cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The phosphate-lowering effect of nicotinamide is offset by reduced Fgf23 levels in a murine model of familial tumoral calcinosis

Familial tumoral calcinosis is caused by mutations in the GALNT3 gene. Lack of GalNAc transferase 3, encoded by GALNT3, destabilizes FGF23, a key hormone that suppresses phosphate reabsorption and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D synthesis in the kidney. The destabilized FGF23 is more susceptible to proteolytic cleavage, thereby reducing the secretion of biologically active intact FGF23. Persistent hyperphosphatemia due to decreased FGF23 concentrations leads to often large, ectopic calcific masses in soft tissues, which are usually removed surgically. However, the calcific masses often recur, requiring a more permanent solution to the problem. Nicotinamide is reported to lower serum phosphate by decreasing type IIb sodium-dependent phosphate cotransporter in the gut. This effect of nicotinamide has promoted its use in treatment of limited cases of tumoral calcinosis, though its effectiveness remains largely unclear. Therefore, we investigated nicotinamide as a potential therapy for tumoral calcinosis, using a murine model of the disease – Galnt3 knockout mice. Initially, nicotinamide (doses 0, 2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10 mmol/kg/day) was given to normal mice for 2 weeks. Treatment had no effect on serum phosphate levels; however, Fgf23 was decreased in a dose-dependent manner. Subsequently, high-dose nicotinamide (10 mmol/kg/day) was tested for 4 weeks in Galnt3 knockout mice on a high-phosphate diet. The radiographic data pretreatment and posttreatments showed that the treatment did not eliminate the calcification, but retarded its growth, while in the untreated mice, calcifications increased in size. The therapy did not change serum phosphate levels despite moderately increased phosphate excretion, likely due to decreased serum intact Fgf23 levels. Quantification of calcium and phosphate contents in hearts and kidneys revealed that the treated mice had significantly high calcium in the heart. In summary, nicotinamide did not alter serum phosphate levels because the phosphate-lowering effect of nicotinamide was diminished by reduction in intact Fgf23 concentrations. The increased calcium in the heart suggests that nicotinamide therapy may also have an adverse effect.
Comments on ‘Key issues for attention from ecological economists’ by Paul Ehrlich

Paul Ehrlich has a clear message for the economics profession: humanity faces a number of serious environmental problems and economists have a central role to play if we are to successfully address them. The article lays out an important research agenda for economists, which includes climate change, loss of biodiversity, release of toxic substances, epidemiological concerns, population, and over-consumption. Even if one disagrees with some of the particulars, and my guess is that many economists who read the article will, the big ideas contained in this article and the main messages are worthy of close attention. Rather than being on the periphery of the economics profession, those of us in economics who focus on environmental issues, whether called ecological economists, environmental economists or resource economists, should be at the heart of an economics profession focused on the most important and relevant issues facing society.
Resource-misuse attack detection in delay-tolerant networks

In a Delay-Tolerant Network (DTN), data originating from a source node may be delivered to the destination node, despite the non-existence of end-to-end connectivity between them at all times. In an adversarial environment such as a battlefield, DTN nodes could be compromised to launch Denial-of-Service (DoS) attacks by generating excess data, to cause an overflow of the limited resources of the legitimate nodes, hence decreasing the network throughput. A node may also display selfish behavior by generating more data than allowed, to increase its throughput and to decrease the latency of its data packets. In this paper, we term such a DoS attack and selfish data generation behavior, a resource-misuse attack. We study two types of resource-misuse attacks, breadth attacks and depth attacks. Accordingly, we propose different schemes to detect these attacks. Trace-driven simulations using both a synthetic and a real-world trace show that our detection schemes have low average detection latency and additionally, probabilistic detection of the depth attack has low false positive and false negative rates.
Quantitative residue-level structure-evolution relationships in the yeast membrane proteome.

Membrane proteins exist in distinctly different environments than do soluble proteins, resulting in differences between their respective biophysical and evolutionary properties. In comparison with soluble proteins, relatively little is known about how the unique biophysical properties of membrane proteins affect their evolutionary properties at the residue level. In particular, transmembrane (TM) regions of membrane proteins tend to be more conserved than regions outside of the membrane (extramembrane [EM] regions), but the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon are not well understood. Here, we combine homology-based high-resolution three-dimensional protein models with rigorous evolutionary rate calculations to quantitatively assess residue-level structure–evolution relationships in the yeast membrane proteome. We find that residue evolutionary rate increases linearly with decreasing residue burial, regardless of the hydrophobic or hydrophilic nature of the solvent environment. This finding supports a direct relationship between a residue’s selective constraint and the extent of its packing interactions with neighboring residues, independent of hydrophobic effects. Most importantly, for a fixed degree of burial, residues from TM regions tend to evolve more slowly than residues from EM regions. We attribute this difference to the increased importance of packing constraints and the decreased importance of hydrophobic effects in TM regions. This additional selective constraint on TM residues plays a dominant role in explaining why TM regions evolve more slowly than EM regions. In addition to revealing the universality of the linear relationship between residue burial and selective constraint across solvent environments, our work highlights the distinct residue-level evolutionary consequences imposed by the unique biophysical properties of the membrane environment.
Conceptual Metaphors of Affect

