cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Performance evaluation of a picture archiving and communication network using stochastic activity networks

A fiber-optic star-based picture archiving and communication system (PACS) network that is based on a multiplexed passive star local area network with wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) to provide separate logical channels for transfer of control and image data is discussed. The system consists of an image network (INET), for image transfer at a rate of 140 Mb/s, and a control network (CNET), operating at 10 Mb/s, for mediating the flow of image transfers. INET is a circuit switched network devoted solely to image transfer, while CNET employs the CSMA/CD protocol for bus arbitration. Stochastic activity networks were used to develop a detailed model of the command and image channels. The performance of the system was then evaluated under realistic workload conditions. In particular, a number of important performance variables, including the image response time, command channel delay, and queue length at each type of node and the network supervisor, are estimated. The results (1) show that stochastic activity networks are an appropriate model type for evaluating picture archiving and communication systems, (2) delineate the workload conditions under which PACS may effectively operate, and (3) show that even when these conditions are exceeded, the command channel load remains extremely light. >
eIF5A Promotes Translation Elongation, Polysome Disassembly and Stress Granule Assembly

Stress granules (SGs) are cytoplasmic foci at which untranslated mRNAs accumulate in cells exposed to environmental stress. We have identified ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), an enzyme required for polyamine synthesis, and eIF5A, a polyamine (hypusine)-modified translation factor, as proteins required for arsenite-induced SG assembly. Knockdown of deoxyhypusine synthase (DHS) or treatment with a deoxyhypusine synthase inhibitor (GC7) prevents hypusine modification of eIF5A as well as arsenite-induced polysome disassembly and stress granule assembly. Time-course analysis reveals that this is due to a slowing of stress-induced ribosome run-off in cells lacking hypusine-eIF5A. Whereas eIF5A only marginally affects protein synthesis under normal conditions, it is required for the rapid onset of stress-induced translational repression. Our results reveal that hypusine-eIF5A-facilitated translation elongation promotes arsenite-induced polysome disassembly and stress granule assembly in cells subjected to adverse environmental conditions.
An Empirical Correlation for the Outside Convective Air Film Coefficient for Horizontal Roofs

Abstract From measurements of surface heat transfer on the roofs of two commercial buildings in Northern California we have developed a correlation that expresses the outside convective air-film coefficient for flat, horizontal roofs as a function of surface-to-air temperature difference, wind speed, wind direction, roof size, and surface roughness. When used in detailed building energy analysis programs, this correlation is expected to give more accurate calculation of roof loads, which are sensitive to outside surface convection. In our analysis, about 90% of the variance of the data was explained by a model that combined standard flat-plate equations for natural and forced convection and that took surface roughness into account. We give expressions for the convective air-film coefficient: (1) at an arbitrary point on a convex-shaped roof, for a given wind direction; (2) averaged over a strip along the wind direction; and (3) averaged over a rectangular roof for a given wind direction.
Role for the Silencing Protein Dot1 in Meiotic Checkpoint Control

During the meiotic cell cycle, a surveillance mechanism called the “pachytene checkpoint” ensures proper chromosome segregation by preventing meiotic progression when recombination and chromosome synapsis are defective. The silencing protein Dot1 (also known as Pch1) is required for checkpoint-mediated pachytene arrest of the zip1 and dmc1 mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In the absence of DOT1, the zip1 and dmc1 mutants inappropriately progress through meiosis, generating inviable meiotic products. Other components of the pachytene checkpoint include the nucleolar protein Pch2 and the heterochromatin component Sir2. In dot1, disruption of the checkpoint correlates with the loss of concentration of Pch2 and Sir2 in the nucleolus. In addition to its checkpoint function, Dot1 blocks the repair of meiotic double-strand breaks by a Rad54dependent pathway of recombination between sister chromatids. In vegetative cells, mutation of DOT1 results in delocalization of Sir3 from telomeres, accounting for the impaired telomeric silencing in dot1.
Effect of deep brain stimulation on autonomic dysfunction in patients with Parkinson’s disease

Increasing attention is being paid to the non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD). While deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) has been shown to clearly improve motor symptoms of PD, the effects of STN DBS on autonomic symptoms have not been well studied. We examined 11 patients undergoing STN DBS for PD. Patients were administered a questionnaire by phone to evaluate pre-operative and post-operative function. Three out of the 11 patients reported marked improvement post-DBS in one or more symptoms of autonomic dysfunction (sweating, bladder, or bowel function). All three patients had early-onset PD (EOPD), whereas the eight patients reporting no significant improvement were those with late-onset PD. Thus, we found that some patients experienced marked improvement in sweating and/or bowel and bladder function after STN DBS, with a trend towards a response in patients with EOPD. Our results suggest the utility of a larger prospective study.
The time variation of wind speeds and windfarm power output in Kansas

