cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Selective Targeting by a Mechanism-Based Inactivator against Pyridoxal 5′-Phosphate-Dependent Enzymes: Mechanisms of Inactivation and Alternative Turnover

Potent mechanism-based inactivators can be rationally designed against pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (PLP)-dependent drug targets, such as ornithine aminotransferase (OAT) or γ-aminobutyric acid aminotransferase (GABA-AT). An important challenge, however, is the lack of selectivity toward other PLP-dependent, off-target enzymes, because of similarities in mechanisms of all PLP-dependent aminotransferase reactions. On the basis of complex crystal structures, we investigate the inactivation mechanism of OAT, a hepatocellular carcinoma target, by (1R,3S,4S)-3-amino-4-fluorocyclopentane-1-carboxylic acid (FCP), a known inactivator of GABA-AT. A crystal structure of OAT and FCP showed the formation of a ternary adduct. This adduct can be rationalized as occurring via an enamine mechanism of inactivation, similar to that reported for GABA-AT. However, the crystal structure of an off-target, PLP-dependent enzyme, aspartate aminotransferase (Asp-AT), in complex with FCP, along with the results of attempted inhibition as...
Monte Carlo evaluation of magnetically focused proton beams for radiosurgery.

The purpose of this project is to investigate the advantages in dose distribution and delivery of proton beams focused by a triplet of quadrupole magnets in the context of potential radiosurgery treatments. Monte Carlo simulations were performed using various configurations of three quadrupole magnets located immediately upstream of a water phantom. Magnet parameters were selected to match what can be commercially manufactured as assemblies of rare-earth permanent magnetic materials. Focused unmodulated proton beams with a range of ~10 cm in water were target matched with passive collimated beams (the current beam delivery method for proton radiosurgery) and properties of transverse dose, depth dose and volumetric dose distributions were compared. Magnetically focused beams delivered beam spots of low eccentricity to Bragg peak depth with full widths at the 90% reference dose contour from ~2.5 to 5 mm. When focused initial beam diameters were larger than matching unfocused beams (10 of 11 cases) the focused beams showed 16%–83% larger peak-to-entrance dose ratios and 1.3 to 3.4-fold increases in dose delivery efficiency. Peak-to-entrance and efficiency benefits tended to increase with larger magnet gradients and larger initial diameter focused beams. Finally, it was observed that focusing tended to shift dose in the water phantom volume from the 80%–20% dose range to below 20% of reference dose, compared to unfocused beams. We conclude that focusing proton beams immediately upstream from tissue entry using permanent magnet assemblies can produce beams with larger peak-to-entrance dose ratios and increased dose delivery efficiencies. Such beams could potentially be used in the clinic to irradiate small-field radiosurgical targets with fewer beams, lower entrance dose and shorter treatment times.
Evaluating Practice: Science as Faith

When social work research is viewed within a broad perspective of ideologies, changing technologies, and types of problems to be studied, one reaches the inevitable conclusion that there is no sing...
Parallel Triangle Counting over Large Graphs

Counting the number of triangles in a graph is significant for complex network analysis. However, with the rapid growth of graph size, the classical centralized algorithms can not process triangle counting efficiently. Though some researches have proposed parallel triangle counting implementations on Hadoop, the performance enhancement remains a challenging task. To efficiently solve the parallel triangle counting problem, we put forward a hybrid parallel triangle counting algorithm with efficient pruning methods. In addition, we propose a parallel sample algorithm which can avoid repeated edge sampling and produce high-precision results. We implement our patterns based on bulk synchronous parallel framework. Compared with the Hadoop-based implementation, 2 to 13 times gains can be obtained in terms of executing time.
Autoantibodies in interstitial cystitis.

AbstractWe have identified and partially characterized autoantibodies from the sera of patients with interstitial cystitis. Our characterization included initial screening by antinuclear antibody testing on human HEp-2 cell substrate and mouse kidney/stomach tissue substrate, titering and subtyping of positive sera, and Western blotting to identify target autoantigens. Of 96 interstitial cystitis patients 35 (36%) were positive for antinuclear antibodies at titers of 1/40 or greater. Among the antinuclear antibody patterns observed 24 were dense fine nuclear speckles, 7 were nucleolar, 3 were mitochondrial and 1 was coarse nuclear speckles. All but 4 of the antinuclear antibody positive sera were exclusively of the IgG class. As determined by unique antinuclear antibody staining patterns and by specificities on Western blots, interstitial cystitis autoantibodies appear to recognize novel autoantigens not previously described in patients with systemic autoimmune diseases, such as lupus, scleroderma and Sjo...
Determinants of State Spending Patterns in Arab League Member States: a Post-Arab Spring Analysis, 1996–2014