Emotional experiences are often described in metaphoric language. A major question in linguistics and cognitive science is whether such metaphoric linguistic expressions reflect a deeper principle of cognition. Are abstract concepts structured by the embodied, sensorimotor domains that we use to describe them? This review presents the argument for conceptual metaphors of affect and summarizes recent findings from empirical studies. These findings show that, consistent with the conceptual metaphor account, the associations between affect and physical domains such as spatial position, musical pitch, brightness, and size which are captured in linguistic metaphors also influence performance on attention, memory and judgment tasks. Despite this evidence, a number of concerns with metaphor as an account of affect representation are considered.
An algorithm for real-time noise cancellation in wireless sensor networks

Noise (from different sources), data dimension, and fading can have dramatic effects on the performance of wireless sensor networks and the decisions made at the fusion center. Any of these parameters alone or their combined result can affect the final outcome of a wireless sensor network. As such, total elimination of these parameters could also be damaging to the final outcome, as it may result in removing useful information that can benefit the decision making process. Several efforts have been made to find the optimal balance between which parameters, where, and how to remove them. We have developed computationally low power, low bandwidth, and low cost filters that will remove the noise and compress the data so that a decision can be made at the node level.
Heat exchange enhancement by extremum seeking boundary feedback control in 3D magnetohydrodynamic channel flow

Electrically conducting fluids are generally favored as heat transfer media for their excellent heat conduction and high boiling point. However, the movement of such fluids under the presence of imposed transverse magnetic fields can generate substantial magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) effects including the need of higher pressure gradients to drive the fluids and lower heat transfer rates due to the laminarization of the flows. In this work we propose an active boundary control to overcome some of these unfavorable MHD effects inside a 3D MHD channel flow. Extremum seeking is used to adaptively tune a fixed-structure boundary controller to maximize in real time a cost function related to heat transfer. The closed-loop controller achieves the ultimate goal of increasing overall heat transfer rate through the channel walls, and therefore enhances the efficiency of the heat exchanger. The velocity dynamics is predicted by a pseudo-spectral solver while the temperature dynamics is predicted by a finite difference solver. Simulation results show the efficiency of the proposed controller.
Family CEOs vs. Nonfamily CEOs in the Family‐Controlled Firm: An Examination of the Level and Sensitivity of Pay to Performance

This study examines CEO compensation in 82 founding-family-controlled firms; 47 CEOs are members of the founding family and 35 are not. It tests the family incentive alignment hypothesis, which predicts that family CEOs have superior incentives for maximizing firm value and, therefore, need fewer compensation-based incentives. Univariate and multivariate analyses show that family CEOs’ compensation levels are lower and that they receive less incentive-based pay—confirming the family incentive alignment hypothesis and suggesting the possible need for family firms to increase CEO compensation when they replace a founding family CEO with a nonfamily-member CEO.
Mass renormalization for a vector meson

We present our results on the mass renormalization of a vector meson within the framework of shadow-state theory based on the techniques of the Feynman diagram, the unitarity and dispersion relations. We also contrast the analytic result obtained from the conventional renormalization prescription and the piecewise analytic result from the shadow-state theory.
Does the Saponification-GC Method Underestimate Total Cholesterol Content in Samples Having Considerable Cholesterol Esters?

Cholesterol, in free or esterified form, is a sterol that is found in animal products. Free cholesterol is one of the unsaponifiable matters, so most quantification methods involve saponification of the acyl lipids under heating and alkaline conditions to obtain the unsaponifiable fraction for further GC quantification. We examined the stability of cholesterol in the harsh saponification environment and the completeness of the hydrolysis reaction of cholesterol ester. Cholesterol was found to be stable in a model saponification system. However, only about 50 % of the cholesterol ester was hydrolyzed with a long saponification time (up to 18 h). This incomplete reaction will lead to an underestimation of the total cholesterol if a sample has a significant amount of sterol esters. In this study, 5.1 % of the total sterol in egg yolk was found to be esterified cholesterol, but yolk’s total cholesterol content quantified by using standard methods was lower than that determined using a commercial kit that measures total cholesterol. More research is needed to further understand the stability and reactivity of both free and esterified cholesterol in foods in order to use appropriate methodology for cholesterol quantification.
Understanding Art Markets: Inside the world of art and business

