cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Using tree topology for multicast congestion control

Multicast is a promising technique for mass distribution of streaming media. However, the inherent heterogeneity of the Internet poses several challenges. A major challenge is to develop a congestion control mechanism that is efficient, flexible (to administrative heterogeneity) and deployable. Many approaches using a layered encoding scheme have been proposed to address this problem. In parallel, many tools are being developed which provide a snapshot of network internals. Of particular interest are multicast topology discovery tools. The existence of such tools motivates the possibility of using tree topology information for multicast congestion control. In this paper we seek to understand the benefits of such a mechanism and the challenges in its practical implementation. We develop an algorithm, called TopoSense, which uses topology information and layered streams to control congestion within an administrative domain. Our algorithm presents a new model for multicast congestion control as it does not involve on-router computation as opposed to other approaches which require router support. We evaluate our algorithm using ns, the network simulator. Our results indicate that topology information is very useful in understanding the dynamics of multicast congestion and can be used for efficient traffic management.
Crowding and disease: Effects of host density on response to infection in a butterfly-parasite interaction

Hosts experiencing frequent variation in density are thought to benefit from allocating more resources to parasite defence when density is high ('density- dependent prophylaxis'). However, high density conditions can increase intra-specific competition and induce physiological stress, hence increasing host susceptibility to infection ('crowding-stress hypothesis'). 2. We studied monarch butterflies ( Danaus plexippus ) and quantified the effects of larval rearing density on susceptibility to the protozoan parasite Ophryocystis elektroscirrha . Larvae were inoculated with parasite spores and reared at three density treatments: low, moderate, and high. We examined the effects of larval density on parasite loads, host survival, development rates, body size, and wing melanism. 3. Results showed an increase in infection probability with greater larval density. Monarchs in the moderate and high density treatments also suffered the greatest negative effects of parasite infection on body size, development rate, and adult longevity. 4. We observed greater body sizes and shorter development times for monarchs reared at moderate densities, and this was true for both unparasitised and parasite-treated monarchs. We hypothesise that this effect could result from greater larval feeding rates at moderate densities, combined with greater physiological stress at the highest densities. 5. Although monarch larvae are assumed to occur at very low densities in the wild, an analysis of continent-wide monarch larval abundance data showed that larval densities can reach high levels in year-round resident populations and during the late phase of the breeding season. Treatment levels used in our experiment captured ecologically-relevant variation in larval density observed in the wild.
Some Analysis Methods That May be Useful to Acoustic Primatologists

Throughout the course of modern primatology, researchers have shown an abiding interest in characterizing the acoustic properties of vocalizations produced by their study species. While the number of primatologists specializing in such work (which will be called acoustic primatology) has remained small, it has been recognized that vocalization-related data can have important implications for many fundamental questions about non-human primate behavior (e.g., Cheney and Seyfarth, 1990). The acoustic primatologist’s task is not, however, a straightforward one. Acoustics is a complex, technologically intensive discipline and effective acoustic analysis requires the use of a variety of specialized procedures. Unfortunately, relatively little in the way of a common set of methods or standards has been established for analysis of non-human primate calls and few techniques have been specifically developed for use with these signals.
Chemical Control over Cellular Uptake of Organic Nanoparticles by Fine Tuning Surface Functional Groups

The functional groups displayed on the surface of nanoparticles (NP) are known to play an important role in NP cellular uptake. However, only a few systematic studies have been reported to address their role, in large part because of the difficulty in regularly varying the number and structure of the functional groups on the NP surface. We employ a bottom-up strategy for the synthesis of water-soluble organic nanoparticles (ONPs) with different sizes and functional groups, using readily available monomers. Utilizing flow cytometry, we measured the HeLa cell uptake efficiency of ONPs that contain side-chains with a different (a) length, (b) number of hydroxyl groups, and (c) number of methyl groups. We have also investigated ONPs with the same functional groups but different sizes. The potential formation and influence of protein corona was examined using the same approach but in the presence of serum. The results demonstrate that under both serum and serum-free conditions the surface-exposed functional groups determine the efficiency of cellular uptake of the particles, and that the trend can be partially predicted by the lipophilicity of the polymeric ONP's repeating units. Also, by using a "masking" strategy, these particles' cellular uptake behavior could be altered conveniently.
SAIL-GRS: Grammar Induction for Spoken Dialogue Systems using CF-IRF Rule Similarity

The SAIL-GRS system is based on a widely used approach originating from information retrieval and document indexing, the TF -IDF measure. In this implementation for spoken dialogue system grammar induction, rule constituent frequency and inverse rule frequency measures are used for estimating lexical and semantic similarity of candidate grammar rules to a seed set of rule pattern instances. The performance of the system is evaluated for the English language in three different domains, travel, tourism and finance and in the travel domain, for Greek. The simplicity of our approach makes it quite easy and fast to implement irrespective of language and domain. The results show that the SAIL-GRS system performs quite well in all three domains and in both languages.
A Cage-Related Foot Pad Dermatitis in Dwarf and Normal-Sized Single Comb White Leghorn Layers

