cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Surgical fundoplication in laryngopharyngeal reflux unresponsive to aggressive acid suppression: a controlled study

Background & Aims: In patients with persistent laryngeal symptoms despite aggressive proton pump inhibitor therapy, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) continues to be implicated. The role of surgical fundoplication as the definitive therapy for these patients is uncertain. Methods: In this prospective concurrent controlled study, 72 patients with suspected GERD-related laryngeal symptoms received aggressive acid-suppressive therapy. Four-month symptomatic nonresponders ( Results: Twenty-five of 72 (35%) patients remained unresponsive after 4 months of acid-suppressive therapy. Ten patients (40%) underwent surgical fundoplication (median age, 54 y; men, 4) and 15 patients (60%) continued medical therapy (median age, 52; men, 4). The most common laryngeal symptoms were sore throat, hoarseness, and cough. pH studies at 3 and 12 months were normal in all patients after fundoplication (median % time pH P = 1.0). Treatment of causes other than GERD improved symptoms in an additional 2 of 10 (20%) patients in the surgical group, and 10 of 15 (66%) patients in the nonsurgical cohort. Conclusions: Surgical fundoplication does not improve laryngeal symptoms reliably in patients unresponsive to aggressive proton pump inhibitor therapy. The argument of low volume or intermittent reflux as the cause of persistent laryngeal symptoms needs to be replaced with evaluation and therapy for other potential non-GERD causes.
NANOSTRUCTURED MATERIALS PRODUCTION BY HYPERSONIC PLASMA PARTICLE DEPOSITION

Abstract We report on a new process for producing nanostructured materials, hypersonic plasma particle deposition (HPPD), wherein a thermal plasma seeded with vapor-phase precursors is supersonically expanded through a nozzle to nucleate ultrafine particles, which are then deposited by hypersonic impaction onto a temperature-controlled substrate. Results from preliminary experiments aimed at synthesizing nanostructured silicon are presented.
Hostage Taking: Determinants of Terrorist Logistical and Negotiation Success

This article investigates the determinants of logistical and negotiation success from the terrorists’ viewpoint in hostage-taking missions. Logistical success indicates that the terrorists apparently completed the mission as planned, while negotiation success means that the terrorists received some of their initial demands. In the empirical analysis, the article utilizes a new dataset on hostage incidents from 1978 through 2005 for the logit regressions. Empirical results broadly support the authors’ theoretical predictions. Logistical success depends positively on terrorist resources and target vulnerability, while negotiation success increases with the relative disagreement values and relative bargaining strengths of the terrorists. More specifically, terrorist success at the execution stage depends positively on kidnappings and large hostage grabs and varies negatively with attack force diversity and terrorist casualties. Negotiation success depends on bargaining variables (i.e. the number of hostages,...
Human Rights Research and Ethics Review: Protecting Individuals or Protecting the State?

Joseph Amon and colleagues discuss the challenges of conducting human rights research in settings where local research ethics committees may favor the interests of the state over the interests of research participants.
10.6-&#181;m amplification in metallic waveguide by external discharge pumping

Amplification of 10.6-μm radiation in a metallic waveguide and waveguide CO 2 -laser action was achieved by excitation of the CO 2 (0001) mode by vibrational energy transfer from metastable N\min{2}\max{\ast}(\upsilon = 1) molecules. Excitation of N 2 was accomplished in a separate dc discharge tube. The N 2 -He mixture, after flowing through the discharge region, was pumped into the waveguide and there CO 2 was added. Maximum small-signal gain values of 25.6 and 15.3 dB/m were obtained at amplifying waveguide sections of 2 and 6-cm length, respectively. A theoretical analysis, based on rate equations for the (0001) and the (1000) states of CO 2 and the concentration of N\min{2}\max{\ast}(\upsilon = 1) molecules, is presented, which leads to predictions for the small-signal gain and the saturation intensity. In the pressure range covered by experiments the calculated gain values were found to be consistent with measurements.
Deep brain stimulation of the ventral striatum/anterior limb of the internal capsule in thalamic pain syndrome: study protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial

Background Chronic neuropathic pain in thalamic pain syndrome remains intractable. Its poor response is ascribed to destruction of the integrated neuromatrix in experience of pain. Deep brain stimulation is a promising technique to modulate activity of implicated structures. However, traditional approaches targeting sensori-motor substrates have failed to affect disability. The offending lesion in thalamic pain syndrome that almost invariably destroys sensory pain pathways may render these classical approaches ineffective. Instead, we hypothesize that targeting structures representing emotion and affective behavior-ventral striatum/anterior limb of the internal capsule, may alleviate disability.
Keep Off the Grass: The Economics of Prohibition and U.S. Drug Policy

In 1906, the United States instituted its first drug laws. Over time, drug prohibition and criminalization have continued, becoming what is known today as the “War on Drugs.” This Article examines the political economy of the War on Drugs with particular emphasis on the unintended consequences of drug prohibition. This Article analyzes the effects of prohibition on violence, drug potency, and cartelization in the drug market. In addition, it examines how the drug policies of the U.S. government have led to a progressive militarization of domestic police forces, fostered an erosion of civil liberties, and contributed to the weakening of private property. The Article concludes that drug prohibition works against many of the
Longevity of T-cell memory following acute viral infection

