cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Memnon on the siege of Heraclea Pontica by Prusias I and the war between the kingdoms of Bithynia and Pergamum

This article argues against the traditional dating of the attack of Prusias I of Bithynia on Heraclea Pontica to the 190s, that is to the time before the Apamean settlement (188). The following re-examination of the only surviving literary source to refer directly to this event (Photius? excerpts of the history of Heraclea Pontica by Memnon), together with relevant information from several other literary and inscriptional texts, allows us to connect the attack of Prusias with the war between the Bithynian and Pergamene kingdoms, which would then be dated to c. 184-183. The other major conclusion presented is that this war had no direct relation to the outcome of the Apamean settlement, as has been the majority opinion.
Conservation of Cultural Materials from Underwater Sites

Underwater archaeology is the only branch of field archaeology that is dependent upon the conservation laboratory for its ultimate success. In fact, in underwater archaeology the activities of the conservation laboratory are considered to be a continuation of the field excavations with the recording of basic data along with the stabilization, preservation, and study of the recovered material being major objectives. Commonly used procedures for conserving ceramics, glass, bone, ivory, wood, leather, and the various metals are discussed. Observation and insights are presented on the applicability of the different processes for conserving various materials.
The Power Of Empowerment: An ICF-Based Model to Improve Self-Efficacy and Upper Extremity Function of Survivors of Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers among women. Breast cancer treatments often negatively impact the function of the arm, and quality of life and upper extremity function does not always return to a prediagnosis level. Survivors of breast cancer may also experience feelings of diminished self-efficacy related to functional deficits resulting from their physical limitations. The International Classification of Functioning (ICF) provides a framework for rehabilitation practitioners to address physical and psychological impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions. Patient outcomes may be improved by fostering self-efficacy through empowerment. This paper explores how the ICF model and theories of self-efficacy and empowerment can interact to promote improved rehabilitation outcomes for women who have survived breast cancer. A model for the role of rehabilitation practitioners to enhance self-efficacy through empowerment in order to minimize participation restrictions resulting from upper extremity morbidities is proposed.
Robust Supporting Role in Coordinated Two-Robot Soccer Attack

In spite of the great success of the fully autonomous distributed AIBO robot soccer league, a standing challenge is the creation of an effective planned, rather than emergent, coordinated two-robot attack, where one robot is the main attacker and goes to the ball and the other robot "supports the attack." While the main attacker has its navigation conceptually driven by following the ball and aiming at scoring, the supporter objectives are not as clear. In this work, we investigate this distributed, limited perception, two-robot soccer attack with emphasis on the overlooked supporting robot role. We contribute a region-based positioning of the supporting robot for a possible pass or for the recovery of a lost ball. The algorithm includes a safe path navigation that does not endanger the possible scoring of the teammate attacker by crossing in between it and the goal. We then further present how the supporter enables pass evaluation, under the concept that it is in a better position to visually assess a pass than the attacker, which is focused on the ball and surrounded by the opponent defense. We show extensive statistically significant lab experiments, using our AIBO robots, which show the effectiveness of the positioning algorithm compared both to a previous supporter algorithm and to a single attacker. Additional experimental results provide solid evidence of the effectiveness of our passing evaluation algorithm. The algorithms are ready to incorporate in different RoboCup standard platform robot teams.
Computer-Generated Holography And Optical Testing

A computer-generated hologram is a geometric pattern that can be used as a precise reference in an optical test. Computer-generated holograms can be used to make reference wavefronts that would be very difficult and expensive to make by other methods. This paper reviews the development of computer-generated holograms for optical testing. Various encoding methods are discussed. Examples are given to demonstrate some of the properties of such holograms. A review of interferometer design leads to a discussion of how the hologram functions as a part of the interferometer and of the limitations to the computer-generated hologram as used in optical testing.
Note on Valuing Control and Liquidity in Family and Closely Held Firms

Most companies around the world are family-controlled and/or closely held. The need to value these companies routinely arises in practice for a variety of reasons, e.g ., to buy out minority shareholders; for gift and estate tax purposes; to tie executive compensation to firm performance; to raise outside capital; or to sell the company outright. However, these companies present certain unique characteristics that can make standard valuation methods inappropriate for them.
Stochastic model reduction and reduced-order Kalman-Bucy filtering

A new algorithm for reducing continuous-time stochastic systems is presented. First, using the theory of canonical variables and the canonical decomposition of the Hankel operator a new algorithm for obtaining balanced stochastic realization (BSR) is developed. Next, using the insight obtained from this result a direct approach for obtaining BSR is presented. Model reduction is achieved by picking an appropriate subsystem of the BSR. Asymptotic stability of the reduced-order model, as well as the inverse of the reduced-order model is established. This leads to a new design for reduced-order Kalman-Bucy filters. Finally the spectral domain interpretations of the BSR are given.
Things Fall Apart: Regulating The Credit Default Swaps Commons

