cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dosimetric comparison of IMRT rectal and anal canal plans generated using an anterior dose avoidance structure

To describe a dosimetric method using an anterior dose avoidance structure (ADAS) during the treatment planning process for intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for patients with anal canal and rectal carcinomas. A total of 20 patients were planned on the Elekta/CMS XiO treatment planning system, version 4.5.1 (Maryland Heights MO) with a superposition algorithm. For each patient, 2 plans were created: one employing an ADAS (ADAS plan) and the other replanned without an ADAS (non-ADAS plan). The ADAS was defined to occupy the volume between the inguinal nodes and primary target providing a single organ at risk that is completely outside of the target volume. Each plan used the same beam parameters and was analyzed by comparing target coverage, overall plan dose conformity using a conformity number (CN) equation, bowel dose-volume histograms, and the number of segments, daily treatment duration, and global maximum dose. The ADAS and non-ADAS plans were equivalent in target coverage, mean global maximum dose, and sparing of small bowel in low-dose regions (5, 10, 15, and 20 Gy). The mean difference between the CN value for the non-ADAS plans and ADAS plans was 0.04 ± 0.03 (p < 0.001). The mean difference in the number of segments was 15.7 ± 12.7 (p < 0.001) in favor of ADAS plans. The ADAS plan delivery time was shorter by 2.0 ± 1.5 minutes (p < 0.001) than the non-ADAS one. The ADAS has proven to be a powerful tool when planning rectal and anal canal IMRT cases with critical structures partially contained inside the target volume.
Marketplace public radio and news routines reconsidered: Between structures and agents

This article is based on a five-month in-depth ethnographic study of Marketplace, a US public radio business news show. While older news ethnographies have tended to focus more on organizational ex...
The pathogenicity of Gaeumannomyces incrustans on turfgrass Zoysia japonica

The pathogenicity of the ectotrophic root-infecting fungus Gaeumannomyces incrustans on turfgrass Zoysia japonica 'Meyer 51' was examined in greenhouse, growth-chamber, and field assays. Symptoms of root infection (zoysia root rot) were observed in all three studies. In the greenhouse assay, the highest disease severity (percent root surface with lesions (mass necrosis), percent root surface with discoloration, and percent number of leaves with discoloration) was recorded after the longest incubation period (12 weeks). In growth-chamber assays, root-rot severity (percent root surface with lesions and percent root surface with discoloration) was the highest at 18 °C, while little or no injury was observed at 12 and 25 °C. In field assays, patch development was observed in only 3 of 20 inoculated field plots; however, 9 of the 20 plots had ectotrophic mycelium present, and G. incrustans was subsequently recovered from these plots. Gaeumannomyces incrustans is the causal agent of zoysia root rot, as Z. japon...
Effect of the α2δ ligand, pregabalin, on colonic sensory and motor functions in healthy adults

Pregabalin, an α2δ ligand, is used clinically to treat somatic pain. A prior study suggested that pregabalin reduces distension-induced pain while increasing rectal compliance. We aimed to quantify...
Tests of Theories of Decision Making: Violations of Branch Independence and Distribution Independence☆☆☆

This paper investigates two behavioral properties of choices between gambles: branch independence and distribution independence. Branch independence is the assumption that probability-outcome branches that are identical in two gambles being compared should have no effect on preference order. In the test of distribution independence, two middle outcomes of fixed probability are sandwiched between two extreme outcomes, common to both gambles, whose probabilities are varied. Distribution independence requires that preference order should be independent of the probability distribution of these common outcomes. Distribution independence is implied by original prospect theory and the configural weight model of Birnbaum and McIntosh (1996). For both properties, patterns of violations are opposite those predicted by the inverse-S weighting function used in the model of cumulative prospect theory by Tversky and Kahneman (1992).
Set up for a Fall The Insidious Effects of Flattery and Opinion Conformity toward Corporate Leaders

This study considers the potentially negative consequences for corporate lead- ers of being subjected to high levels of ingratiation in the form of flattery and opinion conformity from other managers and board members. Chief executive officers (CEOs) who have acquired positions of relatively high social status in the corporate elite tend to be attractive targets of flattery and opinion confor- mity from colleagues, which can have potentially negative consequences for CEOs and their firms. Our theory suggests how high levels of flattery and opin- ion conformity can increase CEOs' overconfidence in their strategic judgment and leadership capability, which results in biased strategic decision making. Specifically, we contend that heightened overconfidence from receiving high levels of such ingratiatory behavior reduces the likelihood that CEOs will initiate needed strategic change in response to poor firm performance. We tested and confirmed our hypotheses with a dataset that includes original survey data from a large sample of U.S. CEOs, other top managers, and board members in the period 2001-2007. Further analyses suggest that strategic persistence that results from high levels of flattery and opinion conformity directed at the CEO can result in the persistence of low firm performance and may ultimately increase the likelihood of the CEO's dismissal. Implications for theory and research on social influence, sources of overconfidence in decision making, and the dynamics of executive careers are discussed.
Redistributive impact of increasing block residential water rates: some empirical evidence from Mauritius

