cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Second Language Acquisition at the Phonetic-Phonological Interface: A proposal

This paper examines the acquisition of novel second language phonological contrasts by speakers of different languages. It explores the possibility of building a framework to test the adult acquisition of voicing and aspiration features of Hindi by speakers of Dimasa, Rabha, Tamil and English. It is noteworthy that Hindi has a four-way voicing contrast while Dimasa, Rabha and Tamil have two-way, three-way and one-way respectively. The paper presents an experiment designed to test the acquisition of non-native acquisition by these L1 speakers. The task designed to train these L1 speakers to perceive the new contrasts is an AX same or different task. Training will be followed by retention and generalizability test also. Evidence of significantly better perception post-training will suggest access to Universal Grammar beyond the Critical period.
Optimized thermo-reflectance system for measuring the thermal properties of thin-films and their interfaces

An overall evaluation of the transient thermo-reflectance (TTR) technique as applied to the measurement of thermal properties of electronic materials is presented in this article. First, the TTR method is presented. Then, the focus is placed on a systematic characterization of the performance of the thermoreflectance technique in which the influences of the most important system parameters on the accuracy of the TTR measurements are ascertained (Burzo et al., 2002). Finally, the power of the TTR measurement technique and its optimization are demonstrated through representative measurements, first of bulk materials (Komarov et al., 2003) and then of thin-film materials. Results are then shown addressing the effects of doping, isotopic purity, interface resistance, deposition/growing methods, and film thickness on the thermal properties of the selected bulk and thin-film layers
Non-parametrick Synthesis of Private Probablistic Predictions

This paper describes a new non-parameteric method to synthesize probabilistic predictions form different experts. In contrast to the popular linear pooling method that combines forecasts with the weights that reflect the average performance of individual experts over the entire forecast space, our method exploits the information that is local to each prediction case. A simulation study, replicated from [1], shows that our synthesized forecast is calibrated and whose Brier score is close to the theoretically optimal Brier score. Our robust non-parametric algorithm delivers an excellent performance comparable to the best combination method with parametric recalibration - Ranjan-Gneiting's beta-transformed linear pooling.
Phase Equilibria in the Zr-Cu-Al System: Implications for Bulk Metallic Glass Formation

Preliminary phase equilibrium relationships have been established in the Zr-Cu-Al system at 800 °C, using a combination of X-ray diffraction and electron probe microanalysis. These results are similar to previous investigations that have been reported in the literature. Several ternary phases are found to exist in this system, many of which lie within the gross compositional vicinity of interest to bulk amorphous alloy formation. The equilibrium phases present in the alloy Zr65Cu27.5A17.5, which exhibits a particularly high Tx-Tg in the amorphous state, are Zr2Cu and minor amounts of two additional phases: Zr3Al and what may be a ternary phase with a composition near Zr6CuAl3. When the 800 °C phase diagram isotherm is correlated with the known glass forming composition range of the Zr-Cu-Al system, it is found that the best glass forming behavior is confined to those regions of the diagram in which all equilibria include Zr-Cu constituent binary phases and Al-poor ternary phases. This may suggest that difficulties in the nucleation of these binary phases plays a role in the glass forming ability of Zr-Cu-Al and related higher order alloys.
Fast and Scalable Computation of the Forward and Inverse Discrete Periodic Radon Transform

The discrete periodic radon transform (DPRT) has extensively been used in applications that involve image reconstructions from projections. Beyond classic applications, the DPRT can also be used to compute fast convolutions that avoids the use of floating-point arithmetic associated with the use of the fast Fourier transform. Unfortunately, the use of the DPRT has been limited by the need to compute a large number of additions and the need for a large number of memory accesses. This paper introduces a fast and scalable approach for computing the forward and inverse DPRT that is based on the use of: 1) a parallel array of fixed-point adder trees; 2) circular shift registers to remove the need for accessing external memory components when selecting the input data for the adder trees; 3) an image block-based approach to DPRT computation that can fit the proposed architecture to available resources; and 4) fast transpositions that are computed in one or a few clock cycles that do not depend on the size of the input image. As a result, for an $N\times N$ image ( $N$ prime), the proposed approach can compute up to $N^{2}$ additions per clock cycle. Compared with the previous approaches, the scalable approach provides the fastest known implementations for different amounts of computational resources. For example, for a $251\times 251$ image, for approximately 25% fewer flip-flops than required for a systolic implementation, we have that the scalable DPRT is computed 36 times faster. For the fastest case, we introduce optimized architectures that can compute the DPRT and its inverse in just $2N+\left \lceil{ \log _{2}N}\right \rceil +1$ and $2N+3\left \lceil{ \log _{2}N}\right \rceil +B+2$ cycles, respectively, where $B$ is the number of bits used to represent each input pixel. On the other hand, the scalable DPRT approach requires more 1-b additions than for the systolic implementation and provides a tradeoff between speed and additional 1-b additions. All of the proposed DPRT architectures were implemented in VHSIC Hardware Description Language (VHDL) and validated using an Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) implementation.
Multiple Geographic Origins of Antillean Styrax

