cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Overcoming the Limiting Step of Fe2O3 Reduction via in Situ Sulfide Modification.

Iron-based alkaline batteries are extremely attractive due to iron’s environmental friendliness, and low cost. The parasitic reaction of H2 evolution and the poor electrical conductivity of the discharge products are among the major barriers for the commercialization of these batteries. In this paper, we first show that O2– diffusion inside the solid Fe2O3 particles is the rate-limiting step in the reduction reaction. In situ sulfide modified Fe2O3, which has a core–shell structure verified by SEM, XRD and XPS analysis, has excellent electrical and ionic conductivity. The functional mechanism of sulfide in the reaction was identified as in the potential region around −1.071 V (vs Hg/HgO), the outside layer of Fe2O3 was reduced to amorphous FeS, which has good electrical conductivity and enlarges the electrochemical reaction interface. O2– diffusion inside the Fe2O3 particle is still the rate-limiting step. In the potential region around −1.15 V (vs Hg/HgO), amorphous FeS ages to FeS (pyrrhotite), FeS2 (ma...
Abstract 3963: Wnt-Signaling regulates angiogenesis by regulating Neuropilin-1 expression in osteosarcoma

Purpose of Study: To investigate the role of the Neuropilin-1 (NRP-1) in angiogenesis and regulation by Wnt-signaling pathway in osteosarcoma (OS) cell lines. Methods: In vitro tube formation assay using HUVEC cells to examine the effect of Frzb, WIF1, and DKK3 on angiogenesis. Microarray and real-time PCR to assess the mRNA level of NRP-1 in SaOS-2 cells transfected with Dominant Negative LRP5 (DNLRP5) and PcDNA vector control. Western blots were performed to evaluate the expression of NRP-1 in 8 OS cell lines and normal osteoblast (NHOst), as well as the effect of Wnt inhibitors (DNLPR5, Frzb, WIF-1, DKK3) on NRP-1 expression in OS cell lines (LM7, 143B, and 143.98.2) Results: In order to develop a new therapeutic target for OS, the most common primary malignant bone tumor, we examined the expression of NRP-1 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in 8 established OS cell lines, as well as NHOst. Both VEGF and NRP-1 (a co-receptor of VEGF) were up-regulated in most OS cell lines compared with normal osteoblast, suggesting that VEGF and NRP-1 may be responsible for the excessive blood vessel formation in OS. Given our previous report that Wnt inhibitors Frzb, WIF1, DKK3, and DNLRP5, inhibited tumor growth and metastasis of OS, we hypothesize that one of the potential mechanisms may be through inhibition of tumor angiogenesis. When HUVEC assay was examined, DKK3, Frzb, WIF-1 condition medium significantly inhibited tube formation compared with control, suggesting that these Wnt inhibitors suppressed angiogenesis. Further microarray assay, real time PCR and western blots indicated that these Wnt inhibitors (DKK3, Frzb, WIF-1 and DNLRP5) dramatically down-regulated the expression of NRP-1, but VEGF level remained unchanged. These results show that inhibition of angiogenesis by Wnt signaling may be mediated by down-regulation of NRP-1 instead of VEGF. Discussion and Conclusions: Our study suggests that the Wnt-signaling reduces tumor growth and metastasis by inhibiting angiogenesis and by down-regulating NRP-1 expression in OS. We are further studying the role of NRP-1 in osteosarcoma by knockdown of NRP1 expression in OS cells to assess tumor proliferation, metastases and angiogenesis. This may represent a novel therapeutic strategy for osteosarcoma. Note: This abstract was not presented at the AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010 because the presenter was unable to attend. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3963.
STUDY ON DEFINING POLLUTION CLASSES AND MAPPING POLLUTION AREAS BY SATURATED EQUAL SALT DEPOSIT DENSITY

The map of pollution area must be revised by saturated ESDD to prevent the large-scale pollution flashover in power grid. The saturated ESDD derives from on-site measured results of the line insulators never cleaned and equals to the ratio of the greatest annual ESDD to self-clearing rate. The focus of the task is how to correctly delimit the extent of cleaning area and how to strictly distinguish the light polluted regions from the medium polluted regions. The insulation of transmission lines should be configured under the saturated ESDD, i.e., to choose the pieces of common used insulators according to the results of pollution tests of long insulator strings.
Safety and Efficacy of GreenLight XPS Laser Vapoenucleation in Prostates Measuring Over 150 mL.

Abstract Introduction: The GreenLight™ XPS Laser System (GL-XPS) is a safe and efficacious treatment for lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), but there is limited evidence on its use in prostates over 150 mL. We demonstrate the safety and efficacy of the GL-XPS system using a vapoenucleation technique in prostate glands measuring over 150 mL. Methods: We prospectively collected data on all consecutive patients with prostates measuring over 150 mL on transrectal ultrasound treated with the GL-XPS (AMS, Inc., Minnetonka, MN) at a tertiary referral center from September 2011 to October 2015. Data collected include prostate volume, International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and quality of life (QoL) scores, maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax), postvoid residual (PVR), prostate-specific antigen, complications, and reintervention rates. Results: Seventy male patients with a median prostate size of 202 mL (range 152–376 mL) were included. There were 41 patients (59%) in preoperat...
Enucleative surgery for renal malignancy.

