cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Public health in the twenty-first century: the role of advanced technologies.

Nearly a century ago, Charles-Edward Amory Winslow, defined public health as “the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting health and efficiency through organized community effort” (1). From health policy reforms to scientific advances with many technological innovations, a range of forces are converging to cause a seismic shift in how public health is practiced. We think that in the twenty-first century, global public health system will be completely restructured. Reliance on complex technologies like nanotechnology and artificial intelligence (AI), which were previously only used in fields like computer science and physics, will become the new trend. Using such advanced technologies would become megatrends of public health in new and exciting ways. Historically, public health, in comparison to other scientific disciplines, has been behind the curve in terms of using advanced technologies (2). This article highlights the current trends in public health in terms of use of advanced technologies like nanotechnology and AI and how they can impact the future of public health in the twenty-first century.
Free Will and the Problem of Evil

Hume after arguing for the compatibility of liberty and necessity, a view now known as soft determinism or compatibilism, noted that it is not * possible to explain distinctly, how the Deity can be the mediate cause of the actions of sin and moral turpitude'.1 It seems that Hume is correct if the explanation must show specifically why an omnipotent and omnibenevolent deity must permit certain actions that to human reason seem to be unnecessary evils. On the other hand if such specifity is not required, the soft determinist who also happens to be a theist can argue that it is possible that the actual world is the best of all possible worlds even though the reason for any specific apparent evil cannot be known. If seemingly evil choices are free in the soft determinista sense but determined by an omnipotent and omniscient deity, then either that deity is not omnibenevolent or that deity has determined the world to have the maximum possible goodness through including seemingly evil choices in the scheme of things. Consequently if, as the traditional theist believes, the creator is omnibenevolent as well as omni? potent and omniscient, the occurrence of seemingly evil choices are necessary for maximizing the goodness of the whole. But if this is true, each human choice is maximally good, for if any actual choice were replaced by some other choice no matter how good the latter might seem, the resultant world would be no better. Moreover, if as Leibniz believed the actual world is unique among possible worlds in respect to having maximal goodness, any alternative to an actual choice would make the world worse and would thereby be evil no matter how much better it might seem than the actual choice. Hence the soft determinist who also believes in an omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent deity must if consistent regard as illusory the notion that some choices that do not occur should occur and the notion that some choices that occur should not occur.
Severe, short-duration (0-3 min) heat shocks (50-52 degrees C) inhibit the repair of DNA damage.

Purpose: The goal of this study was to determine whether short-duration (15 s–3 min) high-temperature (50°C) heat shocks inhibit the repair of DNA damage.Materials and methods: Cultured HeLa cells were used. DNA damage was measured after UV exposure or X-irradiation. Three methods were used to measure DNA damage: alkaline comet assay with the endonuclease, UVDE, for single strand breaks and UV photoproducts, antibodies specific for cyclo-pyrimidine dimers (CPD) or for 6-4 photoproducts (64PP), and the appearance-resolution of γ-H2AX foci for DNA double strand breaks.Results: Heat shocks of 15–30 s at 50°C inhibited repair of DNA damage after UV exposure or X-irradiation detected by the alkaline comet assay (after UV) or by persistence of γ-H2AX foci (after X-rays). The phosphorylation of histone, H2AX, induced by 1 or 4 Gy of X-rays was inhibited in a time-dependent manner after 15–45 s at 52°C. When the excision of UV-induced PP was measured, heat shocks of more than 60 s at 50°C were required to show me...
Aggregating Large Sets of Probabilistic Forecasts by Weighted Coherent Adjustment

Probability forecasts in complex environments can benefit from combining the estimates of large groups of forecasters (“judges”). But aggregating multiple opinions raises several challenges. First, human judges are notoriously incoherent when their forecasts involve logically complex events. Second, individual judges may have specialized knowledge, so different judges may produce forecasts for different events. Third, the credibility of individual judges might vary, and one would like to pay greater attention to more trustworthy forecasts. These considerations limit the value of simple aggregation methods like unweighted linear averaging. In this paper, a new algorithm is proposed for combining probabilistic assessments from a large pool of judges, with the goal of efficiently implementing the coherent approximation principle (CAP) while weighing judges by their credibility. Two measures of a judge's likely credibility are introduced and used in the algorithm to determine the judge's weight in aggregation. As a test of efficiency, the algorithm was applied to a data set of nearly half a million probability estimates of events related to the 2008 U.S. presidential election (∼16,000 judges). Compared with unweighted scalable CAP algorithms, the proposed weighting schemes significantly improved the stochastic accuracy with a comparable run time, demonstrating the efficiency and effectiveness of the weighting methods for aggregating large numbers and varieties of forecasts.
Characterization of EPPIN's Semenogelin I Binding Site: A Contraceptive Drug Target