The phylogenetic relationships within Styrax series Valvatae were estimated with DNA sequence data from the internal transcribed spacer region of nuclear ribosomal DNA to test hypotheses bearing on the historical biogeography of the Antilles. The results provide evidence for three dispersal events within Styrax to the Antilles, one from southern North America, the other two from South America. The data do not support a strict Greater Antillean vicariance scenario for Styrax. Vicariance between the Greater Antilles and southern North America without immediate prior dispersal would require a more basal position of Styrax ochraceus than that recovered, although low branch support values in the relevant portion of the tree do not preclude this possibility. Dispersal of Styrax from South America to the Greater Antilles could have proceeded across oceanic barriers, or more likely through GAARlandia. Styrax obtusifolius in Cuba and Hispaniola and the strictly South American Foveolaria clade have evolved small flowers and the gynodioecious condition independently. The predominance of microscopic pollinators in the Cuban fauna may have impelled the evolution of small flowers in Styrax obtusifolius. The data suggest that the Antilles have played little if any role in the intercontinental dispersal of Styrax.
FLUX RATE AND A SECRETION MODEL FOR SALT GLANDS OF GRASSES

ABSTRACT An estimation of the flux rate across membranes of the salt glands of Cynodon is provided. A brief review of the ultrastructure of the salt glands of the grasses is developed from which a model is proposed for salt secretion from these glands.
The Associativity of the Symmetric Difference

(2006). The Associativity of the Symmetric Difference. Mathematics Magazine: Vol. 79, No. 5, pp. 391-392.
Natriuresis and carbohydrate-induced antinatriuresis in fasted, hydrated hypertensives.

SummaryAfter an overnight fast and oral hydration with water, hypertensive subjects developed a significant natriuresis (mean urine sodium excretions increased from 130 to 291 μeq/min). The incidence of a natriuresis (>200 μeq sodium excreted per minute) was 75% in the hypertensive group (16 subjects) compared to 27% in a previously studied normotensive group (22 subjects). The incidence of a carbohydrate-induced antinatriuresis (>30% decrease in urinary sodium excretion) was 62% in the hypertensive group compared to 41% in the normotensive group. No decrease in plasma volume (131I-labeled albumin concentration) due to a shift of solute and water intracellularly could be documented to explain the antinatriuretic effect of glucose. An incidental observation was a significant decrease in plasma zinc concentrations after glucose ingestion.The authors acknowledge the technical assistance of Mr. Carl Haygood, Mr. Howard Guiles, Mrs. Dorothy Shirey, Mrs. Norma Luster, and Mrs. Dee Hammarsten and the nursing ass...
Algunas cuestiones sobre la aprobación de los tratados en la reforma constitucional de 2005

La reforma constitucional del ano 2005, por la ley 20.050, tuvo su fundamento en dos mociones y un veto presidencial. Estimamos que esta reforma contiene un interesante material de estudio en relacion a los tratados, pues hace alusion a varias instituciones que en la antigua norma no se consideraban.
Specific afterload reduction with parenteral hydralazine following cardiac surgery

In a group of seven patients who had had cardiac operations, intravenous (IV) hydralazine was used to provide afterload reduction in situations of severe left ventricular dysfunction. Despite fluid loading, inotropic support with dopamine, and afterload reduction with sodium nitroprusside, the patients had persistent states of low cardiac output and high systemic vascular resistance. Administration of sodium nitroprusside was limited by its effect on preload and blood pressure, so that it necessitated frequent fluid challenges. The addition of IV hydralazine to this regimen caused a mean increase of 44.7% in the stroke index and a mean reduction of 28.6% in systemic vascular resistance without significant change in pulmonary artery wedge pressure, mean arterial pressure, or heart rate. Rapid weaning of sodium nitroprusside and, on occasion, dopamine was facilitated. Frequent fluid challenges to restore preload were unnecessary. Dose requirements of hydralazine were small: 2.5 to 5.0 mg IV initially, and then a maintenance dose of 2.5 to 7.5 mg IV every 4 to 6 hours. These preliminary clinical observations indicate that in patients with low cardiac output--high resistance states and normal or elevated preload, the important benefit of specific afterload reduction may be provided by parenteral hydrolazine in the early period following cardiac surgery. Prospective, controlled studies with this agent in this situation appear warranted.
Reflections on jazz training and marketing education What makes a great teacher

In recent years, numerous marketing and organizational theorists have called attention to the analogy between jazz and management strategy. From the perspective of this jazz metaphor, key questions concern the implications of jazz training for marketing education. Too often—say, in motion pictures or television dramas—jazz is portrayed as an innocent folk music whose performance requires more feeling than knowledge. This inaccurate stereotype colors the treatment of music instruction found in the film Mr. Holland’s Opus (1995). A contrasting view of jazz as a technically demanding art form appears in the movie Whiplash (2014). These two films also represent diametrically opposed teaching styles—the first nurturing and customer-oriented, the second sadistic and product-oriented. A third motion picture entitled Keep On Keepin’ On (2014) presents a resolution of this dialectic in the form of a marketing-oriented instructor whose method of teaching combines kindness (the customer-oriented thesis) with rigor (...
Direct and Real: Carol A. Fowler's Theory and Approach to Science

