cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An efficient group addressing scheme for DQDB

Group addressing distributed queue dual bus (GA DQDB) is a new scheme for improving throughput of services on existing DQDB network. The GA DQDB is an extension and generalization of the basic distributed queue protocol defined in the IEEE 802.6 DQDB MAN standard and supports slot reuse. The grouping principle allows for dividing the nodes in network into multiple groups, each with distinct group-code number (or address). In contrast to DQDB with destination release or erasure nodes scheme that have to buffer a full node-address in the interface between media and the corresponding nodes for slot release, the GA DQDB protocol buffers only partial node-address. The grouping concept allows for efficient use of post-destination slot. Hence, the system capacity and the throughput of the GA DQDB are higher than those of a DQDB with destination release or erasure nodes scheme.
Managing the context issues of non-financial accounting information on the Internet: an intelligent agent approach

The paper addresses the context issue in interpreting Internet based non-financial information that may indicate the financial health of a company. Context is defined as the collection of implicit assumptions about the context definition (i.e., meaning) and context characteristics (i.e., quality) of the information. This research examines corporate Web sites for explicit and implicit non-financial information that may indicate the financial health of a company. This is done to understand the magnitude of the context problem and to suggest possible ways around the problem when building intelligent agents.
Addition of enzyme to starter and grower diets for ducks

The growth performance and nutrient utilization responses of White Pekin ducks to a commercial enzyme preparation were investigated. The enzyme contained 4,000 units amylase, 12,000 units protease, and 1,600 units xylanase per gram. Twelve pens of 10 ducks were fed diets based on corn and soybean meal and wheat middlings. The diets contained the enzyme mixture at 0, 0.375, or 0.5 g/kg in a growth study for 42 d. At the end of growth study, four ducks from each of eight pens per diet were retained and continued their respective diets containing 2.5 g Cr2O3/kg for 7 d. Intestinal content was sampled to determine ileal digestibilities of energy, nitrogen, and amino acids. One duck from each pen was selected at the end of the growth study and was fitted with retainer rings around the vent for the attachment of an excreta collection apparatus; these ducks were maintained on their respective diets containing 2.5 g Cr2O3/ kg to determine dietary nitrogen, amino acids, and energy retention. Results from the performance study showed a 6 to 8% increase (P < 0.05) in BW gain for birds fed diets containing the enzyme. There was also an enzyme-related improvement in feed efficiency (P < 0.05) over the 42-d study. Ileal nitrogen digestibility was highest (P < 0.05) for ducks fed diets containing the enzyme preparation at 0.5 g/kg, but ileal digestibility of energy was not affected by enzyme supplementation of diets. Apparent nitrogen retention was greater (P < 0.05) in ducks that received enzyme at 0.5 g/kg diet than in ducks fed diets without the enzyme. Energy retention (AME and AMEn) of diets was not affected by the addition of enzyme to diets. Excreta amino acid digestibilities were found to be consistently higher than ileal estimates. The mean ileal amino acid digestibility coefficients in diets with enzyme at 0, 0.375, and 0.5 g/kg were 86.94, 88.82, and 88.87%, respectively. The addition of enzyme improved (P < 0.05) ileal amino acid digestibility and apparent amino acid retention. The study indicates that dietary enzyme supplementation improved growth performance, nitrogen, and amino acid retention of White Pekin ducks.
Immunosuppression in a homosexual man with Kaposi's sarcoma.

The occurrence of Kaposi's sarcoma in young homosexual men is a recently reported condition. The same individuals are at risk for the development of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia and other unusual infections. These associations suggest these persons are somehow immunocompromised. Evidence of current or prior cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is seen in a high percentage of these and other homosexual men. CMV infections are known to induce alterations in the immunoregulatory suppressor and helper T lymphocyte populations. The CMV infection is suspect as the cause of immunosuppression in these individuals. We present a case of Kaposi's sarcoma in a homosexual man with CMV cultured from his urine and semen. He showed a marked increase in his suppressor/cytotoxic cell (OKT8-positive) population, as well as a marked decrease in his helper cell (OKT4-positive) population. Mitogen and antigen studies demonstrated absent or markedly diminished responses both in vitro and in vivo. Pokeweed mitogen (PWM)-induced IgG synthesis appeared normal. This patient, as well as the majority of other reported patients with this disease, manifested the HLA-Dr5 phenotype. The immunosuppression in this patient and possibly other similar men appears to be mediated by abnormalities in the immunoregulatory T lymphocytes.
Postmenopausal Women and the Health Consequences of Obesity

The health consequences of obesity include increased risk of heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, sleep apnea, cancer, osteoarthritis, and mental health problems. Postmenopausal women have reached an age when the incidence of chronic health conditions becomes more prevalent. In addition to physical disease risks, a lifetime of ridicule and disrespect may seriously and adversely affect general and health-related quality of life. Thus, obese postmenopausal women stand at a crossroads between living the remainder of their lives in essentially good health or facing the likely onset of chronic diseases that might have been prevented. This article reviews the effects of obesity that have particular relevance for postmenopausal women.
Long-term study of VOCs measured with PTR-MS at a rural site in New Hampshire with urban influences

