cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SEX ALLOCATION AND MALE FITNESS GAIN IN A COLONIAL, HERMAPHRODITIC MARINE INVERTEBRATE.

While simultaneous hermaphroditism occurs in most animal phyla, theories for its adaptive significance remain untested. Sex allocation theory predicts that combined sexes are favored in sedentary and sessile organisms because localized gamete dispersal and local mate competition (LMC) among gametes promote decelerating fitness "gain curves" that relate male investment to reproductive success. Under this LMC model, males fertilize all locally available eggs at low sperm output, additional output leads to proportionally fewer fertilizations, and combined sexes with female-biased sex allocation are favored. Decelerating male gain curves have been found in hermaphroditic flowering plants, but the present paper reports the first analysis in an animal. The colonial hermaphroditic bryozoan Celleporella hyalina forms unisexual male and female zooids that can be counted to estimate absolute and relative gender allocations. I placed "sperm donor" colonies-each with different numbers of male zooids, and each homozygous for diagnostic allozyme alleles-among target maternal colonies on field mating arrays, and estimated donor fertilization success by scoring allozyme markers in target-colony progeny. Fertilization success increased with numbers of donor male zooids, but linear and not decelerating curves fit the data best. Mean sex allocation was not female biased, consistent with nondecelerating male gain. Sperm donors, moreover, did not monopolize matings as expected under high LMC, but rather shared paternity with rival colonies. Hence localized water-borne gamete dispersal alone may not yield decelerating male gain and favor the maintenance of hermaphroditism; relaxed sperm competition in low density populations might also be required. In free-spawning marine organisms, males cannot control access to fertilizations, intense sperm competition may be commonplace, and high male sex allocation may be selected to enhance siring success under competition.
Management of a Stem Weevil, Cylindrocopturus adspersus (LeConte) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), in Sunflower in the Southern Great Plains

The application of chemical insecticides to sunflower, Helianthus annuus L., infested by Cylindrocopturus adspersus (LeConte) caused significant reductions (5% level) of larvae in stalks, but it did not result in increased seed yield in treated plants. Fall and winter disking or sweep plowing of sunflower to disrupt and destroy roots and lower stalks harboring overwintering C. adspersus at Bushland, Tex., did not increase the mortality of overwintering larvae. Each 2- to 3-week delay in the planting of sunflower at Bushland resulted in a significant decline (5% level) in the number of C. adspersus larvae infesting the stalks. Concurrent delays in the planting of sunflower until late Mayor early June caused no significant reduction of either seed yield or seed oil content. Therefore, we conclude that delayed planting of sunflower in the southern Great Plains is a management strategy that may be used to significantly reduce or escape economic losses in sunflower due to stalk injury by larvae of C. adspersus .
On the Observability of 'Children' in Conversation

This paper attempts to investigate how we observe 'children' in the conversation process. How is it that an organism can be defined as a 'child' and then treated as such. How do we confirm or revised our theoretical perspective of what represents a child ? The answer to these questions need to be addressed as a prerequisite for any research into socialization. But before attempting to do so, we must first confirm that the entity that we have described as a 'child' is actually observable in conversational data.To do so, we can follow the approach proposed by Harvey Sacks, which can be characterised as self-descriptive reconstruction of our practical reasoning, using conversational data as a trigger. We, as members of conversational community, may be able to identify some utterances in conversational data as turns by a child even in the absence of clear contextual clues. It is argued here that this can be achieved by members undertaking a 'conversation analysis' on the basis of 'asymmetrical rules', which are referred to interpretive - constructive rules adopted in a conversation between asymmetrical participants (eg. a child and adult). By the word 'conversation analysis' I mean a series of practices by members to observe-describe-formulate conversations. I focus here on the asymmetrical aspects of conversational structure because they are believed to be fundamental factors in the socialization of children. In this paper, I propose experimental procedures by which we can confirm the observability of 'children' in conversation and also the asymmetric nature of conversation between children and adults.
Pornography's media breakdown: Troubleshooting in three parts

ABSTRACTIn this article I try out a number of methodological tacks to understand what happens when porn stops working. I take the advent of gay male VHS porn in the late 1970s/early 1980s for my trials: a history of material technology approach that imagines ‘wear’ as analytic category; an apparatus theory analysis that takes frustration as a central (and not peripheral or accidental) experience of porn-viewing; and an interview approach that must reckon with the skeins of memory and error tolerance. These tacks overlap and combine, but ultimately fail if what we seek is a seemingly stable place from which to observe wily dynamics of porn's media ruptures. I propose that to troubleshoot porn studies’ focus on narratives of innovation and success, we must appreciate broken porn for its unpredictable avenue to novel media forms. This, in the end, offers a roomier gambit to understand a doubly elusive topic (a bad object with glitches).
Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) Common Ground System (CGS) Overview and Evolution

