cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Spectroscopic and Computational Studies of Matrix-Isolated iso-CXBr3 (X=F,Cl,Br): Structure, Properties, and Photochemistry of Substituted Iso-Tribromomethanes

Abstract Iso-polyhalomethanes are important reactive intermediates in the condensed and gas-phase chemistry of halomethanes. Building upon our recent study of iso-bromoform, in this work the substituted iso-tribromomethanes (iso-CXBr3; X = F, Cl, Br) were characterized by matrix isolation infrared and UV/Vis spectroscopy, supported by ab initio calculations, to further probe the structure, spectroscopy, properties, and photochemistry of these important intermediates. Selected wavelength laser irradiation of CXBr3 samples in an inert rare gas (typically Ar; mixing ratio 1:500) held at ∼5 K yielded iso-CXBr3 (XBrC–Br–Br or Br2C–Br–X). The observed infrared and UV/Vis absorptions are in excellent agreement with computational predictions, and the energies of various stationary points on the CXBr3 Potential Energy Surfaces (PESs) were characterized computationally using DFT, MP2, and CCSD (T) methods in combination with triple-zeta quality basis sets. These calculations show that the isomers are minima on the PESs that lie ∼200 kJ/mol above the global CXBr3 minimum, yet are bound by some 50–70 kJ/mol in the gas-phase with respect to the CXBr2 + Br asymptote. Laser irradiation of the isomers resulted in back photoisomerization to CXBr3, and intrinsic reaction coordinate (IRC) calculations confirmed the existence of a first order saddle point connecting the two isomers. Calculations of important stationary points on the CXBr3 PESs show that in the gas-phase the isomerization barrier lies energetically near the threshold for simple bond fission. The iso-CXBr3 species are significantly stabilized in the condensed phase, due to the high degree of ion-pair character, as revealed by Natural Resonance Theory analysis.
Learning-Based Named Entity Recognition for Morphologically-Rich, Resource-Scarce Languages

Named entity recognition for morphologically rich, case-insensitive languages, including the majority of semitic languages, Iranian languages, and Indian languages, is inherently more difficult than its English counterpart. Worse still, progress on machine learning approaches to named entity recognition for many of these languages is currently hampered by the scarcity of annotated data and the lack of an accurate part-of-speech tagger. While it is possible to rely on manually-constructed gazetteers to combat data scarcity, this gazetteer-centric approach has the potential weakness of creating irreproducible results, since these name lists are not publicly available in general. Motivated in part by this concern, we present a learning-based named entity recognizer that does not rely on manually-constructed gazetteers, using Bengali as our representative resource-scarce, morphologically-rich language. Our recognizer achieves a relative improvement of 7.5% in F-measure over a baseline recognizer. Improvements arise from (1) using induced affixes, (2) extracting information from online lexical databases, and (3) jointly modeling part-of-speech tagging and named entity recognition.
Streptozotocin-Induced Early Thermal Hyperalgesia is independent of Glycemic State of Rats: Role of Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 1(TRPV1) and Inflammatory mediators

Background: Streptozotocin (STZ) is used as a common tool to induce diabetes and to study diabetes-induced complications including diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). Previously, we have reported that STZ induces a direct effect on neurons through expression and function of the Transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) channel in sensory neurons resulting in thermal hyperalgesia, even in non-diabetic STZ-treated mice. In the present study, we investigated the role of expression and function of TRPV1 in the central sensory nerve terminals in the spinal cord in STZ-induced hyperalgesia in rats. Results: We found that a proportion of STZ-treated rats were normoglycemic but still exhibited thermal hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia. Immunohistochemical data show that STZ treatment, irrespective of glycemic state of the animal, caused microglial activation and increased expression of TRPV1 in spinal dorsal horn. Further, there was a significant increase in the levels of pro-inflammatory mediators (IL-1b, IL-6 and TNF-a) in spinal cord tissue, irrespective of the glycemic state. Capsaicin-stimulated release of calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP) was significantly higher in the spinal cord of STZ-treated animals. Intrathecal administration of resiniferatoxin (RTX), a potent TRPV1 agonist, significantly attenuated STZ-induced thermal hyperalgesia, but not mechanical allodynia. RTX treatment also prevented the increase in TRPV1-mediated neuropeptide release in the spinal cord tissue. Conclusions: From these results, it is concluded that TRPV1 is an integral component of initiating and maintaining inflammatory thermal hyperalgesia, which can be alleviated by intrathecal administration of RTX. Further, the results suggest that enhanced expression and inflammation-induced sensitization of TRPV1 at the spinal cord may play a role in central sensitization in STZ-induced neuropathy.
Optimal Electromagnetic-Thermo-Mechanical Integrated Design Candidate Search and Selection for Surface-Mount Permanent-Magnet Machines Considering Load Profiles