On the Kansas plains, 1-min average wind speeds have high autocorrelations, with a value of about 0.9 with a lag of 32 min. In the winter, spring, and fall, 10 min average wind speed autocorrelation functions drop to 0 in 20 to 30 hr. Some cyclic behavior is noticed in the winter and fall correlations, with a period of several days. It is believed that this cyclic behavior is due to the passage of fronts. Only the summer season data showed a marked diurnal cycle. For short lag times up to about 30 min, the autocorrelation function of 1 min averaged wind machine output dropped more rapidly than that of wind speed. For longer lag times the 10 min averaged output autocorrelation was very similar to that of the wind speed. Wind speeds averaged for 1 min has a cross-correlation across a wind site which was a function of distance. The correlation dropped to about 0.83 at a distance of 21.7 km (13.5 mi). Wind machine output was less well correlated with a drop to about 0.69 at a spacing of 21.7 km. The autocorrelation function of a windfarm consisting of a large number of wind machines dropped much less rapidly than that of a single wind machine, as would be expected. A windfarm consisting of 100 MOD-2 wind machines with a spacing of 1.61 km by 0.80 km had a correlation of about 0.98 for a 10 min lag time when 1 min averaged output was considered. >
Toxic Metronidazole-Induced MRI Changes

OBJECTIVE:To report a case of changes documented by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the head probably due to accumulation of metronidazole in a patient with liver dysfunction.CASE SUMMARY:A 34-year-old Hispanic man with cirrhosis and hepatitis C being treated with metronidazole for Bacteroides fragilis meningitis and bacteremia developed ataxia, disorientation, and peripheral neuropathy. An MRI at the time meningitis was diagnosed was negative. After the patient received >60 g of metronidazole, an MRI revealed increased signal intensity below, behind, and lateral to the fourth ventricle. Concomitant metronidazole serum concentration was toxic at 35.1 μg/mL.DISCUSSION:This is the second reported case of metronidazole-induced MRI changes. Metronidazole is known to accumulate in patients with liver dysfunction and can cause peripheral neuropathy and central nervous system (CNS) dysfunction; these effects may take up to two years to completely resolve.CONCLUSIONS:Metronidazole dosages should be reduced in...
Dietary Intrinsic Phytate Protects Colon from Lipid Peroxidation in Pigs with a Moderately High Dietary Iron Intake

High iron consumption has been proposed to relate to an increase in the risk of colon cancer, whereas high levels of supplemental sodium phytate effectively reduce iron-induced oxidative injury and reverse iron-dependent augmentation of colorectal tumorigenesis. However, the protective role of intrinsic dietary phytate has not been determined. In this study, we examined the impact of removing phytate present in a corn-soy diet by supplemental microbial phytase on susceptibility of pigs to the oxidative stress caused by a moderately high dietary iron intake. Thirty-two weanling pigs were fed the corn-soy diets containing two levels of iron (as ferrous sulfate, 80 or 750 mg/kg diet) and microbial phytase (as Natuphos, BASF, Mt. Olive, NJ, 0 or 1200 units/kg). Pigs fed the phytase-supplemented diets did not receive any inorganic phosphorus to ensure adequate degradation of phytate. After 4 months of feeding, liver, colon, and colon mucosal scrapings were collected from four pigs in each of the four dietary groups. Colonic lipid peroxidation, measured as thiobarbituric acid reacting substances (TBARS), was increased by both the high iron (P< 0.0008) and phytase (P< 0.04) supplementation. Both TBARS and F2-isoprostanes, an in vivo marker of lipid peroxidation, in colonic mucosa were affected by dietary levels of iron (P< 0.03). Mean hepatic TBARS in pigs fed the phytase-supplemented, high iron diet was 43%-65% higher than that of other groups although the differences were nonsignificant. Moderately high dietary iron induced hepatic glutathione peroxidase activity (P= 0.06) and protein expression, but decreased catalase (P< 0.05) in the colonic mucosa. In conclusion, intrinsic phytate in corn and soy was protective against lipid peroxidation in the colon associated with a moderately high level of dietary iron.
A confirmation of the validity of the electric current distribution determined by a ground-based magnetometer network

SUMMARY Determination of the distribution of electric currents at the ionospheric level by a ground-based magnetometer network has been sought for by our pioneers, K. Birkeland and S. Chapman, from the beginning of this century. Both recognized difficulties associated with the determination. However, during the last decade, we have overcome the difficulties by establishing several meridian chains of magnetic observatories and developing several computer codes to invert the magnetic data. On the other hand, it has been difficult to confirm the current distribution thus obtained by a completely independent method. It is fortunate that an opportunity for the independent determination has arisen by a recent satellite-based observation. It is shown that both the ground-based and satellite-based results agree fairly well with each other. Thus, a ground-based magnetometer network has been proven to be able to determine the 3-D current distribution which couples the magnetosphere and the ionosphere.
A Comparative Analysis of Segmentation Algorithms for Hand Gesture Recognition

One of the major challenges in hand gesture recognition is to segment the hand region effectively in varying background and changing lighting condition. The aim of this work is to evaluate different segmentation processes specific to hand gesture recognition. Motivation of this research is the lack of direct and detailed comparison of those algorithms in different working conditions. In this paper six highly efficient algorithms used for hand region segmentation are compared and the results are presented using different types of input images ranging from complex background to simple background, closer views to distant views and textured images to simple images.
Association of HIV Infection, Hepatitis C Virus Infection, and Metabolic Factors With Liver Stiffness Measured by Transient Elastography

