cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Volcanic eruptions in the Mediterranean before A.D. 630 from written and archaeological sources

Written and archaeological sources from the Mediterranean region have been exhaustively searched for evidence of historical volcanism before the year A.D. 630. Volcanic eruptions are identified here by two methods: direct observations, which give information about Mediterranean volcanoes, and indirect, atmospheric observations, which give at least the dates of very large explosive eruptions that occurred somewhere in the northern hemisphere. Seven or more very large explosive eruptions have been detected by these methods. Direct observations indicate great eruptions of Thera (fifteenth century B.C.), Etna ( 44 B.C.), and Vesuvius ( 217 B.C., A.D. 79, A.D. 472). Indirect observations imply great eruptions of northern hemisphere volcanoes in the years 217 B.C.,44 B.C.,A.D. 472 A.D. 536, and A.D. 626. Some of the correlations with known Mediterranean eruptions may be accidental. It is found that atmospheric veiling and cooling were quite marked for about a year after the eruptions of 44 B.C., A.D. 472, A.D. 536, and A.D. 626 ( relevant data are lacking for the other eruptions). If the A.D. 536 eruption was a very distant one ( Rabaul, New Britain?), it may have been the most explosive in recorded history. There is independent evidence of the sizes of the eruptions that took place in these years: at least five of them coincide with the strongest acidity signals in Greenland ice for this period. In the case of the smaller eruptions, reliable (though necessarily incomplete) chronologies are presented for Etna, Vesuvius, and the other active Mediterranean volcanoes. Full documentation from the original sources is provided throughout.
Dual techniques for constrained optimization. II

For pt.I see J. Optim. Theory Appl., vol.55, p.37-71 (1987). An algorithm for constrained optimization that combines an unconstrained minimization scheme like the conjugate gradient method, an augmented Lagrangian, and multiplier updates to obtain global quadratic convergence was presented in part I. Issues related to the numerical implementation of the algorithm are considered here. The convergence theory is extended to handle the rigid constraints that are not violated during the iterations. A strategy is developed for balancing the error associated with constraint violation with the error associated with optimality. Various numerical linear algebra techniques required for the efficient implementation of the algorithm are also developed, and the convergence properties of the algorithm are illustrated using some standard test problems. >
Water Vapor Profiling Using a Widely Tunable, Amplified Diode-Laser-Based Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL)

A differential absorption lidar (DIAL) instrument for automated profiling of water vapor in the lower troposphere has been designed, tested, and is in routine operation at Montana State University. The laser transmitter for the DIAL instrument uses a widely tunable external cavity diode laser (ECDL) to injection seed two cascaded semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) to produce a laser transmitter that accesses the 824‐841-nm spectral range. The DIAL receiver utilizes a 28-cm-diameter Schmidt‐Cassegrain telescope; an avalanche photodiode (APD) detector; and a narrowband optical filter to collect, discriminate, and measure the scattered light. A technique of correcting for the wavelength-dependent incident angle upon the narrowband optical filter as a function of range has been developed to allow accurate water vapor profiles to be measured down to 225 m above the surface. Data comparisons using the DIAL instrument and collocated radiosonde measurements are presented demonstrating the capabilities of the DIAL instrument.
Cyclic changes in gene expression induced by Peg-interferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin in peripheral blood monocytes (PBMC) of hepatitis C patients during the first 10 weeks of treatment

This study determined the kinetics of gene expression during the first 10 weeks of therapy with Pegylated-interferon-alfa2b (PegIntron™) and ribavirin (administered by weight) in HCV patients and compared it with the recently completed Virahep C study [1, 2] in which Peginterferon-alfa2a (Pegasys™) and ribavirin were administered. RNA was isolated from peripheral blood monocytes (PBMC) from twenty treatment-naive patients just before treatment (day 1) and at days 3, 6, 10, 13, 27, 42 and 70 days after treatment. Gene expression at each time was measured using Affymetrix microarrays and compared to that of day 1. The expression of many genes differed significantly (p ≤ 0.001 and changed at least 1.5-fold) at days 3 (290 probes) and 10 (255 probes), but the number dropped at days 6 (165) and 13 (142). Most genes continued to be up regulated throughout the trial period. A second group of genes, including CXCL10, CMKLR1 (chemokine receptor 1), TRAIL, IL1Rα and genes associated with complement and lipid metabolism, was transiently induced early in treatment. CDKN1C (cyclin kinase inhibitor 1) was induced early but repressed at later times. Genes induced at later times were mostly related to blood chemistry and oxygen transport. By week 10, 11 of the patients demonstrated a positive response to therapy, and the final sustained viral response (SVR) was 35%. The levels of gene induction or decrease was very similar to that previously reported with Pegasys/ribavirin treatment. The response to Pegintron/ribavirin was similar to that reported for Pegasys/ribavirin despite some differences in the amount administered. We did not detect major differences at the genomic level between patients responding to treatment or non-responders, perhaps because of limited power. Gene induction occurred in a cyclic fashion, peaking right after administration of interferon and declining between administrations of the drug. Our data suggest that more than once a week dosing might be desirable early during treatment to maintain high levels of response as measured by gene expression.
Symbol grounding through cumulative learning

