cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modeling walker/terrain interaction to achieve reliable, autonomous walking control

Walking robots are inherently complex locomotors vis-a-vis their tracked and wheeled counterparts, yet they retain advantages in their ability to traverse difficult terrain. However, this advantage may only be realized through the development of methods which allow the robot to traverse such terrain safely and reliably. Methods and insights on how to achieve this for statically-stable walking robot are presented. These methods should be used for both planning and control of autonomous walking robots in order that reliable walking is achieved. >
Cerebral vascular findings in PAPA syndrome: cerebral arterial vasculopathy or vasculitis and a posterior cerebral artery dissecting aneurysm

A young patient with PAPA (pyogenic arthritis, pyoderma gangrenosum, and acne) syndrome developed an unusual cerebral arterial vasculopathy/vasculitis (CAV) that resulted in subarachnoid hemorrhage from a ruptured dissecting posterior cerebral artery (PCA) aneurysm. This aneurysm was successfully treated by endovascular coil sacrifice of the affected segment of the PCA. The patient made an excellent recovery with no significant residual neurologic deficit.
Investigation of leukemia cells from children with common acute lymphoblastic leukemia for genomic sequences of the primate polyomaviruses JC virus, BK virus, and simian virus 40.

Background. An infectious etiology for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) has long been suspected, although the characteristics of the putative childhood ALL-inducing agent(s) remain a mystery. We describe the testing of ALL leukemia cells for the presence of DNA sequences of the polyomavirus family: JC virus, BK virus, and simian virus 40 (SV40). Procedure. Cryopreserved leukemia cells from 25 children between 2 and 5 years of age at the time of diagnosis and classified as having common ALL (B-precursor ALL expressing the CD19 and CD10 surface antigens) were tested for the presence of polyomavirus sequences using standard PCR methods. Results. Human β-globin gene sequences were detected in 22 of 25 leukemia specimens. However, polyomavirus sequences were not detected in any of the 22 specimens with amplifiable DNA. Conclusions. The inability to detect JC virus, BK virus, and SV40 virus DNA sequences in any of the 22 specimens with amplifiable DNA suggests that that these members of the polyomavirus family are unlikely to be causally associated with most childhood ALL.
Fascicular conduction disturbances after coronary bypass surgery

Two hundred patients undergoing coronary bypass graft surgery were studied to determine the frequency and significance of new fascicular conduction disturbances. The follow-up period ranged from 13 to 39 months. New disturbances developed in 39 patients (20 percent). Isolated right bundle branch block (6 percent) and left anterior hemiblock (6 percent) were the most common disturbances. Right bundle branch block was usually transient and was not associated with further complications in the follow-up period. However, patients with either transient or persistent left bundle branch block or left anterior hemiblock, or both, had (1) increased late mortality compared with patients without new fascicular conduction disturbances (5 of 26 versus 11 of 161; P < 0.02), and (2) increased late myocardial infarction (2 of 26 versus 2 of 161; P < 0.05). New left fascicular conduction disturbances after coronary surgery identified a subset of patients with more extensive ischemic heart disease, suggesting that these patients require close follow-up care.
Up-Regulation of Carbonic Anhydrase Isozyme IV in CNS Myelin of Mice Genetically Deficient in Carbonic Anhydrase II

: Carbonic anhydrase (CA) II is the major CA isozyme in the brain, where it participates in acid-base homeostasis, fluid transport, and myelin synthesis. The CA II deficiency [CA(II)D] mutation in the mouse results in structural changes in the glial cells in the CNS and in decreased susceptibility to seizures, but no detectable changes in myelin yield and ultrastructure. We compared the CA isozymes in brain and spinal cord fractions, as well as in purified myelin, between CA(II)D and control mice. CA(II)D resulted in a much lower total CA specific activity in all tissues examined but in higher CA IV specific activities in soluble and membrane-associated fractions and pure myelin. Western blots of purified myelin showed a band corresponding to CA IV in CA(II)D mice. This band was weak or undetectable in myelin samples from normal mice. Immunocytochemical staining demonstrated CA IV in oligodendrocytes and myelinated tracts in normal mouse brains and stronger staining of the same structures in brains of CA(II)D mutants. We conclude that CA(II)D mutation in the mouse up-regulates CNS CA IV. We speculate that this up-regulation could mitigate the effect of CA(II)D on myelin formation and maintenance.
Without the Light of Evolution: A Case Study of Resistance and Avoidance in Learning to Teach High School Biology

We present the case of Michael, a prospective high school biology teacher, to explore the implications of teacher resistance and avoidance to the topic of evolution. This case is drawn from a year-long qualitative research study that examined Michael's process of learning to teach high school biology and describes how his avoidance of evolution in his own education led to further disengagement with evolution in his methods coursework and in his student teaching practice. Paradoxically, his high academic abilities obscured substantive knowledge gaps about evolution, and his content knowledge regarding evolution did not appear to improve as a result of his student teaching experience. Kohl's concept of “not-learning” is useful in understanding Michael's avoidance of learning evolution. His use of the discourse of evolution in coursework and in student teaching activities also helped to obscure his opposition to learning evolution. We present an argument that proficiency for teaching biology means not only tolerating evolution as a topic to be covered in class but also advocating for evolution as a foundational theme in the discipline. This research has implications for both the admissions process and curriculum of biology teacher preparation programs.
Role of Buprenorphine in the Management of Heroin Addiction

