cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effects of multipath interference on the performance of UWB systems in an indoor wireless channel

Multipath propagation for the indoor wireless channel is very complicated and difficult to predict. Several papers have been written attempting to apply an analytical model for this channel to help systems engineers evaluate various architectural components of a wireless system, including modulation, multiple access, and waveform design techniques, without having to resort to empirical data collection. This paper attempts to apply one of these analytical models, known as the /spl Delta/-K model, to help study the performance of an ultra wide band (UWB) system and look at performance trade-offs for different multilevel modulations as well as the benefits of RAKE reception.
ORGANIZATION OF PLETHODON SALAMANDER COMMUNITIES: GUILD-BASED COMMUNITY ASSEMBLY

A long-standing goal in evolutionary ecology is to determine whether the organization of communities is reflective of underlying deterministic processes. In this study, I examined patterns of species co-occurrence among eastern Plethodon salamanders and determined whether they were consistent with predictions from a guild model of competition-based community assembly. Using a database of 45 species and 4540 geographic sites, I found that patterns of co-occurrence were significantly nonrandom at both a regional and continental scale, and species of different size guilds were distributed more evenly in sites than was expected by chance. Sites with the highest species richness had consistent patterns of community composition, and with few exceptions, the same five species were present at all sites. Taken together, these results imply that larger Plethodon communities are assembled from simpler communities in a manner consistent with what is predicted through competitive mechanisms and suggest that stable species combinations are possible to achieve at various levels of species richness. These results also provide strong evidence consistent with the hypothesis that competitive-based community assembly is a general phenomenon in Plethodon and that interspecific competition is prevalent among the eastern species of this group.
Larval morphology, development, and notes on the natural history of Cephaloleia “rolled-leaf” beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae)

The Neotropical genus Cephaloleia Chevrolat, 1837 is comprised of 209 described species. Adults usually feed and mate within the scrolls formed by the young rolled leaves of plants of Neotropical Zingiberales. This paper reports for populations of Cephaloleia belti Baly, C. dilaticollis Baly, C. dorsalis Baly and C. placida Baly at La Selva Biological Station (Costa Rica, Central America) detailed descriptions of: 1. larval and adult diets and diet breadth; 2. egg, larval and pupal morphology; 3. larval development times; 4. dimorphic sexual characteristics; 5. adult longevity; and 6. differences in lifespan between genders. Cephaloleia belti displays the broader diet breadth, feeding on 14 species of three families of Zingiberales. Cephaloleia dilaticollis feeds on nine species of three families of Zingiberales. Cephaloleia dorsalis and C. placida feed on four species of Costaceae and two species of Zingiberaceae, respectively. Time to pupation ranges among species from 32.8 to 59.1 days. In the four Cephaloleia species, adult females are larger than males. Genders display marked sexual dimorphism in the shape of their last abdominal sternite and the pygidium. Longevity of adults ranged from ca. 300 to 390 days. Life expectancy estimates for adult beetles reared in the laboratory ranged from 111.5 to 187.2 days. Male and female adults of C. belti and C. dilaticollis have equivalent life expectancies. However, life expectancy is longer for male C. dorsalis and C. placida.
Complicated Fractures and Dislocations About the Shoulder Joint

1. Most fractures of the surgical neck of the humerus can be treated by a hanging cast or sling. Anatomical reduction of the fracture is not essential to obtain a good functional result. 2. Some fractures of the surgical neck, especially those associated with a fracture of the greater tuberosity with displacement, may require an open reduction. The method of open fixation is not limited to any one procedure. Either a blade plate, screws, staples, or an intramedullary pin may be most suitable. 3. Fractures of the greater tuberosity associated with a dislocation or with a fracture of the surgical neck of the humerus may require open reduction, particularly when the greater tuberosity fragment remains displaced after reduction. Open reduction is mandatory if the tuberosity fragment remains retracted under the acromion. 4. A fracture of the lesser tuberosity may be one of the diagnostic signs in posterior dislocation of the shoulder. 5. Fracture-dislocations of the shoulder are severe injuries which are difficult to treat. If closed reduction fails, open operation should be done. 6. The abduction method of treating fractures about the shoulder has limited use. The relaxed muscle position with the arm at the side is preferred as it gives much better functional results.
Responses of the normal rat kidney to sequential ischemic events

This study was undertaken to help define how one episode of renal ischemia, insufficient to cause acute renal failure, influences the susceptibility of the kidney to a second more severe ischemic event. Female Sprague-Dawley rats underwent either 15 min of bilateral renal artery occlusion (RAO) or sham RAO. They were subjected 30 min, 3.5 h, or 24 h later to 25 min of RAO. Renal function (GFR, BUN, creatinine), histology, and adenine nucleotide concentrations were compared before and after the 25-min ischemic event. Only the rats with a 30-min hiatus between the 15- and 25-min bouts of RAO had significantly worse renal failure than controls subjected to a single 25-min ischemic event. Three findings were noted only in the rats with increased susceptibility: tubular cell swelling and luminal membrane injury prior to 25 min of RAO and a relative failure of ATP formation immediately following 25 min of RAO. Susceptibility to 25 min of RAO did not correlate with preischemia ATP content. Conclusion: prior mild...
A KVM-Based Logging and Replay System for Debugging Non-Deterministic Executions

