cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Preoperative Pain and Function: Profiles of Patients Selected for Total Knee Arthroplasty

Abstract Background Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is an effective treatment to relieve pain and restore function in patients with advanced knee osteoarthritis. TKA utilization is growing rapidly, and the appropriateness of current TKA use is of great interest. We examined patient-reported preoperative pain and function profiles to understand symptom severity at the time of TKA decision. Methods Data were from the Function and Outcomes Research for Comparative Effectiveness in Total Joint Replacement. We included patients undergoing primary, unilateral TKAs between 2011 and 2014 for osteoarthritis and had data on the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) pain and Short-Form 36-item Physical Component Summary (PCS) score. We compared patient profiles across groupings by symptoms: (1) little pain and high function (KOOS ≥70, PCS ≥40); (2) little pain but poor function (KOOS ≥70, PCS Results Of 6936 patients, 77% had high pain and poor function (group 4), 19% had high pain "or" poor function (groups 2-3), and 5% had little pain and high function before TKA (group 1). In group 1, 86% were constantly aware of their knee problem, 48% reported pain daily yet 5% experienced severe or extreme pain on stairs, and 1% pain in bed. Over half had a lot of limitations in vigorous activities. Compared with group 4, group 1 were older, less obese, more educated, and included more men and people reporting being healthy, less disabled, and happy ( P Conclusion Most patients undergoing TKAs had significant pain and/or poor function. Our results provide critical information given the current debate of potentially inappropriate TKA utilization in the United States.
Independence Day: Separating Right Ventricular Function From Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension in Systemic Sclerosis

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) describes a range of heterogeneous clinical disorders that are characterized broadly by increased inflammation and autoimmunity, which promote fibrosis in visceral organs and the pulmonary and systemic circulatory beds. The pattern of scleroderma (ie, skin thickening) categorizes patients further as limited cutaneous SSc (which includes the CREST [calcinosis, Raynaud phenomenon, esophageal dysmotility, sclerodactyly, and telangiectasia] syndrome) or diffuse cutaneous SSc. Involvement of the myocardium, pericardium, cardiac conduction system, or pulmonary vasculature is observed in up to 25% of affected patients but may contribute to the constellation of clinical findings accompanying either disease subtype.1 However, pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), which in this patient population is attributable to effacement of pulmonary arterioles primarily from severe hypertrophic and fibrotic remodeling, occurs more commonly in patients with limited cutaneous SSc.2 Article, see p 2413 There is important overlap between SSc and primary pulmonary vascular disease, including idiopathic PAH (iPAH). Hyperinflammation, dysregulated humoral autoimmunity, and platelet overactivation are common to both and in each case mediate endothelial dysfunction, fibrillar collagen deposition, and intimal thickening of pulmonary arterioles. Increased vascular reactive oxygen species accumulation and abnormalities to pathways that involve Wnt ligands, connective tissue growth factor, endothelin-1, and the nuclear receptor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ represent just a minority of pathogenetic mechanisms implicated in the development of SSc and the pulmonary vasculopathy of iPAH.3–6 This overlap is likely to account for elevated PAH prevalence in SSc that by some estimates reaches 12%, which is a substantially higher rate compared with other at-risk subgroups such as those with sickle cell anemia and HIV, of whom PAH affects 3% and 0.5% of patients, respectively.7 On the basis of similarities in vascular pathophenotype, it may also …
Study on Extraction Method of Rice Genomic DNA

In order to study fast and effective extraction method of rice genomic DNA for molecular marker-assisted breeding,taking rice fresh leaves,senescing leaves and rice seeds as experimental materials and CTAB and SDS as methods,DNA purity was tested by UV spectrophotometer and agarose gel electrophoresis,extraction methods and experimental system of rice genomic DNA were optimized and explored.The results showed that quality extracted from fresh leaves was the best followed by seeds and senescing leaves was the last;the difference between CTAB and SDS methods was not very obvious,andβ-mercaptoethanol could added into solution to avoide the pollution of phenols oxidation.
Recent pharmacologic advances in antidepressant therapy for the elderly.