This paper presents empirical results on progressive incidence of water charges that contradict conventional wisdom in developing and many developed countries. Family size in Mauritius is larger among high-income categories relative to low-income groups. Because of this unusual demographic dimension, increasing block tariffs coupled with lifeline rates below long-term marginal costs applicable to low-volume users produce a different result. Regional disparities in water demand among residential users further contribute to a redistributive strategy. It is interesting to note that extensive metering in urban and rural areas allows low-income consumers to end up in low-rate blocks. Empirical estimates of price, income and household size elasticities for different income categories reveal that low-income households face more than average price elasticity of demand for water and less than average income and household size elasticity. In the light of these results, it has been established that increase in demand for water among richer households has the potential of improving equity in water charges. Computed marginal budget shares derived from a linear expenditure system show that the amount of supernumerary income would be higher for richer people, so that a percentage increase in income may result in higher level spending on water when compared to lower-income households.
Dynamic compressive strength of silicon carbide under uniaxial compression

SiC is used in impact related applications, such as integrated armor. This necessitates development of models which describe its dynamic behavior and failure modes. Experimental results, which relate the strain rate to the compressive strength of SiC under uniaxial loading are obtained. Quasi-static tests are performed using a hydraulically driven Instron universal testing machine. Dynamic tests are performed using a modified split Hopkinson pressure bar. A marked increase is observed in the compressive strength at strain rates greater than 10 2 s − 1 . The failure modes are similar in specimens loaded at both low and high strain rates. At the peak stress, the specimens fail by axial splitting. This paper compares the experimental results to those predicted by a simple model of interacting, dynamically growing, wing cracks which coalesce, leading to failure. © 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic model for educational simulations

Pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic (PK-PD) models play an important role in educational simulations. The parameters of PK-PD models described in the scientific literature are obtained from studies in which the drug concentrations and the drug-effect data are measured simultaneously. Simultaneous PK-PD studies cannot be expected to incorporate all possible combinations of drugs and patient physiology that are desired for educational simulations. To solve this problem, the authors elaborate on the traditional simultaneous PK-PD model, creating a new model that accepts parameter data from different, more readily available, nonsimultaneous pharmacologic studies. These data are incorporated in the model using a novel estimation procedure for the parameters k/sub e0/ and EC/sub 50/. A sensitivity analysis of the parameter estimation procedure confirms that the time of peak effect following a bolus and the dose-response curve are accurately reflected by the new model. It also demonstrates how inconsistencies among the different parameter sets affect simulation of the recovery phase. The model is extended to incorporate any monotonic parametric or nonparametric dose-response curve. For the neuromuscular relaxant vecuronium, the authors demonstrate that data from different pharmacologic studies are available, and that the described estimation procedure leads to parameter estimates that are within the standard deviations of the parameters determined in a simultaneous PK-PD study.
NUMERICAL AND TAXONOMIC SCALE OF ANALYSIS IN PALEOECOLOGICAL DATA SETS: EXAMPLES FROM NEO-TROPICAL PLEISTOCENE REEF CORAL COMMUNITIES

I investigated the degree to which the interpretation of reef coral distribution data is influenced by the numerical and taxonomic scale of analysis in Pleistocene coral communities from the Caribbean Sea. Patterns of community differentiation analyzed at both species and genus levels showed only small differences using different numerical scales (relative abundance, rank abundance and species presence and absence). Whereas some differences were observed between species and genus level patterns, they had little effect on paleoecological interpretations. The greatest differences occurred when presence and absence analyses of assemblages sampled along 40-m transects were compared with those sampled along 40-m transects augmented by a one-hour search for rare taxa. These results suggest that paleoecological interpretations of Quaternary coral communities are robust to numerical scale of analysis at the species and genus level, and to taxonomic scale between the species and genus level. However, interpretations of community structure are sensitive to sampling intensity, geographic scale, and sample size.
The Newest Equal Protection: Regressive Doctrine on a Changeable Court