Objective:To review buprenorphine and explore its role in the treatment of heroin dependence.Data Sources:Articles were identified through a search of MEDLINE (1966–February 2005) using the key terms buprenorphine, heroin, opioid, addiction, and methadone.Data Synthesis:Buprenorphine appears to provide potential advantages over methadone. Two Cochrane meta-analyses were evaluated on the use of buprenorphine in opioid dependence—one in the management of opioid dependence and the other in the management of opioid withdrawal.Conclusions:Buprenorphine offers several advantages for the treatment of heroin addiction. As maintenance treatment, buprenorphine is effective, but not more effective than methadone. In the management of opioid withdrawal, buprenorphine may be better tolerated than clonidine or methadone.
Two hands are better than one: Assisting users with multi-robot manipulation tasks

Multi-robot manipulation, where two or more robots cooperatively grasp and move objects, is extremely challenging due to the necessity of tightly coupled temporal coordination between the robots. Unfortunately, introducing a human operator does not necessarily ameliorate performance due to the complexity of teleoperating mobile robots with high degrees of freedom. The human operator's attention is divided not only among multiple robots but also between controlling a robot arm and its mobile base. This complexity substantially increases the potential neglect time, since the operator's inability to effectively attend to each robot during a critical phase of the task leads to a significant degradation in task performance. In this paper, we propose an approach for semi-autonomously performing multi-robot manipulation tasks and demonstrate how our user interface reduces both task completion time and the number of dropped items over a fully teleoperated robotic system. Propagating the user's commands from the actively-controlled robot to the neglected robot allows the neglected robot to leverage this control information and position itself effectively without direct human supervision.
Experimental and crystal chemical study of the basalt–eclogite transition in Mars and implications for martian magmatism

Abstract This paper represents the start of a campaign to identify possible source regions for pyroxene-phyric “enriched” and “depleted” martian basalts using high pressure studies on martian meteorite compositions that represent liquids or near liquids. Our first experiments focus upon mineralogical and crystal chemical aspects of the basalt–eclogite transformation on Mars. It is anticipated that like Earth, eclogites are not the dominant upper mantle assemblage. However, like Earth they may be important hosts for P, Cl, F, OH, Ti, REE, Sr, Y, high-field-strength elements, Hf, and Zr in the upper mantle. This initial experimental study evaluates the major and trace element crystal chemistry of potential martian eclogite assemblages using a martian melt composition (QUE 94201). This composition is appropriate for this study because it is evolved, so it is pyroxene-phyric, contains abundant phosphate, which is important for storage of REE, and is very well studied. In the high pressure experiments, garnet and omphacitic pyroxene are the dominant phases. The garnet has a compositional range from Al 56.9 Gr + An 24.6 Py 18.5 to Al 41.5 Gr + An 28.1 Py 30.4 to Al 40.3 Gr + An 22.6 Py 37.1 (where Al = almandine, Gr+An = grossular + andradite, and Py = Pyrope) and the pyroxene has jadeite and acmite components of up to 26.0 and 9.9%, respectively. The garnet is enriched in REE over omphacite; this is especially true for the HREE which likely remain sequestered in residual garnet during melting. This observation suggests that garnet may play a key role in producing the relatively flat REE patterns of enriched martian basalts. The prime substitution couple that incorporates REE into garnet is: REE 3+ X Site + Mg 2+ Y Site ↔ R 2+ X Site + Al 3+ Y Site , where R 2+ = Ca, Mn 2+ , Fe 2+ , and Mg. This is a very effective couple that accounts for both charge balance and ionic size restrictions in individual sites. The prime substitution couple that incorporates REE into omphacite is: REE 3+ M2 Site + Na 1+ M2 Site for 2 Ca 2+ M2 Site . This is a less effective couple than that for garnet because Na is pulled in two directions in omphacite; it must balance the Al in the M1 site in the jadeite component and it also has to provide a charge deficiency for each REE 3+ cation in the M2 site. The potential for the presence of eclogite in the martian mantle, has implications for bulk trace element partitioning differences between eclogite and peridotite assemblages that are closely linked to garnet and pyroxene compositions. Further, the occurrence of eclogites may have implications for the capability of the martian mantle to produce magmas, and the major element composition of those magmas.
The clinical use of botulinum toxin

