cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Geographical Distribution Patterns and Habitat Suitability Models for Presence of Host-Seeking Ixodid Ticks in Dense Woodlands of Mendocino County, California

We used drag sampling to examine the geographical distribution patterns of ixodid ticks engaging in open (non-nidicolous) host-seeking behavior in dense woodland habitats of the climatically and ecologically diverse Mendocino County in north coastal California. The findings based on this sampling methodology reflect risk of human exposure to host-seeking ticks rather than the true distribution of the ticks. Drag sampling in 78 sites yielded 7,860 nymphal or adult Ixodes pacificus Cooley & Kohls, 220 Dermacentor occidentalis Marx, 150 Ixodes spinipalpis Hadwen & Nuttall, 15 Hemaphysalis leporispalustris (Packard), 12 Ixodes angustus Neumann, 12 Ixodes auritulus Neumann, and a single Dermacentor variabilis (Say). I. pacificus, which is the primary vector of the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi to humans in California, occurred in all 78 sites examined. D. occidentalis, another tick species commonly biting humans in California, and H. leporispalustris typically were encountered in oak-associated woodlands in the central or eastern parts of the county. In contrast, three species of Ixodes ticks (I. angustus, I. auritulus, and I. spinipalpis) most commonly were found questing openly in woodlands with redwood present in the western part of the county. I. angustus and I. spinipalpis are occasional human biters and known experimental vectors of B. burgdorferi. Our study represents the first collection of large numbers of openly host-seeking I. spinipalpis ticks. Univariate tests of associations between presence of ticks (D. occidentalis, H. leporispalustris, I. angustus, I. auritulus, or I. spinipalpis) and environmental geographical information systems-remote sensing (GIS/ RS)-based data indicated that elevation, number of growing degree-days, and tasseled cap brightness, greenness, and wetness are especially useful predictors of presence of openly hostseeking ticks. Combinations of the above-mentioned GIS/RS-based data yielded significant logistic regression models for habitat suitability of host-seeking ticks for all five above-mentioned species. The model equations were used to create spatial surfaces of predicted presence of suitable habitat for openly host-seeking ticks in Mendocino County dense woodlands.
Computer-Aided Conformational Approaches to Modelling

This account, condensed by the Senior Editor, corresponds to talks that introduced the Discussion outlined above. First consult p. 523 (complementary material) and p. 530 (background).
Central Bank’s Role and Involvement in Bank Regulation: Lender of Last Resort Arrangements and the Special Resolution Regime (SRR) (Presentation Slides)

This paper considers developments which have necessitated greater involvement and a greater role for the central bank in financial regulation and supervision. The aftermath of the 2007/08 financial crisis has witnessed the enactment of legislation such as the Banking Act of 2009 which has not only introduced greater statutory powers for the central bank, but also the Special Resolution Regime. As well as a consideration of arguments which are in favour of the central bank’s role as supervisor and lender of last resort, the importance of central bank independence and safeguards which exist to ensure that sufficient accountability is fostered, will be considered. Safeguards and accountability mechanisms which are adequate, such that, whilst ensuring that the regulator is not susceptible to regulatory capture, do not impede the ability of such a regulator to obtain vital and necessary information from systemically important individual financial institutions. In its support of the view that central banks should assume a greater role in supervision, this paper not only seeks to justify why such a degree of involvement is vital to ensuring and maintaining stability in the financial system, but also those factors which are considered to be necessary if such a role is to be effective.
Preliminary use of DNA sequences for Dohrniphora (Diptera: Phoridae) phylogeny and taxonomy JOHN M. HASH, BRIAN V. BROWN & PAUL T. SMITH (USA)

Phylogenetic analysis of DNA sequence data from the nuclear CAD (rudimentary) and mitochondrial NDI, COI, and 16S gene regions (2817 bp total) recovered exemplars of the genus Dohrniphora as a monophyletic lineage. The data also supported the sister-group relationship of Dohrniphora + Diplonevra and were used to associate a morphologically dissimilar male and female of the species D. ecitophila . Further, we discuss the implications of this designation and provide support for the synonymy of D. ecitophila and D. geminata as proposed by Borgmeier (1968).
Crime, Punishment and the Value of Corporate Social Responsibility

Using enforcements of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, we find that socially responsible firms receive more lenient settlements from prosecutors and have higher resulting market valuations. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is uncorrelated with bribe attributes, which should entirely determine sanctions following Becker (1974). It is also not an explicit factor in sentencing guidelines. Yet, a one standard deviation increase in CSR is associated with 5 million dollars less in fines, or 25% lower than the mean and less costly subsequent monitoring. High CSR firms out-perform low CSR firms by 2.4% in the six months following the announcement of the settlement.
Remote Terrestrial Sites as Operational/Logistics Analogs for Moon/Mars Bases: the Haughton Mars Project