AbstractBilateral renal cell carcinoma, malignant tumors of a solitary kidney or renal carcinoma in the presence of a contralateral kidney with compromised function may be treated by simple enucleation of the tumor, usually pseudoencapsulated, permitting relatively avascular removal. We treated 5 such patients by surgical enucleation of renal cell carcinoma who have survived for intervals of 9 months to 5 years without evidence of recurrent local or metastatic disease. The simplicity of the technique offers several advantages, primarily those of applicability to lesions of any portion of the kidney and the minimal disturbance of renal hemodynamics and renal function.
Updated Diagnostic Criteria and Staging System for Multiple Myeloma

There has been remarkable progress made in the diagnosis and treatment of multiple myeloma (MM). The median survival of the disease has doubled as a result of several new active drugs. These advanc...
When To Hospitalize for Diverticulitis

Too often—in perhaps as many as 30% of cases—the clinical diagnosis of diverticulitis has been refuted by pathologic study of bowel tissue removed at surgery. Pointing out that the “classical” signs of diverticulitis are invariably present in these operated patients, Drs. Almy and Fleischner propose more specific criteria for distinguishing true diverticulitis from other types of diverticular disease.
Ethical implications of validity-vs.-reliability trade-offs in educational research

In educational research that calls itself empirical, the relationship between validity and reliability is that of trade-off: the stronger the bases for validity, the weaker the bases for reliabilit...
Effects of Temperature and Fixatives on Nucleic Acid Detection Using the Feulgen Reaction

Nucleic acid detection in tissue using room-temperature acid hydrolysis is compared with the hot (60°C) acid hydrolysis of the conventional Feulgen reaction. The effect of different fixatives on room-temperature hydrolysis is also studied.
The Argonaute-binding platform of NRPE1 evolves through modulation of intrinsically disordered repeats

Argonaute (Ago) proteins are important effectors in RNA silencing pathways, but they must interact with other machinery to trigger silencing. Ago hooks have emerged as a conserved motif responsible for interaction with Ago proteins, but little is known about the sequence surrounding Ago hooks that must restrict or enable interaction with specific Argonautes. Here we investigated the evolutionary dynamics of an Ago-binding platform in NRPE1, the largest subunit of RNA polymerase V. We compared NRPE1 sequences from > 50 species, including dense sampling of two plant lineages. This study demonstrates that the Ago-binding platform of NRPE1 retains Ago hooks, intrinsic disorder, and repetitive character while being highly labile at the sequence level. We reveal that loss of sequence conservation is the result of relaxed selection and frequent expansions and contractions of tandem repeat arrays. These factors allow a complete restructuring of the Ago-binding platform over 50-60 million yr. This evolutionary pattern is also detected in a second Ago-binding platform, suggesting it is a general mechanism. The presence of labile repeat arrays in all analyzed NRPE1 Ago-binding platforms indicates that selection maintains repetitive character, potentially to retain the ability to rapidly restructure the Ago-binding platform.
Working with Proximate Cause: An 'Elements' Approach

As judge advocate officers know well, working with the concept of “proximate cause” — in particular, helping investigating officers (IOs) apply it in the field — can be frustratingly difficult. This article proposes that these challenges lie primarily in the regulatory definitions of “proximate cause” relied on by IOs and their legal advisors. While the official guides provided by the Department of the Army and various installation Staff Judge Advocate offices are helpful, this article proposes a different solution: explaining the concept, and then reviewing the IO’s analysis, from an “elements” perspective. This elemental approach is consistent with the regulatory definition, but provides an improved emphasis on key aspects of “proximate cause,” like the foreseeability of harm, materiality, contribution, and predominance, that are often missed by IOs in part because they are inadequately described or ignored completely by the guides and sources we provide to them. Finally, I offer a model worksheet and decision-tree methodology, applying this elements-based definition, which both the IO and legal advisor could employ to assist in their analysis of the facts.
Sweetpotato Tip Rot Incidence Is Increased by Preharvest Applications of Ethephon and Reduced by Curing

Tip rot, or restricted end rot, is a new sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas) disease/disorder in Mississippi with unknown etiology. Since pathogen isolations have been inconsistent, a relationship of this disorder with stress is proposed. This disease/disorder is manifested as a restricted lesion at or close to the proximal end of the storage root and appears after 2 to 4 weeks in storage. In many cases, the lesion necrosis expands internally. On-farm and research station studies with preharvest foliar applications of ethephon were conducted in Mississippi to determine the potential association of tip rot with ethephon-induced stress. In addition, the effects of ethephon rate and interval between application and harvest on tip rot were investigated. After 1 to 2 months in storage, tip rot incidence was observed mostly in storage roots from ethephon-treated plants. The increase in tip rot incidence was well correlated with ethephon rate. These results suggest that preharvest applications of ethephon trigger a response that results in the tip rot disorder.
The effect of post-mastectomy radiation in women with one to three positive nodes enrolled on the control arm of BCIRG-005 at ten year follow-up