Using low-overhead and low-bandwidth techniques, we have extended KVM, a popular Linux virtualization package, to log virtual machine execution so that users can deterministically replay their executions and debug their applications. With our KVM-based system, virtual machines can be logged at-will. The system can record the behavior of the application, network trac, and user input. At a later time, and even on another machine, the problematic execution can be replayed and analyzed.
Effect of Lodging on Yield and Comparison of Different Varieties Lodging Resistance in Rice

In order to study the effect of the rice lodging on yield and choose the varieties with lodging resistance capability,taking main rice cultivation varieties of the second and third accumulative temperature belts in Heilongjiang province as materials,the effect of lodging on rice grain weight loss at filling stage and difference comparison of different kinds of lodging resistance ability were studied.The results showed that the earlier date of lodging occurred at filling stage,the greater lodging score was,the more 1 000 grain weight reduced.Compared with normal rice plant at mid grouting,1 000 grain weight of complete lodging rice plant decreased1.76g(Kendao 12)and 1.07g(Longjing 31)respectively.Lodging at late grouting had little effect on grain weight.Rice cultivation varieties with stronger lodging resistance in the second and third accumulative temperature belts in Heilongjiang province were Longjing 21,Longjing 30,Longjing 31,Kongyu 131,Longjing 26,Longjing 38,Longjing 34 and Longjing 29.Rice varieties with stronger lodging resistance had characteristic with relatively shorter 2nd internode length,thicker stems,higher 2nd internode stem sheath dry weight and dry weight of stem wall,larger internode crosscutting area,and the physics properties of stem were well.
Toward Successful Implementation of Speech Recognition Technology: A Survey of SRT Utilization Issues in Healthcare Settings.

Purpose To evaluate physician utilization of speech recognition technology (SRT) for medical documentation in two hospitals. Methods A quantitative survey was used to collect data in the areas of practice, electronic equipment used for documentation, documentation created after providing care, and overall thoughts about and satisfaction with the SRT. The survey sample was from one rural and one urban facility in central Missouri. In addition, qualitative interviews were conducted with a chief medical officer and a physician champion regarding implementation issues, training, choice of SRT, and outcomes from their perspective. Results Seventy-one (60%) of the anticipated 125 surveys were returned. A total of 16 (23%) participants were practicing in internal medicine and 9 (13%) were practicing in family medicine. Fifty-six (79%) participants used a desktop and 14 (20%) used a laptop (2%) computer. SRT products from Nuance were the dominant SRT used by 59 participants (83%). Windows operating systems (Microsoft, Redmond, WA) was used by more than 58 (82%) of the survey respondents. With regard to user experience, 42 (59%) participants experienced spelling and grammatical errors, 15 (21%) encountered clinical inaccuracy, 9 (13%) experienced word substitution, and 4 (6%) experienced misleading medical information. Conclusions This study shows critical issues of inconsistency, unreliability, and dissatisfaction in the functionality and usability of SRT. This merits further attention to improve the functionality and usability of SRT for better adoption within varying healthcare settings.
A study of material properties for package flatness in 3D package

Mold compound, substrate core, solder resist, underfill and die attach materials have been used for semiconductor packages for a long time. Recently, 3D packages (such as package-on-packages, stacked-die-packages) were introduced in the electronics industry. Moreover, pursing ultimate performance requires package body downsizing more and more. 3D packages are achieved by stacking laminate substrate packages in vertical direction and interconnecting them with solder balls. However, Package on Package (POP) usually shows large warpage for the complex structural mismatch, and also this makes more difficult to do surface mount. Especially, heavy package warpage for POP leads to solder joint failures between two packages. Package warpage is one of the important factors for the surface mount yield. To improve package flatness, a laminate-based substrate package structure and material property were evaluated with a Shadow Moire equipment, DMA (dynamic mechanical analysis), Nano-indentation equipment and finite element-based modeling. Finite-element modeling was utilized to improve package flatness after observing the correlation between models and measured data. For building up high accuracy warpage modeling, we studied viscoelastic parameter for mold compound, substrate core, solder resist, underfill and die attach materials, and created material database. However, die attach materials and solder resists are very thin material compared to other materials. Therefore, it is very difficult to measure viscoelastic material using DMA. To solve the problem, we studied the measurement method using a Nano-indentation. This paper describes material property effects on package flatness at the peak temperature during the reflow process. In addition, we verified experimental result and finite element-based modeling result.
Periodic time-triggered sparse Linear Quadratic Controller design