Financial markets are an important national and international infrastructure resource that reflect attributes similar to the those that characterize commons, as described in property law literature. Through a case study examining the credit default swap market, this Article illustrates the analogy between financial markets and a traditional commons. After exploring the attributes of a commons, this Article examines the costs and benefits of the credit default swap market. Similar to a traditional commons, tragedy in financial markets occurs when market participants capture benefits while imposing the costs or negative externalities from their activities on other members of society. Commons scholars’ empirical research suggests three traditional approaches to tragedy in a commons - deregulation, privatization, and regulation by a central, external authority.
Supporting In-Service Teachers' Professional Teaching Knowledge With Educatively Scaffolded Digital Curriculum

This article advances a continuing line of inquiry into the potential of digital educative curriculum materials to support teachers’ development of professional teaching knowledge. Instead of standalone levers of change, the educative curricula in this study were featured resources within a novel professional development approach. The qualitative, design-based research experiment asked, “Can sustained, collaborative professional development experiences with digital educative curriculum materials help in-service social studies teachers develop professional teaching knowledge?” Following a 13-month study, none of the six participants fully adopted the promoted wise practice pedagogy, problembased historical inquiry. However, findings suggested that sustained, collaborative experiences with digital educative curricula helped teachers in this study begin to articulate and demonstrate tenets of problem-based historical inquiry (e.g., purposeful student-inquiry grounded in recurring societal concerns, structuring classroom events to promote historical thinking). The authors proposed three features to strengthen future teacher-support efforts: dynamic experiences modeling wise practices, digital curriculum designed for collaboration, and expert mentors to help facilitate learning.
Modeling targeted inhibition of wild type and mutated c-MET receptor

14010 Background: c-MET belongs to the semaphorin superfamily of signaling proteins, containing three protein families (semaphorins, plexins, c-MET and RON) that have central roles in cell signalin...
Numerical density-to-potential inversions in time-dependent density functional theory

We treat the density-to-potential inverse problem of time-dependent density functional theory as an optimization problem with a partial differential equation constraint. The unknown potential is recovered from a target density by applying a multilevel optimization method controlled by error estimates. We employ a classical optimization routine using gradients efficiently computed by the discrete adjoint method. The inverted potential has both a real and imaginary part to reduce reflections at the boundaries and other numerical artifacts. We demonstrate this method on model one-dimensional systems. The method can be straightforwardly extended to a variety of numerical solvers of the time-dependent Kohn–Sham equations and to systems in higher dimensions.
Simulated IR, Isotropic and Anisotropic Raman, and Vibrational Circular Dichroism Amide I Band Profiles of Stacked β-Sheets

The amide I mode is a highly structure sensitive vibration of polypeptides that gives rise to a very strong band in IR absorption and a moderate band in Raman spectra. Many theoretical simulations of IR-band profiles have been undertaken thus far in order to expand the usability of amide I for the structure analysis of peptides and proteins. These simulations have thus far focused on the IR band profiles and to a limited extent on calculating the corresponding vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) signal. In this paper, we use excitonic coupling theory to simulate the IR, isotropic Raman, anisotropic Raman, and VCD band profiles of amide I of parallel and antiparallel β-sheets as well as of two layers of stacked β-sheets with antiparallel and parallel orientations of the respective sheets. Our calculations reveal anisotropic Raman and to a lesser extent VCD amide I profiles rather than the corresponding IR profile as suitable tools to discriminate between parallel and antiparallel β-sheets. Stacking has a ...
Macroamylasemia Observations on the Nature of the Macroamylase

SummaryObservations on the behavior and nature of the macroamylase found in 12 patients with macroamylasemia lend further support to the earlier suggestion that the macromolecular amylase component...
Regulation of mitochondrial functions by protein phosphorylation and dephosphorylation

