cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
MEG Studies of Visual Processing

Publisher Summary Numerous magnetoencephalographic (MEG) investigations of the functional organization of the human visual system have been conducted since 1968. MEG can provide sensitive temporal information about sensory and cognitive functions, on the order of milliseconds, and can provide good spatial resolution as well. Early MEG investigations of the visual system attempted to corroborate findings between noninvasive MEG measures and invasive studies in monkeys, because much of the knowledge of the visual system had been gained from these anatomical, lesional, and electrophysiological studies. Invasive studies reveal a number of different areas in the monkey brain that contain different representations of the visual field and which process information in slightly different ways. The MEG studies reviewed in this chapter represent the steps toward the general goal of a noninvasive delineation of visual information-processing pathways in the human brain. Despite reliable reports of gamma band activation in cats and monkeys, it has been more difficult to visualize this activity in humans using MEG. Mental imagery draws on much of the same neural machinery as perception in the same modality, and can engage mechanisms in memory, emotion, and motor control.
Purification and Chemical Properties of Brain Tubulin

Publisher Summary This chapter presents the modified procedure involved in purifying brain tubulin developed originally by Weisenberg and presents the current information on the structure of tubulin. Microtubules are found in a wide variety of animal and plant cells. In dividing cells they are localized in the mitotic apparatus and are also found in axonal and dendritic processions of neurons. They have been implicated in a number of different cellular functions. Structurally, microtubules are composed of protofilaments of the subunit protein, tubulin. Because of the wide distribution of this organelle and the large number of different cellular processes in which it seems to participate, microtubule has been the target of intensive investigation. The purification procedure enables obtaining tubulin greater than 95% homogeneous. By employing highly purified samples, it is much easier to establish a meaningful structure–function relationship with minimal complication from other components. Employing such protein helps establish the minimum conditions in which the protein can undergo in vitro reconstitution and ligand-induced polymerization.
Политическая Экономия Экономических Санкций: Факторы Введения, Ущерба и Устойчивости Экономики К Их Воздействию (Economic Sanctions Political Economy: Factors of Sending, Damage and Resistance to the Sanctions)

Russian Abstract: Анализ литературы и примеров санкций в исторической ретроспективе показывает, что санкции не являются в общем случае заменой военному противостоянию в случае конфликта. Но они могут принести желаемый результат если руководство таргетируемой страны уверено что за санкциями последует вторжение. Другим вариантом успешных санкций является давление на зависимого союзника не готового жестко противостоять давлению (случаи Англии и Франции, 1956, в некоторых случаях Израиля).Отдельно рассмотрены случаи наложения санкций против собственного населения. Показано, что в случае войны и при наличии достаточной поддержки в обществе политического руководства группы интересов могут реализовывать даже такие проекты, которые в обычной ситуации вызвали бы мобилизацию мощной коалиции противников.Анализ ряда примеров реакции экономики на внешние шоки показывает, что страна с решительным руководством может оказаться весьма устойчивой к санкциям либо в случае правления свирепого режима либо при наличии свободной, открытой гибкой экономики, которая быстро и эффективно адаптируется к новой ситуации.English Abstract: Historical case studies and Literature bring evidences, that Sanctions can't substitute military means of conflict. The Sanctions could succeed if the targeted country's Government take it as a credible threat and believe in possible escalation's scenario. Sanctions sometimes turned to be successful against depended allied nation (US against UK and France, 1956 and against Israel).Cases of Sanctions targeting own population sometimes turned to be successful use of the conflict caused "window of opportunity" for the Special interests. If the Government enjoys broad public support in the conflict, special interest could succeed to impose burden which would cause rising a mighty opposition in the peacetime.Government could stand against the sanction if it is a tough and totalitarian or in the almost opposite case of the free market Economy, economic freedom and property well safeguarded so the Country's economy able to absorb external shocks and to adopt the changes flexibly (cases of Singapore and Taiwan).
Bone sialoprotein keratan sulfate proteoglycan (BSP-KSPG) and FGF-23 are important physiological components of medullary bone

Medullary bone is a specialized bone found in the marrow cavity of laying birds. It provides a significant contribution to the calcium supply for egg shell formation. Medullary bone is distinguished from cortical bone by the presence of large amounts of a keratan sulfate proteoglycan (KSPG). The aims of the present experiment are to confirm the identity of the core protein of KSPG, identify a marker of medullary bone metabolism, and determine whether changes in keratan sulfate (KS) concentration in blood are associated with the egg-laying cycle. Using two different isolation techniques- one specific for bone and another for blood- we have identified bone sialoprotein (BSP) to be the core protein of this KSPG. We also determined that the amount of keratan sulfate (KS) in laying hen blood fluctuates in synchrony with the egg-laying cycle, and thus can serve as a specific marker for medullary bone metabolism. During the course of this investigation, we also found FGF-23 (phosphatonin) to be expressed in medullary bone, in synchrony with the egg-laying cycle. Western blotting was used to demonstrate the presence of this peptide in both laying hen blood and medullary bone extracts. The importance of FGF-23 (phosphatonin) and parathyroid hormone in normalizing the dramatic changes in plasma calcium and phosphorus during the 24h egg-laying cycle is discussed.
Endothelial dysfunction following prolonged sitting is mediated by a reduction in shear stress.