The interest in botulinum toxin and its many uses In addition to its previously noted off-label coshas increased exponentially in recent years; especially since the approval of Botox Cosmetic for the treatment of glabellar lines. In fact, Botox, which was virtually unheard of to many just 5 years ago, has become a household name. This increased popularity has been a truly amazing process to behold. Facial wrinkles are frequently caused by repeated muscle contraction. Botulinum A exotoxin can produce weakness or paralysis of these muscles and offers a novel approach for the treatment of certain facial rhytides. The disappearance of wrinkles through the paralysis of these muscles, although temporary, is extremely popular with both patients and physicians. There is a very low incidence of side effects and it is a relatively easy technique to acquire. For these reasons, botulinum toxin A has gained rapid and enthusiastic acceptance. Experience since the worldwide approval of the first therapeutic botulinum-neurotoxin based product in 1989, Botox, has shown that this therapeutic agent is safe and effective for numerous indications, including movement disorders. Subsequently, another botulinum toxin type A complex, Dysport, was approved in the United Kingdom in 1991, but is not currently available in the United States. There is also a type B complex preparation, Myobloc, which is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for cervical dystonia patients.
Boson pair production and triple gauge couplings

Abstract The DO and CDF Collaborations measure boson pair production including W γ, WW , WZ , ZZ and Z γ production in pp W γ, WW , and Z γ production cross sections and limits on non-Standard Model triple gauge boson couplings. The limits on anomalous WW γ, WWZ , Z γγ and ZZ γ couplings are the most restrictive available. Prospects for Run II are discussed.
Near-Wall μ-PIV Reveals a Hydrodynamically Relevant Endothelial Surface Layer in Venules In Vivo

High-resolution near-wall fluorescent microparticle image velocimetry (μ-PIV) was used in mouse cremaster muscle venules in vivo to measure velocity profiles in the red cell-depleted plasma layer near the endothelial lining. μ-PIV data of the instantaneous translational speeds and radial positions of fluorescently labeled microspheres (0.47 μm) in an optical section through the midsagittal plane of each vessel were used to determine fluid particle translational speeds. Regression of a linear velocity distribution based on near-wall fluid-particle speeds consistently revealed a negative intercept when extrapolated to the vessel wall. Based on a detailed three-dimensional analysis of the local fluid dynamics, we estimate a mean effective thickness of ∼0.33 μm for an impermeable endothelial surface layer or ∼0.44 μm assuming the lowest hydraulic resistivity of the layer that is consistent with the observed particle motions. The extent of plasma flow retardation through the layer required to be consistent with our μ-PIV data results in near complete attenuation of fluid shear stress on the endothelial-cell surface. These findings confirm the presence of a hydrodynamically effective endothelial surface layer, and emphasize the need to revise previous concepts of leukocyte adhesion, stress transmission to vascular endothelium, permeability, and mechanotransduction mechanisms.
Brood pheromone regulates foraging activity of honey bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae).

Brood pheromone modulated the foraging behavior of commercial honey bee, Apis mellifera L., colonies pollinating a 10-ha market garden of cucumber, Cucurbita pepo L., and zucchini, Cucumis sativus L., in Texas in late autumn. Six colonies were randomly selected to receive 2,000 larval equivalents of brood pheromone and six received a blank control. The ratio of pollen to nonpollen foragers entering colonies was significantly greater in pheromone-treated colonies 1 h after treatment. Pheromone-treated foragers returned with pollen load weights that were significantly heavier than controls. Pollen returned by pheromone-treated foragers was 43% more likely to originate from the target crop. Number of pollen grains washed from the bodies of nonpollen foragers from pheromone-treated colonies was significantly greater than controls and the pollen was 54% more likely to originate from the target crop. Increasing the foraging stimulus environment with brood pheromone increased colony-level foraging and individual forager efforts. Brood pheromone is a promising technology for increasing the pollination activity and efficiency of commercial honey bee colonies.
Privacy, Intellectual Property, and Hacking: Evaluating Free Access Arguments

Before considering the hacking and “free-access” position, I will present several arguments in support of privacy and intellectual property. If these arguments are compelling, then a moral presumption in favor of controlling personal information and intangible works will have been established. Next three arguments typically given by hackers and those who champion the “free-access” view will be considered. After a presentation and analysis, I will argue that the hacker position about information access and control is not strong enough to override the moral presumptions in favor of intellectual property and privacy – “information should not be free.”
Development Time of Heliothis virescens in Relation to Constant Temperature

The development of the different stages of the tobacco budworm, Heliothis virescens (F.), was determined at different temperatures. Larval development was similar on 3 diets. Times of the stages were similar to those observed by other workers. Regression equations provide a good estimate of the duration of the egg, larval, and pupal stages at temperatures ranging from 11.1–34°C.
What Stands in the Way of Making Hepatitis B and C Rare Diseases in the United States

Highlighting recent findings of a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report, this commentary addresses the feasibility of eliminating hepatitis B and C viruses in the United ...
Interdiffusion Microstructure Map Topology

When two alloys are placed in contact to form a diffusion couple, the microstructure that forms on heating is a function of alloy composition. This function can be illustrated on a phase diagram as an “Interdiffusion Microstructure Map” (IMM). An IMM was determined in the present work for Ni-Cr-Al diffusion couples at 1200°C. The couples consisted of one γ+γ' alloy bonded to a number of γ+β alloys. The IMM contained five fields corresponding to five different microstructures. The fields met at a five-line node, giving the map an unexpected topology. The IMM topology was deduced by considering the transition microstructures and kinetic equations that lead to the formation of interdiffusion microstructures.
Polyelectrolytes in Salt Solutions: Molecular Dynamics Simulations