Most existing design and optimization methods treat the electromagnetic, thermal, and mechanical designs separately. As a result, the effects of power supply, machine control, load profile, thermal effects, and materials are not fully integrated and accounted for, which often leads to over- or underdesign. This paper proposes an innovative and computationally efficient approach which integrates the electromagnetic and thermo-mechanical design for surface mount permanent magnet machines. Particle swarm optimization is part of this integrated process to efficiently find design candidates which optimize certain requirements, such as weight, efficiency, etc. The effects of power supplies, machine controls, load profiles, thermal effects, and materials can thus all be considered systematically in the proposed multiphysics design approach. This results in a multiphysics design tool that can rapidly locate an optimal design candidate for further consideration.
Habitat correlates with the spatial distribution of ectoparasites on Peromyscus leucopus in southern Michigan

The goal of this study was to evaluate the role of habitat in determining ectoparasite distribution of Peromyscus leucopus. We tested the hypothesis that ectoparasite occurrence is associated with particular host environments and this association is stronger for ectoparasites with limited interactions (i.e., ticks) than those with frequent interactions (i.e., lice). Ectoparasites from three different groups (Acari, Siphonaptera, and Phthiraptera) were collected from P. leucopus inhabiting a number of forested habitats in southern Michigan. Measurements of plant species structure and composition were collected and models were developed using quadratic discriminant function analysis to determine if habitats associated with ectoparasite presence were different from those associated with their absence. Mice parasitized by ticks were more likely to be found in areas having undergone a recent disturbance. Mice parasitized by ticks, fleas, and lice were more likely to be found in areas having tree species associated with dry soils. Our results show there is a distinct difference in habitats associated with the presence of ectoparasites, though we did not observe a stronger association of host habitat for ticks than for fleas or lice. This implies habitat should be included as an important component of assessments of the spatial distribution of ectoparasites.
Effects of branched chain amino acids and ketoanalogues on brain branched chain and aromatic amino acids in experimental liver disease

Decreased plasma levels of branched chain amino acids (BCAA) and increased levels of aromatic amino acids (AAA) are often found in patients with liver disease. These abnormalities have been implicated in the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy. In acute hepatic injury BCAA are often normal or slightly elevated and the ratio BCAA/AAA is decreased due largely to elevated AAA concentrations. We investigated the effects of infusing BCAA and their α-ketoanalogues (BCKA) on brain and plasma amino acid patterns of rats with either acute hepatitis or portal hypertension and shunting. Acute hepatitis (Gal-AH) was induced in Sprague-Dawley male rats with an intraperitoneal injection of D(+)galactosamine using standard techniques. Portal hypertension and portal systemic shunting (PHT) was surgically created by subcutaneous transposition of the spleen followed by complete portal vein ligation. Experimental and control groups of animals underwent a 3 h intravenous infusion of the following solutions: isotonic NaCl; BCAA; sodium salts of BCKA (Na-BCKA); ornithine salts of BCKA (Orn-BCKA). BCAA and BCKA were infused at 50% the recommended daily allowance. In addition, BCKA doses were increased by a factor of 0.5 based on previous experiments on the relative efficiency of BCKA for brain protein synthesis in rats with AH and PHT. Plasma and brain tissue levels of the individual BCAA and AAA were determined at the end of the infusions using a Beckman 6300 amino acid analyzer. Gal-AH and PHT rats had lower or similar BCAA/AAA ratios in plasma and brain tissue compared to control animals. Orn-BCKA but not Na-BCKA infusions were able to increase the plasma ratio in PHT rats. Conversely, in Gal-AH rats both BCAA and Na-BCKA infusions induced marked elevation of plasma BCAA/AAA ratio with Orn-BCKA having a lesser effect. Brain tissue of both PHT and Gal-AH rats had much lower BCAA/AAA than did plasma, due primarily to decreased amounts of BCAA in brain tissue. In PHT animals, Na-BCKA, BCAA and Orn-BCKA infusions induced similar elevations of the brain molar ratio with the latter producing the greatest effect. The molar ratio increased only slightly in brain tissue of Gal-AH animals when BCAA were infused. In contrast, the ratio markedly rose when BCKA, given as either Na or Orn salts, were administered. These results indicate that the response of brain BCAA/AAA to BCAA and BCKA infusions differs between rats with acute hepatitis and portal hypertension. Collectively taken our data suggests that in acute hepatic injury, the transport of BCAA into the brain may be impaired while BCKA are still effectively translocated into cells and transaminated to form the corresponding amino acids.
Nucleic Acid–Based Nanodevices in Biological Imaging

The nanoscale engineering of nucleic acids has led to exciting molecular technologies for high-end biological imaging. The predictable base pairing, high programmability, and superior new chemical and biological methods used to access nucleic acids with diverse lengths and in high purity, coupled with computational tools for their design, have allowed the creation of a stunning diversity of nucleic acid–based nanodevices. Given their biological origin, such synthetic devices have a tremendous capacity to interface with the biological world, and this capacity lies at the heart of several nucleic acid–based technologies that are finding applications in biological systems. We discuss these diverse applications and emphasize the advantage, in terms of physicochemical properties, that the nucleic acid scaffold brings to these contexts. As our ability to engineer this versatile scaffold increases, its applications in structural, cellular, and organismal biology are clearly poised to massively expand.
The extreme primacy of location: Beijing's underground rental housing market