What is the purpose of the modern nation-state and what drives its main functions? This analysis attempts to provide an answer by examining the correlates of state spending on military and public health in the Middle East and North Africa. I draw on theories of states and power, identifying the dual nature of modern nation-states, and argue that spending on military and social policy is shaped largely by domestic institutional arrangements. Theories from comparative politics, sociology, and political economy are operationalized. I consider hypotheses derived from each using pooled cross-sectional time series analysis with macroeconomic data and sociopolitical indicators. Analysis shows that democratic institutions generate spending in both areas, while governing capacity is associated with decreases in military and increases in public health spending. The regression also suggests the unrest of 2011 generated increases in military spending. Overall, these findings provide support for the notion that institutional arrangements largely determine state spending priorities and provide other insights relevant to the theories being tested. This paper extends our understanding of state behaviors vis-a-vis state spending in the context of social unrest. In light of these findings, I theorize that state behavior is molded by the triangular relationship between state, economy, and civil society, and I discuss the need to consider military expenditures in institutional analyses.
Developing Elementary Students' Digital Literacy through Augmented Reality Creation: Insights from a Longitudinal Analysis of Questionnaires, Interviews, and Projects.

This mixed-method case study investigated digital literacy (DL) development among 32 elementary-level students who created multimodal, contextual, and interactive augmented reality (AR) artifacts i...
Survival analysis of caries incidence in African‐American school‐aged children

OBJECTIVES To conduct an assessment of time-dependent covariates related to dental caries of the permanent dentition among a low socioeconomic status, understudied cohort of children, incorporating time-dependent covariates through the application of extended Cox proportional hazards modeling. METHODS This study modeled the time to first cavitated dental caries in permanent teeth among school-aged children and assessed factors associated with this event. A cohort of 98 low socioeconomic status African-American children with mean age of 5.85 years at baseline was recruited in Uniontown, Alabama and followed prospectively for 6 years. None of these children had dental caries on permanent teeth at baseline, and oral examinations were performed annually. Caries-free survival curves were generated to describe time to event (having first decayed, filled, or missing permanent surface). Bivariate and multivariable extended Cox hazards modeling was used to assess the relationships between time-dependent and time-independent covariates and time to event. RESULTS Twenty-eight children (28.6 percent) had their first permanent tooth caries event during the 6-year follow-up. Multivariable results showed that greater consumption of water was associated with lower dental caries hazard, while previous primary tooth caries experience was associated with greater dental caries hazard after adjustment for frequency of consumptions of milk, added-sugar beverages, and 100 percent juice. CONCLUSIONS There was a global/overall significant caries protective effect of water consumption during the school-age period of child development.
Insights into cognitive pupillometry: Evaluation of the utility of pupillary metrics for assessing cognitive load in normative and clinical samples.

Abstract Despite increasing use of pupillometry to understand cognitive deficits in clinical populations, there is no consensus on what pupillary metrics are most useful. In this study, we compare the reliability, sensitivity to mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) and cognitive load differences, and the likelihood of replication between various pupillary metrics. Raw pupil diameter was recorded from 15 patients with chronic mild TBI and 23 uninjured controls while they performed a cognitive task with three levels of cognitive load. Several pupillary metrics were quantified from the pupillary data and submitted to tests of internal consistency, group ∗ cognitive load repeated measures ANOVAs, and bootstrapping analyses of effect size. Most pupillary metrics demonstrated acceptable, good, or excellent reliability. Metrics differed in sensitivity to group, cognitive load, and their interaction. Bootstrapping analyses revealed that peak-based metrics are more likely to replicate than means- or ratio-based metrics. Several pupillary metrics were determined to have great utility for measuring cognitive load in clinical or normative samples. This study directly addresses a known methodological gap in the cognitive pupillometry literature.
Antiinflammatory Herbal Supplements

Abstract Many herbal products are used in traditional Chinese medicine for their antiinflammatory effects. For example, angelica root, astragalus, danshen, ginkgo biloba, and ginseng are commonly used throughout the United States to limit clinically recognized aspects of inflammation. The antiinflammatory properties of these herbal supplements are discussed in this chapter. In addition, other popular antiinflammatory herbal supplements, such as borage oil, chasteberry, chrysanthemum, cinnamon, echinacea, eucalyptus oil, feverfew, licorice, honey, ginger, garlic milk thistle, turmeric, osha root, and olive oil extract are also discussed. Many herbal supplements are safe and are widely accepted as an effective way of treating certain illnesses. However, a few commonly used herbal supplements are very toxic and may even cause fatalities when used improperly. Such herbal products, which include kava used as a sleeping aid and antianxiolytic, must be completely avoided. The balance between antiinflammatory and associated safety of herbal therapies is discussed, mentioning those with known tissue toxicities and those with recognized inducible hypertensive and allergic reactivity.
Designing women: modernist mass culture and the formation of the female body

This essay argues for charm as feminist heuristic through which we may re-examine contemporary theories of gendered embodiment. Charm as a form of bodily habitation for women in modernity seems to ...
Characteristics of Transcriptional Activity in Nonlinear Dynamics of Genetic Regulatory Networks