Most of the scholarly commentary about Bush v. Gore, at least so far, has been quite scathing. A common thread has been that the Court's equal protection analysis "had no basis in precedent." I argue that criticism misses the mark. Unfortunately for equal protection law, Bush v. Gore is not an aberration. Rather, it is yet another manifestation of the newest model of equal protection, a model laid out in the Court's decisions regarding race-conscious redistricting and Congress' power to enforce the Fourteenth Amendment. Bush v. Gore involves what I call "structural" equal protection. In this newest model of equal protection, the Court deploys the equal protection clause not to protect the rights of an individual or a discrete group of individuals, particularly a group unable to protect itself through operation of the normal political processes, but rather to regulate the institutional arrangements within which politics is conducted. Neither the Court's earlier structural equal protection cases nor Bush v. Gore satisfactorily answers the question of when, and why, courts should intervene in the deeply messy process of partisan politics. And the Court has adopted a distressingly narrow perspective within which to measure equality. Moreover, the image of democracy that underlies Bush v. Gore is itself a controversial one. The Court sees itself as the only institution fully competent to resolve the difficult questions raised by the equal protection clause. The Supreme Court has radically transformed not only the substantive rules that govern reapportionments and recounts, but also the vertical and horizontal relationships among the various institutional players - federal and state, judicial, legislative, and executive - involved in these intensely political activities.
Proliferative, necrotizing and crescentic immune complex-mediated glomerulonephritis in a cat.

Case SummaryA 5-year-old cat was examined for vomiting and anorexia of 2 days’ duration. Azotemia, hyperphosphatemia and hypoalbuminemia were the main biochemical findings. Serial analyses of the urine revealed isosthenuria, proteinuria and eventual glucosuria. Hyperechoic perirenal fat was detected surrounding the right kidney by ultrasonography. Histopathologic evaluation of ante-mortem ultrasound-guided needle biopsies of the right kidney was consistent with proliferative, necrotizing and crescentic glomerulonephritis with fibrin thrombi, proteinaceous and red blood cell casts, and moderate multifocal chronic-active interstitial nephritis. Owing to a lack of clinical improvement, the cat was eventually euthanized. Post-mortem renal biopsies were processed for light microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and immunofluorescence. This revealed severe focal proliferative and necrotizing glomerulonephritis with cellular crescent formation, podocyte injury and secondary segmental sclerosis. Ultrastruct...
Advanced flow MRI: emerging techniques and applications

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques provide non-invasive and non-ionising methods for the highly accurate anatomical depiction of the heart and vessels throughout the cardiac cycle. In addition, the intrinsic sensitivity of MRI to motion offers the unique ability to acquire spatially registered blood flow simultaneously with the morphological data, within a single measurement. In clinical routine, flow MRI is typically accomplished using methods that resolve two spatial dimensions in individual planes and encode the time-resolved velocity in one principal direction, typically oriented perpendicular to the two-dimensional (2D) section. This review describes recently developed advanced MRI flow techniques, which allow for more comprehensive evaluation of blood flow characteristics, such as real-time flow imaging, 2D multiple-venc phase contrast MRI, four-dimensional (4D) flow MRI, quantification of complex haemodynamic properties, and highly accelerated flow imaging. Emerging techniques and novel applications are explored. In addition, applications of these new techniques for the improved evaluation of cardiovascular (aorta, pulmonary arteries, congenital heart disease, atrial fibrillation, coronary arteries) as well as cerebrovascular disease (intra-cranial arteries and veins) are presented.
Isolate specific detection of mycorrhizal fungi using genome specific primer pairs

Random amplification of polymorphic DNA analysis was used to generate DNA fragments that are unique to isolates of two arbuscular mycor- rhizal fungi, Glomus mosseae and Gigaspora margarita. Sequence analysis of these fragments allowed gener- ation of primer pairs, and subsequent specific iden- tification of these genomes even in the presence of competing genomic DNA's. This approach can be used to specifically detect the presence of these fungi in mixtures of spores or infected roots.
Near Field Dynamics of Wing Tip Vortices

An experimental investigation has been conducted to study the formation and near-field dynamics of a wing tip vortex. Stereoscopic PIV (SPIV), which allows instantaneous measurements of all three components of velocity within a planar slice, was used to measure velocity fields behind the wing. The present study has found that the wing sheds multiple vortices of opposite signs. Farther downstream, the vortices, with opposite sense of rotation, break up into smaller vortices which satellite around the tip vortex. At least one relatively strong satellite vortex appears in some of the instantaneous fields. The study found that the interaction of the tip vortex and satellite vortices give rise to the unsteady motion of the wing tip vortex.
Nation Building and Rebuilding: The American Red Cross in Italy During the Great War

During World War I, hundreds of Americans traveled to Italy as volunteers for the American Red Cross (ARC). Through their relief activities for Italian civilians, these individuals served both diplomatic and social-reform agendas. They packaged medical and social aid with a clear message of American alliance, presenting the ARC as a vanguard of the U.S. military that was prepared to assist Italy's war effort in the absence of American troops. Emphasizing American methods, expertise, and alliance, ARC representatives also enacted reforms with the ambition to mold Italy into their vision of a modern western nation. This article argues that international humanitarian aid buttressed U.S. international involvement, both political and cultural, during the Wilsonian era. Further, by examining the connections between social politics and foreign relations in Italy, it demonstrates that the boundaries of the transatlantic progressive community extended beyond the North Atlantic.
Mediated Technologies: Locating Non-Authorial Agency in Printed and Digital Texts