Part I: Technical and Structural Mechanisms 2. The Structure of Art Commodity Markets 3. Art, Religion, History and Money 4. Legal and Ethical Issues Part II: The Markets for Art 5. The Modern and Impressionist Market: The politics of success 6. International Contemporary Art: An art world explanation of its value 7. Chinese Taste for Chinese Art 8. Old Masters: A gradual change in values Part III: External Factors 9. Art Valuation and Investment 10. The Public Cultural Domain: The state, museums and the built environment 11. The Evolution of Craft into Art
Taxonomy of the winged popcorn flower: Cryptantha pterocarya (Boraginaceae)

Cryptantha pterocarya (Boraginaceae), the winged nut popcorn flower, is distinguished in part by nutlets with marginal, typically lobed wings. Four varieties of this species have been accepted in recent treatments: vars . cycloptera , pterocarya , purpusii , and stenoloba . We tested the taxonomic discreteness, degree of variation, and geographic range of these varieties of C. pterocarya by examining material from numerous voucher specimens. We quantified differences among specimens by measuring or calculating twenty features of the corolla and fruit, the latter focusing on mature (fruiting) calyx and nutlet characteristics. Type specimens of all four varieties were examined and quantified, and all specimens were georeferenced and mapped. From our observations and measurements, we recognize two new morphological forms in the complex, termed the “pseudocycloptera” form and the “truncata” form. The “pseudocycloptera” form is similar to var. pterocarya but is homomorphic, with all four nutlets winged. The “truncata” form is similar to var. cycloptera , but is heteromorphic, with the odd nutlet having a reduced basal wing (somewhat truncate in shape) and having a slightly reduced gynobase stipe. We conclude that C. p. var. pterocarya , var. purpusii, and var. stenoloba should continue to be recognized as taxa at that rank. The “pseudocycloptera” form, although generally morphologically discrete in nutlet heteromophism, shows some intergradation, even within a specimen, of the typical form of C. p. var. pterocarya and exhibits no clear geographic discontinuity; it should thus be recognized as a homomorphic form of that taxon , which we formally name forma pseudocycloptera . Variety purpusii should continue to be recognized at that rank given its variation in nutlet wing morphology but with continuity in geographic range. Variety stenoloba should also continue to be recognized at this rank given its distinctive calyx and nutlet body size and shape, but having a quite limited geographic range. We conclude that what has been most commonly recognized as C. pterocarya var. cycloptera should be resurrected to the rank of species, as C. cycloptera , because of the distinctiveness of this taxon in three, discrete morphological characters, one of which (gynobase stipe) was previously undescribed. The “truncata” form, which shows some intergradation with C. cycloptera and lacks geographic discontinuity, should be recognized as a heteromorphic form of C. cycloptera, which we formally name forma truncata . A revised key is proposed to better accommodate the identity of these taxa and forms. We hope that future molecular studies will elucidate the phylogenetic relationships, character evolution, and geographic history of this interesting taxonomic complex.
INTRASPECIFIC PHYLOGEOGRAPHY OF NORTH AMERICAN HIGHLAND FISHES: A TEST OF THE PLEISTOCENE VICARIANCE HYPOTHESIS.

The highland fish fauna of eastern North America consists of Appalachian and Ozark centers of endemism separated by the intervening Glacial Till Plains. Clades within these areas are more closely related phylogenetically to each other than to clades occurring in the intervening formerly glaciated region, suggesting that the Pleistocene glaciations fragmented a widespread highland region and its associated fauna. Alternatively, it is possible that these faunal assemblages predate the glaciations or that recent dispersals may have been more important than vicariance in determining faunal compositions. We examined the relationships among mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplotypes within five clades of highland fishes, each with a distribution suggestive of a Pleistocene vicariance event. Darters of the subgenera Litocara and Odontopholis have distributions and mtDNA relationships that are consistent with the Pleistocene integration and burial of the Teays-Mahomet valley, a major drainage of the early Pleistocene. The distribution and mtDNA relationships among subspecies of Erimystax dissimilis are not consistent with Pleistocene vicariance, but relationships among Appalachian haplotypes are consistent with the late Pleistocene integration of the modern Ohio River system. Both Cottus carolinae and the Fundulus catenatus species group have representatives in the Mobile basin consistent with pre-Pleistocene divergences. Three haplotype clusters were found in C. carolinae, corresponding to the Appalachian, Ozark, and upper Kanawha River populations. However, Appalachian and Ozark F. catenatus populations are paraphyletic with respect to each other. This, coupled with a relatively low degree of sequence divergence, suggests that no long-term barriers to gene flow exist for C. carolinae and F. catenatus. These three distinct phylogeographic patterns indicate that Pleistocene vicariance is not the only explanation for the Ap- palachian-Ozark distribution of highland fish communities.
Raman Spectroscopy of Folded and Scrolled Graphene