We suggest that the primary motivation for an agent to construct a symbol-meaning mapping is to solve a task. The meaning space of an agent should be derived from the tasks that it faces during the course of its lifetime. We outline a process in which agents learn to solve multiple tasks and extract a store of “cumulative knowledge” that helps them to solve each new task more quickly and accurately. This cumulative knowledge then forms the ontology or meaning space of the agent. We suggest that by grounding symbols to this extracted cumulative knowledge agents can gain a further performance benefit because they can guide each others' learning process. In this version of the symbol grounding problem meanings cannot be directly communicated because they are internal to the agents, and they will be different for each agent. Also, the meanings may not correspond directly to objects in the environment. The communication process can also allow a symbol meaning mapping that is dynamic. We posit that these properties make this version of the symbol grounding problem realistic and natural. Finally, we discuss how symbols could be grounded to cumulative knowledge via a situation where a teacher selects tasks for a student to perform.
Evaluation of patterns of failure and subjective salivary function in patients treated with intensity modulated radiotherapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Background. Our aim was to correlate patterns of failure with target volume delineations in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) treated with intensity- modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and to report subjective xerostomia outcomes after IMRT as compared with conventional radiation therapy (CRT).
ENHANCED HYPO-OSMOREGULATION INDUCED BY WARM-ACCLIMATION IN ANTARCTIC FISH IS MEDIATED BY INCREASED GILL AND KIDNEY Na + /K + - ATPase ACTIVITIES

Serum osmolality and serum inorganic ion concentrations were studied in two antarctic fish species, Trematomus bernacchii and T. newnesi, during 5 weeks of acclimation to 4 degrees C and compared with control values for groups acclimated to -1.5 degrees C. Acclimation to 4 degrees C significantly decreased the serum osmolality of both species, thereby increasing their seawater-to-extracellular fluid (ECF) osmotic gradient. The decline in osmolality with acclimation to 4 degrees C was accompanied by significant and rapid losses of Na+ and Cl- during the first 14 days of acclimation and was maintained throughout the study period. At day 35 of acclimation, the lipid composition and microsomal Na+/K(+)-ATPase specific activities at 4 degrees C and 37 degrees C were determined in membranes from gill, kidney, liver and muscle tissues. No warm-induced decrease in fatty acid unsaturation was found in the tissues of either species. In the gills and kidneys of both species, the Na+/K(+)-ATPase activities assayed at 4 degrees C were increased after acclimation to 4 degrees C. The Na+/K(+)-ATPase activities at 37 degrees C increased at the higher acclimation temperature in T. newnesi kidneys and T. bernacchii gills, but in both species there was no compensation to temperature in the liver, regardless of assay temperature. Muscle Na+/K(+)-ATPase activity decreased in response to warm-acclimation in T. bernacchii and T. newnesi assayed at 4 degrees C and 37 degrees C, respectively. During acclimation to 4 degrees C, the discontinuity in the Arrhenius plot of the Na+/K(+)-ATPase activities of T. newnesi gill moved to a lower temperature, whereas that of kidney remained unchanged. The results indicate that acclimation to 4 degrees C induced a decrease in serum osmolality which resulted from the positive compensation of Na+/K(+)-ATPase in osmoregulatory tissues. The enhancement in Na+/K(+)-ATPase activity at 4 degrees C suggests that energy expenditure in antarctic fish may be lessened, in part, by maintaining a reduced seawater-to-ECF osmotic gradient.
Carisoprodol abuse in Texas, 1998–2003

Introduction Texas poison centers identified carisoprodol as a skeletal muscle relaxant that is subject to abuse, and this investigation explores the abuse reported by Texas poison centers.
Polydnaviruses: Nature's Genetic Engineers

Virus-host associations are usually viewed as parasitic, but several studies in recent years have reported examples of viruses that benefit host organisms. The Polydnaviridae are of particular interest because these viruses are all obligate mutualists of insects called parasitoid wasps. Parasitoids develop during their immature stages by feeding inside the body of other insects, which serve as their hosts. Polydnaviruses are vertically transmitted as proviruses through the germ line of wasps but also function as gene delivery vectors that wasps rely upon to genetically manipulate the hosts they parasitize. Here we review the evolutionary origin of polydnaviruses, the organization and function of their genomes, and some of their roles in parasitism.
Causal Foundations of Evolutionary Genetics