The mitochondria are double membrane-bound organelles found in most eukaryotic cells. They generate most of the cell’s energy supply of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Protein phosphorylation and dephosphorylation are critical mechanisms in the regulation of cell signaling networks and are essential for almost all the cellular functions. For many decades, mitochondria were considered autonomous organelles merely functioning to generate energy for cells to survive and proliferate, and were thought to be independent of the cellular signaling networks. Consequently, phosphorylation and dephosphorylation processes of mitochondrial kinases and phosphatases were largely neglected. However, evidence accumulated in recent years on mitochondria-localized kinases/phosphatases has changed this longstanding view. Mitochondria are increasingly recognized as a hub for cell signaling, and many kinases and phosphatases have been reported to localize in mitochondria and play important functions. However, the strength of the evidence on mitochondrial localization and the activities of the reported kinases and phosphatases vary greatly, and the detailed mechanisms on how these kinases/phosphatases translocate to mitochondria, their subsequent function, and the physiological and pathological implications of their localization are still poorly understood. Here, we provide an updated perspective on the recent advancement in this area, with an emphasis on the implications of mitochondrial kinases/phosphatases in cancer and several other diseases.
Abstract P4-08-07: CDCP1 cleavage is necessary for homodimerization-induced migration of triple-negative breast cancer

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a highly aggressive and metastatic form of breast cancer that lacks the estrogen, progesterone, and HER2 receptors and is resistant to targeted and hormone therapies. TNBCs express high levels of the transmembrane glycoprotein, CUB-domain containing protein 1 (CDCP1), which has been correlated with the aggressiveness and poor prognosis of multiple carcinomas. Full-length CDCP1 (flCDCP1) can be proteolytically cleaved, resulting in a cleaved membrane-bound isoform (cCDCP1). CDCP1 is phosphorylated by Src family kinases in its full-length and cleaved states, which is important for its pro-metastatic signaling. We observed that cCDCP1, compared to flCDCP1, induced a dramatic increase in phosphorylation of the migration-associated proteins: PKCδ, ERK1/2, and p38 MAPK in HEK 293T. In addition, only cCDCP1 induced migration of HEK 293T cells and rescued migration of the TNBC cell line, MDA-MB-231, expressing shRNA against CDCP1. Importantly, we found that only cCDCP1 is capable of dimerization, which can be blocked by expression of the extracellular portion of cCDCP1 (ECC), indicating that dimerization occurs through CDCP19s ectodomain. Furthermore, we found that ECC inhibited phosphorylation of PKCδ by Src and migration of TNBC cells, indicating that the cCDCP1 dimer is an important contributor to TNBC aggressiveness. These studies have important implications for development of a therapeutic to block CDCP1 activity and TNBC metastasis. Citation Format: Wright H, Motazedi M, Nelson L, Aulmoli J, Flanagan L, Razorenova O. CDCP1 cleavage is necessary for homodimerization-induced migration of triple-negative breast cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Eighth Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2015 Dec 8-12; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P4-08-07.
Strange Bedfellows: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Ensconced within the Pentagon is the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works). This assistant secretary, who is appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate, has responsibility for overseeing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, including its regulatory program, which annually issues permits for tens of thousands of activities affecting wetlands, the vast majority of which are on private property. Which begs the question: why does a military organization have the authority to dictate to civil-ians—a housing developer, Walmart, even your grandmother—what they can do on their own property?
The Stain of Silence: Nazi Ethics and Bioethics

There is little agreement among scholars of the history of bioethics about where bioethics begins. It is understood that medical ethics long predates bioethics, but medical ethics, whether of the early Greek physicians or of the nineteenth-century physicians and surgeons of Britain and the United States, consists of a code or pro fessional conduct for doctors. Bioethics is far more than that. It is the study of ethical problems in the practice of medicine involving doctors, nurses, other health care pro- fessionals, managers, payers, patients, and researchers. Bioethics’ scope ranges beyond clinical medicine to include moral problems in the life sciences, research, and health economics. More to the point, bioethics involves multidisciplinary reflections on eth- ical problems, not simply the wisdom of the medical profession about how best to practice.
Mrs. Doubtfire Mentoring Program: Helping Children in Residential Care Transition to Bedtime

ABSTRACTAn exploratory qualitative study was conducted for the Mrs. Doubtfire mentoring program designed to connect volunteers with young children (6–11 years) in residential care to help with the bedtime transition and develop positive relationships with caring adults. Details of the program are provided. Positive effects on the agency, staff, volunteers, and children are discussed. Mrs. Doubtfire provides an innovative approach to meeting needs of children in residential care while also building strong community relationships and dedicated volunteers.
Molecular Recognition of Muramyl Dipeptide Occurs in the Leucine-rich Repeat Domain of Nod2.