Microarray measurements of mRNA abundances is a standard tool for evaluation of transcriptional activity in functional genomics. The methodology underlying these measurements assumes existence of a direct link between transcription levels, that is, gene-specific mRNA copy numbers present in the cell, and transcription rates, that is, the numbers of gene-specific mRNA molecules synthesized per unit of time. In this paper, the question of whether or not such a tight interdependence may exist is examined in the context of nonlinear dynamics of genetic regulatory networks. Using the equations of chemical kinetics, a model has been constructed that is capable of explicitly taking into consideration nonlinear interactions between the genes through the teamwork of transcription factors. Jacobian analysis of stability has shown that steady state equilibrium is impossible in such systems. However, phase space compressibility is found to be negative, thus suggesting that asymptotic stability may exist and assume either the form of limit cycle or of a chaotic attractor. It is argued that in rapidly fluctuating or chaotic systems, direct evaluation of transcription rates through transcrip- tion levels is highly problematic. It is also noted that even if a hypothetical steady state did exist, the knowledge of transcription levels alone would not be sufficient for the evaluation of transcription rates; an additional set of parameters, namely the mRNA decay rates, would be required. An overall conclusion of the work is that the measurements of mRNA abundances are not truly representative of the functionality of genes and structural fidelity of the genetic codes.
Tumor der Langerhans schen Inseln mit Hyperinsulinismus

M. H.! Zu allererst mochte ich dem Vorstand und den Mitgliedern dieses Kongresses fur die Freundlichkeit und das Entgegenkommen, womit Sie mir einen Platz auf dem Programm einraumten, meinen besten Dank aussprechen. Ich erkenne die mir zugeteilte Ehre vollauf an.
Literary Ethnography and Translation in Rachid Djaïdani’s Boumkoeur

Rachid Djaidani’s Boumkoeur (1999) exposes the inheritance of colonial anthropological thinking that dominates the reception and production of French minority literature of the banlieue. By using the ethnographic document as a textual template, Djaidani situates his narrator, Yaz, in the space of negotiation in which colonial ethnographers and their native informants interacted in the field. Describing the French banlieue as a postcolonial ethnographic field, Djaidani shows how Yaz as a narrator-ethnographer participates in tasks of cultural and linguistic translation. The novel directs the reader’s attention away from the production of an authentic representation of cultural difference. Instead, the novel suggests a new form of literary translation capable of abiding by translation ethics that aim to render in the target language meaningful signs of the complex cultural history of “minor” texts (Deleuze and Guattari, 1987 [1980]; Venuti, 1996) in the source language. The novel serves as an experimental literary ethnography, conceived as a new form of translation, in which the translator is an ethnographer, and the act of translation is one of linguistic and cultural translation. In this new form of translation, the translator is present in the text as an active agent. This presence makes palpable the fraught negotiations out of which any translation is born; moreover, the translator is invested with the functions of the author, adding a new literary element to the act of translation.
Bombesin receptors (version 2019.4) in the IUPHAR/BPS Guide to Pharmacology Database

Mammalian bombesin (Bn) receptors comprise 3 subtypes: BB1, BB2, BB3 (nomenclature recommended by the NC-IUPHAR Subcommittee on bombesin receptors, [109]). BB1 and BB2 are activated by the endogenous ligands gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP), neuromedin B (NMB) and GRP-(18-27). bombesin is a tetradecapeptide, originally derived from amphibians. The three Bn receptor subtypes couple primarily to the Gq/11 and G12/13 family of G proteins [109]. Each of these receptors is widely distributed in the CNS and peripheral tissues [73, 109, 236, 265, 226, 348]. Activation of BB1 and BB2 receptors causes a wide range of physiological/pathophysiogical actions, including the stimulation of normal and neoplastic tissue growth, smooth-muscle contraction, feeding behavior, secretion and many central nervous system effects including regulation of circadian rhythm and mediation of pruritus [112, 113, 109, 115, 116, 155, 189, 236]. A physiological role for the BB3 receptor has yet to be fully defined although recently studies suggest an important role in glucose and insulin regulation, metabolic homeostasis, feeding, regulation of body temperature, obesity, diabetes mellitus and growth of normal/neoplastic tissues [73, 157, 203, 332].
Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation Reduces Movement-Evoked Pain and Fatigue: A Randomized, Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVE Fibromyalgia (FM) is characterized by pain and fatigue, particularly during physical activity. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) activates endogenous pain inhibitory mechanisms. This study was undertaken to investigate if using TENS during activity would improve movement-evoked pain and other patient-reported outcomes in women with FM. METHODS Participants were randomly assigned to receive active TENS (n = 103), placebo TENS (n = 99), or no TENS (n = 99) and instructed to use it at home during activity 2 hours each day for 4 weeks. TENS was applied to the lumbar and cervicothoracic regions using a modulated frequency (2-125 Hz) at the highest tolerable intensity. Participants rated movement-evoked pain (primary outcome measure) and fatigue on an 11-point scale before and during application of TENS. The primary outcome measure and secondary patient-reported outcomes were assessed at baseline (time of randomization) and at 4 weeks. RESULTS After 4 weeks, a greater reduction in movement-evoked pain was reported in the active TENS group versus the placebo TENS group (group mean difference -1.0 [95% confidence interval -1.8, -0.2]; P = 0.008) and versus the no TENS group (group mean difference -1.8 [95% confidence interval -2.6, -1.0]; P < 0.0001). A reduction in movement-evoked fatigue was also reported in the active TENS group versus the placebo TENS group (group mean difference -1.4 [95% confidence interval -2.4, -0.4]; P = 0.001) and versus the no TENS group (group mean difference -1.9 [95% confidence interval -2.9, -0.9]; P = <0.0001). A greater percentage of the patients in the active TENS group reported improvement on the global impression of change compared to the placebo TENS group (70% versus 31%; P < 0.0001) and the no TENS group (9%; P < 0.0001). There were no TENS-related serious adverse events, and <5% of participants experienced minor adverse events from TENS. CONCLUSION Among women who had FM and were on a stable medication regimen, 4 weeks of active TENS use compared to placebo TENS or no TENS resulted in a significant improvement in movement-evoked pain and other clinical outcomes. Further research is needed to examine effectiveness in a real-world setting to establish the clinical importance of these findings.
Chapter 18 – Packaging Assembly Techniques