Epididymal protease inhibitor (EPPIN) is found on the surface of spermatozoa and works as a central hub for a sperm surface protein complex (EPPIN protein complex [EPC]) that inhibits sperm motility on the binding of semenogelin I (SEMG1) during ejaculation. Here, we identify EPPIN's amino acids involved in the interactions within the EPC and demonstrate that EPPIN's sequence C102-P133 contains the major binding site for SEMG1. Within the same region, the sequence F117-P133 binds the EPC-associated protein lactotransferrin (LTF). We show that residues Cys102, Tyr107, and Phe117 in the EPPIN C-terminus are required for SEMG1 binding. Additionally, residues Tyr107 and Phe117 are critically involved in the interaction between EPPIN and LTF. Our findings demonstrate that EPPIN is a key player in the protein-protein interactions within the EPC. Target identification is an important step toward the development of a novel male contraceptive, and the functionality of EPPIN's residues Cys102, Tyr107, and Phe117 offers novel opportunities for contraceptive compounds that inhibit sperm motility by targeting this region of the molecule.
Northern boundary currents and adjacent recirculations off southwestern Australia

Full-depth hydrographic and velocity measurements along 115°E south of Australia (WHP section I9S) reveal an active northern boundary current regime within 200–300 km of the Australian continental shelf and an offshore recirculation regime within the South Australian Basin. In the upper ocean an oft-described westward-flowing northern boundary current, the Flinders Current, extends through the thermocline and the salinity minimum strata of Antarctic Intermediate Water, with an opposing eastward recirculation to its south. The new data shows that beneath the Flinders Current, an eastward-flowing deep northern boundary current transports water of subtropical Indian Ocean origin supplied by southward deep flow along the western continental slope of Australia in the Perth Basin. Between these northern boundary currents and the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, thermocline and deep geostrophic shears indicate weak recirculations, eastward at thermocline levels and westward in the deep water. Lowered Acoustic Doppler current profiler data reveal stronger organized recirculations to both the Flinders Current and the deep northern boundary current, with the westward deep recirculation exceeding the eastward transport of the deep northern boundary current and thus representing a net supply of deep water to the Perth Basin.
Rethinking the conceptual and empirical foundations of clinical ethics.

The five papers in the 2008 "Clinical Ethics" number of the journal address the conceptual and empirical foundations of clinical ethics. Three articles take up the concept of professionalism in medicine, exploring its possibilities and implications. The fourth article provides a distinctive, phenomenological account of the "placebo effect, " a vexing topic of surprising durability in the clinical setting. The final article, a systematic review of the qualitative literature on bedside rationing of resources, creates an empirical foundation for philosophical analysis and argument of a distinctive kind.
Spatial distribution of CYP2B1/2 messenger RNA within the rat liver acinus following exposure to the inducers phenobarbital and dieldrin.

Traditionally, the liver has been considered a homogeneous organ, but literature suggests that the cytochromes P450 are differentially distributed among the hepatocytes and that the pattern of this distribution is altered by various xenobiotics. In this study, the CYP2B1/2 messenger RNA (mRNA) in the hepatocytes was compared following treatment of rats with either of two inducers, phenobarbital (PB), or dieldrin. Adult male Sprague– Dawley–derived rats were treated with either ip PB in saline at 80 mg/kg/day for 5 days or dieldrin in corn oil by oral gavage at 2.5 mg/kg/day for 13 days. Control rats received ip saline or po corn oil for the same time. Laser capture microdissection (LCM) followed by duplex quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase PCR was used to measure the CYP2B1/2 mRNA produced in bands of hepatocytes isolated from three locations along the sinusoidal path. The amounts of mRNA present in whole liver subsamples were also analyzed. CYP2B1/2 enzyme activity was determined by assaying 16b-hydroxytestosterone formation. Whole liver mRNA samples exhibited significant induction in CYP2B1/2 transcript levels: sixfold for PB and 2200-fold for dieldrin. All the LCM band samples also showed significant fold induction in CYP2B1/2 mRNA compared to controls. Dieldrin caused marked increases in CYP2B1/2 mRNA levels in the direction of blood flow through the acinus: periportal, 300-fold; midzonal, 600-fold; and centrilobular, 1700-fold. A different pattern of induction was observed in the PB-treated rats: periportal, 1800-fold; midzonal, 8800-fold; and centrilobular, 1600-fold. The present study indicates the differences in spatial responses that can be exhibited within the liver following exposure to various xenobiotics. It also indicates the importance of examining xenobiotic metabolism in the liver in light of its nonhomogeneous, zoned microenvironment.
Toward GPU accelerated topology optimization on unstructured meshes

The present work investigates the feasibility of finite element methods and topology optimization for unstructured meshes in massively parallel computer architectures, more specifically on Graphics Processing Units or GPUs. Challenges in the parallel implementation, like the parallel assembly race condition, are discussed and solved with simple algorithms, in this case greedy graph coloring. The parallel implementation for every step involved in the topology optimization process is benchmarked and compared against an equivalent sequential implementation. The ultimate goal of this work is to speed up the topology optimization process by means of parallel computing using off-the-shelf hardware. Examples are compared with both a standard sequential version of the implementation and a massively parallel version to better illustrate the advantages and disadvantages of this approach.
The Effect of Eligibility Traces on Finding Optimal Memoryless Policies in Partially Observable Markov Decision Processes