Data from the present study reveal that preventing the reduction of shear stress during prolonged sitting with local heating abolishes the impairment in popliteal artery endothelial function. There...
Corporate hiring

As corporations throughout the United States do their best to survive, many are "downsizing" to reduce their staff and other expenses. Inevitably, this means decreased hiring, and thus bleak job prospects for graduating students. Even engineers are being hit hard by corporate belt-tightening. In the past, hiring was dominated by large firms with large budgets for recruiting top talent. These companies would send representatives to campus job fairs and well-advertised on-campus recruiting sessions. However, because the changing job market means fewer job openings for graduating engineers, the employment offers which the students do receive are often not closely matched to the student's interests. >
Kinetics of Phase Separation in Rigid Rod Polymer and Amorphous Polymer Mixtures

Kinetics of phase separation of PBO in methane sulfonic acid are examined by time-resolved small angle light scattering. Thin films of polymer solutions are spincoated on microscope slides and observed in a controlled environment light scattering cell. These solutions appear to undergo spinodal decomposition, following Cahn- Hilliard type phase separation kinetics upon exposure to water, leading to an exponential increase in the scattered light intensity at short times.
Winter Home Ranges of the Red-Backed Mouse and White-Footed Mouse

A study of the home ranges of the white-footed mouse, Peromyscus leucopus , and the red-backed mouse, Clethrionomys gapperi , was carried out in northern Anoka County, Minnesota, during the winter and while the ground was covered with snow. Trap-revealed home ranges averaged 0.27 and 0.25 acres, respectively, when calculated by the minimum-home-range method and 200 and 217 feet, respectively, when calculated by the greatest-diameter method. The animals restricted their movements for the most part to protected areas such as brush piles and under logs rather than traveling over the whole area as they appeared to do in the summer and fall. Temperatures as low as −19°F did not prevent the animals from moving about.
Using 'rules of thumb' practices to enhance conceptual understanding and scientific reasoning in project-based inquiry classrooms

With foundations in scientific argumentation/discourse literature and transfer literature, this study describes the potential of a new ritualized and repeated classroom activity, the Rules of Thumb practice, in developing the conceptual understanding, scientific reasoning, and transfer ability of physical science students in project-based inquiry classrooms (e.g., Learning By Design). Teachers employ an experimental Rules of Thumb practice with more or less fidelity to develop student science talk (defined as the skill or act of communicating and explaining, both in written and/or verbal form, the science concepts and principles within a context in an abstract, generalized form) using scaffolded, iterative instructional practices. Comparison and experimental classrooms completed two post-treatment writing assessments, which were coded and analyzed. This paper presents the results of that analysis and reports that the Rules of Thumb practice may have an effect in developing conceptual understanding, scientific reasoning, and transfer ability and that teacher implementation of the Rules of Thumb practice does indeed affect student outcomes.
Brief Introduction of Administration of Enterprise's Reference Product in In-Vitro Diagnostic Reagent Quality System

Through the analysis of the technical characters and supply measures of In-Vitro Diagnostic System,integrated with Chinese current status and problems related to In-Vitro Diagnostic Reagent Industry,this article is to initially study the key measures in enterprise's reference product administration system and,be a reference for enterprises setting up and implementing the appropriate quality administration system related to the products and to be a technical reference for the supervision organizations’ supervision and management on the enterprises reference products manufacturing.
Evaluation and Treatment of Patients With Failed Hypospadias Repair

Hypospadias repair is often accompanied by complications, some of which may be major. We herein analyze 70 patients whom we have seen and enumerate the defects, list the operative procedures that have been necessary to correct the lesions and illustrate the use of some of these techniques. Surgeons treating patients with hypospadias should have command of many techniques and use them aggressively with imagination and great care.
Flavorsome Components of Beer

Although the ultimate measure of the flavor and flavor stability of beer is by organoleptic analysis, a diversity of analytical tools is available to complement sensory methodology and can, for a relatively limited number of parameters, be routinely applied in the pursuit of quality control of brewing and beer, eg, the measurement of vicinal diketones and their precursors. However, the complexity of beer flavor, for example the degree and nature of its maltiness or hoppiness, means that no single measure, or even a very few analytical measures, is available for routine control purposes.
Mining Best Strategy for Multi-View Classification

In multi-view classification, the goal is to find a strategy for choosing the most consistent views for a given task. A strategy is a probability distribution over views. A strategy can be considered as advice given to an algorithm. There can be several strategies, each allocating a different probability mass to a view at different times. In this paper, we propose an algorithm for mining these strategies in such a way that its trust in a view for classification comes close to that of the best strategy. As a result, the most consistent views contribute to multi-view classification. Finally, we provide experimental results to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
Combining a Strengths-Based Approach and Feminist Theory in Group Work with Persons 'On the Streets'