ABSTRACTThis article includes both an introduction to the special issue and discussion of our connections with Carol Fowler. We briefly review the motivation for the special issue and reflect upon the ways that she has impacted us and science more generally.
The Need to Address Non-Cognitive Skills in the Education Policy Agenda1

Multiple traits compose a broad definition of what it means to be an educated person. Indisputably, being an educated person is associated with having a certain command of a curriculum, and knowledge of theories and facts from various disciplines. But the term educated also suggests a more far-reaching concept associated with individuals’ full development.
Bleeding Colorectal Tumors

Colorectal tumors are the third most common source of acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding, after diverticulosis and hemorrhoids. Additionally, tumors account for a very common source of chronic occult bleeding. The choice of approach to evaluation and management of acute and chronic lower gastrointestinal bleeding is based on the acuity of the situation. Acute bleeding focuses on stabilization of the patient, followed by localization of the bleeding source. Management will most likely be via endoscopic or angiographic approach, with surgical options reserved for those situations that cannot be managed otherwise. Chronic bleeding is most commonly evaluated via colonoscopy. Once a diagnosis of colon or rectal cancer has been made, preoperative staging of the lesion followed by definitive surgery is the recommended approach.
Clinical characteristics of canine fibrocartilaginous embolic myelopathy (FCE): a systematic review of 393 cases (1973–2013)

Fibrocartilaginous embolic myelopathy (FCE) is common in dogs; however, there is conflicting information in the veterinary literature regarding clinical characteristics and data on recovery in severe cases is sparse. A systematic review of canine FCE was performed to delineate the natural history of this disease. 322 previously reported cases and 71 previously unreported cases were identified for inclusion. Source publications were identified via PubMed central search and by references from review articles. Previously unreported cases were identified via computerised medical records search at two veterinary institutions. FCE was most common in middle-aged large breed dogs (30 per cent); however, the miniature schnauzer was the most frequently reported individual breed and small breeds comprised 24 per cent of all reported cases. The most common neuroanatomical localisation was a T3-L3 myelopathy (33.1 per cent). Prognosis for recovery of ambulation was good to excellent with 85 per cent of cases regaining the ability to walk unassisted, most within 3 weeks. Persistent neurological deficits were common in patients that recovered ambulation (49.1 per cent). When nociception was absent in the affected limbs at initial presentation, rate of recovery was lower (10 per cent); however, this data is likely biased by limited follow-up in more severe cases. Future prospective studies should evaluate prognosis for more severely affected patients.
Control of neurotransmitters in brain neurons using soft-switching sliding mode control

In this paper we propose a mathematical model to describe the dynamics of neurotransmitter's active, available and reprocessed states. A set of nonlinear differential equations is obtained from neurophysiological and biochemical reasoning. To solve a tracking control problem, we study cellular feedback mechanisms that regulate the amount of neurotransmitters at distinct states. The neurotransmitters are the information carriers, and we control the amount of neurotransmitters at the active state. The cellular feedback mechanisms are examined and prototyped utilizing a sound analog control methodology. Though modeling and control problems are formulated and solved by using a number of hypotheses, the reported results have a direct impact on the envisioned bioinspired data/signal processing and cognitive information processing platforms. These processing platforms are expected to be designed using an information-theoretic paradigm and fluidic/solid molecular electronics hardware solutions.
Origin of the exciton mass in the frustrated Mott insulator Na 2 IrO 3

We use a three-pulse ultrafast optical spectroscopy to study the relaxation processes in a frustrated Mott insulator ${\mathrm{Na}}_{2}{\mathrm{IrO}}_{3}$. By being able to independently produce the out-of-equilibrium bound states (excitons) of doublons and holons with the first pulse and suppress the underlying antiferromagnetic order with the second one, we were able to elucidate the relaxation mechanism of quasiparticles in this system. By observing the difference in the exciton dynamics in the magnetically ordered and disordered phases we found that the mass of this quasiparticle is mostly determined by its interaction with the surrounding spins.
Intravascular Residence Time Determination for the Cyanide Antidote Dimethyl Trisulfide in Rat by Using Liquid-Liquid Extraction Coupled with High Performance Liquid Chromatography.