Agents acting in the real world are confronted with the problem of making good decisions with limited knowledge of the environment. Partially observable Markov decision processes (POMDPs) model decision problems in which an agent tries to maximize its reward in the face of limited sensor feedback. Recent work has shown empirically that a reinforcement learning (RL) algorithm called Sarsa(λ) can efficiently find optimal memoryless policies, which map current observations to actions, for POMDP problems (Loch and Singh 1998). The Sarsa(λ) algorithm uses a form of short-term memory called an eligibility trace, which distributes temporally delayed rewards to observation-action pairs which lead up to the reward. This paper explores the effect of eligibility traces on the ability of the Sarsa(λ) algorithm to find optimal memoryless policies. A variant of Sarsa(λ) called k-step truncated Sarsa(λ) is applied to four test problems taken from the recent work of Littman, Littman, Cassandra and Kaelbling, Parr and Russell, and Chrisman. The empirical results show that eligibility traces can be significantly truncated without affecting the ability of Sarsa(λ) to find optimal memoryless policies for POMDPs.
Adenylyl Cyclase 5 Regulation by Gβγ Involves Isoform-Specific Use of Multiple Interaction Sites.

Adenylyl cyclase (AC) converts ATP into cyclic AMP (cAMP), an important second messenger in cell signaling. Heterotrimeric G proteins and other regulators are important for control of AC activity. Depending on the AC isoform, Gβγ subunits can either conditionally stimulate or inhibit cAMP synthesis. We previously showed that the Gαs-βγ heterotrimer binds to the N terminus (NT) of type 5 AC (AC5). We now show that Gβγ binds to the NT of a wide variety of AC isoforms. We hypothesized that Gβγ/AC5 interactions involving inactive heterotrimer and Gβγ stimulation of AC5 were separable events. Mutations of the Gβγ “hotspot” show that this site is necessary for AC5 stimulation but not for interactions with the first 198 aa of AC5NT, which is a G protein scaffolding site. This contrasts with AC6, where the Gβγ hotspot is required for both interactions with AC6NT and for stimulation of AC6. Additionally, the SIGK hotspot peptide disrupts Gβγ regulation of AC isoforms 1, 2, and 6, but not AC5. Gβγ also binds the C1/C2 catalytic domains of AC5 and AC6. Finally, cellular interactions with full-length AC5 depend on multiple sites on Gβγ. This suggests an isoform-specific mechanism in which bound Gβγ at the AC5NT is ideally situated for spatiotemporal control of AC5. We propose Gβγ regulation of AC involves multiple binding events, and the role of the AC NT for mechanisms of regulation by heterotrimeric G protein subunits is isoform-specific.
United States Internal Security Assistance to Pakistan1

Pakistan confronts numerous domestic security challenges including jihadist extremism, Sunni-Shi'a sectarian violence, drug trafficking, illegal commodity smuggling, endemic corruption, and systemic problems with the provision of justice and law enforcement. While much has been written about US military assistance to the Government of Pakistan (GOP) and the ever-evolving political relations between the two countries, basic questions of highest policy significance related to Pakistan's internal security have never been fully studied or considered. This essay begins to address these empirical lacunae. It first provides a comprehensive examination of Pakistan's internal security environment and the effectiveness of the GOP's criminal justice structures in dealing with these challenges. The paper then goes on to assess the impact and utility of the current suite of US law enforcement assistance in helping to fortify Pakistan's domestic security environment. The study raises a number of difficult questions per...
Distribution and Status of the Cockroach Arenivaga floridensis Caudell, a Florida Sand Ridge Endemic

Arenivaga floridensis (Florida sand cockroach) is a fossorial insect re- stricted to scrub and sandhill communities on ancient ridges in peninsular Florida. Ecologically insular by nature, these ridge communities have experienced further fragmentation and significant reduction following conversion to citrus agriculture and subsequent urbanization. To assess the status of A. floridensis, we updated its known distribution by conducting an extensive field survey of scrub and sandhill habitats throughout the state. Roaches (n = 325) were collected at 47 localities, confirming the species' continued presence in nine out of eleven counties from which it has been reported, and providing 28 new localities for these nine counties. More- over, we discovered 15 new populations representing six additional counties for which A. floridensis has either never been recorded (Gilchrist, Indian River, Martin, Palm Beach, and St. Lucie counties) or had records published (Orange County). We collected Arenivaga on 11 named peninsular ridges, including one major (Atlantic Coastal) and three minor (Bell, Gordonville, Orlando) ridges on which this species had not been previously reported. The nine new localities on the Atlantic Coastal Ridge constitute a significant range extension for A. floridensis, making it the most broadly distributed species of Florida's endemic ridge fauna.
Platform-Based Behavior-Level and System-Level Synthesis