Publisher Summary The basic function of packaging is the transfer of energy from one level to another. The type of energy electrical, thermal, or optical generally defines the level or type of packaging function. The first level of packaging deals with the interconnection of semiconductor or optoelectronic devices to some kind of leadframe. The second level of packaging concerns itself with interconnection of the aforementioned leadframe to a circuit board, on which other packaged devices are also mounted. The requirements for the packaging essentially drives the technologies used and manufacturing techniques incorporated. In the area of optoelectronics, the prime concern is the transfer of optical and electrical energy from board level to the device. For semiconductor devices, the focus is limited to the electrical domain. The key considerations in packaging assembly techniques include electrical performance, optical performance, thermal performance, reliability, cost, manufacturability, testability, device protection, and mechanical integrity. For any given application, all these factors must be considered and then, the package should be designed that meets all of the requirements. It is necessary to make compromises and trade-offs in each of these areas while making packaging decisions.
Interlocking Block Assembly

This paper presents a design for interlocking blocks and an algorithm that allows these blocks to be assembled into desired shapes. During and after assembly, the structure is kinematically interlocked if a small number of blocks are immobilized relative to other blocks. There are two types of blocks: cubes and double-height posts, each with a particular set of male and female joints. Layouts for shapes involving thousands of blocks have been planned automatically, and shapes with several hundred blocks have been built by hand. As a proof of concept, a robot was used to assemble sixteen blocks. The paper also describes a method for assembling blocks in parallel.
Outcomes of Idiopathic Flexible Flatfoot Deformity Reconstruction in the Young Patient

Background:Operative correction of flatfoot deformity has been well studied in the older population. There is a subset of younger patients without congenital foot deformity that also develop a coll...
A Bayesian hierarchical change point model with parameter constraints

Alzheimer's disease is the leading cause of dementia among adults aged 65 or above. Alzheimer's disease is characterized by a change point signaling a sudden and prolonged acceleration in cognitive decline. The timing of this change point is of clinical interest because it can be used to establish optimal treatment regimens and schedules. Here, we present a Bayesian hierarchical change point model with a parameter constraint to characterize the rate and timing of cognitive decline among Alzheimer's disease patients. We allow each patient to have a unique random intercept, random slope before the change point, random change point time, and random slope after the change point. The difference in slope before and after a change point is constrained to be nonpositive, and its parameter space is partitioned into a null region (representing normal aging) and a rejection region (representing accelerated decline). Using the change point time, the estimated slope difference, and the threshold of the null region, we are able to (1) distinguish normal aging patients from those with accelerated cognitive decline, (2) characterize the rate and timing for patients experiencing cognitive decline, and (3) predict personalized risk of progression to dementia due to Alzheimer's disease. We apply the approach to data from the Religious Orders Study, a national cohort study of aging Catholic nuns, priests, and lay brothers.
Live fast, die young and sleep later: Life history strategy and human sleep behavior.