Investigation of T-cell-mediated immunity following acute viral infection represents an area of research with broad implications for both fundamental immunology research as well as vaccine development. Here, we review techniques that are used to assess T-cell memory including limiting dilution analysis, enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assays, intracellular cytokine staining (ICCS) and peptide-MHC Class I tetramer staining. The durability of T-cell memory is explored in the context of several acute viral infections including vaccinia virus (VV), measles virus (MV) and yellow fever virus (YFV). Following acute infection, different virus-specific T-cell subpopulations exhibit distinct cytokine profiles and these profiles change over the course of infection. Differential regulation of the cytotoxic proteins, granzyme A, granzyme B and perforin are also observed in virus-specific T cells following infection. As a result of this work, we have gained a broader understanding of the kinetics and magnitude of antiviral T-cell immunity as well as new insight into the patterns of immunodominance and differential regulation of cytokines and cytotoxicity-associated molecules. This information may eventually lead to the generation of more effective vaccines that elicit T-cell memory with the optimal combination of functional characteristics required for providing protective immunity against infectious disease.
Les « mégatendances » et l'avenir de l'action humanitaire

Cet article passe en revue six tendances de fond, ou « megatendances » — dans les domaines de la demographie, des techniques et des sciences, de l'economie, du pouvoir politique, du climat et des schemas des conflits — et leurs repercussions sur l'action humanitaire future.
Evaluating the effect of time process measures on appendectomy clinical outcomes

Abstract Background With varied reports on the impact of time to appendectomy on clinical outcomes, we examined the effects of pre-operative delays in pediatric acute appendicitis. Methods Children with acute appendicitis (January 2013–June 2014) were identified from a prospective database. Univariate analyses compared time metrics, patient characteristics, and disease severity with postoperative complications (POC) and organ space surgical site infection (OSSI), and multivariate logistic regression determined predictors of POC and OSSI. Results 1211 patients underwent appendectomy. Median age was 10.4years (IQR 7.8–13years). 537 patients (45%) had complex appendicitis. Overall, POC was 11% (n=133), and OSSI was 9% (n=105). Neither time from presentation to appendectomy nor diagnosis to appendectomy increased POCs. On univariate analyses, operative time (OT) was longer in patients with POC (57min (IQR 49–75) vs. 46min (IQR 36–57), p Conclusion Pre-operative delays were not associated with increased POC or OSSI. The strongest predictor of POC or OSSI was disease severity, for which operative time may represent a surrogate.
Member-State Principals, Supranational Agents, and the EU Budgetary Process, 1970-2008

The Luxembourg and Brussels Treaties of 1970 and 1975 took the European Union budgetary process decisively beyond those of other international organizations, not only by giving the EU its "own resources" and by introducing qualified majority voting among its member governments, but also by giving limited but real powers to two supranational bodies, the European Commission and the European Parliament (EP). This paper examines the changing roles and the influence of the supranational Commission and Parliament on budgetary politics and policies in the EU, in four parts. The first section provides a summary overview of theories of delegation, agency and agenda setting in the EU. The second section applies this framework to the adoption of the EU budgetary system in the 1970 Treaty of Luxembourg, arguing that member governments were motivated in large part by normative concerns about democratic legitimacy in delegating to the EP, yet they also calculated carefully the likely consequences of such delegation for valued policy outcomes, including the preservation of the Common Agricultural Policy. Within those limits, I demonstrate, the Commission and the EP behaved largely as expected, acting systematically to foster the development of new spending policies, particularly in areas designed to appeal to European electorates, and that the EP in particular has succeeded in its efforts, albeit within the limits of its Treaty-based powers. In the third section of the paper, I examine the evolution of supranational budgetary powers from the adoption of a multiannual financing system in 1988 through 2008, which I argue has transformed the nature of supranational influence through a more cooperative budgetary process which increasingly resembles the legislative co-decision procedure in its de facto operation. The fourth and final section of the paper examines the new budgetary rules established by the as-yet unratified Treaty of Lisbon, asking about their likely impact on supranational actors in the budgetary process. The proposed changes to the budgetary process, it is argued, largely codify the current system as it has evolved during the era of financial perspectives, but it also introduces several new elements, including the deletion of the distinction between compulsory and non-compulsory expenditures and the inter-institutional agreements, that may affect the rights and the powers of the European Parliament in ways to be determined in practice.
Prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension and sodium intake in Jiangsu Province, China: a baseline study in 2014.

The prevalence of hypertension in Chinese Mainland has increased rapidly in the recent decades. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of hypertension and sodium intake in an economically booming area in China.
Development of an inhalation unit risk factor for cadmium.