This paper investigates the periodic time-triggered sparse Linear Quadratic Controller (LQC) design for the class of Linear Time Invariant (LTI) systems. Given a time period and keeping the control input fixed during such a time period, an optimization problem is formulated in which the objective function consists of a quadratic performance term along with an l 0 -regularization term. Recasting such an optimization problem as a rank-constrained optimization problem and utilizing the weighted l 1 -relaxation enable us to apply so-called bi-linear rank penalty technique to design periodic time-triggered sparse LQC. Employing the various test cases and running our proposed algorithm for different values of time period, performance/sparsity trade-off curves are visualized which suggest a helpful criterion to choose the time period in a way that the desired balance between controller sparsity and rate of periodic triggering is made.
SR-BI: A Multifunctional Receptor in Cholesterol Homeostasis and Atherosclerosis

The HDL receptor scavenger receptor class B type I (SR-BI) plays crucial roles in cholesterol homeostasis, lipoprotein metabolism, and atherosclerosis. Hepatic SR-BI mediates reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) by the uptake of HDL cholesterol for routing to the bile. Through the selective uptake of HDL lipids, hepatic SR-BI modulates HDL composition and preserves HDL's atheroprotective functions of mediating cholesterol efflux and minimizing inflammation and oxidation. Macrophage and endothelial cell SR-BI inhibits the development of atherosclerosis by mediating cholesterol trafficking to minimize atherosclerotic lesion foam cell formation. SR-BI signaling also helps limit inflammation and cell death and mediates efferocytosis of apoptotic cells in atherosclerotic lesions thereby preventing vulnerable plaque formation. SR-BI is emerging as a multifunctional therapeutic target to reduce atherosclerosis development.
A variant form of Megacalanus longicornis (Copepoda: Megacalanidae) from deep waters off Southern California

Megacalanus longicornis (Sars, 1905) is a mesopelagic copepod widely distributed in the oceans. Specimens collected in deep coastal waters off California and at other sites in the eastern Pacific bear sharply edged cephalic crests. These crests have not been found in other regions. Close examination of body form and details of limbs revealed no other distinguishing characters between crested and uncrested forms. The very large size of Megacalanus calls special attention to morphologic details, including massive hooks borne on the bases of the first swimming legs, maculae cribrosae (presumed to be sensory structures), clavate setae on segment 9 of each male antennule, and externally opening glands on exopodite segments of the swimming legs.
Favorable impact of thoracic endovascular aortic repair on survival of patients with acute uncomplicated type B aortic dissection.

Abstract Background In uncomplicated type B aortic dissection (UTBAD), the “gold standard” has been nonoperative treatment with medical therapy, although this has been questioned by studies demonstrating improved outcomes in those treated with thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR). This study assessed long-term survival after acute UTBAD comparing medical therapy, open repair, and TEVAR. Methods The California Office of Statewide Hospital Planning Development database was analyzed from 2000 to 2010 for adult patients with acute UTBAD. Patients with nonemergent admission for aortic dissection, type A dissection, trauma, bowel ischemia, lower extremity ischemia, acidosis, or shock were excluded. The cohort was stratified by treatment type at index admission into medical therapy, open surgical repair, and TEVAR. Multivariable regression and survival analyses were used to evaluate the association of treatment type with long-term overall survival. Results There were 9165 cases, 95% medical therapy, 2% open repair, and 2.9% TEVAR. The mean age was 66 ± 15 years, with 39% female, 2.4% cocaine users, 18% with congestive heart failure, and 17% with Charlson Comorbidity Index >3. Mean inpatient costs were $57,000 for medical therapy, $200,000 for open repair, and $130,000 for TEVAR (P Conclusions This statewide study on survival after acute UTBADs shows an independent survival advantage for TEVAR over medical therapy. These data add further evidence for a paradigm shift in acute management of type B dissection in favor of early TEVAR.
Effects and interactions of myostatin and callipyge mutations: I. Growth and carcass traits.

Objectives were to document effects of the Texel myostatin mutation (MSTN) on growth and carcass traits and also test whether or not interactions with the callipyge mutation (CLPG) could be detected. Twelve rams heterozygous at both loci on the two different chromosomes were mated to 215 terminal-sire type composite crossbred ewes genotyped as non-carriers for both loci. A total of 365 lambs were born, 362 of those were genotyped and 236 lambs contributed carcass data to estimate effects and interactions among the four genotype combinations produced. The four genotype combinations were defined as follows: ++/++ for wild-type at both loci; ++/C+ for wild-type at MSTN and heterozygous at CLPG; M+/++ for heterozygous at MSTN and wild-type at CLPG; and M+/C+ for heterozygous at both loci. The two independently segregating sire-derived alleles represent different breed-of-origin contrasts at each locus (Texel vs. composite origin for MSTN and Dorset vs. Texel origin for CLPG). Birth weight was recorded on all lambs, and subsequent body weights were adjusted to 56 (weaning), 70, and 140 d of age. Within sire-sex-genotype subgroups, naturally reared lambs were assigned to one of eight slaughter groups accounting for variation in birth date. Lambs were serially slaughtered at weekly intervals, 30 lambs per group, from roughly 26 to 33 wk of age. In addition to standard carcass traits, subjective leg scores were assigned and widths of carcasses were measured at the widest points of the shoulder and rump. Differences in birth weight were detected (P 0.20). Although some non-additive interactions that vary by trait and sex were detected, in general the data are consistent with the two mutations acting on muscle growth through independent pathways.
Resettlement Rhetoric: Challenging Neoliberalism in Refugee Empowerment Initiatives