Author(s): Dishakjian, Vahe; Fessler, Daniel MT; Sparks, Adam Maxwell | Abstract: Background and objectivesLife History Theory (LHT) describes trade-offs that organisms make with regard to three investment pathways: growth, maintenance and reproduction. In light of the reparative functions of sleep, we examine sleep behaviors and corresponding attitudes as proximate manifestations of an individual's underlying relative prioritization of short-term reproduction versus long-term maintenance.MethodologyWe collected survey data from 568 participants across two online studies having different participant pools. We use a mixture of segmented and hierarchical regression models, structural equation modeling and machine learning to infer relationships between sleep duration/quality, attitudes about sleep and biodemographic/psychometric measures of life history strategy (LHS).ResultsAn age-mediated U- or V-shaped relationship appears when LHS is plotted against habitual sleep duration, with the fastest strategies occupying the sections of the curve with the highest mortality risk: l 6.5 hr (short sleep) and g 8.5 hr (long sleep). LH 'fastness' is associated with increased sleepiness and worse overall sleep quality: delayed sleep onset latency, more wakefulness after sleep onset, higher sleep-wake instability and greater sleep duration variability. Hedonic valuations of sleep may mediate the effects of LHS on certain sleep parameters.Conclusions and implicationsThe costs of deprioritizing maintenance can be parameterized in the domain of sleep, where 'life history fastness' corresponds with sleep patterns associated with greater senescence and mortality. Individual differences in sleep having significant health implications can thus be understood as components of lifelong trajectories likely stemming from calibration to developmental circumstances. Relatedly, hedonic valuations of sleep may constitute useful avenues for non-pharmacological management of chronic sleep disorders.Lay Summary: Sleep is essential because it allows the body to repair and maintain itself. But time spent sleeping is time that cannot be spent doing other things. People differ in how much they prioritize immediate rewards, including sociosexual opportunities, versus long-term goals. In this research, we show that individual differences in sleep behaviors, and attitudes toward sleep, correspond with psychological and behavioral differences reflecting such differing priorities. Orientation toward sleep can thus be understood as part of the overall lifetime strategies that people pursue.
Update Frequently, Update Fast: Retraining Semantic Parsing Systems in a Fraction of Time

Currently used semantic parsing systems deployed in voice assistants can require weeks to train. Datasets for these models often receive small and frequent updates, data patches. Each patch requires training a new model. To reduce training time, one can fine-tune the previously trained model on each patch, but naive fine-tuning exhibits catastrophic forgetting - degradation of the model performance on the data not represented in the data patch. In this work, we propose a simple method that alleviates catastrophic forgetting and show that it is possible to match the performance of a model trained from scratch in less than 10% of a time via fine-tuning. The key to achieving this is supersampling and EWC regularization. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our method on multiple splits of the Facebook TOP and SNIPS datasets.
Rediscovery of Rajah Scops-Owl (Otus brookii brookii) on the island of Borneo

The Bornean subspecies of Rajah Scops-Owl (Otus brookii brookii) has not been documented alive in the wild since its discovery in 1892 and there are no photographs of the bird in life. We report the rediscovery of this subspecies in the montane forests of Mount Kinabalu (Sabah, Malaysia) at an elevation of 1,650 m and provide the first photographs of this subspecies in the wild. Almost all basic elements of this species' ecology remain unknown, including vocalizations, distribution, breeding biology, and population size. Additionally, phylogeographic patterns of montane birds in Borneo and Sumatra, as well as plumage characters, suggest that O. b. brookii may be deserving of species classification. However, the rarity of O. b. brookii has made quantitative phylogenetic analysis impossible. Properly resolving the ecology, distribution, and taxonomic standing of O. b. brookii could have important conservation implications.
The Efficiency of Demography in Face Perception.

When we look at a face, we cannot help but “read” it: Beyond simply processing its identity, we also form robust impressions of both transient psychological states (e.g., surprise) and stable character traits (e.g., trustworthiness). But perhaps the most fundamental traits we extract from faces are their social demographics, for example, race, age, and gender. How much exposure is required to extract such properties? Curiously, despite extensive work on the temporal efficiency of extracting both higher-level social properties (such as competence and dominance) and more basic characteristics (such as identity and familiarity), this question remains largely unexplored for demography. We correlated observers’ percepts of the race/age/gender of unfamiliar faces viewed at several brief durations (and then masked) with their judgments after unlimited exposure. Performance reached asymptote by 100 ms, was above chance by only 33.33 ms, and had a similar temporal profile to detecting faces in the first place. This was true even when the property to be reported wasn’t revealed until after the face had disappeared, and when the faces were matched for several lower-level visual properties. Collectively, these results demonstrate that the extraction of demographic features from faces is highly efficient, and can truly be done at a glance.
Socio-Economic Status and Level of Biosecurity Practice of Catfish Farmers in Delta North Agricultural Zone, Delta State, Nigeria

The socio-economic status and level of practice of biosecurity measures amongst catfish farmers in Delta North Agricultural Zone of Delta State were assessed. Data was collected randomly from 115 catfish farmers by oral interview and administration of structured questionnaires. Descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression analysis were used to analyze data collected. Results obtained show that catfish farmers had a mean of 45 years, dominated by males with 54.8 % having secondary education and 7.8 years experience in fish farming. The coefficients for stocking density, source of fish seed, organic inclusions, workers shower, access restrictions, a record of fish disease and pathogen management were highly significant (P<0.05). It implies that these variables are important factors influencing the practice of biosecurity measures in the study area. A poor level of practice of biosecurity was observed with a large number of negative coefficients of independent variables, implying that increases in the magnitude of these variables may lead to a reduction in the level of biosecurity practice amongst catfish farmers in the area. This study also observed that the practice of biosecurity measures was not an important issue among catfish farmers. Guidelines supported by appropriate legislation is needed to enforce practice and compliance of biosecurity practice.
Google Trends to Investigate the Degree of Global Interest Related to Indoor Location Detection

