cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On the social desirability of urban rail transit systems

Despite a decline in its mode share, investment to build new urban rail transit systems and extend old ones continues. We estimate the contribution of each U.S. urban rail operation to social welfare based on the demand for and cost of its service. We find that with the exception of BART in the San Francisco Bay area, every system actually reduces welfare and is unable to become socially desirable even with optimal pricing or physical restructuring of its network. We conclude rail’s social cost is unlikely to abate because it enjoys powerful political support from planners, civic boosters, and policymakers.
RUNWAY ROUGHNESS CHARACTERIZATION BY DDS APPROACH

A new approach called Dynamic Data System (DDS) analysis is proposed as an improved and better method of characterizing the runway roughness. The runway profiles of four airports (Washington National, New York International, La Guardia, and Logan International in Boston) are chosen for the present study and the profile data are analyzed for characterizing the runway roughness. The statistical analyses such as analysis of variance and power spectrum analysis have been presented to show the importance of various wavelengths of runways for large and high-speed aircrafts. The results of spectral moments and geometric parameters show that the New York airport has the smoothest runway among the airports. The new technique can be applied to aid the dynamic response analysis of the aircraft and three track runway profile characterization.
Abstract 641: Expression Of GLUT4 In Vascular Smooth Muscle Affects Endothelial Function In Hypertension.

Expression of GLUT4 is decreased in arterial smooth muscle of hypertensive rats and mice, and total body overexpression of GLUT4 in mice prevents enhanced arterial reactivity. To demonstrate that the effect on vascular response to GLUT4 overexpression is vascular rather than systemic in origin we utilized smooth muscle-specific GLUT4 transgenic mice (SMG4). GLUT4 expression in aortae of SMG4 compared to WT mice was increased 2-3 fold. Adult wild-type (WT) and SMG4 mice were made hypertensive or not through implantation of angiotensin II (AngII; 1.4mg/kg/d for 2 wks) or vehicle containing osmotic mini-pumps. Both WT and SMG4 mice AngII-treated mice exhibited significantly increased systolic blood pressure. In AngII-treated WT mice (WT-AngII) aortic GLUT4 expression was significantly decreased, whereas GLUT4 expression in aortae of AngII-treated SMG4 mice (SMG4-AngII) was maintained. The phosphorylation of ERM and MYPT1(Thr850) were significantly increased in aortae of WT-AngII compared to WT-Sham and SMG4-AngII mice. Responsiveness to the contractile agonists, phenylephrine, 5-HT, and PGF 2 was significantly increased in endothelium-intact aortic rings from WT-AngII mice, but remained normal in aortae of SMG4-AngII mice. Following pretreatment with Rho-kinase inhibitor Y-27632, relative inhibition of contractility to 5-HT was equal in aortae from WT-AngII and SMG4-AngII-treated mice. With endothelial denudation, contractility to 5-HT was equally enhanced in aortae of WT-AngII and SMG4-AngII-treated mice. Interestingly, whereas acetylcholine stimulated relaxation was significantly decreased in aortic rings of WT-AngII mice, relaxation in rings from SMG4-AngII mice was not significantly different from WT or SMG4. These results demonstrate an interesting phenomenon whereby decreased expression of GLUT4 in vascular smooth muscle leads to an endothelial dysfunction that not only impairs relaxation, but also enhances contractility.
Studies in Experimental Meningitis in Rhesus Monkeys II. The Importance of Streptodornase in the Enzymatic Digestion in Vitro of Experimentally Produced Meningeal Exudate

Streptokinase (SK) and streptodornase (SD) have been used to cause rapid lysis of purulent exudates in a variety of clinical infections.1 SK is an enzyme activator, or kinase, which activates a pro-enzyme plasminogen, present in human serum, to form a fibrinolytic enzyme called plasmin. SD is a desoxyribonuclease which depolymerizes extracellular desoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). The solid noncellular components of purulent exudates have been shown to consist largely of fibrin and extracellular desoxyribonucleoprotein.1'2 The purpose of the experiments reported in the present paper was to determine the action, in vitro, of SD, SK and plasmin on exudate scraped from the meninges of experimentally infected monkeys. A purulent meningitis was produced in rhesus monkeys by the intracisternal injection of Pseudomonas
Adsorption Behavior of Heat Modified Soybean Oil via Boundary Lubrication Coefficient of Friction Measurements

The frictional behaviors of soybean oil and heat modified soybean oils with different Gardner scale viscosities as additives in hexadecane have been examined in a boundary lubrication test regime (steel contacts) using Langmuir adsorption model. The free energy of adsorption (ΔGads ) of various heat modified soybean oils were compared with unmodified soybean oil. It was observed, that relative distribution of unsaturation in the molecule, average molecular weight and thus viscosity can affect adsorption on the metal surface. Heat modified soybean oils consistently have a lower ΔGads values compared to unmodified soybean oil. Lower ΔGads corresponds to stronger adsorption on the metal surface. The heat modification thus provides oils with stronger adsorption and higher viscosities, good for use in industrial lubricant formulations. This information can be used to design suitable lubricant molecules that will have optimum structure for effective metal adsorption as well as exhibit excellent boundary lubrication properties.© 2008 ASME
Types of integration and depressive symptoms: a latent class analysis on the resettled population for the Three Gorges Dam project, China