Here we examine the effects of folding and scrolling on the Raman spectra of mechanically exfoliated single- and bilayer graphene prepared on SiO2 substrates. We find that incommensurate folding in bilayer graphene results in a shift of the second-order G′ band frequency, similar to that observed in folded single-layer graphene due to fold-induced changes in the phonon/electronic energy dispersion. Importantly, we show that the contrasting Raman shifts reported for the G′ band frequency in folded graphene can be rationalized by taking into account the relative strength of fold-induced electron/phonon renormalization. More interestingly, we find that curvature in scrolled graphene lifts the degeneracy of the G band and results in a splitting of the G band and the appearance of low-frequency radial breathing-like (RBLM) modes. This study highlights a variety of Raman signatures for fold-induced and curvature-induced graphene and sets the stage for further theoretical and experimental studies of these novel ...
Isolation of a coxsackievirus B1 strain and its VP1 region sequencing analysis

Objective To isolate and identify an enterovirus strain isolated from a patient of hand foot and mouth disease(HFMD).Methods Enterovirus was isolated in 2009 using chloroform and glass beads shaking,supernatant was inoculated to Hep-2 cells.A fragment spanning the VP1 region of the coxsackievirus was amplified using RT-PCR and sequenced for genotyping analysis.Results An enterovirus strain was isolated from clinical specimen.Sequencing analysis of the coxachievirus VP1 region classified the isolate into coxsackievirus B1(CVB1),this strain shares the highest nucleotide and amino acid homology(98.4% and 100%,respectively) with the strain isolated in Zhejiang province in region VP1.Conclusions Coxsackie-virus B1 isolated from a HFMD patient in Henan province belongs to the same family with the stain identified in Zhejiang.
An extension of the caratheodory--Kalman variational method

We apply the Caratheodory method to variational problems posed in a Banach space. A treatment of the problem of Lagrange leads to the necessary conditions for constrained optimal control problems. Specialization of the space leads to recovery of the usual necessary conditions and extension of the necessary conditions to a class of problems for systems with distributed parameters. The spaces are not restricted to be reflexive, thus permitting consideration of control problems in queuing theory and transport theory. An application to certain queuing processes completes the paper.
The Use of Indocyanine Green Angiography in Breast Reconstruction

The wide anatomic variation among perforating vessels and their perfusion zones complicates the selection and design of flaps for reconstructive surgery. A reliable method for identification and evaluation of perforators, their perfusion zones, and tissues at risk for necrosis would be of great utility to surgeons involved in breast reconstruction.
Investigation of nuclear radiation protection consciousness and cognition levels of medical college students in Inner Mongolia

[Objective]To understand the nuclear radiation protection consciousness and cognition levels of medical college students in Inner Mongolia,and provide scientific evidence for health education of nuclear radiation protection. [Methods]The on-site anonymous questionnaire survey was performed on 629 students from 3 medical professional universities of Inner Mongolia.[Results]The awareness rate of male and female students was 35. 27%-69. 72% and 10. 57%-79. 64%,respectively,that of the Han and minority students was 33. 16%-68. 72% and 24. 71%-48. 24%,respectively. [Conclusion]The awareness of male students is better than female students,Han students better than minority students,preventive medicine students better than students of another 2 majors. To strengthen publicity and education of radiation protection has a lasting significance in nuclear radiation protection in Inner Mongolia.
Finite element analysis and microscopy of natural fiber composites containing microcellular voids

Abstract Mechanical behaviors of chopped, natural fiber composites with and without closed-cell microcellular foamed structures are investigated using finite element analysis (FEA), with references to previously conducted experimental measurements of the stress-strain characteristics of analogous test specimens and their microscopic images. Analytical and FEA models are compared for a simple, aligned fiber case; the FEA models are then extended to composites having more general fiber arrangements. These FEA results are compared to experimental stress-strain data. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of fracture surfaces from test specimens are analyzed, and correlations between numerically predicted behaviors and fracture paths, and fracture surface images are discussed. The FEA results reflect experimental trends well including the effects of fibers and the presence of voids. These have also been found to induce specific regions of stress concentration. Inspection of fracture surfaces reveals transition from ductile to brittle behavior at low strain rates, generally brittle failure modes, and little evidence of fibers stressed to their tensile limits.
Plasma - a view from space

Some readers of Physics World might be surprised to learn that 99% of the visible universe is made of plasma. Highly ionized gas containing roughly equal numbers of electrons and positive ions, plasma exists in a very dilute form in interstellar space, as well as in stellar atmospheres and in more exotic objects such as neutron stars. Then there are the tiny pockets of manmade plasma found inside fusion reactors, which it is hoped might one day provide us with a plentiful and clean supply of energy.
Determination of In Situ Stresses in Concrete Dams