We present results of the molecular dynamics simulations of salt solutions of polyelectrolyte chains with number of monomers N = 300. Polyelectrolyte solutions are modeled as an ensemble of bead–spring chains of charged Lennard-Jones particles with explicit counterions and salt ions. Our simulations show that in dilute and semidilute polyelectrolyte solutions the electrostatic induced chain persistence length scales with the solution ionic strength as I–1/2. This dependence of the chain persistence length is due to counterion condensation on the polymer backbone. In dilute polyelectrolyte solutions the chain size decreases with increasing the salt concentration as R ∝ I–1/5. This is in agreement with the scaling of the chain persistence length on the solution ionic strength, lp ∝ I–1/2. In semidilute solution regime at low salt concentrations the chain size decreases with increasing polymer concentration, R ∝ cp–1/4, while at high salt concentrations we observed a weaker dependence of the chain size on th...
Analysis of detection of bacterial food poisoning and probe on relational problem from 2008 to 2010 in Tianjin

Objective:To analyze 17 incidents of pathogenic bacterium cause of food poisoning and in Tianjin city during 2008-2010 and understand the occurrence rule,in order to provide technical support for handling the food poisoning issues quickly.Methods: According to the bacterial food poisoning occurred in Tianjin during 2008-2010,to analyze the pathogen diagnosed by laboratory.Results: In three years,a total of 17 incidents of bacterial food poisoning with 734 cases occurred and the quarter of third is peak of food poisoning accounting for 70.59% in TianJin.The distribution site of food poisoning were public food services of students and enterorises,both accounting for 35.29% repectively and secondly is box_rice of fast food company accounting for 23.53%.Conclusion: The vibrio parahaemolyticus is the main pathogenic bacterium in bacterial food poisoning with the detection rate of 41.18% in total bacterial food poisoning incidents in Tianjin,which should be paid more attention by the government.
Epidemiological Analysis of Measles in Taiqian County during 2005—2007

[Objective]To understand the incidence of measles in Taiqian County during 2005—2007, identify the causes, so as to guide future work of measles controls. [Methods]Measles cases in Taiqian County were analyzed by epidemiology. [Results] 112 cases were reported in Taiqian County during 2005—2007, the annual incidence was10.28/100 000, with no death case. Most cases were children aged 0 ~ 9 years, accounted for 79.46%; 8.93% cases had no vaccination; immunization for 1 medicinal preparation accounted for 45.54%, immunization≥ 2 medicinal preparation accounted for 14.29%, 19.64% with unknown immunization history; the sex ratio of male to female was 1.87∶1; there were 3 outbreaks in Taiqian County during 2005—2007,with 40 cases( 35.71% of total cases). [Conclusion]The primary cause of high incidence of measles in Taiqian County during 2005—2007 relates with the low measles vaccine vaccination coverage, the low measles vaccine immunity success rate and the untimely measles vaccine multiple cropping.
An Accelerated Nearest Neighbor Search Method for the K-Means Clustering Algorithm

K-means is undoubtedly the most widely used partitional clustering algorithm. Unfortunately, the nearest neighbor search step of this algorithm can be computationally expensive, as the distance between each input vector and all cluster centers need to be calculated. To accelerate this step, a computationally inexpensive distance estimation method can be tried first, resulting in the rejection of candidate centers that cannot possibly be the nearest center to the input vector under consideration. This way, the computational requirements of the search can be reduced as most of the full distance computations become unnecessary. In this paper, a fast nearest neighbor search method that rejects impossible centers to accelerate the k-means clustering algorithm is presented. Our method uses geometrical relations among the input vectors and the cluster centers to reject many unlikely centers that are not typically rejected by similar approaches. Experimental results show that the method can reduce the number of distance computations significantly without degrading the clustering accuracy.
Preparation and Spectroscopic Characterization of the Series of Mixed-Ligand Complexes Mo2Xn(mhp)4-n(PR3)n (X: Cl, Br; PR3: PMePh2, PMe2Ph, PEt3; mhp: Anion of 2-Hydroxy-6-methylpyridine; n = 1-3).

The compounds (III) are easily obtained either by the direct reaction between (I) and the ligand (II) or by a ligand redistribution reaction between (I) and (IV) in toluene.
Introduction to the techniques of molecular biology.

The purpose of this chapter is to outline some of the common recombinant DNA methods in use today. These techniques are usually employed to isolate a defined portion of the genome, mostly a gene, from an organism or tissue of interest and, thereafter, to characterize the structure and function of this genetic material. To isolate a gene, genomic DNA is extracted from a selected tissue. For a better handling the relatively large DNA molecules are cut into a mixture of fragments by restriction endonucleases. The fragments are then separated from each other according to their size by gel electrophoresis. A procedure called Southern blotting is used to verify the presence of the desired gene in one of the DNA fragments separated on an agarose gel. The DNA fragments are transferred from the gel to a filter whereby the original fragment pattern is maintained. Then, a single-stranded DNA or RNA probe specific for the gene to be isolated is hybridized to its target fragments fixed to the filter. A radioactive or fluorescent tag is attached to the probe for subsequent identification. In cases where only transcribed sequences are to be isolated cytoplasmic messenger RNA (mRNA) is prepared instead of DNA. Analysis of RNA by a technique similar to Southern blotting is termed Northern blotting. Preservation of DNA sequences is usually achieved by DNA cloning. DNA cloning involves the insertion of a DNA fragment into a DNA vector and the stable incorporation of the recombinant DNA into a suitable host. Propagation of the host facilitates the amplification of the recombinant DNA for subsequent analysis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Control of intracellular pH during regulatory volume decrease in HL-60 cells

