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Agriculture ranks one of the top contributors to global warming and nutrient pollution. Quantifying life cycle environmental impacts from agricultural production serves as scientific foundation for forming effective remediation strategies. However, the methods capable of accurately and efficiently calculating spatially explicit life cycle global warming and eutrophication impacts at a fine spatial scale over a geographic region are lacking. The objective of this study was to compare two regression models for estimating spatially explicit life cycle global warming and eutrophication, with corn production in the Midwest region as a demonstrating example. The results indicated that the gradient boosting regression tree model built with monthly weather features yielded higher predictive accuracy for life cycle global warming impact and life cycle EU. Moreover, predictive accuracy was improved at the cost of simulation time. The gradient boosting regression tree model required longer training time. Additionally, all machine learning models were million times faster than the traditional process-based model and were suitable for use in computationally-intensive applications like optimization and predication. © 2019 IEEE.

Post-discharge call programs are a simple and effective way to identify and intervene for patient care issues that may occur after discharge. Nurses play a key role in these programs and can lead quality improvement projects on their units to improve patient care during the transition from hospital to home. © 2019, Anthony J. Jannetti Publications, Inc.. All rights reserved.

As the social work field increasingly recognizes economic abuse within intimate partner relationships, the field has developed financial empowerment programs to empower survivors for their financial future. Although research has demonstrated the effectiveness of financial literacy programs, there are barriers to their implementation in the field. Studies have explored, from the perspective of advocates, best practices in incorporating financial literacy into services; however, no studies have explored implementation approaches from the perspective of survivors. This study explores, from the perspective of 34 survivors, approaches for implementing financial literacy programming. Participants described their understanding of financial empowerment as being in charge of finances, having financial power, and not having to endure the struggle. To counter financial disempowerment, participants identified the need for financial confidence, knowledge, and tools. Participants shared their strategies for saving money, though many participants reported barriers to using banks as savings tools. Almost all participants stressed the importance of financial literacy services for survivors, especially around banking, credit, and debt. Finally, participants shared recommendations for job readiness and training programming. Findings have implications for domestic violence and broader social work organizations implementing financial empowerment services. Social workers can support financial empowerment efforts through program development and research efforts. © 2019 National Association of Social Workers.

The growth in using various smart wireless devices in the last few decades has given rise to indoor localization service (ILS). Indoor localization is defined as the process of locating a user location in an indoor environment. Indoor device localization has been widely studied due to its popular applications in public settlement planning, health care zones, disaster management, the implementation of location-based services (LBS) and the Internet of Things (IoT). The ILS problem can be formulated as a learning problem utilizing Wi-Fi technology. The measured Wi-Fi signal strength can be used as an indication of the distribution of users in a various indoor location. Developing a classification model with high accuracy can be achieved using a machine learning approach. Artificial Neural Network is one of the most successful trends in machine learning. In this article, we provide our initial idea of using Cascaded Layered Recurrent Neural Network (L-RNN) for the classification of user localization in an indoor environment. Several neural network models were trained, with the best performance attainment is reported. The experimental results marked that the presented L-RNN model is highly accurate for indoor localization and can be utilized for many applications. © 2019 IEEE.