Abstract. A long-term, high time-resolution volatile organic compound (VOC) data set from a ground site that experiences urban, rural, and marine influences in the Northeastern United States is presented. A proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometer (PTR-MS) was used to quantify 15 VOCs: a marine tracer dimethyl sulfide (DMS), a biomass burning tracer acetonitrile, biogenic compounds (monoterpenes, isoprene), oxygenated VOCs (OVOCs: methyl vinyl ketone (MVK) plus methacrolein (MACR), methanol, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), acetaldehyde, and acetic acid), and aromatic compounds (benzene, toluene, C8 and C9 aromatics). Time series, overall and seasonal medians, with 10th and 90th percentiles, seasonal mean diurnal profiles, and inter-annual comparisons of mean summer and winter diurnal profiles are shown. Methanol and acetone exhibit the highest overall median mixing ratios 1.44 and 1.02 ppbv, respectively. Comparing the mean diurnal profiles of less well understood compounds (e.g., MEK) with better known compounds (e.g., isoprene, monoterpenes, and MVK + MACR) that undergo various controls on their atmospheric mixing ratios provides insight into possible sources of the lesser known compounds. The constant diurnal value of ~0.7 for the toluene:benzene ratio in winter, may possibly indicate the influence of wood-based heating systems in this region. Methanol exhibits an initial early morning release in summer unlike any other OVOC (or isoprene) and a dramatic late afternoon mixing ratio increase in spring. Although several of the OVOCs appear to have biogenic sources, differences in features observed between isoprene, methanol, acetone, acetaldehyde, and MEK suggest they are produced or emitted in unique ways.
A topological model for transcription based on unwinding angle analysis of E. coli RNA polymerase binary, initiation and ternary complexes

Abstract DNA unwinding induced by Escherichia coli RNA polymerase is measured for binary, initiation and ternary complexes formed from a unique promoter sequence on simian virus 40 DNA. At 37°C the complexes all have an unwinding angle of 17 ± 1 base pairs (580° ± 30°). This unwinding is attributed to an enzyme-stabilized separation of the double helix at the promoter site, which is maintained throughout initiation and elongation. There is no heterogeneity in the unwinding angle of the ternary complex as it progresses down the helical template. The constant DNA unwinding during all phases of transcription leads us to propose the existence of unwindase and rewindase activities on the enzyme that allow it to travel down the helix like a nut on a DNA bolt. During elongation, the unwindase unwinds the DNA helix while the rewindase, lagging by 17 base pairs, displaces the RNA transcript and reseals the helix. Both activities induce a rotation in the DNA double helix relative to the polymerase. The RNA-DNA hybrid also rotates, maintaining both ends of that helix fixed relative to the catalytic and windase sites. Formation of an RNA-DNA hybrid which spans the distal end of the DNA unwound region is proposed as a possible mechanism for polymerase pausing and termination. This model requires that the polymerase direct the transcript past the noncoding DNA strand. Pausing occurs 16–20 nucleotides downstream from the centers of appropriately sized dyad symmetry elements.
Randomized, prospective, double-blind study of the effects on pain perception of lidocaine jelly versus plain lubricant during outpatient rigid cystoscopy.

ABSTRACTPurpose: There is no clear evidence that intraurethral lidocaine jelly decreases pain and/or makes rigid cystoscopy more tolerable for patients. Since lidocaine jelly is significantly more expensive than plain lubricant, we attempted to assess the true benefit of this agent.Materials and Methods: We performed a randomized, prospective, double-blind study to compare the anesthetic effects of intraurethral 2% lidocaine jelly versus plain lubricant in patients undergoing rigid cystoscopy. Unlike previous studies, we ensured adequate urethral filling by using 30 cc of each agent and we waited 20 minutes after instillation of the agent before performing cystoscopy to allow adequate absorption. Cystoscopy was performed using a 17 to 21F rigid instrument. A total of 189 patients was entered into the study but 10 were excluded from analysis due to incomplete questionnaires. A 10-point scale (1-least to 10-most painful) was used to measure pain perception.Results: In men pain perception was significantly d...
The accurate assessment of small-angle X-ray scattering data

Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) has grown in popularity in recent times with the advent of bright synchrotron X-ray sources, powerful computational resources and algorithms enabling the calculation of increasingly complex models. However, the lack of standardized data-quality metrics presents difficulties for the growing user community in accurately assessing the quality of experimental SAXS data. Here, a series of metrics to quantitatively describe SAXS data in an objective manner using statistical evaluations are defined. These metrics are applied to identify the effects of radiation damage, concentration dependence and interparticle interactions on SAXS data from a set of 27 previously described targets for which high-resolution structures have been determined via X-ray crystallography or nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The studies show that these metrics are sufficient to characterize SAXS data quality on a small sample set with statistical rigor and sensitivity similar to or better than manual analysis. The development of data-quality analysis strategies such as these initial efforts is needed to enable the accurate and unbiased assessment of SAXS data quality.
Zero-entropy vertex maps on graphs