The scientific contribution of this paper is a Big Data-centric study, conducted using Google Trends, that involved analysis of the global, country-level, and state-level search trends related to indoor localization by mining relevant Google Search data from 2015–2020. There are three novel findings of this study. First, the current global search interest in indoor localization is higher than the average, median, and mode values of search interests (since 2015), and it is projected to keep increasing in the near future. Second, Singapore predominantly leads all other countries in terms of user interests in indoor localization. It is followed by Canada and United States, which are followed by the other countries. Third, the state-level analysis for the United States shows that Massachusetts leads all other states in terms of user interests in indoor localization. It is followed by New Jersey and Michigan, which are followed by the other states.
The role of all-payer claims databases to expand central cancer registries: Experience from Colorado.

Objective To evaluate the quality of a multiyear linkage between the Colorado All-Payers Claims Database (ACPD) and the Colorado Central Cancer Registry. Data sources Secondary 2012-2017 data from the APCD and the Colorado cancer registry. Study design Descriptive analysis of the proportion of cases captured by the linkage in relation to the cases reported by the registry. Data collection/extraction methods We used probabilistic linkage to combine records from both data sources for all patients diagnosed with cancer. Results We successfully linked 93% of the 146,884 patients in the registry. Approximately 63% of linked patients were perfect matches on five identifiers. Of partial matches, 81.6% were matched on four identifiers with missing or partial Social Security Numbers. The linkage rate was lower for uninsured patients at diagnosis (74.7%) or patients with private plans (89.4%) but close to 100% for Medicare and Medicaid enrollees. Most of the 29% of patients who did not have claims at the time of diagnosis were covered by private plans that may not submit claims. Conclusions APCD-registry linkages are a promising source of data to conduct population-based research from multiple payers. However, not all payers submit claims, and the quality of the data may vary by state. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
101 – Psychometric Assessment of Alcohol Use

This chapter presents an overview of the most widely used techniques for assessing alcohol use, including—brief screening measures, computerized approaches to assessment, measures of quantity, frequency, and adverse effects. Also described are tests that assess personality characteristics that have been linked to problematic drinking and structured diagnostic inventories that yield formal psychiatric diagnoses. Relevant psychometric principles—such as sensitivity, specificity, and predictive power are presented, with particular emphasis on the way such constructs should guide test selection and interpretation. This chapter also provides guidance as to which screening measures are best suited for specific settings or clinical populations—such as the elderly or adolescents and discusses the association between biological markers of alcohol use and psychometric data. A critical consideration in the creation of any screening instrument is the classification of accuracy rates. This includes constructs—such as sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive power, and negative predictive power. Sensitivity refers to the ability of a test to accurately detect a condition of interest.
Isolation, characterization, and functional expression of kynurenine aminotransferase cDNA from the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti(1).

This study describes the molecular and biochemical characterization of kynurenine aminotransferase (KAT) from Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Through screening an A. aegypti larval cDNA library, a 1695-bp full-length cDNA clone with a 1434-bp open reading frame (ORF) was isolated. Its deduced amino acid sequence consists of 477 amino acid residues with a predicted molecular mass of 53,490 and the amino acid sequence shares 47 and 42% identity with KATs from Homo sapiens and Rattus norvegicus, respectively. This putative A. aegypti KAT (AeKAT) has four potential N-glycosylation sites (Asn-Xxx-Trp/Ser) and a typical mitochondrial leader sequence consisting of 49 amino acids at its NH2-terminus with a putative cleavage site between Met-49 and Ser-50. A consensus pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (PLP) binding domain (Gly-Ser-Ala-Gly-Lys-Thr-Phe-Ser) is present in the central region of the ORF. Using a baculovirus/insect cell expression system, a full-length AeKAT and a truncated AeKAT, lacking the mitochondrial leader sequence, were expressed. The full-length AeKAT expressed in Sf9 insect cells is insoluble and has no detectable KAT activity, but the truncated AeKAT is soluble and capable of catalyzing the transamination of kynurenine to kynurenic acid in the presence of pyruvate as an amino group acceptor. However, the expressed truncated protein is not active to 3-hydroxykynurenine. Northern analysis indicates that transcription of the AeKAT occurs at all stages during mosquito development, but higher levels of mRNA are observed during the pupal and adult stages. Results indicate that a specific KAT is present in mosquitoes and the enzyme may play an important physiological role in A. aegypti.
The income inequality hypothesis rejected