Background. Few studies have examined the relationship of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) monoinfection and its associated perturbations with liver fibrosis. Methods. Using multivariable linear regression, we examined the demographic, behavioral, metabolic and viral factors associated with transient elastography–measured liver stiffness in 314 participants (165 HIV positive/hepatitis C virus [HCV] negative, 78 HIV positive/HCV positive, 14 HIV negative/HCV positive, 57 HIV negative/HCV negative) in the Women's Interagency HIV Study. Results. Compared with HIV negative/HCV negative women, HIV positive/HCV positive women had higher median liver stiffness values (7.1 vs 4.4 kPa; P < .001); HIV positive/HCV negative and HIV negative/HCV negative women had similar liver stiffness values (both 4.4 kPa; P = .94). HIV/HCV coinfection remained associated with higher liver stiffness values (74% higher; 95% confidence interval [CI], 49–104) even after multivariable adjustment. Among HCV positive women, waist circumference (per 10-cm increase) was associated with 18% (95% CI, 7.5%–30%) higher liver stiffness values after multivariable adjustment; waist circumference showed little association among HIV positive/HCV negative or HIV negative/HCV negative women. Among HIV positive/HCV negative women, history of AIDS (13%; 95% CI, 4% –27%) and HIV RNA (7.3%; 95% CI, 1.59%–13.3%, per 10-fold increase) were associated with greater liver stiffness. Conclusions. HCV infection but not HIV infection is associated with greater liver stiffness when infected women are compared with those with neither infection. Our finding that waist circumference, a marker of central obesity, is associated with greater liver stiffness in HIV/HCV-coinfected but not HIV-monoinfected or women with neither infection suggests that in the absence of HCV-associated liver injury the adverse effects of obesity are lessened.
Issues in Managed Care

This issue of the Health Care Financing Review includes a collection of articles on managed care topics in the public programs of Medicaid and Medicare. The first article looks at developments in Medicaid in the broader context of overall changes in the managed care marketplace, while the remaining articles examine specific topics that have significant policy implications for the public sector programs.
The Effect of File Sharing on Consumer’s Purchasing Pattern: A Survey Approach

Digital compression and distribution technologies influence the music industry in various ways. This paper investigates how consumer behavior is affected by the free music products on the Internet. Survey methodology was used to determine the respondents’ perceived likelihood of purchasing legitimate CDs depending on the free availability of the same music via a streaming service or downloading on the Internet. In the pre-study, several factors affecting consumer purchasing were identified based on the responses of 106 university students. In consideration of these factors, the paper investigated how the price and free music availability jointly affect a consumer’s willingness to buy. In addition, this paper examined how the effects of price and non-price factors such as rating of singer, preference for genre, number of songs on a CD, SES factors, and music consumption style may change in the “free” vs. “non-free” Internet availability conditions. The results showed that there was a weak pattern of interaction between price and free music availability, though the interaction effect was not significant. In the non-free Internet availability situation, price along with some other factors had significant effects on consumer purchasing patterns for some CDs, whereas in the free Internet availability situation, price had insignificant effects on a consumer’s willingness to purchase all twelve CDs used in the questionnaire. Instead, some non-price factors influenced consumer purchasing patterns.
Blockage of the Ryanodine Receptor via Azumolene Does Not Prevent Mechanical Ventilation-Induced Diaphragm Atrophy

Mechanical ventilation (MV) is a life-saving intervention for patients in respiratory failure. However, prolonged MV causes the rapid development of diaphragm muscle atrophy, and diaphragmatic weakness may contribute to difficult weaning from MV. Therefore, developing a therapeutic countermeasure to protect against MV-induced diaphragmatic atrophy is important. MV-induced diaphragm atrophy is due, at least in part, to increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) from diaphragm mitochondria and the activation of key muscle proteases (i.e., calpain and caspase-3). In this regard, leakage of calcium through the ryanodine receptor (RyR1) in diaphragm muscle fibers during MV could result in increased mitochondrial ROS emission, protease activation, and diaphragm atrophy. Therefore, these experiments tested the hypothesis that a pharmacological blockade of the RyR1 in diaphragm fibers with azumolene (AZ) would prevent MV-induced increases in mitochondrial ROS production, protease activation, and diaphragmatic atrophy. Adult female Sprague-Dawley rats underwent 12 hours of full-support MV while receiving either AZ or vehicle. At the end of the experiment, mitochondrial ROS emission, protease activation, and fiber cross-sectional area were determined in diaphragm muscle fibers. Decreases in muscle force production following MV indicate that the diaphragm took up a sufficient quantity of AZ to block calcium release through the RyR1. However, our findings reveal that AZ treatment did not prevent the MV-induced increase in mitochondrial ROS emission or protease activation in the diaphragm. Importantly, AZ treatment did not prevent MV-induced diaphragm fiber atrophy. Thus, pharmacological inhibition of the RyR1 in diaphragm muscle fibers is not sufficient to prevent MV-induced diaphragm atrophy.
Activity of soil enzymes in constructed wetlands treated with swine wastewater