Intracellular pH (pHi) homeostasis was investigated in human promyelocytic leukemic HL-60 cells as they undergo regulatory volume decrease (RVD) in hypotonic media to determine how well pHi is regu...
The rovibrational nature of cis- and trans-HNNS: A possible nitrogen molecule progenitor.

The HNNS radical has been promoted recently as a viable intermediate in the interstellar creation of the spectroscopically elusive nitrogen molecule. Any confirmation of this pathway or utilizing HNNS as a tracer of N2 depends upon the ability to observe the radical intermediate whether in the laboratory or in the interstellar medium. Established and accurate quantum chemical procedures are employed here to produce spectroscopic constants, fundamental vibrational frequencies, and intensities that can be utilized for any possible detection of HNNS. While trans-HNNS is confirmed here to be 3.0 kcal/mol lower in energy than cis-HNNS, the latter will be more readily observed rotationally due to its significantly larger dipole moment. The N−N bond in cis-HNNS is stronger than in trans-HNNS, and earlier work has suggested that cis-HNNS is more useful in the creation of N2 from NH and NS. Hence, the detection of cis-HNNS may be of greater value anyway. Furthermore, the N−N stretch in either conformer is also exceptionally bright and will occur in the mid-infrared with nearly 30 cm−1 separating the fundamentals of the two conformers. Finally, the low isomerization barrier can be affected significantly upon deuteration also making ND an interesting consideration as a starting material in the interstellar formation of N2.
Utility of ultrasound for body fat assessment: validity and reliability compared to a multicompartment criterion.

Measurement of body composition to assess health risk and prevention is expanding. Accurate portable techniques are needed to facilitate use in clinical settings. This study evaluated the accuracy and repeatability of a portable ultrasound (US) in comparison with a four-compartment criterion for per cent body fat (%Fat) in overweight/obese adults. Fifty-one participants (mean ± SD; age: 37·2 ± 11·3 years; BMI: 31·6 ± 5·2 kg m-2 ) were measured for %Fat using US (GE Logiq-e) and skinfolds. A subset of 36 participants completed a second day of the same measurements, to determine reliability. US and skinfold %Fat were calculated using the seven-site Jackson-Pollock equation. The Wang 4C model was used as the criterion method for %Fat. Compared to a gold standard criterion, US %Fat (36·4 ± 11·8%; P = 0·001; standard error of estimate [SEE] = 3·5%) was significantly higher than the criterion (33·0 ± 8·0%), but not different than skinfolds (35·3 ± 5·9%; P = 0·836; SEE = 4·5%). US resulted in good reliability, with no significant differences from Day 1 (39·95 ± 15·37%) to Day 2 (40·01 ± 15·42%). Relative consistency was 0·96, and standard error of measure was 0·94%. Although US overpredicted %Fat compared to the criterion, a moderate SEE for US is suggestive of a practical assessment tool in overweight individuals. %Fat differences reported from these field-based techniques are less than reported by other single-measurement laboratory methods and therefore may have utility in a clinical setting. This technique may also accurately track changes.
Systematic Investigation of Controlled Nanostructuring of Mn12 Single-Molecule Magnets Templated by Metal-Organic Frameworks.

This is the first systematic study exploring metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) as platforms for the controlled nanostructuring of molecular magnets. We report the incorporation of seven single-molecule magnets (SMMs) of general composition [Mn12O12(O2CR)16(OH2)4], with R = CF3 (1), (CH3)CCH2 (2), CH2Cl (3), CH2Br (4), CHCl2 (5), CH2But (6), and C6H5 (7), into the hexagonal channel pores of a mesoporous MOF host. The resulting nanostructured composites combine the key SMM properties with the functional properties of the MOF. Synchrotron-based powder diffraction with difference envelope density analysis, physisorption analysis (surface area and pore size distribution), and thermal analyses reveal that the well-ordered hexagonal structure of the host framework is preserved, and magnetic measurements indicate that slow relaxation of the magnetization, characteristic of the corresponding Mn12 derivative guests, occurs inside the MOF pores. Structural host–guest correlations including the bulkiness and polarity o...
The effect of cross-cutting partisan debates on political decision-making:

Party identification provides citizens with an anchor from which they derive many of their political attitudes and issue preferences. But what happens when people encounter political debates that p...
Spectral treatment of gyrokinetic shear flow