Abstract Background and purpose We evaluated the effect of post-mastectomy radiation (PMRT) in 1–3 positive lymph nodes (LN) in patients who received uniform modern systemic therapy. Materials and methods Cohort study using individual data collected for 1,649 node-positive women who received doxorubicin/cyclophosphamide with sequential docetaxel in 2000–2003 on the control arm of BCIRG-005. All women underwent mastectomy or lumpectomy and axillary LN dissection. PMRT was given at investigator's discretion. Results A total of 523 women with 1–3 positive LN underwent mastectomy and 39% (206/523) received PMRT. With a median follow-up of 10years, PMRT improved loco-regional control (LRC) from 91% to 98% ( p =0.001) but had no effect on overall survival (OS) (84% vs. 86%, p =0.9). On multivariate analysis, PMRT improved local control (LC) (hazard ratio, 0.14; 95% CI, 0.03–0.62; p =0.01) and LRC (hazard ratio, 0.15; 95% CI, 0.04–0.50; p =0.002). PMRT did not significantly impact OS on multivariate analysis (hazard ratio, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.55–1.51; p =0.7). Results remained consistent with the use of propensity score analysis. Conclusions In this cohort of patients with N1 disease treated with modern systemic therapy, PMRT improves LRC but has no effect on OS. The rates of OS were excellent, irrespective of adjuvant radiation.
Publication Rate of Podium Presentations From the North American Spine Society Annual Meetings.

Study Design:Observational study.Objectives:To determine the publication rate of podium presentations from the North American Spine Society (NASS) annual meetings from the years 2009 to 2011.Method...
Abstract P331: Metabolic Dynamics and Phosphometabolomic Fingerprinting Using 18 O-Assisted 31 P NMR and Mass Spectrometry

Evaluation of disease phenotypes and drug effects requires knowledge not only metabolite levels but also their turnover rates from which metabolic fluxes and status of the whole energetic system can be determined. Oxygen-18-assited 31 P NMR and mass spectrometric technique uniquely allow simultaneous measurements of phosphorus-containing metabolite levels and their turnover rates. This includes simultaneous recordings of 18 O-labeling rates reflecting ATP synthesis (γ-ATP) and ATP utilization (Pi), phosphotransfer fluxes through adenylate kinase (β-ATP/ADP), creatine kinase (CrP) and glycolytic pathways (G-6-P) as well as Krebs cycle associated mitochondrial nucleotide turnover (γ/β-GTP), substrate shuttle (G-3-P) and glycogen metabolism (G-1-P). Metabolomic and fluxomic profiling of hearts and body fluids of phosphotransfer enzyme deficient transgenic animals using 18 O-assisted GC/MS, 1 H and 18 O-assisted 31 P NMR indicate selective metabolic perturbations and adaptations in the whole energetic system. Adenylate kinase and creatine kinase deficiencies were associated with altered metabolomic profiles, increased mitochondrial capacities and redistribution of phosphotransfer flux through glycolytic and guanine nucleotide systems. These phosphometabolomic alterations were more expressed when animals were subjected to treadmill exercise, mitochondria-targeting drugs such as metformin and high-fat diet. Metabolite turnover rates are correlated with heart performance unveiling robustness and dynamics rearrangements in cell bioenergetics infrastructure. Glycerophosphate, G-3-P, metabolic dynamics is altered in transgenic animal models indicating defects in substrate shuttle and supply of reducing equivalents to mitochondria. This is of importance since G-3-P metabolic abnormalities and metabolic arrest are linked to human diseases such as sudden death syndrome. Thus, our study demonstrates that phosphometabolomic and fluxomic profiling is a valuable tool for metabolic phenotyping of transgenic animal models of human diseases as well as for plasma biomarker identification and monitoring of treatment efficacy and drug toxicity.
On Multidimensional and Monotone k-SUM

The well-known k-SUM conjecture is that integer k-SUM requires time Omega(n^{\ceil{k/2}-o(1)}). Recent work has studied multidimensional k-SUM in F_p^d, where the best known algorithm takes time \tilde O(n^{\ceil{k/2}}). Bhattacharyya et al. [ICS 2011] proved a min(2^{\Omega(d)},n^{\Omega(k)}) lower bound for k-SUM in F_p^d under the Exponential Time Hypothesis. We give a more refined lower bound under the standard k-SUM conjecture: for sufficiently large p, k-SUM in F_p^d requires time Omega(n^{k/2-o(1)}) if k is even, and Omega(n^{\ceil{k/2}-2k(log k)/(log p)-o(1)}) if k is odd. For a special case of the multidimensional problem, bounded monotone d-dimensional 3SUM, Chan and Lewenstein [STOC 2015] gave a surprising \tilde O(n^{2-2/(d+13)}) algorithm using additive combinatorics. We show this algorithm is essentially optimal. To be more precise, bounded monotone d-dimensional 3SUM requires time Omega(n^{2-\frac{4}{d}-o(1)}) under the standard 3SUM conjecture, and time Omega(n^{2-\frac{2}{d}-o(1)}) under the so-called strong 3SUM conjecture. Thus, even though one might hope to further exploit the structural advantage of monotonicity, no substantial improvements beyond those obtained by Chan and Lewenstein are possible for bounded monotone d-dimensional 3SUM.
Converting Diagrams, Formulas, Tables, Graphics and Pictures into SPN and NL-text Sentences for Automatic Deep Understanding of Technical Documents