These studies represent the first report on the intravascular residence time determinations for the cyanide antidote dimethyl trisulfide (DMTS) in a rat model by using high performance liquid chromatography coupled with ultraviolet absorption spectroscopy (HPLC-UV). The newly developed sample preparation included liquid-liquid extraction by cyclohexanone. The calibration curves showed a linear response for DMTS concentrations between 0.010 and 0.30 mg/mL with = 0.9994. The limit of detection for DMTS via this extraction method was 0.010 mg/mL, and the limit of quantitation was 0.034 mg/mL. Thus this calibration curve provided a tool for determining DMTS in the range between 0.04 and 0.30 mg/mL. Rats were given 20 mg/kg DMTS dose (in 15% Polysorbate 80) intravenously, and blood samples were taken 15, 60, 90, 120, and 240 min after DMTS injections. The data points were plotted as DMTS concentration in RBCs versus time, and the intravascular residence time was determined graphically. The results indicated a half-life of 36 min in a rat model, suggesting that the circulation time is long enough to provide a reasonable time interval for cyanide antagonism.
General Approach and Algorithm for Managing Emergent Neoplasms of the Orbit and Adnexa

Some neoplasms present aggressively or benefit from urgent treatment to improve morbidity and mortality. This chapter is devoted to those neoplasms of the orbit and ocular adnexa requiring particularly urgent attention. A team of additional subspecialists, including a medical oncologist, radiation oncologist, ophthalmic pathologist, and head and neck surgeon, may prove critical for expedient identification of the malignancy and successful treatment of the patient, with the goals of saving vision, eyes, and life.
The relationship between grading leniency and grading reliability

ABSTRACTGrading reliability for a class can be measured as the correlation between the students’ grade point average (GPA) and the grades they received in that class. Grading leniency can be measured as the difference between the average grade for the class and the students’ average GPA. Data from more than fifty-thousand course sections show that lenient grading is associated with lower grading reliability. This association is particularly strong among course sections with lenient grading. Although grading leniency may be a symptom rather than a cause of low-grading reliability, reducing grading leniency may lead to improved grading reliability.
A Monte Carlo simulation study to predict the solubility of H2S in ionic liquids with 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium ([C4mim+]) cation and tetrafluoroborate ([BF4−]), hexaflorophosphate ([PF6−]) and bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide ([Tf2N−]) anions

AbstractThe solubilities of H2S in ionic liquids, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([C4mim+][BF4−]), 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexaflorophosphate ([C4mim+][PF6−]) and -butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate bis(trifluoromethanesulphonyl)amide ([C4mim+][Tf2N−]) are predicted using isothermal–isobaric Gibbs ensemble Monte Carlo method (NPT-GEMC) at temperatures ranging from 333 to 453 K and pressure up to 20 bar. The low pressure points (up to 3 bar) of the absorption isotherms are fitted to a straight line to get a rough estimation of the Henry’s law constants. The van’t Hoff relationship is used to estimate the partial molar enthalpy of the absorption. The obtained results are in a good agreement with Jou and Mather [18], and Jalili et al. [13]. When comparing the solubility in ILs, it is found that H2S solubility is highest for [C4mim+][Tf2N−], followed by [C4mim+][PF6−]. The lowest solubility is observed in [C4mim+][BF4−]. The highest solubility in [C4mim+][Tf2N−] is consistent with ...
Iron, dopamine, genetics, and hormones in the pathophysiology of restless legs syndrome

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a common, chronic neurologic condition, which causes a persistent urge to move the legs in the evening that interferes with sleep. Human and animal studies have been used to study the pathophysiologic state of RLS and much has been learned about the iron and dopamine systems in relation to RLS. Human neuropathologic and imaging studies have consistently shown decreased iron in different brain regions including substantia nigra and thalamus. These same areas also demonstrate a state of relative dopamine excess. While it is not known how these changes in dopamine or iron produce the symptoms of RLS, genetic and hormone studies of RLS have identified other biologic systems or genes, such as the endogenous opioid and melanocortin systems and BTBD9 and MEIS1, that may explain some of the iron or dopamine changes in relation to RLS. This manuscript will review what is known about the pathophysiology of RLS, especially as it relates to changes in iron, dopamine, genetics, and hormonal systems.
Pittsburgh compound-B PET white matter imaging and cognitive function in late multiple sclerosis

Background There is growing interest in white matter (WM) imaging with positron emission tomography (PET). Objectives We studied the association of cognitive function in late multiple sclerosis (MS) with cortical and WM Pittsburgh compound-B PET (PiB-PET) binding. Methods In the population-based Mayo Clinic Study of Aging, 24 of 4869 participants had MS (12 underwent PiB-PET). Controls were age and sex matched (5:1). We used automated or semi-automated processing for quantitative image analyses and conditional logistic regression for group differences. Results MS patients had lower memory ( p = 0.03) and language ( p = 0.02) performance; smaller thalamic volumes ( p = 0.003); and thinner temporal ( p = 0.001) and frontal ( p = 0.045) cortices on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) than controls. There was no difference in global cortical PiB standardized uptake value ratios between MS and controls ( p = 0.35). PiB uptake was lower in areas of WM hyperintensities compared to normal-appearing white matter (NAWM) in MS ( p = 0.0002). Reduced PiB uptake in both the areas of WM hyperintensities ( r = 0.65; p = 0.02) and NAWM ( r = 0.69; p = 0.01) was associated with decreased visuospatial performance in MS. Conclusion PiB uptake in the cortex in late MS is not different from normal age-matched controls. PiB uptake in the WM in late MS may be a marker of the large network structures' integrity such as those involved in visuospatial performance.
River effects on the heat island of a small urban area