The in situ stresses within three concrete dams on the Salt River above Phoenix were determined by application of a three-directional borehole deformation gage. Two of the dams showed some signs of deterioration and structural cracking due to alkali aggregate reaction, thus requiring stress determinations for safety evaluation. Information on in situ stresses in the other dam was needed for design of expanded power facilities. The stress relief method, its verification tests and applications are examined. Best results for three-dimensional stress analyses are obtained if the drill holes are orthogonal, however, a technique is presented for evaluating reliability of results obtained from having various orientations. The resulting stresses from the stress relief tests are compared with those computed by the trial load method. Maximum water surface and minimum concrete temperatures were the loading criteria for both methods. The 6-in. overcores were tested in the laboratory to determine the ability of the concrete to resist the in situ stresses.
Health issues of incarcerated women in the United States

Health care within jails and prisons in the United States is typically insufficient to meet the medical and psychological needs of female inmates. Health services are often of low quality, especially in the areas of reproductive medicine. Mental illness, substance abuse, a trauma history, and sexual victimization while incarcerated can predict a more difficult adjustment to a correctional environment. Incarcerated women who are able to maintain contact with family members, especially children, can have a better prison adjustment. Recommendations are made to improve the types and quality of health care delivered to women in jails and prisons in countries around the world.
SHORT-TIME MEMBRANE FILTER METHOD FOR ESTIMATION OF NUMBERS OF BACTERIA

Directions are given for the 8- to 12-hr membrane filter-colony technique for the estimation of numbers of viable bacteria in rinsings or swabbings from the surfaces of foods or equipment. Tests on 6 species of bacteria often found in foods demonstrated good recovery of organisms from pure cultures or mixtures of 2 or 3 cultures. Tests with dairy rinses and fresh green beans and sweet com gave counts almost as high as by the 48-hr plate, count. Results with frozen or blanched and frozen beans and corn and with chlorinated flume waters were unsatisfactory.
Statistical Investigations into the Climatology of Rainfall on Oahu (T. H.)

The study is based on 22 long-record stations on Oahu. Observations from several stations in the Honolulu city area were combined by regression methods into a homogeneous record covering the years 1874-1945.
Medications, Alcohol, and Aging

The decision to consume alcohol involves weighing the benefits and risks of alcohol use. For older adults, the risks associated with consuming alcohol may be higher due to changes in physiology associated with aging, the development of chronic health conditions, and the concurrent use of alcohol-interacting medications. Concurrent use of alcohol and certain medication classes can result in falls, gastrointestinal bleeding, and other negative outcomes. Of particular concern are psychoactive medications such as sedatives and opiates, anticoagulants such as warfarin, and antihypertensive agents. Individuals with poor sleep quality and pain may be at increased risk of alcohol–medication interactions when alcohol is used to manage sleep or pain along with prescription or over-the-counter medications. Older adults may not receive adequate information about their medications in the context of alcohol use to make an informed decision about concurrent use. Many older adults do not discuss alcohol use with their healthcare providers and written warnings, such as over-the-counter packaging, may not reflect age-specific recommendations. Raising awareness among consumers and healthcare providers is an important step to assist older adults in making informed decisions about concurrent use of alcohol and medications.
SiliconDB: rethinking DBMSs for modern heterogeneous co-processor environments

In the last decade, the work centered around specialized co-processors for DBMSs has largely focused on efficient query processing algorithms for individual operators. However, a major limitation of existing co-processor systems is the PCI bottleneck, which severely limits the efficient use of this type of hardware in current systems.In recent years, we have seen the emergence of a new class of co-processor systems that include specialized accelerators, implemented as ASICs or FPGAs, which co-reside with the CPU on the same socket. Here we revisit DBMS architectures in this context, and take an initial step towards the design of a new database system called SiliconDB that targets these new densely integrated heterogeneous co-processor environments.
Assessing the impacts of transaction costs and rapid growth on local government service provision and delivery arrangement choices in North Dakota

Abstract Local governments pressured by fiscal stress have long privatized public service provision to decrease costs or maintain service levels (Greene, 1999). While considerable research has considered contracting behaviors of 'mature,' urban and suburban communities for services which they already are, or are capable of, providing (e.g. Brown and Potoski, 2003), what happens in small communities faced with a rapid influx of population and resources? Do factors shaping contracting in larger, resource-constrained locations apply to expanding cities under conditions of opportunity? Are growing cities' service options limited by a lack of existing capacity, or expanded by additional resources to allow innovative delivery arrangements? Western North Dakota is currently experiencing an oil boom, doubling local populations in half a decade and dramatically impacting demand for public services. Using original data from over 100 North Dakota cities and counties in 2014, this paper models the impact of service and market-specific transaction costs, changes in resources and service demand, and other community factors on public officials' choices among delivery arrangement modes when contracting out for local services.
Experimental Nonlinear Dynamics and Snap-Through of Post-Buckled Composite Plates