The model reactions CH3X + (NH—CH=O)M ➔ CH3—NH—NH═O or NH═CH—O—CH3 + MX (M = none, Li, Na, K, Ag, Cu; X = F, Cl, Br) are investigated to demonstrate the feasibility of Marcus theory and the hard and soft acids and bases (HSAB) principle in predicting the reactivity of ambident nucleophiles. The delocalization indices (DI) are defined in the framework of the quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QT-AIM), and are used as the scale of softness in the HSAB principle. To react with the ambident nucleophile NH═CH—O−, the carbocation H3C+ from CH3X (F, Cl, Br) is actually a borderline acid according to the DI values of the forming C…N and C…O bonds in the transition states (between 0.25 and 0.49), while the counter ions are divided into three groups according to the DI values of weak interactions involving M (M…X, M…N, and M…O): group I (M = none, and Me4N) basically show zero DI values; group II species (M = Li, Na, and K) have noticeable DI values but the magnitudes are usually less than 0.15; and group III species (M = Ag and Cu(I)) have significant DI values (0.30–0.61). On a relative basis, H3C+ is a soft acid with respect to group I and group II counter ions, and a hard acid with respect to group III counter ions. Therefore, N-regioselectivity is found in the presence of group I and group II counter ions (M = Me4N, Li, Na, K), while O-regioselectivity is observed in the presence of the group III counter ions (M = Ag, and Cu(I)). The hardness of atoms, groups, and molecules is also calculated with new functions that depend on ionization potential (I) and electron affinity (A) and use the atomic charges obtained from localization indices (LI), so that the regioselectivity is explained by the atomic hardness of reactive nitrogen atoms in the transition states according to the maximum hardness principle (MHP). The exact Marcus equation is derived from the simple harmonic potential energy parabola, so that the concepts of activation free energy, intrinsic activation barrier, and reaction energy are completely connected. The required intrinsic activation barriers can be either estimated from ab initio calculations on reactant, transition state, and product of the model reactions, or calculated from identity reactions. The counter ions stabilize the reactant through bridging N- and O-site of reactant of identity reactions, so that the intrinsic barriers for the salts are higher than those for free ambident anions, which is explained by the increased reorganization parameter Δr. The proper application of Marcus theory should quantitatively consider all three terms of Marcus equation, and reliably represent the results with potential energy parabolas for reactants and all products. For the model reactions, both Marcus theory and HSAB principle/MHP principle predict the N-regioselectivity when M = none, Me4N, Li, Na, K, and the O-regioselectivity when M = Ag and Cu(I). © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

We present the discovery from Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) data of LTT 1445Ab. At a distance of 6.9 pc, it is the second nearest transiting exoplanet system found to date, and the closest one known for which the primary is an M dwarf. The host stellar system consists of three mid-to-late M dwarfs in a hierarchical configuration, which are blended in one TESS pixel. We use MEarth data and results from the Science Processing Operations Center data validation report to determine that the planet transits the primary star in the system. The planet has a radius of, an orbital period of days, and an equilibrium temperature of K. With radial velocities from the High Accuracy Radial Velocity Planet Searcher, we place a 3σ upper mass limit of 8.4 on the planet. LTT 1445Ab provides one of the best opportunities to date for the spectroscopic study of the atmosphere of a terrestrial world. We also present a detailed characterization of the host stellar system. We use high-resolution spectroscopy and imaging to rule out the presence of any other close stellar or brown dwarf companions. Nineteen years of photometric monitoring of A and BC indicate a moderate amount of variability, in agreement with that observed in the TESS light-curve data. We derive a preliminary astrometric orbit for the BC pair that reveals an edge-on and eccentric configuration. The presence of a transiting planet in this system hints that the entire system may be co-planar, implying that the system may have formed from the early fragmentation of an individual protostellar core. © 2019. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved..

This book examines the effects that political institutions, the legal system, and economic policies have had on the human rights record in the PRC since 1949. The authors first address the problems of assessing political liberties in a nation that emphasizes economic over civil rights and that has traditionally valued collective rights over individ. © 1988 by Taylor & Francis. All rights reserved.

Laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) technique was used to generate spectral signatures of endogenous fluorophores relevant to the tissue molecular composition changes in human brain glioma tumors. The goal is to study the changes of fluorescence emission spectra from endogenous fluorophores in human brain glioma of different grades, and to find new biomarkers for prognostic optical molecular pathological diagnosis. Two hundred and thirty-seven (237) native fluorescence spectra from 61 subjects were measured using LabRAM HR Evolution micro photoluminescence (PL) system for four grades of glioma tumors in ex-vivo. The differences of four grades of glioma tumors were identified by the characteristic fluorophores fingerprints under the excitation laser wavelength at UV 325nm. To our best knowledge, this is the first report for human brain study using this technique. The fluorescence peaks of biomarkers with major contribution were found, including tryptophan, collagen, elastin, reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH), flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) and phospholipids that play important roles in the cellular energy metabolism and glycolysis pathway. The ratios of peak intensities and the peak positions in fluorescence spectra of may be used to diagnose human brain diseases or to guide biopsy during surgical resection. © 2019 SPIE.

A VRR-LRR analyzer with handheld fiber‐optic probe is reported for the first time for diagnosis of brain GBM in vivo. The sensitivity for identification is 80% compared with histopathology examination. © OSA 2019. The Author(s).