Let G be a finite connected graph with v vertices. Vertex maps are maps that are locally monotonic on edges and such that the vertices form a periodic orbit. The paper gives a classification of all zero-entropy vertex maps.
Power control in lognormal fading wireless channels with uptime probability specifications via robust geometric programming

This paper concerns power control in lognormal fading wireless channels with correlated interference. We consider an outage-based quality of service (QoS) specification, which requires the uptime probability, i.e., the probability that no transmitter/receiver pair experiences any outage due to fading, is kept above a given level. The problem of finding an optimal power allocation to achieve this QoS goal over lognormal fading wireless channels can be posed as a stochastic geometric program (GP) with joint probabilistic constraints. This stochastic geometric program is extremely hard to solve in general, compared with the stochastic GP associated with Rayleigh fading channels. In this paper, we describe a suboptimal approach based on recently proposed robust geometric programming. With a good compromise between computational efficiency and accuracy, this robust GP relaxation approach finds a power allocation which meets the QoS requirement on the uptime probability. A numerical example is given to demonstrate the method.
Using sector information with linear genetic programming for intraday equity price trend analysis

A number of researchers who apply genetic programming (GP) to the analysis of financial data have had success in using predictability pretests to determine whether the time series under analysis by a GP contains patterns that are actually inherently predictable. However, most studies to date apply no such pretests, or pretests of any kind. Most previous work in this area has attempted to use filters to ensure inherent predictability of the data within a window of a time series, whereas other works have used multiple time frame windows under analysis by the GP to provide one overall GP recommendation. This work, for the first time, analyzes the use of external information about the price trend of a stock's market sector. This information is used in a filter to bolster confidence of a GP-based alert regarding formation of a trend for the chosen stock. Our results indicate a significant improvement in trend identification for the majority of stocks analyzed using intraday data.
Zygodon apiculatus (Orthotrichaceae) New to Pennsylvania

Abstract. Zygodon apiculatus Redf. is reported for the first time from Pennsylvania. The species is otherwise known from Iowa, Missouri, and North Carolina.
Training Interviewers for Research on Sexual Violence: A Qualitative Study of Rape Survivors' Recommendations for Interview Practice

Face-to-face interviewing is a common data collection technique in violence against women research. To guide the development of interviewer training programs, the authors conducted an empirical study on adult rape survivors' recommendations for interview practice. They asked survivors what interviewers should know about rape and how they should interact with participants. Data from 92 survivors revealed that interviewer training needs to emphasize diversity so that researchers are capable of working effectively with individuals with different life circumstances. The survivors also emphasized that interviewers need to show warmth and compassion and allow them to exercise choice and control during the interview process.
Irrigation, Gender, and Social Geographies of the Changing Waterscapes of Southeastern Anatolia

Most theorists understand gender geographies as highly differentiated and shifting, in terms of both time and space. If gender is historically and geographically contingent then the analysis of gender should be attentive to the particular conditions that materialize the very idea of gender, giving it the appearance of being fixed and natural. The physical landscape, or waterscape in the case of southeastern Turkey, is potentially central to the ways that gender is invoked and lived in particular settings, with important effects. Using case-study work on irrigation-related changes in southeastern Turkey, I consider gender in relation to livelihoods and work practices, landholdings, and ethnicity revealing that, in addition to conditioning differential outcomes for residents of the plain, these categories of social difference are themselves fundamentally renegotiated and recast in relation to waterscape change. I argue that explicit consideration of environmental conditions and practices is central to under...
Enhancer-dependent 5'-splice site control of fruitless pre-mRNA splicing.

The Drosophila fruitless (fru) gene encodes a transcription factor that essentially regulates all aspects of male courtship behavior. The use of alternative 5′-splice sites generates fru isoforms that determine gender-appropriate sexual behaviors. Alternative splicing of fru is regulated by TRA and TRA2 and depends on an exonic splicing enhancer (fruRE) consisting of three 13-nucleotide repeat elements, nearly identical to those that regulate alternative sex-specific 3′-splice site choice in the doublesex (dsx) gene. dsx has provided a useful model system to investigate the mechanisms of enhancer-dependent 3′-splice site choice. However, little is known about enhancer-dependent regulation of alternative 5′-splice sites. The mechanisms of this process were investigated using an in vitro system in which recombinant TRA/TRA2 could activate the female-specific 5′-splice site of fru. Mutational analysis demonstrated that one 13-nucleotide repeat element within the fruRE is required and sufficient to activate the regulated female-specific splice site. As was established for dsx, the fruRE can be replaced by a short element encompassing tandem 13-nucleotide repeat elements, by heterologous splicing enhancers, and by artificially tethering a splicing activator to the pre-mRNA. Complementation experiments showed that Ser/Arg-rich proteins facilitate enhancer-dependent 5′-splice site activation. We conclude that splicing enhancers function similarly in activating regulated 5′- and 3′-splice sites. These results suggest that exonic splicing enhancers recruit multiple spliceosomal components required for the initial recognition of 5′- and 3′-splice sites.
A Simple Adaptive Control Algorithm with Adaptive Supplementary Dynamics