*† ‡ § ** Mission planners for future human space exploration enterprises face several challenges in the area of operations, including coordinating the logistics and resupply of far-flung planetary bases. A number of logistics methods have been perfected by commercial and military experts, but these are not well understood in the context of space exploration. This paper describes a field expedition to a Mars analog site in the high Arctic, at which terrestrial logistics methods were tested in the context of (analog) planetary exploration. A comprehensive comparison is drawn between the logistics scenarios at HMP and a potential lunar or Mars base, in order to determine the extent of the analogy between them. It appears that the analogy is quite good in certain categories of supplies and shipment, but breaks down in others. When certain straightforward differences are accounted for, the data gathered from HMP can be used to validate and inform planetary base logistics models in support of future human lunar and Mars exploration.
Thermomechanical behavior of EUV pellicle under dynamic exposure conditions

The utilization of EUV pellicles as protective layers for EUV masks requires the use of refractory materials that can tolerate large temperature excursions due to the non-negligible absorption of EUV radiation during exposure. Additionally, the mechanical stress induced on the EUV pellicle by the thermal load is dependent on the thermal expansion of the material which can be responsible for transient wrinkling. In this study, an ultrathin (20 nm), free-standing membrane based on silicon nitride is utilized as a learning vehicle to understand the material requirements of EUV pellicles under dynamic exposure conditions that are typical of commercial EUV scanners. First, the nanoscale radiative properties (emissivity) and thermo-mechanical failure temperature of the dielectric film under vacuum conditions are experimentally investigated utilizing a pulsed ArF (193 nm) probing laser. The silicon nitride membrane is found to be marginally compatible with an equivalent 80W EUV source power under steady state illumination conditions. Next, the thermal behavior of the EUV pellicle under dynamic exposure conditions is simulated using a finite element solver. The transient temperature profile and stress distribution across the membrane under stationary state conditions are extracted for an equivalent 60W EUV power source and the pellicle wrinkling due to heating and consequent impact on CD uniformity is estimated. The present work provides a generalized methodology to anticipate the thermal response of a EUV pellicle under realistic exposure conditions.
Electromobility of plasmid DNA in tumor tissues during electric field-mediated gene delivery

Interstitial transport is a crucial step in plasmid DNA-based gene therapy. However, interstitial diffusion of large nucleic acids is prohibitively slow. Therefore, we proposed to facilitate interstitial transport of DNA via pulsed electric fields. To test the feasibility of this approach to gene delivery, we developed an ex vivo technique to quantify the magnitude of DNA movement due to pulsed electric fields in two tumor tissues: B16.F10 (a mouse melanoma) and 4T1 (a mouse mammary carcinoma). When the pulse duration and strength were 50 ms and 233 V/cm, respectively, we found that the average plasmid DNA movements per 10 pulses were 1.47 μm and 0.35 μm in B16.F10 and 4T1 tumors, respectively. The average plasmid DNA movements could be approximately tripled, ie to reach 3.69 μm and 1.01 μm, respectively, when the pulse strength was increased to 465 V/cm. The plasmid DNA mobility was correlated with the tumor collagen content, which was approximately eight times greater in 4T1 than in B16.F10 tumors. These data suggest that electric field can be a powerful driving force for improving interstitial transport of DNA during gene delivery.
Effect of Mg2+ cations on the dynamics and efficiency of hole transport in DNA

The effect of Mg2+ cations on the electronic spectra and dynamics and efficiency of hole transport has been determined by means of femtosecond time-resolved transient absorption spectroscopy for DNA hairpins possessing stilbene electron acceptor and donor chromophores. The results are compared with those obtained previously for the same hairpins in the presence of Na+ cations and for one hairpin with no added salt. Quantum yields and rate constants for charge separation are smaller in the presence of Mg2+ than Na+, the largest differences being observed for the hairpins with the largest number of base pairs. Slower charge separation is attributed to minor groove binding by Mg2+, which results in a stiffer duplex structure rather than a change in ground state geometry. Reduction in the Na+ concentration has little effect on either the dynamics or efficiency of hole transport.
FROM FIELD TO FACTORY: THE HISTORIOGRAPHY OF SLOVAK IMMIGRATION TO THE UNITED STATES

Although Slovaks have lived in the United States for over a hundred years, professional American historians have only recently begun to study them. This lack of concern for the second-largest Slavic group in America cannot be attributed to a lack of sources. Pioneers among these immi? grants left us not only their published reminiscences but also led the way in reconstructing the histories of their communities. While a few mem? bers of the second generation tried to carry on the work of their fathers, their efforts paled in comparison. Historians in Slovakia, meanwhile, began to write about their countrymen in the United States and, whether as political emigres or as devoted Marxists, they initiated the first professional studies of these people. Native Americans, on the other hand, originally discussed Slovaks as either a threat to the American way of life or else as potential converts to the Social Gospel movement. For genera? tions native historians ignored these and other Eastern Europeans in the naive belief that they would disappear in the "melting pot." Only with the ethnic revival of the 1960's did some American professionals of varying backgrounds begin to study these peoples. The everyday life of Slovaks in the United States has been portrayed at various levels, ranging from simple memoirs to complicated mobility studies. Some of the pioneers contented themselves with describing life in the New World as they remembered it. Others analyzed the growing ethnic neighborhoods while others still began to collect materials and describe three major institutions of American-Slovak communities?the parishes, lodges and newspapers. Such activities eventually led to fullscale community studies and attempts at an overall history of all Slovak groups in America. Even though the first two generations failed in the latter effort, they did provide the groundwork for later historians. By the
Cystadenofibroma of the ovary: Comments on hormonal aspects