Modern aerospace systems are beginning to see the use of composite panels and plates to achieve light weight and specific strength and stiffness. For constrained panels, thermally-induced axial loading may cause buckling of the structure, which can lead to nonlinear and potentially chaotic behavior. When post-buckled composite plates experience snap-through, they are subjected to large-amplitude deformations and in-plane compressive loading. These phenomena pose a potential threat to the structural integrity of composite structures. In this work, the nonlinear dynamics of post-buckled composite plates are investigated. In the experiment, an electrodynamic shaker is used to directly control the harmonic loads and the digital image correlation (DIC) technique is used to capture the dynamic response. Both chaotic (intermittent) and periodic (persistent) steady-state snap-through behaviors are investigated. The experimental results are compared to numerical analysis from a theoretical model based on the classical laminated plate theory (CLPT) using the von Karman strain-displacement relations.
Neuropraxia following resection of a retroperitoneal liposarcoma

Abstract Background This is a unique case of neuropraxia of femoral nerve seen after resection of retroperitoneal liposarcoma which has not been reported before in the literature. Introduction Neuropraxia, a transient paralysis due to blockage of nerve conduction, commonly associated with athletes and orthopedic procedures, has not been previously reported as a complication following resection of retroperitoneal sarcoma. Case This is an 81-year-old female who, on CT for evaluation of her atherosclerosis, was found to have an incidental right-sided retroperitoneal mass extending from the right renal capsule inferiorly through the inguinal canal. At this point, the patient reported mild right sided abdominal pain and right lower back pain, but reported no neuromotor deficits of the right lower extremity. Given the symptoms of the patient as well as the size, location and the density of the lesion, surgical intervention was pursued. On exploration, the lipomatous lesion, suggestive of liposarcoma, was invading the right genitofemoral nerve and ilioinguinal nerve which were sacrificed to ensure a complete oncologic resection. Following complete removal of the mass, she developed right side femoral nerve neuropraxia, suffering complete loss of motor function in the femoral distribution. Pathology revealed the mass to be a low grade liposarcoma. Discussion The patient required only physical therapy and oral prednisone following surgery for treatment of the neuropraxia. She responded well and has regained significant neuromotor function of the affected limb. Cases presenting with post-resection neurological sequelae without any known intraoperative nerve injury may respond very well to conservative treatment. Hence, it is very important to collaborate with Neurology and Physical Therapy to achieve best possible outcome.
Cat scratch disease: U.S. Clinicians' experience and knowledge

Cat scratch disease (CSD) is a zoonotic infection caused primarily by the bacterium Bartonella henselae. An estimated 12,000 outpatients and 500 inpatients are diagnosed with CSD annually, yet little is known regarding clinician experience with and treatment of CSD in the United States. Questions assessing clinical burden, treatment and prevention of CSD were posed to 3,011 primary care providers (family practitioners, internists, paediatricians and nurse practitioners) during 2014-2015 as part of the annual nationwide DocStyles survey. Among the clinicians surveyed, 37.2% indicated that they had diagnosed at least one patient with CSD in the prior year. Clinicians in the Pacific and Southern regions were more likely to have diagnosed CSD, as were clinicians who saw paediatric patients, regardless of specialty. When presented with a question regarding treatment of uncomplicated CSD, only 12.5% of clinicians chose the recommended treatment option of analgesics and monitoring, while 71.4% selected antibiotics and 13.4% selected lymph node aspiration. In a scenario concerning CSD prevention in immunosuppressed patients, 80.6% of clinicians chose some form of precaution, but less than one-third chose the recommended option of counseling patients to treat their cats for fleas and avoid rough play with their cats. Results from this study indicate that a substantial proportion of U.S. clinicians have diagnosed CSD within the past year. Although published guidelines exist for treatment and prevention of CSD, these findings suggest that knowledge gaps remain. Therefore, targeted educational efforts about CSD may benefit primary care providers.
THE INFLUENCE OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF LEARNING MODEL, COGNITIVE STYLE AND INITIAL ABILITY TOWARD MATHEMATICS LEARNING RESULT STUDENT’S OF CLASS VIII AT SMPN 1 RANTEPAO

The research was experiment which aimed to discover whether the learning model, cognitive style and initial ability influenced the student’s mathematics learning results in class VIII at SMPN 1 Rantepao. The population of the research was class VIII students at SMPN 1 Rantepao. The sample of the research was taken by using random sampling technique. The sample which was chosen was 4 classes, namely class VIII.6, VIII.8, VIII.9 and VIII.11. There were two variables in the research, namely independent and dependent variables. Independent variables were learning model, cognitive style and initial ability. While dependent variables were the student’s mathematics learning result. The learning model referred to cooperative learning model of Course Review Horay and Team Games Tournament type, while the cognitive style referred to Field Dependent and Field Independent. Similarly, the initial ability in this research referred to high and low initial ability. The instruments of the research were observation sheets, questionnaire, mathematics learning test result which covered pre-test and post-test, initial ability test, and cognitive style test (GEFT Test). The data of the research was analyzed by using linear regression with interaction factor. The result of the research showed that the student’s mathematics learning result were influenced by learning model, cognitive style and student’s initial ability
Dalbavancin as a cost effective antibiotic.