With the rapid increase of complexity in system-on-a-chip (SoC) design, the electronic design automation (EDA) community is moving from RTL (Register Transfer Level) synthesis to behavioral-level and system-level synthesis. The needs of system-level verification and software/hardware co-design also prefer behavior-level executable specifications, such as C or SystemC. In this paper we present the platform-based synthesis system, named xPilot, being developed at UCLA. The first objective of xPilot is to provide novel behavioral synthesis capability for automatically generating efficient RTL code from a C or SystemC description for a given system platform and optimizing the logic, interconnects, performance, and power simultaneously. The second objective of xPilot is to provide a platform-based system-level synthesis capability, including both synthesis for application-specific configurable processors and heterogeneous multi-core systems. Preliminary experiments on FPGAs demonstrate the efficacy of our approach on a wide range of applications and its value in exploring various design tradeoffs.
The Use of the Scanning Vibrating Electrode Technique for Detecting Defects in Ion Vapor-Deposited Aluminum on Steel

Abstract Defects in ion vapor-deposited aluminum coatings on steel exposed to a 0.3 M H3BO4 solution adjusted to pH 8 were detected in situ. The nonaggressive borate solution was chosen to prevent any significant damage to the coating during defect location. The defects were located using a scanning vibrating probe electrode which measured the distribution of current density (CD) above the surface of the coated steel. The vibrating electrode technique enabled polarization measurements of specific areas of the surface to be made. The polarization measurements of the defect sites showed that they were not a result of exposed steel but were caused by the presence of inclusions.
Tell Me a Story: Eliciting Organizational Values from Narratives.

A system for characterizing organizational cultures through their values is detailed, applied and discussed. Studies of organizational culture often seek to uncover key values on which communication and interaction are based. The unique values advocated in an organization can be elicited through narratives, revealing how members believe they ought to behave as participants in their unique organizational culture, and how they persuasively advocate those values through narratives. The set of values present in member narratives provided an understanding of one organization's culture. The organizational values found, however, not only revealed characteristic unifying values, but also inconsistent values clashing with one another, bringing to light key conflicts in the organizational lives of staff members.
An evaluation of time-frequency localization in transforms and filter banks

The authors derive the discrete-time uncertainty and evaluate the time-frequency localizations of orthogonal bases. They measure and compare the localization features of known block transforms, filter banks, and wavelet filters. It is emphasized that the time and frequency behaviors of basis functions should be considered simultaneously in the design of block transforms and filter banks for further improvements in their applications. >
Comparison of Weight Gain in Treatments for Tourette Syndrome: Tetrabenazine Versus Neuroleptic Drugs:

Weight gain occurs with most neuroleptic drugs used to treat tics. Tetrabenazine, a vesicular monoamine transporter type 2 inhibitor, inhibits dopamine release. It is used to treat a variety of hyperkinetic movement disorders, including tics. Weight gain over time was compared in a group of pediatric tic patients taking only tetrabenazine with an age-matched group of tic patients taking only neuroleptic drugs. Age in the tetrabenazine group (n = 36, 32 males) at initial therapy was 13.4 (SD 3.3) years. They were monitored for 25.2 (SD 12.3) months. The average dose of tetrabenazine (all visits) was 54.4 (SD 26.6) mg/d. In the neuroleptic group (n = 41, 33 males), the age at therapy onset was 12.3 +/- 4.0 years. They were monitored for 18.9 (SD 14.8) months. Weight increase was 0.8 lb/mo in the tetrabenazine group compared with 1.7 lb/mo in the neuroleptic group (P = .006). Most patients who switched from a neuroleptic drug to tetrabenazine subsequently lost weight. Although the study was not designed to compare efficacy, this tended to be greater with tetrabenazine than with neuroleptic drugs.
An approach to improve the resolution of helical filaments with a large axial rise and flexible subunits.

Single particle analysis is widely used for three-dimensional reconstruction of helical filaments. Near-atomic resolution has been obtained for several well-ordered filaments. However, it is still a challenge to achieve high resolution for filaments with flexible subunits and a large axial rise per subunit relative to pixel size. Here, we describe an approach that improves the resolution in such cases. In filaments with a large axial rise, many segments must be shifted a long distance along the filament axis to match with a reference projection, potentially causing loss of alignment accuracy and hence resolution. In our study of myosin filaments, we overcame this problem by pre-determining the axial positions of myosin head crowns within segments to decrease the alignment error. In addition, homogeneous, well-ordered segments were selected from the raw data set by checking the assigned azimuthal rotation angle of segments in each filament against those expected for perfect helical symmetry. These procedures improved the resolution of the filament reconstruction from 30 A to 13 A. This approach could be useful in other helical filaments with a large axial rise and/or flexible subunits.
Why Robots Can't Become Racist, and Why Humans Can