A new implementation is proposed for the command generator tracker (CGT) approach to model reference adaptive control of linear time invariant multi-input multi-output plants which are not almost strictly positive real (ASPR). Our new implementation inserts supplementary dynamics in a feedback path which is inside the adaptive mechanism. The matrices (A f , B f , C f , D f ) which define the supplementary dynamics are computed on-line as part of the adaptive gain computations. Therefore, this new implementation differs from other CGT adaptive control algorithms which require the implementation of the inverse of a known stabilizing compensator in parallel with the plant such that the augmented plant is ASPR. We require knowledge of a lower bound on the ordar of stabilizing compensator for the controllable and observable plant and the satisfaction of some mild sufficient conditions. An example is presented which of an unstable single-input single-output plant.
Molecular genetics of head and neck cancer

BackgroundHead and neck cancers have multiple genetic abnormalities that influence tumor behavior and may be useful in developing new treatments.MethodsGenetic alterations implicated in head and ne...
THE SKULL OF ANCHITHERIOMYS AND A NEW SUBFAMILY OF BEAVERS (CASTORIDAE, RODENTIA)

A nearly complete skull of Anchitheriomys from the Miocene of Nebraska allows description of the cranial foramina. In skull characters, Anchitheriomys most closely resembles Agnotocastor and Neatocastor among castorids; it retains primitive features that it shares with eutypomyids (position of the posterior palatine foramina, smooth palatal surface, nearly parallel tooth rows, retention of dP3) combined with derived features (elongate rostrum, procumbent incisors) that are shared only with Agnotocastor and Neatocastor. A new subfamily, Agnotocastorinae, is erected for this group of primitive beavers.
Thermodynamically consistent modeling of redox-stable perovskite oxides for thermochemical energy conversion and storage

Abstract This paper describes an approach for thermodynamically consistent modeling of perovskite redox cycles for thermochemical energy storage and chemical-looping combustion applications. Prior modeling approaches to perovskite redox processes do not provide exact closure of the energy balance or thermodynamic consistency for calculating enthalpies and exergies of multiphase solid–gas flows needed in system-level process analysis. The approach documented here implements solid species thermodynamic functions derived from the enthalpies and entropies of reactions including oxidation/reduction and additional point defect reactions. The approach is fundamentally different than the typical approach of using partial molar properties to perform process flow modeling. Coupling process flow modeling to point defect reactions captures complex trends observed for oxygen non-stoichiometry and varying specific heat capacities during reduction and oxidation, maintains thermodynamic consistency between the solid and gas phase species, and thereby enables modeling of flow conservation equations for both the solid and gas phases. The thermodynamic model is fit to reported measurements for a highly reducible perovskite, strontium-doped calcium manganite (Ca 0.6 Sr 0.4 MnO 3− δ ), and then demonstrated through equilibrium thermodynamic calculations in process energy and exergy balances. Energetic and exergetic analyses for Ca 0.6 Sr 0.4 MnO 3− δ redox cycles are presented for thermochemical energy storage and chemical-looping combustion systems where component exergy destructions are calculated. The model predicts roundtrip thermochemical energy storage efficiencies with Ca 0.6 Sr 0.4 MnO 3− δ as high as 89% and 63% by first and second law analyses, respectively. The chemical-looping combustion of methane using Ca 0.6 Sr 0.4 MnO 3− δ indicates first and second law efficiencies up to 90% and 66%, respectively. The modeling approach is used to explore trends in performance with operating conditions for both redox cycles thereby enabling new insight regarding design trade-offs for these emerging energy storage and conversion cycles.
Survival of the Newest

If you could, what suggestions would you pass on to entry-level employees that would maximize their chances of making a significant professional contribution during their first year? This paper answers that question by advising rookies on how to quickly adapt to their new jobs. Those heeding this counsel will avoid innumerable headaches and frustrations. Because time is of the essence — for both employer and rookie employees — inclusion of these ideas in an orientation package will provide practical guidance that enables newcomers to contribute like a pro, without the awkward adjustment period. The recommendations offered here are divided into three categories. The first section offers technical suggestions for helping entry level employees work both hard and smart during their first year. Part Two offers several recommendations for cooperating with people at work. The final section details ways to deal with stress, for most people an inevitable consequence of working with others in an office setting.
Collaborative Partnerships: A Leading-Following Perspective

In the following article, Dr. Linda Everett, a veteran nurse executive, describes the ebb and flow of leading-following within a nursing academic-nursing practice partnership that was grounded in respectful collaboration.
Effect of native natural enemies on the population dynamics of the grape mealybug,Pseudococcus maritimus (Hom.: Pseudococcidae), in apple and pear orchards