Major depression is a common, serious, and potentially life-threatening illness in the elderly. Moreover, this population is perhaps the most difficult to treat effectively and safely for this disease. Changes in physiology associated with advancing age produce clinically significant differences in drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics in these patients versus younger individuals. The elderly are also more likely than young patients to receive treatment for multiple illnesses. This fact increases the potential for serious pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic drug-drug interactions. The practicing clinician now has five distinct classes of antidepressant medications that may be used for treating depression in the elderly: tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs; e.g., desipramine, nortriptyline), monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs; e.g., isocarboxazid, tranylcypromine), selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs; i.e., fluoxetine, sertraline, and paroxetine), aminoketones (i.e., bupropion), and triazolopyridines (i.e., trazodone). Although all are effective antidepressants, the SSRI class may be the best choice for the treatment of elderly depressed patients, based on a number of considerations. SSRIs have a broad spectrum of antidepressant activity, being effective in different types of major depressive episodes (e.g., melancholic, atypical), have a wide therapeutic index, and are free of many potentially serious adverse effects associated with other antidepressants, such as central nervous system and cardiovascular toxicity (TCAs, bupropion), orthostatic hypotension (TCAs, MAOIs, and trazodone), and sedation (TCAs, trazodone). While SSRIs as a group share a common presumed mechanism of action, there are clinically important differences among the members of this class. First, the pharmacokinetics of sertraline are the same in both elderly and younger patients, whereas elderly, in comparison with younger, patients develop higher plasma levels of fluoxetine (and its active metabolite, norfluoxetine) or paroxetine, when given the same dose. Second, the SSRIs differ in their potential for pharmacokinetic interactions with other psychotropic and nonpsychotropic drugs. Fluoxetine, norfluoxetine (the major metabolite of fluoxetine), and paroxetine are potent inhibitors of the hepatic isoenzyme P450 IID6, whereas sertraline has much weaker inhibitory effects on its activity. Inhibition of P450 isoenzymes can cause potentially dangerous increases in the plasma levels of a large number of drugs, including TCAs, neuroleptics, and mood stabilizers, such as carbamazepine. Thus, sertraline has several characteristics that offer advantages over other members of this class of antidepressants for the treatment of the elderly patient with major depression.
RhoA and the Function of Platelet Integrin αIIbβ3

Integrins respond to “inside-out” signals, which enable them to bind adhesive ligands, and ligand binding initiates “outside-in” signals that mediate anchorage-dependent cellular responses. RhoA is a GTPase that regulates certain actin rearrangements and transcriptional events. It has also been implicated in integrin signaling, but the exact relationship is not understood. To examine this further, platelets were incubated with C3 exoenzyme to adenine diphosphate (ADP)-ribosylate and inactivate RhoA, and the function of integrin αIIbβ3 was studied. Despite inactivation of ≥ 90% of RhoA, platelets exhibited normal inside-out signaling, as monitored by agonist-induced binding of a fibrinogen-mimetic anti-αIIbβ3 antibody and normal fibrinogen-dependent aggregation. On the other hand, RhoA inactivation decreased the adhesion of agonist-stimulated platelets to fibrinogen ( P < .04) and the formation of vinculin-rich focal adhesions in platelets that did adhere ( P < .001). These effects were selective because fibrin clot retraction, a response also dependent on αIIbβ3 and actin contractility, was unaffected by C3, as was the content of F-actin in resting or agonist-stimulated platelets. Similar results were obtained in a Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell model system of αIIbβ3: C3 exoenzyme (or overexpression of dominant-negative N19RhoA) failed to influence integrin activation state, but it blocked the formation of focal adhesions in cells spread on fibrinogen. These studies establish that RhoA plays a highly selective role in αIIbβ3 signaling, and they identify a subset of responses to integrin ligation that may be uniquely dependent on the actin rearrangements regulated by this GTPase.
Immune-Modulation by Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Inhibitors: Implication on Anti-Tumor Immunity in Lung Cancer

Skin toxicity is the most common toxicity caused by Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) inhibitors, and has been associated with clinical efficacy. As EGFR inhibitors enhance the expression of antigen presenting molecules in affected skin keratinocytes, they may concurrently facilitate neo-antigen presentation in lung cancer tumor cells contributing to anti-tumor immunity. Here, we investigated the modulatory effect of the EGFR inhibitor, erlotinib on antigen presenting molecules and PD-L1, prominent immune checkpoint protein, of skin keratinocytes and lung cancer cell lines to delineate the link between EGFR signaling pathway inhibition and potential anti-tumor immunity. Erlotinib up-regulated MHC-I and MHC-II proteins on IFNγ treated keratinocytes but abrogated IFNγ-induced expression of PD-L1, suggesting the potential role of infiltrating autoreactive T cells in the damage of keratinocytes in affected skin. Interestingly, the surface expression of MHC-I, MHC-II, and PD-L1 was up-regulated in response to IFNγ more often in lung cancer cell lines sensitive to erlotinib, but only expression of PD-L1 was inhibited by erlotinib. Further, erlotinib significantly increased T cell mediated cytotoxicity on lung cancer cells. Lastly, the analysis of gene expression dataset of 186 lung cancer cell lines from Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia demonstrated that overexpression of PD-L1 was associated with sensitivity to erlotinib and higher expression of genes related to antigen presenting pathways and IFNγ signaling pathway. Our findings suggest that the EGFR inhibitors can facilitate anti-tumor adaptive immune responses by breaking tolerance especially in EGFR driven lung cancer that are associated with overexpression of PD-L1 and genes related to antigen presentation and inflammation.
De novo and inherited SCN8A epilepsy mutations detected by gene panel analysis