An inhalation unit risk factor (URF) was developed for cadmium. The URF is based on excess lung cancer mortality in a key epidemiological study of cadmium smelter workers (Park et al., 2012). The Park et al. (2012) study is an update of the Thun et al. (1985) cohort that was previously used to derive a URF in USEPA (1985). Park et al. re-analyzed the cadmium smelter worker population (near Denver, CO) using more detailed work history information, a revised cadmium exposure matrix, a detailed retrospective exposure assessment for arsenic (potential confounder), and updated mortality data (through 2002). Grouped observed and expected number of lung cancer mortalities along with cumulative cadmium exposures were used in the current study to obtain the maximum likelihood estimate and asymptotic variance of the slope (β) for the linear multiplicative relative risk model using Poisson regression modeling. Life-table analyses were used to derive the final URF for cadmium of 4.9E-04 per μg Cd/m(3). The corresponding lifetime air concentration at the 1 in 100,000 no significant excess risk level is 0.020 μg Cd/m(3), which can be used to protect the general public in Texas against the potential carcinogenic effects from chronic exposure to cadmium and cadmium compounds.
Bottleneck Avoidance Techniques for Automated Satellite Communication Scheduling

This paper describes Bottleneck Avoidance (BA), a one-pass scheduling technique, and its application to the domain of automated satellite communication scheduling. Optimal scheduling is in a class of computationally complex problems that require creative solutions to be solved in a reasonable amount of time. Satellite communication scheduling is particularly interesting because of a relatively high degree of resource contention and strong emphasis on scheduling all jobs without conflict. Generating a solution in this domain can be separated into two stages: first attempting to honor all constraints and requirements of the incoming requests, then negotiating with users to relax constraints and resolve unavoidable conflicts. The techniques and heuristics described here are intended to aid in the first phase. By carefully selecting the order in which tasks are assigned and then assigning them in a way that reduces resource contention, we can quickly generate a solution that attempts to minimize the number of conflicts and increase overall flexibility.
A dynamic cloud computing platform for eHealth systems

Cloud Computing technology offers new opportunities for outsourcing data, and outsourcing computation to individuals, start-up businesses, and corporations in health care. Although cloud computing paradigm provides interesting, and cost effective opportunities to the users, it is not mature, and using the cloud introduces new obstacles to users. For instance, vendor lock-in issue that causes a healthcare system rely on a cloud vendor infrastructure, and it does not allow the system to easily transit from one vendor to another. Cloud data privacy is another issue and data privacy could be violated due to outsourcing data to a cloud computing system, in particular for a healthcare system that archives and processes sensitive data. In this paper, we present a novel cloud computing platform based on a Service-Oriented cloud architecture. The proposed platform can be ran on the top of heterogeneous cloud computing systems that provides standard, dynamic and customizable services for eHealth systems. The proposed platform allows heterogeneous clouds provide a uniform service interface for eHealth systems that enable users to freely transfer their data and application from one vendor to another with minimal modifications. We implement the proposed platform for an eHealth system that maintains patients' data privacy in the cloud. We consider a data accessibility scenario with implementing two methods, AES and a light-weight data privacy method to protect patients' data privacy on the proposed platform. We assess the performance and the scalability of the implemented platform for a massive electronic medical record. The experimental results show that the proposed platform have not introduce additional overheads when we run data privacy protection methods on the proposed platform.
The defining components of the cyborg: cyborg-athletes, fictional or real?

AbstractIn this paper, I engage in the debate on the definition of the cyborg. I identify the two defining components of the traditional definition of the cyborg: (a) the symbiotic relationship between human nature and technology; and (b) the embodiment of a superhuman or inhuman feature or ability. Then, I trace these two components in the scholarly debate on the cyborg. To conclude, I explore the role the scholarly view of the cyborg plays in the debate on cyborg-athletes in the philosophy of sport.
1-bit stochastic gradient descent and its application to data-parallel distributed training of speech DNNs.

We show empirically that in SGD training of deep neural networks, one can, at no or nearly no loss of accuracy, quantize the gradients aggressively—to but one bit per value—if the quantization error is carried forward across minibatches (error feedback). This size reduction makes it feasible to parallelize SGD through data-parallelism with fast processors like recent GPUs. We implement data-parallel deterministically distributed SGD by combining this finding with AdaGrad, automatic minibatch-size selection, double buffering, and model parallelism. Unexpectedly, quantization benefits AdaGrad, giving a small accuracy gain. For a typical Switchboard DNN with 46M parameters, we reach computation speeds of 27k frames per second (kfps) when using 2880 samples per minibatch, and 51kfps with 16k, on a server with 8 K20X GPUs. This corresponds to speed-ups over a single GPU of 3.6 and 6.3, respectively. 7 training passes over 309h of data complete in under 7h. A 160M-parameter model training processes 3300h of data in under 16h on 20 dual-GPU servers—a 10 times speed-up—albeit at a small accuracy loss.
Lipectomy: the surgical removal of excess fat.

