cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Spina Bifida: The State of the Art of Medical Management

"They told me I had a baby girl. I started to cry. I wanted to hold her. That was what was supposed to happen. But they said no. And then they put me to sleep." So began the ordeal of Mr. and Mrs. A, and of their daughter, known only as Baby Jane Doe (New York Times, November 6, 1983). For Baby Jane Doe was born with spina bifida and associated defects, and her parents decided to forego corrective surgery, which, they felt, would only prolong a life of pain and suffering. While thousands of parents every year hear the sorrowful news that their newborn baby has a serious illness or some physical or mental disability, and have to make painful decisions concerning treatment for the infant, the case of Baby Jane Doe has become the occasion for a public debate about the care of all such babies. The ethical dimensions of this problem have been discussedfor at least a decade. While there is no resolution, a moderate consensus is emerging, expressed in the President's Commission 1983 report Deciding to Forego Life-Sustaining Treatment: "Parents should be the surrogates for a seriously ill newborn unless they are disqualified by decisionmaking incapacity, an unresolvable disagreement between them, or their choice of a course of action that is clearly against the infant's best interests." Not everyone accepts this principle; some believe either that parents' or other family members' interests should sometimes (or always) outweigh those of the infant, or that treatment should always be mandated, no matter what the infant's condition. Yet even those who do accept the principle that the infant's best interests should prevail have difficulty in applying it to specific cases. The two articles that follow illustrate why. Much of the controversy about whether Baby Jane Doe should have had surgery turns on a judgment about her medical prognosis. Anthony Gallo explains in general terms and Bonnie Steinbock describes in the case of Baby Jane Doe how widely that prognosis can vary in spina bifida. Medical management depends partly on the severity of defects in a particular infant, but also on the physician's philosophy of treatment, knowledge of the latest technology, and presentation of the probable disabilities to parents. Physicians communicate to parents not only their medical judgments but also their interpretation of what the disabilities will mean to the life of the child and to the family. Moreover, when parents' decisions are challenged, as they were in the Baby Jane Doe case, the legal system becomes the locus for the discussion. Yet, as the President' s Commission pointed out, "Judicial
Spatial pattern dynamics of oak mortality and associated disease symptoms in a California hardwood forest affected by sudden oak death

Sudden oak death is a disease affecting coastal forests in California and southern Oregon. The spatial pattern of disease dynamics is important for forest and landscape pathology; in this work we investigated the interaction across landscape scales of disease symptomology in coast live oaks, Quercus agrifolia, (trunk bleeding, presence of beetles, and presence of the fungus Hypoxylon thouarsianum) and tree mortality through time. We used two-dimensional spatial analysis tools with data gathered in point-centered-quarter format in 2001 and 2004 to quantify the population density of the disease through time; to examine the spatial pattern of tree mortality across scales through time; and to examine the spatial co-occurrence of disease symptoms with crown mortality through time. Early in the study period dead trees were strongly clustered at smaller scales (~300 m) and after three years this clustering was less pronounced. Bleeding on trees occurred in clusters away from dead trees, particularly in 2004, likely indicating a new cohort of infected trees. The presence of H. thouarsianum was strongly related to overstory mortality through time. Beetle-infested trees co-occurred with mortality in 2001. By 2004, they occurred throughout the forest, and were less strongly correlated with overstory tree mortality, suggesting a future peak of tree mortality.
Site-Response Estimation for the 2003 Miyagi-Oki Earthquake Sequence Considering Nonlinear Site Response

The M w 7.0 Miyagi-Oki earthquake, which occurred on 26 May 2003, was well recorded by the KiK-net and K-net networks. A large number of stations recorded very high peak ground accelerations above 0.5g and large peak ground velocities above 0.5 m/sec. These high ground-motion values are thought to come from a combination of the effect of shallow sediment layers of the upper couple of meters and the enhanced high-frequency ground-motion content associated with this intraslab earthquake. The objective of this study is to examine the effect of sediment amplification at network stations with peak ground acceleration ! 0.3g. Linear site response is first estimated from observed weak motion (aftershock) records. In this case, we use a spectral inversion method, without reference stations, to separate the source, path, and site-response effects. The resulting weak motion analysis for the source, path, and site response agree with other previous studies. The mainshock site response is obtained separately using the same spectral inversion technique with the addition of a frequency-dependent radiation pattern. The comparison of the site am- plification from aftershocks with the mainshock indicates the possibility of nonlinear site response at many stations during the Mw 7.0 event. The results also suggest a correlation between lownear-surface materialvelocity and thedegreeofnonlinearity.
Inhibition of Nodule Development in Soybean by Nitrate or Reduced Nitrogen

