases in mitogenic responses.
CENTERS OF ORIGIN AND RELATED CONCEPTS

Croizat, L., G. Nelson, and D. E. Rosen (Department of Ichthyology, The American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York 10024) 1974. Centers of origin and related concepts. Syst. Zool. 23:265-287.-The concept of center of origin in the Darwinian sense is often accepted and used as if it were a conceptual model necessary and fundamental to historical zoogeographical analysis. But in certain respects it is inconsistent with the principles of common ancestry and vicariance2 (e.g., allopatric speciation), and its application to concrete examples of animal distribution generally yields ambiguous results. In the following pages we present a critique of the concept of center of origin, and outline an alternative conceptual model, involving generalized patterns of biotic distribution (generalized tracks). We assume that a given generalized track estimates an ancestral biota that, because of changing geography, has become subdivided into descendant biotas in localized areas. We assume that in such areas, more or less biotically isolated from one another by barriers to dispersal, the descendant biotas differentiate and produce more modern patterns of taxonomic diversity and distribution. We reject the Darwinian concept of center of origin and its corollary, dispersal of species, as a conceptual model of general applicability in historical biogeography. We admit the reality of dispersal and specify how examples of dispersal may be recognized with reference both to sympatry and to generalized tracks, but we suggest that on a global basis the general features of modern biotic distribution have been determined by subdivision of ancestral biotas in response to changing geography. [Biogeography; distribution; evolution.]
Intravenous morphine in postoperative infants: intermittent bolus dosing versus targeted continuous infusions.

Eighty-three infants received i.v. morphine following surgery as a continuous infusion to a targeted morphine concentration of 20 ng ml(-1) (n = 56) or as intermittent bolus doses as needed (n = 27). Ventilation was compared in the two groups by continuous pulse oximetry, by venous blood gases on postoperative day 1 (POD 1) and by CO2 response curves. Infant pain scores were done to assess analgesia every 4 h. Both groups achieved pain scores consistent with analgesia but the bolus group showed a higher percentage of pain scores indicating distress (32 vs. 13%, P < 0.001). Room air saturations of < 90% were seen for 2.3% of POD1 in infusion-treated infants and for 2.5% of POD1 in bolus-treated infants. Mean venous PCO2S were normal in the two groups. Four infants showed ventilatory effects in the infusion group (4/ 56 = 7%); venous hypercarbia in two (2 days, 36 days), oximetry desaturation in one (240 days), both effects in one (6 days). Ventilatory effects were not statistically different between the intermittent bolus-treated and infusion-treated infants but may be clinically important. Monitoring with continuous oximetry is necessary. Morphine clearance increased with age. Infants with detectable morphine also had measurable morphine-6-glucuronide in both groups. Oral intake began at 16 h in both groups and other side effects were infrequent.
Determination of Water Saturation Using Gas Phase Partitioning Tracers and Time-Lapse Electrical Conductivity Measurements

Water saturation is an important indicator of contaminant distribution and plays a governing role in contaminant transport within the vadose zone. Understanding the water saturation distribution is critical for both remediation and contaminant flux monitoring in unsaturated environments. In this work we propose and demonstrate a method of remotely determining water saturation levels using gas phase partitioning tracers and time-lapse bulk electrical conductivity measurements. The theoretical development includes the partitioning chemistry for the tracers we demonstrate (ammonia and carbon dioxide), as well as a review of the petrophysical relationship governing how these tracers influence bulk conductivity. We also investigate methods of utilizing secondary information provided by electrical conductivity breakthrough magnitudes induced by the tracers. We test the method on clean, well characterized, intermediate-scale sand columns under controlled conditions. Results demonstrate the capability to predict partitioning coefficients and accurately monitor gas breakthrough curves along the length of the column according to the corresponding electrical conductivity response, leading to accurate water saturation estimates. This work is motivated by the need to develop effective characterization and monitoring techniques for contaminated deep vadose zone environments, and provides a proof-of-concept toward uniquely characterizing and monitoring water saturation levels at the field scale and in three-dimensionsmore » using electrical resistivity tomography.« less
Emotionally Expressive Head and Body Movement During Gaze Shifts

The current state of the art virtual characters fall far short of characters produced by skilled animators. One reason for this is that the physical behaviors of virtual characters do not express the emotions and attitudes of the character adequately. A key deficiency possessed by virtual characters is that their gaze behavior is not emotionally expressive. This paper describes work on expressing emotion through head movement and body posture during gaze shifts, with intent to integrate a model of emotionally expressive eye movement into this work in the future. The paper further describes an evaluation showing that users can recognize the emotional states generated by the model.
High-resolution refinement of orthorhombic bovine pancreatic phospholipase A2.