Focusing on China's Three Gorges Project (TGP)-Induced Resettlement, the largest scale resettlement induced by a single development project, this study aims to investigate different types of integration patterns among the TGP re-settlers and how modes of integration associate with depressive symptoms. Using Latent Class Analysis, we analyzed survey data on 407 TGP re-settlers. We detected three integration patterns among these re-settlers: the fully integrated (68%), the culturally and economically integrated (21%) and the unintegrated (11%). We found that different integration types were linked to different levels of depressive symptoms. Unless fully integrated and experienced a warm feeling toward new community, re-settlers were vulnerable to elevated depressive symptoms. Our findings that culturally and economically integrated re-settlers had similar levels of depressive symptoms as the unintegrated re-settlers highlighted the importance of subjective dimension of integration and resettlement. We also found that rural re-settlers and those who move with the whole village were more likely to fall into the unintegrated category. Policy implications were discussed.
Proposed Changes to Federal Rules of Civil Procedure: Applying Lessons on Institutional Change to Predict Their Effectiveness

This paper reviews major principles of institutional change in leading books by psychologists who study the challenges of, and the optimal means of achieving, change in an institution. The paper then recognizes that one of the major goals of these proposed amendments is to reduce the time and cost of litigation in general and discovery in particular. Applying principles of institutional change, however, a close examination of the proposed amendments suggests that they will not effect the change they seek, at least not to an appreciable degree. The proposed amendments appear to underestimate the obstacles in place when seeking change in an institution. The paper offers examples of rule changes that have been simply ignored, including specifically rule changes designed to speed up litigation and reduce discovery costs. In addition, the proposed amendments do not appear to be part of a more comprehensive plan to achieve reduction in litigation time and discovery costs through additional amendments, such as limiting the time a case is pending (or limiting the discovery period). One principal of institutional change is that it is best brought about if there is a comprehensive plan with stages of changes, such that the process proceeds over time with certain progress achieved before more challenging changes are made. Finally, the experts in institutional change suggest that clarity in the goals and criteria by which progress is measured promotes change. Here, one of the key amendments -- proportionality of discovery as part of the new definition of the scope of discovery -- lacks the kind of clarity likely to bring change. At best courts will have to work with the factors provided and may be able to develop some general principles. However, there is a great risk of case-by-case analysis and satellite litigation over the question of what the new amendment means.
Subject Logistic study on Risk Factors Associated with Severe Cases of Hand-Foot-Mouth Disease(HFMD)in Heze,2013

Objective To recognize the risk factors of Severe Case of Hand-Foot-Mouth Disease(HFMD) in Heze,and to seek out clues for targeted interventions to prevent the occurrence of severe case. Methods A total of 16 severe cases and 32 mild cases of HFMD were enrolled according to the ratio of 1:2 in this matched case-control study. And Specimens of throat swabs, anal swabs and herpes fluids were collected to detect nucleic acid of erterovirus by Heze center for disease control and prevention. Five factors including age, the type of the first hospital, fever, poor mental and EV71 infection were analyzed by chi-square test and multivariate logistic test. Results The risk of developing severe cases of HFMD was associated with going to the private clinic and lethargy, with P0.05. The risk of developing severe cases with going to the private clinic and lethargy were both 7.978 times of mild cases. Conclusion It was concluded that going to the private clinic and lethargy could be used as the reference index to identify severe cases.
33 HIV-1 SYNCYTIUM-INDUCING VIRUS ASSOCIATED WITH INTESTINAL MALABSORPTION

Background Malabsorption and weight loss remain highly prevalent in HIV disease resulting in negative outcomes. The aggressive syncytium-inducing (SI) subtype can infect intestinal mucosa and induce pro-inflammatory chemokines that impair absorptive function in vitro. This pilot study examines how SI and pro-inflammatory cytokines associate with clinical and laboratory measures of malabsorption. Methods 20 men on HAART were enrolled from the Nutrition for Healthy Living cohort with an age of 45.7 ± 1.50 years (mean ± SE), CD4 count 0.261 ± 0.0589 cells/mL, and viral load 35008.8 ± 17260.6 copies/mL. Subjects were studied with: serum D-xylose at 2 hours (n = 20, normal>20 mg/dL); 72 h fecal fat collection on a 100 g fat diet (n = 20, normal ( 8 g/24 hrs); 5-hr urine D-xylose collection following 5 g oral D-xylose (n = 15, normal>1.4 g/5 hrs); upper endoscopy with collection of duodenal fluid and biopsies (n = 18). TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-8 were quantified by the novel approach of ELISA on duodenal fluid. Quantities ≥ 10 times the lower limit of detection were considered significant. SI phenotype was predicted by bioinformatic analysis of sequenced ENV V3 domains from serum-isolated HIV. Results 8/20 (40%) had serum SI. Serum viral loads and CD4 count did not differ among those with SI vs. non-SI or by malabsorption. Subjects with SI showed a trend towards more malabsorption: lower BMI in SI subjects (22.8 ± 1.1 kg/m≤, mean ± SE) vs. non-SI (26.1 ± 1.2, p = 0.07); more wasting in 5/8 (63%) of SI subjects vs. 5/12 (42%, p = 0.65); lower serum D-xylose (SI, 25.1 ± 4.9 mg/dL vs. 38.2 ± 5.4, p = 0.11); lower urine D-xylose (SI, 1.45 ± 0.32 g/5 hrs vs. 2.03 ± 0.26, p = 0.19) and more fat malabsorption (fecal fat ≥ 8 g/24 hrs in 3/8 (38%) SI vs. 1/12 (8%) p = 0.26). Overall, SI subjects had greater severity of malabsorption with ≥ 1 abnormality of GI function (SI, 7/8 (88%) vs. 5/12 (42%), p = 0.07) and many had>1 abnormality (SI, 4/8 (50%) vs. 1/12 (8%), p = 0.11). 10/17 (59%) subjects had ≥ 1 elevated duodenal pro-inflammatory cytokine. No differences were noted in pro-inflammatory cytokines in serum or duodenal fluid by presence of SI, malabsorption, or serum viral load. Conclusions Subjects infected with SI display increased clinical and laboratory evidence of malabsorption. A majority of HIV-infected subjects have easily detectable pro-inflammatory cytokines in their duodenal fluid. Further studies elucidating the intestinal microenvironment in HIV-induced malabsorption are needed.
Message in a bottle: a comparative study of spiritual needs of children and young people in and out of hospital