Imsande, J. 1986. Inhibition of nodule development in soybean by nitrate or reduced nitrogen. J. exp. Bot. 37: 348-355. Nodulation of hydroponically grown soybean plants [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] is inhibited by continuous growth in the presence of 40 mol m-3 KN03. The presence of 40 mol m~3 'starter nitrate' for 3-6 d during nodule development, however, subsequently stimulates nodule dry weight accumulation and nitrogenase activity. These stimulations occur even though 4 0 mol m ~3 nitrate temporarily delays nodule development; i.e. the late steps of nodule development are reversibly inhibited by a short-term exposure to 4 0 mol m~3 nitrate. On the other hand, treatment with 4 0 mol m " 3 nitrate in excess of 14 d significantly reduces nodule dry weight. Thus, extended growth in the presence of 4 0 mol m-3 KN03 seems to block both early and late steps of nodule development.
Effects of enhanced counterpulsation on vascular cell release of coagulation factors

Background Enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP), a noninvasive treatment for patients with angina pectoris, provides long-term benefits of decreased anginal frequency and improved exercise tolerance. Previous studies have suggested that shear stress may result in angiogenesis and alter endothelial hemostatic factor release. Whether EECP therapy effects an alteration in endothelial cell proliferation and function remains unclear. The level of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and four other endothelial hemostatic factors (tissue plasminogen activator, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, von Willebrand factor, and D-dimers) were measured in patients before and after 35 hours of EECP treatment. Methods Plasma levels of endothelial growth and hemostatic factors were assessed using the standard enzyme-linked immunosorbent method. Results No significant difference in the hemostatic factors and VEGF after EECP treatment was revealed; there was a trend toward an increase in VEGF levels posttreatment. Conclusions Vascular endothelial cells play a critical role in the regulation of coagulation because they control the expression of tissue plasminogen activator, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, von Willebrand factor, and D-dimers. Our results suggest EECP may not play a role in controlling coagulation in patients with coronary artery disease through release of endothelial hemostatic factors. Although there was a tendency for increased VEGF release, larger studies are necessary to confirm these observations.
The effect of punishment on a factor I stuttering behavior

Abstract On each of five days the subject of this experiment read aloud different material during an 18-min A 1 (base rate), B (experimental), and A 2 (extinction) period. No stimulation was delivered during the first three days. On the fourth day, the nonsense word “norg” was presented noncontingently during the experimental period. There was no statistically significant difference between the A 1 and B periods on any of these four days. On day five, “wrong” was made contingent on Factor I prolongations during the experimental period. As a result, there was a statistically significant increase in their frequency. When the response consequence was removed in the A 2 priod, there was a reliable reduction in prolongations and the frequency closely approximated that found in the A 1 period. These data suggest that response-contingent negative stimulation is contraindicated as a clinical tactic for use with Factor I prolongations. It not only failed to suppress them, it increased their frequency.
Moroccan Arabic aspect in conversation: Evolution of the imperfective through use

Dialectal Moroccan Arabic has two distinct morphological forms of the imperfective where Standard Arabic had one. Previous studies have claimed that the difference in function in the two imperfectives is one of mood. However, using naturally occurring conversation data this paper looks more closely at the use of the two imperfectives in Moroccan Arabic and comes to a different conclusion. Specifically, the older unmarked imperfective has been generalised as the â€œelsewhereâ€ condition, following Dryer (1995), while the newer marked imperfective is being used in contexts to express progressive and habitual aspect. This paper examines the evolution of the imperfective aspect in one dialect of Arabic through the framework of Conversation Analysis (CA).
Characterization of the molecular mechanisms underlying increased ischemic damage in the aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 genetic polymorphism using a human induced pluripotent stem cell model system

Nearly 8% of the human population carries an inactivating point mutation in the gene that encodes the cardioprotective enzyme aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2). This genetic polymorphism (ALDH2*2) is linked to more severe outcomes from ischemic heart damage and an increased risk of coronary artery disease (CAD), but the underlying molecular bases are unknown. We investigated the ALDH2*2 mechanisms in a human model system of induced pluripotent stem cell–derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs) generated from individuals carrying the most common heterozygous form of the ALDH2*2 genotype. We showed that the ALDH2*2 mutation gave rise to elevated amounts of reactive oxygen species and toxic aldehydes, thereby inducing cell cycle arrest and activation of apoptotic signaling pathways, especially during ischemic injury. We established that ALDH2 controls cell survival decisions by modulating oxidative stress levels and that this regulatory circuitry was dysfunctional in the loss-of-function ALDH2*2 genotype, causing up-regulation of apoptosis in cardiomyocytes after ischemic insult. These results reveal a new function for the metabolic enzyme ALDH2 in modulation of cell survival decisions. Insight into the molecular mechanisms that mediate ALDH2*2-related increased ischemic damage is important for the development of specific diagnostic methods and improved risk management of CAD and may lead to patient-specific cardiac therapies.
Characteristics influencing outcomes of corneal collagen crosslinking for keratoconus and ectasia: implications for patient selection.