Genetic mutations in the innate immune receptor nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-containing 2 (Nod2) have demonstrated increased susceptibility to Crohn’s disease, an inflammatory bowel disease that is hypothesized to be accompanied by changes in the gut microbiota. Nod2 responds to the presence of bacteria, specifically a fragment of the bacterial cell wall, muramyl dipeptide (MDP). The proposed site of this interaction is the leucine-rich repeat (LRR) domain. Surface plasmon resonance and molecular modeling were used to investigate the interaction of the LRR domain with MDP. A functional and pure LRR domain was obtained from Escherichia coli expression in high yield. The LRR domain binds to MDP with high affinity, with a KD of 212 ± 24 nM. Critical portions of the receptor were determined by mutagenesis of putative binding residues. Fragment analysis of MDP revealed that both the peptide and carbohydrate portion contribute to the binding interaction.
How Different Operationalizations of Recidivism Impact Conclusions of Effectiveness of Parole Supervision

Objectives:Recidivism reduction is the primary goal of many correctional programs, and “recidivism” is the most prevalent outcome measure in related program evaluation research. Many different operationalizations of recidivism are used without a clear delineation of how these variations may impact conclusions. This study explores how the definitions of recidivism may impact research findings and resultant policy recommendations regarding the efficacy of parole.Methods:Data from prisoners released in 2008 (n = 12,132) to parole or unconditional release are analyzed according to 10 different operationalizations of recidivism. We compare recidivism rates, time to failure, and hazard rates between groups through the presentation of descriptive statistics and the use of multivariate Cox proportional hazards survival models.Results:Our findings indicate that parole supervision could be deemed either effective or ineffective depending on which definition of recidivism is employed. These findings are largely driv...
The North Dakota Man Camp Project: The Archaeology of Home in the Bakken Oil Fields

Over the past three years (2012–2015), the North Dakota Man Camp Project has documented the archaeology of home in over 50 contemporary, short-term, workforce-housing sites in the Bakken oil patch in western North Dakota. This article integrates recent scholarship in global urbanism, archaeology of the contemporary past, and domesticity to argue that the expansion of temporary-workforce housing in the Bakken reflects a global periphery that lacks infrastructure or capital to respond rapidly to the pressures of an increasingly fluid movement of global capital and labor. The position of the Bakken produced short-term housing strategies that embrace both traditions of American domesticity and global trends in informal urbanism. A series of practical acts of architectural intervention straddle the line between the ideals of fixity characteristic of the American suburb and the mobility of recreational vehicles. The archaeological and architectural analysis of the Bakken man camps documents new forms of informal housing and offers a glimpse of the city yet to come.
Analytical Modeling Tool for Design of Hydrocarbon Sensitive Optical Fibers.

Pipelines are the main transportation means for oil and gas products across large distances. Due to the severe conditions they operate in, they are regularly inspected using conventional Pipeline Inspection Gages (PIGs) for corrosion damage. The motivation for researching a real-time distributed monitoring solution arose to mitigate costs and provide a proactive indication of potential failures. Fiber optic sensors with polymer claddings provide a means of detecting contact with hydrocarbons. By coating the fibers with a layer of metal similar in composition to that of the parent pipeline, corrosion of this coating may be detected when the polymer cladding underneath is exposed to the surrounding hydrocarbons contained within the pipeline. A Refractive Index (RI) change occurs in the polymer cladding causing a loss in intensity of a traveling light pulse due to a reduction in the fiber’s modal capacity. Intensity losses may be detected using Optical Time Domain Reflectometry (OTDR) while pinpointing the spatial location of the contact via time delay calculations of the back-scattered pulses. This work presents a theoretical model for the above sensing solution to provide a design tool for the fiber optic cable in the context of hydrocarbon sensing following corrosion of an external metal coating. Results are verified against the experimental data published in the literature.
A Comparison of Spider (Arachnida: Araneae) Diversity from Adjacent Mesic and Xeric Habitats Within the Pocosin Nature Preserve, Pike County, Alabama

Knowledge of Alabama's Araneae fauna is limited, with estimates ranging from 580 to 1000 species within the state. Until now, the most recent surveys were conducted in the 1940s and focused on 3 families. Studies elsewhere indicate that spider diversity is correlated to habitat and plant diversity. Alabama's diversity of ecoregions and flora should therefore support a highly diverse spider fauna. This study focused on spiders inhabiting a xeric upland and a mesic ravine area in Pike County, AL. The xeric area is a fire-maintained Pinus palustris (Longleaf Pine) plantation dominated by herbaceous vegetation. The ravine is relatively undisturbed and is dominated by hardwoods with little herbaceous growth. We employed a variety of techniques to collect a total of 1224 spiders from October 2015 until May 2016. Mature individuals represented 82 species in 24 families. About 16% of these species are new records for Alabama. Over half of the spiders collected were from the xeric area, and 61.0% of all specimens were male. Abundant prey and a varied understory in the xeric area appears to support a more diverse spider fauna compared to that found in the ravine.
Resonance Curves of Multidimensional Chaotic Systems

We study resonance curves of nonlinear dynamical systems with chaotic forcing functions. We use the calculus of variations to determine the forcing function that induces the largest response. We compute the resonant forcing for a set of model systems and determine the response of the dynamical system to each forcing function. We show that the response is largest if the model system matches the dynamical system. We find that the signal to noise ratio is particularly large if one of the Lyapunov exponents is large.
International Disaster Response Law: an introduction.