Abstract Continuous application of swine wastewater from lagoons to agricultural land can pose surface and groundwater pollution. Constructed wetland (CW) is an alternate to the lagoon spray field system that reduces the nutrients concentration. One of the biological processes in CW is enzymatic activity which plays a major role in releasing nutrients from organic substances. The objectives of this research were to investigate the activity of soil enzymes in CW treated with swine wastewater and to assess the relationship between the enzyme activity and nutrients concentration. One continuous marsh (CM) and one marsh-pond-marsh (MPM) wetland cells were investigated for enzymatic activity. The activities of dehydrogenase, urease, phosphatase, and β-glucosidase were significantly higher at 0−3 cm than 6−12 cm depth. Enzyme activities were higher in marsh soils of CM than pond soils of MPM. There was no significant difference in enzyme activity between inlet and outlet of CM and pond area of MPM. No significant relationship was found between the enzyme activity and nutrient concentration. Urease, phosphatase, and arylsulfatase activity were correlated with soil C and N, whereas, β-glucosidase activity was correlated with soil C. The results suggest that enzyme activity has aided in detritus decomposition and thus, decreased enzymatic activities may decrease nutrients availability.
Inheritance of Cytosine Methylation

There are numerous examples of parental transgenerational inheritance that is epigenetic. The informational molecules include RNA, chromatin modifications, and cytosine methylation. With advances in DNA sequencing technologies, the molecular and epigenetic mechanisms mediating these effects are now starting to be uncovered. This mini-review will highlight some of the examples of epigenetic inheritance, the establishment of cytosine methylation in sperm, and recent genomic studies linking sperm cytosine methylation to epigenetic effects on offspring. A recent paper examining changes in diet and sperm cytosine methylation from pools of eight animals each, found differences between a normal diet, a high fat diet, and a low protein diet. However, epivariation between individuals within a group was greater than the differences between groups obscuring any potential methylation changes linked to diet. Learning more about epivariation may help unravel the mechanisms that regulate cytosine methylation. In addition, other experimental and genetic systems may also produce more dramatic changes in the sperm methylome, making it easier to unravel potential transgenerational phenomena. J. Cell. Physiol. 231: 2346-2352, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The Occurrence of Unornamented Dwarf American Dog Ticks, Dermacentor variabilis; is it Genetically Controlled?

The occurrence of unusually small, light-brown adult American dog ticks, Dermacentor variabilis (Say), has been observed by various investigators in wild and laboratory-reared populations. These ticks lack the scutal ornamentation characteristic of this species. Recently, Amin and Sonenshine (1970) reported that miniature unornamented adults were obtained frequently when reared from nymphs allowed only partial blood meals. They suggested that the nutritional requirements for normal ornamentation were greater than for molting. The question of genetic control of ornamentation and size was not studied.
Quantitative 1H NMR Analysis of Chemical Stabilities in Anion-Exchange Membranes

We compared the alkaline stability of three classes of anion exchange membranes that are leading candidates for applications in platinum-free fuel cells. A methodology is presented for the study of chemical stability of anion-exchange polymers in alkaline media that provides clear and quantitative 1H NMR spectroscopic data of dissolved polymers containing benzyltrimethylammonium functionalities. Recent studies have investigated the stabilities of benzimidazolium- and alkylimidazolium-bearing polymers using periodic 1H NMR sampling. These studies included varying alkaline concentrations, external heating sources, and excessive processing and contained no internal standard for absolute measurements. Key aspects of our time-resolved 1H NMR method include in situ heating and sampling within the spectrometer, fixed stoichiometric relationships between the benzyltrimethylammonium functionalities of each polymer and potassium deuteroxide (KOD), and the incorporation of an internal standard for the absolute measu...
Mechanical Damping and Dynamic Modulus Measurements in Continuous Fiber-Reinforced Composite Materials: Al/Al2O3 and Al/W