Abstract Sheared E × B flow in a tokamak, driven by external torque from neutral beam injection, is known to have an important stabilizing effect on drift-wave turbulence. In gyrokinetic codes, flow shear can be implemented directly on a radial mesh with nonperiodic boundary conditions. The mesh-based implementation is straightforward, but carries the possibility of spurious effects related to simulation boundaries. Alternatively, flow shear has been implemented in spectral solvers using a wavenumber shift method. Although the spectral representation has numerous computational benefits, the wavenumber shift method for treating flow shear is of questionable accuracy. Efforts to compare mesh-based solutions with spectral ones have met with limited success. In particular, significant differences in the critical shear required to stabilize turbulence are sometimes observed. We outline a new approach to treat flow shear spectrally. The method is simple to implement, matches the nonperiodic results more closely, and predicts a critical shear that is less sensitive to radial wavenumber resolution.
On the uniqueness and stability of equilibria of network games

We study a class of games played on networks with general (non-linear) best-response functions. Specifically, we let each agent's payoff depend on a linearly weighted sum of her neighbors' actions through a non-linear interaction function. We identify conditions on the network structure underlying the game given which (i) the Nash equilibrium of the game is unique, and (ii) the Nash equilibria are stable under perturbations in the model's parameters. We find that both the uniqueness and stability of the Nash equilibria are related to the lowest eigenvalue of suitably defined matrices, which are determined by the network's adjacency matrix, as well as the slopes of the interaction functions. We show that our uniqueness result generalizes an existing uniqueness condition for games of linear best-responses to games with general best-response functions. We further identify the classes of agents that are instrumental in the spread of shocks over the network. In particular, for small shocks, we show that agents that are strictly inactive at a given equilibrium can be precluded from the equilibrium's stability analysis, irrespective of their network position or links.
Challenges for Global Supply Chain Sustainability: Evidence from the Conflict Minerals Reports

Can companies determine if their products contain conflict minerals? Section 1502 of the Dodd-Frank Act gives us an opportunity to answer this question. The Act mandates SEC filing companies that u...
Diphenylhydantoin: correlation between protein binding and albumin concentration.

The unbound fraction of diphenylhydantoin is inversely correlated with the patient's serum albumin concentration and can be accurately estimated graphically without binding analyses. The data for this relationship was obtained from a study in which we observed that the unbound fraction of diphenylhydantoin was two times higher in patients with the nephrotic syndrome. However, in these patients it was not necessary to diminish the dosage since the absolute concentration of unbound drug was unchanged due to a compensatory increase in the apparent volume of distribution and plasma clearance.
1007-LB: A New C1q-Flow Crossmatch for Detecting Donor Specific Complement Fixing Antibodies (CFAb)

Abstract Aim It is generally accepted that a positive cytotoxic lymphocyte crossmatch (CDC-XM) is a contraindication for transplantation. However the assay is insensitive for detecting low levels of alloantibodies. The Flow cytometry crossmatch (IgG-FXM) is very sensitive but cannot differentiate HLA complement fixing antibody (CFAb) from non-CFAb and its clinical significance is still controversial. Based on the clinical relevance of CDC, we have successfully developed a new Flow Cytometry C1q crossmatch (C1q-FXM) to specifically detect Methods Donor PBMCs (0.1x 10 6 ) were incubated with 30 ul serum and CD3-PerCPCy5.5, CD19-FITC and SAPE-Bio-C1q for 30 minutes. After washing, the cells were collected and analyzed on a Canto-II flow cytometer. The PE fluorescence intensity on the T and B lymphocytes is proportionate to the amount of C1q fixed on the cell surface and reflects the complement fixing capability of DSA. CFAb with high sensitivity. Results A total of 120 XMs (66 Tc-XM, 54 Bc-XM) were performed in parallel using CDC-XM, IgG-FXM, and C1q-FXM. C1q-FXM correlated well with CDC-XM but has higher sensitivity. The concordance of two crossmatches was 88% (P Conclusion The newly developed C1q-FXM combines the advantage of the CDC-XM for detecting CFAb with the high sensitivity of the IgG-FXM assay. It can replace the traditional CDC-XM.
Ethical and Legal Issues

Publisher Summary This chapter deals with the ethical issues in assessment and to sensitize to potential legal dilemmas inherent in testing. It reviews the major resources for psychologists including ethics codes, practice guidelines, federal and state statutes, and case law. Following this, it discusses the common ethical and legal issues encountered when assessing children. Finally, it outlines seven specific recommendations for child assessors. Assessment is a complex process that is affected by ethics codes as well as federal and state laws. In addition, several aspirational practice guidelines offer advice to psychologists engaged in the assessment process. Considerable knowledge and training is necessary to complete assessment activities competently. At a minimum, psychologists should receive training in psychometrics and statistics and obtain supervised experience prior to administering and interpreting any test. A competent assessor is one who employs psychometrically sound and relevant tests, along with other data sources, to answer specific assessment questions within a defined relationship. Ultimately, knowing what one's tests can do—that is, what psychological functions they describe accurately, what diagnostic conclusions can be inferred from them with what degree of certainty, and what kinds of behavior they can be expected to predict—is the measure of the psychologist's competence.
Applications of MPC to Finance

This chapter describes the application of Model Predictive Control (MPC) to the finance problems of portfolio optimization and dynamic option hedging. Both of these problems are naturally formulated in the context of stochastic control, where, under idealized market settings, closed-form solutions have been found. However, realistic trading in financial markets is naturally a constrained environment. Moreover, models of stock price movement can be complex and not subject to analytical expression, while issues such as transaction costs can significantly affect the performance of trading strategies. These considerations have led to the development and successful application of MPC methods. Here, we develop the relevant system dynamics for trading, and present basic MPC formulations for both the portfolio optimization and dynamic option hedging problems. Key issues in the use of MPC for these problems and pointers to the literature provide the necessary background for those in the MPC community to begin to contribute to this exciting application area.
Efficacy and hematologic toxicity of carboplatin and talazoparib combination therapy in BRCA mutated patients.