Abstract Studies were conducted to determine if wire cage floors were involved in producing a foot pad dermatitis in dwarf and normal-sized Single Comb White Leghorn layers. Dermatitis scores were found to be higher for dwarf birds reared in cages versus litter floors. The use of plastic-coated cage floor inserts and wooden perches reduced the incidence of dermatitis in caged dwarf birds. Normal-sized layers consistently exhibited a lower incidence of dermatitis than did dwarf hens.
TABS AND MIXERS FOR RE UClNG LOW BYPASS RATIO JET NOISE

An experiment to determine the effect of tabs on a scale model exhaust nozzle system representing low bypass ratio turbo-fan engines was conducted. Both core and exhaust nozzle were modified, either alone or simultaneously. Our study looked at noise benefits, both spectrally and on Effective Perceived Noise Level (EPNL) metric, for a range of operating conditions. Tabs provided about 1 EPNdB reduction, relative to simple a nozzle, when used on the core stream alone and did not provide any reduction when used on the exhaust nozzle alone. However, 2 EPNdB benefit was realized with tabs on both core and exhaust nozzles simultaneously. These benefits were realized with very little tab-induced high frequency noise generation.
Protocol for directed differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells toward a hepatocyte fate

The directed differentiation of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) or human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) into hepatocytes could facilitate a rational study of the molecular mechanisms underlying human liver development as well as provide a renewable source of exogenous hepatocytes for drug toxicity testing and cell-based therapeutics. Moreover, if hepatocytes were produced from hiPSCs originating from patients with inborn errors of hepatic metabolism, such cells could be used for modeling liver disease. Here we present a step-wise protocol for efficiently and reproducibly inducing the differentiation of hepatocytes from human pluripotent stem cells under highly defined conditions.
EFFICACY OF EZETIMIBE AND STATIN VERSUS STATIN: A META-ANALYSIS OF RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS

Current ACC/AHA guidelines do not make recommendation to use Ezetimibe to reduce Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Most recently, the IMPROVE-IT trial demonstrated improved cardiovascular outcomes with addition of Ezetimibe to statin (ES) compared to statin alone (S). We performed a Meta-
Protein Intake Conditions the Diuresis Seen after Relief of Bilateral Ureteral Obstruction in the Rat

Natriuresis and diuresis occur in experimental animals after release of bilateral ureteral obstruction. Accumulation of urea and/or other natriuretic factors during the interval of complete obstruction may play a role in the ensuing postobstructive diuresis. The present experiments examine the potential role of dietary protein intake in conditioning the magnitude of the postobstructive diuresis after unilateral release of bilateral ureteral obstruction of 24-hr duration in the rat. Rats were fed isocaloric diets containing high (40% casein) or low (6% casein) protein for 4 weeks prior to obstruction. Rats fed a high protein diet had greater urine flows and fractional excretion of sodium and potassium after relief of obstruction than rats fed a low protein diet. Increased excretion of urea accounted for only part of the greater diuresis seen in rats fed a high protein diet. Hence, greater accumulation of other natriuretic factors during the period of obstruction in rats fed a high protein diet must play a role in the increased diuresis seen in this group of animals after release of obstruction.
Designing extreme 3D user interfaces for augmented live performances

This paper presents a proof-of-concept system that enables the integrated virtual and physical traversal of a space through locomotion, automatic treadmill, and stage based flying system. The automatic treadmill enables the user to walk or run without manual intervention while the flying system enables the user to control their height above the stage using a gesture-based control scheme. The system is showcased through a live performance event that demonstrates the ability to put the actor in active control of the performance. This approach enables a new performance methodology with exciting new options for theatrical storytelling, educational training, and interactive entertainment.
Existed Problems and Strategies to Ideological and Political Teaching in Private - run Universities

Ideological and political teaching in private - run universities exists issues as to its content departing from reality,teaching approaches lacking of innovation,the malignant level of entire scientific research and the chronic developed teaching outcome assessment system.To solve the issues requires a correct awareness of the ideological and political education' s vitality in privaterun universities and actively exploring new access to theoretical teaching,enhance teaching staff' s construction,execute functions of network' political education to improve effectiveness of ideological and political education.
MATHEMATICAL SIMULATION ON THREE DIMENSIONAL FLOW IN OFF-CENTER GAS STIRRED BATHS