Abstract Objectives To determine the incidence of pathogenic SCN8A variants in a cohort of epilepsy patients referred for clinical genetic testing. We also investigated the contribution of SCN8A to autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, and neuromuscular disorders in individuals referred for clinical genetic testing at the same testing laboratory. Methods Sequence data from 275 epilepsy panels screened by Emory Genetics Laboratory were reviewed for variants in SCN8A . Two additional cases with variants in SCN8A were ascertained from other testing laboratories. Parental samples were tested for variant segregation and clinical histories were examined. SCN8A variants detected from gene panel analyses for autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, and neuromuscular disorders were also examined. Results Five variants in SCN8A were identified in five individuals with epilepsy. Three variants were de novo , one was inherited from an affected parent, and one was inherited from an unaffected parent. Four of the individuals have epilepsy and developmental delay/intellectual disability. The remaining individual has a milder epilepsy presentation without cognitive impairment. We also identified an amino acid substitution at an evolutionarily conserved SCN8A residue in a patient who was screened on the autism spectrum disorder panel. Additionally, we examined the distribution of pathogenic SCN8A variants across the Na v 1.6 channel and identified four distinct clusters of variants. These clusters are primarily located in regions of the channel that are important for the kinetics of channel inactivation. Conclusions Variants in SCN8A may be responsible for a spectrum of epilepsies as well as other neurodevelopmental disorders without seizures. The predominant pathogenic mechanism appears to involve disruption of channel inactivation, leading to gain-of-function effects.
Intermediate-Term Transoceanic Shipments of Fresh Beef.

Use of a NaOCl rinse did not consistently affect (P >.05) weight losses or visual scores for appearance of beef cuts and quarters shipped from Seattle, Washington to Anchorage, Alaska. Wrapping of beef with PVC film greatly enhanced (P .05) on PVC film-wrapped beef shipped in modified atmosphere (60% CO2, 25%O2, 15%N2) vans. Surface discoloration was minimized and overall appearance was enhanced (P < .05) for hindquarters as a result of the combined (additive) effects of NaOCl rinsing, PVC film wrapping, and shipment in a van with modified atmosphere.
Hexagonal boron nitride neutron detectors with high detection efficiencies

Neutron detectors fabricated from 10B enriched hexagonal boron nitride (h-10BN or h-BN) epilayers have demonstrated the highest thermal neutron detection efficiency among solid-state neutron detectors to date at about 53%. In this work, photoconductive-like vertical detectors with a detection area of 1 × 1 mm2 were fabricated from 50 μm thick free-standing h-BN epilayers using Ni/Au and Ti/Al bilayers as ohmic contacts. Leakage currents, mobility-lifetime (μτ) products under UV photoexcitation, and neutron detection efficiencies have been measured for a total of 16 different device configurations. The results have unambiguously identified that detectors incorporating the Ni/Au bilayer on both surfaces as ohmic contacts and using the negatively biased top surface for neutron irradiation are the most desired device configurations. It was noted that high growth temperatures of h-10BN epilayers on sapphire substrates tend to yield a higher concentration of oxygen impurities near the bottom surface, leading to...
Spontaneous Accessory Renal Artery Aneurysm Rupture in a Patient With Neurofibromatosis Type 1: A Case Report:

True renal artery aneurysms are rare. Ruptured aneurysms are even rarer but can have devastating consequences. Renal artery aneurysms most commonly occur in patients with hypertension, atherosclerosis, or fibromuscular dysplasia. Treatment options can range from embolization to nephrectomy. We describe an interesting case of spontaneous accessory renal artery aneurysm rupture in a 44-year-old female with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) who otherwise had no medical problems. She was successfully treated with selective coil embolization, recovered without complications, and maintained preoperative renal function.
Interleukin-4 (IL-4) may regulate alternative activation of macrophage-like cells in chickens: A sequential study using novel and specific neutralizing monoclonal antibodies against chicken IL-4.

Abstract In mammals, alternatively activated macrophages (AAMs) are well-recognized and are produced by stimulation with Th2 cytokines such as interleukin 4 (IL-4) and IL-13. On their mammalian counterparts, AAMs in chickens has neither been reported nor the functionality of chicken IL-4 (chIL-4) has been studied till date. Therefore, present study developed mouse monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against chIL-4 and used these antibodies to investigate whether chIL-4 induces activation of HD11 chicken macrophage cell line. Upon characterization of mAbs using western blot, immunocytochemistry (ICC), flow cytometry and capture ELISA, activation of HD11 cells was investigated by measuring nitric oxide (NO) production, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression, arginase activity and gene expressions of iNOS, CD80 and CD86 (associated with mammalian M1 phenotype) and chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 17 (ccl17) and mannose receptor C-type1 (MRC1L-A) (as possible chicken M2 markers) in HD11 cells treated with chIL-4, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), chIL-4+LPS, chIL-4+LPS + mAbs. The newly developed mAbs displayed wide applicability in detecting chIL-4 by capture ELISA, ICC and flow cytometry with no cross reactivities with human or mouse IL-4 and other chicken cytokines. Further, our results showed that chIL-4 inhibited NO production by LPS-stimulated HD11 cells and primary monocyte/macrophage cells with reduced iNOS expression and increased arginase activity and, induced robust expression of genes associated with M2 phenotype than M1-related genes. All these effects were neutralized by anti-chIL-4 antibodies. In summary, present study results showed a possible application of anti-chIL-4 mAbs as valuable immune reagents to explore chIL-4 functionality. In addition, our results demonstrated that chIL-4 may override LPS functionality and regulates alternative activation of HD11 cells in chicken via increased arginase activity and expression of M2 associated markers and thus may indicate the possible existence of M1/M2 paradigm in chickens.
Active-Passive Integration using a-Si Waveguides for Substrate Removed Electro-Optic Modulators