2557Background: Synergistic anti-tumor effects of PARPi and chemotherapy have been observed in preclinical models. This Phase 1 trial evaluates the tolerability, dose limiting toxicities (DLT) and ...
National Trends in Incidence, Mortality, and Clinical Outcomes of Patients Hospitalized for Thyrotoxicosis With and Without Thyroid Storm in the United States, 2004–2013

Background: Current evidence on the incidence and outcomes of patients with thyroid storm in the United States is limited to single-center case series. This study determined the national incidence ...
A Review of Pregnancy-Associated Breast Cancer: Diagnosis, Local and Systemic Treatment, and Prognosis

The incidence of pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC) increases as more women choose to delay childbearing and the population-based incidence of breast cancer rises. Reliably and safely staging PABC is necessary to choose between starting with local or systemic therapy. With regard to local therapy, both lumpectomy and mastectomy can be considered depending on gestational age and the stage at diagnosis. By mirroring nonpregnant treatment regimens as much as possible, chemotherapy may improve long-term oncologic outcomes while allowing for surgical downstaging during pregnancy. Delaying treatment due to misconceptions regarding risk of local and systemic therapy most certainly worsens oncologic outcomes, and most neonatal morbidity is related to gestational age at delivery and not in utero exposures. Pregnancy itself was once considered an independent risk factor for worse outcome, but the prognosis of these patients is not significantly different than nonpregnant counterparts of a similar age.
Characterization of N type Si doped ZnO and ZnO thin films deposited by RF magnetron sputtering

Si doped Zinc oxide (Si-ZnO) thin films were deposited on glass substrates by RF magnetron co-sputtering Phosphorus doped Si and ZnO. The effect of different n-Si/ZnO wattage ratios, pressures, and oxygen percentage in Ar atmosphere on the optical and electrical properties of the films was investigated. A comparison between the Si-ZnO and ZnO thin film deposited under the same conditions was made in order to determine the tradeoff between the resistivity and optical transparency as the wattage ratio of Si/ZnO changed. The best N-Si doped ZnO film achieved a minimum resistivity of 3.06 × 10−3 ohm cm using 2 mT in an argon atmosphere while maintaining greater than 80% transmission in the visible and near infrared spectrum.
Graph Regularized Autoencoder-Based Unsupervised Feature Selection

Feature selection is a dimensionality reduction technique that selects a subset of representative features from high-dimensional data in order to eliminate redundancy. Recently, feature selection methods based on sparse learning have attracted significant attention due to their outstanding performance compared with traditional methods that ignore correlation between features. However, they are restricted by design to linear data transformations, a potential drawback given that the underlying correlation structures of data are often non-linear. To leverage a more sophisticated embedding, we propose an autoencoder-based unsupervised feature selection approach that leverages a single-layer autoencoder for a joint framework of feature selection and manifold learning, with spectral graph analysis on the projected data into the learning process to achieve local data geometry preservation from the original data space to the low-dimensional feature space.
Clinical and Radiographic Findings of Septic Physitis in Foals

The objective of this review is to detail the clinical and radiographic features of septic physitis in foals. Medical records were evaluated from 2008 to 2018 of cases that had septic physitis based on a combination of clinical and radiographic findings. Ten foals were diagnosed with septic physitis. In 8 of 10 foals, presence of a discrete, focal, irregular radiolucency centred on the physis and extending into the epiphysis and metaphysis was present. In the remaining two foals, subtle irregularity and diffuse radiolucency along the length of the physis was present. Three foals were able to later perform athletic function and two were sound but not in training (mean follow-up = 12 months). Overall, a distinguishing radiographic feature of septic physitis in foals is the presence of a focal radiolucency centred on the physis which is associated with the epiphysis and metaphysis consistent with osteolysis.
Text Integration and Speaking Proficiency: Linguistic, Individual Differences, and Strategy Use Considerations.

The current study examined the effects of text-based relational (i.e., cohesion), propositional-specific (i.e., lexical), and syntactic features in a source text on subsequent integration of the so...
Western esoteric healing I: Conceptual background and therapeutic knowledge.

Abstract This article, the first of a two-part series, explores the subject of Western esoteric healing. First, conceptual background is offered on Western esotericism and traditions of esoteric healing. Second, the concept of therapeutic knowledge, which emerged from the philosophy of medicine and medical anthropology, is introduced and described in detail, including its application to the study of esoteric healing. Third, a taxonomy is proposed for sources of such knowledge in respective esoteric healing systems, traditions, or organizations. These sources are channeling, initiation, and empirical observation or validation. In the second article, examples will be given for each category of the taxonomy, followed by recommendations for further study.
Pregnancy-preserving Laparoendoscopic Single-site Surgery for Gynecologic Disease: A Case Series.