Publishers know academic books are not expected to sell much at all. Last year, however, Thomas Piketty's “Capitalism in the Twenty-First Century” [1] became the exception: by May 2014, this dense 700-page book arguing that inequality is not an accident but a structural feature of capitalism, was number one in the New York Times Bestsellers non-fiction list. While it may be unsurprising to find Dale Carnegie's ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People’ in the list of bestsellers, it is certainly unusual for a tome about income inequality to become such a sensation. And yet, Piketty's book clearly stroked a raw nerve with the public: if inequality continues to rise by the rate observed over recent decades, Piketty argues, we will soon reach higher levels of inequality than those observed in nineteenth century Europe. This is not only a problem in its own right, but such levels of inequality may jeopardize the future of democracy [1, 2].
Postsynaptic then presynaptic protein kinase C activity may be necessary for long-term potentiation

Abstract Protein kinase C inhibitor was injected intracellularly by iontophoresis into CA1 somata either before or after long-term potentiation in the hippocampal slice preparation. Two different protein kinase C inhibitors, polymyxin B (PMXB) or 1-(5-isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine (H-7), injected 10 min before long-term potentiation induction caused potentiated responses to return to baseline 15–35 min after induction without significantly affecting the initial magnitude of potentiation. There was no effect on long-term potentiation persistence when H-7 or PMXB was injected intracellularly 5 min after long-term potentiation induction. In contrast, focal extracellular micro-pressure ejection of protein kinase C inhibitor in the stratum radiatum, 15 or 30 min, but not 60 min after long-term potentiation induction caused decay of long-term potentiation to baseline. This is probably a presynaptic action since intracellular inhibitors injected postsynaptically were ineffective 5 min after long-term potentiation induction. Focal application to stratum pyramidale produced a weaker decay than to stratum radiatum suggesting a Schaffer collateral presynaptic terminal site of action. We propose that activation of postsynaptic protein kinase C activity is necessary for long-term potentiation persistence but this activity persists for less than 5 min after induction. Presynaptic protein kinase C activity is also necessary for persistence and is time-limited to less than 60 min. It is attractive to think that these two events are sequentially activated and employ different protein kinase C subtypes differentially localized to presynaptic or postsynaptic elements.
Tract-based evaluation of white matter damage in individuals with early-treated phenylketonuria

Previous research has documented white matter abnormalities in the brains of individuals with early-treated phenylketonuria (ETPKU). The majority of these past studies have relied on a region-based approach which focused on a limited number of spatially-defined regions within the brain. In the present study, we used diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in conjunction with tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) to perform an extensive examination of white matter tracts in the brains of ten individuals with ETPKU (mean age = 23.2 years) and 12 healthy non-PKU individuals (mean age = 23.5 years). Consistent with past research, we found that mean diffusivity (MD) was significantly restricted in the ETPKU group, and fractional anisotropy (FA) was comparable between the ETPKU and non-PKU groups. Moreover, we found restricted axial diffusivity (AD) and radial diffusivity (RD) in our ETPKU in numerous white matter tracts, suggesting widespread white matter compromise in ETPKU. In addition, this white matter pathology was more evident in older ETPKU participants with higher blood phenylalanine (phe) levels as compared to younger participants with lower phe levels.
Application of PLM in higher education procurement

Colleges and universities are moving away from the traditional focus on single exchange transactions and towards an emphasis on creating and maintaining longer-term buyer?supplier relationships. These strategic relationships generate managed supply chain relationships that encompass activities associated with the flow of goods and services, as well as the flow of information. The need to understand the complexities of the relationships in the supply chain and how these relationships are viewed by both buyers and suppliers is critical. The application of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) in higher education purchasing and procurement will serve to improve organisational efficiencies and support strategic positioning.
Two-dimensional spectral shearing interferometry for few-cycle pulse characterization

We present a new method for measuring the spectral phase of ultrashort pulses that utilizes spectral shearing interferometry with zero delay. Unlike conventional spectral phase interferometry for direct electric-field reconstruction, which encodes phase as a sensitively calibrated fringe in the spectral domain, two-dimensional spectral shearing interferometry robustly encodes phase along a second dimension. This greatly reduces demands on the spectrometer and allows for complex phase spectra to be measured over extremely large bandwidths, potentially exceeding 1.5 octaves.
Measurement of acidity and equilibria in glacial acetic acid with the glass-calomel electrode system.