Most of the technical documents are composed by several modalities, like diagrams, tables, formulas, graphics, pictures and natural language text. Each of these modalities and their associations significantly contribute to the overall deep understanding of the technical document and the knowledge represented in it. Here for us all these modalities, except NL text, are considered as "images". Thus, each technical document mainly is composed by NL text sentences and "images". Thus, in this paper we present a methodology where all these modalities can be expressed into the same two modalities (natural languages text sentences and SPN graphs) for better associations and deeper understanding of a technical document. This deeper understanding will come from two different contributions. The first unique contribution will be an enrichment of the NL text part with additional NL text sentences extracted from the "images" of the technical document. The second unique contribution will come from the SPM models of these images that enrich the main diagram by generating a simulator for the system that technical document describes.
The influence of controllable lifestyle on medical student specialty choice.

A physician discusses the trend towrad medical students selecting medical specialties based on the lifestyle they provide. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the American Medical Association.
A Study of Text Categorization for Model Organism Databases

One of the routine tasks for model organism database curators is to identify and associate research articles to database entries. Such task can be considered as text categorization which has been studied in the general English domain. The task can be decomposed into two text categorization subtasks: i) finding relevant articles associating with specific model organisms, and ii) routing the articles to specific entries or specific areas. In this paper, we investigated the first subtask and designed a study using existing reference information available at four wellknown model organism databases and investigated the problem of identifying relevant articles for these organisms. We used features obtained from abstract text and titles. Additionally, we studied the determination power of other MEDLINE citation fields (e.g., Authors, MeshHeadings, Journals). Furthermore, we compared three supervised machine learning techniques on predicting to which organism the article belongs.
Social change and human population movements — dental morphology in Holocene Eastern Africa

Millions of Eastern Africans are pastoralists, yet the origins of mobile herding in this region are unclear. Global climate change at the end of the African Humid Period pushed humans and their liv...
Phase 1 lead-in to a phase 2 factorial study of temozolomide plus memantine, mefloquine, and metformin as postradiation adjuvant therapy for newly diagnosed glioblastoma

Background Repurposed memantine, mefloquine, and metformin have putative anticancer activity. The objective of this phase 1 study was to determine the maximum tolerated doses (MTDs) of combinations of these agents with temozolomide (TMZ). Methods Adults with newly diagnosed glioblastoma who completed chemoradiation were eligible. The patients were assigned to receive doublet, triplet, or quadruplet therapy with TMZ combined with mefloquine, memantine, and/or metformin. Dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) were determined, using a 3 + 3 study design. Results Of 85 enrolled patients, 4 did not complete cycle 1 (the DLT observation period) for nontoxicity reasons, and 81 were evaluable for DLT. The MTDs for doublet therapy were memantine 20 mg twice daily, mefloquine 250 mg 3 times weekly, and metformin 850 mg twice daily. For triplet therapy, the MTDs were memantine 10 mg twice daily, mefloquine 250 mg 3 times weekly, and metformin 850 mg twice daily. For quadruplet therapy, the MTDs were memantine 10 mg twice daily, mefloquine 250 mg 3 times weekly, and metformin 500 mg twice daily. DLTs included dizziness (memantine) and gastrointestinal effects (metformin). Lymphopenia was the most common adverse event (66%). From study entry, the median survival was 21 months, and the 2-year survival rate was 43%. Conclusions Memantine, mefloquine, and metformin can be combined safely with TMZ in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma.
Osteoarthritis year 2013 in review: imaging.

Summary Purpose To review recent original research publications related to imaging of osteoarthritis (OA) and identify emerging trends and significant advances. Methods Relevant articles were identified through a search of the PubMed database using the query terms "OA" in combination with "imaging", "radiography", "MRI", "ultrasound", "computed tomography", and "nuclear medicine"; either published or in press between March 2012 and March 2013. Abstracts were reviewed to exclude review articles, case reports, and studies not focused on imaging using routine clinical imaging measures. Results Initial query yielded 932 references, which were reduced to 328 citations following the initial review. MRI (118 references) and radiography (129 refs) remain the primary imaging modalities in OA studies, with fewer reports using computed tomography (CT) (35 refs) and ultrasound (23 refs). MRI parametric mapping techniques remain an active research area (33 refs) with growth in T2*- and T1-rho mapping publications compared to prior years. Although the knee is the major joint studied (210 refs) there is interest in the hip (106 refs) and hand (29 refs). Imaging continues to focus on evaluation of cartilage (173 refs) and bone (119 refs). Conclusion Imaging plays a major role in OA research with publications continuing along traditional lines of investigation. Translational and clinical research application of compositional MRI techniques is becoming more common driven in part by the availability of T2 mapping data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI). New imaging techniques continue to be developed with a goal of identifying methods with greater specificity and responsiveness to changes in the joint, and novel functional neuroimaging techniques to study central pain. Publications related to imaging of OA continue to be heavily focused on quantitative and semiquantitative MRI evaluation of the knee with increasing application of compositional MRI techniques in the hip.
Ndfip Proteins Target Robo Receptors for Degradation and Allow Commissural Axons to Cross the Midline in the Developing Spinal Cord