A case of bilateral papillary cystadenofibroma of the ovaries is presented, and certain clinical and pathologic features of the tumor are summarized. The initial clinical, histologic, cytologic, and histochemical features of this case were suggestive of estrogenic activity engendered by the tumor. Postoperative cytologic data, however, tended to refute this suggestion. Rigorous diagnostic and logical criteria should be fulfilled before assigning a cause-and-effect relationship to any such lesion and a coexisting endocrinologic aberration.
Introduction — Status of the SLAC Linear Collider

In this session on High Energy e + e - Experiments we shall hear four presentations on recent results obtained at TRISTAN, the highest energy e + e - storage ring presently in operation. We will not hear results from the Stanford Linear Collider, because this machine has unfortunately not yet reached a stable mode of operation. We shall instead begin this session with a brief report on the status of the SLC.
Effect of Ozone as Active Oxdizing Gas on YBCO Film Deposition by Laser Ablation

The effect of ozone on YBCO film deposition by laser ablation is tested by introducing ozone containing oxygen gas (ozone:5 mol%). The other conditions were kept same as the ones producing high quality c-axis oriented films by pure oxygen with Tc > 85 K, and Jc > 106 A/cm2. The surface morphology of the films by ozone changed to be smoother. However the films by ozone contained a-axis oriented grains and Jc decreased to 105 A/cm2. It seemed the film growth mechanism was affected by the oxidizing process enhanced by ozone.
Sub-20 nm CMOS FinFET technologies

A simplified fabrication process for sub-20 nm CMOS double-gate FinFETs is reported. It is a more manufacturable process and has less overlap capacitance compared to the previous FinFET (1999, 2000). Two different patterning approaches-e-beam lithography and spacer lithography-are developed. Selective Ge by LPCVD is utilized to fabricate raised S/D structures which minimize parasitic series resistance and improve drive current.
Plant: Polarimetric-interferometric Lab and Analysis Tools for ecosystem and land-cover science and applications

PLANT (Polarimetric-interferometric Lab and Analysis Tools) is a new collection of software tools developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory to support processing and analysis of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data for ecosystem and land-cover/land-use change science and applications. PLANT inherits code components from the Interferometric Scientific Computing Environment (ISCE) to generate high-resolution, coregistered polarimetric-interferometric SLC stacks from Level-0/1 data for a variety of airborne and spaceborne sensors. The goal is to provide the ecosystem and land-cover/land-use change communities with rigorous and efficient tools to perform multi-temporal, polarimetric and tomographic analyses in order to generate calibrated, geocoded and mosaicked Level-2 and Level-3 products (e.g., maps of above-ground biomass and forest disturbance). In this paper we introduce the capabilities of PLANT and report first results obtained with the tools developed up to date.
Teaching Macro Practice Through the Use of Experiential Instruction and Collaboration: A Formula to Create Sustainable Community Resources

While delivering an organizations and communities class to an outlying cohort of students, the social work program explored new ways to engage students through focusing on experiential instruction and collaboration with local community agencies. Using aspects of the “flipped classroom” as well as service learning, the course was developed as an experiment to identify community needs and engage with community stakeholders to develop solutions. The project utilized a combination of student group work, community experts and instructor coaching to teach the academic material and meet the core competencies of the course. Students identified a project, worked with community partners and delivered recommendations at completion. The findings were then used to write a grant to assist with prisoner re-entry into the community. This resulted in an award nearing $300,000 to bridge gaps in services. The grant funded two social work positions to provide strengths-based family-centered case management, funds for community mentor/volunteer training, released prisoner group meetings aimed at improving released prisoner social and moral functioning, and funds aimed at transportation assistance. The article discusses all aspects of the project and provides an outline to assist social work educators integrate similar projects into other programs.
Optimal control of dynamical systems over unreliable communication links

Abstract In this paper, remote control of a class of plants over unreliable communication links is studied. The motivation of the problem comes from growing applications that demand remote control of objects over the Internet using TCP or UDP type protocols. The objective is to minimize a quadratic performance criterion when information flow between the controller and the plant is disrupted due to packet losses.
Robotic Left-sided Level II Caval Thrombectomy and Nephrectomy Using a Novel Supine, Single-dock Approach: Primary Description