AbstractUsing the metaphor of a message in a bottle as a framework and sending an S.O.S. to adults, the question of what are the three biggest needs of children and young people was asked. Data consisting of 107 important needs of children and young people was collected from 36 children and young people both in and out of hospital: in hospital by chaplains and other health care professionals, and out of hospital by children and youth work undergraduate students. This was a convenience sample across the United Kingdom with the majority of respondents in the Midlands. The data were coded and then thematically analysed and separately compared to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Emotional needs was the largest theme for hospitalised children and young people and relationship needs for the non-hospitalised children and young people. For both groups Maslow’s level 3 need of belonging was the greatest averaging at just over half the needs shared. A discussion of the results of the analyses identifies some ways in wh...
A Multiscale Domain Decomposition Method for Flow and Transport Problems

It has been widely recognized that one of the major challenges in the simulation of flow and transport problems is finding the numerical solution of the pressure equation [2].
Coarse Reticular Opacities (Honeycomb Lung)

Coarse reticular opacities are the result of lung destruction caused by retracting fibrosis, which also produces cystic spaces. This combination of coarse reticular opacities and cystic spaces is better shown on computed tomography (CT) and described as honeycombing. The pathology of most cases of honeycombing fibrosis is classified as usual interstitial pneumonitis (UIP), which may be caused by collagen vascular diseases, environmental diseases, or idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis when there is no known cause. Inflammatory diseases, including sarcoidosis, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, Langerhans cell histiocytosis, and rarely desquamative interstitial pneumonitis, are also causes of honeycombing fibrosis. High resolution CT is often required to confirm the pattern of honeycombing and assess the distribution within the lungs, which is essential for separating the UIP group of diseases from the inflammatory diseases.
Congenital Brachial Arthrogryposis

Two patients with congenital cervical spinal muscular atrophy and arthrogryposis limited to the upper limbs are reported from the Hospital Enschede, The Netherlands, and University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Germany.
Ist die Unterscheidung zwischen Normalwissenschaft und revolutionärer Wissenschaft stichhaltig

Professor T. S. Kuhns Beitrag zu diesem Symposium kann von zwei verschiedenen Gesichtspunkten aus betrachtet werden: entweder als Kritik an Sir Karl Poppers Stellungnahme zur Philosophie der Wissenschaft — in der Beleuchtung ihrer Gegensatze zu Prof. Kuhns eigenen Ansichten — oder umgekehrt: Er kann auch als ein weiterer Schritt in der Entwicklung von Kuhns Analyse des Prozesses der wissenschaftlichen Veranderung aufgefast werden. Mich interessiert hier der zweite von diesen Aspekten. Ich werde auf bedeutende Veranderungen des Standpunktes aufmerksam machen, den Kuhn jetzt einzunehmen scheint im Vergleich zu seinen fruheren Stellungnahmen; zuerst in seiner ursprunglichen Arbeit „The Function of Dogma in Scientific Research“ [= Die Funktion des Dogmas in der wissenschaftlichen Forschung], Vortrag, gehalten im Worcester College, Oxford i.J. 1961,1) und dann in seinem darauffolgenden Buch The Structure of Scientific Revolutions [= Die Struktur der wissenschaftlichen Revolutionen], veroffentlicht 1962. Ich werde im Lichte dieser Veranderungen vorschlagen, wie wir unseren Weg uber Kuhns Theorie von der ‘wissenschaftlichen Revolution’ hinaus zu einer adaquateren Theorie der wissenschaftlichen Veranderung sehen durften.
Characterization of trimethoprim resistant E. coli dihydrofolate reductase mutants by mass spectrometry and inhibition by propargyl-linked antifolates