Commissural axons initially respond to attractive signals at the midline, but once they cross, they become sensitive to repulsive cues. This switch prevents axons from re-entering the midline. In insects and mammals, negative regulation of Roundabout (Robo) receptors prevents premature response to the midline repellant Slit. In Drosophila, the endosomal protein Commissureless (Comm) prevents Robo1 surface expression before midline crossing by diverting Robo1 into late endosomes. Notably, Comm is not conserved in vertebrates. We identified two Nedd-4-interacting proteins, Ndfip1 and Ndfip2, that act analogously to Comm to localize Robo1 to endosomes. Ndfip proteins recruit Nedd4 E3 ubiquitin ligases to promote Robo1 ubiquitylation and degradation. Ndfip proteins are expressed in commissural axons in the developing spinal cord and removal of Ndfip proteins results in increased Robo1 expression and reduced midline crossing. Our results define a conserved Robo1 intracellular sorting mechanism between flies and mammals to avoid premature responsiveness to Slit.
Landmark learning by the Ozark zigzag salamander Plethodon angusticlavius

Although salamanders have been shown to respond to classical conditioning, spatial learning has been largely un- studied. We tested whether salamanders could learn to locate foraging areas by using landmarks. We trained 10 salamanders Plethodon angusticlavius to use landmarks (small rocks) to locate patches within the arena containing food (blackworms Lum- briculus variegatus). At the corners of each square testing arena were four plastic dishes, one containing blackworms and the other three empty. A rock was placed in front of the dish containing blackworms, and the location of the food-dish was randomly chosen for each training trial. A control group was also trained to feed on blackworms in the presence of a rock, but the rock was positioned randomly among the four dish locations so that the rock was not a reliable landmark for the worms. Although the length of the training period for individual salamanders varied (22-38 trainings per individual), the mean number of trainings for salamanders in the control and experimental groups was equal (30 training trials). During testing, no blackworms were present to eliminate any visual or chemical cues emanating directly from the prey. Individuals trained with the rock landmarks spent sig- nificantly more time in the area of the landmark than did control salamanders (Current Zoology 57 (4): 485-490, 2011).
Weakly Supervised Salient Object Detection by Learning A Classifier-Driven Map Generator

Top-down saliency detection aims to highlight the regions of a specific object category, and typically relies on pixel-wise annotated training data. In this paper, we address the high cost of collecting such training data by a weakly supervised approach to object saliency detection, where only image-level labels, indicating the presence or absence of a target object in an image, are available. The proposed framework is composed of two collaborative CNN modules, an image-level classifier and a pixel-level map generator . While the former distinguishes images with objects of interest from the rest, the latter is learned to generate saliency maps by which the images masked by the maps can be better predicted by the former. In addition to the top-down guidance from class labels, the map generator is derived by also exploring other cues, including the background prior, superpixel- and object proposal-based evidence. The background prior is introduced to reduce false positives. Evidence from superpixels helps preserve sharp object boundaries. The clue from object proposals improves the integrity of highlighted objects. These different types of cues greatly regularize the training process and reduces the risk of overfitting, which happens frequently when learning CNN models with few training data. Experiments show that our method achieves superior results, even outperforming fully supervised methods.
Applying AdaBoost to Improve Diagnostic Accuracy

Abstract. Cognitive diagnostic modeling has been adopted to support various diagnostic measuring processes. Specifically, this approach allows practitioners and/or researchers to investigate an ind...
Erosion performance, corrosion characteristics and hydrophobicity of nanolayered and multilayered metal nitride coatings

Abstract Nanolayered CrTiN and CrAlTiN and multilayered CrAlTiN-CrN and CrAlTiN-AlTiN coatings were deposited on 17-4PH stainless steel substrate by cathodic arc evaporation technique. All the coatings, nanolayered CrAlTiN and multilayered CrAlTiN-AlTiN coatings in particular, demonstrated higher resistance to solid particle erosion at both low and high impingement angles, when compared to bare 17-4PH substrate and monolithic CrN coating. The mass erosion rates of the CrAlTiN coating were less than 1/3 and 1/7 of the erosion rates of the CrN coating at 30° and 90°, respectively. The enhanced erosion performance was attributed to the increased hardness of the coatings. Potentiodynamic polarization tests in 3.5% NaCl aqueous solution indicated that these coatings had higher corrosion potentials, higher pitting potentials and much wider passive ranges with comparable or lower current densities, when compared to bare 17-4PH. Water contact angle measurements revealed hydrophobic characteristics of these coatings after being exposed to ambient air.
Improved Nd distribution in Czochralski grown YAG crystals by implementation of the accelerated crucible rotation technique