The X-ray structure of recombinant bovine pancreatic phospholipase A2 (PLA2), which specifically catalyzes the cleavage of the sn-2 acylester bond of phospholipids, has been refined at 1.5 A resolution. The crystal belongs to the space group P212121 with unit-cell parameters a = 47.12, b = 64.59 and c = 38.14 A similar to the native enzyme reported previously by Dijkstra et al. [J. Mol. Biol. (1981), 147, 97–123]. The refinement converged to an R value of 18.4% (Rfree = 22.8%) for 16 374 reflections between 10.0 and 1.5 A resolution. The surface-loop residues (60–70) are ordered in the present orthorhombic recombinant enzyme, but disordered in the trigonal recombinant enzyme. The active-site residues, His48, Asp99, and the catalytic water superimpose well with the trigonal form. Besides the catalytic water which is hydrogen bonded to His48, it is often seen that there is a second water attached to the same N atom of His48 and simultaneously hydrogen bonded to the O atom of Asp49. It is thought that the second water facilitates the tautomerism of His48 for enzyme catalysis. The catalytic water is also hydrogen bonded to the equatorial water coordinated to the calcium ion. In addition to the equatorial water, there is also an axial calcium water and the additional structural water. These five common water molecules are hydrogen bonded to the additional 16 water molecules in the present orthorhombic structure which may further enhance the structural integrity of the active site. Besides the protein and one calcium ion, a total of 134 water molecules were located in the present high-resolution refinement.
Electron Transport Modeling for Junctions of Zigzag and Armchair Graphene Nanoribbons (GNRs)

Conductance of a seamless string of zigzag/armchair/zigzag graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) is modeled using nonequilibrium Green's function methodology as a function of width, Fermi level and the metallic or semiconducting nature of the armchair GNR. Such a structure with a semiconductor armchair GNR combined with a top gate can potentially form a transistor whereas a structure with a metallic armchair GNR can be used for interconnecting nearby transistors. It is shown that the bends in such structures can be quite transparent for electrons (80% to 90% of ideal conductance) so long as there is the same number of conduction channels in the zigzag and armchair GNRs.
Five-Bar Double-Slider Two-DOF Parallel Manipulators for Singularity-Free Path Generation

Parallel manipulators are closed-loop multi-degree-of-freedom linkages, which have the merits of high stiffness, load-bearing, operation speed and precision positioning capabilities that are required in many industrial applications. The main challenges for parallel manipulators are the limited workspace and singularity-free path generation capability. This paper is focused on the singularity-free path generation of five-bar double-slider two-DOF parallel manipulators. The linkage feasibility conditions are derived based on the elimination of dead point position within the workspace. The workspace is generated using the curve-enveloping theory. The singularity characteristics and linkage configurations are presented. The singularity-free path generation capability is analyzed. The performance index contours within the workspace are produced using the condition number of the manipulator Jacobian matrix. This paper shows that five-bar double-slider two-DOF parallel manipulators can be used as effective singularity-free path generators if properly designed. The results of this paper provide a useful map for the proper design of this type of parallel manipulator.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
High-throughput microarray-based genotyping

A high throughput genotyping platform that scores over 10,000 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) per individual on a single GeneChip/spl reg/ high-density oligonucleotide microarray has been developed to conduct studies to elucidate the genetic basis for complex diseases. Currently, the genotyping of individual SNPs relies on the summary statistics (based on the observed intensities of probes on the microarray) for the entirety of the sample set. A classification scheme of those statistics across hundreds of individual DNA samples is obtained to make individual genotyping calls. In contrast to the current approach, the method in this work makes individual genotyping call by finding the minimum residual, i.e. highest likelihood, among four possible states corresponding to three genotypes and no-call. Initially, the residual is calculated based on a given set of probe affinities for that individual sample. Auspiciously, the multitude of samples was utilized to iterate to refine the probe affinities, sample concentration, and background intensities. These refined parameters entail an improved call rate while maintaining high accuracy.
A content-driven framework for geolocating microblog users

Highly dynamic real-time microblog systems have already published petabytes of real-time human sensor data in the form of status updates. However, the lack of user adoption of geo-based features per user or per post signals that the promise of microblog services as location-based sensing systems may have only limited reach and impact. Thus, in this article, we propose and evaluate a probabilistic framework for estimating a microblog user's location based purely on the content of the user's posts. Our framework can overcome the sparsity of geo-enabled features in these services and bring augmented scope and breadth to emerging location-based personalized information services. Three of the key features of the proposed approach are: (i) its reliance purely on publicly available content; (ii) a classification component for automatically identifying words in posts with a strong local geo-scope; and (iii) a lattice-based neighborhood smoothing model for refining a user's location estimate. On average we find that the location estimates converge quickly, placing 51p of users within 100 miles of their actual location.
Noncoherent physical-layer network coding using binary CPFSK modulation