This paper presents a series of propositions for the practice of group work and the development of community-based interventions derived from a combined strengths based/feminist perspective in working with the "street" population. These include: (1) development of ongoing groups based on incorporating and utilizing individual strengths; (2) development of a communal identity through genuine power-sharing within the agency; (3) commitment to ongoing relationships rather than following specific participation requirements; (4) focus on community membership rather than on achieving outcomes; and (5) focus not only on the individual, but also on the political ramifications of group and community membership. Five practice principles are derived from these propositions: (a) workers question worker privilege and strive to eliminate traditional barriers; (b) workers participate as members, not necessarily as leaders; (c) workers avoid enabling helplessness; (d) workers strive for non-judgmental attitudes toward in...
Association between Pre-Operative Cefazolin Dose and Surgical Site Infection in Obese Patients

Abstract Background: A fixed dose of cefazolin results in serum concentrations that decrease as body mass increases. Current national guidelines suggest a pre-operative cefazolin dose of two grams may be insufficient for patients ≥120 kg; thus a three gram dose is recommended. These recommendations, however, are based on pharmacokinetic rather than outcome data. We evaluate the efficacy of pre-operative cefazolin two gram and three gram doses as measured by the rate of surgical site infection (SSI). Patients and Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of adult patients ≥100 kg who were prescribed cefazolin as surgical prophylaxis between September 1, 2012 and May 31, 2013 at an academic medical center. Patients were excluded if cefazolin was prescribed but not administered, had a known infection at the site of surgery, or inappropriately received cefazolin prophylaxis based on surgical indication. The SSIs were identified by documentation of SSI in the medical record or findings consistent with the s...
A comparison of the survival and development of the seedlings of four upland oak species grown in four different understory light environments

Oak (Quercus spp.) research and management often focus on northern red oak (Quercus rubra) and assume that associated upland oaks have similar growth patterns. To test this premise, we measured the survival and development of four species of acorn-origin oak seedlings growing in four different levels of understory sunlight for 8 years. Northern red oak had better survival than black (Quercus velutina), chestnut (Quercus montana), and white oak (Quercus alba) in 5% sunlight, but none of the species exhibited much growth. In 15 and 40% sunlight, survival was equal among species, but for growth the seedlings formed two groups with chestnut/ northern red oak growing more than black/white oak. In 75% sunlight, survival was equal among species, but northern red oak grew faster than the other three species. Assuming that other oaks have growth habits similar to those of northern red oak could lead to a reduction in or the inadvertent loss of an oak species.
El Teje: Primer Periódico Travesti Latinoamericano, o de cómo resignificar cuerpos que hablen y militen

Este ensayo toma como foco de analisis las representaciones textuales del travestismo en dialogo con la regularizacion y reglamentacion de los actos travestis desde el Estado, a partir de una examinacion exhaustiva de El Teje: Primer Periodico Travesti Latinoamericano , el cual surge en Buenos Aires, Argentina, en el 2007. Como revela su directora Marlene Wayar en el segundo editorial del numero inaugural: “Cada vez que leemos un diario o una revista, para poder identificarnos tenemos que imaginarnos en otros cuerpos y en otras formas de sentir y de pensar”. Este ensayo se ocupara de mirar de cerca los cuerpos expuestos en El Teje , como contradiscurso que resiste esos cuerpos “otros” de los que se queja Wayar. El uso de la palabra “contradiscurso” es aqui intencional; El Teje se construye tambien a partir de un intento, como sugiere el primer editorial, de “dar voz a traves de la palabra materializada y con cierta sistematizacion al silencio social historico del que somos victimas las travestis y transexuales”. ?En que consiste entonces esta nueva “palabra materializada” y como se relaciona al cuerpo? ?Como se configura la imagen travestida de El Teje ? ?Rompe el silencio? y, lo que importa aun mas, ?Como engarza esta imagen corporizada y materializada, esta revista de dimensiones inusuales y colores chillones, imposible de ignorar, con los discursos oficiales sobre la comunidad LGBTTIQ que circulan en la capital argentina cuando se inicia el nuevo milenio?
iNav: An Indoor Navigation Model Supporting Length-Dependent Optimal Routing

People may have problems in finding their way to destinations in large buildings. This raises a need of designing and constructing indoor navigation systems. However, none of the available indoor navigation models can automatically calculate shortest paths according to the geometric structure of indoor space. The reasons are that those models which use geometric information produce circuitous routes and that those models which do not consider geometric information only provide very coarse routes. This paper proposes a model to construct a way finding indoor network that is based on the geometry of the indoor space and that supports length-dependent optimal routing.
Academic and Community Collaboration