The NOAA-NASA jointly-acquired Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) will replace the afternoon orbit component and ground processing system of the current Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellites (POES). The ground system, known as the ‘Common Ground System (CGS)’, and developed by Raytheon Intelligence, Information and Services (IIS) provides command, control, and communications (C3) and data processing and product delivery. The CGS currently flies the Suomi NPP satellite and routes mission data to U.S. ground facilities, where it processes the data into mission products and provides them to US weather centrals. The CGS also supports various levels of data acquisition, routing and processing for multiple other missions across the globe today, with plans for incorporation of more missions in the future. This paper describes the CGS and the multi-mission-driven architectural tenets that are guiding its next round of technological upgrades in late 2015.
Median-based incremental cost-effectiveness ratios with censored data

Cost-effectiveness is an essential part of treatment evaluation, in addition to effectiveness. In the cost-effectiveness analysis, a measure called the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) is widely utilized, and the mean cost and the mean (quality-adjusted) life years have served as norms to summarize cost and effectiveness for a study population. Recently, the median-based ICER was proposed for complementary or sensitivity analysis purposes. In this article, we extend this method when some data are censored.
A Study on MADM Model of Fuzzy Deviation Based on Credibility Theory

In view of the fuzzy variable attribute,three tasks were accomplished based on Credibility Theory,a new branch of basic mathematics founded in 2004 about fuzzy variable:(i) A fuzzy deviation maximum operator of fuzzy attribute was constructed by defining fuzzy deviation with distance between fuzzy variables;(ii) A fuzzy programming expected value model(EVM) of attribute weight was worked out;(iii) Considering the difference in the importance of attributes,the weight calculation model with balance was built by using maximum information entropy principle,and then the last fuzzy deviation multi-attribute decision making(FD-MADM) model was made.Finally,the feasibility and validity of the model was proved by analyzing and calculating example.
Self-Adaptive Sensor Allocation Based on Efficacy Function

The problem existed in the sensor management algorithm based on efficacy function was analyzed. By introducing the idea of centralized sequential Kalman Filter algorithm,the covariance selfadaptive sensor management algorithm was applied to the calculation of efficacy function and the automatic updating of sensor-target pairing coefficient was realized. Combined with target priority,a self-adaptive sensor allocation algorithm based on efficacy function was presented. The simulation showed that limited sensor resources can not only be distributed dynamically according to the expected precision,but also be adjusted based on the target priority,which makes the sensor allocation more reasonable and effective.
High Power and Good Attenuation Flatness Continuously Variable Attenuator

This article mainly introduces a type of stripline continuously variable attenuator using BeO ceramics as its base material.The BeO ceramics has good thermal conductivity,thus the power capacity of the attenuator is enhanced.By loading thick-film resistor on the BeO ceramics,the attenuation of microwave power is realized through polarization absorption of thick-film resistor to electric field.By changing the position of thick-film resistor relative to centre conductor continuous variability of attenuation can be achieved.Excellent attenuation flatness of thick-film resistor can meet the requirements of high attenuation flatness of the device.HFSS finite element analysis software was used to improve the design efficiency and reduce the tuning difficulties.Attenuator with dimension of 120mm×100mm×70mm was designed,featuring insertion insert loss: ≤0.4dB,VSWR: ≤1.45,attenuation:0.4-7dB,attenuation flatness: ±0.1dB(attenuation≤4dB) and ±0.2dB(attenuation≤7dB),power capacity: 200W(average) in frequency range of 1.2-1.4GHz..The test performance results are in accordance with the HFSS simulations.
Business Group Affiliation, Financial Development and Market Structure: Evidence from Europe

This paper investigates the effect of financial development on the incentives to form business groups. We examine how this relation varies across exogenous industry conditions, legal environments, and firms' life cycle. Using a comprehensive dataset on group affiliation of European firms, we find evidence that business groups substitute imperfect financial markets via their internal capital market. Our results highlight the constructive role of business groups in economies with less developed financial markets and contribute to the debate on whether business groups should be dismantled.
Quad-mesh based radial distance biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease

Detailed analysis of brain structures is essential in identifying anatomical biomarkers in Alzheimer's disease (AD). In this paper, we develop a new radial distance model to compare different hippocampal shapes and measure their atrophies over time. Using harmonic mappings, we project hippocampal surfaces onto cylinders to obtain evenly-spaced quadrilateral meshes. Surface radial distances estimated via the quad-meshes are invariant to global shifts in the surrounding tissues, leading to a powerful way to detect localized anatomical progressions. The novel quad-meshing method also provides an efficient means to align anatomical surfaces across subjects. Through regions of interest (ROI) analysis, we extract discriminative patches of radial distance and atrophy, and utilize them as anatomical features for patient classification. The effectiveness of the proposed surface modeling and feature extraction strategies in identifying shape biomarkers for AD/MCI is evaluated using the ADNI dataset.
Photographs and descriptions of cup-fungi; Seaverinia.