PURPOSE: To determine preoperative patient characteristics that may predict topography and visual acuity outcomes of corneal collagen crosslinking (CXL). SETTING: Cornea and refractive surgery practice. DESIGN: Cohort study. METHODS: Crosslinking was performed in eyes with keratoconus or corneal ectasia. Multiple regressionandoddsratioanalyseswereperformedtodetermineindependentpredictors ofchanges in topography-derived maximum keratometry (K) and corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) 1 year postoperatively. Preoperative characteristics included sex, age, uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA), CDVA, maximum keratometry (K), corneal thickness, corneal haze, disease group, and cone location. Postoperative improvement in maximum K was defined as flattening of 2.0 diopters (D) or more and worsening as steepening of 1.0 D or more. Improvement in CDVA was defined as a gain of 2 lines or more and worsening as a loss of 1 line or more. RESULTS: The study comprised 104 eyes (66 keratoconus; 38 corneal ectasia). Eyes with a preoperative CDVA of 20/40 or worse were 5.9 times (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.2-6.4) more likely to improve 2 Snellen lines or more. Eyes with a maximum K of 55.0 D or more were 5.4 times (95% CI, 2.1-14.0) more likely to have topographic flattening of 2.0 D or more. No preoperative characteristics significantly predicted worsening of visual acuity or corneal topography. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with worse preoperative CDVA and higher K values, particularly with a CDVA of 20/40 or worse or a maximum K of 55.0 D or more, were most likely to have improvement after CXL. No preoperative characteristics were predictive of CXL failure.
An expectation-driven approach to Q-A processing

The authors explore three aspects of an expectation-driven approach to understanding a human's response to a system's ad hoc question: (i) where expectations come from; (ii) how expectations can be expressed; and (iii) how they can be processed to understand subsequent user input. They describe various sources from which expectation can be derived 'on-the-fly': intention, world knowledge, conversational moves, previous context, and specific wording. They present a frame-based expectation representation scheme, and they identify eight expectation resolution modes: fulfilled, mismatched, tested, challenged, requisitioned, denied, annulled,and overruled. They present an ATN-based method for processing expectations and illustrate the method with an example. >
Preliminary Vehicle Structure Design: An Industrial Application of Imprecision in Engineering Design

The Method of Imprecision, or M o I, is a formal method for incorporating imprecise information into a design process. This methodology has been exercised on a problem in preliminary vehicle structure design in collaboration with VW Wolfsburg. Results show that the method is useful in trading off multiple conflicting attributes, including styling preferences and engineering requirements.
A potential association between exposure to hepatitis B virus and small bowel adenocarcinoma

Chronic infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) has never been described as a risk factor for small bowel adenocarcinoma, although infection is a known risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma. From May 2009 to December 2014, we implemented an institution-wide screening program for hepatitis B viral serologies prior to starting chemotherapy. Evidence of exposure [hepatitis B core antibody (anti- HBc) positivity in the absence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positivity] was highest in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (21.1%), followed by small bowel cancer (12.5%). The small bowel adenocarcinoma cases with anti-HBc positivity were reviewed. Special attention was paid to known risk factors for small bowel cancers. One patient had a diagnosis of hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC). However, the other patients had no genetic syndromes, history of inflammatory bowel disease or other chronic inflammation to explain their risk. We postulate exposure to bile acids, tumorigenesis of hepatocytes and cholangiocytes, and/or damage to the intestinal mucosa secondary to HBV exposure/ infection as potential mechanisms for development of small bowel adenocarcinoma. More research is warranted to further elucidate this association.
Backwater blues: the Mississippi flood of 1927 in the African American imagination

The introduction in Backwater Blues makes many promises. It keeps some. Richard Mizelle tells us that the central argument of the book is that ‘the blues archive represents a crucial theoretical an...
Teaching with Simcity: Using Computer Games to Construct Dynamic Governance Simulations

One of the key challenges of teaching a college survey course like Introductory American Government, is the lack of interest on the part of students, many of whom take the course to satisfy a general education requirement. Recognizing that young people are fascinated by video games, I devised a governance simulation built on the popular video game SimCity. Although, the video game industry designed these sophisticated simulations to be played by a single participant, rather than a large group of players, I devised a simple set of rules that permit students to run these simulations collectively. The paper examines five factors that an instructor must account for if games like SimCity are to have real educational value. I argue that, if done properly, this in-class exercise provides a fun and interesting way to teach why democratic governance is so difficult.
Carrying a Good Joke Too Far: Treaty of Adhesion