The treatment of patients with cancer and more specifically sarcomas is often fragmented and isolated, leading to inconsistent results. Even in thoroughly studied acute and chronic conditions with availability of proven clinical therapy, healthcare outcomes in the community have been lower than anticipated. Due to the rarity and complexity of sarcoma treatment, management of these patients also relies heavily on a multidisciplinary approach with support from a large number of stakeholders. Among the team involved in the management of such patients, both the academic and community hospitals play a pivotal role. Community-based institutions are primarily accessible to the general population and focus on cost-effective treatment and preventive medicine. Community in this sense includes primary care physicians, community hospitals, and community programs. Academic-based institutions are often closely affiliated with a university and have a heavy emphasis on research and improving current standards of practice. Due to these two distinct branches of healthcare with the same goals, there is a continuous need for academic and community collaboration for improved outcomes.
An Adjustable-Length Dipole Using Forced-Current Excitation for 7T MR

Ultrahigh field imaging of the body and the spine is challenging due to the large field-of-view (FOV) required. It is especially difficult for RF transmission due to its requirement on both the length and the depth of the ${\rm{B}}_{1}^{{\rm + }}$ field. One solution is to use a long dipole to provide continuous current distribution. The drawback is the natural falloff of the ${\rm{B}}_{1}$ field toward the ends of the dipole, therefore the ${\rm{B}}_{1}^{{\rm + }}$ per unit square root of maximum specific absorption rate ${\rm{(B}}_{1}^{{\rm + }}{\rm{/ \surd SAR}}_{{\rm{max}}})$ performance is particularly poor toward the end of the dipole. In this study, a segmented element design using forced-current excitation and a switching circuit is presented. The design provides long FOV when desired and allows flexible FOV switching and power distribution without additional power amplifiers. Different element types and arrangements were explored and a segmented dipole design was chosen as the best design. The segmented dipole was implemented and tested on the bench and with a phantom on a 7T whole body scanner. The switchable mode dipole enabled a large FOV in the long mode and improved ${\rm{B}}_{1}^{{\rm + }}{\rm{/ \surd SAR}}_{{\rm{max}}}$ efficiency in a smaller FOV in the short mode.
Kinetic Energy Dependence of Ion-Molecule Reactions: From Triatomics to Transition Metals

The kinetic energy dependence of a variety of ion-molecule reactions are examined using guided ion beam mass spectrometry. This experimental technique is shown to provide unprecedented detail in reaction excitation functions over an extremely wide kinetic energy range. Fundamental triatomic systems (A+ + H2, HD, D2 where A = 0, N, C, Si, Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe) are examined with an eye on understanding the details of variations in the reaction excitation functions. These include the effects of thermochemistry, electronic degeneracy, adiabatic versus diabatic potential energy surfaces, and spin-orbit coupling. This insight is then applied to the reactions of hydrogen with atomic transition metal ions in specific electronic states. Several diabatic “rules” of reactivity become evident from these studies. These rules are further examined in more complex systems, the reactions of atomic metal ions with alkanes. Finally, studies of metal dimer and cluster ions are discussed with an emphasis on the effects of internal excitation.
Labor Productivity and Agricultural Development: Testing Boserup

It seems fair to say that in the Neolithic age, every household was involved in food production, but during industrial times, only a very small proportion of households (<10%) were involved in farming and feeding everyone. Food producing went from being the activity of everyone to being a sector of the economy employing few people and at the same time producing a large agricultural surplus that is exported to the rest of the economy. This is often called agricultural development, and the process by which this development has been accomplished is often referred to as intensification. There are two positions on what has happened to the productivity of labor in this developmental process: the rise thesis and the decline thesis.
Course Design Considerations in International Business Education

Designing courses to teach international business is a very complex multidisciplinary task. Cross-border and international business has to deal with all of the issues and functions (such as account...
Wife, Inc: the business of marriage in the twenty-first century

Leonard’s book disrupts the oft-held assumption that the wife’s role is in the home. Through her examination of multiple media vehicles that exemplify the pathways to becoming and being a wife, she...
Lymphatic endothelial cell calcium pulses are sensitive to spatial gradients in wall shear stress

Cytosolic calcium (Ca2+) is a ubiquitous second messenger that influences numerous aspects of cellular function. In many cell types, cytosolic Ca2+ concentrations are characterized by periodic pulses, whose dynamics can influence downstream signal transduction. Here, we examine the general question of how cells use Ca2+ pulses to encode input stimuli in the context of the response of lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) to fluid flow. Previous work shows that fluid flow regulates Ca2+ dynamics in LECs and that Ca2+-dependent signaling plays a key role in regulating lymphatic valve formation during embryonic development. However, how fluid flow might influence the Ca2+ pulse dynamics of individual LECs has remained, to our knowledge, little explored. We used live-cell imaging to characterize Ca2+ pulse dynamics in LECs exposed to fluid flow in an in vitro flow device that generates spatial gradients in wall shear stress (WSS), such as are found at sites of valve formation. We found that the frequency of Ca2+ pulses was sensitive to the magnitude of WSS, while the duration of individual Ca2+ pulses increased in the presence of spatial gradients in WSS. These observations provide an example of how cells can separately modulate Ca2+ pulse frequency and duration to encode distinct forms of information, a phenomenon that could extend to other cell types.
Cloud Architectures and Cultural Memory