SUMMARYEarly modern printers, publishers and booksellers not only influenced readers to purchase particular books but continue to shape our reception of printed books today. Through title-page advertisements, prefaces and indexes, these ‘print agents’ forged unique relationships with new and returning readers. Paying attention to paratextual structures can uncover strategies for marketing new books, corralling readers and outlining new genres. A consideration of framing devices can also further our understanding of digital resources: much as print agents mediated printed books, digital humanists help reinforce the value of new technologies for the study of early modern texts, guiding users to apply new methods of research, and helping establish new areas of scholarship. As a new kind of print agent, digital humanists must be more aware of their choices in curating, organising and labeling metadata. As we rethink what it means to read, edit and disseminate texts through the digital medium, we must also und...
Postcolonial Citizens, Ethnic Migration, and Political Incorporation in Liberal Democracies: Locating the Dutch and Japanese Cases

The Netherlands is said to be a ‘reluctant country of immigration’ and Japan a ‘latecomer to immigration’ (Cornelius et al., 1994). Both countries present critical cases because, in the last century, these ‘older’ (Dahl, 1989) liberal democracies have had contentious experiences with mass postcolonial citizen and ethnic migrations. If political incorporation is difficult for advantaged legal immigrants, it should be even more daunting for others. Hence, postcolonial citizens and ethnic immigrants in the Netherlands and Japan can act as miners’ canaries (Guinier and Torres, 2002) for all. This book is the first to comparatively shed light on the political stories of Dutch Antillean and Aruban citizens in the Netherlands, and Latin American Nikkeijin (Japanese descendants) in Japan, who inherit host state access as postcolonial citizens and ethnic immigrants. It is among a very few works to investigate cross-regionally the role of citizenship and ethnicity in migration, political incorporation, and political transnationalism in the age of globalization.
The effects of intertrial interval and instructional format on skill acquisition and maintenance for children with autism spectrum disorders.

We replicated and extended the study by Koegel, Dunlap, and Dyer (1980) by examining the effects of 3 intertrial-interval (ITI) durations on skill acquisition in 2 children with autism spectrum disorders. Specifically, we compared the effect of short (2 s), progressive (2 s to 20 s), and long (20 s) ITIs on participants' mastery of tacts or intraverbals presented in massed-trial and varied-trial instructional formats. We also measured (a) stereotypic and problem behavior during the ITI, (b) maintenance of skills, and (c) responding to novel adults and settings. Results showed that short ITIs in a varied-trial format produced the most efficient acquisition of skills; however, most ITI durations produced more efficient skill acquisition in a varied format compared to a massed format. The trial format and ITI duration associated with the lowest levels of stereotypic and problem behavior during the ITI and responding during maintenance and novel adult and setting probes differed across participants.
Role of Multiple Atmospheric Reflections in Formation of Electron Distribution Function in the Diffuse Aurora Region

The precipitation of high-energy magnetospheric electrons (E greater than 500-600 electronvolts) in the diffuse aurora contributes significant energy flux into Earth's ionosphere. In the diffuse aurora, precipitating electrons initially injected from the plasmasheet via wave-particle interaction processes degrade in the atmosphere toward lower energies and produce secondary electrons via impact ionization of the neutral atmosphere. These initially precipitating electrons of magnetospheric origin can be additionally reflected back into the magnetosphere by the two magnetically conjugated atmospheres, leading to a series of multiple reflections that can greatly influence the initially precipitating flux at the upper ionospheric boundary (700-800 kilometers) and the resultant population of secondary electrons and electrons cascading toward lower energies. We present the solution of the Boltzmann.Landau kinetic equation that uniformly describes the entire electron distribution function in the diffuse aurora, including the affiliated production of secondary electrons (E is less than or equal to 600 electronvolts) and their energy interplay in the magnetosphere and two conjugated ionospheres. This solution takes into account the role of multiple atmospheric reflections of the precipitated electrons that were initially moved into the loss cone via wave.particle interaction processes in Earth's plasmasheet.
An ichthyofauna from the subsurface Devonian of northwestern Iowa and its biostratigraphic and paleoecologic significance

A fauna of disarticulated Devonian fossil fish remains includes osteolepid, palaeoniscoid, acanthodian, placoderm, and possible agnathan material. Lithologic and biostratigraphic evidence for a lacustrine or paludal environmental interpretation is examined. Palynomorphs from the deposit suggest a Middle (Givetian) to early Late (Frasnian) Devonian age which is compatible with the faunal evidence.
Superficial Femoral Artery Is Not Left Anterior Descending Artery.