The causal nature of evolution is one of the central topics in the philosophy of biology. It has been discussed whether equations used in evolutionary genetics point to some causal processes or are purely phenomenological patterns. To address this question the present paper builds well-defined causal models that underlie standard equations in evolutionary genetics. These models are based on minimal and biologically-plausible hypotheses about selection and reproduction, and generate statistics to predict evolutionary changes. The causal reconstruction of the evolutionary principles shows adaptive evolution as a genuine causal process, where fitness and selection are both causes of evolution.
Stress Measurements in Composites using Neutron Diffraction

The measurement of residual microstresses in composites using neutrons is discussed. The basic theory of the measurements is presented and the advantages of neutrons noted, including a discussion of the limitations of x-rays. A number of experimental issues are considered, including grain size, stress-free standards, sample alignment, and the use of steady state versus pulsed sources. Studies illustrating these issues are presented for which the techniques, problems and potential of the method are emphasized. Measurements of Al-SiC metal matrix composites deal with the anisotropy of the stress state in the presence of aligned fibers, particle shape effects, and changes in residual stress due to uniaxial compressive and tensile plastic deformation. Problems encountered with grain size and composition in the stress-free standards are noted. Studies of WC-Ni cemented carbide composites as a function of temperature deal with effects of microstructure and the interpretation of peak broadening in terms of stress distributions.
Structural origin of resistance drift in amorphous GeTe

We used atomistic simulations to study the origin of the change of resistance over time in the amorphous phase of GeTe, a prototypical phase-change material (PCM). Understanding the cause of resistance drift is one of the biggest challenges to improve multilevel storage technology. For this purpose, we generated amorphous structures via classical molecular-dynamics simulations under conditions as close as possible to the experimental operating ones of such memory devices. Moreover, we used the replica-exchange technique to generate structures comparable with those obtained in the experiment after long annealing that show an increase of resistance. This framework allowed us to overcome the main limitation of previous simulations, based on density-functional theory, that suffered from being computationally too expensive therefore limited to the nanosecond time scale. We found that resistance drift is caused by consumption of Ge atom clusters in which the coordination of at least one Ge atom differs from that of the crystalline phase and by removal of stretched bonds in the amorphous network, leading to a shift of the Fermi level towards the middle of the band gap. These results show that one route to design better memory devices based on current chalcogenide alloys is to reduce the resistance drift by increasing the rigidity of the amorphous network.
Effects of Bond Location on the Ignition and Reaction Pathways of trans-Hexene Isomers

Chemical structure and bond location are well-known to impact combustion reactivity. The current work presents new experimental autoignition and speciation data on the three trans-hexene isomers (1-hexene, trans-2-hexene, and trans-3-hexene), which describe the effects of the location of the carbon–carbon double bond. Experiments were conducted with the University of Michigan rapid compression facility to determine ignition delay times from pressure time histories. Stoichiometric (ϕ = 1.0) mixtures at dilution levels of buffer gas:O2 = 7.5 (mole basis) were investigated at an average pressure of 11 atm and temperatures from 837 to 1086 K. Fast gas sampling and gas chromatography were also used to quantitatively measure 13 stable intermediate species formed during the ignition delay period of each isomer at a temperature of ∼900 K. The measured ignition delay times and species measurements were in good agreement with previous experimental studies at overlapping conditions. The results were modeled using a ...
Investigation of tumor spontaneous regression and related factors

Objective:Tumor spontaneous regression location and type was investigated to explore tumor-related spontaneous regression factors.Methods:Tumor spontaneous regression cases were identified according to four tumor diagnosis standard including follow-up survival time.Results:Some tumors may be spontaneous regression,however the adrenal gland position was the highest.Conclusion:Tumor spontaneous regression factors lay the foundation for clinical applications,mechanism of tumor spontaneous regression may be an important way to study cancer.
Renal ischemia and reperfusion impair endothelium-dependent vascular relaxation.

We studied the hemodynamic response of the isolated erythrocyte-perfused kidney to 25 min of ischemia and found that renal vascular resistance (RVR) was increased in the reflow period (16.7 +/- 1.4 mmHg.ml-1.min.g following ischemia vs. 10.2 +/- 0.8 mmHg.ml-1.min.g in control kidneys). Endothelial independent vasodilators [atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) and sodium nitroprusside] prevented the increase in RVR that occurred after ischemia. In contrast, acetylcholine and the calcium ionophore A23187, two vasodilators that act by releasing endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF), had no effect on the increased RVR that occurs on reflow. Two inhibitors of EDRF, methylene blue and gossypol, increased RVR in nonischemic kidneys by 45 +/- 6 and 46 +/- 11%, respectively, an increase that was comparable to that found with ischemia alone (55 +/- 7%). The increase in RVR found with the combination of EDRF inhibition and ischemia (59 +/- 5%) was the same as that found with ischemia alone. We conclude that EDRF activity is impaired following ischemia and reperfusion. This abnormality in EDRF may be an important mechanism contributing to postischemic vasoconstriction in the renal vasculature.
Replication of Human Papillomavirus in Culture