Amorphous silicon waveguides were integrated with substrate removed InAlGaAs/InAlAs multi quantum well waveguides in electro-optic modulators. Transitions efficiency between these waveguides is 95%. Modulation efficiency of MZMs is 0.165 V-cm.
REDUCTIVE SUBGROUP SCHEMES OF A PARAHORIC GROUP SCHEME

Let K be the field of fractions of a complete discrete valuation ring $$ \mathcal{A} $$ with residue field k, and let G be a connected reductive algebraic group over K. Suppose $$ \mathcal{P} $$ is a parahoric group scheme attached to G. In particular, $$ \mathcal{P} $$ is a smooth affine $$ \mathcal{A} $$-group scheme having generic fiber $$ \mathcal{P} $$K = G; the group scheme $$ \mathcal{P} $$ is in general not reductive over $$ \mathcal{A} $$. If G splits over an unramified extension of K, we find in this paper a closed and reductive $$ \mathcal{A} $$-subgroup scheme $$ \mathcal{M}\subset \mathcal{P} $$ for which the special fiber $$ \mathcal{M} $$k is a Levi factor of $$ \mathcal{P} $$k. Moreover, we show that the generic fiber $$ M={\mathcal{M}}_{\mathrm{K}} $$ is a subgroup of G which is geometrically of type C(μ) – i.e., after a separable field extension, M is the identity component $$ M={C}_G^o\left(\phi \right) $$ of the centralizer of the image of a homomorphism ϕ: μn → H, where μn is the group scheme of n-th roots of unity for some n ≥ 2. For a connected and split reductive group H over any field $$ \mathcal{F} $$, the paper describes those subgroups of H which are of type C(μ).
Use of publication procedures to improve research integrity by addiction journals.

Background and aims The credibility crisis evident in many academic disciplines has led peer-reviewed journals to implement procedures to reduce use of flexible data analysis practices and selective reporting of results. This exploratory study examined the adoption of six of these procedures by addiction journals. Methods Thirty-eight high-impact addiction journals were identified using the 2018 Clarivate Analytics Journal Citation Report for 2017 ranks. The online instructions for authors were reviewed for references to six publication procedures: conflict of interest disclosure, reporting guidelines, clinical trial registration, registration of other study designs, data-sharing and registered reports. The webpages of the Center for Open Science and Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) were also reviewed for data pertaining to registered reports and reporting guidelines, respectively. Results The range of procedures adopted by the addiction journals was 0-5, with a mean of 2.66. Conflict-of-interest disclosure was required by all but one journal. Encouraging data-sharing was the next most commonly required procedure. Fewer than half the journals recommended specific reporting guidelines or required registration of clinical trials, and only four required procedures to pre-specify hypotheses and analytical methods. Conclusions While many addiction journals have adopted publication procedures to improve research integrity, these can be limited by their voluntary nature and monitoring difficulties. More stringent requirements that lock researchers into specific hypotheses and analyses have not been widely adopted.
Hitting a moving target: Microbial evolutionary strategies in a dynamic ocean

Marine microbes form the base of ocean food webs and drive ocean biogeochemical cycling. Yet little is known about how microbial populations will evolve due to global change-driven shifts in ocean dynamics. Understanding adaptive timescales is critical where long-term trends (e.g. warming) are coupled to shorter-term advection dynamics that move organisms rapidly between ecoregions. Here we investigated the interplay between physical and biological timescales using a model of adaptation and an eddy-resolving ocean circulation climate model. Two criteria ( and {beta}) were identified that relate physical and biological timescales and determine the timing and nature of adaptation. Genetic adaptation was impeded in highly variable regimes ( 1). An evolutionary trade-off emerged where greater short-term transgenerational effects (low-{beta}-strategy) enabled rapid responses to environmental fluctuations but delayed genetic adaptation, while fewer short-term transgenerational effects (high-{beta}-strategy) allowed faster genetic adaptation but inhibited short-term responses. Our results suggest that organisms with faster growth rates are better positioned to adapt to rapidly changing ocean conditions and that more variable environments will favor a bet-hedging, low-{beta}-strategy. Understanding the relationship between evolutionary and physical timescales is critical for robust predictions of future microbial dynamics.
Voices Unheard: An Intersectional Approach to Understanding Depression among Middle-Class Black Women

AbstractThere is little empirical or conceptual literature about depression among middle-class Black women, as the majority of the depression research focuses on low-income Black women or middle-cl...
Designing Functionally Selective Noncatechol Dopamine D1 Receptor Agonists with Potent In Vivo Antiparkinsonian Activity.