This essay draws together the disciplines of race theory, artificial intelligence, and phenomenology to engage the issue of racism as a learned phenomenon. More specifically, it centres on a comparison between robots and humans with respect to becoming racist. The purpose of this comparison is to illustrate the complex interconnections between racism, ontology, and learning. The essay begins with a discussion of race and racism that identifies both fundamentally as social realities. With this account, the essay draws on Hubert Dreyfus’ critical phenomenological work on artificial intelligence to outline several limitations for robots becoming racist. Next, the essay turns to the phenomenology of Merleau-Ponty as an ontological alternative for describing human beings and how racism is learned through habit and skill acquisition. In the end, it is suggested that this investigation not only provides an insightful glimpse into racism as a learned phenomenon, but also invites further discussion on how such racism may be confronted when it is viewed not simply as a cognitive issue, but rather as an issue of embodiment.
Cloning and functional expression of a liver isoform of the small conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channel SK3

Small conductance Ca2+-activated K+(SK) channels have been cloned from mammalian brain, but little is known about the molecular characteristics of SK channels in nonexcitable tissues. Here, we repo...
Effects of grain morphology on critical state: a computational analysis

We introduce a new DEM scheme (LS-DEM) that takes advantage of level sets to enable the inclusion of real grain shapes into a classical discrete element method. Then, LS-DEM is validated and calibrated with respect to real experimental results. Finally, we exploit part of LS-DEM potentiality by using it to study the dependency of critical state (CS) parameters such as critical state line (CSL) slope $$\lambda $$ , CSL intercept $$\varGamma $$ , and CS friction angle $$\varPhi _{\mathrm{CS}}$$ on the grain’s morphology, i.e., sphericity, roundness, and regularity. This study is carried out in three steps. First, LS-DEM is used to capture and simulate the shape of five different two-dimensional cross sections of real grains, which have been previously classified according to the aforementioned morphological features. Second, the same LS-DEM simulations are carried out for idealized/simplified grains, which are morphologically equivalent to their real counterparts. Third, the results of real and idealized grains are compared, so the effect of “imperfections” on real particles is isolated. Finally, trends for the CS parameters (CSP) dependency on sphericity, roundness, and regularity are obtained as well as analyzed. The main observations and remarks connecting particle’s morphology, particle’s idealization, and CSP are summarized in a table that is attempted to help in keeping a general picture of the analysis, results, and corresponding implications.
Voice problems and depression among adults in the United States.

Objectives/hypothesis Prior studies have observed a high prevalence of psychosocial distress, including depression, in patients with voice problems. However, these studies have largely been performed in care-seeking patients identified in tertiary care voice clinics. The objective of this study was to examine the association between depression and voice problems in the U.S. Study design Cross-sectional analysis of National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) data. Methods We identified adult cases reporting a voice problem in the preceding 12 months in the 2012 NHIS. Self-reported demographics and data regarding healthcare visits for voice problems, diagnoses given, severity of the voice problem, and depression symptoms were analyzed. Results The total weighted sample size was 52,816,364. The presence of depressive symptoms was associated with a nearly two-fold increase (odds ratio = 1.89, 95% confidence interval = 1.21-2.96) in the likelihood of reporting a voice problem in the past year. Patients who reported feeling depressed were less likely to receive care for the voice problem and less likely to report that treatment had helped than those who did not feel depressed. Conclusion These findings indicate that the co-occurrence of voice problems and depressive symptoms is observed in the general population, not only in care-seeking patients, and that depressive symptoms may influence reported likelihood of receiving voice treatment and effectiveness. This suggests that voice care providers should take mental health symptoms into account when treating patients, and also indicates a need for further investigation. Level of evidence NA. Laryngoscope, 126:1859-1864, 2016.
Automated 3D PET/CT-Based Detection Of Suspect Central-Chest Lesions

scanner. We manually identified a total of 26 central-chest lesions on the fused PET-CT versions of the four scans to establish a ground-truth database (range of lesions per scan: 2-11). We next applied a series of fully automatic image-analysis methods to each PET/CT study. These methods involved the following functions: 1. 3D CT analysis: a. Extract the lungs and define a 3D bounding box enclosing the lungs. b. Digitally subtract out the bones and lower diaphragmatic tissue regions contained in the bounding box – this gives a final 3D central-chest mask (Figure 2). 2. Apply the CT-based central-chest mask to the PET scan. 3. Apply Otsu’s iterative thresholding algorithm to the masked 3D PET scan to find a suitable SUVthreshold for candidate lesions (SUV = standard uptake value). 3
INCIDENCE AND OUTCOMES OF PATIENTS WITH ATRIAL FIBRILLATION AND MAJOR BLEEDING COMPLICATIONS: FINDINGS FROM THE TREAT-AF STUDY

Although oral anticoagulation (OAC) is indicated for most patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and risk factors, there is limited data on the incidence of thromboembolic and recurrent bleeding events in AF patients after experiencing a major bleeding complication. We assessed the effect of major
Seasonal and Age-Related Changes in Plasma Testosterone Levels in Mountain White-Crowned Sparrows