Resettlement organizations both enable better material realities for refugees, while also producing economic subjectivities and proliferating neoliberal values. This participant ethnography was con...
An On-Chip CMOS Temperature Sensor Using Self-Discharging P-N Diode in a $\Delta$ - $\Sigma$ Loop

A CMOS temperature sensor to monitor on-chip distributed thermal profile of high-performance system-on-chips (SoCs) is presented. The architecture of this sensor utilizes a self-discharging p-n diode to implement a first-order delta-sigma ( $\Delta$ - $\Sigma$ ) loop. To determine the on-chip temperature, the temperature-dependent reverse-bias leakage current of the diode is measured. The sensor is implemented in a 0.18- $\mu \text{m}$ CMOS process and it occupies a small area of $550\mu \text{m}^{2}$ . Performance measurements demonstrate the on-chip sensor inaccuracies of ±0.1 °C ( $3\sigma$ ) with calibration, and ±0.5 °C ( $3\sigma$ ) without any calibration, over 35 °C–100 °C, which is the functional temperature range of current high-performance SoCs. The sensor, excluding the digital and any reference generators, consumes $4\mu \text{W}$ from a single 1.8-V supply. The worst case resolution of the sensor is 75 mK at 2-Hz bandwidth with the overall sensor figure of merit of 11 nJ°K2.
Voluntary Association and Trust

Jones examines voluntary association and, relatedly, levels of trust. The data reveal that American males average more total voluntary association hours than do American females, who are revealed to participate more in youth groups. While trust has declined in both sexes, females exhibit lower levels of trust generally. A similar trend is found when race is brought into the equation: black Americans participate in fewer voluntary associations, but more youth groups, and a marked decrease in trust can be found. College Americans average one full group membership more than non-college Americans and exhibit higher levels of trust. Overall, voluntary association has dropped a bit since the late 1970s, as has trust.
The NuRD Complex: Linking Histone Modification to Nucleosome Remodeling

ATP-dependent nucleosome remodeling and core histone tail modifications play important roles in chromatin function. Purification and characterization of the NuRD/Mi-2 complex, which possesses both nucleosome remodeling and histone deacetylase activities, suggests that ATP-dependent nucleosome remodeling and histone tail modification can be coupled. Recent studies indicate that NuRD is an integral part of the MeCPl complex, suggesting that nucleosome remodeling and histone deacetylation play important roles in methylated DNA silencing. Studies in Caenorhabditis elegans have revealed important functions of the NuRD complex in embryonic patterning and Ras signaling. Accumulating evidence indicates that NuRD may regulate transcription of specific genes by interacting with specific transcriptional factors. In addition, it may also participate in genome-wide transcriptional regulation through an association with histone tails.
Ultrastructural differences between rat inner medullary descending and ascending vasa recta

The ultrastructure of rat inner medullary vasa recta was studied by both conventional transmission and freeze-fracture electron microscopy. The identify of descending and ascending vasa recta in the inner medulla was established by tracing outer medullary descending vasa recta and ascending vasa recta into the inner medulla, as well as by the incomplete carbon labeling technique to identify isolated descending vessels or loops. As in the outer medulla, descending vessels possess thick continuous endothelium with pinocytotic vesicles budding off the luminal and basal plasma membranes (more numerous in the latter location), but no fenestrae. Ascending vasa show thin, attenuated endothelium with numerous (500 to 800 A fenestrae bridged by 40 A thick fenestral diaphragms. Intercellular junctions in both vessels are zonulae occludens with usually one, and uncommonly two or three zones of outer leaflet membrane fusion. Intramembranous particles are numerous in endothelial plasma membranes of descending vasa recta; similar particles are much fewer in corresponding ascending vasa recta endothelial plasma membranes. The ultrastructural differences between descending vasa recta and ascending vasa recta may reflect markedly different permeability properties, particularly to macromolecules, and may be relevant to recent functional studies on rat inner medullary vasa recta.
Teriflunomide Modulates Vascular Permeability and Microglial Activation after Experimental Traumatic Brain Injury.