Dopamine receptors are important G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) with therapeutic opportunities for treating Parkinson’s Disease (PD) motor and cognitive deficits. Biased D1 dopamine ligands th...
The role of extracellular vesicles and PD-L1 in glioblastoma-mediated immunosuppressive monocyte induction

Background Immunosuppression in glioblastoma (GBM) is an obstacle to effective immunotherapy. GBM-derived immunosuppressive monocytes are central to this. Programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) is an immune checkpoint molecule, expressed by GBM cells and GBM extracellular vesicles (EVs). We sought to determine the role of EV-associated PD-L1 in the formation of immunosuppressive monocytes. Methods Monocytes collected from healthy donors were conditioned with GBM-derived EVs to induce the formation of immunosuppressive monocytes, which were quantified via flow cytometry. Donor-matched T cells were subsequently co-cultured with EV-conditioned monocytes in order to assess effects on T-cell proliferation. PD-L1 constitutive overexpression or short hairpin RNA-mediated knockdown was used to determined the role of altered PD-L1 expression. Results GBM EVs interact with both T cells and monocytes but do not directly inhibit T-cell activation. However, GBM EVs induce immunosuppressive monocytes, including myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and nonclassical monocytes (NCMs). MDSCs and NCMs inhibit T-cell proliferation in vitro and are found within GBM in situ. EV PD-L1 expression induces NCMs but not MDSCs, and does not affect EV-conditioned monocytes T-cell inhibition. Conclusion These findings indicate that GBM EV-mediated immunosuppression occurs through induction of immunosuppressive monocytes rather than direct T-cell inhibition and that, while PD-L1 expression is important for the induction of specific immunosuppressive monocyte populations, immunosuppressive signaling mechanisms through EVs are complex and not limited to PD-L1.
Analysis of Stepping‐Stone Attacks in Internet of Things Using Dynamic Vulnerability Graphs

In this chapter, we present a model that characterizes the propagation of stepping‐stone attacks in the Internet of Things (IoT) using a vulnerability graph with fixed and switching topology. The cost of a stepping‐stone stack path is modeled as a first‐order dynamical system where the control input is the biased min‐consensus protocol, which converges to the minimum cost, giving us the tool for the calculation of the shortest stepping‐stone attack path from every source node to every target node. The model is discretized, and for the convergence analysis of the stepping‐stone dynamics, the min‐plus algebra is introduced. In this framework, the stepping‐stone dynamic is formulated as a linear system in a min‐plus algebra. The model is expanded to a more realistic scenario where the vulnerability graph is not fixed, that is, when the vulnerability graph changes due to the attack have been detected, triggering the intrusion detection system, or because the attacker that has exploited a vulnerability in any node will exploit the same vulnerability more efficiently in any other node. In this scenario, the stepping‐stone dynamics are modeled as a switched linear system in a min‐plus algebra. Necessary and sufficient conditions for the convergence of the stepping‐stone dynamics to the minimum cost in the fixed topology case and a sufficient condition for the switching topology case are provided. For the validation of the model, simulations for the fixed and switching topology case are presented. A preliminary version of this work was published at the 2018 IEEE ICC conference (M. Gamarra, S. Shetty, O. Gonzalez, D. Nicol, C. A. Kamhoua, and L. Njilla. “Analysis of stepping stone attacks in dynamic vulnerability graphs.” In: IEEE International Conference on Communications (ICC) , Kansas City, MO, 20–24 May 2018.). In this chapter, we have extended the preliminary work to frame the model within IoT context with more detailed mathematical results.
Teaching Web-Attacks on a Raspberry Pi Cyber Range

Cyber ranges are an important tool for teaching cyber security techniques. However, setting up a cyber range for classroom use can be costly. Prior work on lowering the cost of cyber ranges focuses on open source solutions and virtual machines. Yet, these solutions do not reduce the cost of physical components - namely, the underlying hardware used to build the range. In this paper, we describe a prototype cyber range built out of Raspberry Pis, a type of inexpensive single board computer. To illustrate the functionality of the range, we use Docker and Docker Swarm to deploy a vulnerable web server across four Raspberry Pi nodes and assess it in an undergraduate classroom. Our cyber range costs under $250.00 to build and consumes less than 25 Watts of power. We open-source our materials and provide pre-built Docker images on Docker Hub to enable others to use our work. Our results suggest that cyber ranges built using Raspberry Pi clusters can lower cost and enhance cyber security education.
Finding Matrix Sequences with a High Asymptotic Growth Rate for Linear Constrained Switching Systems

Linear constrained switching systems are linear switched systems whose switching sequences are constrained by a deterministic finite automaton. This work investigates how to generate a sequence of matrices with an asymptotic growth rate close to the constrained joint spectral radius (CJSR) for constrained switching systems, based on our previous result that reveals the equivalence of a constrained switching system and a lifted arbitrary switching system. By using the dual solution of a sum-of-squares optimization program, an algorithm is designed for the lifted arbitrary switching system to produce a sequence of matrices with an asymptotic growth rate that is close to the CJSR of the original constrained switching system. It is also shown that a type of existing algorithms designed for arbitrary switching systems can be applied to the lifted system such that the desired sequence of matrices can be generated for the constrained switching system. Several numerical examples are provided to illustrate the better performance of the proposed algorithms compared with existing ones.
New Testament Miracles in the Ethopoeiae of Nikephoros Basilakes