Abstract This study examined the urban heat island (UHI) of a small urban area divided by a river in central Pennsylvania. As more of the population resides in urban areas, the study of UHIs is imperative due to increased mortality during heat waves, elevated energy costs, and increased air pollution. Hourly temperatures were collected from 19 urban stations and one rural reference station. All stations were compared to one another to assess UHI intensity and intra-urban variability and were also assessed based on their distance to the bisecting river. Results indicate an average yearly UHI of 2.25 °C that is strongest at night, in summer, in the most urbanized areas, and closer to the river. For every 1000 m increase in distance from the river, the UHI decreased by 0.6 °C to 0.3 °C depending on season. In the summer, the distance to the river is more important that the urban score at a station for predicting the UHI. The river enhances the UHI due to its warmer temperatures during the nighttime and by increasing the local humidity levels. Assessment of the heat island of this area can assist in determining the best locations for mitigation efforts to reduce the heat island effect.
A methodology to identify health and social care web services on the basis of case stories

There is an increasing adoption of Service-oriented architecture (SOA) to develop interoperable open platforms that integrate heterogeneous information systems in healthcare. One of the challenging tasks in the SOA design is the identification of web services to be implemented, that is usually based on business process modelling. This paper presents a comprehensive and consistent methodology able to detect all functional requirements and web services based on the analysis of case stories built using semi-structured interviews to the different stakeholders involved in the care process. These narrative descriptions are the starting point to define a formal pictorial representation using the Unified Modelling Language (UML) use case and sequence diagrams that allow analysts and programmers to identify web services to be implemented to support the communication between subjects (patient, providers) and objects (device, systems) in real-life contexts. This methodology has been adopted within the Health@Home project that provides a technological and organizational solution to support both citizens and organizations in the provision of health and social services in the home setting.
Persistent effects of acute stress on fear and drug-seeking in a novel model of the comorbidity between post-traumatic stress disorder and addiction

Even following long periods of abstinence, individuals with anxiety disorders have high rates of relapse to drugs of abuse. Although many current models of relapse demonstrate effects of acute stress on drug-seeking, most of these studies examine stressful experiences that occur in close temporal and physical proximity to the reinstatement test. Here, we assess the effects of a stressful experience in one context on fear and drug-seeking in a different context. We adapt the stress-enhanced fear learning procedure to examine impacts on drug-seeking long after the stressful experience occurred. We find massive footshock in a distinct environment produced an acute increase in corticosterone, long-term hyper-responsivity to a single shock in different contexts with extensive histories of drug-seeking behaviors, enhancements in cocaine-induced conditioned place preference in mice, and persistent enhancements in cue-induced reinstatement of methamphetamine-seeking behavior in rats. Together, these experiments demonstrate that an acute trauma causes persistent changes in responsivity to mild stressors and drug-seeking behavior in other contexts, which mirrors aspects of the comorbidity between post-traumatic stress disorder and substance use disorders. These behavioral approaches provide novel procedures for investigating basic mechanisms underlying this comorbidity and they provide powerful tools for testing preclinical pharmacological and behavioral interventions.
Mathematical and Computational Modeling Simulation of Solar Drying Systems

Mathematical modeling of solar drying systems has the primary aim of predicting the required drying time for a given commodity, dryer type, and environment. Both fundamental (Fickian diffusion) and semiempirical drying models have been applied to the solar drying of a variety of agricultural commodities in several different dryer types (direct, indirect, and mixed mode with both forced and natural convection). Computational modeling (i.e., computational fluid dynamics or CFD), both in two-dimensional and three-dimensional modes, affords insights on geometry-specific solar drying issues, such as airflow patterns within the drying cabinet. Both mathematical and computational modeling have recently been brought to bear on solar drying innovations such as thermal storage, use of dessicants during drying, and dynamic feedback control of the drying process. Robust models are also necessary for the performance evaluation and comparison of different dryer designs and configurations. The outputs of mathematical and computational models are compared with measured drying data (whether performed outdoors or with a solar simulator) to ensure the accuracy and efficacy of the model.
Evaluation of the Effect of Operator Experience on Outcome of Hepatic Artery Embolization of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in a Tertiary Cancer Center.

Rationale and Objectives There is lack of information on the learning curve and the effect of operator's experience on the quality outcomes of transarterial hepatic embolization (TAE). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of operator experience on outcomes of TAE of hepatocellular carcinoma. Materials and Methods Demographic characteristics and outcomes including overall survival (OS), time to local tumor progression (TLP), and post-procedure complications in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma treated with TAE were collected. Operators' experience was measured in years based on the years after completion of fellowship and the date of first embolization, and was divided into five groups: G1, less than 5 years of operator's experience (YOE) at the time of first embolization; G2, 5–10 YOE; G3, 10–15 YOE; G4, 15–20 YOE; and G5, more than 20 YOE. The effects of operator's experience and outcomes were assessed using linear regression. Results From January 2012 to January 2015, 93 patients (age range = 30–86 years) were treated. The number of patients treated by each group was as follows: G1 = 12; G2 = 8; G3 = 23; G4 = 5; and G5 = 45. All groups were similar in regard to degree of cirrhosis, Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer staging, and Child-Pugh score (P > .05). Median TLP was 8.8 months. TLP was 7.0, 6.8, 19.2, 7.9, and 8.2 months in G1, G2, G3, G4, and G5, respectively (P = .56). OS for 1, 2, and 3 years was 75%, 56%, and 42% for G1; 87%, 54%, and 54% for G2; 91%, 71%, and 45% for G3, 100%, 50%, and 0 for G4; and 84%, 65%, and 40% for G5. Conclusion Among interventional radiology fellowship-trained operators in a tertiary cancer center, OS, TLP, and post-procedure complications of TAE were not affected by the years of post-fellowship experience.
Elimination of Hepatitis C in Liver Transplant Recipients.