Human papillomaviruses (HPV) are the major factor in causing cervical cancer as well as being implicated in causing oral and anal cancers. The life cycle of HPV is tied to the epithelial differentiation system, as only native virus can be produced in stratified human skin. Initially, HPV research was only possible utilizing recombinant systems in monolayer culture. With new cell culture technology, systems using differentiated skin have allowed HPV to be studied in its native environment. Here, we describe current research studying native virions in differentiated skin including viral assembly, maturation, capsid protein interactions, and L2 cross-neutralizing epitopes. In doing so, we hope to show how differentiating skin systems have increased our knowledge of HPV biology and identify gaps in our knowledge about this important virus.
SELAM: simulation of epistasis and local adaptation during admixture with mate choice.

Summary: SELAM is a forward time population genetic simulation program that provides a flexible framework for simulating admixture between any number of ancestral populations. The program can be used to simulate complex demographic and selection models, including dioecious or monoecious populations, autosomal or sex chromosomes, local adaptation, dominance, epistasis, and mate choice. Availability and Implementation: The SELAM package (C ++ source code, examples and manuals) is available via github at https://github.com/russcd/SELAM. This package is distributed under version 3 of the GNU general public license. Contact: russcd@gmail.com
Near-field speech intelligibility in chemical-biological warfare masks.

It is common knowledge among field personnel that poor speech intelligibility can occur when chemical-biological warfare (CBW) masks are worn: indeed, many users resort to hand signals for person-to-person communicative purposes. This study was conducted in an effort to generate basic information about the problem; its focus was on the assessment of, and comparisons among, the communicative efficiency of seven different CBW units. Near-field word intelligibility was assessed by use of rhyming minimal contrast tests; user and acoustic restrictions were studied by means of diadochokinetic tests and system frequency response. The near-field word intelligibility of six American-designed masks varied somewhat, but overall it was reasonably good; however, a Russian unit did not perform well. Second, three of the U.S. masks were found to produce less physiological restraint than the others, and the Soviet mask produced the greatest physiological restraint. Finally, a few of the CBW masks also exhibited very low levels of acoustic distortion. Accordingly, it was concluded that two of the several configurations studied exhibited superior features. Other factors being equal, they can be recommended for field use and as a basis for the development of future generations of CBW masks. However, it also should be noted that although these devices provided reasonably good speech intelligibility when the listener was close to the talker, they do not appear to do so even at minimal distances.
Seismicity and quaternary faulting in China

Quaternary faulting, based on an interpretation of a mosaic of LANDSAT-1 imagery, and seismicity demonstrate a distinct difference in Quaternary tectonics between western and eastern China. Maps of the faulting, of all earthquakes reported in historical records for 1177 B.C. to 1903 A.D., of earthquakes determined from instrumental data for 1904 to February 1975, and of all earthquakes with M ≧ 6 from 1177 B.C. to Feburary 1975 are presented. East-west trending reactivated Paleozoic mountain belts and subparallel large left-lateral strike-slip faults predominate in western China. The northeasterly trending Cenozoic Shansi graben and subparallel right-lateral strike-slip faults characterize eastern China. Nearly aseismic blocks occur in both east and west, but a satisfactory model of small plates that explains all of the observed seismotectonic phenomena is not apparent. The tectonic activity may be controlled by stresses from nearby plate margins, with the collision of India and Eurasia predominating. Large earthquakes and surface faulting have occurred on some of the faults observed in the satellite images. Because the Chinese historical record suggests the alternation of seismically active and quiet periods of the order of a few hundred years in continental intraplate areas, data on Quaternary faulting can be especially valuable in supplementing short records of seismicity in order to understand tectonics and to evaluate seismic risk.
The tables of John Wallis and the discovery of his product π

In the year 1656 John Wallis published his Arithmetica Infinitorum, [1], in which he displayed many ideas that were to lead to the integral calculus of Newton. In this work we find the celebrated infinite product of Wallis which gives π, Earlier in 1593, Vieta [2] found another infinite product which gives π But, since Wallis does not mention it, we suppose that he was unaware of it. (Remarkably, these two seemingly different products are special cases of a more general formula [3].)
The Digital Campfire

This chapter positions the Slender Man in the lineage of traditional storytelling, identifying key elements of oral folklore that the stories recall: variability that leads to shifts and changes in the story according to teller, performance that defines each telling as a mutually communicative event between teller and audience, and community that draws the parameters of each telling according to the culture and tastes of the digital campfire around which it is told. Just as in folklore, the Slender Man stories are considered in the specific contexts and milieus of the communities who tell, consume, and share them.
Cellular mechanisms of noise-induced hearing loss