The emergence of cloud-based architectures and information services are changing the nature and contents of our cultural record, and simultaneously altering the framework within which our memory organizations can manage and provide access to this record. Of course, many of these issues are not unique to memory organizations but are echoed across all types of government or corporate settings where substantial data and information resources are made available to the public.
Mortalin (GRP75/HSPA9) Promotes Survival and Proliferation of Thyroid Carcinoma Cells

We previously reported that upregulation of mortalin (HSPA9/GRP75), the mitochondrial HSP70 chaperone, facilitates tumor cell proliferation and survival in human medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), proposing mortalin as a novel therapeutic target for MTC. In this report, we show that mortalin is also upregulated in other thyroid tumor types, including papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC), and anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC), and that mortalin depletion can effectively induce growth arrest and cell death in human PTC (TPC-1), FTC (FTC133), and ATC (8505C and C643) cells in culture. Intriguingly, mortalin depletion induced varied effects on cell cycle arrest (G0/G1 phase arrest in TPC-1 and C643, G2/M phase arrest in 8505C, and mild G2/M phase arrest with increased sub-G0/G1 population in FTC133) and on the levels of TP53, E2F-1, p21CIP1, p27KIP1, and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage in these cells, suggesting that thyroid tumor cells respond to mortalin depletion in a cell type-specific manner. In these cells, we also determined the efficacy of triphenyl-phosphonium-carboxy-proxyl (Mito-CP) because this mitochondria-targeted metabolism interfering agent exhibited similar tumor suppressive effects as mortalin depletion in MTC cells. Indeed, Mito-CP also induced robust caspase-dependent apoptosis in PTC and ATC cell lines in vitro, exhibiting IC50 lower than PLX4032 in 8505C cells and IC50 lower than vandetanib and cabozantinib in TPC-1 cells. Intriguingly, Mito-CP-induced cell death was partially rescued by mortalin overexpression, suggesting that Mito-CP may inactivate a mechanism that requires mortalin function. These findings support the significance of mortalin and mitochondrial activity in a broad spectrum of thyroid cancer.
The Agricultural Marketing Service Animal Handling and Welfare Red Meat Purchase Requirements: Design, Implementation, and Findings

ObjectivesThe Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) sought to develop and implement improved animal handling and welfare (AHW) requirements for vendors who sell red meat to AMS for distribution through Federal nutrition assistance programs, including the National School Lunch Program.Materials and MethodsIn 2012, AMS undertook a meta-analysis of publically available AHW requirements, including those enshrined in Federal law, those used as industry best practices, and those required by large volume purchasers. The AMS modeled its AHW requirements for red meat vendors on the Recommended Animal Handling and Audit Guide established by the AMI Foundation. The AMS included a zero tolerance for missed stuns and for animals regaining sensibility following stunning, as observed during AMS AHW audits. The AMS also included a requirement that any stunning-related regulatory enforcement action taken by the Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) at an AMS vendor facility triggers a for-cause AHW audit by AMS. Trained AMS auditors performed audits at all facilities that produced beef, pork, lamb, and bison for Federal nutrition assistance programs. Data were collated and analyzed in Microsoft Excel.ResultsFrom October 2013 through December 2015, AMS performed 62 audits at beef harvest facilities, 31 audits at pork harvest facilities, 6 audits at lamb harvest facilities, and 3 audits at bison harvest facilities. Nine of the audits were triggered by FSIS regulatory enforcement actions. Auditors observed stunning of 7,908 head of cattle, 3,900 head of swine, 1,300 head of lamb, and 52 head of bison. Three missed stuns were observed and no animals were observed regaining sensibility following stunning. Data from all AMS AHW audits are available via the AMS web site (https://www.ams.usda.gov/resources/ahw).ConclusionThe AMS AHW requirements are effective. Establishments providing beef, pork, lamb, and bison to AMS for distribution through Federal nutrition assistance programs have robust AHW plans and are reliably efficient in performing the stunning process. Sharing results publicly fosters strong relationships across the stakeholder spectrum and helps ensure the credibility of the overall purchase program.
Dirac plasmon-assisted asymmetric hot carrier generation for room-temperature infrared detection