Indications for surgical treatment (lipectomy) of a pendulous abdomen include the presence of ventral or umbilical hernia, restriction of physical activity, ulceration, in-tertriginous infections, and the cosmetic aspects.The technic of lipectomy is simple; however, the operation is considered a major undertaking. Complications are not uncommon in these patients. The various operative methods differ chiefly in the planning of the skin incisions and according to whether the umbilicus is avoided, removed or transposed. Therapeutic results usually justify lipectomy, and localized adiposity does not recur after operation.
Existentialism: An Overview of Important Themes and Figures

‘Existentialism’ is a difficult term to define. Historically, it has been used in a wide variety of contexts and for diverse purposes. As far back as the ancient Greeks, one can find examples of texts that could today be described as existentialist, though it was not until the twentieth century that existentialism emerged as a conspicuous movement.1 While today we would certainly classify eighteenth century figures like Dostoevsky and Nietzsche as existentialists, they did not use that term to describe themselves. By the time Sartre became famous for his works, shortly after World War II, the term was widely recognized as a description of a certain kind of literature, art, and philosophy, but by then it was also misunderstood by a large portion of society outside of academia. In his popular essay ‘The Humanism of Existentialism’, Sartre jokes that a woman who let loose a vulgarity exclaimed, ‘I guess I’m becoming an existentialist’, which for Sartre illustrates how vague and abused that term had become.2 It doesn’t help us understand the movement any better to know that its major figures, like Sartre, often denied being existentialists (though for reasons which make perfect sense, if you are an existentialist).
From Women Loving Women in Africa to Jean Genet and Race: A Conversation with Frieda Ekotto

(2009). From Women Loving Women in Africa to Jean Genet and Race: A Conversation with Frieda Ekotto. Journal of the African Literature Association: Vol. 4, No. 1, pp. 181-203.
Relative Contribution of Adjuvants to Local Anesthetic for Prolonging the Duration of Peripheral Nerve Blocks in Rats

Background and Objectives A chemically compatible, safe 4-drug multimodal formulation of bupivacaine combined with 3 adjuvants (clonidine, buprenorphine, and dexamethasone) has been proposed for long-lasting single-injection peripheral nerve blocks in patients. However, the relative importance of each of the adjuvants of the 4-drug formulation in producing long-lasting nerve blocks has not been determined. The aim of this study in rats was to determine which adjuvants (clonidine, buprenorphine, or dexamethasone) are essential for producing a long-lasting nerve block. Methods After baseline sensory and motor responses were recorded, 0.1 mL of drug solution was injected into the sciatic notch of rats. Animals were reevaluated at 10-minute intervals after injection for the absence or presence of sensory and motor response in the sciatic nerve. The 4-drug formulation of 0.25% bupivacaine plus all 3 adjuvants (clonidine, buprenorphine, and dexamethasone), 0.25% bupivacaine with 1 or 2 of the adjuvants added separately, and 0.25% bupivacaine alone were compared for duration of nerve block. Results The 4-drug multimodal solution produced a longer duration of sensory and motor nerve block than 0.25% bupivacaine alone (P Conclusions This animal study confirmed that the 4-drug multimodal formulation proposed for clinical nerve block produces superior duration of action compared to local anesthetic alone. This rat sciatic nerve model also indicated that one of the 3 adjuvants, clonidine, could by itself account for the extended duration of nerve block of bupivacaine.
Smoking intensity (pack/day) is a better measure than pack-years or smoking status for modeling cardiovascular disease outcomes.

Abstract Objectives Smoking as an epidemiological exposure can be quantified in many ways including duration, intensity, pack-years, recency, and age at initiation. However, it is not clear which of these are most important for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and how they should be modeled. Study Design and Setting Using the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, Cox models for time to incident CVD adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education category, and income category were compared which included various characterizations of smoking history. Results Duration, age at starting, time since quitting, and noncigarette forms of smoking were not independently associated with CVD, whereas baseline current intensity was associated with CVD [e.g., hard CVD hazard ratio 1 pack/d of 1.85 95% confidence interval (1.33, 2.57)]. Former smokers, regardless of duration, intensity, or recency, were not at increased risk, suggesting that risk may risk may drop precipitously from the time of quitting. For CVD events, representing smoking exposure as baseline smoking intensity produced better model fit as measured by Akaike information criterion than models using smoking status or pack-years. Conclusion The association of smoking with incident CVD events was well captured by including a simple term for baseline smoking intensity.
Novel Bypass Attack and BDD-based Tradeoff Analysis Against All Known Logic Locking Attacks

Logic locking has emerged as a promising technique for protecting gate-level semiconductor intellectual property. However, recent work has shown that such gate-level locking techniques are vulnerable to Boolean satisfiability (SAT) attacks. In order to thwart such attacks, several SAT-resistant logic locking techniques have been proposed, which minimize the discriminating ability of input patterns to rule out incorrect keys. In this work, we show that such SAT-resistant logic locking techniques have their own set of unique vulnerabilities. In particular, we propose a novel “bypass attack” that ensures the locked circuit works even when an incorrect key is applied. Such a technique makes it possible for an adversary to be oblivious to the type of SAT-resistant protection applied on the circuit, and still be able to restore the circuit to its correct functionality. We show that such a bypass attack is feasible on a wide range of benchmarks and SAT-resistant techniques, while incurring minimal run-time and area/delay overhead. Binary decision diagrams (BDDs) are utilized to analyze the proposed bypass attack and assess tradeoffs in security vs overhead of various countermeasures.
Accelerated cure of thermoset fiber composites utilizing latent cure agents