Pathogenic Escherichia coli, one of the primary causes of urinary tract infections, has shown significant resistance to the most popular antibiotic, trimethoprim (TMP), which inhibits dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR). The resistance is modulated by single point mutations of DHFR. The impact of two clinically relevant mutations, P21L and W30R, on the activity of DHFR was evaluated via measurement of Michaelis–Menten and inhibitory kinetics, and structural characterization was undertaken by native mass spectrometry with ultraviolet photodissociation (UVPD). Compared to WT-DHFR, both P21L and W30R mutants produced less stable complexes with TMP in the presence of co-factor NADPH as evidenced by the relative abundances of complexes observed in ESI mass spectra. Moreover, based on variations in the fragmentation patterns obtained by UVPD mass spectrometry of binary and ternary DHFR complexes, notable structural changes were localized to the substrate binding pocket for W30R and to the M20 loop region as well as the C-terminal portion containing the essential G–H functional loop for the P21L mutant. The results suggest that the mutations confer resistance through distinctive mechanisms. A novel propargyl-linked antifolate compound 1038 was shown to be a reasonably effective inhibitor of the P21L mutant.
Nursing Students' Attitudes and Experiences Toward End-of-Life Care: A Mixed Methods Study Using Simulation

Abstract Background The lack of discourse regarding end-of-life care is noted in nursing education although nurses are expected to provide end-of-life care. Patient deaths are a cause of distress and impact nurses' provision of quality care. Simulation can improve comfort regarding providing end-of-life care. Sample Participants in the study were 17 nursing students enrolled in a BSN program in the southeast United States. Method Qualitative data generated an understanding of nursing students' provision of care in a simulated environment to an individual who was actively dying. A 12-item Likert scale survey provided quantitative data. Results Identified themes were (a) unknown territory, (b) dignity by knowing the patient, (c) preparation, and (d) communication. Quantitative data supported the themes. Conclusions End-of-life care is multifaceted as this study identified concerns regarding caring for an individual and the family member. These concerns may prevent the provision of best practice care. The identification of students' concerns can assist a nurse educator plan and convey best practice for end-of-life care.
A Critical Pedagogy with College and High School Students in St. Louis Post-Mike Brown:

This article presents a critical pedagogy for a racially oppressed working-class community, situated in this current moment of capitalist crises. In the aftermath of the police killing of Mike Brow...
A Response to Ellen Zhang’s “On Human Rights and Freedom in Biomedical Ethics: A Philosophical Inquiry in Light of Buddhism”

Applying religious teachings to legal concepts and determinations is always a challenge. Professor Zhang has given us a means to consider Buddhism’s teaching related to human dignity, rights and freedom as stated in the Declaration of Human Rights and the Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights. She has pointed out that the concept of “human rights” is not directly addressed by Buddhism but is not incompatible with Buddhist tradition. Zhang approaches this by discussing the Declaration of Human Rights (1948) which discussed “the rights of every individual” and how these are protected in legal form. She correctly points out that dignity, rights and freedoms are often based in the idea of self-determination.
Abstract WP395: Can Nursing-driven Stroke Alert Activations be Effective?

Background: Earlier stroke alert activations in the emergency department can assemble needed resources quickly in order to shorten treatment delays among eligible patients. We compared the impact o...
Performative and subversive negotiations of face in parent–child communication about childbearing choice across generations

ABSTRACTSome women who previously told others they never wanted to have children ultimately do become mothers. These women negotiate their own and their children’s childbearing identities. Using performative face theory, a critical poststructural interpersonal and family communication theory of identity and difference, this study analyzed intergenerational shifts in parent–child communication between families-of-origin (when participants were children) and families-of-creation (when participants were parents). Most participants described how their parents articulated either pronatalist face threats or antinatalist face support, which constrained possibilities for their childbearing identities. Participants, however, stressed that they have talked or plan to talk to their own children in a different, more neutral-natalist way by sharing their stories, emphasizing childbearing agency, and quietly desiring grandchildren. Negotiations of childbearing face are therefore informed by—and in turn sustain, resist,...
Collective Essence and Monotonicity

This paper focuses on the concept of collective essence: that some truths are essential to many items taken together. For example, that it is essential to conjunction and negation that they are truth-functionally complete. The concept of collective essence is one of the main innovations of recent work on the theory of essence. In a sense, this innovation is natural, since we make all sorts of plural predications. It stands to reason that there should be a distinction between essential and accidental plural predications if there is a distinction among singular predications. In this paper I defend the view that the concept of collective essence is governed by the principle of Monotonicity: that something is essential to some items only if it is essential to any items to which they belong.
The Fungal Cell Wall and Vertebrate Phagocytosis

Most fungi are saprophytes that readily adapt and grow under diverse natural conditions. Thus, parasitism is usually unnecessary for species preservation. Even so, the frequency and severity of mycoses continue to increase as methods steadily improve for prolonging survival of severely immunodeficient patients. Normal host defenses usually are successful in preventing or clearing mycoses, but immunosuppression fosters progression of infection. Fungi that cause endemic mycoses such as histoplasmosis or coccidioidomycosis can infect immunologically normal individuals, but infections in such hosts typically are asymptomatic or self-limited.
The Effect of Confidence in Valuation Estimates on Arbitrager Behavior and Market Prices