This article analyzes Beijing's subterranean housing market within the context of the city's larger housing supply system. The emergence of this widespread market of rooms for rent in bomb shelters and basements indicates a demand for housing attributes that neither the mainstream private housing market nor public housing programs yet supply. The study collected market data about these rental units from internet ads during October 2012–September 2013 and mapped their locations, displaying their general spatial distribution. Next, a hedonic price model was deployed on this data which reveals the relative priorities and preferences in price levels, location, and housing amenities of the middle–lower income population, particularly migrants who do not possess hukou, Chinese urban residence rights.
Robotic Drill Systems for Planetary Exploration

The objective of the systems described in this report was to demonstrate that lowpowered drill systems could be fully autonomous in capturing subsurface samples, handing off samples to science instruments, and drilling. Two drills were designed with a logically selected suite of sensors and hardware which allowed for data to be collected both above and below the surface. Information received from these sensors was fed back to an intelligent drill control system to enable autonomy. Testing of these two drills at Mars analog sites demonstrated that fully autonomous drilling is possible with low-powered drill systems.
Discharge by a Female Ground Beetle, Pterostichus lucublandus (Coleoptera: Carabidae), Used as a Defense against Males

Many species of insects are known to discharge fluids from the end of the abdomen to repel predators such as snakes, birds, rodents, or even other insects. When such a defensive substance is expelled as a gas or liquid onto a pursuing enemy, it usually distracts or incapacitates the attacker long enough for the intended victim to escape, (iround beetles of the genus Brachinus , commonly called bombardier beetles, are most noted for this tactic (Eisner 1958), but many carabid species in other genera are also capable of expelling a deterrent substance (Eisner 1958, Ball 1960, Eisner et al. 1963, Schildknecht 1970). Schildknecht and his colleagues (Schildknecht 1970) examined the fluids from the pygidial glands of 20 species of carabids, including 5 species of the genus Pterostichus , and found 19 of them to be mostly methacrylic and tiglic acids, both of which they designated as cytotoxins which function in defensive mechanisms. However, the literature does not indicate that the predator suffers more than a temporary disabling, and most recover within a few minutes. Insects normally cease attacking and spend 15–30 sec vigorously trying to clean their antennae and mouth parts with their feet or by rubbing them on the ground (Eisner and Meinwald 1966). Some experience an immediate and brief period of seizures during which their legs are so convulsed that locomotion is impossible, which suggests that the spray acts as a transient poison (Eisner 1958).
The Examination of Yersinia Frederiksenii from Direct Drinking Water

Objective To check Yersinia Frederiksenii from direct drinking water for influences product quality.Methods Adoption germ separate,microorganism bio-chemical the system authenticate.Result Examine to Yersinia Frederiksenii from direct drinking water.Conclusion Strengthen an equipments maintenance,insure each work normal circulate,provide superior quality product for society.
Acute and chronic pancreatitis.

Acute inflammation of the pancreas has a broad spectrum of activity, ranging from a very mild condition which responds to treatment quickly, to a devastating illness that is nearly totally refractory and affects multiple organ systems. Chronic pancreatitis is usually secondary to chronic alcoholism. Gallstones, hyperparathyroidism, and hyperlipidemia are occasionally associated with true chronic pancreatitis.
Abdominal schwannomas: review of imaging findings and pathology

Schwannomas are typically slow growing, encapsulated benign neoplasms. Visceral schwannomas are rare, and preoperative diagnosis is challenging, as they are often confused with other neoplasms even with advanced imaging studies. Surgical excision is usually needed to establish a definitive diagnosis, as pathology is the "gold standard." We review the imaging findings of abdominal schwannomas focusing on pancreatic, gastrointestinal, and retroperitoneal/adrenal schwannomas with pathology correlation. We conclude that schwannoma should be included in the broad differential diagnosis of an abdominal mass and that when it is unnecessary radical resection can be avoided.
China and its Janus-faced refugee policy:

This research aims to identify the motivations behind China’s refugee policy through a comparative historical analysis of the mass influx of refugees from two neighboring states: Vietnam, starting in the late 1970s, and North Korea starting in the 1990s. The study argues that similar motivations, grounded in China’s concerns regarding sovereignty, national security and the regional balance of power, generated contrasting responses to the two groups of refugees. This research briefly reviews the causes, development and nature of the two refugee crises, and then analyzes China’s Janus-faced refugee policy with its two different responses. Last, this research indicates China’s recent positive engagements with refugee issues and emphasizes the significance of China’s role in regional refugee protection.
Varicocele: Surgical Intervention Versus Assisted Conception