For over a century, to guard against fraud, abuse, and overreaching courts have employed the concepts of fairness and distributive justice in assessing contractual relations between parties. Many different legal systems throughout the world have used a variety of laws and doctrines to accomplish these goals of fairness and distributive justice. One such doctrine is the contract of adhesion doctrine. The contract of adhesion doctrine allows a judicial tribunal to interpret more favorably to a particular party contracts that, in general, result from one party having severely disproportionate bargaining power. As a result of this disproportionate power, such contracts of adhesion are imposed on one party by the other, with the "weaker" party have very little opportunity to negotiate the contract terms, and no meaningful choice in accepting grossly unfair or oppressive terms. While the doctrine has been used extensively in the domestic arena, use by international jurists to resolve disputes between countries has largely been absent. Just as the doctrine is appropriate in the domestic context, so too should it be appropriate in the international context. The same concerns of protecting disadvantaged parties and mitigating the consequences of overreaching that drive domestic application - gross inequity of bargaining power, coercion, lack of meaningful alternatives, procedural irregularities and oppressive and one-sided obligations - call for applying the doctrine to international relations and treaties. This article calls for just that. The article examines the contract of adhesion doctrine and then evaluates whether the doctrine is suitable for international treaties. The new doctrine, treaty of adhesion, is then applied to a specific treaty, the international intellectual property treaty, Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights ("TRIPS"). TRIPS is viewed by many as resolving the conflict between the interests of developing countries in acquiring access to intellectual property goods against the interests of developed countries in obtaining increased protection for intellectual property goods. TRIPS resolved this conflict decidedly in favor of developed countries. It is argued that this was accomplished through a flawed negotiation process characterized by coercion and subterfuge. The article thus concludes that TRIPS is a treaty of adhesion. The article then discusses how TRIPS can be interpreted to account for the unfairness and oppression that characterized TRIPS' negotiation process and applies the doctrine to specific TRIPS provisions. Doing so requires WTO panels to interpret ambiguous TRIPS provisions in favor of developing countries. This will, among other things, provide developing countries with flexibility in honoring their TRIPS' obligations and avoid further widening the economic and technological gap between developing and developed countries.
Neurologic Complications of Therapy

The etiology of neurotoxicity following treatment with chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy is not always obvious. Neurologic complications can be difficult to identify, diagnose appropriately, and measure. In addition, neurotoxicity may be delayed and patients may experience tumor-related mortality before the diagnosis of treatmentrelated complications. Furthermore, the signs and symptoms of neurotoxicity may resemble those of disease progression. Finally, underlying diseases, such as diabetes mellitus, infections, hypertension, paraneoplastic syndromes, age-related dementia, seizures, concomitant medications, such as antiepileptic agents, and metabolic disorders can be confounding factors
Interrepublic Trade in the Former Soviet Union: Structure and Implications

A senior CIA economist presents and analyzes the structure and implications of hitherto unpublished 1990 data on interrepublic trade, recently available from sources identified with the former Goskomstat SSSR. The study, unique in its access to statistical data of Soviet origin affording detailed comparisons of trade with indigenous sectoral detail, reveals advantages and dependencies inherent in the trade structures of each of the former Soviet republics. Analysis of the context in which interrepublican trade flows (valued in rubles and dollars) occurred highlights the relationship between drastic declines in industrial output and trade among the newly independent states in the 1990s. 9 figures, 18 tables, 12 references.
Contributions of Social Status and Family Support to College Students’ Career Decision Self-Efficacy and Outcome Expectations

The purpose of this study was to better understand the roles of social status and family support in the career decision making of young adults in college. We tested a path model predicting career decision self-efficacy and career-related outcome expectations in a sample of 270 male and female undergraduate students. Predictor variables included family of origin socioeconomic status, perceived social status, perceived family support, and intentional family career-related interactions. The sample was randomly split into a calibration sample and a validation sample. Based on a path analysis with the calibration sample, the hypothesized model was modified, and a multiple group analysis was used to test for model invariance for the revised model. The results of this study suggest that both family status and family support are associated with social cognitive career development outcomes. Implications for both research and practice are discussed.
Clonal Relapse in Hodgkin's Disease

To the Editor: In classic Hodgkin's disease, the characteristic Reed–Sternberg cells represent a minority of less than 1 percent of cells in affected tissue. The pathogenic role of these cells and ...
What Explains Investment Puzzle: Fundamental Beta or Financial Beta?

This article investigates the risk interpretation of the investment premium by empirically examining the fundamental view against the sentimental view. We estimate VAR for investment returns – using firm-level and aggregate variables – to break the beta of a stock with the investment returns (i.e., investment beta) into two betas – fundamental beta reflecting news about the future marginal productivity of investment, and financial beta reflecting news about the investment discount rates and financing constraints.
Filtering Non-Significant Quench Points Using Collision Impact in Grassfire Propagation

The skeleton of an object is defined as the set of quench points formed during Blum’s grassfire transformation. Due to high sensitivity of quench points with small changes in the object boundary and the membership function (for fuzzy objects), often, a large number of redundant quench points is formed. Many of these quench points are caused by peripheral protrusions and dents and do not associate themselves with core shape features of the object. Here, we present a significance measure of quench points using the collision impact of fire-fronts and explore its role in filtering noisy quench points. The performance of the method is examined on three-dimensional shapes at different levels of noise and fuzziness, and compared with previous methods. The results have demonstrated that collision impact together with appropriate filtering kernels eliminate most of the noisy quench voxels while preserving those associated with core shape features of the object
Genomics of variation in nitrogen fixation activity in a population of the thermophilic cyanobacterium Mastigocladus laminosus