Cure agents including micro-pulverized dicyandiamide, aliphatic amine, imidazole, dyhydrazide, and ureas have been formulated with DGEBA (diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A) epoxides to provide preimpregnated fiberglass prepregs suitable for the rapid production of structural composites under an aggressive elevated temperature cure schedule (10 min at 110°C). Formulations have been developed utilizing in part Taguchi orthogonal experimental arrays and compared to existing chemistries. Chemical formulation properties including heat of reaction, viscosity, glass transition, process parameter determination, and impact of environmental exposure have been investigated. Formulations developed within this body of work appear to outperform current commercial systems for the production of structural composites rapidly processed at a relatively low temperature.
Holographic fabrication of graded photonic super-crystals using an integrated spatial light modulator and reflective optical element laser projection system

For the first time, to the best of our knowledge, we have combined a spatial light modulator with a single reflective optical element for the holographic fabrication of graded photonic super-crystals. The hybrid laser projection system takes advantage of the spatial light modulator for pixel-by-pixel phase control and the reflective optical element for large-area, small-feature fabrication. Graded photonic super-crystals with dual period, or with dual period and dual basis, have been fabricated with location dependence across the interference pattern. The fabricated samples have been explained by the simulation of eight-beam interference patterns.
Targeting legume loci: A comparison of three methods for target enrichment bait design in Leguminosae phylogenomics.

Premise of the study The development of pipelines for locus discovery has spurred the use of target enrichment for plant phylogenomics. However, few studies have compared pipelines from locus discovery and bait design, through validation, to tree inference. We compared three methods within Leguminosae (Fabaceae) and present a workflow for future efforts. Methods Using 30 transcriptomes, we compared Hyb-Seq, MarkerMiner, and the Yang and Smith (Y&S) pipelines for locus discovery, validated 7501 baits targeting 507 loci across 25 genera via Illumina sequencing, and inferred gene and species trees via concatenation- and coalescent-based methods. Results Hyb-Seq discovered loci with the longest mean length. MarkerMiner discovered the most conserved loci with the least flagged as paralogous. Y&S offered the most parsimony-informative sites and putative orthologs. Target recovery averaged 93% across taxa. We optimized our targeted locus set based on a workflow designed to minimize paralog/ortholog conflation and thus present 423 loci for legume phylogenomics. Conclusions Methods differed across criteria important for phylogenetic marker development. We recommend Hyb-Seq as a method that may be useful for most phylogenomic projects. Our targeted locus set is a resource for future, community-driven efforts to reconstruct the legume tree of life.
Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification for the Diagnostic Detection of Meloidogyne chitwoodi and M. fallax.

Meloidogyne chitwoodi is a root-knot nematode that parasitizes a broad range of plants. In the Pacific Northwest (PNW) of the United States, M. chitwoodi is a major potato pest. The nematodes infec...
Hal Richards: Technological Change and Moral Response

This case tells the true story of a university employee who suffered from color blindness and who, although he had been an exceptional employee, was terminated when he could not read the color screens displayed by the newly installed PeopleSoft system. Moral outrage on the campus initiated a process that ultimately resulted in Hal Richards being offered another position in which his talents could be used effectively.
Increasing the width of periodontal attached gingiva using an Nd:YAG laser and GTM: results of a clinical study.

Objective Demonstrate a new technique to increase the width of keratinized gingiva using a biological membrane material in place of donor tissue. Summary background data Most current surgical techniques require donor tissue as a graft to increase keratinized gingiva, which results in a second trauma site for the patient. Methods Using an Nd:YAG laser with contact tip. Laser energy at settings of 3.0-6.0 W continuous mode. Local anesthetic, lidocaine 2% and epinephrine 1:100,000, was administered. A mucogingival flap was made to the periosteum and reflected, followed by placement of a biological membrane, and sutured into place, over the surgical site. Results A total of 20 sites were treated on 20 different patients of 15 mandible and 5 maxillary sites. The average increase for all sites was 3.8 mm of keratinized gingiva per site. No adverse events (e.g., bleeding, allergic reactions, abscesses, or pain) after any of the treatments were noted during the entire observation. The treatment procedure led to significant improvements in width of gingiva. The 20 patients were pleased with this new technique using the Nd:YAG laser with contact tip. Conclusion It may be concluded that the new procedure provides significant increase of keratinized gingiva with the advantage of minimal morbidity and pleasing cosmetic results. Further clinical studies are needed to compare traditional procedures with the laser augmentation technique.
The Necessity of Preventing Unilateral Responses to Water Scarcity - The Next Major Threat against Mankind this Century