This paper presents a method which can be used to predict threedimensional flow in gas stirred baths. A kind of general orthogonal curvilinear coordinates was established for calculating the flow in off-center gas stirred baths. Taking the velocity components and pressure as the solution variable, a method to produce the numerical solution of three-dimensional incompressible, steady, time averaged Navier -Stokes equation,continuity equation, k-etwo equation turbulence model equations under general orthogonal curvilinear coordinates is develeped. The three-dimensional flow in bath can be clearly predicted by this calculation. The velocity vectors calculated for water model is approximately equal to the measured ones.
Present Research and Developing Trends of Ultra High Strength Aluminum Alloys

Possessing high strength and toughness,ultra high strength aluminum alloy is a kind of structural material, which can be applied widely in the aviation and aerospace fields. Based on a tremendous amount of literature, this paper introduces the development and applications of ultra high strength aluminum alloys, as well as key mechanism of strengthening aluminum alloy. Additionally, some suggestions for the future exploration of the high strength aluminum alloys are made.
Halothane alters cytosolic calcium transient in tracheal smooth muscle.

Halothane is a potent bronchodilator that attenuates vagally mediated constriction of canine airways, in part by a direct action on the smooth muscle cell. In tracheal smooth muscle, acetylcholine (ACh) produces a transient peak increase in cytosolic ionized calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i), which declines to a sustained plateau concentration that is higher than that of the unstimulated muscle, and a sustained increase in force. The transient peak [Ca2+]i is caused primarily by Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR), whereas the plateau [Ca2+]i is caused primarily by influx of extracellular Ca2+ across the plasma membrane. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of halothane on the 1) transient peak [Ca2+]i during force development (i.e., developed force) and 2) plateau [Ca2+]i during force maintenance (i.e., sustained force) induced by ACh in isolated strips of canine tracheal smooth muscle. Changes in [Ca2+]i were measured with the photoprotein, aequorin. In muscle strips contracted after incubation with 1.1 (n = 5) or 1.5 (n = 5) minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) halothane, halothane significantly attenuated the transient peak aequorin luminescence (AL) and developed force and significantly prolonged the time necessary to reach peak AL and developed force; these effects were not dose dependent. In muscle strips (n = 3) contracted with ACh, addition of halothane caused a reduction in sustained force but no decrease in plateau AL.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Distribution of Thymine Dimers Induced in Mouse Skin by Ultraviolet Radiation

The cellular and tissue distributions of thymine dimers induced in mouse skin by UV radiation were compared in 3 haired mouse strains: Sencar, BALB/c, and C3H. These strains differ markedly in their overall susceptibility to photocarcinogenesis, and they develop UV-induced skin tumors of different histological types and in different anatomical locations. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the differences in strain and site susceptibility are due to inequalities in the distribution of UV radiation-induced DNA damage in the target tissues. An indirect immuno-fluorescence assay was used to examine the location of thymine dimers induced by 254-nm UV radiation (UVC) or 280-400 nm UV radiation (UVAB) in ears and dorsal skin. No differences in the distribution of dimers in skin cells or tissues were found among mouse strains or between anatomical sites (ear vs. dorsum). Thus, these results do not support the hypothesis that differences in the optical properties of skin, which govern penetration and absorption of UV radiation, contribute to site or strain susceptibility in photocarcinogenesis. However, two distinct differences in the cellular and tissue distribution of dimers were found when UVC and UVAB-treated tissues were compared: a) UVAB produced dimers in both dermal and epidermal cells, whereas UVC induced a detectable number of dimers only in epidermal cells; b) UVAB-induced dimers were observed in both the nuclei and cytoplasm of affected cells, whereas dimers induced by UVC were confined to nuclei.
Microscale spectrophotometric methods for quantification of functional groups in oxidized organic aerosol

ABSTRACTSpectrophotometric methods developed previously to quantify the major functional groups present in oxidized organic aerosol were modified for use with sample masses typical of those collected from ambient air. In these methods, carbonyl, hydroxyl, carboxyl, and ester groups are reacted with derivatizing agents that are specific to each functional group to form strongly light absorbing derivatives, a colored peroxide solution is formed through redox chemistry, and nitrates have an inherently strong absorbance. As described here, improved detection limits are made possible by measuring absorbance using a spectrophotometer that requires only a few microliters of solution for analysis, instead of the five milliliter volume required previously when using a standard cuvette. Use of this so-called NanoPhotometer allows comparable absorbances to be obtained with much less mass by concentrating samples by more than two orders of magnitude relative to previous methods. Detection limits are approximately 0.0...
Redefining Our Roles as Teachers, Learners, and Leaders through Continuous Cycles of Practitioner Inquiry.

ABSTRACTPractitioner inquiry is an alternative form of professional learning that can result in significant changes in teacher practice and student learning. We share our evolution as teacher learners within our classrooms and teacher leaders within our school as we progressed through 10 years of continuous cycles of practitioner inquiry. Beginning as novice inquirers examining classroom-specific problems of practice and evolving into experienced facilitators of practitioner inquiry, we have expanded our roles as teacher leaders among our colleagues as we collaboratively lead a secondary change initiative in equitable assessment practices, a direct result of continuously making our learning through engagement in practitioner inquiry public.
Comparison of 15N- and 13C-determined parameters of mobility in melittin.