Exposure to intense sound or noise can result in purely temporary threshold shift (TTS), or leave a residual permanent threshold shift (PTS) along with alterations in growth functions of auditory nerve output. Recent research has revealed a number of mechanisms that contribute to noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). The principle cause of NIHL is damage to cochlear hair cells and associated synaptopathy. Contributions to TTS include reversible damage to hair cell (HC) stereocilia or synapses, while moderate TTS reflects protective purinergic hearing adaptation. PTS represents permanent damage to or loss of HCs and synapses. While the substrates of HC damage are complex, they include the accumulation of reactive oxygen species and the active stimulation of intracellular stress pathways, leading to programmed and/or necrotic cell death. Permanent damage to cochlear neurons can also contribute to the effects of NIHL, in addition to HC damage. These mechanisms have translational potential for pharmacological intervention and provide multiple opportunities to prevent HC damage or to rescue HCs and spiral ganglion neurons that have suffered injury. This paper reviews advances in our understanding of cellular mechanisms that contribute to NIHL and their potential for therapeutic manipulation.
Efficient Heuristic for Decomposing a Flow with Minimum Number of Paths

Motivated by transcript assembly and multiple genome assembly problems, in this paper, we study the following minimum path flow decomposition problem: given a directed acyclic graph G=(V, E) with source s and sink t and a flow f, compute a set of s-t paths P and assign weight w(p) for p ∈ P such that f(e) = Σ p∈P:e∈p w(p), ∀e ∈ E, and |P| is minimized. We propose an efficient pseudo-polynomial-time heuristic for this problem based on novel insights. Our heuristic gives a framework that consists of several components, providing a roadmap for continuing development of better heuristics. Through experimental studies on both simulated and transcript assembly instances, we show that our algorithm significantly improves the previous state-of-the-art algorithm. Implementation of our algorithm is available at https://github.com/Kingsford-Group/catfish.
Public works: Building a Monument to Modern Buenos Aires

Understanding the relationship between the project of modernity and urbanism has been key to understanding the city of Buenos Aires’ material transformations throughout the 20th century. This paper considers how thinking about the issues of modernity and urbanism from the perspective of monuments--namely, the Obelisk of Buenos Aires--sheds new light on how elements of this modernizing project were undertaken and how its material markers have been used and manipulated, and modified through their representation in cultural discourse on the city. Rethinking Buenos Aires from the Obelisk implies literally thinking from underground, from the subway lines that form its base and transform it into a popular symbol of mobility.
Insular epilepsy surgery.

Summary Since it was originally described nearly 70 years ago, insular epilepsy has been increasingly recognized and may explain failures after apparently well-planned operations. We review the history of awareness of the phenomenon, techniques for its assessment, and its surgical management. Insular epilepsy can mimic features of frontal, parietal, or temporal seizures. It should be considered when a combination of somatosensory, visceral, and motor symptoms is observed early in a seizure. Extraoperative intracranial recordings are required to accurately diagnose insular seizures. Stereo–electroencephalography (EEG) or craniotomy with implantation of surface and depth electrodes have been used successfully to identify insular onset of seizures. Surgical resection of an insular focus may be performed with good success and acceptable risk.
Severe neurologic complications of immune checkpoint inhibitors: a single-center review

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are a promising class of anticancer drugs associated with immune-related adverse events (IRAEs). In registration studies of selected cancer populations, neurologic IRAEs were rare. Post-marketing experience describing their prevalence in clinical practice continues to be reported. A retrospective cohort of patients treated at our institution with ICIs from 2005 to 2017 was identified. Patients with new neurologic ICD codes documented during or after ICI treatment were enrolled. Comprehensive medical record review identified patients with neurologic IRAEs causally linked to ICIs. This study focused on CTCAE grade 2–4 IRAEs. 526 patients were screened; 55 candidate patients were identified; 5 cases met criteria for neurologic IRAEs, an incidence of 0.95% (n = 5/526). IRAEs identified were transverse myelopathy, demyelinating sensorimotor polyneuropathy, oculomotor nerve palsy, sensory neuropathy, and posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome. ICIs were held in three patients, rechallenged in one, and dose-reduced in one. Corticosteroids were given in three patients, and response varied from complete symptom resolution to minimal response and ultimately death. Other treatments were based on IRAE presentation, including gabapentin, antihypertensives, and IV immunoglobulin. Patients with combination therapy appeared to suffer more severe IRAEs producing more substantial long-term morbidity and mortality. In this clinical practice study, the incidence of neurologic IRAEs from ICIs was 0.95%. Although rare, neurologic IRAEs can be highly variable and severe, and patients with combination immunotherapy appeared to suffer more severe IRAEs. Neurologists play an important role in the early identification and management of IRAEs to reduce long-term morbidity and mortality.
The sedimentary record of modern and ancient dry lakes