The impact of native natural enemies on populations of the grape mealybug,Pseudococcus maritimus (Ehrhorn) in apple and pear orchards was assessed using a combination of techniques, including exclusion cages, limb-banding, and visual inspection of shoots and fruits. The complex of native natural enemies (which included two encyrtid parasitoids, (Pseudaphycus websteri Timberlake andMayridia species), a coccinellid beetle (Hyperaspis lateralis Mulsant), and a chamaemyiid fly (Leucopis verticalis Malloch), provided reasonably good control in orchards that had not been treated with insecticides for one to two years. However, surveys indicated that most of these species were absent from orchards regularly sprayed with pesticides.
On Analytic Functions Satisfying the Mean Value Theorem and a Conjecture of W. G. Dotson

(1969). On Analytic Functions Satisfying the Mean Value Theorem and a Conjecture of W. G. Dotson. Mathematics Magazine: Vol. 42, No. 5, pp. 256-259.
The Re-visioning of New York’s Little Italies: From Howells to Puzo

to gaze upon certain of the highest achievements of human power,achievements, moreover, which, from their visible and tangible nature, are particularly well adapted to represent to the imagination the maximum of man's creative force. So wide is the interval between the great Italian monuments of art and the works of the colder genius of the neighboring nations, that we find ourselves willing to look upon the former as the ideal and the perfection of human effort, and to invest the country of their birth with a sort of half-sacred character.
Response to intraluminal gas in irritable bowel syndrome - Motility versus perception

Our aim was to evaluate the response to intraluminal gas in irritable bowel syndrome and to determine whether this response was consequent upon disordered motility or altered perception. We evaluated 10 patients who satisfied the clinical criteria for the diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome and 10 healthy controls. An eight-lumen perfused catheter assembly was positioned to monitor motor activity in the duodenum and proximal jejunum; a separate side port in the distal duodenum permitted gas infusion. Subjects recorded symptoms of abdominal pain, bloating, and nausea throughout the study, using a visual analog scale. Following an overnight fast and a 60-min basal recording period in the fasted state, subjects ate a standard meal; 60 min later, “sham” gas was administered for 20 min, followed by the actual infusion of nitrogen gas at 40 ml/min. Subjects were randomized to receive atropine (7 µg/kg) or placebo intravenously during the period of actual gas infusion. Patients with irritable bowel syndrome described more pain (score, mean±se, control versus irritable bowel: 0.22±0.16 vs 1.65±0.5,P<0.01) and nausea (0.25±0.21 vs 1.45±0.64,P<0.04) during sham gas; motility indices were similar in both groups. During active gas, irritable bowel syndrome patients reported more pain (0.40±0.39 vs 2.94±1.16,P<0.03); motility indices at all sites were similar in both groups. Symptom severity in irritable bowel syndrome subjects randomized to receive atropine was similar to control subjects during active gas infusion; motility indices were similar. We conclude that irritable bowel syndrome patients are more sensitive to intraluminal gas. This does not appear related to an exaggerated motor response, but may reflect heightened central perception.
Induction of Heat-Shock Protein 70 in Neutrophils during Exposure to Subphysiologic Temperatures

The expression of heat-shock protein (HSP) 70, a marker of cellular stress, was evaluated in neutrophils. In cells isolated by conventional method, expression of both the inducible HSP72 and the constitutive HSP73 forms of HSP70 was found. This was observed when cells were isolated at room temperature or at 4 degrees C. When autologous plasma was used during the isolation procedure and the entire procedure was done at 37 degrees C, there was no expression of HSP72. Omission of plasma from the isolation procedure done at 37 degrees C also resulted in increased expression of HSP72. These studies demonstrate that the expression of HSP70 in neutrophils is induced by isolation at low temperatures and in the absence of plasma. These observations may be important for studies of the regulation of HSP expression and for other studies that relate to neutrophil activation.
Optimal Airborne Trajectories for Data Collection from Wireless Sensor Networks by Direct Collocation Methods

The optimal flight trajectory of an unmanned aerial system, collecting data from a wireless sensor network is considered. The unmanned system is tasked with collecting a minimum amount of data from each unattended and low power ground sensor in the widespread wireless sensor network. The continuous time optimal control problem solves for the optimal trajectory that minimizes the time and control effort needed to collect the required data. In this modified traveling salesman problem with neighborhoods, the control policy enables the airborne vehicle to change altitude, heading and velocity to best communicate with each ground sensor via an on-board omni-directional antenna. The optimal trajectory is solved for by a direct collocation methods also known as a pseudospectral method. The optimal path is simulated in a software-in-the-loop environment and results in a 14% decrease in flight time when compared to a traditional path planning technique.
Evolutions in Telemedicine: From Smoke Signals to Mobile Health Solutions