We never thought that the Great Lakes could run out of water, as we have always conjured up an image of large ice masses retreating and carving out huge geographic areas that are now filled with water. In addition, the idea did not occur to us that water scarcity could cause serious environmental problems. Contrast this with other provisions of the Convention which give "geographically disadvantaged States" entitlements to equitable shares of natural resources in the jurisdiction of other States, thereby reflecting the "have's" and the "have not's" of natural resource allocation. The question of whether the United States and Canada should be allowed to unilaterally declare that the sale of fresh water from the Great Lakes should not take place rests largely upon the ecosystem of the area and any environmental problems inherent to that ecosystem. Likewise, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Environment Canada are joining forces to reduce pollutants in the Lake Superior Basin. The experts will test samples of the lake's bottom, river sediments, air, plants, and fish taken from numerous points throughout the lake.
Spatiotemporally controlled nano-sized third harmonic generation agents

Here, we present a new class of third harmonic generation (THG) imaging probes that can be activated with precise spatiotemporal control using non-linear excitation. These probes consist of lipid-coated perfluorocarbon nanodroplets with embedded visible chromophores. The droplets undergo phase transition from liquid to gas upon heating mediated by two-photon absorption of NIR light by the embedded dyes. Resulting microbubbles provide a sharp, local refractive index mismatch, which makes an excellent source of THG signal. Potential applications of these probes include activatable THG agents for biological imaging and “on-demand” delivery of various compounds under THG monitoring.
Boolean σ-spaces

A Baire set in a Boolean space is a set belonging to the σ-field generated by the class of all clopen sets. Clearly every Baire set in a Boolean space is a Borel set; the converse is not true in general. A trivial way to manufacture open Baire sets is to form the union of a countable class of clopen sets. The converse is true but not trivial. The converse implies that every open Bake set is an Fσ (that is, the union of a countable class of closed sets), and, consequently, every closed Baire set is a Gδ (that is, the intersection of a countable class of open sets). We shall prove the main result about the structure of open Baire sets by proving first that every closed Baire set is a Gδ. Observe that in a metric space every closed set is a Gδ; in a general topological space this not so. The proof of the following auxiliary result uses the fact about metric spaces just mentioned; the trick is to construct a suitable metric space associated with each given closed Baire set.
Gapless Dirac surface states in the antiferromagnetic topological insulator MnBi 2 Te 4

A topological insulator can be converted to an axion insulator when time reversal symmetry is broken, which leads to the opening of a gap in the Dirac surface state. Recently, MnBi${}_{2}$Te${}_{4}$ was predicted to host such a state upon antiferromagnetic ordering. Collecting and analyzing very detailed photoemission data, the authors demonstrate that this does not occur and that the Dirac surface state remains gapless well below the N\'eel temperature. Most likely, this is due to the complexity of the magnetic ordering at the surface. The quest for the discovery of an axion insulator is, therefore, still on.
Abstract P2003: Loss of Trpa1 in Mice Leads to Age-Related Dilated Cardiomyopathy

Activation of the transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) channel, a mechanical and oxidative stress sensor, has been shown to slow down aging process and promote longevity in invertebrate a...
A Survey of Healthcare Internet of Things (HIoT): A Clinical Perspective

In combination with current sociological trends, the maturing development of Internet of Things devices is projected to revolutionize healthcare. A network of body-worn sensors, each with a unique ID, can collect health data, that is, orders-of-magnitude richer than what is available today from sporadic observations in clinical/hospital environments. When databased, analyzed, and compared against information from other individuals using data analytics, Healthcare Internet of Things data enables the personalization and modernization of care with radical improvements in outcomes and reductions in cost. In this article, we survey the existing and emerging technologies that can enable this vision for the future of healthcare, particularly, in the clinical practice of healthcare. Three main technology areas underlie the development of this field: 1) sensing, where there is an increased drive for miniaturization and power efficiency; 2) communications, where the enabling factors are ubiquitous connectivity, standardized protocols, and the wide availability of cloud infrastructure; and 3) data analytics and inference, where the availability of large amounts of data and computational resources is revolutionizing algorithms for individualizing inference and actions in health management. Throughout this article, we use a case study to concretely illustrate the impact of these trends. We conclude this article with a discussion of the emerging directions, open issues, and challenges.
A new translation and reader's guide to Victor von Ebner's classical description of spermatogenesis.