Objective To demonstrate a novel supine, single-dock approach for robotic nephrectomy and inferior vena cava (IVC) thrombectomy for a left-sided renal cell carcinoma with level II IVC thrombus. Methods We perform robotic nephrectomy and IVC thrombectomy in a 79-year-old man with a 6-cm left renal mass and level II IVC thrombus. For this approach, the patient is placed in steep Trendelenburg, and a 6-port transperitoneal technique is used, with the robot docked such that the arms are oriented in a cephalad direction. We describe key steps, including (1) exposure of the retroperitoneum, (2) IVC exposure and control, (3) left renal hilar control, (4) cavotomy, thrombectomy, and reconstruction, (5) nephrectomy and lymph node dissection. Perioperative outcomes are reported. Results Robotic left nephrectomy and level II IVC thrombectomy were successfully completed using this novel, single-dock approach. Total operative time was 7 hours with IVC clamp time of 27 minutes. Estimated blood loss was 500 cc without perioperative transfusion. There were no intraoperative or major perioperative complications. The patient was discharged on postoperative day 5. This approach allows rapid caval control, bilateral renal hilar access, and obviates the need for preoperative renal artery embolization or intraoperative redocking or repositioning steps, as has been previously described for other approaches. Conclusion We demonstrate the first description of robotic left-sided level II IVC thrombectomy and radical nephrectomy using a supine, single-dock approach. This novel, versatile approach adds to the armamentarium for minimally invasive surgical management of renal cell carcinoma with IVC thrombus.
Stochastic synapses as resource for efficient deep learning machines

Synaptic unreliability was shown to be a robust and sufficient mechanism for inducing the stochasticity in biological and artificial neural network models. Previous work demonstrated multiplicative noise (also called dropconnect) as a powerful regularizer during training. Here, we show that always-on stochasticity at networks connections is a sufficient resource for deep learning machines when combined with simple threshold non-linearities. Furthermore, the resulting activity function exhibits a self-normalizing property that reflects a recently proposed “Weight Normalization” technique, itself fulfilling many of the features of batch normalization in an online fashion. Normalization of activities during training can speed up convergence by preventing so-called internal covariate shift caused by changes in the distribution of inputs as the parameters of the previous layers are trained. Collectively, our findings can improve performance of deep learning machines with fixed point representations and argue in favor of stochastic nanodevices as primitives for efficient deep learning machines with online and embedded learning capabilities.
Evaluation of a real-time PCR assay for detection of Mycoplasma genitalium and macrolide resistance-mediating mutations from clinical specimens.

Abstract Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) is a sexually transmitted pathogen for which there is no FDA-approved diagnostic test available in the United States. A modified real-time polymerase chain reaction assay for detecting MG and simultaneously identifying macrolide resistance mutations from clinical specimens was evaluated and proved to be sensitive and accurate for diagnostic purposes.
Charged Higgs Boson Decay H ± → ϒW ± :. the Effects of p- and D-States

We calculate the effects of including P- and D-wave quarkonium states in the charged Higgs decay mode H± → ϒW±. We find no interesting region of parameter space in which the P- and D-wave contributions have a significant effect.
Poster: Leveraging Product Relationships to Generate Candidate Bugs for Duplicate Bug Prediction

Adaptive Bug Search (ABS) is a service developed by Oracle that uses machine learning to find potential duplicate bugs for a given input bug. ABS leverages the product and component relationships of existing duplicate bug pairs to limit the set of candidate bugs in which it searches for potential duplicates. In this paper, we discuss various approaches for selecting and refining the set of candidate bugs.
Die Bildung von Dampfkeimen im Blasensieden

Die begrifflichen Grundlagen zweier zur Zeit weitestens akzeptierter Analysen der Dampfphasenkeimbildung werden untersucht. Beide nehmen an, das ein Druckgleichgewicht fur die Bildung stabiler Keime kritisch ist. Da vor kurzem gezeigt worden ist, das die Idee eines Druckunterschiedes zwischen den zwei Seiten einer gekrummten Grenzflache Fehler einschliest, ist eine neue Analyse erforderlich. Die Keimbildung wird als ein von einer Freien-Energie-Barriere bestimmter Vorgang formuliert. Kritische Radien fur stabile Keime und Dampfdrucke in Blaschen werden als Funktion der Uberhitzung fur Wasser berechnet.
Sensory Deprivation in Life Situations

Two major topics will be discussed in this presentation. First, the condition of reduced awareness as the primary state of consciousness associated with sensory deprivation symptoms. Second, preventive and therapeutic suggestions for sensory deprivation life situations largely based on maintenance or restoration of alert consciousness.
Short time austenitizing effects on the hardenability of 0.55 wt. pct. Carbon steels

Three laboratory melted steels containing 0.55 wt. pct. C were preconditioned by austenitizing at 900 °C and oil quenching. The oil quenched specimens were induction heated at a rate of 50 °C/s to 850 °C and the hardenability was determined for austenitizing times of 2 and 10 s. Alloy compositions of the three steels in wt. pct. were 0.8 Mn, 0.2 Mn–2.1 Ni, and 0.8 Mn–0.5 W. The changes in transformation behavior were determined on a quenching dilatometer and are described by CCT diagrams, hardness, and metallographic examination. The progression of transformation to austenite on heating was determined by metallographic examination of specimens quenched from several peak-heating temperatures. Changes in austenite grain size with the induction heating time were also characterized. The quench rate required to attain fully martensitic microstructures increased as the austenitizing time was reduced from 10 to 2 s. Conventional hardenability calculation methods did not accurately forecast the hardness and microstructure under conditions of rapid induction hardening.
Treatment of Glioblastoma (GBM) with the Addition of Tumor-Treating Fields (TTF): A Review