Despite intensive research and clinical trials with numerous therapeutic treatments, traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a serious public health problem in the United States. There is no effective FDA-approved treatment to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with TBI. Inflammation plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of TBI. We looked to re-purpose existing drugs that reduce immune activation without broad immunosuppression. Teriflunomide, an FDA-approved drug, has been shown to modulate immunological responses outside of its ability to inhibit pyrimidine synthesis in rapidly proliferating cells. In this study, we tested the efficacy of teriflunomide to treat two different injury intensities in rat models of TBI. Our results show that teriflunomide restores blood-brain barrier integrity, decreases inflammation, and increases neurogenesis in the subgranular zone of the hippocampus. While we were unable to detect neurocognitive effects of treatment on memory and special learning abilities after treatment, a 2-week treatment following injury was sufficient to reduce neuroinflammation up to 120 days later.
Measuring Daily Activity of Emerging Adults: Text Messaging for Assessing Risk Behavior.

We evaluated the validity of the use of an SMS text messaging survey for measuring daily life activity in a sample of emerging adults. Short Message Service (SMS) text messaging is a prevalent form of everyday communication in the lives of emerging adults, yet there is limited research on the use of automated text messaging as a data collection method in clinical research. Study participants were 274 ethnically diverse emerging adults (54.4% female, baseline age = 17–21 years), and constructs included alcohol use, substance use, school activity, peer interaction, mood, and interaction with parents. Participants responded to “bursts” that included multiple surveys during the course of 2 weeks, 6 months apart (a total of 13 texting surveys). Most of the questions were strongly associated across bursts. Findings revealed response stability for participating subjects across the 6 months and across the texting and self-report survey methodologies. Paired sample t-tests indicated that participants reported differently across data methodologies, which suggests that some data collection methodologies are best suited for certain types of constructs, such as alcohol consumption. Study results encapsulate the daily life of emerging adults and highlight the importance of evaluating the validity of SMS text messaging as a potential data collection device in future research.
Introduction: Traversing Time, Place, and Space

The case of Edvard Grieg is one that attests to the challenges many composers faced at the end of the long nineteenth century. Living in the shadow of Wagner and faced with increasing pressure at home to advocate only for the national domain, literature became a useful catalyst for producing a broader appeal and contesting hegemonic forces of exclusion sustained by artists and audiences alike. Therefore, this introductory section takes a revolving look at the careers of Grieg, MacDowell, Grainger, and the authors who influenced their cosmopolitan aesthetic. Additionally, this chapter lays the foundation for understanding how Nordic themes became a common nexus for shaping a transatlantic dialogue between artists who viewed the interaction of nationalism and cosmopolitanism not merely as a problem to be solved but also as a creative tension to be exploited.
Bonds, Bands, Charge Transfer Excitations and Superconductivity: YBa2Cu3O7−δ vs. YBa2Cu3O6

It is generally recognized that highly precise electronic structure calculations provide important information about the properties of the superconducting materials and provide insight into the possible mechanism for their observed high temperature superconductivity. We here report: briefly some of our results for the Y-Ba-Cu-0 materials1 — focussing on the role of chains vs planes in terms of state-of-the-art all-electron local density calculations for YBa2Cu3O7−δ (the high Tc superconductor with chains and planes) and for YBa2Cu3O6+x (planes but no chains and no superconductivity). The results obtained highlight the role of charge transfer excitations (exciton) which we proposed earlier for the high Tc in YBa2Cu3O7−δ.
Building a Practice-Based Research Agenda for Wildfire Smoke and Health: A Report of the 2018 Washington Wildfire Smoke Risk Communication Stakeholder Synthesis Symposium.

Background: As climate change is expected to result in more frequent, larger fires and associated smoke impacts, creating and sustaining wildfire smoke-resilient communities is an urgent public health priority. Following two summers of persistent and extreme wildfire smoke events in Washington state, the need for additional research on wildfire smoke health impacts, risk communication, and risk reduction, and an associated greater coordination between researcher and practitioner communities, is of paramount importance. Objectives: On 30 October 2018, the University of Washington hosted a Wildfire Smoke Risk Communication Stakeholder Synthesis Symposium in Seattle, Washington. The goals of the symposium were to identify and prioritize practice-based information gaps necessary to promote effective wildfire smoke risk communication and risk reduction across Washington state, foster collaboration among practitioners and academics to address information gaps using research, and provide regional stakeholders with access to the best available health and climate science about current and future wildfire risks. Methods: Seventy-six Washington state practitioners and academics with relevant professional responsibilities or expertise in wildfire smoke and health engaged in small group discussions using the "World Cafe Method" to identify practice-relevant research needs related to wildfire smoke and health. Notes from each discussion were coded and qualitatively analyzed using a content analysis approach. Discussion: Washington state's public health and air quality practitioners need additional evidence to communicate and reduce wildfire smoke risk. Exposure, health risk, risk communication, behavior change and interventions, and legal and policy research needs were identified, along with the need to develop research infrastructure to support wildfire smoke and health science. Practice-relevant, collaborative research should be prioritized to address this increasing health threat.
Os Direitos Humanos e a História