This is a translation and modern interpretation of one of the most important manuscripts on spermatogenesis, published by Victor von Ebner, in 1871. It was originally written in Italian, and to the best of my knowledge has never been translated to English or examined by modern scientists.
Recreational Harvesting of the Florida Bay Scallop: Steinhatchee and Keaton Beach areas, Taylor County

A full-color map identifying access routes to the boat ramps and marinas in southern Taylor County near Steinhatchee and Keaton Beach, plus the latest information on scallops and scalloping, the recommended equipment you will want to bring, and a few tasty recipes for preparing Florida’s best summertime catch.https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/sg146
“The Latino Community is Not Accustomed to Arguing for the Rights of Their Children”: How Latina Mothers Navigate Special Education

With a rapidly increasing number of Latinx students in a special education system that requires parent advocacy, it is imperative to study the perspectives Latinx families have on how to improve fa...
Giant Transport Anisotropy in ReS 2 Revealed via Nanoscale Conducting-Path Control

The low in-plane symmetry in layered 1T'-${\mathrm{ReS}}_{2}$ results in strong band anisotropy, while its manifestation in the electronic properties is challenging to resolve due to the lack of effective approaches for controlling the local current path. In this work, we reveal the giant transport anisotropy in monolayer to four-layer ${\mathrm{ReS}}_{2}$ by creating directional conducting paths via nanoscale ferroelectric control. By reversing the polarization of a ferroelectric polymer top layer, we induce a conductivity switching ratio of $g1.5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{8}$ in the ${\mathrm{ReS}}_{2}$ channel at 300 K. Characterizing the domain-defined conducting nanowires in an insulating background shows that the conductivity ratio between the directions along and perpendicular to the Re chain can exceed $5.5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{4}$ in monolayer ${\mathrm{ReS}}_{2}$. Theoretical modeling points to the band origin of the transport anomaly and further reveals the emergence of a flat band in few-layer ${\mathrm{ReS}}_{2}$. Our work paves the path for implementing highly anisotropic 2D materials for designing novel collective phenomena and electron lensing applications.
Memory, Authenticity, and Alienation

Optogenetics, a subfield of neuroscience holds promising potential to be able to modify memory. Through developments in this subfield, there is greater potential for precision than previous MMT’s (...
Leveraging high-resolution 7-tesla MRI to derive quantitative metrics for the trigeminal nerve and subnuclei of limbic structures in trigeminal neuralgia

BACKGROUND Trigeminal Neuralgia (TN) is a chronic neurological disease that is strongly associated with neurovascular compression (NVC) of the trigeminal nerve near its root entry zone. The trigeminal nerve at the site of NVC has been extensively studied but limbic structures that are potentially involved in TN have not been adequately characterized. Specifically, the hippocampus is a stress-sensitive region which may be structurally impacted by chronic TN pain. As the center of the emotion-related network, the amygdala is closely related to stress regulation and may be associated with TN pain as well. The thalamus, which is involved in the trigeminal sensory pathway and nociception, may play a role in pain processing of TN. The objective of this study was to assess structural alterations in the trigeminal nerve and subregions of the hippocampus, amygdala, and thalamus in TN patients using ultra-high field MRI and examine quantitative differences in these structures compared with healthy controls. METHODS Thirteen TN patients and 13 matched controls were scanned at 7-Tesla MRI with high resolution, T1-weighted imaging. Nerve cross sectional area (CSA) was measured and an automated algorithm was used to segment hippocampal, amygdaloid, and thalamic subregions. Nerve CSA and limbic structure subnuclei volumes were compared between TN patients and controls. RESULTS CSA of the posterior cisternal nerve on the symptomatic side was smaller in patients (3.75 mm2) compared with side-matched controls (5.77 mm2, p = 0.006). In TN patients, basal subnucleus amygdala volume (0.347 mm3) was reduced on the symptomatic side compared with controls (0.401 mm3, p = 0.025) and the paralaminar subnucleus volume (0.04 mm3) was also reduced on the symptomatic side compared with controls (0.05 mm3, p = 0.009). The central lateral thalamic subnucleus was larger in TN patients on both the symptomatic side (0.033 mm3) and asymptomatic side (0.035 mm3), compared with the corresponding sides in controls (0.025 mm3 on both sides, p = 0.048 and p = 0.003 respectively). The inferior and lateral pulvinar thalamic subnuclei were both reduced in TN patients on the symptomatic side (0.2 mm3 and 0.17 mm3 respectively) compared to controls (0.23 mm3, p = 0.04 and 0.18 mm3, p = 0.04 respectively). No significant findings were found in the hippocampal subfields analyzed. CONCLUSIONS These findings, generated through a highly sensitive 7 T MRI protocol, provide compelling support for the theory that TN neurobiology is a complex amalgamation of local structural changes within the trigeminal nerve and structural alterations in subnuclei of limbic structures directly and indirectly involved in nociception and pain processing.
The healthcare buffet: preferences in the clinical decision-making process for patients with musculoskeletal pain.