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common primary brain tumor. Despite aggressive treatment, GBM almost always recurs. The current standard-of-care for treatment of newly diagnosed GBM has remained relatively unchanged since 2005: maximal safe resection followed by concomitant chemoradiation (CRT) with temozolomide (TMZ), and subsequent adjuvant TMZ. In 2011, the first-generation tumor treating fields (TTF) device, known at the time as the NovoTTF-100A System (renamed Optune), was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment of recurrent GBM. The TTF device was subsequently approved as an adjuvant therapy for newly-diagnosed GBM in 2015. The following is a review of the TTF device, including evidence supporting its use and limitations.
Quantitative linkage between the stress at dislocation channel - Grain boundary interaction sites and irradiation assisted stress corrosion crack initiation

Abstract Localized deformation has emerged as a key factor in the crack initiation process for irradiated steels, as cracks are observed to nucleate preferentially at these sites. Using high resolution electron backscatter diffraction (HREBSD), the local stress tensor surrounding the dislocation channel-grain boundary interaction sites was quantified and coupled with fully determined grain boundary plane orientation information to determine, for the first time, the relationship between grain boundary normal stress and intergranular crack initiation in irradiated austenitic stainless steel. A Fe 13Cr 15Ni alloy was strained in simulated boiling water reactor, normal water chemistry after quantifying the residual stress tensor at discontinuous dislocation channel – grain boundary interaction sites where grain boundaries were determined to be well oriented with respect to the loading axis. Local stresses at the grain boundary were observed to reach magnitudes greater than 1.5 GPa at a distance of 200 nm from the intersection between the dislocation channel and the grain boundary. A pseudo-threshold stress of 0.9 GPa was measured, below which no cracking was observed. As the stress acting normal to the grain boundary increased above this value, the susceptibility to cracking increased with the cracking fraction reaching 100% at the high end of the stress range. This study shows for the first time that not only does intersection between discontinuous dislocation channels and grain boundaries result in peak local stresses, but the magnitude of the local tensile stress drives the crack initiation process.
20.3 A 50MHz-Bandwidth 70.4dB-SNDR Calibration-Free Time-Interleaved 4 th -Order Noise-Shaping SAR ADC

Noise-Shaping SAR (NS-SAR) is an emerging ADC architecture that offers both high resolution and high energy efficiency. State-of-the-art NS-SAR ADCs eliminate the need for op-amps, which relaxes design complexity and technology scaling issues. However, existing NS-SAR ADCs, with high FoM, are limited in bandwidth [1, 2] (typically in the MHz range). This makes NS-SAR ADCs unsuitable for applications that need bandwidths in the tens of MHz range, such as wireless communications. Traditionally, high-bandwidth, high-resolution applications utilize pipeline or continuous-time sigma-delta (CT-SD) ADCs, but these architectures are much more power hungry than the NS-SAR. Thus, to increase the bandwidth of NS-SAR ADCs and extend their low-power advantages, this work presents a new time-interleaved noise-shaping SAR (TINS-SAR) architecture that enables higher bandwidth. Although time-interleaving of ADCs is difficult for high resolution, interleaving impairments can be avoided when combining interleaving with noise-shaping. Our prototype 40nm CMOS TINS-SAR ADC has a measured SNDR of 70.4dB for a 50MHz bandwidth without calibration. It consumes only 13mW and occupies 0.061mm2, making it a potential substitute for CT-SD ADCs.
Synergistic Mechanisms Underlie the Peroxide and Coagent Improvement of Natural-Rubber-Toughened Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) Mechanical Performance.

Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) is a promising bio-based and biodegradable thermoplastic with restricted industrial applications due to its brittleness and poor processability. Natural rubber (NR) has been used as a toughening agent, but further physical improvements are desired. In this study, rubber toughening efficiency was significantly improved through the synergistic use of a trifunctional acrylic coagent and an organic peroxide during reactive extrusion of PHBV and NR. The rheological, crystallization, thermal, morphological, and mechanical properties of PHBV/NR blends with 15% rubber loading were characterized. The peroxide and coagent synergistically crosslinked the rubber phase and grafted PHBV onto rubber backbones, leading to enhanced rubber modulus and cohesive strength as well as improved PHBV–rubber compatibility and blend homogeneity. Simultaneously, the peroxide–coagent treatment decreased PHBV crystallinity and crystal size and depressed peroxy-radical-caused PHBV degradation. The new PHBV/NR blends had a broader processing window, 75% better toughness (based on the notched impact strength data), and 100% better ductility (based on the tensile elongation data) than pristine PHBV. This new rubber-toughened PHBV material has balanced mechanical performance comparable to that of conventional thermoplastics and is suitable for a wide range of plastic applications.
Nutritional Management of Parkinson's Disease and Other Conditions Like Alzheimer's Disease