Backbone and tryptophan side-chain mobilities in the 26-residue, cytolytic peptide melittin (MLT) were investigated by 15N and 13C NMR. Specifically, inverse-detected 15N T1 and steady-state NOE measurements were made at 30 and 51 MHz on MLT at 22 °C enriched with 15N at six amide positions and in the Trp19 side chain. Both the disordered MLT monomer (1.2 mM peptide at pH 3.6 in neat water) and α-helical MLT tetramer (4.0 mM peptide at pH 5.2 in 150 mM phosphate buffer) were examined. The relaxation data were analyzed in terms of the Lipari and Szabo model-free formalism with three parameters: τm, the correlation time for the overall rotation; S2, a site-specific order parameter which is a measure of the amplitude of the internal motion; and τe, a local, effective correlation time of the internal motion. A comparison was made of motional parameters from the 15N measurements and from 13C measurements on MLT, the latter having been made here and previously [Kemple et al. (1997) Biochemistry, 36, 1678–1688]. τm and τe values were consistent from data on the two nuclei. In the MLT monomer, S2 values for the backbone N-H and Cα-H vectors in the same residue were similar in value but in the tetramer the N-H order parameters were about 0.2 units larger than the Cα-H order parameters. The Trp side-chain N-H and C-H order parameters, and τe values were generally similar in both the monomer and tetramer. Implications of these results regarding the dynamics of MLT are examined.
Put the Family Back in Family Health History: A Multiple-Informant Approach.

Introduction An accurate family health history is essential for individual risk assessment. This study uses a multiple-informant approach to examine whether family members have consistent perceptions of shared familial risk for four common chronic conditions (heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, and hypertension) and whether accounting for inconsistency in family health history reports leads to more accurate risk assessment. Methods In 2012–2013, individual and family health histories were collected from 127 adult informants of 45 families in the Greater Cincinnati Area. Pedigrees were linked within each family to assess inter-informant (in)consistency regarding common biological family member's health history. An adjusted risk assessment based on pooled pedigrees of multiple informants was evaluated to determine whether it could more accurately identify individuals affected by common chronic conditions, using self-reported disease diagnoses as a validation criterion. Analysis was completed in 2015–2016. Results Inter-informant consistency in family health history reports was 54% for heart disease, 61% for Type 2 diabetes, 43% for high cholesterol, and 41% for hypertension. Compared with the unadjusted risk assessment, the adjusted risk assessment correctly identified an additional 7%–13% of the individuals who had been diagnosed, with a ≤2% increase in cases that were predicted to be at risk but had not been diagnosed. Conclusions Considerable inconsistency exists in individual knowledge of their family health history. Accounting for such inconsistency can, nevertheless, lead to a more accurate genetic risk assessment tool. A multiple-informant approach is potentially powerful when coupled with technology to support clinical decisions.
Cyber Threat Information sharing: A category-theoretic approach

In this paper, we present the use of a category theory based approach to cyber threat information sharing. This choice is motivated by the fact that category theory allows an abstraction that can be used when one has to deal with diverse systems and it is also useful in describing an existing structure like STIX (Structured Threat Information eXpression). STIX will be described, a brief review of category theory as well as its use in data migration is given, the Functorial Query Language (FQL) is introduced and is used to implement the STIX schema. Finally the concept of olog is presented as knowledge representation.
Seasonal Phenology and Overwintering of Mantispa viridis Walker (Neuroptera: Mantispidae) in South Carolina

Captures of immatures and adults of Mantispa viridis Walker indicate this species has at least three distinct generations per year in the Clemson area of South Carolina, with an occasional fourth o...
Frequency-Constrained Robust Principle Component Analysis: A Sparse Representations approach to Segmentation of Dynamic Features in Optical Coherence Tomography Imaging

Sparse representation theory is an exciting area of research with recent applications in medical imaging and detection, segmentation, and quantitative analysis of biological processes. We present a variant on the robust-principal component analysis (RPCA) algorithm, called frequency constrained RPCA (FC-RPCA), for selectively segmenting dynamic phenomena that exhibit spectra within a user-defined range of frequencies. The algorithm lacks subjective parameter tuning and demonstrates robust segmentation in datasets containing multiple motion sources and high amplitude noise. When tested on 17 ex-vivo, time lapse optical coherence tomography (OCT) B-scans of human ciliated epithelium, segmentation accuracies ranged between 91–99% and consistently out-performed traditional RPCA.
Examination of soldier target recognition with direct view optics