Measurements of mechanical damping, or internal friction (Q−1), and dynamic Young’s modulus (E) have been made near 80 kHz and at strain amplitudes (e) in the range of 10−8 to 10−4 on small specimens of the following two continuous fiber-reinforced metal matrix composites (MMCs): 6061 aluminum reinforced with alumina (Al/A12O3) and 6061 aluminum reinforced with tungsten (AI/W). Baseline experiments were also performed on 99.999% aluminum (pure Al) for comparison puposes. The temperature (T) dependence of modulus up to 475°C was determined for AI/A12O3 and pure Al. The rate of modulus decrease with increasing temperature for AI/A12O3 and Al was the same, that is, dE/dT was essentially the same for both materials. Thus, the reduction in modulus observed for the Al/Al2O3 was attributed to the reduction in modulus of the Al matrix and not that of the Al2O3 fibers. The strain amplitude dependence of damping was examined for all three materials. The pure Al exhibited classical dislocation damping behavior with strain amplitude dependent damping starting at a strain of 2 × 10−5. The Al/Al2O3 specimens showed only mild dependence of damping on strain amplitude starting at strains near 10−5. The AI/W exhibited significant amplitude dependence of damping starting at strains of 2 × 10−6 with the fiber diameter being a major factor in determining the damping behavior. The Q−1 versus e data for Al/Al2O3, when analyzed in terms of the Granato-Lucke (GL) theory for dislocation damping, yielded minor pinning lengths of dislocations near 10−8 m and mobile dislocation densities near 1011 m−2. The same analysis for the Al/W data gave values near 10−8 m for the minor pinning lengths and 1012 M−2 for the dislocation density. Relative to the results for pure Al, the minor pinning lengths for Al/Al2O3 and AL/W are comparable (10−8 m for pure Al), but the dislocation densities are much higher (109 m−2 found in the pure Al). The relatively high dislocation densities calculated for these aluminum matrix MMCs agree with previous findings of other researchers and may be associated with the fiber/matrix interface.
Metal-Ceramic Interfacial Reactions: The Copper-Cordierite and Titanium-Cordierite Systems

Interfacial reactions between either copper or titanium and cordierite-based (2MgO.2Al2O3.5SiO2) ceramic substrates are probed using X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). Room temperature reactions are found to be strongly dependent on interfacial chemistry; while copper reacts weakly with the cordierite surface, titanium strongly reduces the Si-O and Al-O substrate bonds. Behavior during subsequent “in situ” annealing is dependent on substrate morphology. On amorphous cordierite films copper remains nonreactive while titanium dissociates remaining Si-O and Al-O bonds, forming a low valency Ti1+ oxide. On crystalline cordierite substrates copper diffuses rapidly upon annealing while titanium reduces substrate bonds forming a high valency Ti3+ oxide. Furthermore, thin 5A Ti interlayers prevent copper diffusion at temperatures below 650°C. This study represents the first comprehensive treatment of the interfacial reactions in metal-multicomponent ceramic systems.
The form of absorption of lipids in the chicken, Gallus domesticus.

SummaryIt has been demonstrated with the use of a functionally hepatectomized preparation and in the presence of a lipoprotein lipase inhibitor, Triton WR 1339, that, in the chicken, long chain fatty acids are absorbed in the form of triglycerides as the major component of a lipoprotein of density less than 1.006.
Evaluation of innate and adaptive immunity contributing to the antitumor effects of PD1 blockade in an orthotopic murine model of pancreatic cancer

ABSTRACTDespite the clinical success of anti-PD1 antibody (α-PD1) therapy, the immune mechanisms contributing to the antineoplastic response remain unclear. Here, we describe novel aspects of the immune response involved in α-PD1-induced antitumor effects using an orthotopic KrasG12D/p53R172H/Pdx1-Cre (KPC) model of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA). We found that positive therapeutic outcome involved both the innate and adaptive arms of the immune system. Adoptive transfer of total splenocytes after short-term (3 d) but not long-term (28 d) PD1 blockade significantly extended survival of non-treated tumor-bearing recipient mice. This protective effect appeared to be mostly mediated by T cells, as adoptive transfer of purified natural killer (NK) cells and/or granulocyte receptor 1 (Gr1)+ cells or splenocytes depleted of Gr1+ cells and NK cells did not exhibit transferrable antitumor activity following short-term PD1 blockade. Nevertheless, splenic and tumor-derived CD11b+Gr1+ cells and NK cells show...
Sp1 activation of RNA polymerase II transcription complexes involves a heat-labile DNA-binding component.

Abstract We have identified a component of the eukaryotic RNA polymerase II transcriptional machinery that is more heat-labile than TFIID. DHFR transcriptional activity was severely reduced in 40 degrees C heat-treated extracts in which TFIID was fully active. This heat-labile activity was required for the transcription of both TATA box and non-TATA box promoters that are activated by the transcription factor Sp1. Gel mobility shifts indicated that Sp1 DNA binding activity was heat-labile, and the addition of purified Sp1 to 40 degrees C heat-treated extracts fully restored DHFR transcriptional activity. In contrast, the addition of Sp1 to 47 degrees C heat-treated extract did not result in transcriptional activity from the DHFR promoter. We conclude that reduction in Sp1 DNA binding activity is partially responsible for the heat-sensitive loss of DHFR transcriptional activity, but that a second essential activity is also inactivated by 47 degrees C heat-treatment. The discovery of this heat-labile component of Sp1 activation has two important implications in the analysis of transcriptional regulation. First, it demonstrates that heat-treated extracts are not appropriate for examination of the involvement of TFIID in the transcription of Sp1-activated promoters. Second, it explains the previously reported low-temperature optima for transcription from the DHFR promoter and demonstrates that transcriptional studies of Sp1-activated promoters should not be performed at 30 degrees C.
The Israel-Palestine Conflict: Coming Full Circle: Oslo and Its Aftermath