Male factor infertility is implicated in 50% of couples being evaluated for infertility, and varicoceles are thought to be the most common cause of that infertility. Their pathophysiology is still poorly understood, but multiple studies have been performed regarding varicocele repair and its affects on fertility. With the advances in assisted reproductive techniques (ARTs), some physicians question the need to treat varicoceles at all. We present a review of the evidence for the role and treatment of varicoceles in the infertile male and its effects on the need for assisted reproductive techniques. Treatment of clinically significant varicoceles results in significantly improved semen parameters in 60–80% of men and pregnancy rates of 20–60%, especially when a subinguinal microscopic varicocele ligation is performed. Overall, 30–50% of couples who were felt to require ART due to low semen quality (and even azoospermia) may be able to avoid this after varicocele treatment, while also being more cost-effective than ART alone. Varicocelectomy can increase the chances of successful conception when used in conjunction with ART.
Robotic Instrumentation, Personnel, and Operating Room Setup

Robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) is becoming an increasingly important tool for certain diseases treated by the otolaryngologist and head and neck surgeon. As RAS expertise evolves and its use increases, many studies are underway to evaluate RAS as a replacement or alternative to established surgical techniques known to be invasive, potentially disfiguring, and sometimes devastating in terms of functional morbidity. Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) is the prime example of evolution within this surgical field for the management of primary or recurrent benign and malignant lesions of the pharynx and larynx, in particular the oropharynx and supraglottic larynx [1–4]. RAS has been rapidly integrated into the field due to a number factors, including (1) less morbid surgical access, (2) improved visualization, and (3) enhanced surgical precision in confined anatomic spaces [5–8]. It has also been championed for its cosmetic appeal, which allows for the avoidance of a conspicuous incision, such as for transaxillary thyroidectomy/parathyroidectomy or retroauricular neck dissection [9–11]. Moreover, RAS has been described for use in free tissue reconstruction as well as in the surgical management of sleep apnea [12–14]. The focus of this chapter is to provide general guidelines for operating room setup and communication, surgical instrumentation and equipment, and the necessary expertise of surgical personnel.
Photodriven Oxygen Removal via Chromophore-Mediated Singlet Oxygen Sensitization and Chemical Capture

We report a general, photochemical method for the rapid deoxygenation of organic solvents and aqueous solutions via visible light excitation of transition metal chromophores (TMCs) in the presence of singlet oxygen scavenging substrates. Either 2,5-dimethylfuran or an amino acid (histidine or tryptophan methyl ester) was used as the substrate in conjunction with an iridium or ruthenium TMC in toluene, acetonitrile, or water. This behavior is described for solutions with chromophore concentrations that are pertinent for both luminescence and transient absorption spectroscopies. These results consistently produce TMC lifetimes comparable to those measured using traditional inert gas sparging and freeze–pump–thaw techniques. This method has the added benefits of providing long-term stability (days to months); economical preparation due to use of inexpensive, commercially available oxygen scrubbing substrates; and negligible size and weight footprints compared to traditional methods. Furthermore, attainment o...
Improved protein structure reconstruction using secondary structures, contacts at higher distance thresholds, and non-contacts

Residue-residue contacts are key features for accurate de novo protein structure prediction. For the optimal utilization of these predicted contacts in folding proteins accurately, it is important to study the challenges of reconstructing protein structures using true contacts. Because contact-guided protein modeling approach is valuable for predicting the folds of proteins that do not have structural templates, it is necessary for reconstruction studies to focus on hard-to-predict protein structures. Using a data set consisting of 496 structural domains released in recent CASP experiments and a dataset of 150 representative protein structures, in this work, we discuss three techniques to improve the reconstruction accuracy using true contacts – adding secondary structures, increasing contact distance thresholds, and adding non-contacts. We find that reconstruction using secondary structures and contacts can deliver accuracy higher than using full contact maps. Similarly, we demonstrate that non-contacts can improve reconstruction accuracy not only when the used non-contacts are true but also when they are predicted. On the dataset consisting of 150 proteins, we find that by simply using low ranked predicted contacts as non-contacts and adding them as additional restraints, can increase the reconstruction accuracy by 5% when the reconstructed models are evaluated using TM-score. Our findings suggest that secondary structures are invaluable companions of contacts for accurate reconstruction. Confirming some earlier findings, we also find that larger distance thresholds are useful for folding many protein structures which cannot be folded using the standard definition of contacts. Our findings also suggest that for more accurate reconstruction using predicted contacts it is useful to predict contacts at higher distance thresholds (beyond 8 A) and predict non-contacts.
Papillary thyroid carcinoma presenting as acute suppurative thyroiditis: A case report and review of the literature

Acute suppurative thyroiditis is a rare, potentially life-threatening condition. We report the case of a 17-year-old male who initially presented with a thyroid abscess. Due to persistent symptoms and lack of evidence for underlying predisposing factors, he was followed closely and subsequently diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer. He was successfully managed with surgery. His clinical course, radiological evaluation, and pathology reports are presented here along with a review of the literature. This case of papillary thyroid cancer highlights the need for close follow-up of patients presenting with a thyroid abscess, when other predisposing risk factors are not evident.
YouTube as a source of information on skin bleaching: a content analysis.