Target recognition and identification is a problem of great military and scientific importance. To examine the correlation between target recognition and optical magnification, ten U.S. Army soldiers were tasked with identifying letters on targets at 800 and 1300 meters away. Letters were used since they are a standard method for measuring visual acuity. The letters were approximately 90 cm high, which is the size of a well-known rifle. Four direct view optics with angular magnifications of 1.5x, 4x, 6x, and 9x were used. The goal of this approach was to measure actual probabilities for correct target identification. Previous scientific literature suggests that target recognition can be modeled as a linear response problem in angular frequency space using the established values for the contrast sensitivity function for a healthy human eye and the experimentally measured modulation transfer function of the optic. At the 9x magnification, the soldiers could identify the letters with almost no errors (i.e., 97% probability of correct identification). At lower magnification, errors in letter identification were more frequent. The identification errors were not random but occurred most frequently with a few pairs of letters (e.g., O and Q), which is consistent with the literature for letter recognition. In addition, in the small subject sample of ten soldiers, there was considerable variation in the observer recognition capability at 1.5x and a range of 800 meters. This can be directly attributed to the variation in the observer visual acuity.
Robust template estimation for functional data with phase variability using band depth

Abstract Registration, or alignment, of functional observations has been a fundamental problem in functional data analysis. The creation of a template was the key step for alignment of a group of functions. Recent studies have defined the template with the notion of “mean” in the given observations. However, the mean can be sensitive to the, commonly observed, outlier functions in the data. To deal with this problem, a new approach is proposed to adopt the notion of “median” using the time warping functions in the alignment process, based on the recently developed band depth in functional data. A semi-parametric model is provided with an algorithm that yields a consistent estimator for the underlying median template. The robustness of this depth-based registration is illustrated using simulations and two real data sets. In addition, a new depth-based boxplot is proposed for outlier detection in functional data with phase variability.
Challenges in the use of atomistic simulations to predict solubilities of drug-like molecules.

Background: Solubility is a physical property of high importance to the pharmaceutical industry, the prediction of which for potential drugs has so far been a hard task. We attempted to predict the solubility of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) by estimating the absolute chemical potentials of its most stable polymorph and of solutions with different concentrations of the drug molecule. Methods: Chemical potentials were estimated from all-atom molecular dynamics simulations. We used the Einstein molecule method (EMM) to predict the absolute chemical potential of the solid and solvation free energy calculations to predict the excess chemical potentials of the liquid-phase systems. Results: Reliable estimations of the chemical potentials for the solid and for a single ASA molecule using the EMM required an extremely large number of intermediate states for the free energy calculations, meaning that the calculations were extremely demanding computationally. Despite the computational cost, however, the computed value did not agree well with the experimental value, potentially due to limitations with the underlying energy model. Perhaps better values could be obtained with a better energy model; however, it seems likely computational cost may remain a limiting factor for use of this particular approach to solubility estimation. Conclusions: Solubility prediction of drug-like solids remains computationally challenging, and it appears that both the underlying energy model and the computational approach applied may need improvement before the approach is suitable for routine use.
Desk Calculator with Variables and Assignments

The goal of this final chapter in Part III is to learn to partition a large problem into several pieces so that it is easier to manage. Certain things can be proven in computer science, but I doubt that it is possible to prove that a certain program organization is optimal. If you have some programming experience, you may be able to look at a particular program organization and evaluate its merits. Those of us who have tried writing non-trivial program can attest to the difficulty of organizing a large software project. One difficult chore is choosing an organization strategy. Although there are no “laws,” there are several factors that should be considered.
Concepts in user interfaces: a reference model for command and response languages

Overview of the reference model.- Application of the reference model.- Users.- Contexts.- Customisation.- Help.- History.- Concurrency.- CRL Object management.- Naming.- Protection.- Shared storage.
A probabilistic-based design for nanoscale computation

As current silicon-based techniques fast approach their practical limits, the investigation of nanoscale electronics, devices and system architectures becomes a central research priority. It is expected that nanoarchitectures will confront devices and interconnections with high inherent defect rates, which motivates the search for new architectural paradigms. In this chapter, we exam probabilistic-based design methodologies for designing nanoscale computer architectures based on Markov Random Fields (MRF) The MRF can express arbitrary logic circuits and logic operation is achieved by maximizing the probability of state configurations in the logic network. Maximizing state probability is equivalent to minimizing a form of energy that depends on neighboring nodes in the network. Once we develop a library of elementary logic components, we can link them together to build desired architectures. Overall, the probabilistic-based design can dynamically adapt to structural and signal-based faults.
Early De-risking Strategy for Novel Biotherapeutics