Due to the low photon energy, detection of infrared photons is challenging at room temperature. Thermoelectric effect offers an alternative mechanism bypassing material bandgap restriction. In this article, we demonstrate an asymmetric plasmon-induced hot-carrier Seebeck photodetection scheme at room temperature that exhibits a remarkable responsivity of 2900 VW−1, detectivity of 1.1 × 109 Jones along with a fast response of ~100 ns in the technologically relevant 8–12 µm band. This is achieved by engineering the asymmetric electronic environment of the generated hot carriers on chemical vapor deposition grown large area nanopatterned monolayer graphene, which leads to a temperature gradient of 4.7 K across the device terminals for an incident power of 155 nW, thereby enhancing the photo-thermoelectric voltage by manifold compared to previous reports. The results presented outline a strategy for uncooled, tunable, and multispectral infrared detection. Designing electronically asymmetric environment across monolayer graphene enhances the photo-thermoelectric effect and enables efficient infrared photodetection. Here, the authors report a photodetector based on CVD grown nano-patterned graphene with high responsivity of ~2900 V/W within 8–12 µm wavelength regime by Dirac plasmon-assisted hot carrier generation at room-temperature.
Detection and genomic interrogation of invasive circulating tumor cells (iCTCs) derived from men with metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC).

11048 Background: Isolation, enumeration, and genomic profiling of CRPC CTCs offers the potential to discover genetic changes that occur in advanced disease. The Vitatex VitaCap platform captures C...
Conclusion: The Place of Reason

That 'dazzling image' of science, applied to human beings, can seem to 'undermine' science by leaving no place for Reason. The conclusion here extends previous contentions by comparison with ideas from writings of Wilfred Sellars. Additionally, our position is located within general conceptions of reasoning and rationality, since challenging the rational credentials of a particular judgement or realm of discourse requires reliance on “… judgements and arguments not themselves subject to the same challenge: which exemplify, even when they err, something more fundamental, … corrected only by further procedures of the same kind” (Nagel, 1997, p. 11).
Performance in a variable world: using Jensen’s inequality to scale up from individuals to populations

Body temperature affects plants' and animals' performance, but these effects are complicated by thermal variation through time within an individual and variation through space among individuals in a population. This review and synthesis describes how the effects of thermal variation-in both time and space-can be estimated by applying a simple, nonlinear averaging scheme. The method is first applied to the temporal variation experienced by an individual, providing an estimate of the individual's average performance. The method is then applied to the scale-dependent thermal variation among individuals, which is modelled as a 1/f-noise phenomenon. For an individual, thermal variation reduces average performance, lowers the temperature of maximum performance (Topt ) and contracts the range of viable temperatures. Thermal variation among individuals similarly reduces performance and lowers Topt , but increases the viable range of average temperatures. These results must be viewed with caution, however, because they do not take into account the time-dependent interaction between body temperature and physiological plasticity. Quantifying these interactions is perhaps the largest challenge for ecological and conservation physiologists as they attempt to predict the effects of climate change.
Skyline queries over incomplete data streams

Nowadays, efficient and effective processing over massive stream data has attracted much attention from the database community, which are useful in many real applications such as sensor data monitoring, network intrusion detection, and so on. In practice, due to the malfunction of sensing devices or imperfect data collection techniques, real-world stream data may often contain missing or incomplete data attributes. In this paper, we will formalize and tackle a novel and important problem, named skyline query over incomplete data stream (Sky-iDS), which retrieves skyline objects (in the presence of missing attributes) with high confidences from incomplete data stream. In order to tackle the Sky-iDS problem, we will design efficient approaches to impute missing attributes of objects from incomplete data stream via differential dependency (DD) rules. We will propose effective pruning strategies to reduce the search space of the Sky-iDS problem, devise cost-model-based index structures to facilitate the data imputation and skyline computation at the same time, and integrate our proposed techniques into an efficient Sky-iDS query answering algorithm. Extensive experiments have been conducted to confirm the efficiency and effectiveness of our Sky-iDS processing approach over both real and synthetic data sets.
Effect of Perioperative Antiplatelet Management on Thromboembolic Complications after Liver Resection

AIM: The aim of the study was to specify the effect of perioperative antiplatelet (APT) management on postoperative thromboembolism (TE) after livr resection. METHODS: Consecutive 398 patients undergoing liver resection at our hospital from 2005 to 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. Our perioperative antithrombotic management protocol includes preoperative aspirin monotherapy for patients with high thromboembolic risks. Among them, 125 patients (31.4%) had atherosclerotic thromboembolic risk and received APT. The cohort was classified into three groups; patients without APT (N-APT group), APT-discontinued patients (D-APT group), and aspirin-continued patients (C-APT group), The predicted risk of each group was assessed by CHADS2 score, and the rates of TE were compared between the groups. RESULTS: Significantly lower CHADS2 score of N-APT group was observed compared to those of other groups, although the D-APT and C-APT groups had similar distribution of the scores. Among 398 patients, postoperative TE was found in 6 cases (1.5%). Three cases resulted in in-hospital death and other 3 patients were discharged with moderate to severe sequelae. More TE occurred in the D-APT group (4.2%), whereas only one case in the C-APT group (1.9%) and three cases in the N-APT group (0.7%) were observed (p=0.038). Although having high CHADS2 scores, patients in C-APT group showed a relatively low rate of postoperative TE events, mainly due to the preventive effect of preoperative aspirin continuation against TE. CONCLUSION: Liver resection should be performed under rigid perioperative antithrombotic management in order to avoid thromboembolic complications. Especially in patients with APT for thrombotic risks, it is suggested that management with continued preoperative single aspirin therapy should be considered regardless of TE risks.
Experimental study of upward flame spread over discrete thin fuels