Plasma levels of testosterone (T) were measured by radioimmunoassay in Mountain White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys oriantha) males of known age and natural history during four consecutive reproductive seasons in the Sierra Nevada of California. Because nesting occurred comparatively early in all of these seasons and mean schedules varied by only 11 days, data were lumped to show the seasonal pattern of T. This pattern was unimodal with a maximum coinciding with the period of competition for territories and mates and with mate guarding. This was followed by a decrease toward a minimum that coincided with the period of parental care and, eventually, postnuptial molt. When these data were analyzed by stage of the reproductive season (rather than calendar date) and by age, two unexpected results emerged. First, T levels decreased significantly between the stages of nest building and laying. Female mates should have been fertilizable and soliciting copulations during both of these stages and intermale conflicts associated with mate guarding should have been frequent. In both situations, high T levels would be predicted by current paradigms. Second, T levels were considerably lower in yearling males than in older males prior to the laying stage. Reasons for this age-related difference are unknown but it was observed that yearling males tended in all comparison intervals to have lower body masses, shorter wings, and shorter testis and cloacal protuberance lengths than older males--they were smaller birds. Yearling males were also less successful in obtaining mates than older males but, once paired, reared just as many offspring.
Clopidogrel adherence following percutaneous coronary intervention with a drug-eluting stent in a VA medical center

Background:Antiplatelet therapy with aspirin and a thienopyridine is the standard of care for prevention of thrombosis following coronary stent implantation. Recent evidence suggests a prolonged risk of stent thrombosis; therefore, clopidogrel therapy for at least 1 year is recommended following implantation of a drug-eluting stent. Premature discontinuation of clopidogrel is a well-recognized risk factor for stent thrombosis.Objective:To identify the rate of adherence to clopidogrel therapy among patients who have undergone percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).Methods:We queried the central Veteran Affairs (VA) pharmacy database for each patient who underwent PCI with a drug-eluting stent between September 2004 and August 2005 at a single VA medical center. Based on pharmacy refill records, patients were considered adherent to clopidogrel if they filled more than 80% of the clopidogrel prescriptions.Results:We observed that 20.3% of patients were nonadherent to clopidogrel therapy for the course that...
Unsteadiness in HAWT Blade Aerodynamic Forces and Flow Field Structures During Rotational Augmentation

At zero yaw, rotational effects frequently and substantially amplify HAWT blade aerodynamic force production. To understand the flow physics responsible for this phenomenon, spatially and temporally resolved data were acquired from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Unsteady Aerodynamics Experiment (UAE), a fullscale HAWT tested in the NASA Ames 80 ft x 120 ft wind tunnel. These data included blade root bending moment, sectional normal forces, and planform surface pressure topologies. Higher test section speeds prompted increases in blade root bending moment mean and standard deviation. These trends in structural bending moments were closely linked with increases in sectional normal force mean and standard deviation. Surface pressure analyses involving correlations with prior experiments enabled extrapolation of off-surface flow field structures, consistent with observed surface pressure spatial and temporal variations. Overall, the flow field present on HAWT blades during routine operation is strongly threedimensional, substantially unsteady, and highly complex.
Vasopressin Signaling Pathways in Vascular Smooth Muscle

Arginine vasopressin (AVP) exhibits both acute and long-term effects on vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC). Acutely, AVP regulates vascular tone and stimulates contraction. Longer term exposure of VSMC to AVP in the absence of other mitogenic agents results in cell hypertrophy without increases in cell number, and increased expression of a number of muscle-specific genes including the smooth muscle form of alpha-actin (SM-alpha-actin). These responses can be distinguished from the proliferative responses seen with growth factors such as platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), which increase DNA synthesis and cell number and suppress SM-alpha-actin expression. In cultured VSMC, all the effects of AVP are mediated through the V1a receptor which signals through G-proteins. This review examines post-receptor signaling events mediated by AVP in VSMC. AVP rapidly increases intracellular Ca2+ via mobilization of intracellular stores and entry of extracellular Ca2+ via specific cation channels. This pathway, via activation of myosin light chain kinase, is critical for the early contractile response. Increased intracellular Ca2+ also leads to increased arachidonic acid release and eicosanoid production through the action of phospholipase A2. The activation of protein kinases by AVP is examined, focusing on members of the mitogen-activated protein kinase family. These enzymes are likely to play an important role in promoting growth of VSMC as well as modulating their state of differentiation through transcriptional control of muscle-specific gene expression. Recent studies suggesting a role for c-Jun amino terminal kinases in the regulation of smooth muscle-alpha-actin expression are described.
No circadian effect on nortriptyline kinetics in man

Kinetics of a single 100-mg dose of nortriptyline were studied in 10 normal men who took this dose at 9 a.m. in the morning and on another occasion at 9 p.m. Only minimal differences in kinetic parameters were observed, none enough to be of any clinical consequence. A rather high first-pass metabolism of the drug was evident by high plasma concentrations of 10-hydroxynortriptyline. it is thus unlikely that the recent custom of giving single daily doses of tricyclic antidepressants in the evening excludes regimens with more favorable drug kinetics.
The Compromised Bed Technique: An Improved Method for Skin Grafting Problem Wounds

An improved method for skin grafting wounds that are compromised by bacterial contamination or other risk factors for graft loss is described. This method involves the use of partially expanded, perforated skin grafts that allow delivery of topical antimicrobial chemotherapy and provide wound bed drainage.
Measurement of the nitric oxide metabolites nitrate and nitrite in the human brain by microdialysis.