Objective: To review the current state of International Disaster Response Law (IDRL) and identify barriers to development and future directions. Design: This study is an introduction to the current status of IDRL. Conclusions: The data suggest that globally we will have increasing incidents and costs in responding to disasters, but the development of IDRL has not kept pace. The further development and refining of IDRL is imperative on a global scale. Additional barriers to the continued development of IDRL will have to be overcome. Global international stakeholders will need to develop mechanisms to promote the advancement of IDRL while minimizing the barriers to effective preparedness and response to global international disasters.
Entitlements, Payees, and Coercion

The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) programs provide financial support to persons who meet income or other eligibility criteria.1 If a person who qualifies for payment under either entitlement program is unable to manage funds or does not maintain a permanent mailing address, an individual or organization is appointed “payee” to receive monthly benefits on the person’s behalf (Social Security Act, 1935).
Constitutional Kabuki: Fidelity and Opportunism in the Foreign Law Debate

This essay, part of a symposium on the use of foreign cases in domestic adjudication, explores the reasons the Supreme Court’s occasional citation of foreign cases has spawned vociferous opposition from some judges, politicians, and commentators. The essay offers a brief taxonomy of the jurisprudential criticisms lodged against the practice, observes that they have been deployed selectively, and concludes that the opportunistic use of these criticisms may demonstrate that they are often deployed as stand-ins for a different and more political concern - namely, how the United States should respond to a new global culture that deems national law subordinate to universal human rights norms.
A physicist's final reflections

In a posthumously published new tome, Brief Answers to the Big Questions , the late Stephen Hawking offers concise insights into the future of artificial intelligence, the nature of black holes, the implications of climate change, and more of humanity9s most enduring questions.
Numerical simulations of the night 2 data of the 1980 ASCOT experiments in the California Geysers area

A three-dimensional, time dependent hydrodynamic primitive equation model was used to simulate the distribution of nocturnal drainage winds, temperature, and turbulence in the California Geysers area. The case studied here (night 2) was under the condition that the ambient airflow was easterly and the direction of main drainage flow was westerly, The computed depth of drainage flow was less than 50 m at the ridge, and increased to 200 m at the valley, which agreed well with the observation. The computed wind speed at the ridge was smaller than the observation, but it agreed well at the valley site, Vertical wind variances measured by a doppler sodar indicated relatively large turbulence despite the fact that stable density stratification dominated throughout the night. The computed vertical wind variances were also larger than those observed over flat terrain, but smaller than the values recorded by the doppler sodar.
How do Humans Interact with Chatbots?: An Analysis of Transcripts

Chatbots enable machines to emulate human conversation, and recent developments have resulted in many online systems for the public to use. Although a few studies have investigated how humans interact with such programs, we are not aware of any that have analyzed transcripts in depth. In this study, students interacted with two Web-based chatbots, Rose and Mitsuku, for five minutes and evaluated how well they thought the software emulated human conversation. We reviewed the transcripts and found that students used fairly simple language and made many text errors. There were no significant differences between the two systems in our experimental measures, but we found that Rose tended to change the topic more often and Mitsuku seemed more argumentative.
Mapping the nonlinear crack tip deformation field in soft elastomer with a particle tracking method

Abstract Stretchable and fracture-resistant elastomers or gels are highly desirable in a wide range of existing and emerging applications. Fracture of soft materials, especially the ones with significantly enhanced toughness, typically involves severe deformation near the crack tip. However, experimental characterization of the crack tip deformation field in soft materials has been challenging due to its highly non-uniform and nonlinear nature. This is an important limitation towards a complete understanding of the intricate mechanics involved in soft material fracture. In this paper we present experimental data of the nonlinear, multiaxial crack tip deformation field obtained by tracking randomly distributed tracer particles. Specifically, we measured the fields of displacement and deformation gradient around the tip of a Mode-I crack in a soft silicone elastomer. We experimentally observed, for the first time, a region of validity for the asymptotic solution of crack tip deformation field in hyperelastic solids with strong strain stiffening. Furthermore, the measured crack tip deformation field enables local evaluation of energy release rate through the J-integral, which can remove the requirement of specific experimental geometries, such as the pure shear fracture test, to measure the fracture toughness. It also enables determination of the true crack extension length defined in the reference configuration. Based on these two capabilities, we were able to measure the crack growth resistance behavior and the rate-dependence of fracture toughness for soft materials with highly blunted cracks.
Affective ecologies, adaptive management and restoration efforts in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta

In this article, we describe ecological recovery efforts – restoration – as a crucial component of strategic delta planning. We present restoration as a design process at once biogeophysical and te...
Hydration and Dispersion Forces in Hydroxypropylcellulose Phase Behavior.