Growing nonmedical use of prescription opioids is a global problem, motivating research on ways to reduce use and combat addiction. Medical cannabis ("medical marijuana") legalization has been associated epidemiologically with reduced opioid harms and cannabinoids have been shown to modulate effects of opioids in animal models. This study was conducted to determine if DELTA9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) enhances the behavioral effects of oxycodone. Male rats were trained to intravenously self-administer (IVSA) oxycodone (0.15mg/kg/infusion) during 1h, 4h or 8h sessions. Following acquisition rats were exposed to THC by vapor inhalation (1h and 8h groups) or injection (0-10mg/kg, i.p.; all groups) prior to IVSA sessions. Fewer oxycodone infusions were obtained by rats following vaporized or injected THC compared with vehicle treatment prior to the session. Follow-up studies demonstrated parallel dose-dependent effects of THC, i.p., on self-administration of different per-infusion doses of oxycodone and a preserved loading dose early in the session. These patterns are inconsistent with behavioral suppression. Additional groups of male and female Wistar rats were assessed for nociception following inhalation of vaporized THC (50mg/mL), oxycodone (100mg/mL) or the combination. Tail withdrawal latency was increased more by the THC/oxycodone combination compared to either drug alone. Similar additive antinociceptive effects were produced by injection of THC (5.0mg/kg, i.p.) and oxycodone (2.0mg/kg, s.c.). Together these data demonstrate additive effects of THC and oxycodone and suggest the potential use of THC to enhance therapeutic efficacy, and to reduce the abuse, of opioids. Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Promoter region of protein-coding genes are gradually being well understood, yet no comparable studies exist for the promoter of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) genes which has emerged as a global potential regulator in multiple cellular process and different diseases for human. To understand the difference in the transcriptional regulation pattern of these genes, previously, we proposed a machine learning based model to classify the promoter of protein-coding genes and lncRNA genes. In this study, we are presenting DeepCNPP (deep coding non-coding promoter predictor), an improved model based on deep learning (DL) framework to classify the promoter of lncRNA genes and protein-coding genes. We used convolution neural network (CNN) based deep network to classify the promoter of these two broad categories of human genes. Our computational model, built upon the sequence information only, was able to classify these two groups of promoters from human at a rate of 83.34% accuracy and outperformed the existing model. Further analysis and interpretation of the output from DeepCNPP architecture will enable us to understand the difference in transcription regulatory pattern for these two groups of genes.

Human genes often, through alternative splicing of pre-messenger RNAs, produce multiple mRNAs and protein isoforms that may have similar or completely different functions. Identification of splice sites is, therefore, crucial to understand the gene structure and variants of mRNA and protein isoforms produced by the primary RNA transcripts. Although many computational methods have been developed to detect the splice sites in humans, this is still substantially a challenging problem and further improvement of the computational model is still foreseeable. Accordingly, we developed DeepDSSR (deep donor splice site recognizer), a novel deep learning based architecture, for predicting human donor splice sites. The proposed method, built upon publicly available and highly imbalanced benchmark dataset, is comparable with the leading deep learning based methods for detecting human donor splice sites. Performance evaluation metrics show that DeepDSSR outperformed the existing deep learning based methods. Future work will improve the predictive capabilities of our model, and we will build a model for the prediction of acceptor splice sites.

BACKGROUND: Hamstring strain injuries (HSI) are among the most common injuries in field-based team sports with a high-speed running component. The implementation of the Nordic hamstring exercise (NHE) is a well-documented method of improving eccentric hamstring strength to mitigate the risk of HSI occurrence. Sprint training is specific to the injury mechanism and is thought to activate the hamstrings through maximal eccentric contractions. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of sprint training and the NHE on eccentric hamstring strength and sprint performance., METHODS: Twenty-eight participants (mean+/-SD age=16.21+/-1.34 years; height=1.75m+/-0.10m; body mass=68.5kg+/-12.1kg) completed an eccentric hamstring strength assessment and 40m sprint to assess acceleration and maximum speed. Participants were randomly allocated to either a NHE training or sprint training group. Two sessions per week for four-weeks of training was performed with baseline testing procedures repeated in the week following the intervention. Perceptions of soreness were recorded following the warm-up in each training session., RESULTS: Both the NHE (effect size=0.39, P<0.05) and sprint training (effect size=0.29, P<0.05) groups displayed significant gains in eccentric hamstring strength. The NHE group reported trivial improvements in sprint performance, whilst the sprint training group experienced a moderate improvement, specifically in maximum speed (ES=0.83 Moderate). Sprint training also produced greater perceptions of soreness than the NHE following a four-week training intervention, specifically before the start of the last session (P<0.05)., CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that sprint training had a beneficial effect for both eccentric hamstring strength and sprint performance, whilst also producing greater soreness than the NHE following the final training session. It was concluded that a four-week block of maximum speed training may have both an injury prevention and performance enhancement benefit.