BACKGROUND Skin bleaching is a common, yet potentially harmful body modification practice. AIM To describe the characteristics of the most widely viewed YouTube™ videos related to skin bleaching. METHODS The search term 'skin bleaching' was used to identify the 100 most popular English-language YouTube videos relating to the topic. Both descriptive and specific information were noted. RESULTS Among the 100 manually coded skin-bleaching YouTube videos in English, there were 21 consumer-created videos, 45 internet-based news videos, 30 television news videos and 4 professional videos. Excluding the 4 professional videos, we limited our content categorization and regression analysis to 96 videos. Approximately 93% (89/96) of the most widely viewed videos mentioned changing how you look and 74% (71/96) focused on bleaching the whole body. Of the 96 videos, 63 (66%) of videos showed/mentioned a transformation. Only about 14% (13/96) mentioned that skin bleaching is unsafe. The likelihood of a video selling a skin bleaching product was 17 times higher in internet videos compared with consumer videos (OR = 17.00, 95% CI 4.58-63.09, P < 0.001). Consumer-generated videos were about seven times more likely to mention making bleaching products at home compared with internet-based news videos (OR = 6.86, 95% CI 1.77-26.59, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS The most viewed YouTube video on skin bleaching was uploaded by an internet source. Videos made by television sources mentioned more information about skin bleaching being unsafe, while consumer-generated videos focused more on making skin-bleaching products at home.
Determination of volatile organic compounds in child care centers by thermal desorption gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Children are among the most vulnerable to certain air pollutants, such as volatile organic compounds. Analysis of indoor air has been analytically challenging and costly. The objectives of this study were to (1) develop and validate a sensitive analytical method for assessing the exposure of children to volatile organic compounds at child care centers and (2) characterize the indoor concentrations of target volatile organic compounds in classrooms at child care centers. The volatile organic compounds were sampled by using thermal desorption samplers and the concentrations of the volatile organic compounds were determined by a thermal desorption gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method. Among the 73 target indoor volatile organic compounds, 47 were identified and quantified in the air samples collected from the selected child care center. The limits of detection and limits of quantitation ranged from 0.001 to 0.123 μg m−3, and 0.002 to 0.406 μg m−3, respectively. The correlation coefficients (R2) of the calibration were between 0.982 and 0.999. The mean recoveries of the analytes ranged from 87% to 112%. The precision expressed as the coefficient of variation was between 0.6% and 16.2%. The volatile organic compounds identified in our pilot study include a wide range of potential toxic chemicals and endocrine disruptors, such as the ingredients in dry cleaning agents (e.g., tetrachloroethylene), surfactants (e.g., butoxyethanol), and personal care products (e.g., homosalate). Due to the portability, affordability, and flexibility, the developed sampling and analytical method has several advantages over conventional techniques for large-scale multi-position air quality monitoring studies at child care centers.
Progress in the Chemotherapeutic Treatment of Advanced Bladder Cancer

The introduction of cisplatin in 1976 (35) in the treatment of patients with transitional cell carcinoma of the urothelial tract, i.e. renal pelvis, ureter, bladder, urethra and prostatic ducts, has led to a systematic evaluation of chemotherapeutic agents for advanced bladder cancer. Disease-orientated phase II trials, some utilizing strict patient selection and response criteria, have confirmed cisplatin’s antitumor activity — 35% (27, 10, 39) and recently phase III prospectively randomized disease-orientated studies have been instituted. This paper will outline presently available data and discuss two recently completed trials at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center which utilize methotrexate (38, 17) and vinblastine (1), each used singly.
Is expertise a necessary precondition for creativity?: A case of four novice learning group facilitators

Abstract Many North American theorists conceptualize expertise as preceding creativity. The rationale is, that in order to be truly creative, one must master a field so remarkable contributions can be made. Therefore, in order to be truly creative one must be an expert in a structured and codified domain. This inquiry attempted to examine the relationship between expert thinking skills and creativity in an ill-defined domain, embedded in the community of practice of group facilitation whose goal was to support learning. Using an instrumental case study approach to explore a unique system embedded in a naturalistic context, the case was comprised of a team of four female novice group facilitators, functioning as teaching assistants for learning task groups of university students. Various sources were drawn upon in order to map this group as a coherent knowing system. Debriefing sessions and interviews were transcribed and coded using a category string method in order to retain a holistic sensibility to the analysis. The codes revealed that the system displayed characteristics of shared expertise and social creativity. The overall pattern of creative response closely followed those of expertise. The codes for expertise generally preceded those instances of creativity, suggesting that creativity does need to rely on expert thinking skills. However, this inquiry suggests expanding the notion of expertise, in that it need not be situated in a single person, but can emerge from a system of shared expertise.
Single-Incision Robotic Surgery

Robotic surgery represents the latest advance in minimally invasive techniques. Single-incision robot-assisted surgery is the ultimate robotic surgery technology and has received enthusiastic acceptance in field of gallbladder surgery. However, apart from improved cosmesis, its reported benefits are thus far not widely known. Its application is limited largely to cholecystectomy, but it is gradually being applied to other procedures. As the results of further studies surface, a clearer picture of the role of reduced-port robotic surgery will emerge.
Glucocorticoid Effects in Vivo