The large family of dry lakes includes a variety of morphologies, types of surfaces, facies, and sedimentary structures where the evaporation of water plays a major role. To describe them, the term sabkha is largely used in the literature. The sedimentation at the margin of dry lakes is dominated by mechanical deposition of siliciclastic detritus that form the background for chemical or biochemical deposition of mostly sulfates and carbonates. The sabkha's environment is a sink for both evaporitic and siliciclastic sediments. In addition to the lacustrine-related processes, fluvial and eolian activity plays an important role in providing sediment and in modeling the environment that need to be considered in the formation and evolution of sabkhas. Shorelines are subtle in the driest sabkhas because they are rarely inundated and wave action cannot build appreciable fronts and terraces. Mud flats are actually dominated by evaporitic sedimentation such as those active in saline lakes that occupy the hydrological lows of basins. The presence of abundant sulfate minerals has been confirmed by a number of recent Mars missions from both orbit and surface as well as exposures of carbonates. The existence of dry lakes on Mars consistent with the morphological and mineralogical record suggests that the planet experienced a large-scale hydrological cycle involving both ground and surface water. A potential candidate of sabkha on Mars is the Columbus crater in Terra Sirenum where data support the presence of evaporitic sulfates and clays.
Do behavior changes herald physical illness in adults with mental retardation

A longitudinal study of 62 individuals with profound mental retardation was conducted to determine if direct care staff can identify behavior change prior to identifying symptoms of acute illness. Results indicate that staff were able to notice changes in sluggishness prior to the onset of illness. Self-care behavior was of borderline significance and there was no significant change in eight behavior dimensions (vocalizations, peer conflict, stereotypy, aggression, self injurious behavior, restlessness, distractibility, and depression). This finding should alert physicians and care-givers to the importance of prompt response to symptoms. Reliance on behavioral observation of direct care staff is not always sensitive enough to pick up changes in health status in less restrictive residential environments.
The need for theories of conceptual learning and teaching of mathematics

One of the important challenges in mathematics education is the ­development of pedagogical theory that can guide mathematics instruction, instructional design, teacher education, and research in each of these areas. In this chapter, I begin with a brief review of the current state of the field with respect to ­pedagogical theory. I then offer a vision of what might constitute needed pedagogical theory. Such theory would include useful ways of describing the mechanisms of ­mathematics conceptual learning and, derived from the characterization of these mechanisms, design and instructional principles for fostering mathematics conceptual learning. Using the research program I am involved in as an example, I describe some of the methodological challenges in producing an empirical basis for such theory development.
Minimally Invasive Approaches to Spinal Metastases

Approximately 50 to 70% of all cancer patients ultimately develop skeletal metastases, and the spine is the most common site of metastatic deposition. Most patients with spinal metastases are treated nonsurgically, commonly with radiation therapy, chemotherapy, radiopharmaceutical therapy, hormonal therapy, and antiresorptive therapy with bisphosphonates and analgesics (1,2). Usually, surgery is considered only for patients with intractable pain, neurological compromise, and overt or impending instability. The goals of spinal tumor surgery are to decompress the spinal cord and nerve roots, stabilize the spine, alleviate pain, and, in some cases, establish a diagnosis. Occasionally, the goal of surgery for a patient with a primary neoplasm of the spine is to effect a cure.
Special Feature: The Future of Lay Adjudication in Korea and Japan

Three years after Korea introduced the jury system for the first time in its history, and two years following the Japanese introduction of a mixed court in which citizen and professional judges decide serious criminal cases, the Second East Asian Law and Society Conference was held on September 30th and October 1st, 2011 in the vibrant city of Seoul, South Korea. This Special Issue of the Yonsei Law Journal offers an opportunity to present work on some of the key issues that were discussed and debated at this remarkable conference. In particular, the special issue offers new research on the advent of lay participation in legal decision making in East Asia at a very auspicious period in time.
Improved Real-Time Capability for Nonlinear Seperable Harmonic Filtering of Ultrasound Images Using a Damped Regularization Method With In-Vivo Results

During the early stage of the disease, idiopathic Parkinson’s Disease can be very difficult to differentiate from atypical parkinsonian syndromes. Hyperechogenicity in the substantia nigra is one marker that has been shown to help make this differential diagnosis, and Transcranial Ultrasound Imaging is the preferred method for detecting SN hyperechogenicity. Hyperechogenicity is defined as an echogenic area larger than 0.2cm2. However, B-mode imaging often contains enough noise that the boundary may not be clear, thus making this diagnosis much more difficult. Harmonic imaging using a Third- Order Volterra filter is one solution that has been shown to be successful in filtering out the noise in these images. In this paper we show that regularization methods such as the Truncated Singular Value Decomposi- tion and Damped Singular Value Decomposition can be used to solve for the Volterra Filter’s coefficients much more quickly than adaptive Least Mean Squared methods without sacrifice in image quality. These findings have significant implications for the viability of using the Volterra Filter in real-time applications.
General Anesthesia Alters the Diversity and Composition of the Intestinal Microbiota in Mice