Nd:YAG is a well-known laser material typically grown from the melt using the Czochralski (CZ) method, and like many other doped materials grown from the melt, it suffers from dopant segregation, giving an average Nd concentration in the crystal (Nd%) far less than that in the melt, with Nd variation along the growth axis. Here, the Nd segregation issue is addressed by the successful implementation of the Accelerated Crucible Rotation Technique (ACRT) with CZ. Compared to conventional CZ, ACRT provided improved Nd uniformity, higher Nd incorporation, and control of Nd% along the growth axis, even achieving higher Nd% in the crystal than the initial Nd from the overall melt. ACRT also affects the solid/liquid interface shape and thus the radial segregation. It is thus shown that ACRT and the mixing it provides is promising for achieving unconventional dopant profiles in CZ crystals.
A Preliminary Examination of the Use of Legislative History By The United States Tax Court

Using data from 1958-2017 divided into two thirty-year periods, this paper examines the use of legislative history by the United States Tax Court. The rapid increase of the use of legislative history from 1958-1987 is coupled with a near mirror-image reversal of its use from 1988-2017. The paper explores two key events which have may have caused this decline – 1) the Supreme Court 1984 decision in Chevron USA, Inc. v. NRDC and 2) the 1987 appointment of Justice Antonin Scalia to the Court. Data visualizations and analysis are provided to examine the impact of the Chevron effect and Scalia effect.
Application of granular cold-water-swelling starch as a clean-label oil structurant

Abstract The demand for the reduced consumption of saturated lipids has increased due to the associated health concerns. One promising approach to reduce the consumption of solid fat is oil structuring, but the use of non-label-friendly structurants poses a challenge to food industry. Herein, we proposed using granular cold-water-swelling starch as a clean-label and affordable oil structurant for the reduction of solid fat. Pre-gelatinized starch was first prepared by heating corn starch in different concentrations of aqueous ethanol, generating different degrees of pre-gelatinization. Lower ethanol concentration produced starch with higher water-holding capacity and higher swelling power. Structured oil was then prepared by dispersing the hydrated swollen starch in canola oil, followed by centrifugation to collect the solid sediment. The prepared structured oil was evaluated on rheological behavior, texture profile, color, and physical stability. The results showed that a higher degree of pre-gelatinization and a higher hydrated degree of the swollen starch led to a decrease in the rheological moduli (G′ and G″) and an elongation of the linear viscoelastic region of the structured oil, which also contributed to lower firmness and stronger stickiness. The underlying reasons were attributed to differences in particle rigidity and granular flocculation. In addition, the presence of a surfactant inhibited the flocculation of the swollen starch, and affected sample texture. By manipulating the properties of cold-water-swelling starch, this study showed that we could fine-tune the texture of the structured oil, thus demonstrating a promising and scalable approach for reducing solid fats in the daily diet.
Following Fission Products in Explosive Astrophysical Environments

The astrophysical process by which the heaviest elements are formed in the universe is known as the rapid neutron capture process, or r process, of nucleosynthesis. The r process is characterized by the neutron capture and β − decay of short-lived, neutron-rich atomic nuclei; in suitably extreme environments, nuclear fission can also play a major role in determining the ensuing nucleosynthesis. In this work, we present the application of our recently developed nucleosynthesis tracing framework to precisely quantify the impact that neutron-induced and β − -delayed fission processes have in r -process environments that produce fissioning nuclei.
The molecular tug of war between immunity and fertility: Emergence of conserved signaling pathways and regulatory mechanisms

Reproduction and immunity are energy intensive, intimately linked processes in most organisms. In women, pregnancy is associated with widespread immunological adaptations that alter immunity to many diseases, whereas, immune dysfunction has emerged as a major cause for infertility in both men and women. Deciphering the molecular bases of this dynamic association is inherently challenging in mammals. This relationship has been traditionally studied in fast-living, invertebrate species, often in the context of resource allocation between life history traits. More recently, these studies have advanced our understanding of the mechanistic underpinnings of the immunity-fertility dialogue. Here, we review the molecular connections between reproduction and immunity from the perspective of human pregnancy to mechanistic discoveries in laboratory organisms. We focus particularly on recent invertebrate studies identifying conserved signaling pathways and transcription factors that regulate resource allocation and shape the balance between reproductive status and immune health.
Homogeneous Electrocatalytic CO2 Reduction Using a Porphyrin Complex with Flexible Triazole Units in the Second Coordination Sphere

The electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) to produce value-added chemicals is of great significance in mitigating environmental and energy concerns. In this work, an iron porphyrin cata...
Recomendaciones concretas para contrarrestar la información errónea durante la pandemia de COVID-19