Today access to health information and healthcare services are made more accessible through new telecommunication methods. Although the term “telemedicine” has been used to describe the use of vide...
Deep Learning for Intelligent Substation Device Infrared Fault Image Analysis

As an important kind of data for device status evaluation, the increasing infrared image data in electrical system puts forward a new challenge to traditional manually processing mode. To overcome this problem, this paper proposes a feasible way to automatically process massive infrared fault images. We take advantage of the imaging characteristics of infrared fault images and detect fault regions together with its belonging device part by our proposed algorithm, which first segment images into superpixels, and then adopt the state-of-the-art convolutional and recursive neural network for intelligent object recognition. In the experiment, we compare several unsupervised pre-training methods considering the importance of a pre-train procedure, and discuss the proper parameters for the proposed network. The experimental results show the good performance of our algorithm, and its efficiency for infrared analysis.
U.S. Migrant Networks and Adult Cardiometabolic Health in El Salvador.

Heightened prevalence of cardiometabolic health conditions in areas where infectious disease remains a major public health concern has created an especially challenging situation for developing countries, like El Salvador. Individuals living within migrant households where migrant networks are present may be at a greater risk for the development of cardiometabolic health conditions. Using data from the 2007 El Salvador database of the Latin American Migration Project (LAMP-ESLS4), this study investigates relations between financial remittances, familial U.S. migration history and cardiometabolic health conditions (overweight status, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and stroke) among 534 individuals within 351 households from four different communities within the departments of La Union, Cabanas, and San Miguel in El Salvador. Adults living in households that had close primary kin with U.S. migration history were almost two times less likely to be overweight (OR 0.456, p < 0.001) and obese (OR 0.453, p < 0.01) when adjusting for age, sex, education and economic well-being. This study highlights the importance of exploring the potential role of U.S. migrant ties in the epidemiologic transition present within developing countries, like El Salvador.
Study on Forest Landscape Arrangement of Tian'eshan Forest Farm based on RS and GIS

Spot5 remote sensing images on 28 December of 2003 and data of forest resource management survey of Tianeshan in 2000 as major data sources,the forest landscape arrangement map has been obtained by means of ERMAPPER and ARCGIS as spatial information processing tool.The essential factors and heterogeneity as well as spatial relationship of the landscape of Tianeshan forest farm are analyzed with software Fragstats 3.3 to reveal ecological situation and spatial variation.The result indicates that 7 types of landscape essential factors can be divided in the farm,in which broad-leafed forest less interfered and spruce forest excellent gathered are the major essential types.
Pontocerebellar Hypoplasia Type 1

Slowly progressive cerebellar ataxia in a 12-year-old Indian boy with early onset anterior horn cell spinal muscular atrophy is reported from the Department of Pediatric Neurology, Government Medical College, Kerala, India.
Cultivating Student Voice and Civic Engagement in Elementary School

Civic Education in the Elementary Grades, by Dana Mitra and Stephanie Serriere, is an inspiring book about a public elementary school that puts civic engagement at the center of its mission. The au...
Healthcare-associated Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia in Children: Evidence for Reverse Vancomycin Creep and Impact of Vancomycin Trough Values on Outcome

Introduction:Elevated vancomycin minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) in Staphylococcus aureus have been associated with worse clinical outcomes in adults. For invasive meticillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) infections in adults, the Infectious Diseases Society of America recommends targeting van
Integrated Two-Dimensional Modeling of Fluid Flow and Compaction in a Sedimentary Basin

In this paper we employ mixed finite elements and numerically study an integrated two-dimensional model of fluid flow and compaction in a sedimentary basin. This model describes a single phase incompressible flow in a two-dimensional section of a sedimentary basin with vertical compaction. At each time step, an iterative algorithm is used to solve this model. The determination of the grid movement is based on the mass conservation and movement of sediments in the basin, while the mixed method is utilized to solve the fluid flow over the moving grid. Numerical experiments are presented to verify this iterative algorithm and show representative solutions for the model under consideration.
To collaborate or not to collaborate: Prompting upstream eco-efficient innovation in a supply chain

Abstract Large retailers are a source of great stress for suppliers in supply chains: they want better environmental performance and ever-lower prices without sacrificing product quality. Retailers’ initiatives pressure suppliers to invest substantially upfront to reduce packaging and energy use. The potential savings in packaging materials, production and shipping costs that could offset suppliers’ upfront investments, however, are not going mainly toward suppliers’ bottom lines, since the retailers appear to share only the savings but not the upfront investment. Thus, retailers’ heralded sustainability initiatives are weighed down by the substantial costs to be borne by suppliers alone, and retailers’ efforts to improve the environmental performance of their supply chains do not materialize as predicted. In this paper, we consider a two-echelon supply chain where an upstream supplier sells through a downstream retailer. The supplier is accountable to invest effort in an eco-efficient innovation, which decreases her unit production cost while improving the per-unit environmental performance of her product and increases the value of the product to consumers (so enhancing market demand), and the retailer who embodies the channel power sets the product price and sells to consumers. First, we delve into the non-collaborative case where the retailer imposes a minimum requirement on the level of eco-efficient innovation effort to be invested by supplier. Second, we study the profit/cost implications of collaboration between two parties for upstream eco-efficient innovation by scrutinizing two types of contracts: a cost-sharing agreement wherein the retailer shares a fraction of the supplier’s upfront cost of investment in innovation; and a revenue-sharing agreement under which the retailer shares a fraction of his revenues generated by the supplier’s eco-efficient innovation effort. For each contract, we also contemplate the possibility of negotiation between the retailer and supplier which forms the basis of division of costs and revenues under a cost- and revenue-sharing contract, respectively.
Race Matters: Child Protection and the Communication Process