The past half-decade has witnessed unprecedented improvement in outcomes for patients with peripheral artery disease subjected to mechanical endovascular therapies.1 Once an afterthought coronary technology backwater, minimally invasive treatment of peripheral artery disease has emerged as frontline strategy for patients with medically refractory symptoms. We are now equipped with devices designed specifically for the peripheral vasculature: specialized crossing wires and catheters, debulking tools, drug-coated stents (DCSs), and drug-coated balloons (DCBs). Annual treatment failure rates are down from 20% to 30% to <3%.2 This remarkable trend has been accompanied by equally impressive growth in our understanding of peripheral artery atherosclerosis, the result of state-of-the-art noninvasive imaging, histopathological analyses, and gene-profiling studies. Is it technology, biology, or the biology behind technology that has fueled this unrivaled success over such a short period of time? The fact that the superficial femoral artery (SFA) is located within a fibromuscular canal and is subjected to highly dynamic forces of flexion, extension, shortening, and torsion clearly distinguishes it from the coronary arteries. These mechanical forces are known to impart to the SFA cyclic circumferential strain and deformation, promoting cellular proliferation, chronic vessel injury, and perturbations in the expression of several genes hypothesized to accelerate atherosclerosis. In light of these realities, there has been a concerted effort to apply strategies and technologies to infrainguinal arteries that have served us well in treating coronary artery disease. Excepting a few notable bright spots, this approach has been woefully inadequate, with only modest treatment success of peripheral artery interventions becoming the accepted norm. The SFA is prone to …
Bright Light Therapy as Augmentation of Pharmacotherapy for Treatment of Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background Bright light therapy has demonstrated efficacy and is an accepted treatment for seasonal depression. It has been suggested that bright light therapy may have efficacy in nonseasonal depressions. Also, there is evidence that bright light therapy may improve responsiveness to antidepressant pharmacotherapy. Data sources We searched PubMed/MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, CINAHL, EMBASE, Scopus, and Academic OneFile for English-language literature published between January 1998 and April 2016, using the keywords bright light therapy AND major depression, bright light therapy AND depress*, bright light therapy AND bipolar depression, bright light therapy AND affective disorders, circadian rhythm AND major depression, circadian rhythm AND depress*, and circadian rhythm AND affective disorder. Study selection and data extraction Studies that reported randomized trials comparing antidepressant pharmacotherapy with bright light therapy ≥ 5,000 lux for ≥ 30 minutes to antidepressant pharmacotherapy without bright light therapy for the treatment of nonseasonal depression were included. Studies of seasonal depression were excluded. Following review of the initial 112 returns, 2 of the authors independently judged each trial, applying the inclusionary and exclusionary criteria. Ten studies were selected as meeting these criteria. Subjects in these studies were pooled using standard techniques of meta-analysis. Results Ten studies involving 458 patients showed improvement using bright light therapy augmentation versus antidepressant pharmacotherapy alone. The effect size was similar to that of other accepted augmentation strategies, roughly 0.5. Conclusions Analysis of pooled data from randomized trials provides evidence for the efficacy of use of bright light therapy ≥ 5,000 lux for periods ≥ 30 minutes when used as augmentation to standard antidepressant pharmacotherapy in the treatment of major depressive disorder and bipolar depression without a seasonal pattern.
Principals and clinical applications of magnetic resonance cardiac spectroscopy in heart failure

Cardiac magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) is a noninvasive method to assess by-products of myocardial metabolism. Recent developments in shorter scan protocols and more powerful field strengths have created interest in utilizing this technology in studying and characterizing the metabolic derangements in heart failure patients. Our lack of understanding in heart failure could be greatly enhanced by identifying the metabolic changes and eventually modifying metabolic substrate to achieve improved cardiac mechanics with the aid of this technology. However, there are several impediments for the widespread applicability of this technology. This review discusses the principals of human cardiac MRS and literature pertaining to use of MRS in patients with cardiomyopathy.
Low-pressure yields of stabilized Criegee intermediates CH3CHOO and (CH3)2COO in ozonolysis of trans-2-butene and 2,3-dimethyl-2-butene

Abstract Cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) and chemical titration with sulfur dioxide (SO2) were used to indirectly measure the yields of stabilized Criegee intermediates (sCIs) produced from ozonolysis of trans-2-butene and 2,3-dimethyl-2-butene at low pressures in the range of 2–60 Torr. In the case of trans-2-butene, the yield of sCI was found to decrease with decreasing pressure and reach zero at the zero-pressure limit. For 2,3-dimethyl-2-butene, the sCI yield also decreased with decreasing pressure but reached a minimum of 12 ± 5% at the zero-pressure limit, corresponding to the nascent fraction of CI formed with internal energy below the barriers of dissociation/isomerization.
Scientific Thinking: Being Rational?