Many-body polarization and hydration forces can strongly affect the equilibrium structure and energetics of mixed phases. Accurately reproducing both forces presents a challenge to force field models because it requires balancing hydrogen bonding at short range with many-body orientational order and dispersive attraction at long range. This work reports the first comparison of experimental measurements of the pressure–area isotherm for hydroxypropylcellulose (HPC) against molecular dynamics results with four different force field models—united-atom, all-atom (OPLS and CHARMM), and Drude oscillator models. All force fields exhibit the experimentally determined, exponentially shaped repulsive force at short range. Above a critical temperature of about 40 °C and a lattice spacing of around 14 A, HPC experiments show a reversible, heat-induced polymer aggregation into an ordered phase driven by loss of water. The nonpolarizable force fields do not display the critical point and instead show biphasic behavior ...
Bluegill Picornavirus isolated from a mortality event involving Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) in the upper Mississippi River

A mortality event involving an estimated 1,000 adult bluegills (Lepomis macrochirus) was observed in an ice-covered backwater lake of the upper Mississippi River near Alma, Wisconsin, in December of 2017. Macroscopic signs of disease included abdominal distension due to fluid accumulation within the internal organs as well as external and internal haemorrhaging. Histological evaluation revealed chronic peritonitis with peritoneal adhesions in all fish examined. Kidney, spleen and ascites fluid samples were collected from diseased bluegills and examined for the presence of pathogens. Bluegill picornavirus (BGPV) was isolated using tissue cell culture methods utilizing a recently developed, uncharacterized bluegill fry cell line (BF-4), and the presence of this virus was confirmed through molecular identification. The current geographic range, known susceptible hosts as well as historical epizootics associated with BPGV is discussed. The ability of BGPV to cause significant mortality in wild fish further emphasizes the importance of monitoring both wild and hatchery populations for this pathogen.
Data Privacy and Academic Libraries: Non-PII, PII, and Librarians’ Reflections (Part 1)

AbstractIn this editorial, we discuss the benefits and challenges of working with library data that contains non-Personally Identifiable Information. Despite not containing identifiable information...
Proximity of the Carotid Bifurcation to the Laryngeal Prominence: Results of a Cadaver Study and Recommendations for Safe Pulse Palpation.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE The carotid bifurcation (CB) is the location of the carotid sinus and the baroreceptors and is also a major site for atherosclerotic plaque formation. Health care providers have therefore been cautioned to avoid the CB during carotid pulse palpation (CPP) to prevent triggering the baroreflex, occluding an artery, or propagating a thrombus. Potential risks of adverse events during CPP may be greater for older adults due to age-related vascular changes and increased risk of baroreceptor hypersensitivity. The exact location of the CB relative to easily identifiable landmarks has, however, not been well-studied. The purpose of this descriptive study was to identify the location of the CB relative to key landmarks in a cadaver sample and to make recommendations allowing clinicians to avoid the CB during CPP. METHODS The CB and other regional landmarks in 17 male and 20 female cadavers were exposed by dissection and pins were placed at all landmarks. Digital calipers were then used to measure the distance between the CB and all landmarks. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The mean vertical distance from the laryngeal prominence (LP) to the CB was 25.14 mm for females and 36.13 mm for males. No CBs were located below the LP. Ninety-four percent of female CBs and 100% of male CBs were located above the LP, and 74% of female subjects and 87% of male subjects had CBs greater than 20.00 mm superior to the LP. No clinically relevant relationships were found between the CB and any of the other measured landmarks. CONCLUSIONS Based on this cadaver sample, CPP below the level of the LP in a supine individual would be unlikely to compress the CB and thus unlikely to trigger the baroreflex or occlude the region of greatest atherosclerotic buildup. If a pulse is not palpable below the LP, moving vertically up to 1 cm above the LP in a supine individual would be likely to compress the CB in only a small number of cases.
Exploring Tuning Strategies for Quantum Chemistry Computations

Effective execution of applications using a parallel computing environment that share resources such as network bandwidth, I/O and main memory require that some sort of adaptive mechanism be put in place, which will enable efficient usage of these resources. The adaptation adjusts the most computationally intensive part of the application thus leading to an efficient execution. General atomic and molecular electronic structure system (GAMESS), used for ab-initio molecular quantum chemistry calculations, uses NICAN for dynamically making adaptations so as to improve the application performance in heavy load conditions. The adaptation mechanism uses the iteration time of each Self Consistent Field (SCF) iteration to make a decision. The advantage of such a mechanism is the ability to modify the application execution in a very simplistic yet effective manner. In this work, we have explored methods to expand this adaptation mechanism by analyzing the GAMESS performance through the use of fine-grained data.
Federal Assistance for Mosquito Abatement Postdisaster or During Disease Outbreaks.