Abstract Experiments are performed to study upward flame propagation over discrete combustibles separated by air gaps. An array of ten 1 cm-long 5 cm-wide filter papers is uniformly distributed on a vertical sample holder subjected to double-sided burn. The distance between the samples was varied from 0 to 4 cm. After being ignited from the bottom end, the flame spread process is recorded by front and side video cameras. A precision balance with 0.01g resolution is used to monitor the mass loss and deduce the solid burning rate. The results show that both flame spread rate and solid burning rate have a non-monotonic relationship with the gap size. The presence of gaps decreases the fuel load (fuel mass per unit length), which results in an increasing apparent flame spread rate as the gap size increases. The gaps also allow the lateral entrained air to push the flame closer to the sample surface, enhancing the conductive heat input to the samples. This results in an increased solid burning rate and flame spread rate. However, when the gap size is large, the effective heating length of the sample and hence the total burning rate decrease as the gap size increases. Eventually, the flame fails to spread.
Integrating Motion into Vision Models for Better Visual Prediction.

We demonstrate an improved vision system that learns a model of its environment using a self-supervised, predictive learning method. The system includes a pan-tilt camera, a foveated visual input, a saccading reflex to servo the foveated region to areas high prediction error, input frame transformation synced to the camera motion, and a recursive, hierachical machine learning technique based on the Predictive Vision Model. In earlier work, which did not integrate camera motion into the vision model, prediction was impaired and camera movement suffered from undesired feedback effects. Here we detail the integration of camera motion into the predictive learning system and show improved visual prediction and saccadic behavior. From these experiences, we speculate on the integration of additional sensory and motor systems into self-supervised, predictive learning models.
Cognitive and Quality of Life-Related Burdens of Illness in Pediatric Allergic Airway Disease.

ObjectiveTo analyze the prevalence of pediatric allergic airway disease (PAA) and recognize its impact on cognitive function, childhood activities, use of early intervention, and missed school days...
Disseminating Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with a Systematic Self-care Approach to Addressing Secondary Traumatic Stress: PRACTICE What You Preach

This pilot study evaluated the effectiveness of Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) training programs augmented with a systematic "PRACTICE What You Preach" (PWYP) self-care focus, which has trainees personally utilize the coping skills they teach their clients. Participants were 115 clinicians/supervisors who completed a PWYP TF-CBT training program. Pre- to post-training analyses documented significant increases in participants' competency and fidelity in implementing TF-CBT (ps < .001), significantly more frequent use of coping skills including instrumental social support (p < .01), active coping (p < .001), humor (p < .01), and restraint (p < .01), and significant decreases in secondary traumatic stress (STS; p < .001). Children's symptoms of PTSD (ps < .001) and behavior problems (p < .05) also decreased significantly. This preliminary evidence suggests that training augmented with PWYP may enhance clinicians'/supervisors' personal coping and reduce their levels of STS without compromising treatment implementation efforts and client outcomes.
Randomized trial shows healthcare payment reform has equal-sized spillover effects on patients not targeted by reform

Changes in the way health insurers pay healthcare providers may not only directly affect the insurer's patients but may also affect patients covered by other insurers. We provide evidence of such spillovers in the context of a nationwide Medicare bundled payment reform that was implemented in some areas of the country but not in others, via random assignment. We estimate that the payment reform-which targeted traditional Medicare patients-had effects of similar magnitude on the healthcare experience of nontargeted, privately insured Medicare Advantage patients. We discuss the implications of these findings for estimates of the impact of healthcare payment reforms and more generally for the design of healthcare policy.
Diagnostic Reclassification by a High-Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin Assay.