The reasoning processes employed in the resolution of research problems, in the analysis and evaluation of scientific data, and in the assessment of experimental results, may be complex. Critical thinking is not something that can be applied mechanistically or simplistically, but is a skill that needs development and practice.
Functional differentiation of normal human neutrophils

In the past differentiation of human neutrophils has been defined by morphology, cytochemistry, or surface markers. In our experiments we have sequenced the various events that occur during the functional differentiation of the normal human neutrophil and have also examined some of the functional properties in relationship to surface markers and biochemical events. Granulocytes were obtained from the bone marrow and blood of hematologically normal individuals. Cells were separated into different stages of maturation by their physical properties using counterflow centrifugal elutriation and density gradient separation. Three cell fractions were obtained that were enriched for either immature myeloid cells, band neutrophils, or segmented neutrophils. Since the enriched fractions were not entirely pure, methodologies for functional assays were chosen that allowed cytologic evaluation of the functional capacity of each cell type. The criteria used to classify the stages of differentiation included both morphology by light microscopy and DNA labeling with tritiated thymidine. Various neutrophilic properties were studied: Fc receptors, complement receptors (CR1, CR3), phagocytosis of both live and dead opsonized Staphylococcus aureus, microbial killing of S aureus, NBT dye reduction after cellular stimulation with endotoxin, and chemotaxis. Our results indicate that the functional properties of the neutrophil appear in a distinct order. The sequence for the functional differentiation of the human neutrophil appears to be the following: Fc receptors----immune phagocytosis----complement receptors----oxygen-independent microbial killing----oxygen-dependent microbial killing----chemotaxis.
Development of a Biological Science Quantitative Reasoning Exam (BioSQuaRE)

Recent national reports call for increasing the quantitative acumen of biology students. The BioSQuaRE represents an assessment tool based on such reports. The iterative development of the instrume...
Pueblo Water Rights

Pueblo communities have lived in what is now the American southwest since time immemorial. They have practiced irrigated agriculture since well before the Spanish arrived in 1540 (Cohen’s Handbook 2012, §4.07(c); New Mexico v Abbot 2010). In the American West, water is allocated on a first-in-time basis—called prior appropriation. On its face, applying the rules of prior appropriation would appear to mean the Pueblos have paramount water rights to all other users. Yet, despite their long history of water use, Pueblo communities’ right to water remains in question. The story of why this is so illustrates some of the problems that occur when colonising powers treat Indigenous groups as if they have no laws and as if there is no differentiation among Indigenous groups. It also demonstrates how a focus on procedural details can provide the appearance of fairness while concealing substantive injustice (Hendry and Tatum 2016). This chapter will propose a new way of looking at the particular problem of the Pueblos of the American southwest and their rights to water.
Progression of myocardial ischemia leads to unique changes in immediate-early gene expression in the spinal cord dorsal horn

Activation of the autonomic nervous system after myocardial injury can provide early cardiovascular support or prolonged aberrant sympathoexcitation. The later response can lead to lethal arrhythmi...
A Reinforcement Learning Based Adaptive Supervisor for Multiple Model Adaptive Estimation and Control

Multiple Model Adaptive Estimation and Control (MMAE) has proven to be an effective tool for fault detection and handling. Through the modeling of expected fault dynamics and the design of associated controllers, quick adaptation and significant improvements in system reliability can be realized. However, this technique is hindered by its lack of high level adaptability and considerable implementation costs. In this paper, a reinforcement learning based MMAE supervisor is proposed which allows for increased design flexibility and continual improvement. The ability of the adaptive supervisor to perform fault handling is demonstrated using pitot tube and accelerometer failures in simulation on the Flying Fish autonomous unmanned sea plane. Results show that the adaptive supervisor achieves a 26% increase in normalized aircraft survival probability compared to the nominal controller.
A Review of Interface Microstructures in Electronic Packaging Applications: Soldering Technology

This report examines the role of interfaces in electronic packaging applications with the focus placed on soldering technology. Materials and processes are described with respect to their roles on the performance and reliability of associated interfaces. The discussion will also include interface microstructures created by coatings and finishes that are frequently used in packaging applications. Numerous examples are cited to illustrate the importance of interfaces in physical and mechanical metallurgy as well as the engineering function of interconnections. Regardless of the specific application, interfaces are non-equilibrium structures, which has important ramifications for the long-term reliability of electronic packaging.
Hypertension Associated with Fructose and High Salt: Renal and Sympathetic Mechanisms