ABSTRACT Study Objective The study objective was to assess the feasibility of laparoendoscopic single-site surgery (LESS) for the management of nonobstetric, gynecologic disease processes in pregnant patients. Design A retrospective case series of 13 pregnant women aged 21 to 42 years who underwent LESS for various gynecologic pathology. If able to be contacted, the patients were followed up until the delivery of the fetus. Setting The surgeries were performed in a single institution between January 2015 and June 2019. Patients The patients were selected if a laparoscopic intervention was indicated. Interventions The cases included 6 ovarian cystectomies and 2 salpingo-oophorectomies for adnexal masses; 1 myomectomy for a degenerated myoma; 1 salpingectomy for a heterotopic pregnancy; 2 cerclage placements for recurrent pregnancy loss and cervical insufficiency; and 1 paratubal cystectomy. The patients underwent LESS through a 2.5-cm umbilical incision. The masses were exteriorized using a laparoscopic specimen retrieval bag, with the exception of 2 large adnexal masses, which were aspirated at the incision site, exteriorized after content drainage, and cystectomies performed extracorporeally. The fascial incision was repaired with a permanent suture. Measurements and Main Results Various data were collected from patients, including age, surgical and obstetric history, gestational age at surgery, and ultrasonic imaging results. The outcomes measured were operative duration, intraoperative bleeding, postoperative symptoms, fetal monitoring before and after surgery, pathologic findings, conversions, intraoperative complications, and pregnancy outcomes. Eight cases were performed in the first trimester, 4 in the second trimester, and 1 in the third trimester, with the surgeries lasting between 45 minutes and 298 minutes. The blood loss ranged from 5 mL to 300 mL, and postoperative symptoms of mild pelvic or abdominal pain were reported. There were 2 conversions to traditional multiport laparoscopic surgery for the 2 cerclage cases, and there were no open surgery conversions or intraoperative complications. The fetal heart rate ranged between 130 beats per minute and 167 beats per minute postoperatively. Of the 9 patients who were able to be contacted for follow-up, all had successful deliveries. One patient was healthy at 31 weeks and 5 days without complication at the time of her last follow-up. Conclusion LESS may be performed by experienced surgeons on gravid patients in any trimester for adnexal masses, myomas, heterotopic pregnancy, and cervical incompetence. Future multiple-center studies may provide further evidence that LESS is a feasible and safe option for gynecologic surgery during pregnancy.
Interactions between bovine retroviruses and the host immune system

ix CHAPTER 1. GENERAL INTRODUCTION 1 Dissertation Organization 1 Research Sunnnnary 1 CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW: IMMUNOPATHOGENESIS OF BOVINE IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS AND BOVINE LEUKEMIA VIRUS INFECTIONS IN CATTLE 3 Introduction 3 General nature of retroviruses 3 Retroviruses and the host immune system 5 Discovery of bovine retroviruses 6 Bovine Immunodeficiency Virus (BIV) 7 BIV genetics and replication 7 Host immune responses to BIV infection 9 Prevalence of BIV infection 10 Studies of BIV pathogenesis 11 Effects of BIV infection on the host immune system 14 Summary 17 Bovine Leukemia Virus (BLV) 17 General virology 17 Clinical manifestations of BLV infection 20 Host immune responses to BLV infection 22 Detection and prevalence of BLV infection 24
Zinc modulates synaptic transmission by differentially regulating synaptic glutamate homeostasis in hippocampus

A subset of presynaptic glutamatergic vesicles in the brain co-releases zinc (Zn2+ ) with glutamate into the synapse. However, the role of synaptically released Zn2+ is still under investigation. Here, we studied the effect of Zn2+ on glutamate homeostasis by measuring the evoked extracellular glutamate level (EGL) and the probability of evoked action potential (PEAP ) at the Zn2+ -containing or zincergic mossy fiber-CA3 synapses of the rat hippocampus. We found that the application of Zn2+ (ZnCl2 ) exerted bidirectional effects on both EGL and PEAP : facilitatory at low concentration (~1 µM) while repressive at high concentration (~50 µM). To determine the action of endogenous Zn2+ , we also used extracellular Zn2+ chelator to remove the synaptically released Zn2+ . Zn2+ chelation reduced both EGL and PEAP , suggesting that endogenous Zn2+ has mainly a facilitative role in glutamate secretion on physiological condition. We revealed that calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II was integral to the mechanism by which Zn2+ facilitated the release of glutamate. Moreover, a glutamate transporter was the molecular entity for the action of Zn2+ on glutamate uptake by which Zn2+ decreases glutamate availability. Taken together, we show a novel action of Zn2+ , which is to biphasically regulate glutamate homeostasis via Zn2+ concentration-dependent synaptic facilitation and depression. Thus, co-released Zn2+ is physiologically important for enhancing weak stimulation, but potentially mitigates excessive stimulation to keep synaptic transmission within optimal physiological range.