ABSTRACT When a disease outbreak occurs or there is increased threat for a disease outbreak to occur following a flooding disaster, it is important for government officials and mosquito abatement p...
Comparison of Deep Sedation and General Anesthesia With an Endotracheal Tube for Transcaval Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: A Pioneering Institution's Experience.

Objectives Transcaval transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TC-TAVR) is an alternative approach to transcatheter aortic valve replacement involving deployment of the bioprosthetic valve via a conduit created from the inferior vena cava to the descending aorta in patients for whom the traditional transfemoral approach is not feasible. By analyzing the largest known cohort of TC-TAVR patients, the authors wished to compare hospital length of stay and post-procedure outcomes between patients who underwent the procedure under deep sedation (DS) and patients who underwent general anesthesia with an endotracheal tube. Design Retrospective, single-center study. Setting Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, MI. Participants Patients undergoing TC-TAVR from 2015 to 2018. Measurements and Main Results Seventy-nine patients were included in the analysis, which consisted of 38 under general anesthesia with an endotracheal tube and 41 under DS. The sample was divided into a general anesthesia (GA) group and DS group. There were no significant differences in implant success rate or post-procedure outcomes, including in-hospital mortality (p = 0.999) and major vascular complication rate (p = 0.481), between the two groups. Patients in the GA group stayed a median of 24 hours longer in the intensive care unit (ICU) (p Conclusions Patients undergoing TC-TAVR under DS had similar postoperative outcomes and shorter post-procedure hospital and ICU lengths of stay compared to general anesthesia. In the authors’ experience, DS is the preferred anesthetic technique for TC-TAVR.
Judicial Independence in Civil Law Regimes: Econometrics from Japan

Because civil-law systems hire unproven jurists into career judiciaries, many maintain elaborate incentive structures to prevent their judges from shirking. We use personnel data (backgrounds, judicial decisions, job postings) on 275 Japanese judges to explore general determinants of career success and to test how extensively politicians manipulate career incentives for political ends. We find strong evidence that the judicial system rewards the smartest and most productive judges. Contrary to some observers, we find no evidence of on-going school cliques, and no evidence that the system favors judges who mediate over those who adjudicate. More controversially, we locate three politically driven phenomena. First, even as late as the 1980's, judges who joined a prominent leftist organization in the 1960's were receiving less attractive jobs. Second, judges who decided a high percentage of cases against the government early in their careers were still receiving less attractive jobs than their peers in the 1980s. Finally, whenever a judge decided a case against the government, he incurred a significant risk that the government would soon punish him with a less attractive post.
UPLC-MS/MS analysis of the Michaelis-Menten kinetics of CYP3A-mediated midazolam 1'- and 4-hydroxylation in rat brain microsomes.

Abstract Midazolam (MDZ) is a short-acting benzodiazepine with rapid onset of action, which is metabolized by CYP3A isoenzymes to two hydroxylated metabolites, 1′-hydroxymidazolam and 4-hydroxymidazolam. The drug is also commonly used as a marker of CYP3A activity in the liver microsomes. However, the kinetics of CYP3A-mediated hydroxylation of MDZ in the brain, which contains much lower CYP content than the liver, have not been reported. In this study, UPLC-MS/MS and metabolic incubation methods were developed and validated for simultaneous measurement of low concentrations of both hydroxylated metabolites of MDZ in brain microsomes. Different concentrations of MDZ (1–500 µM) were incubated with rat brain microsomes (6.25 µg) and NADPH over a period of 10 min. After precipitation of the microsomal proteins with acetonitrile, which contained individual isotope-labeled internal standards for each metabolite, the analytes were separated on a C18 UPLC column and detected by a tandem mass spectrometer. Accurate quantitation of MDZ metabolism in the brain microsomes presented several challenges unique to this tissue, which were resolved. The optimized method showed validation results in accordance with the FDA acceptance criteria, with a linearity ranging from 1 to 100 nM and a lower limit of quantitation of 0.4 pg on the column for each of the two metabolites. The method was successfully used to determine the Michaelis-Menten (MM) kinetics of MDZ 1′- and 4-hydroxylase activities in rat brain microsomes (n = 5) for the first time. The 4-hydroxylated metabolite had 2.4 fold higher maximum velocity (p
Evaluation of Machine Learning Based Nowcasting Between Storms Over Different Geographical Regions