This paper analyzes market mispricings as a function of arbitragers’ confidence in their valuation estimates and subjective predictions about the future trades of other investors. New insights on the nature of investor psychology are revealed that help explain market cycles and anomalies like the lower (higher) returns to growth stocks (small firms) as well as the tendency to hold winning investments and sell losers.
Social Housing in the United States: Overview

Housing owned by public agencies and nonprofit organisations comprises the US social housing sector, which totals about 5 million units. The federal public housing programme was created in 1937 and, over the years, has provided affordable dwellings to millions of low-income households. Public housing has virtually always been the subject of intense controversy and, other than redeveloping existing projects, no new public housing is being created. There are many different types of nonprofit housing organisations, most of which were created between the 1970s and 1990s. In general, nonprofits have many unique strengths, but they continue to face a number of challenges, including how to piece together adequate financing to make units affordable to their target populations. Despite the obstacles, nonprofits continue to be an important part of the US housing agenda and are seen as key vehicles for improving housing, providing services, and revitalising communities.
History and Classification

The ancients made bricks by hand from materials of the earth which seemed to be naturally suitable. This was some years after the great flood, probably about 4500 years ago, and the people were, no doubt, located in Mesopotamia along the Euphrates River or its tributaries. This area is now part of Iraq. It is clear that the art of brickmaking had already advanced into the process of firing to make them hard, durable, and esthetically attractive. Simple molds were probably used by these people to make the bricks true in shape and size.
A Power Function for Sensory Receptors

An attempt is made at demonstrating that receptor potentials and the neural spike rates they produce can be related to stimulus intensity by a couple of rather simple equations, independent of sensory modality. The equation describing the spike rate differs from that for the receptor potentials only by an additive threshold constant. Both equations imply that sensory receptors perform a power-function transformation of stimulus intensity. The transformation is modified by a saturation effect and, in the instance of spike rates, a threshold effect. It is possible that receptors of all sensory modalities obey one of only two power exponents. Their numerical values amount approximately to 0.5 and 1.0. Thus far, the power of 1.0 has been found applicable only to gustatory and thermoreceptors. Some experimental evidence is presented suggesting that psychophysical intensity functions parallel the receptor functions when the psychophysical intensity range is narrow. When the range is broad, as in vision and audition, the psychophysical power exponent tends to be smaller than that for sensory receptors.
Characterization of temperature-sensitive leak K + currents and expression of TRAAK, TREK-1, and TREK2 channels in dorsal root ganglion neurons of rats

Leak K+ currents are mediated by two-pore domain K+ (K2P) channels and are involved in controlling neuronal excitability. Of 15 members of K2P channels cloned so far, TRAAK, TREK-1, and TREK-2 are temperature sensitive. In the present study, we show that strong immunoreactivity of TRAAK, TREK-1 and TREK-2 channels was present mainly in small-sized dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons of rats. The percentages of neurons with strong immunoreactivity of TRAAK, TREK-1 and TREK-2 channels were 27, 23, and 20%, respectively. Patch-clamp recordings were performed to examine isolated leak K+ currents on acutely dissociated small-sized rat DRG neurons at room temperature of 22 °C, cool temperature of 14 °C and warm temperature of 30 °C. In majority of small-sized DRG neurons recorded (76%), large leak K+ currents were observed at 22 °C and were inhibited at 14 °C and potentiated at 30 °C, suggesting the presence of temperature-sensitive K2P channels in these neurons. In a small population (18%) of small-sized DRG neurons, cool temperature of 14 °C evoked a conductance which was consistent with TRPM8 channel activation in cold-sensing DRG neurons. In these DRG neurons, leak K+ currents were very small at 22 °C and were not potentiated at 30 °C, suggesting that few temperature-sensitive K2P channels was present in cold-sensing DRG neurons. For DRG neurons with temperature-sensitive leak K+ currents, riluzole, norfluoxetine and prostaglandin F2α (PGE2α) inhibited the leak K+ currents at both 30 °C and 22 °C degree, and did not have inhibitory effects at 14 °C. Collectively, the observed temperature-sensitive leak K+ currents are consistent with the expression of temperature-sensitive K2P channels in small-sized DRG neurons.
Factors associated with short interpregnancy interval among women treated with in vitro fertilization.