Background and Aims: Recurrent hepatitis C (HCV) disease in liver transplant (LT) recipients is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. With the availability of noninterferon-based therapy, eliminating HCV may be achievable in LT recipients. Methods: We studied all consecutive recipients who underwent LT at the University of California Los Angeles between January 2005 and June 2017. We collected data on date of transplant and last follow-up, as well as laboratory values. We also recorded type and timing of antiviral therapy relative to LT. Analyses were performed to assess the proportion of LT recipients who are viremic after transplant. Results: Six hundred thirty-four patients underwent LT with a diagnosis of HCV. There was a statistically significant trend for patients to be cured before (p < 0.001) and after liver transplantation (p < 0.001) for the study period of 2014 to 2016 relative to 2005 and 2013, respectively. Of the 634 recipients eligible for therapy, 8% and 74% were treated within 12 months of transplant for the study periods 2005 to 2013 and 2014 to 2016, respectively. There was a significant decrease between the two study periods in the proportion of patients undergoing re-LT 1 year after the original LT: 5.5% (n = 28/510) and 1.5% (n = 2/124) respectively for study periods 2005 to 2013 and 2014 to 2016 respectively (p = 0.011). Conclusions: The proportion of LT recipients who are viremic has decreased over time. Eliminating HCV in LT recipients is feasible after the introduction of direct-acting agents. Curing HCV should translate to improved clinical outcomes in LT recipients who were transplanted for HCV infection with longer follow-up. Preliminary results suggest the decreased need for transplant in the direct-acting agents era.
Ant nurse workers exhibit behavioral and transcriptomic signatures of specialization on larval stage

Division of labor within and between the worker and queen castes is thought to underlie the tremendous success of social insects. Colonies might benefit if subsets of nurse workers specialize further in caring for larvae of a certain stage or caste, given that larval nutritional requirements depend on stage and caste. We used short- (
Detecting Respiratory Syncytial Virus Using Nanoparticle-Amplified Immuno-PCR

Early-stage detection is essential for effective treatment of pediatric virus infections. In traditional -immuno-PCR, a single antibody recognition event is associated with one to three DNA tags, which are subsequently amplified by PCR. In this protocol, we describe a nanoparticle-amplified immuno-PCR assay that combines antibody recognition of traditional ELISA with a 50-fold nanoparticle valence amplification step followed by amplification by traditional PCR. The assay detects a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) surface fusion protein using a Synagis antibody bound to a 15 nm gold nanoparticle co-functionalized with thiolated DNA complementary to a hybridized 76-base Tag DNA. The Tag DNA to Synagis ratio is 50 to 1. The presence of virus particles triggers the formation of a "sandwich" complex comprised of the gold nanoparticle construct, virus, and a 1 μm antibody-functionalized magnetic particle used for extraction. Virus-containing complexes are isolated using a magnet, DNA tags released by heating to 95 °C, and detected via real-time PCR. The limit of detection of the nanoparticle-amplified immuno-PCR assay was compared to traditional ELISA and traditional RT-PCR using RSV-infected HEp-2 cell extracts. Nanoparticle-amplified immuno-PCR showed a ∼4,000-fold improvement in the limit of detection compared to ELISA and a fourfold improvement in the limit of detection compared to traditional RT-PCR. Nanoparticle-amplified immuno-PCR offers a viable platform for the development of an early-stage diagnostics requiring an exceptionally low limit of detection.
Autoimmunity to myelin basic protein

Experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) is an autoimmune central nervous system (CNS) disease which has been studied extensively, and has provided insight into mechanisms of immune tissue damage and immunologic self-tolerance. In addition, EAE serves as a prototype for human demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis1.
Is the Honeymoon over

I apologise, but after hearing the theme I realised I have yet again stumbled close to what the theme of the workshop is, which I’ve never done. But I’m going to break the rules anyway by giving two talks instead of one. Some timely things have happened to my talk from last year, so I’m going to start with a brief follow-up from last year, and if there’s time I’ll give the talk that I originally planned.
Legionnaires’ lung abscess

Abstract A patient with a clinical course consistent with Legionnaires’ disease rapidly developed acute respiratory failure. Sputa and bronchoscopic washings revealed many polymorphonuclear leukocytes but no organisms on gram stain and culture. The diagnosis of Legionnaires’ disease was strengthened when the transthoracic aspirate revealed weakly staining gram-negative bacilli with no growth noted on culture. Serologic titers confirmed the diagnosis of Legionnaires’ disease. This patient’s course was complicated by cavitation which responded to medical therapy with erythromycin. This is the second reported case of Legionnaires’ lung abscess.
Social and Communicative Development in Infancy