Variation in phenotypic traits that contribute to fitness influences a population’s evolutionary response and its impact on ecosystem function following environmental change, yet its amount and nature are rarely known. Here, we investigated variation in nitrogen (N) fixation activity and its genetic basis for a random sample of laboratory strains of the cyanobacterium Mastigocladus laminosus from a N-limited, geothermally influenced stream in Yellowstone National Park. In a linear mixed-effects model, temperature and genetic differences among strains were the most important factors explaining variation in activity. Genome-wide analyses of genetic divergence between groups of strains that varied in N fixation activity revealed that few loci were strongly associated with these phenotypic differences. Notably, a single nonsynonymous polymorphism in the sulfate assimilation gene apsK explained >25% of the variation in activity at high temperature. We further identified a role for allelic variation of multiple terminal cytochrome oxidases for different aspects of N fixation. In addition, genomes of strains that fixed the most N overall contained a nonsense mutation in a histidine kinase gene that is expected to disrupt normal protein function and may result in transcriptional rewiring. This study illustrates how taking complementary approaches to link phenotype and genotype can inform our understanding of microbial population diversity.
Integration of Stochastic Differential Equations Using Structural Equation Modeling: A Method to Facilitate Model Fitting and Pedagogy

Stochastic differential equation (SDE) models are a promising method for modeling intraindividual change and variability. Applications of SDEs in the social sciences are relatively limited, as these models present conceptual and programming challenges. This article presents a novel method for conceptualizing SDEs. This method uses structural equation modeling (SEM) conventions to simplify SDE specification, the flexibility of SEM to expand the range of SDEs that can be fit, and SEM diagram conventions to facilitate the teaching of SDE concepts. This method is a variation of latent difference scores (McArdle, 2009; McArdle & Hamagami, 2001) and the oversampling approach (Singer, 2012), and approximates the advantages of analytic methods such as the exact discrete model (Oud & Jansen, 2000) while retaining the modeling fiexibility of methods such as latent differential equation modeling (Boker, Neale, & Rausch, 2004). A simulation and empirical example are presented to illustrate that this method can be imp...
Energy storage system operation: Case studies in deterministic and stochastic environments

As more renewable energy sources (solar, wind, hydro, etc.) are being incorporated into the smart grid, the problem of balancing generation and load demand gets more attention in the field of power system optimal economic operation. As a solution, grid-level energy storage systems (ESSs) have been used to increase the efficiency of the power supply by smoothing load fluctuations. In this paper, monotone adaptive dynamic programming (MADP) is investigated for the optimal operation of ESSs. MADP is capable of solving optimal policies for time-dependent and finite-horizon energy storage problems. Six types of real-world ESSs, with different storage capacities, charging/discharging rates, and efficiencies are compared under energy storage optimal benchmark problems. Simulation results discuss the impact of ESS parameters on the total revenue. The robust performance of the algorithm is also validated for both deterministic and stochastic energy storage benchmark problems.
Aging and Hypothalamic Regulation of Metabolic, Autonomic, and Endocrine Function

The aging process is a complex and mysterious phenomenon that appears to affect all mammals as they evolve through senescence and ultimately death. During the aging process, widespread and heterogeneous changes may occur in a variety of functions including cognitive, mental, sensory, motor, metabolic, autonomic, and/or endocrine function. In spite of the fact that a variety of functions may be affected during the aging process, there are tremendous individual and species differences with respect to the pattern of functional changes displayed during aging, and furthermore the functional changes associated with aging may be displayed in a heterogeneous fashion within individuals, i.e., the whole body does not age at the same rate. The widespread and diverse nature of the functional changes that may be associated with aging underscores the complexity of the aging process. This complexity has served to reinforce the notion that aging, and the rate of aging, are products of some genetic program-environment interaction.
Reflections on Leadership: Theory, Experience, and Practice

ABSTRACTThis article, which was delivered as the Thirty-Sixth Annual Dudley Allen Sargent lecture at the 2017 conference of the National Association for Kinesiology in Higher Education (NAKHE), discusses transformational leadership theory as an effective approach to inspiring subordinates and creating a culture that results in a shared vision and common approach to a positive organizational future. Contrasting a transformational versus transactional approach, it uses both published papers and leadership reflections from many of NAKHE’s most successful emerging and experienced professionals to provide suggestions on leadership methods that can be incorporated to facilitate transformative change.
Temperature effects compensation control algorithm of IPM machines utilizing current pulse injection and online multi-parameter estimation for traction applications

For automotive applications, accurate torque production capability and high efficiency of the traction motor is very important. However, the performance of widely used interior permanent magnet (IPM) machine is influenced by temperature variation. In this paper, a control algorithm is proposed to compensate the performance variations in IPM machines due to temperature change utilizing current pulse injection and online multi-parameter estimation. Based on the special driving cycle characteristics of vehicles, current pulse injection is done during idle conditions and has minimum influence on the normal operation of vehicles. Results show that the proposed compensation control method can successfully maintain torque production accuracy and maximum torque per ampere (MTPA) operation during temperature variation.
New plant type trait characterization and development of core set among indica and tropical japonica genotypes of rice