To examine the feasibility of measuring the nitric oxide (NO) metabolites nitrate and nitrite in microdialysate samples from the human brain, microdialysis probes were placed in normal appearing cerebral cortex of severely head injured patients in the Neurosurgical Intensive Care Unit at Ben Taub General Hospital. Nitrate/nitrite analysis was performed using NO chemiluminescence. Low micro-molar levels of NO metabolites were consistently and easily detected. These levels seen are comparable to levels reported in CSF but tissue tortuosity and probe recovery considerations suggest that the absolute concentrations at the probe site are probably ten fold higher. Microdialysis with measurement of nitric oxide metabolites is technically feasible and may provide valuable insights into both normal neurochemistry and neurochemical derangements in disease.
High-precision measurement and standard calibration of triple oxygen isotopic compositions ( δ 18 O, Δ '17 O) of sulfate by F 2 laser fluorination

Abstract A new approach for measuring the triple oxygen isotope composition of sulfate minerals was developed using fluorine gas and an infrared laser to generate O 2 . A correction for the mass-dependent isotope effect observed during barite fluorination was rigorously calibrated. Analyte gas purification was performed via numerous cryofocus steps and the introduction of an in-line gas chromatograph. As with previous methods, our fluorination technique still requires pairing with independent δ 18 O measurements made by TC/EA conversion to carbon monoxide, but leads to higher yields than BrF 5 -based methods. We first calibrated our method against known silicate standards (UWG-2, SCO, NBS-28). Following from this, we report high-precision triple oxygen isotope ratios for international sulfate standards (IAEA-SO-5, IAEA-S O-6, NBS-127), and an internal laboratory standard, JMG. Replicate analyses of JMG yielded a Δ ′ 17 O value of −0.057 ± 0.004‰ (standard error), demonstrating per-meg level precision that approaches instrumental limits. We provide δ 17 O and δ 18 O values that can be translated into any preferred reference frame for comparison with gases, water, or rocks/minerals. Quantification of differences in triple oxygen isotope composition of the standard reference materials further enables application of this measure and approach on environmental and geological materials.
Non-B DNA and Chromosomal Rearrangements

Certain DNA sequences in the genome may exist either in the canonical right-handed B-duplex or in alternative non-B conformations, depending on conditions such as transcription, supercoil stress, protein binding, and so on. Analyses of breakpoint junctions at deletions, translocations, and inversions, where the sites of DNA breakage could be determined at the nucleotide level, revealed that most, if not all, of the breaks occurred within, or adjacent to, the predicted non-B conformations. These findings support a model whereby rearrangements are caused by recombination/repair processes between two distinct non-B conformations, which may reside either on the same chromosome or on two distinct chromosomes. This model was applicable to both Escherichia coli and humans, suggesting that the mechanisms involved are highly conserved.
Communication in investigative and legal contexts: integrated approaches from forensic psychology, linguistics and law enforcement, edited by Gavin Oxburgh, Trond Myklebust, Tim Grant and Rebecca Milne

This edited book, Communication in Investigative and Legal Contexts, explores ways to enhance performance of legal participants, processes, and justice agencies by improving communication in the le...
Internet gaming disorder