Physical-layer network coding is a high-throughput technique for communicating over the two-way relay channel, which consists of two terminals that communicate exclusively via an intermediate relay. An exchange of messages begins with both terminals transmitting binary data sequences simultaneously to the relay. The relay determines the modulo-2 sum of the sequences, which it modulates and broadcasts to the terminals. Since each terminal knows the information it transmitted, it can determine the information transmitted by the other terminal by subtracting its own information from the broadcast signal. Prior work on the topic of physical-layer network coding has assumed that the signals transmitted by the two terminals arrive at the relay with perfectly aligned phases, permitting coherent reception. In this paper, we relax the assumption of aligned phases and consider noncoherent reception of binary continuous-phase frequency-shift keying signals. A derivation of the relay receiver is given for varying amounts of channel state information, and results are provided showing the error performance of the proposed system without an outer error-correcting code and with an outer turbo code.
BOTTOM STRESS MODIFICATION BY BREAKING WAVES WITHIN A LONGSHORE CURRENT MODEL

Early radiation stress models of longshore current generation (Bowen 1969, Longuet-Higgins 1970a, 1970b, Thornton 1970) employing monochromatic wave models produced reasonable cross-shore current distributions over planar beaches, but relied heavily on horizontal mixing for smoothing of the velocity profile. Such mixing is required because the radiation stress associated with the alongshore component of the wave-induced momentum flux, Syx, is, in theory, conserved outside the surf zone, but at the singular location of breaking predicted for monochromatic waves experiences instantaneous decay, and so an infinite gradient in radiation stress. Waves observed in nature are seldom monochromatic and so more recent models of wave height transformation employ random wave height descriptions. This randomness is normally invoked through use of a representative statistic, such as H^, via either a probabilistic (eg. Thornton and Guza (1983)) or a deterministic/Monte Carlo (eg. Dally et al. (1985)) approach. Thornton and Guza (1986) found that for the near-planar beach at Santa Barbara, the distribution of breaker locations produced through such randomness, and the resulting smoothing of the rms-wave height decay, yielded a satisfactory velocity profile without the inclusion of a horizontal mixing term. The random wave height model is not, however, able to explain longshore currents on barred beaches. The same radiation stress approach which performs well on a planar beach now predicts two maxima in forcing (over the bar and at the shore) and, if mixing is omitted, two maxima in longshore current velocity. This is in direct conflict with observations from the DELILAH experiment, (an acronym for Duck Experiment on Low-frequency and Incident-band Longshore and Across-shore Hydrodynamics), which generally show a single maximum in longshore current over the trough, where the radiation stress gradient is hear zero.
Effect of Fertilizer on the Protein and Amino Acid Content of Yellow Corn and Implications for Feed Formulation

Abstract Analysis of samples of corn grain collected in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, showed that fertilization with N, P, and K resulted in increases in crude protein content of corn. Among four pairs of samples, produced with and without fertilizer, the sulfur-containing amino acids and tryptophan were increased by a smaller factor than was total protein. In three of four comparisons, lysine was increased by a greater factor than was protein. In all comparisons, histidine and leucine were increased by a factor equal to or greater than that for protein. For the other amino acids, the relation of the increase to the increase in protein was not consistent. Chick mash formulas were calculated using analyses of high and low protein corn samples. Use of high protein corn resulted in a 12% reduction in the level of soybean meal and did not affect, either favorably or unfavorably, the need for amino acid supplementation.
Recently described entities in the gynaecological tract

In recent years there have been significant advances in our understanding of female genital tract tumours due to the fact that new molecular abnormalities and translocations have been identified in certain neoplasms. Also, terminology of various lesions in the gynaecological tract has changed and a couple of new entities have been described.In this review we will highlight some mesenchymal neoplasms including gynaecological perivascular epithelioid cell tumour (PEComa), inflammatory myofibroblastic tumour (IMT) occurring in the uterus and discuss and review terminology of endometrial stromal neoplasms.A recently described entity, gastric type endocervical adenocarcinoma will be reviewed, summarising its most salient microscopic and clinical features. The newly proposed endocervical adenocarcinoma classification system by Silva and collegues will be reviewed as well.Finally, a particular high-grade endometrial carcinoma (undifferentiated endometrial carcinoma) will be discussed highlighting the importance of its recognition and differential diagnosis.
Seasonal Fluctuation in Abundance, Reproductive Status, Sex Ratio, and Mating of the Adult Green Cloverworm