Basilakes’ rhetorical exercises, speeches composed to portray a participant’s perspective on NT scenes, show an innovative approach to biblical reception in the twelfth century.
In the Mood for a Loan: The Causal Effect of Sentiment on Credit Origination

We study how loan officers’ mood affects their decisions on mortgage applications. Motivated by psychological evidence, we use three mood proxies: (1) outcomes of key sporting events such as the Super Bowl, (2) outcomes of the American Idol competition, and (3) days around major holidays. Our identification exploits the variation in daily loan approvals in each county, while observing the volume and quality of reviewed applications. Positive sentiment events are associated with a 4.5% higher loan approval rate in affected counties, and negative sentiment events have the opposite effect of a smaller magnitude. The effect is stronger for marginal quality applications, where loan officers have more discretion. The extra loans approved on high-sentiment days experience higher defaults. Overall, our evidence suggests that mood fluctuations affect decisions of financial experts and generate long-lasting real effects.
Fowler-Nordheim Slope Dependence on Pressure in Controlled Poor Vacuum

We present the emission characteristics from a single Si emitter with integrated nanowire, obtained at different pressures by the influx of gases. This is enabled by a nanopositioning stage and a sharp tungsten anode. We compared emission characteristics in ultra-high vacuum to operation in Ar, O 2 and H 2 up to 10−5 Torr. Our results indicate that emission characteristics improved in H 2 but severely deteriorated in O 2 . Original characteristics are recovered after measurements in O 2 by performing multiple sweeps, implying the degradation is not permanent and due to adsorbed gas molecules.
Law, Risk Management, and the Influence of the Psychological and Decision Sciences

This paper discusses certain developments in the psychological and decision sciences which have influenced the legal framework for the management of technological risks in the United States.
Chapter 11 Renal Potassium Adaptation: Cellular Mechanisms and Morphology

Publisher Summary Renal potassium adaptation can be induced by both an increase in potassium (K) intake and plasma aldosterone levels and results in an enhanced capacity to excrete K during K infusion, primarily due to accelerated secretion by principal cells in the collecting tubule. The cellular mechanisms of renal K adaptation are defined as the increased ability to excrete K in response to an acute infusion of KCl. Adaptation requires 1-3 days to develop and is associated with an increase in the amount of Na + ,K + -ATPase in the basolateral membrane of principal cells. An enhanced K secretion is also mediated by an increase in K conductance of the luminal cell membrane. Adaptation allows the organism to restore whole-body K balance more rapidly than normal and also attenuates the hyperkalemia following K loading. Adaptation increases the flexibility of an organism in its response to alterations in K balance, which enables survival of otherwise life-threatening hyperkalemia.
Kinetics of electron-hole plasma condensation in a supersaturated gas of free excitons in pure germanium

Recently, a theory describing the nucleation of electronhole droplets (EHD) in a supersaturated gas of free excitons (FE) has been introduced. This theory yields an expression for the EHD nucleation rate which has been used to generalize Pokrovskii’s phenomenological rate equations. Their numerical solutions are discussed for slowly rising pulses of low-intensity excitation. The theoretical predictions are compared with the measured time dependence of the concurrent EHD and FE luminescence build-up in pure Ge.
Generalized random forces for rectangular panels.

Generalized random forces for rectangular panels under subsonic and supersonic boundary-layer turbulence are studied in time domain by a Monte Carlo approach. Panels with simple, fixed, elastic-free, and periodic elastic boundary conditions are considered. The nature of probability structure, peak distribution, threshold crossing, and cross spectral density is investigated.
The Ancient Messenians: The earthquake and the revolt: from Ithome to Naupaktos

If we look at the written sources, between the so-called Second Messenian War and the Pentekontaetia it seems as if nothing was happening in Messenia. The structure of the Messenian vulgata and of Spartan historical memory conspire to make of the sixth century a Dark Age of Messenian history. But in the years after the Persian Wars the Spartans were suddenly compelled to fight for their land west of the Taygetos. Probably around 469 BC , the southern Peloponnese was hit by a devastating earthquake, which destroyed many buildings and claimed a high number of victims. As Sparta was weakened by the catastrophe, a revolt broke out in Messenia. It took the Spartans ten years, hard fighting and the help of their allies, including the Athenians, to recover control of the region and to gain the upper hand on the rebels, who were entrenched on Mount Ithome. What the Spartans could not prevent was the birth of a polity calling itself “the Messenians,” a polity sui generis formed by the rebels, who left the region under a truce and received from the Athenians Naupaktos on the Gulf of Corinth as their provisional dwelling. The origins of this polity and the identity of its members will form the topic of this chapter. Before addressing it, however, it is necessary to review briefly some sources which seem to refer to an earlier Messenian revolt in the very first decades of the fifth century.
What is the Equivalence Theorem Really

The precise statement of the equivalence theorem, between the longitudinally polarized states of a massive gauge boson and the corresponding goldstone mode, is discussed when the amplitude in question depends on masses of other particles (e.g., the Higgs boson) in the theory.
23 Process Engineering

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the history, current state, and future of some aspects of process engineering. Process engineering is defined as the application of systems concepts and methodologies to the design and operation of chemical processes. Two issues are involved in the life cycle of a process. One issue is to understand the behavior of the individual component parts constituting a process. The other is to understand the behavior of a system of integrated parts. The chapter provides an understanding of how the individual parts behave and look at the issues arising from combining them into a system. Process engineering is not only discovering complex techniques of natural or man-made phenomena but also inventing techniques to lead the process into a stature that become beneficial for human life, such as the computer technology
Evidence for the existence of a carrier-mediated folate uptake mechanism in human colonic luminal membranes.