This study was conducted to characterize new plant type (NPT) traits among 650 genetically diverse rice genotypes of tropical japonica and indica and to establish an initial core set for NPT traits. Analysis of variance revealed highly significant differences among the genotypes for all the traits assessed except flag length and width and leaf angles. Dendrogram categorized the genotypes into five distinct duration groups. Genotypes viz., Pumphamah, IRGC5097, IRGC37015, IRGC43741, IRGC50448, IRGC53089, IRGC39111, IRGC18021, Haorei Machang, IRGC44069, IRGC8269, Thangmoi, IRGC33130 and IRGC29772 were identified as possessing strong culm. Long panicles with a length of more than 35 cm were found in IRGC8269, IRGC9147, IRGC14694, IRGC19642, IRGC27435, IRGC39111, IRGC31051, IRGC26011and IRGC25892. Ideal leaf angle of NPT genotypes of 5°, 10° and 20° of flag leaf, 1st and 2nd leaves was not found in any genotype but with a combination of 5°, 10° and 10° was observed in IRGC63102 and IRGC66644. NPT flag leaf length and width of 50 and 2 cm, respectively, was seen in ‘Kemenya Kepeu’ and ‘IRGC29772’. High grain number of more than 350 was observed in IRGC53089, IRGC31063 and Azhoghi. A total of 72 genotypes were found with a combination of one or more ideal plant type traits of which, hierarchical cluster analysis based on genetic distances selected 32 as NPT core set. This core set will serve as an ideal genetic resource for breeding programs aimed at NPT development.
A 28-GHz CMOS Direct Conversion Transceiver With Packaged $2 \times 4$ Antenna Array for 5G Cellular System

This paper describes a 28-GHz CMOS direct conversion transceiver with packaged $2 \times 4$ patch antenna array for 5G communication. Beamforming antenna and reconfigurable transceiver architecture are used for high effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP). For low error vector magnitude (EVM), switchless matching transmitter (Tx)/receiver (Rx) to antenna and 28-GHz injection-locked local oscillator (LO) generator are employed. Test chip was fabricated in 28-nm RF CMOS process. Measurement results show Tx EIRPsat of 31.5 dBm ( $P_{\mathrm {sat}}$ of 10.5 dBm in one power amplifier (PA)), EIRPmax 24 dBm ( $P_{\mathrm {max}}$ of 2 dBm with backoff of 7.5 dB in one PA), Rx noise figure of 6.7 dB, and integrated LO phase noise of −38.7 dBc (0.67°). After IQ mismatch calibration, Tx LO leakage and image power are less than −35 dBc. Rx and Tx EVM show 2.2% (−33 dB) at medium RF power (Rx $P_{\mathrm {in}}$ of −60 dBm and Tx EIRP of 0 dBm) with well-fit beam control capability.
Outlook and Future Research Directions for the Economics of Wildfire Management

This chapter summarizes the findings on the state-of-the-art for wildfire management economics research. The previous chapters have demonstrated that there is considerable complexity in describing the determinants of large fire suppression expenditures, and much remains to be known about the costs of fire management. Future research directions are summarized, including community responses to perceived fire risk, managerial incentives and risk preferences, and socio-political factors in fire management decisions. Current trends in large wildfire activity and management expenditures suggest that further economic research may be useful in improving the effectiveness and efficiency of wildfire management.
Paradigms and Paradoxes: Common and Maximum Accessible Oxidation States of the Elements

Common and accessible oxidation states of numerous nonmetals and transition metals in compounds with high oxidation state are discussed. These oxidation state concepts are generally, disappointingly and surprisingly elusive.
Nucleic Acid Strand Displacement with Synthetic mRNA Inputs in Living Mammalian Cells.

Strand displacement reactions are widely used in DNA nanotechnology as a building block for engineering molecular computers and machines. Here, we demonstrate that strand displacement-based probes can be triggered by RNA expressed in mammalian cells, thus taking a step toward adapting the DNA nanotechnology toolbox to a cellular environment. We systematically compare different probe architectures in order to identify a design that works robustly in living cells. Our optimized strand displacement probe combines chemically modified nucleic acids that enhance stability to degradation by cellular nucleases with structural elements that improve probe retention in the cytoplasm. We visualize probe binding to individual mRNA carrying 96 repeats of a target sequence in the 3′UTR. We find that RNA counts based on live cell imaging using a strand displacement probe are comparable to counts from independent measurement based on fluorescence in situ hybridization experiments. We used probes with scrambled toeholds an...
Somatic Embryogenesis from Mature Wheat Embryos

Cereal calli which are most responsive to regeneration attempts have been those derived from immature embryos, inflorescences, or leaves. The basis of these regenerative responses appears to be somatic embryogenesis. There is little evidence in the literature of “mature” tissue (e. g., whole caryopses, isolated mature embryos, and expanded leaves) yielding significant numbers of embryoids. This report details the consistent formation in vitro of significant amounts of somatic embryos from either whole caryopses (seeds) or isolated mature embryos of Triticum aestivum (cv. Glennson) cultured on a high (5 mg/1) 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) concentration.
Predictors of Bowel Resection During Nonelective Ladd Procedure for Pediatric Malrotation.