Blacklight traps were placed in soybean fields in 3 central Iowa counties during late April and early May 1975. Traps were tended every third day, with the number and sex of the collected green cloverworm adults recorded. Females were dissected to determine the number of times each had mated and were classified according to their reproductive status. Green cloverworms showed a distinct seasonal variation in mating and reproductive status. Seasonal variation culminates in nonfecund females during autumn. Male green cloverworms were collected in greater numbers in blacklight traps than were females. The sex ratio was weighted toward males when the population numbers were at high levels.
Effect of rich-d-trans allethrin coils and allethrin coils against mosquitoes

Objective To evaluate the control effects of twelve rich-d-trans allethrin coils and eleven allethrin coils against mosquitoes. Methods Laboratory test and mimic field test. Results The mimic fields tests showed that all of 23 kinds of coil could control mosquitoes very well,satisfying Grade A of the National Standard;the laboratory tests indicated that 17 of the 23 kinds of coils held very high control effect against mosquitoes,satisfying Grade A of the National Standard,6 of allethrin coils could only reach Grade B of the National Standard.Rich-d-trans allethrin coils could control mosquitoes better than allethrin coils at the same dosages of active ingredient.Conclusion Both rich-d-trans allethrin coils and allethrin coils could control mosquitoes well.
Quantum multimode treatment of light scattering by an atom in a waveguide

We present a full multimode treatment of the interaction of the quantized radiation field with a single two-level atom in a one-dimensional waveguide configuration. Starting with an incident pulse consisting of an arbitrary (finite) number of photons in a general initial state, we derive the equations of motion and a closed-form expression for the shape of the pulse after its interaction with the atom. We then specialize our results to the two-photon case where a number of analytical results can be derived, for both unidirectional and bidirectional systems. We study the effects of different pulse shapes, the manifestations of the entangled, so-called bound state of the two photons, single- and two-photon detection probabilities, and provide simple approximate results for the strong-coupling (or adiabatic, or long-pulse) regime. We also discuss the requirements for a true unidirectional setup, and the application of such a setup to photon sorting proposed by Witthaut, Lukin, and S\o{}rensen [Europhys. Lett. 97, 50007 (2012)].
Cultural Factors Moderating Links Between Neighborhood Disadvantage and Parenting and Coparenting Among Mexican Origin Families

Mexican origin families with young children living in the United States are disproportionately likely to live in disadvantaged neighborhoods that may threaten engagement in positive parenting processes. However, the influences of contextual risks on family processes among Mexican origin families remain unclear. The goal of the present study is to assume a cultural strengths perspective to consider the extent to which acculturation and the Mexican American cultural value of familism buffers associations between objective (i.e., census data) and subjective (i.e., mother-reported) neighborhood disadvantage and mother-reported supportive parenting and coparenting cooperation. The present study draws self-report data from mothers along with census data for family home addresses from a community sample (N = 71) of Mexican origin families with toddlers. The findings indicate that the processes linking subjective and objective neighborhood disadvantage to family processes differ. Specifically, mothers’ reports of neighborhood disadvantage are linked to reduced supportive parenting for mothers with low levels of acculturation. Objective measures of neighborhood disadvantage are linked to reduced supportive parenting and less coparenting cooperation for mothers who report lower levels of familism beliefs. The findings highlight complex links between neighborhood contexts and family processes. Further, the findings support the role of familism beliefs as a promoter of resilient parenting in the context of objective neighborhood disadvantage.
Origin and Operation of Regulation in the USA

Our approach to this point has been primarily to consider the nature of welfare optimal behaviour for natural monopoly. Henceforth we deal with the operation of various governance structures for natural monopoly. In this chapter, and in Chapter 6, we will be concerned with regulation of privately-owned natural monopoly. This is mainly a US phenomenon. However, in view of the interest in privatisation, for example, the sale of half of the stock of British Telecom to the public, the efficiency consequences of US regulation may be of interest outside the USA. In view of this we have attempted to compare the efficiency properties of various governance structure for natural monopoly, including rate-of-return regulation and public enterprise, by means of comparative institutional assessment in Chapter 7.
The Effect of Scaffolding Strategies for Inscriptions and Argumentation in a Science Cyberlearning Environment