Nowcasting plays an important role in issuing warnings about hazardous weather. Traditional nowcasting methods are implemented by solving flow equation. Nowcasting using Collaborative Adaptive Sensing of the Atmosphere (CASA) radar network has provided useful nowcast. In recent years, machine learning approach has been studied to supplement the traditional nowcasting methods. This paper examines nowcasting using machine learning method in high plain area (Denver) and southern plain area (Dallas Forth Worth). We compare the performance and evaluate the performance of machine learning method in different climatic regions. The machine learning model structures are pure convolution layer and combination of convolution and recurrent layers.
Genetics of Human Obesity

Most human obesity is due to multiple susceptibility genes interacting in complex ways with each other and with environmental factors. It is estimated that 40–70% of the within-population variation in obesity is due to genetic variation, although genes identified to date explain less than 10% of that heritability. Monogenic (single-gene) obesity, whether uncomplicated or associated with genetic syndromes, is rare. Nevertheless, much of what is known about the genetics of human obesity comes from studies of monogenic obesity in both humans and mice. Nine genes known to cause monogenic obesity in humans are components of the hypothalamic leptin–melanocortin pathway that functions to control whole body energy balance. Certain mutations in the genes of the leptin–melanocortin pathway, most commonly the melanocortin 4 receptor, are also found to contribute to common, multigenic obesity. The function of the recently discovered fat mass and obesity-associated gene is unknown, although it is significantly associated with multigenic obesity in many populations. Syndromic obesities can be identified by a wide spectrum of characteristic phenotypes and by cytogenetics assays. Monogenic, nonsyndromic obesities are more difficult to diagnose. There are no clinical assays for these mutations, and the only diagnostic tools are for endocrine abnormalities. Patients with monogenic obesity will likely be more difficult to treat than those with multigenic obesity. Gastric bypass surgery may be less effective in patients with a high obesity allele burden. Drugs targeted at components of the leptin–melanocortin pathway may one day offer more effective treatments to all obese patients.
Use of lecithin/sphingomyelin ratio in the management of the problem obstetric patient

Abstract Visual lecithin/sphingomyelin (L/S) ratios were determined on 96 problem obstetric cases with 97 fetuses. General categories included premature rupture of membranes, hypertensive disorders, repeat cesarean sections, diabetes, and others, including third trimester bleeding. Molar L/S ratios were also determined in 57 cases. These findings were evaluated as to their predictive value in respiratory status of the newborn. Good correlation was noted between visually mature L/S and respiratory function.
Clinical Experiments with Diethylstilbestrol

Abstract 1. 1. Zuckerman's experimental data on the production of artificial menstrual cycles and a fluctuating uterine threshold to estrone in the monkey are reviewed. 2. 2. Artificial menstrual cycles (diethylstilbestrol withdrawal bleeding) were induced by cyclical diethylstilbestrol therapy in 4 patients with primary amenorrhea and in 4 postmenopausal women. 3. 3. Forty-two milligrams were found to be an optimum oral dose of diethylstilbestrol which in fourteen days would produce a normal degree of endometrial proliferation and would be followed by uterine bleeding. 4. 4. Seventy milligrams of diethylstilbestrol by mouth in fourteen days produced a slight degree of cystic glandular hyperplasia of the endometrium. 5. 5. The consistency of the latent interval that precedes withdrawal bleeding in the group of primary and postmenopausal amenorrheic patients, regardless of variation in dosage and manner of administration, leads one to believe that a fluctuating uterine threshold to estrogen may not be a factor with which to be concerned as it will be shown to be in patients with uterine bleeding (Palmer2), and as it is known to be in the ovariectomized monkey.
A Control Parameterization Approach for Linear Quadratic Systems

This paper develops a control parameterization approach for determining the (near) optimal trajectories of linear time-invariant systems with quadratic performance indices. In solving the linear quadratic (LQ) problem for time-invariant systems each control variable is represented by a set of approximating functions with unknown coefficients. This converts the LQ problem into an unconstrained quadratic programming problem which can be solved for the (near) optimal control parameter values (i.e., the unknown coefficients) by solving a system of linear algebraic equations. As verified by simulation studies, the control parameterization approach is particularly efficient when applied to minimum energy problems and to problems with significantly fewer control variable than state variables.