From December 1992 through August 1993, an unofficial delegation of Israelis (acting with the knowledge of their foreign ministry) met with a delegation of Palestinians in Oslo, Norway. In talks hosted by the Norwegian foreign minister and his wife, they hammered out a formula for peace between Israelis and Palestinians, known ever since as the Oslo Accord. Once the negotiators had put together a general framework, they presented it for official consideration. From Rhodes in 1949 to Madrid in 1991, the path leading to peace had been littered with the remains of failed attempts to bring about a settlement. What made the Oslo negotiations revolutionary was their configuration: Rather than engaging Israel and its neighbors through either the Rhodes or conference formats, the Oslo format brought together Israelis and Palestinians in face-to-face negotiations for the first time. By reducing the conflict to its most elemental level – a conflict between the two peoples, both of which claimed the right to inhabit and control some or all of Palestine – the Oslo negotiations brought the century-old struggle full circle. It was no coincidence that the Arab-Israeli phase of the Zionist/Israeli–Palestinian conflict began at the dawn of the Cold War and ended soon after American president George H. W. Bush and Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev pronounced the Cold War over. While the Arab-Israeli conflict certainly played itself out according to its own internal logic, just as certainly the Cold War rivalry between the two superpowers played a significant role in driving and sustaining the conflict.
Does goal relevant episodic future thinking amplify the effect on delay discounting

Delay discounting (DD) is the preference for smaller immediate rewards over larger delayed rewards. Research shows episodic future thinking (EFT), or mentally simulating future experiences, reframes the choice between small immediate and larger delayed rewards, and can reduce DD. Only general EFT has been studied, whereby people reframe decisions in terms of non-goal related future events. Since future thinking is often goal-oriented and leads to greater activation of brain regions involved in prospection, goal-oriented EFT may be associated with greater reductions in DD than general goal-unrelated EFT. The present study (n=104, Mage=22.25, SD=3.42; 50% Female) used a between-subjects 2×2 factorial design with type of episodic thinking (Goal, General) and temporal perspective (Episodic future versus recent thinking; EFT vs ERT) as between factors. Results showed a significant reduction in DD for EFT groups (p<0.001, Cohen's d effect size=0.89), and goal-EFT was more effective than general-EFT on reducing DD (p=0.03, d=0.64).
Buying forests for conservation: contours of a global trend

Acquisitions of private forest rights have become a widespread conservation instrument. Over the past two decades, voluntary transactions have legally protected millions of hectares of private forestland in several countries, notably in the Americas. Limited evidence exists on the overall global magnitude and distribution of acquisitions, the factors driving site selection, and resulting ecological and social impacts. Improved behavioral models of landowners and conservation organizations might help steer acquisitions towards more efficient and equitable outcomes. Opportunities for building such models now exist owing to rapid advances in data, methods, and computing capacity.
Can Retributive Punishment Be Justified

The most important and influential theory of punishment both historically and in the present day is the retributive theory, according to which punishment should be inflicted simply because the wrongdoer deserves it, irrespective of any future benefits such as crime prevention. The problem has been to explain what the purpose of inflicting harm on wrongdoers could be, and how it could be consistent with moral theory. The problem for retributivism has been the bewildering variety of distinct explanations of why morality requires retribution, and the fact that every theory offered appears subject to decisive objections. It is for this reason that retributivists tend to fall back on metaphors (getting even, balancing the scales, etc.) rather than rational explanation. But metaphors will not do; in order to justify infliction of harm on someone, we need a very strong and clear moral justification, something that the retributivist tradition has been unable to provide.
Metabolism in the Trauma Patient

Injured patients represent a unique population as they are hypermetabolic and thus require increased feeding to meet energy requirements. Numerous studies have documented that the early provision of enteral nutrition to critically injured patients is beneficial. However, trauma poses a number of unique and difficult nutritional challenges. Damage control surgery with bowel in discontinuity, open abdomens, recent bowel anastomosis, and the need for frequent operative interventions all make achieving nutritional adequacy difficult. With the increase in elderly trauma patients, adequate provision of nutrition to this high risk group is even more important, but studies suggest we are significantly underfeeding these patients. Additionally, sarcopenia, or low muscle mass, upon admission has been recognized as risk factor for mortality in the injured elderly and may be made worse by underfeeding and lack of mobilization. Techniques to assess muscle mass are discussed including the use of ultrasound.
How expert should an expert system be

A computer system which aids computer engineers in fault diagnosis is described. The system, called CRIB (Computer Retrieval Incidence Bank) is shown to fit into the class of pattern-directed inference systems. Emphasis is placed on the "before" and "after" phases of system generation and it is shown why, to be called an expert system, these phases are important. The forms of knowledge used in CRIB are shown to be adequate for diagnosis and yet possess little of the structural or functional knowledge of more advanced expert systems. Summaries are given of the three phases of implementation: elicitation, implementation of knowledge structures, validation and improvement. The idea of an expert system as a "model of competence" is mentioned and the transferrance of the system architecture to software diagnosis, using the same model, is described. There are short discussions of system performance and the nature of expert systems.
Twisting the truth: tinkering with patient decision aids to reduce health care expenditures.