To the Editor,We read with interest the review in this journal on the pharmacokinetics of dalbavancin, a recently approved lipogycopeptide antibiotic [1]. Due to good tissue penetration, long half-...
A weighted accent classification using multiple words

Speech recognition systems exhibit performance degradation due to variability in speech caused by the accents or dialects of speakers. This can be overcome by correctly identifying the accent or dialect of the speaker and using accent or dialect information to adapt speech recognition systems. In this paper, we apply extreme learning machines (ELMs) and support vector machines (SVMs) to the problem of accent/dialect classification on the TIMIT dataset. We used Mel frequency cepstrum coefficients (MFCCs) and the normalized energy parameter along with their first and second derivatives as raw features for training ELMs and SVMs. A weighted accent classification algorithm is proposed that uses a novel architecture to classify North American accents into seven groups. Using this algorithm, we obtained a classification accuracy of 77.88% using ELMs, which to our knowledge, is the best result reported for accent classification on the TIMIT dataset. We also compared the performance of ELMs with SVMs as classifiers for our weighted accent classification algorithm and with multi-class classification using ELMs or SVMs.
Oxygen migration in epitaxial CoFe/MgO/Co2MnSi magnetic tunnel junctions

The effects of post-growth annealing in ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) on the temperature-dependent transport properties of single-crystal, full-Heusler CoFe/MgO/Co2MnSi magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) grown by molecular beam epitaxy have been correlated with in-situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) studies of the MgO/Co2MnSi interface. CoFe and MgO layers were grown on single-crystal Co2MnSi at room temperature and annealed post growth. The structures were found to be epitaxial and single-crystal before and after annealing as assessed by in-situ reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED). While annealing has little effect on RHEED patterns, post-growth annealing at temperatures as low as 200 °C has a dramatic effect on tunnel magnetoresistance and transport properties. XPS measurements conducted on MgO/Co2MnSi structures reveal the presence of interfacial Mn and Si oxides which form as a result of the e-beam deposition process used for MgO. Mn oxides are observed to be reduced upon UHV annealing ...
Stereotactic body radiation therapy for stage I non-small cell lung cancer: The importance of treatment planning algorithm and evaluation of a tumor control probability model

Abstract Background Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is increasingly used to treat early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). A previous report introduced the term size-adjusted biologically effective dose (sBED), which accounts for tumor diameter and biologically effective dose (BED) and may be used to predict the likelihood of local control following SBRT. Here we seek to replicate those findings using a separate dataset. Methods and materials We queried the RSSearch Patient Registry for patients treated with SBRT for stage I NSCLC. Kaplan-Meier survival curves, log-rank testing, and Cox proportional hazards modeling were used to evaluate tumor diameter, BED, and treatment planning algorithm as predictors of local control. sBED was defined as BED minus 10 times the tumor diameter (in centimeters). Tumor control probability (TCP) modeling was performed to characterize the relationship between sBED and the likelihood of local control 2 years after SBRT. Results A total of 928 patients met inclusion criteria. Median BED was 115.5 Gy, and 59% of patients had T1 tumors. Local control rates following treatments planned using a pencil beam algorithm were inferior to those observed following treatments planned using a Monte Carlo algorithm (89% vs 96% at 2 years, log-rank P = .022). In a multivariable Cox model adjusted for tumor diameter and BED, the use of a pencil beam planning algorithm was associated with increased risk of local failure (hazard ratio, 2.39; 95% confidence interval, 1.08-5.29; P = .032). TCP modeling, restricted to patients treated using a Monte Carlo algorithm, demonstrated that sBED values of 60, 80, and 100 Gy yield predicted TCP rates of 91%, 95%, and 97%, respectively. Conclusions Using a large, multi-institutional database, we found a strong association between treatment planning algorithm and local control rates following SBRT for early-stage NSCLC. sBED is a useful tool for predicting the likelihood of local control following SBRT in this setting.
The Entropy Curse