Dysbiosis of the intestinal microbiota has been shown to result in altered immune responses and increased susceptibility to infection; as such, the state of the intestinal microbiome may have profound implications in the perioperative setting. In this first-in-class study, we used 16s ribosomal RNA sequencing and analysis in a mouse model of general anesthesia to investigate the effects of volatile anesthetics on the diversity and composition of the intestinal microbiome. After 4-hour exposure to isoflurane, we observed a decrease in bacterial diversity. Taxonomic alterations included depletion of several commensal bacteria including Clostridiales. These data identify volatile anesthetics as potential contributors to microbial dysbiosis in the postoperative patient.
Potential Mediating Role of Parenting Competence in the Relationship Between Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Family Functioning Post-9/11 Veteran Parents

Repeated, extended deployments in support of OEF/OIF/OND have important implications for not only veterans, but also their family members. While this topic is beginning to garner more attention, more research is needed on the relationship between symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), parenting factors, and family functioning among OEF/OIF/OND veterans. The present study aimed to: (1) examine the relationship between specific PTSD symptom clusters and family functioning among a sample of N = 191 treatment-seeking veteran parents who served after September 11, 2001; and (2) examine the mediating role of parenting sense of competence in this relationship. Participants completed the PTSD Check List (PCL), the Parenting Sense of Competence Scale (PSOC), and the Family Assessment Device (FAD) as part of their initial evaluation in an outpatient mental health clinic. Numbing and avoidance symptoms of PTSD (Criterion C; PCL_c) were associated with more problematic family functioning (r = .164, p < .05). There was a strong negative relationship between parenting competence and problematic family functioning (r = −.514, p < .001). Examination of the indirect effect of PSOC on the association between PCL_c and FAD based on 4000 bootstrapped samples revealed a significant indirect effect (point estimate = 0.0092; BCa CI = 0.0035, 0.0170), suggesting that decreased parenting sense of competence might mediate the relationship between numbing/avoidance symptoms and problematic family functioning. Future studies confirming the central role of parenting in the relationship between PTSD symptoms and family functioning are warranted.
Coherent Quantum Control of Silicon Vacancy Spins in Diamond with Surface Acoustics

We use surface acoustic waves (SAWs)to drive coherent Rabi oscillations of individual silicon vacancy (SiV)spins. Rabi frequencies as high as 48 MHz are obtained with 4 mW total input power. Ramsey interferometry is used to measure a spin coherence of 29 ns at 5.8 Kelvin. © 2019 The Author(s)
Depacon Infusion Therapy

Valproate sodium (Depacon) was developed and is used for the treatment of seizure disorders. Valproate’s postulated multiple mechanisms of action allow for it to be effective in several seizure types and also provides benefit in migraine treatment, neuropathic pain and mood disorders. However, due to the requirement of frequent administration, the intravenous (IV) formulation is typically only used for acute situations; the oral forms of valproate are more widely used as maintenance and prevention therapy.
Variance-based sensitivity analysis applied to hydrogen migration and redistribution model in Bison. Part I: Simulation of historical experiments

Abstract In a light water nuclear reactor environment, zirconium-alloy cladding undergoes corrosion that introduces hydrogen into the cladding. Hydrogen being slightly soluble in zirconium means that the terminal solid solubility of hydrogen is quickly reached. This leads to hydrogen precipitation into crystals of zirconium hydride. These hydrides decrease the ductility of the cladding, which increases the chance of cladding failure, especially during dry storage or transportation events, depending on the temperature and stress conditions. In this work, we tested the existing hydrogen migration and redistribution model implemented in the Bison fuel performance code by comparing Bison predictions of hydrogen distribution in various temperature profiles against historical published experimental data. Using 1D simulations of hydrogen evolution in zirconium-alloy, we demonstrated the accuracy of the existing model in the case of a sharp temperature gradient profile. We also performed a sensitivity analysis to investigate the impact of the model parameters on Bison predictions of hydrogen migration and redistribution to understand the discrepancies in the case of a low temperature gradient profile. In both cases, the Bison prediction of hydrogen distribution is accurate in the regions where the temperatures are higher. In these areas, the relative error on average does not exceed 1%. On the other hand, the error grows increasingly higher in the cold regions where hydrides are more likely to form and a steep gradient in the hydrogen concentration profile develops. The potential for the uncertainties in the model parameters to explain this behavior is investigated through the sensitivity analysis, including the impact of a clamping factor that artificially reduces the maximum allowable volume fraction of hydrides. This study also provides a literature review on hydrogen migration and redistribution experiments and a systematic comparison of the relative experimental data.
Examples of Representations and Their Application

Our approach to the study of large deviations is based on convenient variational representations for expected values of nonnegative functionals. In this chapter we give three examples of such representations and show how they allow easy proofs of some classical results.
A New Paradigm in Mechanical Circulatory Support: 100-Patient Experience