Study objective Our objective is to describe the rates of diagnostic reclassification between conventional cardiac troponin I (cTnI) and high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) and between combined and sex-specific hs-cTnT thresholds in adult emergency department (ED) patients in the United States. Methods We conducted a prospective, single-center, before-and-after, observational study of ED patients aged 18 years or older undergoing single or serial cardiac troponin testing in the ED for any reason before and after hs-cTnT implementation. Conventional cTnI and hs-cTnT results were obtained from a laboratory quality assurance database. Combined and sex-specific thresholds were the published 99th percentile upper reference limits for each assay. Cases underwent physician adjudication using the Fourth Universal Definition of Myocardial Infarction. Diagnostic reclassification occurred when a patient received a diagnosis of myocardial infarction or myocardial injury with one assay but not the other assay. Our primary outcome was diagnostic reclassification between the conventional cTnI and hs-cTnT assays. Diagnostic reclassification probabilities were assessed with sample proportions and 95% confidence intervals for binomial data. Results We studied 1,016 patients (506 men [50%]; median age 60 years [25th, 75th percentiles 49, 71]). Between the conventional cTnI and hs-cTnT assays, 6 patients (0.6%; 95% confidence interval 0.2% to 1.3%) underwent diagnostic reclassification regarding myocardial infarction (5/6 reclassified as no myocardial infarction) and 166 patients (16%; 95% confidence interval 14% to 19%) underwent diagnostic reclassification regarding myocardial injury (154/166 reclassified as having myocardial injury) by hs-cTnT. Conclusion Compared with conventional cTnI, the hs-cTnT assay resulted in no clinically relevant change in myocardial infarction diagnoses but substantially more myocardial injury diagnoses.
Dynamically evaluating mixture effects on multi-channel reactions in flames: A case study for the CH3 + OH reaction

Abstract Complex-forming reactions, whose rate constants depend on pressure and collisional energy transfer characteristics of the surrounding bath gas, play a major role in the kinetics of combustion. In most realistic combustion environments, multiple species of distinct collisional energy transfer characteristics are present in significant quantities and thus contribute to collisional energy transfer involved in such systems. Recent studies have indicated that certain representations of multi-component pressure dependence (i.e. “mixture rules”) and/or a failure to implement a mixture rule can result in errors reaching an order of magnitude, whereas recently proposed mixture rules yield errors less than 10%. The present study compares the performance of various mixtures rules for representing multi-component pressure dependence of the multi-channel CH3 + OH reaction in flames, using a novel dynamic procedure for evaluating mixture effects as a function of reaction progress (viz. local temperature, pressure, and mixture composition). This procedure enables mixture effects to be simulated in current combustion codes despite codes not yet having functional forms intended to capture these mixture dependence effects. Results from this procedure, combining master equation simulations and kinetic-transport simulations, indicate that recently proposed mixture rules based on the reduced pressure provide a considerably more accurate representation of mixture effects for CH3 + OH than previous mixture rules based on the absolute pressure. Furthermore, the present results demonstrate that mixture effects for the CH3 + OH reaction, which are not accounted for in many models, have a significant effect on predictions of the laminar flame speed – of comparable magnitude to differences motivating parameter adjustments in model development studies.
3D printing optics with hybrid material

Three-dimensional (3D) printing technology has evolved tremendously in recent years, but due to stringent requirements on surface finish and limited material selection for optical performance purposes, 3D printing optics is still lagging behind. This paper reports on a quantitative study on the printing process of optical lenses using acrylic and cationic combined commercial hybrid material. By utilizing its unique curing property with digital light process technology, we demonstrate the concept of continuous printing in the top-down light projection setup. Also, an equal thickness and equal arc combo method has been proposed and evaluated to further help smooth the surface finish. Millimeter-level spherical lenses have been successfully fabricated, and their optical performance has also been discussed.
Thoracic outlet decompression for subclavian venous stenosis after ipsilateral hemodialysis access creation

Abstract Objective Central venous stenosis is one of the most challenging complications in patients requiring hemodialysis. Venous thoracic outlet syndrome is an underappreciated cause of central venous stenosis in patients requiring dialysis that can result in failed percutaneous intervention and loss of a functioning dialysis access. Limited data exist about the safety and outcomes of first rib resection in patients requiring hemodialysis, and the results have been confounded by the various surgical approaches used. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the safety, operative outcomes, and patency of the existing dialysis access after transaxillary thoracic outlet decompression. Methods A retrospective medical record review was performed from January 2008 to December 2019 of patients who had undergone thoracic outlet decompression for subclavian vein stenosis with ipsilateral upper extremity hemodialysis access. The baseline characteristics and comorbidities were reviewed. The operative and postoperative course were evaluated. The survival and patency rates were analyzed using the life-table method and Kaplan-Meier curve. Results A total of 18 extremities in 18 patients were identified. Their mean age was 59 ± 11 years, and 89% were men. A total of 13 fistulas and 5 grafts were included. All patients had undergone repair via a transaxillary approach. First rib resection, anterior scalenectomy, and circumferential venolysis were performed in all 18 patients. The mean operative time was 99 ± 19 minutes, with an estimated blood loss of 78 ± 66 mL. The median length of stay was 2 days. No patient had died at 30 days. The survival rate at 1 year was 83%. The primary, primary-assisted, and secondary patency at 1 year were 42%, 69%, and 93%, respectively. Conclusions Thoracic outlet decompression via the transaxillary approach is a technically feasible and safe operation in patients with ipsilateral upper extremity hemodialysis access. Patients with threatened dialysis access due to subclavian vein stenosis should be carefully evaluated for possible extrinsic compression at the costoclavicular junction. These patients might benefit from transaxillary first rib resection, scalenectomy, and venolysis.