(1947). Photographs and Descriptions of Cup-Fungi—XLIII. Seaverinia. Mycologia: Vol. 39, No. 1, pp. 113-119.
Fully Depleted Ge CMOS Devices and Logic Circuits on Si

We systematically studied Ge CMOS devices and logic circuits fabricated on a GeOI substrate, with the novel recessed channel and source/drain structures. Various channel lengths ( $L_{\mathrm {ch}}$ ) from 500 to 30 nm and channel thicknesses ( $T_{\mathrm {ch}}$ ) from 90 to 10 nm are implemented into the Ge CMOS devices and comprehensive geometry dependence analysis is carried out in terms of both $L_{\mathrm {ch}}$ and $T_{\mathrm {ch}}$ . With shrinking $T_{\mathrm {ch}}$ , the gate electrostatics are enhanced significantly but the on-state performance is found to be deteriorated simultaneously. It is also confirmed that Ge nMOSFETs are more sensitive to $T_{\mathrm {ch}}$ than pMOSFETs due to the phosphorus diffusion inside Ge. CMOS circuits, such as inverters, NANDs, NORs, and ring oscillators, are further investigated.
Managing Strawberry Pests with Chemical Pesticides and Non-Chemical Alternatives

Western tarnished bug or lygus bug (Lygus hesperus) is a major pest of California strawberries causing significant yield reduction. Other common insect pests include aphids (Chaetosiphon fragaefoli...
Additive manufacturing techniques for origami inspired 4D printed RF components and modules

Additive manufacturing (AM) is a growing method due to the ability to produce with little to no waste, construction of previously impossible designs, and less tooling needed for fabrication. While every manufacturing method has advantages and drawbacks, this paper covers AM techniques for 2D, 3D, and 4D printing, demonstrating RF devices which utilize each dimension and discussing the challenges related to using each technology towards microwave designs. Complex, previously impossible, modules can be fabricated rapidly setting the foundation for the way new designs are prototyped and manufactured.
A case study in preserving a high energy physics application with Parrot

The reproducibility of scientific results increasingly depends upon the preservation of computational artifacts. Although preserving a computation to be used later sounds easy, it is surprisingly difficult due to the complexity of existing software and systems. Implicit dependencies, networked resources, and shifting compatibility all conspire to break applications that appear to work well. To investigate these issues, we present a case study of a complex high energy physics application. We analyze the application and attempt several methods at extracting its dependencies for the purposes of preservation. We propose one fine-grained dependency management toolkit to preserve the application and demonstrate its correctness in three different environments - the original machine, one virtual machine from the Notre Dame Cloud Platform and one virtual machine from the Amazon EC2 Platform. We report on the completeness, performance, and efficiency of each technique, and offer some guidance for future work in application preservation.
A Risk Factor Out of Control

Optimal pain control following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) presents a challenging balance between effectiveness and risk, and warrants consideration and concern from both patients and surgeons. Great attention has been given recently to optimizing postoperative pain control through multimodal pain management protocols developed in an attempt to minimize use of opioid pain medications. While opioid pain medications can be effective for controlling postoperative pain, their use is not benign. Postoperative pain management can be made even more difficult by the preoperative use of opioids by patients about to undergo TKA. Preoperative opioid use has been shown to be associated with poorer postoperative pain control, an increase in postoperative complications, and a decrease in postoperative functional outcome measures1,2. Ben-Ari et al. build on prior literature regarding the effect of preoperative opioid use on a TKA population by evaluating its association with early revision due …
Emphysematous gastritis with hepatic portal venous gas: a shift towards conservative management.

A female aged 94 years with a history of diabetes presented with acute onset abdominal pain, haematemesis and altered mental status. She denied alcoholism, corrosive ingestion, pancreatitis or abdominal trauma. She appeared toxic and was hypotensive. Her hemogram showed leucocytosis at 14.8 x 10^9/L. CT scan of the abdomen showed air scattered within the liver, portal vein and gastric wall (figures 1 and 2). Also, dense calcifications of the aorta and abdominal arteries were noted (figure 3). Due to the high risk of surgery, she was managed conservatively with proton pump …
Normative Interfaces: Affordances, Gender, and Race in Facebook:

This study investigates social network site affordances and their implications for perceptions of marginalized communities. I employ Facebook as a case study and speak with young adult users to com...
Taming the Past: Essays on Law in History and History in Law

Lawyers and judges often make arguments based on history - on the authority of precedent and original constitutional understandings. They argue both to preserve the inspirational, heroic past and to discard its darker pieces - such as feudalism and slavery, the tyranny of princes and priests, and the subordination of women. In doing so, lawyers tame the unruly, ugly, embarrassing elements of the past, smoothing them into reassuring tales of progress. In a series of essays and lectures written over forty years, Robert W. Gordon describes and analyses how lawyers approach the past and the strategies they use to recruit history for present use while erasing or keeping at bay its threatening or inconvenient aspects. Together, the corpus of work featured in Taming the Past offers an analysis of American law and society and its leading historians since 1900.
Training in Emergency Obstetrics: A Needs Assessment of U.S. Emergency Medicine Program Directors