La pandemia de COVID-19 plantea retos multifaceticos para el sistema de salud estadounidense. Uno de esos retos consiste en dar informacion vital sobre salud al publico, tarea que se ha hecho mas dificil por el flagelo de la informacion erronea sobre la salud en todo el ecosistema de la informacion. Aqui se formulan algunas recomendaciones concretas para los oficiales de la informacion de salud publica y los profesionales de la comunicacion que preparan campanas de comunicacion para los organismos y organizaciones de salud a fin de maximizar la posibilidad de que las advertencias de salud lleguen al publico oportunamente.
A Posterior Communicating Segment Aneurysm of the Supraclinoid Internal Carotid Artery Treated with an Extracranial to Intracranial Bypass and Trapping

Surgical treatment of giant aneurysms often poses significant challenges. Endovascular techniques have evolved exponentially over the last decades, and most of these complex aneurysms can be treated with flow-diverting techniques; however, successful obliteration of all giant aneurysms is not always possible with endovascular flow-diverting techniques. Although the need for microsurgical intervention has undoubtedly diminished, a versatile-thinking surgeon should keep in mind that obliteration of these aneurysms combined with revascularizing the distal circulation via extracranial–intracranial bypass techniques can provide a potentially life-long durable solution. The key to curing these pathologies is to utilize interdisciplinary decision making with a robust knowledge of the pros and cons of different treatment approaches. Herein, we present a case of a giant posterior communicating segment aneurysm of the left supraclinoid internal carotid artery (ICA), which was treated by obliteration ( Fig. 1 ). Extradural anterior clinoidectomy was used to provide exposure of the supraclinoidal ICA proximal to the aneurysm, and revascularization of the distal circulation was achieved with a common carotid artery to M2-superior trunk bypass using a radial artery interposition graft ( Fig. 2 ). The patient was a 62-year-old female who presented with vision loss in her left eye but was otherwise neurologically intact. She had a history of two unsuccessful flow-diverting stent placement attempts 2 months prior to this surgery. Postoperatively, the patient woke up without any deficits, with her left eye vision partially recovered and ultimately returning to normal at 1-year follow-up. Computed tomography (CT) angiography at a 1-year follow-up showed complete obliteration of the aneurysm and successful revascularization of the distal circulation. The link to the video can be found at: https://youtu.be/DsIuIJJj1l4 .
Sports, Culture, and the Economy: Baseball in the Dominican Republic

Many universities are promoting study abroad programs due to the life-changing experience of students being exposed to other cultures. Being comfortable in the global marketplace is also valuable for student success in the workplace. More and more, students in Business and Economics would like these experiences, so faculty are encouraged to develop and implement courses. This paper describes the Virginia Wesleyan University course Sports, Culture, and the Economy: Baseball in the Dominican Republic as an example for faculty considering a short-term study abroad course.
A New Tool for Investigating G Protein‐Coupled Receptors

Vertebrate olfactory receptors are members of the seven-transmembrane-domain G protein-coupled receptor family. They utilize intracellular signal transduction pathways which are activated by stimulation of odorant receptors and use the second messengers cAMP and/or inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate and diacylglycerol. Studies of how odorants bind to and activate the receptors can be considered part of the more general problem of how chemicals interact with G protein-coupled receptors. This review describes the development of a new technique for assessing functional interactions between chemicals and these receptors in only minutes. Predicted uses of the system include structure-function analyses of both G protein-coupled receptors and their ligands, studies of receptor coupling to G proteins and cloning of cDNAs for these receptors.
Designing algorithms for dependent process failures

Most fault-tolerant algorithms are designed assuming that out of n components, no more than t can be faulty. For example, solutions to the Consensus problem are usually developed assuming no more than t of the n processes are faulty, where “being faulty” is specialized by a failure model. We call this the t of n assumption (also known as threshold model). It is a convenient assumption to make. For example, bounds are easily expressed as a function of t: if processes can fail only by crashing, then the Consensus problem is solvable when t < n if the system is synchronous and when t < 2n if the system is asynchronous extended with a failure detector of the class ◊W. [5.5], [5.1]
Complications des anastomoses iléo-anales avec poche : la pochite

Bien que l’anastomose ileo-anale avec poche soit, pour des raisons dermatologiques, un procede tres seduisant aux yeux des patients, le clinicien doit savoir qu’il n’offre pas toujours une «guerison» de la colite ulcereuse.
An Overview of the Kauffman Firm Survey: Results from the 2004-2008