Neurodegenerative disorders commonly increase in incidence with advancing age. These disorders broadly can be cognitive decline, such as Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, and Parkinson's disease; and physical decline, which may also include these disorders. Cognitive performance and nutritional status are important indications of general health and functional status in elderly persons. Nutrition and cognition are interrelated. Nutrition surveys of the elderly often indicate increased risk of malnutrition, most often subclinical deficiencies, which can impair cognition and mood. Impaired cognition and depression, in turn, decrease appetite. This chapter addresses the interrelationship of nutrition and cognition. In the broadest sense, the primary objective is to review the evidence for nutritional components as potential risk factors for cognitive decline, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease. It also include animal studies, pathological comparisons, retrospective case-control studies, cross-sectional studies, and longitudinal studies. Evidence from clinical trials for use of specific nutritional therapies for Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease is described. Finally, nutritional management issues specific for Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease is examined in the chapter.
Role of Surface Chemistry in Mediating the Uptake of Ultrasmall Iron Oxide Nanoparticles by Cancer Cells.

Ultrasmall iron oxide nanoparticles (USIONPs) ( 6 nm) which act as negative T2 MRI contrast agents. However, studies on the cellular uptake behavior of these nanoparticles are very limited compared to their counterpart, larger-sized superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles. In particular, the effects of specific nanoparticle parameters on the cellular uptake behavior of USIONPs by various cancer cells are not available. Here, we specifically investigated the role of USIONPs’ surface functionalities [tannic acid (TA) and quinic acid (QA)] in mediating cellular uptake behavior of cancer cells pertaining to primary (U87 cells) and metastatic (MDA-MB-231Br cells) brain malignancies. Here, we chose TA and QA as representative capping molecules, wherein TA coating provides a general negatively charged nonta...
Evaluating integrated surface/subsurface permafrost thermal hydrology models in ATS (v0.88) against observations from a polygonal tundra site

Abstract. Numerical simulations are essential tools for understanding the complex hydrologic response of Arctic regions to a warming climate. However, strong coupling among thermal and hydrological processes on the surface and in the subsurface and the significant role that subtle variations in surface topography have in regulating flow direction and surface storage lead to significant uncertainties. Careful model evaluation against field observations is thus important to build confidence. We evaluate the integrated surface/subsurface permafrost thermal hydrology models in the Advanced Terrestrial Simulator (ATS) against field observations from polygonal tundra at the Barrow Environmental Observatory. ATS couples a multiphase, 3D representation of subsurface thermal hydrology with representations of overland nonisothermal flows, snow processes, and surface energy balance. We simulated thermal hydrology of a 3D ice-wedge polygon with geometry that is abstracted but broadly consistent with the surface microtopography at our study site. The simulations were forced by meteorological data and observed water table elevations in ice-wedge polygon troughs. With limited calibration of parameters appearing in the soil evaporation model, the 3-year simulations agreed reasonably well with snow depth, summer water table elevations in the polygon center, and high-frequency soil temperature measurements at several depths in the trough, rim, and center of the polygon. Upscaled evaporation is in good agreement with flux tower observations. The simulations were found to be sensitive to parameters in the bare soil evaporation model, snowpack, and the lateral saturated hydraulic conductivity. Timing of fall freeze-up was found to be sensitive to initial snow density, illustrating the importance of including snow aging effects. The study provides new support for an emerging class of integrated surface/subsurface permafrost simulators.
A Taiwanese pilgrim's daytrip into the scenes of Your Name.

In the summer of 2016, the Japanese animation film Your Name. became a record-breaking hit in Japan and across East Asia. Not only was the film a box office success, it also gained a cult following...
Ruminal microbes of adult sheep do not degrade extracellular l-citrulline.