To evaluate factors associated with interpregnancy interval (IPI) among women treated with in vitro fertilization (IVF). Women with at least two cycles of IVF between 2004 and 2013 were identified from the SART CORS database and grouped by age at first cycle, infertility diagnosis, IVF treatment parameters, and cycle 1 outcome (singleton or multiple live birth or no live birth, length of gestation, and birthweight). The distributions of IPIs (in months, 0–5, 6–11, 12–17, 18–23, and ≥ 24) were compared across these factors. IPI was fit as a function of these factors by a general linear model, separately for singleton and multiple live births and no live births at cycle 1. The study included 93,546 women with two consecutive IVF cycles where the first cycle resulted in a clinical intrauterine pregnancy or a live birth. Among women with a live birth in cycle 1, there was a general pattern of longer IPI for younger women compared to older women. Women with a multiple birth waited longer before initiating a second cycle than women with a singleton birth. For women with no live birth in the first cycle, nearly three fourths initiated cycle 2 within 6 months, regardless of their age. Short (0–5 months) IPI was associated with preterm delivery, older maternal age, and use of donor oocytes. Age of the mother, outcome of the first pregnancy, and treatment factors affect the length of the interpregnancy interval. Because short IPI has been associated with poor outcomes, women who are at risk for short IPI should be counseled about these outcome risks.
Implications of mean platelet volume in health and disease: A large population study on data from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Abstract Introduction Mean platelet volume (MPV) is a measure of platelet size and activity. We conducted a population study with National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data to understand the relationship of MPV with health and diseases. Materials and methods The NHANES is a cross-sectional survey of non-institutionalized adult population, administered every 2 years by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Participants answer a questionnaire, receive a physical examination, and undergo laboratory tests. Values of MPV were collected over 6 years (2011–2016). Logistic regression was used to predict likelihood of being in categories with MPV 90th percentile. Statistical analysis was performed using Stata/SE 15.1. Results In our study with 17,969 individuals, the mean MPV was 8.40 [SD = 0.92] femtoliter. Individuals with male sex, age 45–64 years, and recent hospital-stay were more likely to have MPV 90th percentile. Individuals with emphysema had significantly higher adjusted Odds [OR 1.92, 95% CI: 1.11–3.31, p = 0.021] of MPV 90th percentile [OR 0.74, 95% CI: 0.55–0.99, p = 0.042]. A diagnosis of coronary artery disease, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease did not have significant associations with MPV. Conclusions Obese individuals are more likely to have higher MPV. Individuals with emphysema had higher odds of having MPV 90th percentile.
Assessing uncertainty and demonstrating potential for estimating fire rate of spread at landscape scales based on time sequential airborne thermal infrared imaging

An important property of wildfire behaviour is rate of spread (ROS). The objectives of this study are to evaluate the uncertainty of landscape-scale ROS estimates derived from repetitive airborne thermal infrared (ATIR) georeferenced imagery and the utility of such estimates for understanding fire behaviour and controls on spread rates. Time-sequential ATIR image data were collected for the Cedar, Detwiler, and Rey Fires, which burned in California during summers of 2016 and 2017. We analyse error, uncertainty, and precision of ROS estimates associated with co-location accuracy, delineation of active fire front positions, and generation of fire spread vectors. The major sources of uncertainty influencing accuracy of ROS estimates are co-registration accuracy of sequential image pairs and procedures for delineating active fire front locations and spread vectors between them; none of these were found to be substantial. Median ROS estimates are 11 m min−1 for the Cedar Fire and 8 m min−1 for the Detwiler Fire, both of which burned through mixed shrub and tree areas of the Sierra Nevada foothills and were estimated for downslope spread events. Of the three study fires, the fastest spread rates (average spread of 25 m min−1 with maximum of 39 m min−1) are estimated for the Rey Fire, which burned on variable directional slopes through chaparral shrubland vegetation.
Novel allosteric covalent inhibitors of bifunctional Cryptosporidium hominis TS-DHFR from parasitic protozoa identified by virtual screening

Protozoans of the genus Cryptosporidium are the causative agent of the gastrointestinal disease, cryptosporidiosis, which can be fatal in immunocompromised individuals. Cryptosporidium hominis (C. hominis) bifunctional thymidylate synthase-dihydrofolate reductase (TS-DHFR) is an essential enzyme in the folate biosynthesis pathway and a molecular target for inhibitor design. Previous studies have demonstrated the importance of the ChTS-DHFR linker region "crossover helix" to the enzymatic activity and stability of the ChDHFR domain. We conducted a virtual screen of a novel non-active site pocket located at the interface of the ChDHFR domain and crossover helix. From this screen we have identified and characterized a noncompetitive inhibitor, compound 15, a substituted diphenyl thiourea. Through subsequent structure activity relationship studies, we have identified a time-dependent inhibitor lead, compound 15D17, a thiol-substituted 2-hydroxy-N-phenylbenzamide, which is selective for ChTS-DHFR, and whose effects appear to be mediated by covalent bond formation with a non-catalytic cysteine residue adjacent to the non-active site pocket.
Illegal insider trading: Commission and SEC detection

Abstract Assessing illegal insider trading is challenging due to the nature of the activity. Researchers observe and evaluate only the detected portion of illegal trading, not all illegal transactions. This presents a problem when using traditional empirical techniques to investigate such activity. In our analysis we employ a bivariate probit model that takes into account the partial observability nature of insider trading and provides estimates for the determinants of both the commission and the detection of illegal insider trading. Among our findings, most notable is the deterrence effect of recent actions taken by the SEC to enforce insider trading laws. We highlight that insiders consider these actions when deciding to trade. We also illustrate the influence of the SEC's political structure on insider trading detection. We show that political party affiliation within the SEC, past indictments by the SEC, and SEC budget all play a crucial role in determining current prosecution.
Structures and Dynamics of Secondary and Tertiary Alkylphosphine Oxides Adsorbed on Silica.