The Kauffman Firm Survey (KFS) dataset provides researchers with a unique opportunity to study a panel of new businesses from startup to sustainability, with longitudinal data centering on topics such as how businesses are financed; the products, services, and innovations these businesses possess and develop in their early years of existence; and the characteristics of those who own and operate them. The current data provide an understanding of how businesses are organized and operate in their first four years of existence (2004 through 2007) and provide some indicators of survival and growth. Other measures describe the characteristics of the panel, such as the extent to which these businesses are involved in innovative activities. A series of eleven tables give a broad overview of the business and owner characteristics and firm survival over the period, as well as some new information available in the third follow-up survey. Highlights include: External debt markets remain critically important for most new firms; Only about 12 percent of firms submitted new external credit applications for debt financing in 2007; Less than 10 percent of firms owned by African Americans applied for new credit in 2007, compared with nearly 13 percent of firms owned by non-Hispanic whites; About 90 percent of firms that began operations in 2004 survived through 2005, while about 80 percent survived through 2006 and 73.4 percent through 2007. Most of the remaining firms closed either permanently or temporarily over the period, while a small number, 3.5 percent, either merged with or were sold to another business; Surviving firms with employees, which are now three years old, increased average employment from 4.6 employees in 2004 to 6.7 employees in 2007; By 2007, about 40 percent of firms had revenues greater than $100,000, compared with just 17 percent in 2004; About 60 percent of surviving firms posted profits in 2007, compared with about 40 percent posting losses; Young firms are serving local and international markets; More than a quarter of firms sold at least some of their goods or services on the Internet. Nearly a quarter of those firms had Internet sales that were more than half of their total sales, while about a third of them said Internet sales were less than 5 percent of their total sales; About 60 percent of firms felt that they had a comparative advantage in the products or services that they offered.
Cornea-infiltrating dendritic cells are critical in CD8+ T cell expansion in the draining lymph nodes following ocular herpes simplex virus-1 infection (MUC7P.750)

The cornea is a mucosal surface that has resident dendritic cells (cornea-resident DC) and DC infiltrate the cornea following herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) infection (cornea-infiltrating DC). Both DC populations could theoretically carry viral antigens to the draining lymph nodes (DLN) for direct expansion of HSV-specific CD8+ T cells or for cross presentation by DLN-resident DC. The expanded CD8+ T cells infiltrate the trigeminal ganglion (TG) and prevent HSV-1 transmission to the brain and lethal encephalitis. Local depletion of cornea-resident DC in CD11c-DTR mice did not affect CD8+ T cell expansion (BrdU incorporation) in the DLN. However, continuous depletion of cornea-infiltrating DC abrogated CD8+ T cell expansion at 3 days post infection (dpi) and dramatically reduced their expansion at 7 dpi, leading to reduced numbers in the TG and increased mortality. Cornea-infiltrating DC in DLN showed increased expression of the costimulatory molecules CD70, CD80, and CD86. Blocking CD70 significantly reduced CD8+ T cell numbers in the DLN, by selectively inhibiting proliferation and survival of those reactive to subdominant HSV-1 epitopes, leading to decreased CD8+ T cell numbers in the TG and increased mortality. Our data are consistent with the notion that cornea-infiltrating DCs transport HSV-1 antigens to the DLN for direct presentation to and expansion of HSV-specific CD8+ T cells, and have a critical role in preventing lethal infections.
Automatic Target Classification &#8212; Experiments on the MSTAR SAR Images

SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) can produce target images in range and cross-range with sufficient resolution for recognition. In this paper, we did an experimental test on three different feature extraction techniques (Principle Components Analysis PCA, Independent Components Analysis ICA, and Hu moments) by using different target SAR images taken from the MSTAR database. The performance of these techniques is analyzed. A number of classification techniques, such as Linear (LDC), Quadratic (QDC), K-nearest Neighbor (K-NN), and Support Vector Machine (SVM) are tested and compared for their performance on the target classification. Our experimental results provide a guideline for selecting feature extracting techniques and classifiers in automatic target recognition using SAR image data.
Protein Synthesis: Measuring Errors

The detection and measurement of errors in protein synthesis is of interest to workers studying proteins, particularly when exploiting overexpression systems to prepare proteins as research reagents or for commercial purposes. Detection of errors is a key step in the process of producing high-quality proteins. Keywords: mistranslation; norleucine; norvaline; formylmethionine; e-N-acetyllysine
An Introduction to Mill's Utilitarian Ethics

John Stuart Mill was the leading British philosopher of the nineteenth century and his famous essay Utilitarianism is the most influential statement of the philosophy of utilitarianism: that actions, laws, policies and institutions are to be evaluated by their utility or contribution to good or bad consequences. Henry West has written the most up-to-date and user-friendly introduction to utilitarianism available. The book serves as both a commentary to and interpretation of the text. It also defends Mill against his critics. An appendix reviews in detail the structure and arguments of Utilitarianism. This book is primarily intended as a textbook for students in philosophy assigned to read Utilitarianism but it should also prove helpful to students and professionals in other fields such as political science, history and economics.
Depressed Affect and Dimensions of Religiosity in Family Caregivers of Individuals with Dementia.

Religiosity and mood have long been recognized as associated, but some patterns of associations suggest complex relationships. Using a multidimensional measure of religiosity, we explored the possibility that dimensions of religiosity may have (1) different strengths of association and (2) directions of association with depressed mood. We measured five dimensions of religiosity in 1227 family caregivers of persons with dementia, testing associations of each dimension to caregivers’ depressive symptoms. In zero-order associations, higher scores on each religiosity dimension were associated with lower depression. Yet in hierarchical multiple regressions models, adjusting for other religiosity dimensions, different dimensions showed either no independent association, an independent association, or an inverse association with depressed mood. Frequency of prayer reversed directions of association—showing higher depression in caregivers who prayed more. Findings underscore the complex and sometimes bidirectional association between depressed mood and religiosity and argue for recognition of distinct dimensions of religiosity.