Nonclinical to clinical correlations of biotherapeutics generally support the utility of nonclinical studies for predicting adverse clinical responses, if the fidelity of the pharmacodynamics of human biotherapeutics is maintained in nonclinical models. However, toxicities associated with immunomodulation—opportunistic infections, cytokine release syndrome, and other indirect outcomes of immunomodulation—are less likely to be predicted by routine nonclinical studies. Predicting adverse reactions to biotherapeutics is further complicated by the rapidly expanding array of modalities. Predicting adverse reactions to biotherapeutics is further complicated by the rapidly expanding array of modalities. In this chapter, we discuss safety considerations for establishing the safety profiles for various modalities of biotherapeutics in early nonclinical development and provide examples of adverse events, with special emphasis on immunotoxicity. Special approaches to predicting immunotoxicity due to on-target and off-target toxicities to ensure the well-being of healthy volunteers as well as patients are also discussed. Novel and scientifically appropriate additional nonclinical studies are necessary to make informed drug development decisions in addition to information gathered from routine nonclinical studies.
Awake craniotomy: indications, benefits, and techniques

Awake craniotomy is mainly used for mapping and resection of lesions in vitally important brain areas where imaging is not sufficiently sensitive. These are most commonly speech and motor areas. The awake approach has become increasingly popular with wider indications due to the advantage of better neurological and other perioperative outcomes including analge sia and postoperative nausea and vomiting. Improvements in anesthetic agents and techniques especially LMA have made a great contribution. Frequently used medications are propofol, dexmedetomidine, and remifentanil. Common anesthetic regi mens range from light-moderate sedation, deep sedation, or general anesthesia during the pre-mapping and postmapping phases. In all sedation-anesthesia techniques, the patients are awake and able to speak and/or move during the mapping phase. This approach to intracranial surgical procedure requires skill, experience, and commitment on the part of the entire OR team. This review, from the point of view of authors, discusses the indications and contraindications, benefits, anesthetic techni ques, challenges, and management, as well as potential future directions of awake craniotomy.
Remark on protein collapse from a random walk

Abstract I use a mean-field approximation to show the rapid collapse of heteropolymers from random walk size to a much smaller, molten globule state due to hydrophobic interactions, to be followed by a slower annealing process in which there is little change in overall size.
Trait mindfulness and health behaviours: a meta-analysis

Mindfulness is defined as bringing one’s attention to present-moment experience with acceptance, and is associated with engagement in various health behaviours. To synthesise and evaluate this lite...
The equity of urban forest ecosystem services and benefits in the Bronx, NY

Abstract Trees provide important ecosystem services and benefits, with some, such as air pollutant and heat reductions, being linked to improved human health and well-being. The uneven distribution of tree cover in urban areas and subsequently the ecosystem services and benefits it provides has potential implications related to environmental justice, especially if disadvantaged socio-demographic or socio-economic and marginalized communities lack these services and benefits. This study explores the distribution of ecosystem services and benefits provided by tree cover in the Bronx, NY. Utilizing census block group specific spatial datasets, we employ a Mann-Kendall trend test and the Sen slope estimator to describe the relationship between median income, per capita income, percent minorities, population density, poverty percent and total educational attainment, and carbon storage and sequestration, stormwater runoff reduction, air pollutant removal and heat index reduction ecosystem services and benefits for 2010 tree cover conditions. We explore the equality in ecosystem service and benefit distributions across socio-demographic and socio-economic subgroups using the Atkinson inequality and Theil entropy indices decomposed into within and between subgroup inequalities for each ecosystem service and benefit. These inequality indices allow us to better assess current inequalities and work to achieve greater equity in the distribution of ecosystem services. Using population and ecosystem service data, all ecosystem services and benefits appear to be unequally and inequitably distributed in the Bronx, with disadvantaged socio-demographic and socio-economic block groups receiving disproportionately lower ecosystem services from urban trees. The vast majority of the inequality is explained by variations within each socio-demographic and socio-economic subgroup rather than variations between subgroups. To reduce this inequity, efforts should be made to strategically increase services and benefits by initially targeting disadvantaged block groups with extremely low tree cover.
Modified Atmosphere Packaging

Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) is the alteration of the initial gaseous environment that surrounds the food so that the resulting environment affects the metabolic processes of the food and food-borne microorganisms. The changes in the package atmosphere and resulting product characteristics can be influenced by the food itself, the gaseous environment around the food, the packaging materials, and external factors such as temperature, light, handling environment, and contamination. Vacuum packaging and gaseous MAP are the two major forms of MAP. The selection of the packaging materials, equipment as well as gases are dependent upon the desired characteristics of the food in the packaging. Plastic polymers, equipment that evacuates or gas flushes, and mixtures of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and/or oxygen are common in MAP systems for muscle foods, fruits, and vegetables, bakery products, dairy products, precooked foods, beverages, intermediate-moisture foods, and dried foods. The microbial safety of food in MAP is dependent upon the types and levels of pathogenic microorganisms present for growth and/or toxin production and the conditions in the package and food. Therefore, there is always a concern for foodborne illness risk from Clostridium botulinum growth and toxin production in anaerobic MAP if there is temperature abuse, from enterotoxic Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes growth in refrigerated foods in MAP, and from other pathogenic microorganisms associated with specific foods and environments. Technologies of smart, intelligent, and active packaging systems are available for sensing food and environment conditions; altering the environment and thus the product through absorption or emission of different gases and compounds; and incorporating safe antioxidant and antimicrobial agents into packaging materials, packets/sachets/pads for inclusion in the package, or during the packaging process. This chapter will summarize the packaging equipment, materials, and gases for MAP; foods that are packaged in MAP; and recent technologies used in conjunction with MAP.
Pelvic Tumor Surgery in Children