The evidence presented in this chapter suggests that infant communicative action is highly context specific, showing remarkable variability to even subtle alterations of the social and physical settings in which interaction occurs. The chapter includes reviews of research on affective communication during face-to-face interactions between infants and their social partners, gestural communication in adult-infant interaction, differences in mother versus father interactive patterns with infants, and finally, research on how infants interact in group settings in the family and with peers. These areas reflect the research interest and expertise of the authors and are not intended to cover the scope of work in infant social and communicative development. Rather, our purpose is primarily conceptual: To show by example that infant social and communicative action is constituted by the dynamic interplay between individuals and the social contexts and physical settings in which that interaction occurs.
The extracellular matrix in liver regeneration

Many individuals marvel at liver regeneration as an example of coordinated cell growth. About this there is no argument — within a matter of days, liver cells can completely recover from injury or resection by restoring their original mass. Equally fascinating, however, is that, during this same interval, epithelia, endothelia and mesenchyme manage to rearrange themselves into a very complex lobular configuration. Restructuring of the hepatic lobule is not automatically associated with liver cell growth: indeed, in chronic injury states, attempts at cellular repair are often disorganized, leading to nodule formation and cirrhosis. The fact that reorganization can be separated to some extent from growth in the regenerating liver implies that a unique set of signals controls the restructuring process. One likely candidate for this role is the hepatic extracellular matrix.
Inverse determination of Johnson–Cook model constants of ultra-fine-grained titanium based on chip formation model and iterative gradient search

This paper presents an original method to inversely identify the Johnson–Cook model constants (J-C constants) of ultra-fine-grained titanium (UFG Ti) based on a chip formation model and an iterative gradient search method using Kalman filter algorithm. UFG Ti is increasingly finding usefulness in lightweight engineering applications and medical implant filed because of its sufficient mechanical strength, high manufacturability, and high biocompatibility. Johnson–Cook model is one of the constitutive models widely used in analytical modeling of machining force, temperature, and residual stress because it is effective, simple, and easy to use. Currently, the J-C constants of UFG Ti are unavailable and yet an effective identification methodology based upon machining data is not readily available. In this work, multiple cutting tests were conducted under different cutting conditions, in which machining forces were experimentally measured using a piezoelectric dynamometer. The machining forces were also predicted using the chip formation model with inputs of cutting conditions, workpiece material properties, and a set of given model constants. An iterative gradient search method was enforced to find the J-C constants when the difference between predicted forces and experimental forces reached an acceptable low value. To validate the identified J-C constants, machining forces were predicted using the identified J-C constants under different cutting conditions and then compared to the corresponding experimental forces. Close agreements were observed between predicted forces and experimental forces. Considering the simple orthogonal cutting tests, reliable and easily measurable machining forces, and efficient iterative gradient search method, the proposed method has less experimental complexity and high computational efficiency.
Introduction: Historiographical Perspectives

The chapter opens by problematizing the absence of memory concerning the history of slavery in the Italian context. It continues with a review of the most important publications on Mediterranean, Atlantic and African slavery. I discuss the recent historiographical shift from a focus on the history of slavery in its broadest sense to a focus on the history of individual slaves, highlighting the importance of life histories and trajectories and the interconnection between the local and the global. I then turn to the issue of the definition of different forms of bondage: slaves, captives and servants. In order to better understand the historical evolution of the word “slave” and its meaning in relation to serfdom and captivity, I begin with the first appearance of the word itself in European language in ancient times. I proceed to address the methodological question of whether possessing a given legal status is enough to define a “slave”. The chapter ends by reviewing studies on slavery from the fifteenth to eighteenth centuries in the pre-unitarian Italian states in which the six case studies (Naples, Caserta, Rome, Palermo, Livorno and Genoa) were conducted for 1750–1850, the period considered in this book.
Genetic parameter estimates for serum insulin-like growth factor-I concentration and carcass traits in Angus beef cattle.