The three secondary phosphine oxides [CH2 =CH(CH2 )4 ]2 HPO (1), [CH2 =CH(CH2 )5 ]2 HPO (2), and [CH2 =CH(CH2 )6 ]2 HPO (3), and two diphosphine dioxides, {[CH2 =CH(CH2 )6 ]2 PO(CH2 )7 }2 (4) and {[CH2 =CH(CH2 )6 ]2 PO(CH2 )4 }2 (5), incorporating long methylene chains, are described. The single crystal X-ray structures of 1, 2, and 5 have been determined. The phosphine oxides 3, 4, and 5 have been adsorbed on silica in submonolayer quantities to give 3 a-5 a. The 1 H, 13 C, and 31 P solid-state NMR spectra of polycrystalline 3-5 have been analyzed and compared with those of 3 a-5 a. The changes of the solid-state NMR characteristics upon adsorption and the surface mobilities of the phosphine oxides are discussed.
The Genomic Basis for Short-Term Evolution of Environmental Adaptation in Maize.

The geographical distribution of many crop species spans far beyond their centers of origin and the native range of their wild ancestors. Maize is exemplary of this adaptability, which has contributed to its agricultural... Understanding the evolutionary capacity of populations to adapt to novel environments is one of the major pursuits in genetics. Moreover, for plant breeding, maladaptation is the foremost barrier to capitalizing on intraspecific variation in order to develop new breeds for future climate scenarios in agriculture. Using a unique study design, we simultaneously dissected the population and quantitative genomic basis of short-term evolution in a tropical landrace of maize that was translocated to a temperate environment and phenotypically selected for adaptation in flowering time phenology. Underlying 10 generations of directional selection, which resulted in a 26-day mean decrease in female-flowering time, 60% of the heritable variation mapped to 14% of the genome, where, overall, alleles shifted in frequency beyond the boundaries of genetic drift in the expected direction given their flowering time effects. However, clustering these non-neutral alleles based on their profiles of frequency change revealed transient shifts underpinning a transition in genotype-phenotype relationships across generations. This was distinguished by initial reductions in the frequencies of few relatively large positive effect alleles and subsequent enrichment of many rare negative effect alleles, some of which appear to represent allelic series. With these genomic shifts, the population reached an adapted state while retaining 99% of the standing molecular marker variation in the founding population. Robust selection and association mapping tests highlighted several key genes driving the phenotypic response to selection. Our results reveal the evolutionary dynamics of a finite polygenic architecture conditioning a capacity for rapid environmental adaptation in maize.
Creating Superior Customer Value in the Now Economy

AbstractCompanies today must have a customer value mindset and deliver exceptional value. Solid customer relationships ensure retention and improve business performance. This conceptual article exp...
Retinal Tamponades: Current Uses and Future Technologies

In this article, the current use and limitations of existing retinal tamponades are discussed. Potential novel developments that address those limitations are subsequently highlighted, along with areas of future improvements. While retinal tamponades have existed for decades and improved the treatment of retinal detachments, many problems still exist with their use, including inadequate tamponade of the inferior retina, toxicity from retained heavy liquids, glaucoma, and keratopathy, among others. New advancements in the components of heavy liquids and vitreous substitutes aim to mitigate those issues. Existing retinal tamponades, including perfluorocarbon heavy liquids, fluorinated gases, and silicone oil, have specific limitations that cause potentially avoidable morbidity. New developments, such as heavy silicone oil, novel vitreous gels, and future avenues of approach, such as potentially reabsorbing heavy liquids may help increase our ability to treat retinal detachments with fewer complications.
Effortless Monitoring of Arithmetic Intensity with PAPI's Counter Analysis Toolkit

With exascale computing forthcoming, performance metrics such as memory traffic and arithmetic intensity are increasingly important for codes that heavily utilize numerical kernels. Performance metrics in different CPU architectures can be monitored by reading the occurrences of various hardware events. However, from architecture to architecture, it becomes more and more unclear which native performance events are indexed by which event names, making it difficult for users to understand what specific events actually measure. This ambiguity seems particularly true for events related to hardware that resides beyond the compute core, such as events related to memory traffic. Still, traffic to memory is a necessary characteristic for determining arithmetic intensity. To alleviate this difficulty, PAPI’s Counter Analysis Toolkit measures the occurrences of events through a series of benchmarks, allowing its users to discover the high-level meaning of native events. We (i) leverage the capabilities of the Counter Analysis Toolkit to identify the names of hardware events for reading and writing bandwidth utilization in addition to floating-point operations, (ii) measure the occurrences of the events they index during the execution of important numerical kernels, and (iii) verify their identities by comparing these occurrence patterns to the expected arithmetic intensity of the numerical kernels.
Encountering the Other: Settler Grammars, Native Protestant Ideology, and Citizenship in the American Girl Books

This paper explores the American Girl book series and its relation to the history of American education and the school’s role in the creation of the ideal American girl. Focused on the Kirsten Larson series of American Girl books, this paper explores how the settler grammars that characterize Kirsten’s encounters with an “Indian girl” named Singing Bird become entangled with the institution and ideologies of schooling to produce a certain vision of the American girl, both in the books. I argue that the author’s use of settler grammars to promote the Native Protestant Ideology throughout the series teaches Kirsten not only lessons about citizenship and morality, but the role schools should play in cultivating certain citizenship beliefs and traits in American schoolchildren. In particular, the books in the Kirsten series promotes the myth of the innate superiority of white immigrants and Native Protestant culture over the Indigenous peoples, cultures, and lands those immigrants colonized. Living in story, these representations and ideologies continue the ongoing work of colonization in a settler nation as American schoolchildren today continue to consume these oppressive narratives wrapped neatly under the title “American Girl.”
Animal Caries Models for Evaluating Fluoride Dentifrices