With the material of Chap. 1 as background, this chapter discusses the effects of in vivo glucocorticoid treatment on lung maturation. This topic has been the subject of numerous reviews over the past 15 years. These include articles and chapters by Avery (1975), Taeusch and Avery (1977), Gross (1977), Hallman and Gluck (1977), Brown et al. (1978), Farrell and Hamosh (1978), Ballard (1979), Rooney (1979), Batenburg and Van Golde (1979), Olson (1979), Smith and Bogues (1979), Hitchcock (1980), Ballard (1982), Possmayer (1982), Ballard (1983), Rooney (1983) and Smith (1984). Rather than providing a detailed accounting of all of the numerous contributions in the literature on this topic, this chapter summarizes the different types of experimental approaches and the various effects observed with in vivo corticosteroid treatment. Other aspects of corticosteroids and lung maturation are discussed in subsequent chapters. Responses of lung tissue in culture are included in Chap. 3, 4, 9, and 10. Chapter 4 is devoted to the role of endogenous corticosteroids in lung maturation, and includes experiments employing ablation and replacement therapy. Thus, this chapter is restricted to a summary of in vivo glucocorticoid treatment of the intact fetus with only occasional references to in vitro systems for comparison.
Historical Remarks on the Discovery of ECT

It was a strange coincidence that the first three treatments which had a therapeutic impact on the functional psychoses, were discovered within three subsequent years: 1933 Insulin Coma Treatment, 1934 Convulsive Therapy, 1935 Psychosurgery. The only preceding successful treatment of a mental disorder had been Malaria treatment for general paresis which, however, had been directed only against the spirochetic invasion of the brain. When Wagner-von Jauregg published his first report here in Vienna and later received the Nobel Prize for it, this changed the nihilistic attitude in psychiatry, and it was perhaps not surprising that Sakel’s Insulin Coma Treatment, although he had conceived the idea in Berlin, also found its first clinical application here in Vienna.
Affine invariant local convergence theorems for inexact Newton-like methods

Affine invariant sufficient conditions are given for two local convergence theorems involving inexact Newton-like methods. The first uses conditions on the first Frechet-derivative whereas the second theorem employs hypotheses on the second. Radius of convergence as well as rate of convergence results are derived. Results involving superlinear convergence and known to be true for inexact Newton methods are extended here. Moreover, we show that under hypotheses on the second Frechet-derivative our radius of convergence is larger than the corresponding one in [10]. This allows a wider choice for the initial guess. A numerical example is also provided to show that our radius of convergence is larger than the one in [10].
CDK9: a signaling hub for transcriptional control.

Cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) is critical for RNA Polymerase II (Pol II) transcription initiation, elongation, and termination in several key biological processes including development, differentiation, and cell fate responses. A broad range of diseases are characterized by CDK9 malfunction, illustrating its importance in maintaining transcriptional homeostasis in basal- and signal-regulated conditions. Here we provide a historical recount of CDK9 discovery and the current models suggesting CDK9 is a central hub necessary for proper execution of different steps in the transcription cycle. Finally, we discuss the current therapeutic strategies to treat CDK9 malfunction in several disease states. Abbreviations: CDK: Cyclin-dependent kinase; Pol II: RNA Polymerase II; PIC: Pre-initiation Complex; TFIIH: Transcription Factor-II H; snoRNA: small nucleolar RNA; CycT: CyclinT1/T2; P-TEFb: Positive Transcription Elongation Factor Complex; snRNP: small nuclear ribonucleo-protein; HEXIM: Hexamethylene Bis-acetamide-inducible Protein 1/2; LARP7: La-related Protein 7; MePCE: Methylphosphate Capping Enzyme; HIV: human immunodeficiency virus; TAT: trans-activator of transcription; TAR: Trans-activation response element; Hsp70: Heat Shock Protein 70; Hsp90/Cdc37: Hsp90- Hsp90 co-chaperone Cdc37; DSIF: DRB Sensitivity Inducing Factor; NELF: Negative Elongation Factor; CPSF: cleavage and polyadenylation-specific factor; CSTF: cleavage-stimulatory factor; eRNA: enhancer RNA; BRD4: Bromodomain-containing protein 4; JMJD6: Jumonji C-domain-containing protein 6; SEC: Super Elongation Complex; ELL: eleven-nineteen Lys-rich leukemia; ENL: eleven-nineteen leukemia; MLL: mixed lineage leukemia; BEC: BRD4-containing Elongation Complex; SEC-L2/L3: SEC-like complexes; KAP1: Kruppel-associated box-protein 1; KEC: KAP1-7SK Elongation Complex; DRB: Dichloro-1-s-D-Ribofuranosylbenzimidazole; H2Bub1: H2B mono-ubiquitination; KM: KM05382; PP1: Protein Phosphatase 1; CDK9i: CDK9 inhibitor; SHAPE: Selective 2'-hydroxyl acylation analyzed by primer extension; TE: Typical enhancer; SE : Super enhancer.
Discovering symmetries