Abstract Background The objective of this study was to identify risk factors for bowel resection in a modern cohort of patients undergoing nonelective Ladd procedures. Materials and methods Retrospective descriptive analysis of patients with Ladd procedure (CPT 44055) in the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program-Pediatric (NSQIP-P) database (2012-2015). Exclusion criteria were elective case, duodenal atresia, or other known congenital anomaly (except cardiac, structural central nervous system, or airway anomaly) and open wounds from prior surgery or drains. Independent variables included all preoperative variables within NSQIP-P. The primary outcome variable was bowel resection as a concurrent procedure. Multivariate analysis was performed by incorporating all independent variables into a stepwise forward logistic regression model to identify independent risk factors for bowel resection. Results Of 267,289 patients in NSQIP-P, 1284 had a Ladd procedure. Of these, 292 were performed urgently or emergently in children with no known atresias, congenital anomalies, or open wounds. Twenty-nine (10%) had a bowel resection. On univariate analysis, bowel resection rates did not differ by age, weight, prematurity, ventilator dependence, asthma, chronic lung disease, tracheostomy, esophageal or gastrointestinal disease, hepatobiliary or pancreatic disease, cerebral palsy, central nervous system abnormality, neuromuscular disorder, intraventricular hemorrhage, steroid use, hematologic disorder, malignancy, sepsis, inotropic support, or CPR ( P = nonsignificant). Higher rates of bowel resection were observed in patients with cardiac risk factors, white blood count (WBC) >15K, oxygen support, nutritional support, and developmental delay ( P 15K were significant on multivariate analysis. Conclusions Bowel resections (10% in this cohort of nonelective Ladd procedures) were independently associated with cardiac risk factors and WBC >15K. Level of evidence III.
Finance and Intangibles in American Economic Growth: Eating the Family Cow

The American economy changed rapidly since the World Wars as producers expanded new products and services in communication, computers and transportation. We kept track of this transformation throug...
“Defining the relationship” in adolescent and young adult romantic relationships:

“Defining the relationship” (DTR) conversations are a topic of interest among lay people, yet have been the focus of little empirical research, leaving a gap in the psychological literature on roma...
The Econometrics of Static Games

This article reviews the econometrics of static games, with a focus on discrete-choice cases. These models have been used to study a rich variety of empirical problems, ranging from labor force par...
Fracture characterization of overmold composite adhesion

A general testing approach is presented via a fracture mechanics study on the interfacial delamination behavior in overmolded composite materials using a variant of the double cantilever beam (DCB)...
Expression of Beclin-1 following recurrent neonatal seizures in the hippocampus and intervention by 3-methyladenine

Objective To study the role of autophagy/lysesomal pathway in developmental seizure-induced apoptosis of the hippocampai cells, we investigated the dynamic expression of Beclin-1 in the hippocampus and the intervention effect of autophagy/lysosome inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA) on Beclin-1 expression following recurrent seizures in neonatal rats. Methods One hundred and eight SD rats aged 6 d were randomly divided into 3 groups: repeated neonatal seizures (RS group), 3-MA-treated seizure (3-MA group) and the control grous(n=36). Rats in the RS group were performed the indraft of flurothyl 5 times daily for a consecutive 9 d. In the 3-MA group, 3-MA was injected every day with a total dosage of 2 μL before seizures were induced. The rats in the 3 groups were sacrificed at 1.5, 3, 6, 12, 24 and 48 h after the last convulsion with 6 rats at each time points; Western blotting was employed to determine the expression of Beclin-1 in the hippocampus at these different time points. Results The expression of Beclin-1 in the RS group was significantly higher than that in the control group at the same time points (P<0.05). The expression of Beclin-1 at each time point (1.5, 3, 6, 12, 24 and 48 h) in the 3-MA group was significantly decreased compared with that in the RS group (P<0.05). Conclusion Autophagy/lysosomal pathway are activated immediately alter the neonatal seizures and 3-MA involves in the regulation of autophagy/lysosomal pathway by down-regulating the expression of Beclin-1. Key words: Seizure; Neonatal; Beclin-1; Autophagy; 3-methyladenine
Metabolomic Alteration in the Mouse Distal Colonic Mucosa after Oral Gavage with Oxalobacter formigenes