Scientific inscriptions—graphs, diagrams, and data—and argumentation are integral to learning and communicating science and are common elements in cyberlearning environments—those involving the use of networked learning technologies. However, previous research has indicated that learners struggle to use inscriptions and when they engage in argumentation, the learning of science content becomes secondary to the learning of argumentation skills. The purpose of this study was to evaluate two scaffolding strategies for these elements in a secondary school context: (1) self-explanation prompts paired with a scientific inscription and (2) faded worked examples for the evaluation and development of scientific arguments. Participants consisted of ninth and tenth grade students (age 13–16 years; N = 245) enrolled in state-mandated biology courses taught by four different teachers. A three-factor mixed model analysis of variance with two between factors (self-explanation prompts and faded worked examples) and one within factor (pre-, post-, delayed posttest) was used to evaluate the effects on the acquisition and retention of domain-specific content knowledge. Results indicated that neither strategy influenced the acquisition and retention of science content in a positive (i.e., learning) or negative (i.e., expertise reversal effect) way. Thus, general prompts were as effective as either of the scaffolding conditions. These unanticipated results suggest that additional research is warranted for learning scaffolds with pre-college populations where the gains were established with college-aged participants.
OCTUPOLE CORRELATIONS IN 152Eu AND 154Eu

The structures of the low-lying intrinsic states in 152Eu and 154Eu are calculated using a microscopic quasiparticle phonon model similar to that of Soloviev. Experimental data with specific emphasis on stripping and pick-up cross-sections on 153Eu are in agreement with the calculations. Octupole correlations between these calculated intrinsic states are analyzed. The opposite parities and appropriate octupole correlations of several of the states provide a theoretical basis for the previous interpretation of parity doublets in 152Eu and 154Eu. The E1 enhancements of the ΔK=0 transitions in both nuclei are also discussed.
A theoretical review of consumer priming: Prospective theory, retrospective theory, and the affective–behavioral–cognitive model

Primes are pervasive in marketing. Despite frequent use in practice, there has yet to be a framework to categorize priming techniques that is inclusive of measurement challenges and methods for administering primes as well as provides insight for researchers on how to think about and construct research using priming. Prior researchers have provided reviews of priming research, which have set the stage for discussions of priming theories and challenges of using primes in survey research. We build from their review and contribute in four ways by (i) reviewing priming theories rooted in both prospective and retrospective models of memory; (ii) developing a priming framework based on the ABC model of attitudes (affective, behavioral, and cognitive priming) that incorporates lexical priming, priming fluency effects, and methods for administering primes; (iii) addressing priming challenges including discrepancies between the priming method and measurement method; and (iv) positing the influence of personal characteristics on priming, such as the role of skepticism in assimilation and contrast effects. The final model is offered and elaborated upon as a guide for future research. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Spatial variability of SEBAL estimated root-zone soil moisture across scales

This study investigated the spatial scaling behaviour of root-zone soil moisture obtained from optical/thermal remote-sensing observations. The data for this study were obtained from Landsat and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer MODIS satellites on five different dates between early spring April and fall September in the years from 2000 to 2004 in the semi-arid middle Rio Grande Valley of New Mexico. Soil moisture data were obtained using the Surface Energy Balance Algorithm for Land SEBAL algorithm. The data were spatially aggregated and checked for power-law behaviour over a range of scales from 30 m to 15 km for Landsat and from 1 to 28 km for MODIS images. Results of this study demonstrate that power-law scaling of soil moisture in the middle Rio Grande area holds up to 1 km2 pixel size, but is no longer valid beyond that scale. Whereas previous studies have studied soil moisture in the top 5 cm of the soil using radar and point measurements, our study uses SEBAL to estimate root-zone soil moisture. Our study is consistent with these previous studies in showing that variation in root-zone soil follows an empirical power law for pixel sizes of up to about 106 m2 and that there is an apparent break in the scaling at larger scales.
Society and the Market Process

This chapter defines the fundamental concepts needed to describe and assess Uber. All social interaction is understood here as a set of cooperative practices. These practices establish themselves as individuals voluntarily engage in interaction and exchange. They are not necessary for the individual but considerably ease the individual’s life. Market processes are cooperative practices of the exchange of goods, they are open-ended, undetermined, and non-causal. In market processes different degrees of innovation arise. Schumpeterian innovation radically changes market processes, creatively destroying them. Kirznerian innovation occurs when individuals are alert and take advantage of gaps in the market processes. In either case, innovation is not only driven by entrepreneurs and agents in the market processes. In most cases, innovations themselves are impacted by the cooperative practices of a society.
Detecting common genomic mechanism between diseases using paired sparse canonical correlation analysis