Divergent selection for serum insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) concentration began at the Eastern Ohio Resource Development Center (EORDC) in 1989 using 100 spring-calving (50 high line and 50 low line) and 100 fall-calving (50 high line and 50 low line) purebred Angus cows. Following weaning, bull and heifer calves were fed in drylot for a 140-d postweaning period. At the conclusion of the postweaning test, bulls not selected for breeding were slaughtered and carcass data were collected at a commercial abbatoir. At the time of this analysis, IGF-I measurements were available for 1,283 bull and heifer calves, and carcass data were available for 452 bulls. A set of multiple-trait, derivative-free, restricted maximum likelihood (MTDFREML) computer programs were used for data analysis. Estimates of direct heritability for IGF-I concentration at d 28, 42, and 56 of the postweaning period, and for mean IGF-I concentration were .32, .59, .31, and .42, respectively. Direct heritabilities for carcass traits ranged from .27 to 1.0, .26 to 1.0, and .23 to 1.0 when the age-, fat-, and weight-constant end points, respectively, were used, with marbling score having the smallest heritability and longissimus muscle area having the highest heritability in each case. Maternal heritability and the proportion of phenotypic variance due to permanent environmental effect of dam generally were < or = .21 for IGF-I concentrations and for carcass traits other than longissimus muscle area. Additive genetic correlations of IGF-I concentrations with backfat thickness, longissimus muscle area, hot carcass weight, marbling score, quality grade, and yield grade averaged -.26, .19, -.04, -.53, -.45, and -.27, respectively, when carcass data were adjusted to an age-constant end point. Bulls with lower IGF-I concentrations had higher marbling scores and quality grades, but also had higher backfat thickness and yield grades regardless of the slaughter end point. Serum IGF-I concentration may be a useful selection criterion when efforts are directed toward improvement of marbling scores and quality grades of beef cattle.
Tobacco industry shoving its snout under the UN tent flap.

The champagne flutes might be lined up at Philip Morris International’s (PMI) headquarters in Lausanne near Geneva after a series of recent developments that are extremely troubling for the global tobacco control movement. It may not be widely known to those who associate Switzerland with clean skies, snowy mountains and crystalline lakes, but tobacco multinationals are highly influential there and the country badly lags the rest of the world in implementing strong tobacco control policies to protect its citizens.1 Given that Geneva also happens to be the headquarters for the WHO, the country’s failure to ratify the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) shows which of the two organisations seem to dominate its government policy. In fact, PMI recently cosponsored the opening of a Swiss government embassy in Moscow and the Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs has approved PMI to be the main sponsor of the Swiss Pavilion at Expo 2020 in Dubai. Concerned observers have been noting on social media the increased tobacco industry lobbying of United Nations (UN) officials.2 An article appearing in Foreign Policy in early July3 highlighted a shocking memo, sent by Michael Moller on the very last day of his tenure as head of the UN office in Geneva, to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres with the appalling suggestion that ‘a more nuanced’ approach might be warranted in relation to existing policies banning UN agency engagement with tobacco companies. Tobacco companies have long been excluded from such involvement, given the tobacco industry’s extensive, well-documented history of deception and the fundamental conflict of interest between public health objectives and the profit-making objectives of tobacco companies. Article 5.3 of …
1α, 25 Dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D) inhibits the T cell suppressive function of myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSC)

Myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSC) suppress the ability of cytotoxic T cells to attack and clear tumor cells from the body. The active form of vitamin D, 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D), regulates myeloid cell biology and previous research showed that in mouse models 1,25(OH)2D reduced the tumor level of CD34+ cells, an MDSC precursor, and reduced metastasis. We tested whether MDSC are vitamin D target cells by examining granulocytic- (G-MDSC) and monocytic (M-MDSC) MDSC from tumors, spleen, and bone marrow. Vitamin D receptor (VDR) mRNA levels are low in MDSC from bone marrow and spleen but are 20-fold higher in tumor MDSC. At all sites, M-MDSC have 4-fold higher VDR mRNA expression than G-MDSC. Bone marrow MDSC were induced to differentiate in vitro into tumor MDSC-like cells by treating with IFN-γ, IL-13, and GM-CSF for 48 h. This treatment significantly elevated Arg1 and Nos2 levels, activated the T cell-suppressive function of MDSC, increased VDR expression 50-fold, and made the MDSC responsive to 1,25(OH)2D treatment. Importantly, 1,25(OH)2D treatment reduced the T cell suppressive capacity of cytokine-induced total MDSC and M-MDSC by ≥70 % and tumor-derived M-MDSC by 30-50 %. Consistent with this finding, VDR deletion (KO) increased T cell suppressive function of in vitro M-MDSC by 30 % and of tumor-derived M-MDSC by 50 % and G-MDSC by 400 %. VDR KO did not alter Nos2 mRNA levels but significantly increased Arg1 mRNA levels in tumor M-MDSC by 100 %. In contrast, 1,25(OH)2D treatment reduced nitric oxide production in both in vitro derived M- and G- MDSC. The major finding of this study is that 1,25(OH)2D signaling through the VDR decreases the immunosuppressive capability of MDSC. Collectively, our data suggest that activation of vitamin D signaling could be used to suppress MDSC function and release a constraint on T-cell mediated clearance of tumor cells.
Towards Neural Network Based Malware Detection on Android Mobile Devices

Due to the exponential increase in the use of smart mobile devices, malware threats on those devices have been growing and posing security risks. To address this critical issue, we developed an Artificial Neural Network (ANN)-based malware detection system to detect unknown malware. In our system, we consider both permissions requested by applications and system calls associated with the execution of applications to distinguish between benign applications and malware. We used ANN, a representative machine learning technique, to understand the anomaly behavior of malware by learning the characteristic permissions and system calls used by applications. We then used the trained ANN to detect malware. Using real-world malware and benign applications, we conducted experiments on Android devices and evaluated the effectiveness of our developed system.