The purpose of this chapter is to advance theory and empirics of the links that connect the environment with trajectories of economic development within the broader framework of ecologically unequal exchange. The chapter draws on physical science and thermodynamic principles to substantiate the central claim that it is the liquidation of resources—not resource abundance per se—that stunts economic growth in the periphery. Moreover, the structure of the world-system and ecologically unequal exchanges therein fuel the appropriation of resources that stymies development in less-developed nations. The theory and cross-national empirics presented indicate clearly that ecologically unequal exchanges and associated environmental losses in poor nations are driving unequal development. Thus, ecologically unequal exchange is a root cause of global inequality, including cross-national differences in economic development. The chapter concludes that perspectives seeking to explain patterns of underdevelopment in peripheral areas would benefit from the incorporation of an interdisciplinary perspective that includes physical (thermodynamic) principles and pays explicit attention to the unequal nature of ecological exchanges the world over. Various implications as well as directions for future research are discussed.
Correlation of Earing and Texture in Weakly Orthotropic Sheets of Cubic Metals

It has long been recognized that the earing of deep-drawn cups is due to the anisotropy of rolled sheets (cf. Hill [1] and the references therein). Earlier experimental studies show indications that the percent earing e r of rolled sheets might be correlated to their planar anisotropy Δ r [2, 3] or to the parameter \({{\Delta r} \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{\Delta r} {\bar r}}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} {\bar r}}\left[ 4 \right]\) , where \({\bar r}\) is the average (plastic) strain ratio. Attempts [5–8] have been made to correlate earing behavior with polycrystalline texture, among which are two recent studies [7, 8] on aluminum sheets that report correlation of e r with the coefficient W 440 of the orientation distribution function [9].
Inhibition of neurogenic inflammation in abortive migraine treatment

Neurogenic inflammation is mediated through the release of peptides, called neuropeptides, from the sensory nerve fibers involved in nociception. It comprises two processes, plasma-protein extravasation and neurogenic vasodilation, mediated predominantly by substance P and calcitonin gene-related peptide, respectively. Substance P is released from the unmyelinated C fibers and opens up post-capillary venules by acting on neurokinin-1 receptors, allowing the extravasation of plasma proteins. Calcitonin gene-related peptide, on the other hand, is released from the small myelinated Aθ fibers and dilates the arterioles by stimulating receptors of its own.
Reconciling space object observed and solar pressure albedo-areas via astrometric and photometric data fusion

Abstract There are many Resident Space Objects (RSOs) in the Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) regime, both operational and debris. The primary non-gravitational force acting on these RSOs is Solar Radiation Pressure (SRP), which is sensitive to the RSO’s area-to-mass ratio. Sparse observation data and mismodeling of non-gravitational forces has constrained the state of practice in tracking and characterizing RSOs. Accurate identification, characterization, tracking, and motion prediction of RSOs is a high priority research issue as it shall aid in assessing collision probabilities in the GEO regime, and orbital safety writ large. Previous work in characterizing RSOs has taken a preliminary step in exploiting fused astrometric and photometric data to estimate the RSO mass, shape, attitude, and size. This works, in theory, since angles data are sensitive to SRP albedo-area-to-mass ratio, and photometric data are sensitive to shape, attitude, and observed albedo-area. By fusing these two data types, mass and albedo-area both become observable parameters and can be estimated as independent quantities. However, previous work in mass and albedo-area estimation has not quantified and assessed the fundamental physical link between SRP albedo-area and observed albedo-area. The observed albedo-area is always a function of the SRP albedo-area along the line of sight of the observer. This is the physical relationship that this current research exploits. It is shown through simulation that due to this physical link, and through the fusion of astrometric and photometric data, it is possible to observe the mass of a space object when the area is not known. Results for data from 100 trajectories generated from randomly sampled initial conditions are shown. It is seen that even when the area of the object is not known, the uncertainty in mass can be lowered from an initial value of 800 kg to the range 500–700 kg for 72% of the samples, 200–500 kg for 13% of the samples, and 0–200 kg for 15% of the samples. It is further shown that although the uncertainties are large, the actual errors in mass are much lower, with the error RMS being less than 100 kg for 30% of the samples, between 100 and 200 kg for another 30%, and between 200 and 300 kg for 24% of the samples.
Use of technology for care coordination initiatives for patients with mental health issues: a systematic literature review

This systematic literature review investigates the use of technology for the coordination and management of mental health care with an emphasis on outcomes. Searches of MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, and EMBASE were conducted between January 1, 2003, and January 4, 2018, to identify articles that assessed patient outcomes associated with care coordination, evaluated technology to improve care, or discussed management of mental health care using technology. A total of 21 articles were included in a qualitative review based on the recommendations set forth by the PRISMA statement. Among the various health technologies, electronic health records were most commonly used for care coordination, with primary care being the most frequent setting. Care coordination was shown to provide easier patient access to health care providers and to improve communication between caregiver and patient, especially in cases where geographic location or distance is a challenge. Barriers to coordinated care included, but were not limited to, insufficient funding for health information technology, deficient reimbursement plans, limited access to technologies, cultural barriers, and underperforming electronic health record templates. In conclusion, many studies showed the benefit of coordinated and collaborative care through the use of technology; however, further research and development efforts are needed to continue technological innovation for advanced patient care.