Author(s): Robinson, Daniel W.; Anana, Michael; Edens, Mary A.; Kanter, Marc; Khandelwal, Sorabh; Shah, Kaushal; Peterson, Todd | Abstract: Introduction: Obstetrical emergencies are a high-risk yet infrequent occurrence in the emergency department. While U.S. emergency medicine (EM) residency graduates are required to perform 10 low-risk normal spontaneous vaginal deliveries, little is known about how residencies prepare residents to manage obstetrical emergencies. We sought to profile the current obstetrical training curricula through a survey of U.S. training programs.Methods: We sent a web-based survey covering the four most common obstetrical emergencies (pre-eclampsia/eclampsia, postpartum hemorrhage (PPH), shoulder dystocia, and breech presentation) through email invitations to all program directors (PD) of U.S. EM residency programs. The survey focused on curricular details as well as the comfort level of the PDs in the preparation of their graduating residents to treat obstetrical emergencies and normal vaginal deliveries.Results: Our survey had a 55% return rate (n=105/191). Of the residencies responding, 75% were in the academic setting, 20.2% community, 65% urban, and 29.8% suburban, and the obstetrical curricula were 2-4 weeks long occurring in post-graduate year one. The most common teaching method was didactics (84.1-98.1%), followed by oral cases for pre-eclampsia (48%) and PPH (37.2%), and homemade simulation for shoulder dystocia (37.5%) and breech delivery (33.3%). The PDs’ comfort about residency graduate skills was highest for normal spontaneous vaginal delivery, pre-eclampsia, and PPH. PDs were not as comfortable about their graduates’ skill in handling shoulder dystocia or breech delivery.Conclusion: Our survey found that PDs are less comfortable in their graduates’ ability to perform non-routine emergency obstetrical procedures.
BASIC NEEDS, ETHICS, AND QUALITY OF LIFE

ABSTRACT Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs is used in an attempt to link the basic needs of human beings with judgments made about quality of life. Components of ethical discourse often thought to be separate – theories of value, obligation, and virtue – are brought together to serve as the medium of linkage.
Comparing the similarity of sharpness predictions based on specific loudness from ANSI S3.4-2007 with those according to DIN 45692:2009 for several real-world sound classes

A previous paper [Swift and Gee, Proc. Mtgs. Acoust., p. 030001, 2017] showed methods for transforming the standardized form of sharpness to accept inputs from the ANSI S3.4-2007 loudness standard. A further recent publication [Swift and Gee, JASA-EL, 2017] showed additional validation results comparing the results of the simplest version of the transformed metric for a set of 40 real-world sounds. In this paper, three versions of the ANSI-based sharpness metric are analyzed, in order to determine which of the three implementations gives the most similar results to the original DIN 45692:2009 standard. Finally, classes of sounds are identified for which predictions between the three ANSI-based sharpness metrics and DIN 45692:2009 may differ to a greater or lesser extent.A previous paper [Swift and Gee, Proc. Mtgs. Acoust., p. 030001, 2017] showed methods for transforming the standardized form of sharpness to accept inputs from the ANSI S3.4-2007 loudness standard. A further recent publication [Swift and Gee, JASA-EL, 2017] showed additional validation results comparing the results of the simplest version of the transformed metric for a set of 40 real-world sounds. In this paper, three versions of the ANSI-based sharpness metric are analyzed, in order to determine which of the three implementations gives the most similar results to the original DIN 45692:2009 standard. Finally, classes of sounds are identified for which predictions between the three ANSI-based sharpness metrics and DIN 45692:2009 may differ to a greater or lesser extent.
Reconstrucción de la nación dominicana en " A la patria" de Salomé Ureña de Henríquez

This article explores the lyrical voice’s political agenda in order to reconstruct and lead the Dominican Republic into a glorious destiny through modernism and positivism. The lyrical voice adopts an authority status in order to examine the Dominican Republic’s history since the colonial period to the 19th century. From this privileged vantage point, this authority voice creates a paradigm for the new nation to overcome the chaotic political past and emerge as a new Caribbean and American role model.
Exosome-Associated Iron Release during Respiratory Virus Co-Infection Enhances Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilm Growth