Human diseases of different etiologies, for example, different acute inflammatory diseases, often share common underlying molecular mechanism. Investigating this commonality will help us not only better understand the diseases but also identify new molecular targets for therapy. In our study, we make use of genomic profile data together with clinical information and propose a statistical approach to detect the common gene set that is reflective of the common mechanism in the multiple diseases. Our paired sparse Canonical Correlation Analysis (psCCA), utilizes multiple clinical variables that measure different aspects of the disease severity or progress. Simultaneously assessing relationships between multiple clinical variables and genomic profiles for given diseases, psCCA provides the overall picture of the relationships, thus is a more adequate approach to explore multiple diseases than performing millions of individual tests. Using lasso penalty, psCCA identifies the sparse linear combination of genes that is highly correlated with the corresponding clinical variables. It maximizes the correlation within diseases and restricts the model such that the selected genes are common for all given diseases. Our simulation shows that psCCA is able to select a common gene set underlying clinical phenotype for multiple diseases. We also demonstrate this new method on data sets of burn and trauma patients.
Hearing From the Silent Epidemic

Ly and colleagues explore the implications of the current HCV epidemic in reproductive-aged women and their babies. The editorial discusses the consequences of the opioid epidemic on HCV and the ne...
Nicotine Alters the Gut Microbiome and Metabolites of Gut–Brain Interactions in a Sex-Specific Manner

As the primary active substance in tobacco, nicotine affects the activity of the central nervous system, and its effects are sex-dependent. There are complex interactions between the gut and brain, and the gut microbiome can influence neuronal activity and host behavior, with diverse chemical signaling being involved. However, it is unclear whether nicotine can affect the normal gut microbiome and associated chemical signaling of the gut–brain axis. Sex is an important factor that shapes the gut microbiome, but the role of sex in the interaction among nicotine, gut bacteria, and related metabolites remains unknown. In this study, we applied high-throughput sequencing and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) to explore how nicotine exposure affects the gut microbiome and its metabolism in female and male C57BL/6J mice, with a focus on the chemical signaling involved in gut–brain interactions. 16S sequencing results indicated that the community composition of the gut microbiome was differentially pe...
Sexual abuse and exploitation of unaccompanied migrant children in Greece: Identifying risk factors and gaps in services during the European migration crisis

Abstract The present study explores sexual abuse and exploitation of unaccompanied migrant children in Greece, and the risk factors associated with their occurrence. This study was conducted in Greece during 2016, at a time when inadequate official response to the ongoing migration crisis, including to the large number of unaccompanied child arrivals, led to a dire child protection crisis. Twenty-four in depth interviews were conducted with key informants in four of the main migrant hosting localities in Greece. The qualitative data reveal a series of institutional, legislative and individual factors that routinely expose unaccompanied children to sexual abuse and exploitation. The absence of safe and legal paths to appropriate migration destinations, the impossibility of returning home to oppressive and harmful environments and the daily exposure to unsatisfactory, sometimes inhumane, living conditions inside migrant facilities, are the main factors that drive unaccompanied migrant children toward sexual exploitation. The study also catalogs a series of significant gaps in both government and non-government responses. Among the most important are the absence of an integrated child protection system that spans national and local jurisdictions, the failure of existing child welfare systems to classify unaccompanied migrant children as a distinct and unique population requiring immediate attention and care irrespective of migration status, and the lack of properly trained and qualified staff to work with this uniquely vulnerable population. The study concludes that the current situation is evidence not of a migration crisis per se, but of a crisis in child protection.
Forest Change and Human Driving Forces in Central America

Three research projects, supported by the NASA Land Cover and Land Use Change (LCLUC) Science Program have been conducted in the Central America and Mexico (Mesoamerica) region. The first two projects were conducted in Northern Guatemala (Maya Biosphere Reserve) and the Southern Yucatan Peninsular Region (SYPR) of Mexico. The third project, focused on the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor, had broader coverage over the entire Central American region under a cooperative research memorandum of understanding between NASA and the environmental ministers of the seven Central American countries.
Stigma and Stigmatization