When analyzing concurrent software applications, symmetry reduction techniques dramatically narrow the size of the state space search by identifying computations that, because of symmetries in the system, are redundant. While analysis algorithms exploiting symmetry reduction are well developed, little has been done in discovering the nature of the symmetries of a system. What is even less researched is discovering symmetries that are particular to a temporal property. This paper proposes a general framework for discovering symmetries in systems that exhibit absolute or relative symmetries depending on the property of interest. Our work extends previous symmetry reduction techniques by making advances in automating generalized model automorphism discovery. Generalized model automorphisms capture exact abstractions and therefore preserve both the validity and the violation of any property of the analyzed system while achieving dramatic state space reduction.
Employment in Indian Country: Considerations Respecting Tribal Regulation of the Employer-Employee Relationship

The historical development of the concepts of Indian Country and Tribal self-government, when combined with the socio-economic condition of Indian tribes and Indian country counsel that non-Indian governments both state and federal hesitate before attempting to enforce federal or state employment laws to the employer-employee relationship within Indian country.In this context, this article considers the historical development of the concept of Indian country in its tripartite form of Indian reservations, Indian allotments, and dependent Indian communities. It further considers the classical understanding of tribal self-government, and the use of the Indian commerce clause and developing theories of tribal sovereignty as a measure of when tribal jurisdiction over such issues should be respected.
Effects of Short Wavelength Composition Modulations on Interdiffusion in Silver-Palladium Thin Foils

The effects of short wavelength composition modulations upon interdiffusion were evidenced in the Ag-Pd system by an x-ray diffraction technique. The general behavior of the interdiffusity versus the wavelength of the concentration wave was found in agreement with the nonlinear diffusion theory of Tsakalakos. Super-imposed on this general behavior, two anomalies were found which can be attributed respectively to, 1) a loss of coherency between the Ag-rich and Pd-rich regions, and 2) a screening singularity or an increase in the shear modulus (or both) such as was found in the Au-Ni system. The wavelength dependence of the interdiffusion coefficient yielded the first four gradient-energy for this system.
Pearls for Periorbital Fat Transfer

Aging in the periorbital area leads to demarcation of the bony landmark of the orbital rim, unmasking of the orbital fat pads, and flattening of the frontal projection of the subcutaneous soft tissue with resultant downward displacement of the skin.
Synopsis of Freshwaters, Species Diversity, and Conservation Issues

Freshwaters of Democratic Republic of Congo are poorly studied because of different factors, including the geographic spread of the country, lack of expertise, and financial resources to invest in research. As a review of the current conservation status of the freshwaters of the Lake Tumba Landscape, the chapter did not provide details of species, water habitats, etc. Drawing mostly on peer-reviewed published materials and unpublished reports, the chapter established that common to the waters of the region of the Lake Tumba Landscape are dark-brown, hot and acidic, characteristics attributed to the immensity of organic materials carried by waters in their course down streams. Most of the existing studies expressed concerns over fish stocks, changes in fish community structures and fish species. Declines in fish stocks were reported and widely felt communities. However, this feeling should be demonstrated by strong scientific evidence. Morphometric measurements collected from the culinary most preferred fish species at all sites had significantly smaller mean maximal lengths when compared to standard maximum growth measurements. The chapter concludes that increase in human populations throughout the Lake Tumba Landscape affected freshwater environment and fish diversity.
Lead, cadmium and Alzheimer’s disease

Abstract Lead and cadmium are toxic heavy metals that have been associated with numerous health outcomes even at low levels of exposure. It is important to understand the roles of these toxicants in the etiology of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This chapter reviews the experimental and epidemiologic literature of the associations between AD and lead and cadmium. Lead can cross the blood–brain barrier and accumulate in the brain. Cadmium can reach the brain through the blood–cerebrospinal fluid barrier or the olfactory nervous system. Experimental studies suggest that lead and cadmium can increase amyloid-β deposition and tau expression through oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and apoptosis in neuronal cells. Epidemiologic studies have shown associations of lead and cadmium with cognitive impairment in adults, although the evidence linking lead or cadmium to AD in humans is very limited. Given their widespread exposure, reduced exposure could have a significant impact on the global burden of AD.
Synthesis and characterization of new unsymmetrical diglycolamide extractants for lanthanide ion partitioning: part one—straight-chain alkyl derivatives

Six novel unsymmetrical diglycolamide (UDGA) ligands have been synthesized and evaluated as solvent extraction reagents for the partitioning of lanthanide (Ln) ions from nitrate media. The partitioning of europium between aqueous phases of varying nitric acid concentrations and a UDGA organic phase has been characterized radiometrically. The stoichiometry and phase-transfer equilibrium constants of the Eu-UDGA complexes extracted into the organic phase have been reported. Luminescence spectroscopy investigations have established the relative stability and stoichiometry of the complexes in acetonitrile. These UDGA ligands have displayed enhanced interfacial activity, which has decreased the necessary equilibration time while maintaining high Ln distribution ratios.
Void shrinkage in 21Cr32Ni austenitic model alloy during in-situ ion irradiation