Clinical observations link respiratory virus infection and colonization with the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Cystic Fibrosis (CF) patients, but the mechanism underlying this in...
Ceramide synthase-6 confers resistance to chemotherapy by binding to CD95/Fas in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Ceramide synthases (CERS) produce ceramides which are key intermediators in the biosynthesis of complex sphingolipids and play an important role in cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis and senescence. CERS6 is an isoform of ceramide synthases known to generate ceramides with C16 acyl chain (C16-Cer). CERS6 and C16-Cer levels were significantly higher in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cells in comparison to peripheral blood mononuclear cells and T lymphocytes derived from healthy human volunteers. We investigated the role of CERS6 in chemo-resistance in T-ALL cell lines. Stable knockdown of CERS6 in CCRF-CEM and MOLT-4 cells resulted in increased sensitivity to ABT-737, a pan-BCL-2 inhibitor, while CCRF-CEM cells with exogenous CERS6 expression showed resistance to ABT-737 relative to the vector control. The cytotoxic activity of ABT-737 in CERS6 knockdown cells was significantly reduced by the addition of a caspase-8 inhibitor Z-IETD, suggesting that CERS6 alters the cytotoxicity via extrinsic pathway of apoptosis. By co-immunoprecipitation of CERS6 in CCRF-CEM cells, we identified CD95/Fas, a mediator of extrinsic apoptotic pathway, as a novel CERS6 binding partner. In Fas pull-down samples, FADD (Fas-associated protein with death domain) was detected at higher levels in cells with CERS6 knockdown compared with control cells when treated with ABT-737, and this was reversed by the overexpression of CERS6, demonstrating that CERS6 interferes with Fas-FADD DISC assembly. CERS6 may serve as a biomarker in determining the effectiveness of anticancer agents acting via the extrinsic pathway in T-ALL.
National and International Guidelines for Overactive Bladder

Overactive bladder (OAB) syndrome is an extremely prevalent and bothersome condition. Various providers from many fields, including primary care, geriatrics, neurology, gynecology, and urology, are involved in the diagnosis and management of a wide range of patients who present with symptoms of OAB. Several urologic, urogynecologic, geriatric societies and other organizations have developed guidelines for the evaluation and pharmacologic treatment of OAB. Guidelines are developed to facilitate the care of “index” patients by making recommendations based on grading the evidence in the current literature, with the goal of avoiding inconsistencies and biases. This chapter aims to review the current national and international guidelines on the evaluation and treatment of OAB. Generally, the guidelines agree with regard to recommendations for a basic initial evaluation with a limited role for invasive testing in the uncomplicated patient and conservative treatments for first-line therapy and pharmacotherapy as effective second-line therapy. There are slightly more heterogeneous recommendations for invasive therapies for OAB. This chapter reviews the recommendations relating to pharmacotherapy specifically.
The dying city: postwar New York and the ideology of fear

In 2016, President Donald Trump’s inaugural address painted a bleak landscape of “American Carnage” in the nation’s metropolises, populated by “mothers and children trapped in poverty,” defenseless...
Oncofertility in the Premenopausal Breast Cancer Patient

A 32-year-old nulliparous woman palpated a mass in her left breast on routine self-breast exam. She presented to her gynecologist, who ordered diagnostic imaging. Imaging revealed a 3.0 cm irregularly shaped mass, BIRADS 4C. Core needle biopsy of this lesion showed invasive ductal carcinoma, ER positive (95%)/PR positive (95%)/HER2/neu positive (IHC 3+). Left axillary ultrasound was negative for evidence of axillary nodal abnormalities.
Designing Lightning Protection, Earthing and Bonding System for Railways

There are a number of relevant standards which are widely used in designing lightning protection, earthing and bonding systems for railway facilities. However, since each railway is unique due to the use of different traction power supply systems, earthing arrangements and wayside equipment bonding strategies, hence, a holistic design must take into consideration all relevant system features in order to come up with an effectiveness lightning protection, earthing and bonding system design. This paper highlights some of the issues experienced, which shall be assessed carefully in the design of an integrated lightning protection, earthing and bonding system. This paper aims to raise awareness of the importance of a fully integrated lightning protection, earthing and bonding design for the protection of railway facilities.
When Does Information Influence Voters? The Joint Importance of Salience and Coordination:

Scholars argue that access to information about a politician’s programmatic performance helps voters reward good performers and punish poor ones. But in places where resources are made conditional ...
Attitudes toward concealed carry on campus: results from a nationwide survey of criminologists

A small but growing number of studies has explored the attitudes about this campus carry policy held by campus community members. The current study expands on the literature on this topic by examin...
A Theoretically Based Mobile App to Increase Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Uptake Among Men Who Have Sex With Men: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND HealthMindr is a mobile phone HIV prevention app for men who have sex with men (MSM). In a previous pilot study, HealthMindr was found to be acceptable among users and to demonstrate preliminary effectiveness for increasing pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) uptake among MSM. PrEP is a highly effective HIV prevention intervention; however, uptake remains low. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study will be to assess the efficacy of a mobile app for increasing PrEP uptake among MSM in the southern United States. METHODS In this randomized controlled trial, we will assess the efficacy of HealthMindr for increasing PrEP uptake among MSM in the following three southern US cities: Atlanta, Georgia; Jackson, Mississippi; and Washington, DC. In total, 657 men will be recruited and randomized to intervention and control arms in a 2:1 ratio. Participants in the intervention arm will receive access to the full HealthMindr app, with information and resources about PrEP (eg, frequently asked questions, risk assessment tool, and PrEP provider locator), other HIV prevention information, ability to order free HIV/sexually transmitted infection test kits, and additional resources related to substance use and mental health. Participants in the control arm will use the HealthMindr app but will only have access to the study timeline and a message center to communicate with study staff. Participants will complete quarterly surveys to assess self-reported PrEP uptake over 12 months of follow-up. Self-reported PrEP uptake will be verified by dried blood spot testing and/or uploading a photograph of a PrEP prescription. RESULTS Participant recruitment began in January 2020. CONCLUSIONS This trial will determine whether the HealthMindr app can increase PrEP uptake among MSM in the southern United States. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03763942; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03763942. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID) PRR1-10.2196/16231.
Performance Evaluation of Dynamic Round Robin Algorithms for CPU Scheduling