This work describes the use of the glass-acetous fiber calomel electrode system in potential measurements in glacial acetic acid. Using the Nernst relationship and other equations describing equilibria in glacial acetic acid solution, the measurement of acidity, in terms of the activity of H2OAc+, and then the calculation of overall dissociation constants for some bases, salts, and perchloric acid have been carried out. The electrode system has been found to respond as predicted by theory. Most calculated values agree with literature constants. Discordant results are discussed. The choice of the acetous fiber calomel electrode is explained and other reference electrodes are treated. The use of electrochemical potentials, obtained from potentiometric titration curves, in the calculation of Kb and Kbhc104 for bases is described. Results compare well with other methods. This procedure is recommended in the interest of increasing the specificity of titrations in acetic acid solvent. Based on sound fundamental principles, this work establishes a practical method for the determination of acidity in glacial acetic acid.
Phase Segregation in Gradient Copolymer Melts

Local segregation in melts of copolymers with composition gradients along their backbones is analyzed. The transition to a lamellar periodic structure as the effective degree of incompatibility χN increases is studied for symmetric copolymers with various composition gradients. A numerical self-consistent mean-field (SCMF) technique is used to characterize the ordered lamellar state in the weak and strong segregation regimes, and the random phase approximation (RPA) is used to calculate the scattering function analytically and find the location of the critical order−disorder transition for each melt. The critical point increases from (χN)c = 10.495 for block copolymers to (χN)c = 29.25 for a fully tapered linear gradient copolymer. For broad composition gradients the equilibrium lamellar repeat length is shorter for a given value of χN, and the unit cell composition profile is more sinusoidal. The dependence of the equilibrium repeat distance on χN is nearly universal when renormalized by the critical poi...
Adaptive Multiresolution Structures for Image Processing on Parallel Computers

This paper presents a solution to the problem of creating region adjacency graph (RAG) pyramids on parallel computers comprising the hypercube topology. RAG pyramids represent hierarchies of irregular tesselations, with each tesselation generated in parallel by independent stochastic processes, and can be used for multiresolution image analysis. The outcome of the stochastic processes depends on the input data allowing the adaptation of RAG pyramids to the image content. For the extraction of connected components from labeled images, different connected components are reduced to different roots which are interconnected in a final region adjacency graph. An algorithm for implementing RAG pyramids on hypercube computers is discussed in detail and timing results are presented for the Connection Machine CM-2 supercomputer. The time complexity of the algorithm is found for the hypercube and the CRCW PRAM. The results show that the iterative process that creates a new level of the hierarchy from its preceding one does not heavily depend on the size of the graph, as its expected time is O(log N) for a random graph, where N is the total number of vertices in the input graph. The total number of levels is O(log(image?size)), as for the regular pyramid.
Inferior vena cava filters: Some evidence from the past and a look to the future

Venous thromboembolism is a national health concern. Up to 58% of patients suffering from major multisystem trauma will experience venous thromboembolism if no measures are taken to prevent it. Of those, 10% to 30% will be fatal. The appropriate use of lower extremity compression, anticoagulation, and the use of inferior vena cava (IVC) filters has helped reduce the overall morbidity and mortality from this disease. The development of lower-profile devices and the ability to retrieve IVC filters has led to a liberalization of their use. The majority of the filters used today have achieved U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval through the 510K mechanism (approval based on prior similar devices rather than safety studies of the proposed device), and therefore, no rigorous investigations have been performed on them. Initially seeming safe, a recent increase in reports of filter migration, vena cava perforation, and vena cava thrombosis has prompted the Food and Drug Administration to ask for more information on their patterns of use, safety, efficacy, and retrievability. This report details some of the available data on the subject of IVC filters and the discussion surrounding the topic of prophylactic IVC filters in trauma patients.
Collectivism and rates of personal violence (suicide and homicide)

Homicide rates, but not suicide rates, were associated with an index of collectivism for the states of America in 1992.
Raman Measurements of Hydrogen in the Pressure Range 0.2-630 kbar at Room Temperature

Raman spectra of fluid hydrogen at room temperature include rotational, ${S}_{0}(J)$, and vibrational bands, ${Q}_{1}(J)$. The rotational bands become diffuse between 0.2 and 55 kbar, the solidification point at 22\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C. Between 55 and 630 kbar, only ${Q}_{1}(J)$ was resolved. This band increases in frequency to 360 kbar, but the frequency decreases between 360 and 630 kbar. These phenomena are consistent with the softening of the molecular bond at high pressure.
IMPURITY DRIVEN PHASE TRANSITION IN THE ANTIFERROMAGNETIC SPIN-1 CHAIN

We study the random antiferromagnetic spin-1 chain by mapping to a random dimerized spin-1/2 chain with antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic bonds and applying an asymptotically exact real space renormalization procedure. We find that the chain undergoes an impurity driven second order phase transition from the Haldane phase to the random singlet phase as the bond distribution broadens. In the Haldane phase and near the critical point, there is a Griffiths region in which the excitation gap is filled and the magnetic susceptibility diverges in a nonuniversal manner. The correlation length critical exponent is $\ensuremath{\nu}\ensuremath{\approx}2.3$.
Zener Diodes as Vehicular and Aircraft Transient Suppressors

The prime purpose of this paper is to describe the characteristics and application of high powered Zener diodes as transient suppressors for transients emanating in ground vehicle and aircraft power supplies. Information is presented on voltage transients as specified in MIL-STD-704 for aircraft and MIL-STD-1275(AT) for military ground vehicles and the ability of advanced high power Zener diodes in suppressing the levels of voltages specified therein. A complete transient suppressor capable of operating externally to the equipment intended for protection is also described.