Abstract—To determine the ability of animal caries models to evaluate the cariostatic potential of fluoride dentifrices, we examined four different coronal caries models. These currently used rat c...
Biotin Uptake by Cold-Shocked Cells, Spheroplasts, and Repressed Cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae: Lack of Feedback Control

Cold-osmotic-shocked cells and spheroplasts of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (ATCC 9896) display a biotin uptake system similar to that observed in intact cells. 2-Mercaptoethanol was found to inhibit biotin transport. Cells repressed for biotin uptake by growth in excess biotin (25 ng/ml) possess an energy-dependent transport system that has a Km for biotin of 6.6 × 10−7 M and a Vmax equal to 39 pmol per mg (dry weight) per min. A similar Km (6.4 × 10−7 M) but a considerably higher Vmax (530 pmol per mg (dry weight) per min) was determined for biotin uptake by cells grown in sufficient biotin (0.25 ng/ml). The Vmax rates of biotin uptake by both repressed and derepressed cells were increased approximately 35-fold in the presence of glucose. These yeast cells appear to regulate their biotin uptake by two mechanisms. An exit system provides for immediate adjustments, whereas turnover of the transport system and repression of new synthesis establishes a slower adaptation to changes in the environment. Feedback inhibition was ruled out as a mechanism of regulation of transport.
Hazard characterisation and management of tetramethyl tin in the production of photovoltaic cell transparent conductive oxide layers

Approaches for controlling occupational hazards connected with the use of tetramethyl tin (TMT) in the photovoltaics industry are described. Analysis suggests that routine emissions from large-scale manufacturing facilities using TMT need to be reduced by approximately 90% to comply with toxic gas containment guidelines to protect public health. Thermal afterburners combined with particle filtration can be used to meet these guidelines. Accidental release of the total inventory of TMT at a large-scale plant may present hazards to individuals living about 1 km from the facility's boundary. Because of these hazards, strategies to prevent in-plant release coupled with community emergency response programs are needed. >
The value of a dog in a classroom of children with severe emotional disorders

AbstractThe purpose of the present study was to determine how a dog's presence in a self-contained classroom of six children diagnosed with severe emotional disorders affected students' emotional stability and their learning. Across an eight-week period of time, the children were observed, the children and their parents were interviewed, and behavioral data were recorded when students went into emotional crisis. Qualitative analysis of all coded data indicated that the dog's placement in this self-contained classroom: a) contributed to students' overall emotional stability evidenced by prevention and de-escalation of episodes of emotional crisis; b) improved students' attitudes toward school; and c) facilitated students' learning lessons in responsibility, respect and empathy.
Quantum states of he atoms adsorbed on surfaces of rare gas solids

Wave functions and energies for band states of helium atoms in the two-dimensional periodic potential at the surface of a semiinfinite rare gas solid have been studied. In the case of Kr and Ar substrates, the atoms are highly localized and, correspondingly, the band widths are small. In a third case, namely that of an argon crystal highly compressed to simulate the adsorption site density of the close-packed face of argon, much larger band widths were found. If this is a reasonable simulation, then band effects may be observable.
A survey on oil / gas pipeline optimization: Problems, methods and challenges

Due to its safest operation and lowest expense, the fuel pipeline system plays crucial role in oil/gas transportation. In the pipe network industry, there are diverse optimization tasks during any period from design to operation. Previously, most works focus on developing effective algorithmic variants to strengthen some aspects of search capability. However, few review papers have been reported, which are desiderata for engineering solution providers. In this paper, we try to fulfill this gab by reviewing the existing optimization tasks and classifying them according two kinds of attributes. The problem formulation, major methods of three typical optimization tasks are reviewed and analyzed. The challenges and potential research directions of these problems are also analyzed.
Effects of H-2 on neural tube defects in congenic mice.

AbstractPregnant mice congenic with C57BL/10 (B10.A, B10.BR, B10.D2, B10.A[2R], B10.A[5R], B10.A[15R], B10.A[1R], B10.A[18R], and B10.0L) were fed Purina Mouse Chow or the same diet plus 200 IU of vitamin A daily. The pregnant dams were sacrificed on the eighteenth day of gestation, and the fetuses were sexed and examined for defects in neural tube development.The frequency of neural tube defects was low (mean frequency of all strains, 0.36%) and was not affected by the addition of vitamin A (200 IU/day) to the diet. Twenty-seven of the 29 defects observed occurred in the anterior tube (exencephaly); fourteen were identified in female fetuses, but the sex could not be determined in the other 15 cases because of fetal death and early autolysis. Variations in frequency among the strains suggest that a locus between Eβ and H-2D has a moderate influence on the occurrence of neural tube defects. Strains that had H-2d alleles in this segment of the H-2 complex had relatively high frequencies, and those with H-2...