Traducao do texto “Human Rights and History”, de Stefan-Ludwig Hoffmann, publicado na revista Past & Present, Volume 232, Issue 1, August 2016, Pages 237–278, https://doi.org/10.1093/pastj/gtw011
A Novel Use of Long-Term Subcutaneous Hydration Therapy for a Pediatric Patient with Intestinal Failure and Chronic Dehydration: A Case Report

Long-term subcutaneous hydration has not been described in pediatrics. A case of a 4-year-old born prematurely with subsequent intestinal failure, large vessel thrombi, and repeated central line-associated bloodstream infections prompting catheter removal is discussed. Chronic dehydration ensued and was managed with long-term subcutaneous fluid infusions with no serious complications.
Prevalence of spirometry-defined airflow obstruction in never-smoking working US coal miners by pneumoconiosis status

Introduction This study estimated the prevalence of spirometry-defined airflow obstruction and coal workers’ pneumoconiosis (CWP) among never-smoking coal miners participating in the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program (CWHSP). Methods Data were from working miners screened by a CWHSP mobile unit who had valid spirometry and chest radiography results. Spirometry-defined airflow obstruction was determined when the ratio of forced expiratory volume in the first second to forced vital capacity is less than the lower limit of normal. Chest radiographs were classified according to the International Labour Office system to identify pneumoconiosis, including the most severe form of pneumoconiosis, progressive massive fibrosis (PMF). Results Prevalence of airflow obstruction among never-smoking coal miners in this sample was 7.7% overall, 16.4% among miners with CWP and 32.3% among miners with PMF. Airflow obstruction was significantly associated with CWP and PMF. Conclusions There was a higher prevalence of airflow obstruction among never-smoking coal miners with pneumoconiosis compared with those without pneumoconiosis. These findings support prior research on airflow obstruction and smoking and show pneumoconiosis might present with an obstructive pattern regardless of smoking status.
Investigating the momentary association between maternal support and children's fruit and vegetable consumption using ecological momentary assessment.

Despite compelling evidence that fruit and vegetable (F/V) consumption can reduce the risk of obesity and chronic disease, most children fail to meet the daily recommendations for dietary consumption. Theoretical models and empirical findings suggest that parents play a key role in guiding children's overall dietary behaviors. To extend previous findings, the current study utilized ecological momentary assessment (EMA) on smartphones to assess the within-subject and between-subject effects of maternal support (i.e., encouragement, preparation) of F/V on their child's F/V consumption. Mother-child dyads (n = 191) completed six semi-annual 7-day waves of EMA surveys. EMA assessed mothers' past 2-h support for F/V and children's F/V consumption. At the within-subject level, greater maternal encouragement for F/Vs (OR = 2.41) and maternal preparation of F/Vs (OR = 1.43) than usual were associated with increased odds of their child eating F/V during the same 2-h window. At the between-subject level, greater maternal preparation of F/V (OR = 5.99), compared to other mothers, was associated with increased odds of their child eating F/V. Children with lower BMI (vs. higher BMI) were more likely to consume F/Vs when their mothers encouraged them to eat F/V (OR = 0.74). These findings suggest that maternal support may have a strong and immediate effect on children's F/V consumption. Theoretical models on behavior change should consider how explanatory factors, such as parental support, may vary at the momentary level. Boosting maternal support at the momentary level may be a critical component of future mobile-based interventions to address childhood obesity.
The novel and the myth of the epic: Balestrini, Lukács, and the cathartic experience:

In this article, I address the critical reception of Nanni Balestrini's narrative work, focusing in particular on the novel Vogliamo tutto (1971). I compare the interpretative model, which sees thi...
Research on Characterization Method of Power Grid Operation Mode Based on Electrical Distance Sensitivity

At present, when applying machine learning to quickly determine the stability of the power grid, the impact of different operation modes in the power grid is usually not considered. When the operation mode of the power grid changes greatly, the prediction results of the machine learning model will produce large errors. This article introduces the concept of electrical distance sensitivity and proposes a quick selection method for key station pairs, which implements the function of reflecting the change in the operation mode of the power grid through the minimum number of station electrical distance indicators. The electrical distance sensitivity is used as part of the machine learning model input to improve the adaptability of the model in different operating modes. Finally, the actual Northeast Power Grid of China data was used to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the method which meets the requirements of online security and stability analysis.
The Associations between Body Mass Index, Estimated Lean Body Mass, and Urinary Hydration Markers at the Population Level

Obesity has been found to relate to urine-assessed hypohydration risk at the population level, but studies have often failed to account for lean mass, which influences urine solute load. Adults (n ...
Ideally nil clean rings

A ring is called nil clean if every element can be written as the sum of an idempotent and a nilpotent. The class of nil clean rings has emerged as an important variant of the much-studied class of...
Bovine chlamydial abortions