Abstract Austenitic 21Cr32Ni model alloy thin foils, previously irradiated with 5 MeV Fe++ ions in bulk to create voids, were re-irradiated in-situ in the Intermediate Voltage Electron Microscope Facility (IVEM). The voids which had been formed under bulk-ion irradiation shrank and disappeared after in-situ Kr ion irradiation in the temperature range 50 K-713 K to an additional dose of 1 dpa. The voids were unaffected by eithersuccessive thermal annealing to 673 K and by prolonged exposure to the 200 keV electron beam at the irradiation temperature. The high void shrinkage rate observed did not change significantly for irradiation temperatures between 50 K and 713 K, suggesting that the void shrinkage process in thin foils during in-situ heavy-ion irradiation results from the interactions of displacement cascades with the voids. Possible void shrinkage mechanisms under thin foil irradiation are discussed in this study.
Association between Nutrition Policies and Student Body Mass Index

In response to concerns about childhood obesity, many US states have implemented policies to limit the sale of unhealthy foods and beverages (e.g., snacks, desserts, and sugary drinks) sold in competition with school meal programs (i.e., competitive foods) in order to improve the nutritional environment of schools and support student health. This study measured state-level competitive food and beverage policies that require foods and beverages sold in a la carte lines, vending machines, and school stores to meet strong nutrition standards and tested the hypothesis that students living in states with stronger laws would have lower body mass index (BMI)-for-age percentiles. BMI data from a national sample of 1625 students attending 284 schools from the School Nutrition and Meal Cost Study were linked to state laws coded as part of the National Wellness Policy Study. A survey-adjusted linear regression model accounting for student and school-level characteristics showed that stronger state nutrition policies were associated with lower student BMI scores (coefficient: -0.06, 95% CI: -0.12, -0.00). Additional models indicated that stronger state policies were significantly associated with fewer unhealthy foods and beverages available in schools. These findings suggest that strong regulations on competitive foods and beverages may lead to improvements in the nutritional quality of the school environment and student BMI. Thus, current federal standards regulating snacks in US schools (i.e., Smart Snacks) are an important element of a comprehensive strategy to improve the school nutrition environment and reduce rates of childhood obesity.
Transitioning from Shear to Flexural Failure of UHPC Beams by Varying Fiber Content

Ultra High Performance Concrete (UHPC) is a new class of cementitious materials that has been developed recently. Compared to normal reinforced concrete, it has very high compressive strength,durability, and long-term stability. However, the presence of high volumetric content of fibers along with the very small maximum aggregate size set its behavior apart from both regular and fiber reinforced concrete, especially in shear. While many experimental campaigns were directed towards understanding UHPC beams behavior, those which considered shear failure were mostly performed by using beams with non-rectangular cross sections. This limits the applicability of their findings in other cases. In addition, many tests did not track the the effects of including fibers compared to having no fibers at all. In this study, an experimental campaign was performed which included twelve reinforced prismatic UHPC beams in addition to multiple companion specimens for characterizing the material properties. Fiber volumetric contents were 0%, 1% and 2%. Rebar reinforcement was either one or two #3 Grade 60 rebars. Beams were 3 in x4 in (76 mm x 101.5 mm) in cross section and were tested in 3 point bending setup over 18 in (457 mm) span. For each fiber content, splitting tension, compression and notched 3 point bending tests were performed to characterize the material strength. Beam testing showed a transition from diagonal shear failure at 0% fiber content to full rebar rupture at 2% fiber content. At 1% fiber content, very small diagonal shear cracks were observed with 2 rebars but not with 1 rebar, yet, fiber crack bridging prevented the development of critical shear cracks. Results show an interplay between reinforcement ratio and fiber content that is not a simple addition of their individual effects which calls for considering their effects on strength and ductility in a coupled manner.
Current Status of HIV Therapy

The clinician's armamentarium is no longer limited to zidovudine as the only antiretroviral agent that enhances both quality and length of life, ddI has shown clinical benefit in patients previously treated with zidovudine. Recently, the combination of zidovudine and ddC has been approved on the basis of surrogate marker activity; its clinical role awaits results of ongoing trials.
On the evaluation of bidding strategies in sequential auctions

Abstract This paper provides further insight into the structure of the procurement strategy for a firm that in order to fill the demand of its market builds inventory by participating in sequential auctions. The analysis herein extends previous work by endogenizing the probability of winning an auction using the rise function in order to obtain a concrete characterization of the optimal strategy. Further, an efficient computational algorithm is given and evaluated for specific valuation models for the market.
Acute onset visual and auditory hallucinations: An unusual case of pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis

Abstract Background While typically thought of as an adult disease, up to 10% of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) have their first demyelinating event prior to 18 years of age. Case We present a case of auditory and visual hallucinations as the only presenting symptom of a patient with pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis (POMS). The patient's hallucinations resolved with initiation of rituximab. Conclusions Children with atypical presentations of psychosis may warrant evaluation for an underlying central nervous system (CNS) disorder. The association between psychosis and MS remains unclear and merits additional research.