The preferences a person has for care are associated with outcomes for patients presenting with musculoskeletal pain conditions. These include preferences for differing levels of involvement in the...
Arsenic contamination in the world : an international sourcebook 2012

Executive Summary, African Region, Region of the Americas, Asia Region, European Region, Region of Australia and Oceania.
The Classification of Photocopies by Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry

Pyrolysis gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS) was used to compare photocopy toner material from photocopies from 62 different (brand name or model number or both) photocopy machines. A simple sample lifter was developed for obtaining a specimen of toner from the copy free of paper fibers. Toner obtained from a single, standard typewritersized character usually provided enough organic material to give a satisfactory pyrogram. Based upon the presence or absence of peaks in the pyrograms, the toners were separated into 18 classes. Most of the toner classes fell into 2 general groups: those containing a large amount of styrene, usually with smaller amounts of butyl methacrylate or other methacrylates or acrylates, or some combination of these chemicals; and those toners consisting mainly of some type of epoxy resin.
Iressa (gefitinib) decreases vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression by hypoxia inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) independent and dependent mechanisms

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 46, 2005 2033 A number of EGFR inhibitors including Iressa have been recently developed in an effort to block the growth of tumors expressing this receptor which is overexpressed in many cancers including head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC). Previous work from our lab (Maity et al, Cancer Research , 2000) and others’ has indicated that one of the effects of EGFR overexpression is to increase the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a key mediator of angiogenesis. Therefore, one of the consequences of EGFR inhibition is to decrease VEGF expression and tumor angiogenesis. In the current study we investigated the molecular pathways by which EGFR inhibition by the drug Iressa led to decreased VEGF expression in the HNSCC line SQ20B. Treatment of SQ20B cells with the PI3K inhibitor LY294002 decreased VEGF expression to a greater extent than did the MAP kinase inhibitor U0126. Furthermore, the downregulation of VEGF by Iressa could be prevented by transduction with an adenovirus expressing myristoylated Akt. Together these results suggest that the PI3K/Akt pathway is the predominant pathway by which Iressa downregulates VEGF expression. Regulation of VEGF expression by Iressa is mediated through a region in the proximal promoter located between -88 and -70 (+1 is transcription start site). In transient transfection experiments, activity of a luciferasereporter gene containing the -88/+54 region of the VEGF promoter was decreased by treatment of the cells with Iressa. Mutation of the putative Sp1 binding sites located between -88 and -70 led to loss of suppression of promoter activity by Iressa, suggesting that these sites were important in its regulation by the drug. In vivo orthophosphate labeling of SQ20B cells showed that treatment with Iressa led to decreased Sp1 phosphorylation, leading to the hypothesis that Iressa might decrease bidnign of Sp1 to the proximal VEGF promoter. In addition to this HIF-1 independent mechanism by which Iressa can downregulate VEGF promoter activity, our studies also indicate that Iressa can blunt HIF-1α expression in response to hypoxia and as a result, expression of HIF-1 target genes including VEGF. We are currently working on mouse xenografts to determine the role of Iressa on oxygenation profile in tumor microenvironment. In conclusion, our results suggest that more than one pathway is involved by which Iressa can decrease VEGF expression. Both mechanisms may be important in HNSCC since these tumors have shown to frequently contain regions of hypoxia.
Neural Networks and Regional Science Modeling: A Survey of Techniques for Complex Spatial Analysis

This study examines the value of utilizing neural net modeling for issues relating to optimization across a network of cities in space. Neural nets are made up of many nonlinear computational elements that operate in parallel and are arranged in a manner similar to biological neural nets. Defining a neural net model involves specifying a net topology, arrangement of nodes, training or learning rules, adjustment of weights associated with connections, node characteristics, and rules of transformation from input to output. All of these are the major issues in such regional problems as labor force migration and firm location.
Upheavals of Thought: The Intelligence of Emotions

Part I. Need and Recognition: 1. Emotions as judgments of value 2. Humans and other animals: the neo-stoic view revised 3. Emotions and human societies 4. Emotions and infancy Interlude: 'things such as might happen' 5. Music and emotion Part II. Compassion: 6. Tragic predicaments 7. Compassion: the philosophical debate 8. Compassion and public life Part III. Ascents of Love: 9. Ladders of love: an introduction 10. Contemplative creativity: Plato, Spinoza, Proust 11. The Christian ascent: Augustine 12. The Christian ascent: Dante 13. The Romantic ascent: Emily Bronte 14. The Romantic ascent: Mahler 15. Democratic desire: Walt Whitman 16. The transfiguration of everyday life: Joyce.
Effect of ketones on ROS, NADPH oxidases, and monocyte adhesion in endothelial cells (767.8)

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidence is higher in Type 1 diabetic (T1D) patients. Along with hyperglycemia, T1D is associated with hyperketonemia, a condition with elevated blood levels of acetoacetate (AA) and 3-β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB). It is not known whether hyperketonemia per se contributes to the excess CVD in T1D. This study investigates the hypothesis that ketones upregulate NADPH oxidases (NOX) and ROS and therby increase monocyte-endothelial adhesion. HUVEC were treated with AA or BHB (0-8 mM) ± high-glucose (25 mM) for 24 h. Results show that AA, but not BHB, increased ROS production, NOX activity, and NOX4 expression in HUVEC. Pretreatment with DPI (20 μM , inhibitor of NOX) abolished the effect of AA on ROS production. This suggests that AA effect on ROS production is mediated through the NOX. To further examine the role of NOX, we determined the effect of ketones in NOX4 knockdown (KD) HUVEC. There were significantly lower levels of ROS (65% vs. 20%), ICAM-1 (42% vs. 23%), and monocyte adhe...