This study determined whether extracellular citrulline is degraded by ruminal bacteria of sheep. In the first experiment, whole rumen fluid (3 mL) from six adult Suffolk sheep was incubated at 37 °C with 5 mM l-glutamine (Gln), l-glutamate (Glu), l-arginine (Arg), or l-citrulline (Cit) for 0, 0.5, 1, and 2 h or with 0, 0.5, 2, or 5 mM Gln, Glu, Arg, or Cit for 2 h. An aliquot (50 µL) of the incubation solution was collected at the predetermined time points for amino acids (AA) analyses. Results showed extensive hydrolysis of Gln into Glu and ammonia, of Arg into l-ornithine and l-proline, but little or no degradation of extracellular Cit or Glu by ruminal microbes. In the second experiment, six adult Suffolk sheep were individually fed each of three separate supplements (8 g Gln , Cit, or urea) on three separate days along with regular feed (800 g/animal). Blood (2 mL) was sampled from the jugular vein prior to feeding (time 0) and at 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 h after consuming the supplement. Plasma was analyzed for AA, glucose, ammonia, and urea. The concentrations of Cit in the plasma of sheep consuming this AA increased (P 0.05) the concentrations of Cit or Arg in plasma. These results indicate that Cit is not metabolized by ruminal microbes of sheep and is, therefore, absorbed as such by the small intestine and used for the synthesis of Arg by extrahepatic tissues.
Clinical Manifestations of Copper Deficiency: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Background Copper is a mineral that is absorbed in the stomach, duodenum, and jejunum. Gastric bypass surgery, gastrectomy, and short-bowel syndrome commonly lead to copper malabsorption. Copper deficiency primarily presents with hematological and neurological sequelae, including macrocytic anemia and myelopathy. Although hematological disturbances often correct with copper supplementation, neurological manifestations of copper deficiency may be irreversible. We present the case of copper deficiency secondary to malabsorption and management strategies to prevent irreversible neurological sequelae. Presentation A 48-year-old female with a history of hypothyroidism, ischemic stroke, and Crohn's disease, complicated by subtotal colectomy and small-bowel resections, was admitted for fatigue and progressive neurological deficiencies. Her vital signs were stable, and physical examination was remarkable for weakness of both upper and lower extremities, ataxia, and upper extremities paresthesia. Computed tomography scan of the head without contrast was unremarkable. Magnetic resonance imaging enterography revealed a focal area of narrowing of the remaining small bowel. Copper level was low at 39 µg/dL. After 5 days of intravenous replacement using trace element within parenteral nutrition, her copper level corrected to 81 µg/dL. Her ataxia improved after intravenous copper supplementation and did not recur. Conclusions Our patient presented with copper deficiency secondary to malabsoprtion. This case highlights the importance of copper testing in the bariatric surgery population and in patients with short-bowel syndrome. Given the irreversible nature of neurological symptoms when compared with the expense of nutrition supplements, routine copper testing should be considered in patients with malabsorptive states or altered anatomy, regardless of initial presentation.
Provider-based initiation and management of pharmacologic therapy for gestational diabetes mellitus

After failure of diet and exercise prescribed for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), pharmacotherapy initiation is recommended. The objective of this study was to examine the association between ...
Posterior Shoulder Instability in the Throwing Athlete

Posterior capsulolabral injuries are common problems faced by athletes, especially throwing athletes. Posterior shoulder instability can occur as a result of multiple mechanisms, including acute traumatic events, or a more insidious process of repetitive throwing. An understanding of the pathomechanics and pathoanatomy of posterior instability in the throwing shoulder is essential in order to effectively manage throwing athletes. Athletes will more commonly complain of shoulder pain and difficulty with throwing rather than of shoulder instability. A thorough physical examination to identify potential underlying causes as well as specific maneuvers to elicit posterior instability are important in the evaluation and workup of the throwing athlete. Appropriate imaging, including with plain radiographs and advanced imaging assist in decision-making. Treatment options include both nonoperative intervention with a heavy reliance on physical therapy and surgical intervention consisting of arthroscopic posterior labral repair. Recent advancements in our understanding of shoulder biomechanics and posterior shoulder instability, improvements in diagnostic abilities via examination, imaging, and intraoperative evaluation, as well as advancements in arthroscopic techniques have allowed surgeons to better identify and appropriately manage posterior capsulolabral pathology in athletes.
Getting involved in ASCRS/national organizations

Abstract There is no single formula or reason for becoming involved in the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS) or any other national organization. With so many organizations and opportunities available, often it is difficult to know which ones to choose, particularly in medicine. There are several key factors in deciding to join an organization, and the level of involvement. Reasons may include professional development, continuing education, networking, or community service. Whatever the reason, one must make a plan to get involved, utilize various resources available to promote involvement (mentors, senior partners, social media), and most importantly, follow through. There are common missteps that one must avoid in order to be successful: find balance, be sure to network, and do not be afraid to contribute.
Maurice Blondel and His Prodigal Children: Phenomenology, Charity, and Metaphysics:

This article argues for Maurice Blondel’s paternity in the recent phenomenological work of Jean-Luc Marion, Jean-Yves Lacoste, and Emmanuel Falque, particularly regarding the relationship between p...
The Bounds of Congress’ Spending Power

The spending clause of the Constitution, unlike all the other enumerated powers granted to Congress, allows its exercise to provide for the general welfare. This article addresses the extent to which that aspect of the spending clause permits the federal government to circumvent limits inherent in the other enumerated powers. It considers why the spending clause alone would permit pursuit of the general welfare and posits that spending is different from the other enumerated powers in that it necessarily involves a voluntary transaction: If the federal government spends money to buy a good or service, there must be a willing seller. The article uses this insight to reanalyze some old chestnut spending power cases, from which it derives the principle that the spending power is limited to spending subject to budget constraints. This in turn means that the government may not exercise the spending power for purchases induced by a threat that is unrelated to the interest of the federal government in ensuring that it obtains the quality of the goods or services it purchases and does not spend more than necessary to obtain them. The focus on spending as involving the exercise of non-coercive powers of government leads to the further conclusion that the federal government should not have the power to purchase coercive exercises of governmental power from the states. The article applies these two limitations to the Trump administration’s threats to withhold grant funding from sanctuary cities, and concludes that certain requirements the administration seeks to impose on local and state governments as a condition on receipt of grant money is beyond the federal government’s spending power.
Molecular Testing Has Limited Utility in the Surgical Evaluation of Bethesda III Thyroid Nodules.