Hypertension is a leading cause of cardiovascular and chronic renal disease. Despite multiple important strides that have been made in our understanding of the etiology of hypertension, the mechanisms remain complex due to multiple factors, including the environment, heredity and diet. This review focuses on dietary contributions, providing evidence for the involvement of elevated fructose and salt consumption that parallels the increased incidence of hypertension worldwide. High fructose loads potentiate salt reabsorption by the kidney, leading to elevation in blood pressure. Several transporters, such as NHE3 and PAT1 are modulated in this milieu and play a crucial role in salt-sensitivity. High fructose ingestion also modulates the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. Recent attention has been shifted towards the contribution of the sympathetic nervous system, as clinical trials demonstrated significant reductions in blood pressure following renal sympathetic nerve ablation. New preclinical data demonstrates the activation of the renal sympathetic nerves in fructose-induced salt-sensitive hypertension, and reductions of blood pressure after renal nerve ablation. This review further demonstrates the interplay between sodium handling by the kidney, the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, and activation of the renal sympathetic nerves as important mechanisms in fructose and salt-induced hypertension.
Tissue factor pathway inhibitor: the carboxy-terminus is required for optimal inhibition of factor Xa

Tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) is a multivalent Kunitz-type protease inhibitor that binds to and inactivates factor Xa directly, and in a factor Xa-dependent fashion inhibits the factor VIIa/tissue factor catalytic complex. TFPI is a slow, tight-binding, competitive, and reversible inhibitor of factor Xa, in which the formation of an initial encounter complex between TFPI and factor Xa is followed by slow isomerization to a final, tightened complex. Wild-type recombinant TFPI (rTFPI), expressed in mouse C127 cells, separates into two forms on heparin-agarose chromatography that elute at 0.3 mol/L and 0.6 mol/L NaCl. Western blot analysis shows that both forms contain the N-terminus of full-length TFPI, but only rTFPI(0.6) is recognized by an antibody directed against the C-terminus. rTFPI(0.3) and rTFPI(0.6) inhibit factor Xa with 1:1 stoichiometry and inhibit factor VIIa/tissue factor equally in an endpoint-type assay. However, rTFPI(0.6) is a more potent inhibitor than rTFPI(0.3) of coagulation in normal plasma induced by either factor Xa or tissue factor. The initial inhibition of factor Xa (less than 5 seconds) produced by rTFPI(0.6) is several-fold greater than that produced by rTFPI(0.3), presumably reflecting a lower Ki of the immediate encounter complex between factor Xa and TFPI. The differential effect of these forms of TFPI on tissue factor-induced coagulation in normal plasma appears to be directly related to their ability to inhibit factor Xa. To confirm the role of the C-terminal region of TFPI in optimal factor Xa inhibition, a carboxy-terminal mutant of rTFPI, which is truncated after leucine 252 and thus lacks the basic sequence K T K R K R K K Q R V K (residues 254-265), was expressed in C127 cells. This form of rTFPI elutes from heparin-agarose at 0.28 mol/L NaCl and inhibits factor Xa at a rate that is slower than rTFPI(0.3). The Ki(final)s for factor Xa inhibition by rTFPI(0.6), rTFPI(0.3), and rTFPI1-252 are 3.1 +/- 0.6, 19.6 +/- 0.8, and 19.6 +/- 3.0 pmol/L, respectively.
Complementary and Integrative Health in Chronic Pain and Palliative Care

Complementary and integrative health encompasses diverse medical and health-care systems, practices, and products that are not generally considered part of conventional medicine. Conventional medicine (also called Western or allopathic medicine) is medicine as practiced by holders of MD (medical doctor) and DO (doctor of osteopathy) degrees and by allied health professionals, such as physical therapists, psychologists, nurse practitioners, and registered nurses. The boundaries between complementary health approaches and conventional medicine are not absolute, and specific complementary practices may, over time, become widely accepted. Despite the fact that rigorous, well-designed clinical trials for many complementary health approaches are often lacking and, therefore, the safety and effectiveness of many complementary health approaches are uncertain, complementary health approach use is common, particularly among individuals with chronic pain and advanced illness. This chapter presents evidence regarding selected complementary health modalities in the settings of chronic pain and palliative care. The presentation of the evidence is organized according to the following categories: (1) mind–body practices, (2) manipulative and body-based practices, (3) manipulation of energy fields (biofield therapies), and (4) biologically based therapies. Where sufficient data are available, the evidence is presented in table format. For some modalities, little evidence is available. For these modalities, the existing evidence is described in the text only. Despite many years of complementary health practice and common usage, rigorous scientific research on complementary health approaches has occurred only relatively recently. Complementary health approach research is limited by methodologic and ethical issues. Gaps in research are thus the norm, and the current evidence base is insufficient.
Occupational Attainment and Depressive Symptoms in Young Adulthood

Past studies have shown that various aspects of occupational attainment (unemployment, job instability, low occupational status, and low earnings) are associated with poor mental health, but each of these studies focused on one or two aspects of occupational attainment. Consequently, it remains unclear whether their associations are independent of each other. Further, little is known about whether negative self-assessments of occupational attainment are linked to poor mental health. We sought to overcome these limitations of past research while focusing on depressive symptoms as a mental health outcome and young adulthood as a life stage context. The study analysed U.S. data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (n = 13,178) using ordinary least square models. The analysis showed that all aspects of occupational attainment were associated with depressive symptoms in the expected directions. Further, unemployment, job instability, and negative self-assessment of career progress showed stronger associations, and those associations were independent of other occupational attainment variables. Overall, the results suggested that understanding the association between occupational attainment and mental health requires close attention to the life stage context.
S19 Peak nasal inspiratory flow and nasal cytokines are useful biomarkers of nasal inflammation in cystic fibrosis gene therapy