It is well-known that, in the United States, African-American children are disproportionately represented in the child welfare system and that disparities in the provision of services exist. The debate over contributing factors to this overrepresentation and these disparities is ongoing as researchers seek explanations and practitioners pursue solutions. This qualitative inquiry finds that within the context of the child protection system and the juvenile court process, racial dynamics emerge between respondent parents and system representatives that may affect the process and, in turn, the outcomes for the thousands of children of color in the foster care system.
Developments in Our Understanding of Water-Holding Capacity

Abstract The ability of poultry meat to retain inherent or added moisture throughout processing and storage is an important quality attribute for both consumers and processors. This chapter focuses on the structural and biochemical characteristics of poultry muscle that influence water-holding capacity (WHC). During the postmortem transformation of muscle to meat, net charge and steric effects within the myofibril structures as well as the degree of muscle protein denaturation and degradation strongly influence the distribution of water within the muscle tissue and WHC in the final product. Antemortem factors such as feed withdrawal, preslaughter activity, transportation, and environmental conditions are discussed as they relate to WHC. The impact of postmortem factors such as stunning, electrical stimulation, carcass chilling, deboning, and storage are discussed. This chapter also reviews the various methods that are often used to quantify the complex and highly variable WHC characteristics in fresh poultry meat.
Minimal Custom Pack Design and Wide-Awake Hand Surgery: Reducing Waste and Spending in the Orthopedic Operating Room:

Background: The US health care sector has substantial financial and environmental footprints. As literature continues to study the differences between wide-awake hand surgery (WAHS) and the more tr...
Effects of drainage control on densification as a liquefaction mitigation technique

Abstract Ground densification is among the most popular techniques for liquefaction mitigation employed in practice. Yet, the effects of densification, especially in combination with strategies that enhance or inhibit drainage to or from the densified area, on the performance of the soil-foundation-structure system are not well understood. This paper describes dynamic centrifuge experiments to evaluate these effects, considering 3- and 9-story, moment-resisting frame structures with different embedment depths, founded on layered liquefiable soil deposits. The experiments compared structures mitigated with densification alone, and mitigated with a combination of densification and either prefabricated vertical drains (enhancing drainage) or a flexible impermeable latex barrier (inhibiting drainage) around the densified area. Ground densification tended to reduce the foundation settlement, although not to acceptable levels (based on limiting values typically considered in design and performance assessment), but amplified the drift and acceleration demands on the superstructure. The addition of a flexible impermeable barrier around the densified area did not have a notable influence on foundation settlement. However, it increased the excess pore pressures under the edges of the 3-story structure by inhibiting outward flow, amplifying its foundation rotation compared to the case with densification alone. In the case of the heavier and deeper, 9-story structure, adding a barrier around the densified zone restricted the locally inward flow from the adjacent loose soil. This helped reduce net pore pressures under the edges of the structure after strong shaking, foundation rotation, and seismic demand on the superstructure. Enhancing drainage around the densified zone, on the other hand, notably reduced permanent foundation settlement and rotation during all motions nearly to acceptable limits, but amplified accelerations, imposing additional seismic demands on the structure, which could lead to damage if not considered in design. These results demonstrate the importance of considering the structure's dynamic properties and force-deformation behavior, foundation and ground motion properties, and soil-structure interaction when planning the geometry of ground densification and drainage.
Systematic review with meta-analysis: recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma following direct-acting antiviral therapy.

Background Although studies suggest decreased incident hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after direct-acting antivirals (DAA), data are conflicting regarding HCC recurrence and aggressiveness in patients who have a history of HCC with complete response. Aim Characterize HCC recurrence patterns after DAA therapy. Methods Two reviewers searched MEDLINE and SCOPUS from January 2015 to December 2017 and identified studies evaluating HCC recurrence patterns following DAA therapy. A pooled estimate was calculated using the DerSimonian and Laird method for a random effects model. The study was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Results Among 24 studies (n = 1820 patients), the proportion of patients with HCC recurrence following DAA therapy ranged from 0% to 59% (pooled estimate 24.4%; 95% CI: 18.4%-30.4%). Among 11 full text manuscripts, pooled HCC recurrence was 21.9% (95% CI: 16.2%-28.3%). Factors associated with recurrence included history of prior HCC recurrence and a shorter interval between HCC complete response and DAA initiation. Nine studies comparing DAA-treated and interferon-treated or untreated patients found similar recurrence among DAA-treated patients. Most (77.8%) patients with HCC recurrence were detected at an early tumour stage, of whom 64.7% received curative treatment. Study limitations included heterogeneous cohorts, potential misclassification of HCC absence prior to DAA, ascertainment bias for recurrence, and short durations of follow-up. Conclusions Current data suggest acceptable HCC recurrence rates after DAA therapy, particularly if DAA therapy is delayed at least 6 months after HCC complete response. However, data characterising HCC recurrence after DAA therapy are of limited quality, highlighting the need for high quality prospective studies.
Early Approaches at Therapy