ABSTRACT Background The Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology has 6 diagnostic categories, each with an implied cancer risk of malignancy (ROM). Bethesda III, defined as atypia or follicular lesions of undetermined significance (AUS/FLUS) on fine needle aspiration (FNA), has an indeterminate ROM. This study investigates the utility of Afirma Gene Expression Classifier (GEC) and Thyroid Sequencing (ThyroSeq) molecular testing to predict malignancy in AUS/FLUS thyroid nodules. Methods A retrospective review of prospectively collected data of 1457 patients with index thyroid nodules who underwent FNA and thyroidectomy at a single academic institution was performed. Use of GEC or ThyroSeq for AUS/FLUS thyroid nodules was examined. GEC testing was reported benign or suspicious for malignancy whereas ThyroSeq testing was reported on a spectrum of low, intermediate or high ROM. Descriptive statistics were utilized to compare the ROM among AUS/FLUS thyroid nodules. Results Of 1457 patients with FNA thyroid cytology, 359 (25%) corresponded to AUS/FLUS results. There were 132 (37%) patients with GEC testing and 88 (24%) had ThyroSeq testing. ROM without GEC or ThyroSeq testing was 49%, whereas ROM with suspicious GEC was 55%. ROM with positive ThyroSeq was 73%. Among ThyroSeq patients, 43 had intermediate-risk mutations with 60% malignancy, and 23 had high-risk mutations with 96% malignancy (P Conclusion Surgical patients with AUS/FLUS thyroid nodules have a high ROM. High-risk ThyroSeq testing may have some utility in predicting malignancy, but GEC and intermediate-risk TGC results have limited value. Surgeons should carefully consider the utility of molecular tests to determine surgical resection.
III Optical Propagation through the Turbulent Atmosphere

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses optical propagation through turbulent atmosphere. The distinction between the two words “turbid” and “turbulent” is related to the size and character of the scattering mechanism relative to a wavelength. The propagation through a turbulent medium refers to those cases where the wavelength of the optical wave is much smaller than a typical distance over which the refractive index varies. This condition is met by the refractive index variations in the atmosphere caused by temperature fluctuations. These fluctuations cause the familiar “twinkling” of stars and “shimmering of heat” over hot pavement. The random fluctuations in the refractive index cause variations in the amplitude, phase, angle-of-arrival, and polarization of the optical wave. There have been numerous measurements of various optical parameters, both by astronomers and others, these optical measurements have rarely been made in conjunction with thorough meteorological measurements.
The Sun as the Ultimate Challenge to Astrophysics: The Vital Phase of Solar Physics

Observations indicate that the various active phenomena observed on the Sun are the principal constituents of the activity of other solitary late main sequence stars although in different proportions and prominence. But our ability to provide quantitative descriptions of the activity of other stars is limited observationally by our inability to resolve their disks and theoretically by the absence of clear ideas and quantitative theory for the phenomena in the Sun. Thus, for instance, it is not clear why the Sun is obliged to form spots, so it is not clear how to interpret the enormous spot areas that appear on some M-dwarfs. Similary, it is not clear why some M-stars produce flares 103 times more energetic than on the Sun. The same holds for the structure of the X-ray coronas of other stars, the strength of their stellar winds, the nature of the stellar dynamos, and the luminosity variations in step with their general level of activity. None of these phenomena are properly understood for the Sun, yet there is reason to expect that the crucial observational studies of the Sun (solar microscopy and spectrometry in visible, UV, and X-rays, helioseismology) as well as critical attention to theoretical possibilities, promise progress with several aspects of the problem. The essential point is that the magnetohydrodynamics of the high Reynolds and Lundquist numbers characterizing the convective zone of the Sun is qualitatively different from the familiar concepts of hydrodynamics and the plasma physics laboratory. The fibril state of the magnetic field at the visible surface of the Sun is the direct indication of that fact, and it appears that the dynamo and the several consequences of the dynamo fields can be understood only in terms of the complicated dynamics of magnetic fibrils. We shall be able to estimate the properties of the fibril fields of other stars only when we better understand the physics of fibrils in the Sun.
Copper removal during formation of corrosion resistant alkaline oxide coatings on Al-Cu-Mg alloys

The performance of corrosion resistant inorganic oxide coatings formed on Al–Cu–Mg alloys is often degraded by Cu enrichment that occurs during oxide formation. This is particularly true of coating processes conducted in basic solutions. A modification to an alkaline oxide coating process has been made that simultaneously eliminates Cu enrichment and forms a corrosion resistant coating. In this paper, the modified process is described and the resulting coating morphology, structure and composition are reported. Results from electrochemical and exposure corrosion tests show that useful gains in corrosion resistance are achieved. Cu removal during the modified process is rationalized using an argument based on the increase in Cu solubility that occurs in solutions with a pHgreater than the solubility minimum for Cu (9.8), and the effect of Cu complexing by carbonate.