As Weiss and Ramakrishna noted in 2006, stigma is “a social process or personal experience characterized by exclusion, rejection, blame or devaluation that results from experience or reasonable anticipation of an adverse social judgment about a person or group.” In HIV related stigma, this judgment is conferred by one’s HIV-seropositive status. Framed as an individually constructed trait, early research on HIV stigma has focused on stereotype formation and its behavioral and emotional consequences. Studies have identified two categories of stigmatization—enacted and felt stigma, distinguished by experiences of actual discrimination (enacted stigma) and one’s perceived fear of encountering stigmatizing practices (felt stigma). Both forms of HIV-related stigma are intertwined with the illness course and uniquely sustained or mitigated by the responses of broader society, friends, and families. Moreover, there are multiple layers of stigma particularly among women and ethnic and sexual minorities living with HIV. Perceptions of marginalization and social rejection, for example, could be perpetuated by virtue of one’s serostatus, risk behaviors associated with HIV transmission, undocumented immigration status, gender, or sexual orientation. The immediate consequence of enacted HIV-related stigma is a loss or diminution of individual status. People living with HIV (PLHIV) who experience status loss often report poor mental health outcomes (depression, negative self-worth, social isolation), delayed access to and inconsistent utilization of HIV care, poor medical treatment adherence, and avoidance of serostatus disclosure, particularly among racial and ethnic minorities in the USA and groups that contend with inequalities that predate learning about their HIV serostatus.
Trends in Outpatient Antibiotic Use in 3 Health Plans

OBJECTIVES: Previous analyses of data from 3 large health plans suggested that the substantial downward trend in antibiotic use among children appeared to have attenuated by 2010. Now, data through 2014 from these same plans allow us to assess whether antibiotic use has declined further or remained stable. METHODS: Population-based antibiotic-dispensing rates were calculated from the same health plans for each study year between 2000 and 2014. For each health plan and age group, we fit Poisson regression models allowing 2 inflection points. We calculated the change in dispensing rates (and 95% confidence intervals) in the periods before the first inflection point, between the first and second inflection points, and after the second inflection point. We also examined whether the relative contribution to overall dispensing rates of common diagnoses for which antibiotics were prescribed changed over the study period. RESULTS: We observed dramatic decreases in antibiotic dispensing over the 14 study years. Despite previous evidence of a plateau in rates, there were substantial additional decreases between 2010 and 2014. Whereas antibiotic use rates decreased overall, the fraction of prescribing associated with individual diagnoses was relatively stable. Prescribing for diagnoses for which antibiotics are clearly not indicated appears to have decreased. CONCLUSIONS: These data revealed another period of marked decline from 2010 to 2014 after a relative plateau for several years for most age groups. Efforts to decrease unnecessary prescribing continue to have an impact on antibiotic use in ambulatory practice.
Seven-Layer Classification of Infrastructure to Improve Community Resilience to Disasters

AbstractCommunity resilience to natural disasters depends to a large extent on the adequacy of infrastructure services provided through multidimensional interdependent systems during postdisaster r...
Extrapolation of nuclear structure observables with artificial neural networks

Calculations of nuclei are often carried out in finite model spaces. Thus, finite-size corrections enter, and it is necessary to extrapolate the computed observables to infinite model spaces. In this work, we employ extrapolation methods based on artificial neural networks for observables such as the ground-state energy and the point-proton radius. We extrapolate results from no-core shell model and coupled-cluster calculations to very large model spaces and estimate uncertainties. Training the network on different data typically yields extrapolation results that cluster around distinct values. We show that a preprocessing of input data, and the inclusion of correlations among the input data, reduces the problem of multiple solutions and yields more stable extrapolated results and consistent uncertainty estimates. We perform extrapolations for ground-state energies and radii in $^{4}\mathrm{He}, ^{6}\mathrm{Li}$, and $^{16}\mathrm{O}$, and compare the predictions from neural networks with results from infrared extrapolations.
Heteroskedastic Linear Regression: Steps Towards Adaptivity, Efficiency, and Robustness

In linear regression with heteroscedastic errors, the Generalized Least Squares (GLS) estimator is optimal, i.e., it is the Best Linear Unbiased Estimator (BLUE). The Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) estimator is suboptimal but still valid, i.e., unbiased and consistent. White, in his seminal paper (White, Econometrica 48:817–838, 1980) used the OLS residuals in order to obtain an estimate of the standard error of the OLS estimator under an unknown structure of the underlying heteroscedasticity. The GLS estimator similarly depends on the unknown heteroscedasticity, and is thus intractable. In this paper, we introduce two different approximations to the optimal GLS estimator; the starting point for both approaches is in the spirit of White’s correction, i.e., using the OLS residuals to get a rough estimate of the underlying heteroscedasticity. We show how the new estimators can benefit from the Wild Bootstrap both in terms of optimising them, and in terms of providing valid standard errors for them despite their complicated construction. The performance of the new estimators is compared via simulations to the OLS and to the exact (but intractable) GLS.
Teachers’ Unions: Engaging Teachers and Improving Student Achievement in States That Prohibit Collective Bargaining:

This research investigates whether teachers’ unions influence student academic achievement in Southern states that prohibit collective bargaining. Our data are from the School and Staffing Survey a...
Pilot Evaluation of Preservice Teacher Training to Improve Preparedness and Confidence to Address Student Mental Health

Teachers have an important role in identifying, supporting, and referring students with mental health needs to school-based mental health providers. However, most teachers receive little or no prep...
Structural modeling and dynamic analysis of condensate storage tanks in nuclear power plants

Abstract Condensate storage tanks (CSTs) in nuclear power plants (NPPs) are classified as critical equipment capable of surviving strong shaking in a design basis earthquake to assure the ability to subsequently provide cooling water. Structural modeling and dynamic analysis of CSTs are complicated due to fluid-structure interaction (FSI) and coupling issues, which could have significant effects on seismic response. The capability of a number of approximate models to capture seismic response is investigated using dynamic analysis results from detailed finite element models. Modal analyses and time history analyses are carried out using both 2D and 3D models to predict the dynamic behavior of CSTs as a function of ground motion intensity. Although 2D simplified models can be used to quickly evaluate the dynamic response of CSTs when there is substantial margin to failure, a detailed 3D model is required when it is necessary to examine a limit state associated with the failure mode of the tank. The results show good agreement between the natural frequencies of convective modes determined from the 2D and 3D CST models. The difference between the frequencies of impulsive modes were found to be equal to or less than 25%.
From Classical to Modern Republicanism : Reflections on England, Scotland, America, and France

In 1955 Louis Hartz published a volume titled The Liberal Tradition in America, in which he argued that liberalism was the one and only American tradition. Since then scholars of New Left and neoconservative persuasion have offered an alternative account based on the notion that the civic notions of antiquity continued to dominate political thought in modern times. Against this revisionist view the argument of From Classical to Modern Liberalism is that we need to study America in comparative perspective, and if we do so we shall discover that republicanism in the modern world was distinctively modern, drawing upon ideas of natural rights, consent, and social contract. Rather than a struggle between liberalism and republicanism, we should speak about liberal republicanism. Rather than republicanism versus liberalism, we should address liberalism versus illiberalism, the true issue of our age.
5 Searching for the Google of the Dark Web

As I discuss in the introduction, one of the definitions of the Dark Web I reject is the Deep Web characterization, which holds that it comprises everything Google hasn't indexed. This definition implies that there are layers to the Internet, each one more impenetrable than the last, where only those with elite computer networking skills can navigate. It also implies that there are no Dark Web search engines.
A Cross-Sectional Examination of Patterns of Sedentary Behavior and Cardiometabolic Risk in Community-Dwelling Adults Aged 55 Years and Older

Introduction. Sedentary behavior (SB) is highly prevalent among older adults, with more than 25% engaging in 6 hours or more of SB daily. SB has been associated with several cardiometabolic biomarkers in younger adults; however, there is a paucity of research in older populations. This study examined associations between patterns of SB and cardiometabolic biomarkers in community-dwelling adults aged 55 years and older. Methods. Data were drawn from a convenience sample of 54 community-dwelling individuals (12 males, 42 females; mean age = 72.6 ± 6.8 years, range = 56–89 years). Cardiometabolic biomarkers assessed included systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), body mass index, waist circumference, and fasting blood glucose and cholesterol parameters. SB was assessed via accelerometry over a 7-day period, and measures included daily time in SB, number and length of sedentary bouts, the number and length of breaks between sedentary bouts, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and light physical activity (LPA). Associations between the SB measures and each cardiometabolic risk factor were examined using separate stepwise multiple regression models, controlling for sex, MVPA, and accelerometer wear time. Isotemporal substitution models were used to examine the change in cardiometabolic outcomes when SB is replaced by an equal duration of either LPA or MVPA. Results. Adjusted regression analyses showed that daily sedentary time was positively associated with DBP (β = 0.052, ∆R2 = 0.112, ) and inversely associated with HDL cholesterol (β = −0.111, ∆R2 = 0.121, ). Sedentary bout length was also associated with DBP and HDL cholesterol (β = 0.575, ∆R2 = 0.152, p = 0.007; β = −1.529, ∆R2 = 0.196, , respectively). Replacement of 10 minutes of SB a day with LPA was associated with improved DBP and HDL cholesterol ( ). No other significant associations ( ) were found. Conclusion. Sitting for prolonged periods of time without interruption is unfavorably associated with DBP and HDL cholesterol. Prospective studies should identify causal relationships and observe specific changes in cardiometabolic profiles in older populations.