Pediatric pelvic tumors are challenging because a surgeon must balance the challenges of treating a child, who is likely to have a better response to preoperative chemotherapy, with the challenges of resecting and reconstructing a tumor in the immature skeleton. Because young children typically have a far better preoperative chemotherapy response than most adults and young adults, they are often candidates for a smaller, more conservative tumor resection than the typical adult. The extent of the resection should be based on a careful preoperative assessment of the response to preoperative chemotherapy, as demonstrated by a comparison of preoperative MRI and PET scan imaging. Pediatric allografts can be an excellent reconstructive option for pelvic resections, which have a greater likelihood of healing in children. Patients under age 10 years may be candidates for nonoperative resection of their primary tumor because of a good response to chemotherapy. Surgical complications vary by multiple factors including tumor size, the type of resection and reconstruction, the age of patient, the length of the surgery and extent of surgical blood loss, and the surgeon’s experience. Tumor recurrence is a greater risk after pelvic resections than after extremity resections, and careful diligence in the documentation of operative margins is critical. Careful preoperative planning and preoperative discussions are an essential requirement for a good postoperative result.
Functional crosstalk between T cells and monocytes in cancer and atherosclerosis

Monocytes and monocyte-derived cells, including Mϕs and dendritic cells, exhibit a diverse array of phenotypic states that are dictated by their surrounding microenvironment. These cells direct T cell activation and function via cues that range from being immunosuppressive to immunostimulatory. Solid tumors and atherosclerotic plaques represent two pathological niches with distinct immune microenvironments. While monocytes and their progeny possess a phenotypic spectrum found within both disease contexts, most within tumors are pro-tumoral and support evasion of host immune responses by tumor cells. In contrast, monocyte-derived cells within atherosclerotic plaques are usually pro-atherogenic, pro-inflammatory, and predominantly directed against self-antigens. Consequently, cancer immunotherapies strive to enhance the immune response against tumor antigens, whereas atherosclerosis treatments seek to dampen the immune response against lipid antigens. Insights into monocyte-T cell interactions within these niches could thus inform therapeutic strategies for two immunologically distinct diseases. Here, we review monocyte diversity, interactions between monocytes and T cells within tumor and plaque microenvironments, how certain therapies have leveraged these interactions, and novel strategies to assay such associations.
Retroauricular thyroidectomy with a single‐arm robotic surgical system: Preclinical cadaveric study

Background In this study, we evaluate a new flexible, single-arm robotic system in performing thyroidectomy via a retroauricular approach. Methods Four fresh cadavers were used. Technical details of the new system are discussed, and the comprehensive surgical procedures are described step by step. Results This single-port flexible system could be used to successfully perform retroauricular thyroidectomy. The ideal angle to dock the patient-side cart was at a 90° angle to the operating table. When the cannula tip was placed 10 to 15 cm away from the skin incision, positioning and full movement of all four instruments without collisions were possible. Three flexible instruments and an endoscope made the robotic dissection more efficient. Conclusions We describe the first preclinical evaluation of an innovative, flexible, single-arm robotic surgical system for retroauricular thyroidectomy.
Progress and Promise in Neuroaesthetics

We review progress and highlight open questions in neuroaesthetics. We argue that computational methods can provide mechanistic insight into how aesthetic judgments are formed, while advocating for deeper collaboration between neuroscientists studying aesthetics and those in the arts and humanities.
Chylopericardium as a Rare Entity Following Orthotopic Heart Transplantation