Chlamydial agents are obligate intracellular pathogens of prokaryotic pature, and they comprise a large group of antigenically related and culturally, morphologically, and tinctorially similar microorganisms. One property characterizing chlamydial strains of several animal species is their ability to establish placental and fetal infection irrespective of the type of placentation. Chlamydial agents were first suspected as a cause of abortions in cattle in Germany in 1956. Since then they were proven, by isolation from fetuses or placentas, as well as through serological evidence, to be a cause of reproductive failure of cattle. Chlamydiae were identified as a cause of bovine abortions in North America, in most countries of western and eastern Europe, in South Africa, and in some Asian countries. Characteristics of experimentally induced chlamydial abortions will be analyzed in this contribution from clinical and pathogenetic aspects and from etiological, serological, and pathological viewpoints. In the process, the experimentally induced disease will be compared with, and related to, the more complex problem of abortion that confronts the practitioner and the diagnostician.
Radio pulsar populations

The goal of this article is to summarize the current state of play in the field of radio pulsar statistics. Simply put, from the observed sample of objects from a variety of surveys with different telescopes, we wish to infer the properties of the underlying sample and to connect these with other astrophysical populations (for example supernova remnants or X-ray binaries). The main problem we need to tackle is the fact that, like many areas of science, the observed populations are often heavily biased by a variety of selection effects. After a review of the main effects relevant to radio pulsars, I discuss techniques to correct for them and summarize some of the most recent results. Perhaps the main point I would like to make in this article is that current models to describe the population are far from complete and often suffer from strong covariances between input parameters. That said, there are a number of very interesting conclusions that can be made concerning the evolution of neutron stars based on current data.While the focus of this review will be on the population of isolated Galactic pulsars, I will also briefly comment on millisecond and binary pulsars as well as the pulsar content of globular clusters and the Magellanic Clouds.
Thyroid hormone receptor phosphorylation regulates acute fasting-induced suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis.

Fasting induces profound changes in the hypothalamic–pituitary–thyroid (HPT) axis. After binding thyroid hormone (TH), the TH receptor beta 2 isoform (THRB2) represses Trh and Tsh subunit genes and is the principle negative regulator of the HPT axis. Using mass spectrometry, we identified a major phosphorylation site in the AF-1 domain of THRB2 (serine 101, S101), which is conserved among many members of the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily. More than 50% of THRB2 is phosphorylated at S101 in cultured thyrotrophs (TαT1.1) and in the mouse pituitary. All other THR isoforms lack this site and exhibit limited overall levels of phosphorylation. To determine the importance of THRB2 S101 phosphorylation, we used the TαT1.1 cell line and S101A mutant knock-in mice (Thrb2S101A). We found that TH promoted S101 THRB2 phosphorylation and was essential for repression of the axis at physiologic TH concentrations. In mice, THRB2 phosphorylation was also increased by fasting and mimicked Trh and Tshb repression by TH. In vitro studies demonstrated that a master metabolic sensor, AMP-activated kinase (AMPK) induced phosphorylation at the same site and caused Tshb repression independent of TH. Furthermore, we identified cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2) as a direct kinase phosphorylating THRB2 S101 and propose that AMPK or TH increase S101 phosphorylation through the activity of CDK2. This study provides a physiologically relevant function for THR phosphorylation, which permits nutritional deprivation and TH to use a common mechanism for acute suppression of the HPT axis.
Walking on the bright side: Associations between affect, depression, and gait.

BACKGROUND Psychomotor change is a core symptom of depression and one of the criteria in diagnosing depressive disorders. Research suggests depressed individuals demonstrate deviations in gait, or walking, compared to non-depressed controls. However, studies are sparse, often limited to older adults and observational gait assessment. It is also unclear if gait changes are due to dysregulation of affect, a core feature of depression. The current study addressed this gap by investigating the relation between positive and negative affect, depressive symptom severity, and gait in young adults. METHODS Using three-dimensional motion capture, gait parameters (velocity, stride length, and step time) were attained from 90 young adults during a task where they walked ten meters at their own pace overground in a laboratory for ten minutes. Self-report measures of mood and affect were collected. RESULTS On average, the study population reported high negative and low positive affect. Contrary to our hypotheses, hierarchical regressions demonstrated no significant associations between gait parameters and affective or depressive symptoms (ps>.05). CONCLUSIONS Our findings do not support a relation between affective symptoms and gait parameters. The results may indicate age-dependent gait pathology or that other symptoms of depression may influence gait more strongly than affect. They may also reflect an observational bias of gait changes in depressed young adults, one that is unsupported by objective data. Replication is warranted to further examine whether affective symptomology is embodied via gait differences in young adults.
Chapter 3 Piezospectroscopy of Semiconductors