In some medical situations, there are clear right answers — the use of beta blockers after a myocardial infarction or glucose monitoring for diabetics, for example [1,2]. In these cases, there are unambiguous data supporting the efficacy of the intervention and virtual unanimity among providers and patients that the benefits outweigh any potential side effects. Other medical situations present significant uncertainty with regard to what physicians and their patients consider optimal therapy. Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BHP) is the paradigmatic example, as there is generally no medical reason to prefer prostatectomy, medication, or watchful waiting, and patients will select different therapies depending on factors such as their aversion to surgery, tolerance for discomfort, and the importance of an active sex life [3]. The Stacey diagram (Figure 1) depicts the decisions faced by patients and providers by focusing on two dimensions — the provider’s beliefs about the level of certainty regarding the efficacy of therapy (x-axis) and the level of consistency of patient preferences (y-axis) [4]. When there is little agreement between patients about what they value (e.g., reducing pain vs. obtaining a conclusive diagnosis vs. increasing longevity at any cost) and low certainty in the mind of the treating physician about which treatment produces the best outcome, there is “chaos” and little basis for care decisions. In areas of high agreement and high certainty, there is “order” and a clear “right answer.” In between these extremes lies the “zone of complexity.” Figure 1 Source: RMJ Bohmer, K Sepucha, and LR Feldman, “Shared Decision Making,” Harvard Business School Case #9-604-001 (Rev. January 25, 2005). When there is order on the Stacey diagram, the problem of inappropriate practice variation is easy to conceptualize. In these situations, there is a clear right answer that cannot be confounded by differences in patient attributes. The goal is, therefore, to bring non-complying physicians up to speed, such that they administer the prevailing standard of care. In all other areas of the Stacey diagram, and especially when there is “chaos,” remedying undesirable practice variation is not so clear-cut. Conventional wisdom dictates that providers should seek to reduce only “unwarranted variation,” the variation not explained by illness, patient preferences, or the dictates of evidence-based medicine. For a situation in which there is no medical justification for choosing one course of treatment over another (e.g., BPH), physicians would refrain from influencing their patients’ choices, consistently presenting the information in an unbiased and uniform manner. The goal is to reduce the extent to which physicians’ subtle biases toward particular therapies are expressed in patients’ decisions, allowing patients to freely choose according to their unique preferences.
Evolving Mutation Rates and Prospects for Antimutagenesis

A notion central to biology is that the characteristics of organisms are universally subject to modification by evolution. This has been clear for morphological traits for more than a century and for biochemical traits for a third of a century. It is now also becoming clear that behavioral traits are equally subject to evolutionary molding.
Development of an efficient multiplexing scheme for multichannel detection systems based on organic scintillators and silicon photomultipliers

Abstract Radiation detection applications requiring a large number of detectors, such as attempting to use an array of silicon photomultipliers as a multi-channel light sensor, can often be infeasible because of prohibitive hardware costs to readout many channels. Therefore, it is beneficial to efficiently multiplex many detectors into a single data-readout channel to dramatically decrease the equipment cost, while only marginally affecting the system performance. This work demonstrates a multiplexing method based on mixing silicon photomultiplier pulses with sinusoids of varying and well-defined frequency. It is shown that the presented multiplexing method can efficiently preserve the information on the signal origin (detector number), and that characteristics such as pulse shape discrimination with organic scintillators and time resolution are only minimally affected. The effects of varying the frequency and amplitude of the sinusoids on the aforementioned properties were characterized to find the ideal signal configuration. Finally, a prototype with four SiPM channels has been developed to demonstrate that effective performance remains when scaling to larger numbers of silicon photomultiplier channels. This relatively simple multiplexing approach, requiring only diodes and a sinusoid producing circuit, can effectively multiplex many silicon photomultiplier channels together, and it provides major hardware-cost improvements at the expense of only marginal pulse shape discrimination and timing performance losses.
Full text primary information online: today's problems, tomorrow's solutions

Electronic delivery of full text primary literature is an enigma to all of us. On one hand, information intermediaries and end users tell us how important it is to them and their research; while on the other hand, its increased availability online has not been accompanied by a corresponding growth in file usage and revenues. There are five reasons for this apparent dichotomy: 1 the depth of the files in terms of years is insufficient; 2 the breadth of the information or availability of the literature online is too limited; 3 the information that is online is not complete; 4 full text primary literature is usually technically isolated from secondary and tertiary sources of online information; and 5 the user perception of full text itself inhibits usage. The solution to these inhibiting factors, today's problems, lies with altering or changing the economics, and behavioral patterns of full text. The future of online full text information will be in a large part based on such economic factors as storage costs of the literature and the conversion process of the data from the printed to the electronic edition. It will also be based on changing the behavioral patterns of information intermediaries and end users. This will only be accomplished by providing the user sophisticated capabilities to retrieve online information: 1 combining full text, bibliographic, and numeric files; 2 producing artificial intelligence interfaces; 3 and allowing search and display of graphics. It will be incumbent upon vendors and suppliers of online information to make these changes to ensure the future of online, full text literature.
Tunable and Selective Degradation of Amine-Reactive Multilayers in Acidic Media

We report the design of reactive and hydrolytically degradable multilayers by the covalent layer-by-layer assembly of an azlactone-containing polymer, poly(2-vinyl-4,4-dimethylazlactone), with an a...
Broadening and Enhancing Functions of Antibodies by Self-Assembling Multimerization at Cell Surface.