Introduction Chylopericardium is a rare complication following orthotopic heart transplant (OHT). Chylous pericardial effusions are characterized by an accumulation of lymph and emulsified fats in the pericardial sac that has a milky appearance with triglyceride levels in high concentration. Ongoing leakage of chyle in the pericardial space can have detrimental effects on nutrition, metabolism, and the immune system. We report one of the first cases of chylopericardium following orthotopic heart transplant that was successfully treated with thoracic duct embolization. Case Report A 37 year old male with dilated nonischemic cardiomyopathy on home milrinone presented for OHT. The operation was uncomplicated with a bicaval anastomosis and allograft ischemic time of 178 minutes. The early postoperative course was complicated by 2R acute cellular rejection, for which he was treated with pulse steroids with good effect. The post-biopsy echocardiogram revealed a large circumferential pericardial effusion with fibrinous strands and evidence of tamponade. He was taken for pericardiocentesis where 1.2 liters of pink milky fluid were removed, with improvement in pericardial pressure from 14 mmHg to 0 mmHg. Pericardial fluid triglycerides resulted at 1645 mg/dL consistent with chylous fluid. Unfortunately, the effusion reaccumulated in less than 24 hours suggestive of thoracic duct injury. He was taken for pericardial window and placed on a low-fat lymphatic diet. Subsequent lymphangiogram confirmed thoracic duct injury, for which successful coil embolization of the thoracic duct was performed. He was restarted on a regular diet and follow up echocardiogram showed normal graft function and no further reaccumulation of the effusion. He convalesced well and his post-transplant course was unremarkable on a standard maintenance immunosuppression regimen. Summary Chylopericardium may occur rarely as a complication of cardiothoracic surgery, trauma, malignancy, infection, or congenital abnormalities. Conservative management with dietary modification has resulted in only variable success while surgery (ligation of the thoracic duct and pericardial window) can carry higher risks due to its invasive nature. We report a case of chylopericardium following orthotopic heart transplant that was successfully managed with a percutaneous option of thoracic duct embolization.
A proposed model for a comprehensive virtual subinternship in vascular surgery.

Abstract Objective In the present study, we sought to understand the challenges, advantages, and applications of a vascular surgery virtual subinternship (VSI) curriculum. Methods Our institution hosted 25 students for two 4-week VSI rotations, one in July 2020 and one in August 2020. The students participated in a curriculum centered around the use of Zoom and telephone interactions with residents and faculty. The curriculum included selected readings, surgical videos, group didactics, and one-on-one mentorship. Anonymous pre- and postrotation self-assessments were used to ascertain the students' achievement of the learning objectives and the utility of the educational tools implemented during the rotation. The faculty and resident mentors were also surveyed to assess their experience. Results With the exception of knot-tying techniques (P = .67), the students reported significant improvement in their understanding of vascular surgery concepts after the virtual elective (P Conclusions Overall, our student and mentor feedback was positive. Several challenges inherent to the virtual environment still require refinement. However, the goals of a VSI are distinct and should be explored by training programs. With changes to healthcare in the United States on the horizon and the constraints resulting from the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 pandemic, implementing a virtual away rotation could be an acceptable platform in our adaptations of our recruitment strategies.
Serum interleukin-4 (IL-4) production is associated with lower fecal egg count in parasite-resistant sheep

Abstract The objective of this experiment was to determine serum interleukin-4 (IL-4) concentration in response to Haemonchus contortus infection in parasite-resistant and -susceptible lambs. St. Croix (STC) (resistant) and Suffolk/Hampshire crossbred (SX) (susceptible) lambs were either not infected (n = 5/breed), given a primary inoculation (n = 5/breed) or challenged infected with H. contortus (n = 5/breed). Each inoculum given consisted of 10,000 L3 larvae. Blood was collected daily for 14 days and then weekly to day 49. Feces were collected on day 0 and weekly until day 49. Challenged STC lambs generated significantly lower fecal egg count (FEC) (1520 eggs/g SX vs.
Morphometric analysis of vascular pathology in the orbitofrontal cortex of older subjects with major depression

OBJECTIVE: Late-life depression has been associated with risk for cerebrovascular pathology, as demonstrated in neuroimaging studies of older depressed patients, as well as mood disorder following cerebrovascular accidents. However, more research is needed on neuroanatomical changes in late-life depression, where there has been no clearly documented link to brain injury. Such studies should examine morphological changes in medium and small sized vessels that supply the cortical gray and white matter. METHODS: The present study used a non-specific histological Nissl staining and a more vessel-specific immunolabeling with endothelial marker von Willebrand Factor (vWF) to estimate density and size of blood vessel segments in the orbitofrontal cortex of 16 older subjects with major depressive disorder (MDD) and 9 non-psychiatric comparison subjects. RESULTS: The density of Nissl-stained vessel segments and of segments with perivascular spaces was higher in subjects with MDD than in comparison subjects in gray (GM) and white matter (WM). In GM, the density of vWF-immunoreactive segments with cross-sectional areas greater than 800 µm(2) was higher in MDD. In WM, only the density of vWF-immunoreactive segments with patent perivascular spaces and diameters larger than 60 µm was higher in subjects with MDD. Also in the WM, only subjects with late-onset MDD presented a significantly higher density of vWF-positive segments than comparison subjects. CONCLUSIONS: In older subjects with MDD, there appear to be morphological changes that increase visibility of medium-sized vessel segments with some labeling techniques, and this increased visibility may be related to increased patency of perivascular spaces around arterioles. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Language: en