Oxalobacter formigenes has been investigated for years due to its proposed ability to produce a secretagogue compound that initiates net intestinal oxalate secretion, thereby theoretically reducing circulating oxalate and risk of kidney stone formation. Strains which have been shown to exhibit this function in vivo across native tissue include the human strain, HC1, and the wild rat strain, OxWR. While previous work on these secretagogue-relevant strains has focused on profiling their metabolome and lipidome in vitro, efforts to characterize their influence on host intestinal mucosal biochemistry in vivo are yet to be reported. Much work has been done over the years with O. formigenes in relation to the secretagogue hypothesis, but it has never been clearly demonstrated that this microorganism is capable of inducing metabolic changes in native host tissue, which would be expected with the production of a transport-inducing compound. In this work, we show how the distal colonic mucosal metabolomic profile in a mouse model exhibited significant changes in the levels of a variety of metabolites as a result of oral gavage with O. formigenes HC1. Among these significant metabolites was nicotinic acid, an essential nutrient shown in past work to be produced in the gut by the native microbiome. Our finding that the in vivo biochemical state of the distal colon was altered with O. formigenes lends support to the secretagogue hypothesis and serves as a pioneering step in characterizing the biochemical interplay between O. formigenes and the mammalian host.
Development of an aerosol sampler for pressurized systems and its application to investigate the effect of residence time on PM1 formation in a 15 bar oxy-coal combustor

Many sophisticated instruments are available for obtaining detailed information about aerosol particle size, shape and composition, however, most of these devices require that the aerosol is at atm...
Gold nanoparticle detection and quantification in therapeutic MV beams via pair production.

Purpose We propose a new detection method of gold nanoparticles (AuNP) in therapeutic megavoltage (MV) x-ray beams by means of coincidence counting of annihilation photons following pair production in gold. Methods The proposed MV x-ray induced positron emission (MVIPE) imaging technique is studied by radiation transport computations using MCNP6 (3D) and CEPXS/ONEDANT (1D) codes for two water phantoms: a 35 cm slab and a similarly sized cylinder, both having a 5 cm AuNP filled region in the center. MVIPE is compared to the standard x-ray fluorescence computed tomography (XFCT). MVIPE adopts MV x-ray sources (Co-60, 2 MV, 6 MV, 6 MV with closed MLC and 15 MV) and relies on the detection of 511 keV photon-pairs. XFCT uses kilovoltage sources (100 kVp, 120 kVp and 150 kVp) and imaging is characterized by analysis of k α1,2 Au characteristic lines. Three levels of AuNP concentration were studied: 0.1%, 1% and 10% by weight. Results Annihilation photons in the MVIPE technique originate both in the AuNP and in water along the x-ray beam path with significantly larger production in the AuNP-loaded region. MVIPE signal from AuNP is linearly increasing with AuNP concentration up to 10%wt, while XFCT signal reaches saturation due to self-absorption within AuNP. The production of annihilation photons is proportional to the MV source energy. MVIPE technique using a 15 MV pencil beam and 10 wt% AuNP detects about 4.5 × 103 511 keV-photons cm-2 at 90° w/r to the incident beam per 109 source photons cm-2; 500 of these come from AuNP. In contrast, the XFCT technique using 150 kVp detects only about 100 k α1-photons cm-2 per 109 source photons cm-2. Conclusions In MVIPE, the number of annihilation photons produced for different MV-beam energies and AuNP concentrations is significantly greater than the k α1 photons generated in XFCT. Coincidence counting in MVIPE allows to avoid collimation, which is a major limiting factor in XFCT. MVIPE challenges include the filtering of Compton scatter and annihilation photons originating in water.
Effects of Prepartum Supplemental Fat Types on Cow Performance and Passive Transfer of Immunity to Neonatal Calves

Prepartum fat supplementation has been shown to have effects on immune function of dairy cows and reproductive function of dairy and beef cows. The objective of this study was to look at the effect of prepartum fat supplementation on immune function and transfer of innate immunity in calves of cows supplemented prepartum and their subsequent production.
Ni-Catalyzed Arylbenzylation of Alkenylarenes. Kinetic Studies Reveal Autocatalysis by ZnX2 and 3-Fold Catalytic Rate Increase

We report a Ni-catalyzed regioselective arylbenzylation of alkenylarenes with benzyl halides and arylzinc reagents. The reaction furnishes differently substituted 1,1,3-triarylpropyl structures that are reminiscent of the cores of oligoresveratrol natural products. The reaction is also compatible for the coupling of internal alkenes, secondary benzyl halides and variously substituted arylzinc reagents. Kinetic studies reveal that the reaction proceeds with a rate-limiting single electron transfer process and is autocatalyzed by in situ-generated ZnX2. The reaction rate is amplified by three-fold through autocatalysis upon addition of ZnX2.
Adrenal locidentaloma

Because of the frequent use of computed tomography and other abdominal imaging modalities, clinicians more frequently see the incidentally discovered, clinically silent adrenal mass. Most adrenal incidentalomas should be evaluated for hormonal activity and assessed for their risk of malignancy. Adrenalectomy is indicated for hyperfunctioning tumors and for any potential primary malignant adrenal lesion. Nonfunctioning cortical adenomas<4 to 5 cm in size should be followed clinically and radiographically. Laparoscopic adrenalectomy has been used increasingly as the preferred approach in patients who require surgical resection whereas open adrenalectomy is reserved for patients with large, malignant tumors. The indications for adrenalectomy in patients with nonfunctioning adrenal tumors should not be liberalized because of the laparoscopic approach.