The performance of an operating system (OS) is affected by the algorithm policy that is used by a CPU to schedule the running processes. Thus, a better CPU scheduling algorithm results in faster OS performance using minimal resources over small amounts of time [11]. For that reason, many algorithms were proposed and implemented to enhance the performance of CPU scheduling. Round Robin is considered an efficient and fair algorithm because all processes are given the same amount of time quantum. However, its efficiency depends on the selected time quantum. In this paper, we present a comparative study of four different Round Robin algorithms namely: Adaptive Round Robin Algorithm, Best Time Quantum Round Robin CPU Scheduling, Optimal Round Robin Scheduling Using Manhattan Distance Algorithm, and Improved Round Robin Scheduling Algorithm. We compare these algorithms in terms of four performance factors including: Average Waiting Time (AWT), Average Turnaround Time (ATT), Average Response Time (ART) and Number of Contexts Switching (NCS). The simulation results show that both Adaptive Round Robin and Optimal Round Robin Scheduling Using Manhattan Distance algorithms are more efficient to be adopted as they recorded the minimum values of performance factors.
Type 2 diabetes induced microbiome dysbiosis is associated with therapy resistance in pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Resistance to therapy is one of the major factors that contribute to dismal survival statistics in pancreatic cancer. While there are many tumor intrinsic and tumor microenvironment driven factors that contribute to therapy resistance, whether pre-existing metabolic diseases like type 2 diabetes (T2D) contribute to this has remained understudied. It is well accepted that hyperglycemia associated with type 2 diabetes changes the gut microbiome. Further, hyperglycemia also enriches for a “stem-like” population within the tumor. In the current study, we observed that in a T2D mouse model, the microbiome changed significantly as the hyperglycemia developed in these animals. Our results further showed that, tumors implanted in the T2D mice responded poorly to gemcitabine/paclitaxel (Gem/Pac) standard of care compared to those in the control group. A metabolomic reconstruction of the WGS of the gut microbiota further revealed that an enrichment of bacterial population involved in drug metabolism in the T2D group. Additionally, we also observed an increase in the CD133+ tumor cells population in the T2D model. These observations indicated that in an animal model for T2D, microbial dysbiosis is associated with increased resistance to chemotherapeutic compounds.
Assisting decision making on the use of carboplatin for metastatic breast cancer.

e13008Background: Metastatic breast cancer (MBC) is currently treated with chemotherapy, often in combination with targeted or hormonal therapies. Current guidelines indicate the use of paclitaxel ...
Recent shifts in northern Bering Sea snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) size structure and the potential role of climate-mediated range contraction

Abstract Recent historic lows in sea ice and cold pool extent in the Bering Sea have been linked to large-scale biogeographic shifts in many demersal taxa. Snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) are associated with the cold pool and thus may be especially prone to northward range contraction with continued warming. Data from the 1988–2019 National Marine Fisheries Service eastern Bering Sea (EBS) bottom trawl surveys were used to examine the effect of climate warming on snow crab thermal habitat use and spatial distributions. The northern Bering Sea (NBS) was also surveyed in 2010 and 2017–2019, allowing us to examine NBS snow crab demographic structure relative to potential climate-driven range contraction into the NBS. Across the time series, trends in temperatures occupied by snow crab were tightly coupled with average bottom temperatures in the EBS despite extreme temperatures in 2018–2019 that exceeded cold-water thermal preferences of juvenile snow crab. Furthermore, we found that increased temperatures and a reduced, more northerly cold pool extent resulted in a smaller area occupied by snow crab across different ontogenetic stages, although there was no evidence for a northward shift in centers of distribution within the EBS. These findings suggest that the spatial extent and average temperature of snow crab distribution are likely constrained by the availability of cold water habitat in the EBS, and dramatic declines in juvenile snow crab abundance observed in 2019 may be attributed to potential direct or indirect temperature effects on survival of highly stenothermic early benthic stages of snow crab. Despite limited support for a directional range shift, survey abundance estimates indicated a ~600% increase in abundance of larger size classes of male snow crab (≥61 mm carapace width) in the NBS between 2018 and 2019. Substantial shifts in juvenile abundances and NBS snow crab size structure in 2019 may have important management implications for the stock. While the increase in NBS mature male biomass may suggest the potential for a commercial fishery in more northern latitudes, concurrent declines in juvenile abundance suggest caution concerning the sustainability of the stock with continued warming.
Imaging biomarkers of NAFLD, NASH, and fibrosis