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the applications of piezospectroscopy in semiconductor physics in the context of localized and collective excitations, which are electronic and vibrational in character. To specify reduction in the symmetry of a crystal when subjected to a uniaxial stress, a strain tensor should be deduced using the theory of elasticity. From the knowledge of the reduced symmetry, qualitative conclusions can be drawn about the removal of level degeneracies and the selection rules governing the stress-induced components of optical transitions or the Raman lines. The quantitative description of piezospectroscopy can be formulated in terms of the phenomenological theory deformation potential theory. Many significant optical processes in elemental and compound semiconductors are associated with electronic transitions between the valence-band maximum and the conduction-band minimum, including direct and indirect transitions; free and bound excitons; interband- and excitonic-recombination radiations; and shallow impurity states with effective-mass characteristics, which are associated with the conduction-band minimum or minima (donors) or the valence-band maximum (acceptors).
Primary Human Lymphocytes Transduced with NY-ESO-1 Antigen-Specific TCR Genes Recognize and Kill Diverse Human Tumor Cell Lines

cDNAs encoding TCR α- and β-chains specific for HLA-A2-restricted cancer-testis Ag NY-ESO-1 were cloned using a 5′RACE method from RNA isolated from a CTL generated by in vitro stimulation of PBMC with modified NY-ESO-1-specific peptide (p157–165, 9V). Functionality of the cloned TCR was confirmed by RNA electroporation of primary PBL. cDNA for these α- and β-chains were used to construct a murine stem cell virus-based retroviral vector, and high titer packaging cell lines were generated. Gene transfer efficiency in primary T lymphocytes of up to 60% was obtained without selection using a method of precoating retroviral vectors onto culture plates. Both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells could be transduced at the same efficiency. High avidity Ag recognition was demonstrated by coculture of transduced lymphocytes with target cells pulsed with low levels of peptide (<20 pM). TCR-transduced CD4 T cells, when cocultured with NY-ESO-1 peptide pulsed T2 cells, could produce IFN-γ, GM-CSF, IL-4, and IL-10, suggesting CD8-independent, HLA-A2-restricted TCR activation. The transduced lymphocytes could efficiently recognize and kill HLA-A2- and NY-ESO-1-positive melanoma cell lines in a 4-h 51Cr release assay. Finally, transduced T cells could efficiently recognize NY-ESO-1-positive nonmelanoma tumor cell lines. These results strongly support the idea that redirection of normal T cell specificity by TCR gene transfer can have potential applications in tumor adoptive immunotherapy.
Queuing behavior of queue-backlog-based random access scheduling in the many-channel regime

Efficient and distributed scheduling algorithms are essential to garner the full potential of wireless systems with multiple channels, e.g., OFDM systems. Recently, a group of random access scheduling algorithms have been proposed to achieve throughput optimality with a single non-fading channel. While these distributed algorithms can readily be extended to a multi-channel setting, the analysis of their queuing behavior and delay performance is non-trivial in the many-channel regime, since the state space of schedules grows exponentially with the number of channels. In this paper, we first generalize these distributed random access algorithms from a single-channel setting to a multi-channel setting for fully connected networks. In an attempt to characterize the delay performance of this new algorithm, we introduce a novel equivalent deterministic single-queue system and show that the queuing behavior of individual communication links under our algorithm converges to the equivalent queue system as the number of channels grows. By studying this equivalent queue system, we derive a closed-form approximation for the data queue backlogs/delays at the steady state in the many-channel regime.
Dietary Cellulose, Zinc and Copper: Effects on Tissue Levels of Trace Minerals in the Rat

This study was designed to examine the effect of graded levels of cellulose, zinc and copper on tissue mineral levels. Tissue mineral levels were assayed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry in samples collected from a study which involved 12 treatments in a 3 X 2 X 2 factorial arrangement. This study involved three levels of cellulose (0, 8, and 16% of the diet), two levels of Cu (deficient and adequate; 2 and 18 mg/kg of diet, respectively), and two levels of Zn (marginal and abundant; 10 and 120 mg/kg of diet, respectively). Six weanling, male Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned to each treatment and after 9 weeks they were killed. Reductions of tissue Cu content were observed in the serum, liver, tibia and testis of the rats fed the Cu-deficient diets. The Fe content of the tibia and testis was reduced, but that of liver was elevated in the rats fed Cu-deficient diets. Reductions in tibial Zn levels were observed in the rats fed marginal-Zn as compared to those fed the abundant-Zn diets; and in the rats fed Cu-adequate as compared to those fed Cu-deficient diets. Increases in cellulose resulted in increased liver and testicular Cu content only in rats fed the Cu-deficient diets. Additions of cellulose appeared to have no adverse effect on the distribution of Zn, Cu and Fe in tissues which are sensitive to dietary deficiencies. With the exception of rats fed the copper-deficient, marginal zinc diets, the rats fed the other diets demonstrated a small reduction in serum zinc values as cellulose was increased.