Colonic bacteria synthesize significant amounts of folate. The current studies were undertaken to examine the presence of a possible folate transporter and its characterization in apical membranes of the human colon. Apical membrane vesicles were purified from mucosal scrapings of proximal organ donor colons using a differential centrifugation and divalent cation precipitation technique. [3H]folate (PteGlu) uptake was measured by a rapid filtration technique. Our results demonstrate that [3H]PteGlu uptake into these vesicles 1) was significantly increased with decreasing pH of the incubation buffer, 2) was markedly inhibited by 4,4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid (DIDS) and 4-acetamido-4'-isothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid but not by acetazolamide, amiloride, bumetanide, furosemide, and diphenyl 2-carboxylic acid, 3) was sensitive to temperature and osmolarity of the incubation medium, 4) was inhibited by structural analogs methotrexate and 5-methyltetrahydrofolate, 5) exhibited trans-...
The Byzantine Empress Zoe Porphyrogenita and the quest for eternal youth.

Summary The diachronically continuous struggle for eternal youth as represented by theByzantine Empress Zoe Porphyrogenita (978–1050). The presentation of a beautifulempress, trying to keep her youth appearance until a prolonged age, applying on herselfcosmetic essences and fragrances made in her personal laboratory into the imperialpalace. The review of the relevant literature and the historical evidence derived from thehistorians and chroniclers of her era, as well as the surviving images of Zoe. The eye-witness chroniclers of the era describe her as blonde, with bright white skin, lack ofwrinkles, and a very young girl appearance, preserving her beauty even into her 60s.All the historical sources agree that her main occupation was the manufacture ofcosmetic essences, and for this purpose, she had installed a laboratory (myrepseion) inher private quarters, where she prepared various drugs and perfumes, spending much ofher time for these activities. It is noteworthy that her ﬁrst two husbands died undercircumstances that aroused suspicions of Zoe’s involvement in their deaths, as she hadparallel love affairs. The best known image of Zoe is the mosaic panel in Saint Sophia,the cathedral Church of Constantinople and her representation has been long discussed,as she was 64 years old at the time of the scene apparently depicted in the panel, andmaybe she took the opportunity of adding a more pleasing portrait of herself. Thepreservation of beauty is a timeless quest and cosmetic dermatology has its origins inantiquity and medieval times.Keywords: Byzantine Empire, Zoe Porphyrogenita, cosmetic laboratory, eternal youth,perfume laboratory
Scalable Resource Control in Active Networks

The increased complexity of the service model relative to store-and-forward routers has made resource management one of the paramount concerns in active networking research and engineering. In this paper, we address two major challenges in scaling resource management to many-node active networks. The first is the use of market mechanisms and trading amongst nodes and programs with varying degrees of competition and cooperation to provide a scalable approach to managing active network resources. The second is the use of a trust-management architecture to ensure that the participants in the resource management marketplace have a policy-driven "rule of law" in which marketplace decisions can be made and relied upon. We have used lottery scheduling and the Keynote trust-management system for our implementation, for which we provide some initial performance indications.
Women's Education, Marital Violence, and Divorce: A Social Exchange Perspective

Drawing on social exchange theories, the authors hypothesized that educated women are more likely than uneducated women to leave violent marriages and suggested that this pattern offsets the negative education - divorce association commonly found in the United States. They tested these hypotheses using 2 waves of young adult data on 914 married women from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. The evidence suggests that the negative relationship between women's education and divorce is weaker when marriages involve abuse than when they do not. The authors observed a similar pattern when they examined the association of women's proportional earnings and divorce, controlling for education. Supplementary analyses suggested that marital satisfaction explains some of the association among women's resources, victimization, and divorce but that marital violence continues to be a significant moderator of the education - divorce association. In sum, education appears to benefit women by both maintaining stable marriages and dissolving violent ones. Language: en
The Dark Side of Humanity: The Work of Robert Herte and Its Legacy

The Dark Side of Humanity: The Work of Robert Herte and Its Legacy, Robert Parkin. Amsterdam: Harwood Academic Publishers, 1996. 226 pp.
Cardiopulmonary responses to exercise in children with activity sensing rate responsive ventricular pacemakers.