Abstract Background Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a clinicopathologic entity that requires a liver biopsy assessment to diagnose the progressive form of NAFLD called non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Liver biopsy is invasive, subject to sampling and interobserver variability, and impractical to scale to the affected population of up to 1 billion affected individuals worldwide. Non-invasive imaging biomarkers have emerged as a key modality to address the major unmet need to diagnose, stage, and longitudinally monitor NAFLD. Scope of review In this review, we critically examine the use of non-invasive imaging biomarkers to diagnose NAFLD, NASH, and fibrosis stage. Major Conclusions Ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) biomarkers of liver fat can diagnose NAFLD. MRI proton density fat fraction (MRI-PDFF) is better than liver biopsy, particularly for following longitudinal changes in liver fat in clinical trials. Imaging biomarkers to reliably diagnose NASH are under investigation, but when used alone, continue to have only modest diagnostic accuracy. However, the fibrosis stage has the strongest association with liver decompensation and mortality, and elastography has emerged as a reliable biomarker for liver fibrosis. We review the combination of biomarkers to risk stratify patients and identify individuals needing treatment and the implications of longitudinal changes in liver stiffness measurement.
Getting Your Facebook Affairs in Order: User Expectations in Post-mortem Profile Management

Legacy Contact is a Facebook feature that allows account holders to choose someone to manage their profile after they have died. This study evaluates the Legacy Contact setup process, and asks how users form and communicate expectations about what an active post-mortem manager's responsibilities would be. We conducted 30 semi-structured interviews with adult Facebook account holders in the US who either configured their own settings or were chosen for future delegation by someone else. We found that account holders chose the Facebook Friend they felt closest to, and that selection was often reciprocated. Both account holders and legacy contacts felt confident that they had communicated (or could communicate) well about the legacy contact's responsibilities, but their expectations did not align with the actual functionality of the Legacy Contact system. We argue that the misalignment of user expectations and system functionality indicates a failed setup process. Our findings suggest that post-mortem management systems require a setup process that is fundamentally different from the quick-clickthrough standards of everyday interaction design. The ramifications of a post-mortem manager's expectations not being met during a time of grief, points to the urgent need for a setup process that prompts thoughtfulness and deliberation, and forms accurate expectations for account holders and future post-mortem managers alike.
International Economic Law's Regulation of Data as a Resource for the Artificial Intelligence Economy

This chapter for a forthcoming volume on artificial intelligence and international economic law surveys regulatory interventions through which governments seek to enhance domestic companies’ access to data: Mandatory data sharing requirements (as under the EU’s new financial services regulations), data transfer restrictions (as under India’s draft ecommerce policy), and open data initiatives (as under Singapore’s ‘smart nation’ initiative)— all seek to make more data available with the aim of spurring innovation and growth in the artificial intelligence economy. Such measures are indirectly affected by existing and newly emerging rules of international economic law. International investment law is likely to be mobilized in defense against governments that seek to mandate data sharing from private data holders, while new rules on “digital trade” are meant to ensure transnational data mobility. In sum, international economic law regulates data in favor of data-holders’ ability to retain control over data location and use and constrains states’ ability to confront asymmetric control over data.
The Group Marriage Participant

It used to be, once upon a time, long, long ago, that marriage was between one man and one woman. More recently, we have learned that this is far too restrictive. The ties of holy matrimony may now be taken up by two males, or two females. Well, maybe not holy matrimony, the decision over which is made by institutions of religion, but, at least a pair of men, or women, may now link up with one another and enjoy all the secular prerequisites of that institution. (Or, maybe non-secular ones too, since nowadays some religious organizations have given their imprimatur to such arrangements, despite clear biblical mandates to the contrary).
Original contributionApplication of topographical methods to clinical esophageal manometry

OBJECTIVE: Topographical manometric methods have improved the understanding of esophageal peristalsis in research applications but require a large number of recording sensors. Commonly used methods limited to four sensors were compared to topographical methods to determine whether the latter also had significant clinical utility. METHODS: Two hundred twelve patients referred for esophageal manometry were studied with a data acquisition system having 21 intraluminal recording sites, and the findings were analyzed independently using both limited (pull-through plus four recording sites) and topographical approaches (all sites). Discrepant results were clarified using supportive clinical data. RESULTS: The two methods were in diagnostic agreement in 187 cases (88.2%). Topographical methods correctly identified all 26 patients with achalasia within the group with aperistalsis (n = 36). The limited methods could not confidently identify six achalasia patients and were significantly less effective in segregating aperistaltic disorders (p < 0.05 across methods). Topographical methods alone detected evidence of incomplete lower esophageal sphincter relaxation in 12 additional patients, eight of whom had clinical data supporting the findings. Topographical methods identified the upper margin of the lower sphincter in all but three subjects (1.4%); limited methods could not identify this location in these and five additional subjects (3.8%) and differed from the topographical measurement by ≥2 cm in 11.9% of cases. CONCLUSIONS: Topographical methods are more accurate than commonly used methods in diagnosing the type of severe motor dysfunction and provide additional information important in the clinical practice of esophageal manometry.
Initial experience with the Scepter Mini catheter for the embolization of vascular malformations in the pediatric population.