Introduction The UK Cystic Fibrosis Gene Therapy Consortium has developed a programme of gene therapy for cystic fibrosis (CF). Studies include administration in the nasal respiratory epithelium to confirm molecular efficacy and safety in advance of lung trials. The aim of this study is to validate the measurement of peak nasal inspiratory flow (PNIF) and cytokines in nasal secretions from stable CF subjects and controls, for use as safety outcome measures to detect immune inflammatory responses. Methods Study participants were asked to perform a short maximal sniff manoeuvre using an In-Check device (Clement Clarke) and the best of 2 proficient attempts was used. PNIF was measured in 19 subjects with stable CF and 23 healthy controls. Smokers and subjects with significant nasal pathology or steroid use were excluded. Repeat visits were performed in 7 patients with CF to assess intra-subject variability. Nasal secretions were obtained from 12 CF subjects and 6 healthy controls within the cohort using open cell polyurethane sponges. Cytokines correlating with innate (IL-1β, IL-8, TNFα, IFNα and CXCL11) and adaptive (IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, RANTES and IFNγ) viral immune responses were analysed using a MagPix bead assay. Results PNIF was not significantly different in between healthy subjects and those with CF and there was no significant difference between male and female subjects overall. PNIF was stable between visits 1 and 2 in CF (%CV 16.6). IL-1β, IL-8, IL-6, IFNγ, TNFα, CXCL11 and RANTES were detectable in most samples. Nasal IFNγ was higher in nasal secretions from subjects with CF (5.8 (0–10.75) pg/ul) compared with healthy controls (0 (0–0), p=0.002) whereas differences were non-significant for other cytokines. In CF subjects, median cytokine level did not vary significantly between visit 1 and 2 for any cytokine. However, mean coefficient of variation for all cytokines was 63%. Conclusions We show for the first time that peak inspiratory nasal flow and detection of cytokines can be rapidly undertaken and are well-tolerated measurements in CF. Group medians for PNIF and all nasal cytokines were stable on repeat visits. These biomarker assays are suitable for safety outcome measures reporting nasal inflammation at clinical trial.
Design and Implementation of Linked Planning Domain Definition Language

Planning is a critical component of any artificial intelligence system that concerns the realization of strategies or action sequences typically for intelligent agents and autonomous robots. Given predefined parameterized actions, a planning service should accept a query with the goal and initial state to give a solution with a sequence of actions applied to environmental objects. This paper addresses the problem by providing a repository of actions generically applicable to various environmental objects based on Semantic Web technologies. Ontologies are used for asserting constraints in common sense as well as for resolving compatibilities between actions and states. Constraints are defined using Web standards such as SPARQL and SHACL to allow conditional predicates. We demonstrate the usefulness of the proposed planning domain description language with our robotics applications.
Sensor Drift Estimation for Reactor Systems by Fusing Multiple Sensor Measurements

A nuclear power plant is instrumented with a variety of sensors that monitor its variables to estimate the state and initiate safety actions, if needed. We address the problem of estimating drifts or errors in sensor measurements due to factors such as calibration changes. We propose an information fusion method that uses measurements from other sensors to generate an estimate of a sensor measurement, and its difference from an actual measurement provides an error estimate. We present two fusers based on the ensemble of trees and support vector machine that are trained using sensor measurements collected at an emulated test loop of a pressurized water reactor under no-drift conditions. We present error estimates for a differential pressure sensor of the heat exchanger of the primary coolant system, under twenty controlled scenarios using the test loop. Both positive and negative errors are captured by both methods in scenarios involving calibration drifts, blocking, air gap and electromagnetic interference. The root mean square errors of estimated drifts are typically within 2% percent of the maximum.
Towards Eliciting and Analyzing Security Requirements Using Ontologies through Use Case Scenarios (Work-in-Progress)

As our reliance on large, complex and ubiquitous software system increases, so does the devastating consequences that a cyberattack can have to modern society. Building secure software systems requires a greater need for secure software engineering approaches that can detect and address security vulnerabilities at the earliest stages of the software development life cycle. This paper presents an approach to facilitate the elicitation of cybersecurity requirements based on enhancing the widely adopted technique of use case modeling by incorporating the use of an ontology. The ontology will model the semantic relationship of cybersecurity requirements. Utilizing this ontology, we propose an approach that can be used to reuse and share cybersecurity requirements, providing a potential for the rapid discovery and correction of software vulnerabilities in the development process.