Screening for social determinants of health allows health care teams to assess and address social factors that influence one's health, mental health, and access to care. These social factors include poverty, health literacy, social support, exposure to trauma, food insecurity, and housing instability. The objective of this study was to examine what screening tools for social determinants of health are being used, in what contexts, and with what populations. Findings suggest that health literacy is the most commonly screened for, followed by trauma history, social support, food insecurity and housing across diverse contexts and populations. Results from this study can be used to inform providers of available screening tools and resources that can be readily utilized in practice.

Objective Alternative primary care structures such as group well-child care (GWCC) may enhance care for families, particularly those subject to structural vulnerabilities such as poverty or restrictive immigration policies. The purpose of this study was to characterize how group dynamics in GWCC impact the perceptions of low-income, immigrant, and/or Spanish-speaking parents of health services. Methods Using Spanish and English interview guides that were conceptually identical, we conducted semi-structured interviews with parents who elected to participate in GWCC at an urban academic center. We drew from directed content analysis, grounded theoretically in the Andersen model of health services utilization. Modeling a bilingual, multicultural analytic strategy, we preserved the narrative of participants in the source language through all stages of analysis. Results From March through August 2017, we interviewed 22 caregivers in their preferred language. Most (82%) were mothers and half spoke Spanish only. Three themes emerged: participants perceived that (1) GWCC facilitates their and their peers' discovery of inherent expertise, which moderates parents' use of health services, (2) GWCC encourages rearrangements of hierarchies of knowledge, professional roles and genders; and (3) in the context of structural vulnerabilities, relationships formed in GWCC facilitate collective efficacy. Conclusions for Practice By considering the self and peer as sources of health-related expertise, GWCC may extend current theoretical models of health services utilization. GWCC provides opportunities to impact health services utilization among families subject to structural vulnerabilities.

The Λ (Λ̄) hyperon polarization along the beam direction has been measured in Au+Au collisions at sNN=200 GeV, for the first time in heavy-ion collisions. The polarization dependence on the hyperons' emission angle relative to the elliptic flow plane exhibits a second harmonic sine modulation, indicating a quadrupole pattern of the vorticity component along the beam direction, expected due to elliptic flow. The polarization is found to increase in more peripheral collisions, and shows no strong transverse momentum (pT) dependence at pT greater than 1 GeV/c. The magnitude of the signal is about 5 times smaller than those predicted by hydrodynamic and multiphase transport models; the observed phase of the emission angle dependence is also opposite to these model predictions. In contrast, the kinematic vorticity calculations in the blast-wave model tuned to reproduce particle spectra, elliptic flow, and the azimuthal dependence of the Gaussian source radii measured with the Hanbury Brown-Twiss intensity interferometry technique reproduce well the modulation phase measured in the data and capture the centrality and transverse momentum dependence of the polarization signal. © 2019 American Physical Society.

We report the first measurement of rapidity-odd directed flow (v1) for D0 and D0̄ mesons at midrapidity (|y|<0.8) in Au+Au collisions at sNN=200 GeV using the STAR detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. In 10-80% Au+Au collisions, the slope of the v1 rapidity dependence (dv1/dy), averaged over D0 and D0̄ mesons, is -0.080±0.017(stat)±0.016(syst) for transverse momentum pT above 1.5 GeV/c. The absolute value of D0 meson dv1/dy is about 25 times larger than that for charged kaons, with 3.4σ significance. These data give a unique insight into the initial tilt of the produced matter, and offer constraints on the geometric and transport parameters of the hot QCD medium created in relativistic heavy-ion collisions. © 2019 American Physical Society.