BackgroundAchieving distal access and flow control are of significant importance for the treatment of intracerebral arteriovenous shunting lesions. The Scepter Mini catheter is a low-profile, dual-...
3,5,3'-L-triiodothyronine (thyroid hormone)-induced protein-DNA interactions in the thyroid hormone response elements and cell type-specific elements of the rat growth hormone gene revealed by in vivo dimethyl sulfate footprinting

The cell type-specific element and 3,5,3'-L-triiodothyronine (thyroid hormone) (T3) response element of the rat growth hormone gene act synergistically to produce cell type-specific, T3-regulated expression. Pit-1 is a pituitary cell type-specific transcription factor that binds the cell type-specific element and is essential to its activity. T3 receptors bind as homodimers and heterodimers to the T3 response element and are essential for its activity. Here, we report the use of ligation-mediated polymerase chain reaction in vivo dimethyl sulfate footprinting to study the effects of T3 on protein-DNA interactions in the rat growth hormone gene promoter in vivo. T3-responsive guanine methylation was detected only in and near the T3 response element and the Pit-1 binding sites. The results indicate that within 2 h, T3 induces occupancy of the T3 response element and Pit-1 sites by their respective trans-acting factors in vivo.
Survey of Multi-Scale Meshfree Particle Methods

A multiscale meshfree particle method is developed, which includes recent advances in SPH and other meshfree research efforts. Key features will include linear consistency, stability, and both local and global conservation properties. In addition, through the incorporation of Reproducing Kernal Particle Method (RKPM), standard moving least squares (MLS) enhancement and wavelet techniques, the method have the flexibility of resolving multiple scales in the solution of complex, multiple physics processes. We present the application of this approach in the following areas: 1) simulations on propagation of dynamic fracture and shear band; 2) impact and penetration; 3) fluid dynamics and 4) nano-mechanics.
Isotopic Tailoring to Improve the Breeding Capability of the Sn-Li Eutectic in Liquid First Wall Fusion Blanket Concepts

Due to its low vapor pressure, the Sn-Li eutectic has been identified as a potential breeder for deployment in the liquid first wall (FW)Blanket concepts under investigation in the APEX study for high power density fusion reactors. However, its breeding capability is limited. This drawback is rather improved due to the neutron multiplication via Sn(n,2n) reactions. However, the local tritium breeding ratio (TBR) was found to be still on the marginal side (even with 90%Li-6 enrichment). Aside from using a beryllium multiplier, other means to improve the capability of Sn-Li for breeding are explored. In this paper, we show that by isotopic tailoring of Tin in the Sn-Li breeder, one can achieve substantial improvement in TBR in addition to attaining significant reduction in the activation level in this material.
Potentiating Effect of the Flavonolignan (-)-Hydnocarpin in Combination with Vincristine in a Sensitive and P-gp-Expressing Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Cell Line

The potentiating action of the flavonolignan, (-)-hydnocarpin, in combination with vincristine was evaluated in the 697 acute lymphoblastic leukemia cell line and a P-gp-expressing variant, 697-R. Vincristine at 3 nM caused nearly complete growth inhibition in 697 cells, versus a 17% growth inhibition in 697-R cells. When combined with (-)-hydnocarpin at concentrations of 10 and 5 µM, vincristine-mediated growth inhibition in the 697-R cells increased significantly over the sum of the individual agents to 72% (p ≤ 0.0001), and 41% (p = 0.0256), respectively. Vincristine at 1.5 nM (66% growth inhibition) and 0.75 nM (39% growth inhibition) combined with (-)-hydnocarpin at 10 µM (42% growth inhibition) in the 697 cells, caused a significant increase in growth inhibition to 83% (p = 0.03) and to 61% (p < 0.0001), respectively, when compared to vincristine treatment as a single agent. To investigate the mechanism for the vincristine re-sensitization caused by (-)-hydnocarpin, the P-gp inhibitory effect of (-)-hydnocarpin was evaluated.
Cavitation Scale Effects for Valves

Proper use of experimental cavitation data for valves requires adjustments for scale effects including the influence of valve size and operating pressure. Incipient and critical cavitation data obtained on a small valve tested at a low pressure must be adjusted when used to predict the performance of a larger valve operating at a higher pressure. Empirical equations are presented for making size and pressure scale effects adjustments. The equations were developed from experimental data collected on numerous types and sizes of valves tested over a range of pressures encompassing most valve applications. Comparisons of the predictions with experimental data show that the accuracy of the adjustment is of the same order as the accuracy in determining the incipient or critical cavitation condition from experimental data.