Monoclonal antibody therapy has offered treatment benefits. Nonetheless, a lack of efficacy still exists, partially because monovalent binding of antibodies to specific receptors fails to translate into an active response. Here, we report a pretargeting-postassembly approach that exploits the selective Watson-Crick base pairing properties of oligonucleotides and multivalently tethers receptor-prebound antibodies to albumin at the cell surface. We demonstrate that this two-step self-assembling strategy allows sequential actions of receptor binding and clustering that broadens and strengthens the functions of antibodies. We show that anti-CD20 obinutuzumab (OBN) modified with one morpholino oligonucleotide (OBN-MORF1) maintains the feature of naked OBN antibody upon CD20 binding, and results in actin redistribution, homotypic adhesion, and lysosome-mediated cell death. Consecutive treatment with albumin grafted with multiple copies of a complementary morpholino oligonucleotide (HSA-(MORF2)x) hybridizes with surface-attached OBN-MORF1, manipulates CD20 clustering, and engages additional signals to induce calcium influx and caspase-related apoptosis. With the two types of different mechanisms collaborating in one system, the simple design exerted a notable survival extension of mice bearing disseminated B-cell lymphomas.
Force Myography Controlled Intelligent Assistive Wheelchair-Mounted Robotic Exoskeleton for Arm Movements

People suffering from stroke, injury, cerebral palsy, and neuromuscular diseases such as Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy often utilize power wheelchairs for mobility. Recent advancement in embedded systems allowed researchers to safely navigate a power wheelchair using joystick, voice commands, eyeball movements, myoelectric signals, tongue movements, and even human brain signals. Due to muscle weakness or disease progression, many power wheelchair users rely on whole body force to move the arm. This study aimed to design a compact and smart wheelchair-mounted robotic exoskeleton that detects human intent using force myography and ensure safety of the human arm during actuation. The designed prototype offers three degrees of freedom that allows 55° and 45° of the abduction/adduction, flexion/extension respectively at the shoulder, and 60° flexion/extension at the elbow joints. Four participants without upper limb movement disability were recruited to test the effectiveness of the proposed intelligent assistive controller in order to move each joint individually followed by water bottle pick and place task. Each participant was able to successfully perform water bottle pick and place task using force myography signals in less than 90 seconds.
A Case of Kratom-induced Seizures.

Kratom or Mitragna speciosa is a tropical tree that is indigenous to Southeast Asia, where it has been used for various medicinal reasons. In the West, it is used in the self-treatment of opioid withdrawal, pain, and a variety of mood and anxiety states. Two active ingredients in kratom are mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, which have affinity at the mu-opioid receptor among others. Kratom is easily available over the Internet and its use is increasing in the United States. It is currently listed by the Drug Enforcement Administration as a drug of concern. In 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration started issuing a series of warnings about kratom, and by early 2018, it released a statement identifying 44 deaths related to kratom use. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also reported 91 deaths directly linked to kratom use in 2019. Although its safety profile needs additional research for clarification, there have been reports of kratom-induced or kratom-related respiratory depression, hypothyroidism, secondary hypogonadism, hyperprolactinemia, psychosis, and seizures. We report a case of kratom-induced tonic-clonic seizures in a 27-year-old Caucasian male with a psychiatric history of anxiety, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, benzodiazepine use disorder, and opioid use disorder. He was hospitalized after a witnessed tonic-clonic seizure. There was no significant metabolic abnormality on laboratory testing. Spinal cord and brain imaging were unremarkable, whereas his urine toxicology was positive for opioids only, which was likely a false-positive result due to cross-reactivity with his sleeping aids. He was evaluated by the Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry team for psychotic symptoms. On evaluation, the patient’s psychosis had resolved, but he endorsed racing thoughts, significant anxiety, and insomnia. He admitted to drinking three to four 8-mL bottles of Kratom daily for one-and-a-half years to self-medicate his anxiety after losing his health insurance. In the hospital, he was treated with anxiolytics, counseled to abstain from Kratom use, and was referred for substance use disorder treatment. This case highlights the life-threatening complications of Kratom that is easily available online.
Light Weight and Efficient Litz-wire Based Ferrite-less Shielding for Wireless Power Transfer

This study focuses on the implementation of ferriteless shielding for wireless power transfer applications. Shorted litz-wire based shielding is used to reduce the electromagnetic field (EMF) emissions in both lateral and vertical directions. Furthermore, the inclusion of this shielding type reduces the size and weight of EMF shielding, a critical constraint in some applications. Analysis, simulation and hardware results are presented for three systems that utilize: aluminum, aluminumferrite, and shorted litz-wire based shielding. It is found that the shorted litz-wire based shielding is able to adequately reduce EMF emissions, operate a comparable efficiency and is lighter than the other two designs.