Online role-playing video games provide opportunities to connect socially and can enhance self-esteem. For some players, however, overuse fosters dependency leading to negative psychosocial and health consequences. Per the American Psychiatric Association, criteria for diagnosis of Internet gaming disorder (IGD) follow an addiction model, and include characteristics such as preoccupation, tolerance, and withdrawal. Though useful, this approach lacks a focus on underlying motivations that may partially explain vulnerability to IGD. This study explored relationships among IGD symptoms and two potential risk factors: social phobia and player-avatar identification. Participants (N=394; 50% female) were recruited from game-related internet forums and surveyed online. We tested a model in which a positive relationship between social phobia and IGD symptoms was partially mediated by stronger avatar identification. Social phobia, avatar identification, and IGD symptoms were strongly positively related, and we found modest support for mediation as proposed. Accordingly, we suggest that fundamental needs for social connection and approval are potent motivators to play, particularly for socially phobic players uncomfortable with face-to-face contact. Vicarious interactions through a gaming avatar may fulfill these needs, reinforcing stronger self-identification with the avatar, which in turn can offer players a stronger and more positive sense of self. Such influences may work synergistically to motivate increasing intensity of and preoccupation with gameplay, contributing to IGD. These results support the use of player-avatar identification in assessing risk for IGD, developing treatment options, and reaching a better understanding of how socialization and identity can be influenced by virtual interactions and accomplishments. Greater social phobia is associated with more Internet gaming disorder symptoms.Greater social phobia is associated with stronger player-avatar identification.Stronger player-avatar identification is associated with more IGD symptomatology.Avatar identification partially mediates relation of social phobia and IGD symptoms.Player-avatar identification may be a valid indicator in diagnosing IGD.
Robot-assisted single-site compared with laparoscopic single-incision cholecystectomy for benign gallbladder disease: protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Recent advances in robotic technology suggest that the utilization of the da Vinci Single-Site™ platform for cholecystectomy is safe, feasible and results in a shorter learning curve compared to conventional single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Moreover, the robot-assisted technology has been shown to reduce the surgeon’s stress load compared to standard single-incision laparoscopy in an experimental setup, suggesting an important advantage of the da Vinci platform. However, the above-mentioned observations are based solely on case series, case reports and experimental data, as high-quality clinical trials to demonstrate the benefits of the da Vinci Single-Site™ cholecystectomy have not been performed to date. This study addresses the question whether robot-assisted Single-Site™ cholecystectomy provides significant benefits over single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy in terms of surgeon’s stress load, while matching the standards of the conventional single-incision approach with regard to peri- and postoperative outcomes. It is designed as a single centre, single-blinded randomized controlled trial, which compares both surgical approaches with the primary endpoint surgeon’s physical and mental stress load at the time of surgery. In addition, the study aims to assess secondary endpoints such as operating time, conversion rates, additional trocar placement, intra-operative blood loss, length of hospital stay, costs of procedure, health-related quality of life, cosmesis and complications. Patients as well as ward staff are blinded until the 1st postoperative year. Sample size calculation based on the results of a previously published experimental setup utilizing an estimated effect size of surgeon’s comfort of 0.8 (power of 0.8, alpha-error level of 0.05, error margin of 10–15%) resulted in a number of 30 randomized patients per arm. The study is the first randomized controlled trial that compares the da Vinci Single Site™ platform to conventional laparoscopic approaches in cholecystectomy, one of the most frequently performed operations in general surgery. This trial is registered at clinicaltrials.gov (trial number: NCT02485392 ). Registered February 19, 2015.
Keyword search in text cube: Finding top-k relevant cells

We study the problem of keyword search in a data cube with text-rich dimension(s) (so-called text cube). The text cube is built on a multidimensional text database, where each row is associated with some text data (e.g., a document) and other structural dimensions (attributes). A cell in the text cube aggregates a set of documents with matching attribute values in a subset of dimensions. A cell document is the concatenation of all documents in a cell. Given a keyword query, our goal is to find the top-k most relevant cells (ranked according to the relevance scores of cell documents w.r.t. the given query) in the text cube. We define a keyword-based query language and apply IR-style relevance model for scoring and ranking cell documents in the text cube. We propose two efficient approaches to find the top-k answers. The proposed approaches support a general class of IR-style relevance scoring formulas that satisfy certain basic and common properties. One of them uses more time for pre-processing and less time for answering online queries; and the other one is more efficient in pre-processing and consumes more time for online queries. Experimental studies on the ASRS dataset are conducted to verify the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed approaches.
Memory of My Face: Globalization, Madness, and Identity On-screen

The ethnographic film Memory of My Face features Bambang, a university-educated Indonesian man living in the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia’s largest metropolis. Now in his mid-thirties and diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, Bambang has had episodes of euphoric mania and delusions since he was a sophomore in high school. After sharing his life story, the film and the chapter pay particular attention to the way residues of colonialism and the pervasive influence of globalization affect the subjective experience of his illness, moving beyond biological psychiatry to demonstrate that the content of manic speech and delusions has meaning. This ethnographic argument is mirrored in the filmmaking process and the film narrative, which moves from a sense of strangeness to one of empathy.
Playing with Learning and Teaching in Higher Education: How Does Reacting to the Past Empower Students and Faculty?

Given Reacting to the Past’s (RTTP’s) tremendous growth since its earliest iteration in the mid-1990s, students and faculty alike have come to view RTTP as a transformative experience. This chapter assesses both sides of the RTTP classroom by presenting the results of two national surveys. The surveys illuminate students’ and faculty’s perceptions of both the pedagogy and its high-impact elements. Through the lenses of social cohesion theory and the relationship-driven teaching model, the authors evaluate students’ views of the impact(s) of RTTP on their learning within RTTP course(s), as well as how the pedagogy influenced their study habits, appreciation of course content, and sense of autonomy as learners. Additionally, the faculty survey provides key insights into how RTTP implementation, its successes and challenges, influences faculty decisions on teaching and instruction beyond their RTTP-based classes and how they perceive improvements in student performance when compared to non-RTTP courses.
The Limits of the Neighborhood Effect: Contextual Uncertainties in Geographic, Environmental Health, and Social Science Research

This article draws on recent studies to argue that researchers need to be attentive to the limits of the neighborhood effect as conventionally understood. It highlights the complexities of contextu...