As the nineteenth century gave way to the twentieth, the dramatic revolution in microbiology engendered by the work of Pasteur, Koch, and their disciples began to translate into advances in medicine. In the USA, nowhere was this more evident than at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, the home of Osler and other giants of early, modern medicine. The medical school there was founded in 1893 with William Welch as its inaugural dean, and it rapidly became the breeding ground for America’s best-trained physicians. However, the burgeoning epicenter of medical research in the USA would be the newly created Rockefeller Institute, located on an isolated, windswept vista on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. There, the mysteries of disease would begin to be unraveled, leading to rapid advances in the therapeutic approach to many illnesses including a number of the most important bacterial infections of the time—meningococcal meningitis among them.
The Effectiveness of Male-Targeted Sexual Assault Prevention Programs: A Meta-Analysis.

According to Black et al., one in five women will be raped during their lifetimes. In one national survey, it was found that of 14,989 female college students from nine institutions, 34% reported e...
Thrombospondin-3 augments injury-induced cardiomyopathy by intracellular integrin inhibition and sarcolemmal instability

Thrombospondins (Thbs) are a family of five secreted matricellular glycoproteins in vertebrates that broadly affect cell-matrix interaction. While Thbs4 is known to protect striated muscle from disease by enhancing sarcolemmal stability through increased integrin and dystroglycan attachment complexes, here we show that Thbs3 antithetically promotes sarcolemmal destabilization by reducing integrin function, augmenting disease-induced decompensation. Deletion of Thbs3 in mice enhances integrin membrane expression and membrane stability, protecting the heart from disease stimuli. Transgene-mediated overexpression of α7β1D integrin in the heart ameliorates the disease predisposing effects of Thbs3 by augmenting sarcolemmal stability. Mechanistically, we show that mutating Thbs3 to contain the conserved RGD integrin binding domain normally found in Thbs4 and Thbs5 now rescues the defective expression of integrins on the sarcolemma. Thus, Thbs proteins mediate the intracellular processing of integrin plasma membrane attachment complexes to regulate the dynamics of cellular remodeling and membrane stability.
Survival impact of treatment-related time intervals in nasopharyngeal carcinoma in the United States.

OBJECTIVE To determine if delayed or prolonged treatment-related time intervals (TRTIs) was associated with survival in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) undergoing curative-intent concurrent chemoradiation (CCRT). The TRTIs investigated were duration of radiation treatment (RTd), time to radiation start (TTR), and time to chemotherapy start (TTC). METHODS Observational cohort study using the National Cancer Database (NCDB). In this observational cohort study, 3,893 eligible patients with NPC were identified from the NCDB. Patients received CCRT of at least 66 grays and radiation treatment time of at least 40 days. Separate univariable Cox regression model was used to analyze overall survival (OS) as a function of TRTIs, as well as for Charlson/Deyo Score, tumor classification, node classification, histological type, ethnicity, age, sex, and facility type. Upon finding significance at P < 0.05, the multivariable Cox regression analysis with backward elimination was performed to yield the final prediction model. Results were considered statistically significant when P < 0.05. RESULTS Radiation treatment was significantly associated with OS in the univariable analysis (hazard ratio: 1.006, 95% confidence interval = 1.004-1.008, P < 0.001). However, RTd was not related to OS in the multivariable analysis (P = 0.19). The TTR and TTC variables were not associated with OS in the univariable analysis (P = 0.88 and P = 0.88, respectively). CONCLUSION TRTIs were not independently associated with OS in this cohort of NPC patients in the NCDB. Future research into the association of TRTI with other disease outcomes, such as disease-free survival and locoregional control, is needed. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE NA. Laryngoscope, 129:2514-2520, 2019.
Constraining Fission Yields Using Machine Learning

Having accurate measurements of fission observables is important for a variety of applications, ranging from energy to non-proliferation, defense to astrophysics. Because not all of these data can be measured, it is necessary to be able to accurately calculate these observables as well. In this work, we exploit Monte Carlo and machine learning techniques to reproduce mass and kinetic energy yields, for phenomenological models and in a model-free way. We begin with the spontaneous fission of 252 Cf, where there is abundant experimental data, to validate our approach, with the ultimate goal of creating a global yield model in order to predict quantities where data are not currently available.