The physiological benefits of activity sensing rate responsive ventricular pacing)VVIR) over fixed rate pacing)VVI) were investigated in 14 children during incremenlal cycle exercise. Based on their heart rhythm response during exercise, children were divided into two groups. Group I patients)13 ± 4 years) remained in a paced-only rhythm when exercised. Group II patients)16 ± 7 years) were paced at rest but converted to sinus rhythm with exercise. In Group I patients, the significant physioJogicol benefits of VVIR over VVI pacing were evidenced hy a 51% increase in peak heart rate)HRmax) and a 16% increase in exercise duration and maximum oxygen uptake)VO2max). Additionally, a 27% reduction in peak oxygen pulse)O2Pmax) was found, reflecting a similar decrease in stroke volume. The cardiorespiraiory responses of Group I and 11 patients were compared in terms of percent of predicted normal values. Although Group I patients in the VVIR mode attained a better exercise performance than in the VVI mode and a normal O2Pmax)108% pred). their HRmax)62% pred) and VO2max)70% pred) fell far below normal values. In comparison. Group II patients, who went into sinus rhythm, achieved normal values for HRmax)84% pred), VO2max)90% pred), and O2Pmax)97% pred). The higher pacing rates attained by Group I patients in the VVIR mode may have allowed them to reach not only a higher cardiac output but also a more normal stroke volume at peak exercise than in the VVI mode. However, the overall exercise performance of children paced in the VVI and VVIR modes were significantly diminished compared to the performance of children who went into sinus rhythm with exercise.)
Organozirconium compounds in organic synthesis: cleavage reactions of carbon-zirconium bonds

Methods for synthesis of bis(cyclopentadienyl) organozirconium compounds are described. Cleavage mechanisms for these compounds are discussed and a unifying mechanism to account for a variety of cleavage processes is presented.
Influence of seed location on cotton fiber development in planta and in vitro

A number of different levels of competition for resources have been described that influence cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) fiber quality. These include the number of bolls on a fruiting branch, and on a secondary level, the location of seeds within a locule. Cotton ovule culture was employed to assess the contribution of competition for resources to fiber quality. Elongation and secondary wall deposition were compared in plant-grown and culture-grown fibers. In plant-grown material, seeds located in the middle of a locule had the longest fibers. Fiber length distributions were similar for ovules taken from the apical, medial and basal locations in a locule and grown in ovule culture. Secondary wall deposition was greatest in fibers located on basal seeds or ovules. On a single seed or ovule, fibers in the micropylar region had thicker cell walls than in the chalazal region. Competition for resources has been eliminated in vitro and the same pattern of secondary wall deposition occurred in the micropylar and chalazal regions of seeds and ovules. Therefore, conditions present at the time of ovule excision influenced secondary wall deposition. One condition may be fiber diameter.
The effect of system feedback and decision context on value-based decision-making behavior

Relatively few studies in MIS research have examined systems to support value-based decision-making behavior. The increasing complexity of the decision environment necessitates more reliance on personal values by decision-makers, thus making it an important component to study when considering the design of systems to aid decision-making. This paper describes an exploratory experiment that was conducted to determine how individual value-based decision-making behavior can be influenced by an information system through the use of value specific feedback. It also examines the role of decision context on value-based decisions. The results indicate that value-based decision-making behavior can be influenced and discusses operant theory and reactance theory as useful predictors of decision-maker response to feedback in different decision contexts.
Physiological flexibility in an avian range expansion

Abstract The mechanisms that enable animals to colonize new areas are little known, but growing evidence indicates that the regulation of stress hormones is important. Stress hormones probably influence invasions because they enable organisms to adjust their phenotypes depending on environmental context. Often, studies of stress hormones are based on single or a few samples from individuals even though the flexibility in the regulation of such hormones is what enables them to achieve homeostasis and facilitate performance. Here, we asked whether flexibility in the regulation of one stress hormone, corticosterone, was related to colonization success in one of the world’s most successful avian invaders, the house sparrow ( Passer domesticus ). We studied Kenyan house sparrows, as the species was recently introduced there (around 1950) and has since expanded northwestward. Previous work in this system revealed that younger populations released more corticosterone during a restraint stressor than older populations. Our first goal was to discern whether such population differences were fixed or flexible in adulthood; our second goal was to determine whether individual identity explained any variation in corticosterone regulation. As before, we found that corticosterone responses to short-term restraint (i.e., stress responses), but not baseline corticosterone, were larger in younger populations. We also found that both baseline and stress-induced corticosterone measures were flexible; both metrics became similar among sites after one week of captivity. For stress responses, we also found that individual identity was important. Altogether, the present data suggest that the colonization of Kenya by house sparrows might have been facilitated by stress hormone regulatory flexibility.
InGaAs/GaInAsP/GaInP strained-layer quantum well separate-confinement heterostructures grown by OMVPE

Abstract Quaternary confinement layers in InGaAs strained-layer quantum well structures based on GaInAsP/GaAs materials have led to devices of very high differential efficiencies. Growth of these structures by OMVPE is described. A thin layer of GaAs inserted between the InGaAs and the upper GaInAsP confinement layer has a very beneficial effect on the structural quality of the top cladding layer and on the device performance. It is conjectured that thin GaAs serves as a template to maintain the in-plane lattice constant of the structure.