Background Acutely decompensated heart failure presents a complicated challenge. Established temporary support measures have significant adverse effects. A minimally invasive temporary left ventricular assist device (LVAD), the Impella 5.0 (Abiomed, Danvers, MA), has been developed to support these patients. Methods Patients with acutely decompensated heart failure in whom medical management had failed and who required additional support using an Impella 5.0 device were evaluated from January 2014 to September 2018 at a single center in a retrospective manner using a prospectively maintained database. Patients were treated with the device as a bridge to recovery (BTR; n = 30), bridge to durable device (BTDD; n = 23), or bridge to transplantation (BTT; n = 47). All devices were placed using an axillary artery approach. Demographic features and outcomes were evaluated for each group and compared. Results A total of 100 patients underwent insertion of an axillary Impella 5.0 LVAD. Patients had an average age of 56.7 ± 13.2 years, were predominantly male (84%), and had a severely depressed left ventricular ejection fraction (average 16%), and most had an Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support (INTERMACS) profile 1 (57%) or 2 (33%) score. When divided into groups, there was no difference in age or INTERMACS score, but a statistical difference was noted in baseline left ventricular ejection fraction (20%, 14%, 15%) and creatinine level (1.0, 2.0, 1.6), in the BTR, BTDD, or BTT group, respectively (all P Conclusions Use of this minimally invasive LVAD system is an attractive strategy to support patients with acute decompensated heart failure to recovery, durable LVAD, or heart transplantation.
Understanding the Role of Longitudinal Arterial Wall Motion in Blood Circulation from the Perspective of a Piano String

This work is aimed to establish engineering theories of the coupled longitudinal and radial motion of the arterial wall. By treating the arterial wall as a piano string in the longitudinal direction and as a viscoelastic material in the circumferential direction, and considering pulsatile pressure and wall shear stress from axial blood flow in an artery, the fully-formed governing equations of the coupled motion of the arterial wall are obtained and are related to the engineering theories of axial blood flow for a unified engineering understanding of blood circulation in the cardiovascular (CV) system. The longitudinal wall motion and the radial wall motion are essentially a longitudinal elastic wave and a transverse elastic wave, respectively, traveling along the arterial tree, with their own propagation velocities dictated by the physical properties and geometrical parameters of the arterial wall. The longitudinal initial tension is essential for generating a transverse elastic wave in the arterial wall to accompany the pulsatile pressure wave in axial blood flow. Under aging and subclinical atherosclerosis, propagation of the two elastic waves and coupling of the two elastic waves weakens and consequently might undermine blood circulation.
The Corset as a Garment: Is It a Representative of Who Wore It?

This chapter provides a nuanced view as to who wore a corset, what an “average” corset might look like, and data on the specific dimensions and materials from the corsets in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Fashion Museum in Bath, St. Fagans Museum in Cardiff, and the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh’s collections. The bulk of the chapter details those collections, looking at trends in fabric and other material use over time, whether or not there was a change in size dependent on the fineness of the garment, and showing the abovementioned peculiarities. This is done with data in aggregate, divided by decades. Gibson also discusses the finances of affording a corset—how much they might cost, what materials were available, who had access to them, and whether or not there were socioeconomic barriers to corseting. Finally, Gibson returns to theoretical arguments that corseting can be a barrier between a woman and the outside world, analyzing such ideas as the Separate Spheres ideology, thoughts about civilization and corset wearing, and what was considered by women when they wore their garments. This is a discourse predicated on ideas of women’s bodily autonomy and their choices in wearing the corset, and is continued in the next chapter.
Early life stress induces hyperactivity but not increased anxiety-like behavior or ethanol drinking in outbred heterogeneous stock rats.

Abstract Early life stress is known to impact vulnerability to psychopathological disorders in adulthood, including anxiety and alcohol use disorder (AUD), but the mechanisms underlying susceptibility to these outcomes are not fully understood. In the current study, we used adolescent social isolation (ASI) to determine whether Heterogeneous Stock (HS) rats, an outbred model used for genetic fine-mapping, could be used to study the genetics contributing to ASI-induced anxiety- and AUD-like behavior. We isolated (ASI) or group-housed (adolescent group-housed; AGH) 64 male HS rats at 4 weeks of age. After 5 weeks in these housing conditions, multiple anxiety and coping/despair-like behaviors were measured. All rats were then individually housed and assessed for voluntary ethanol self-administration. At euthanasia, synaptoneurosomes were isolated from a subset of brains to examine the expression of two proteins associated with alcohol drinking-related behaviors, GluA1 and SK2, in the dorsal (dHC) and ventral hippocampus (vHC). We found that ASI increased hyperactivity in the open field test relative to AGH, with no changes in other anxiety-like behaviors. Surprisingly, ASI rats demonstrated decreased immobility and increased climbing in the forced swim test relative to AGH. In contrast to prior studies by us and others, we found no difference in self-administration of 20% ethanol, with decreased ethanol self-administration in ASI relative to AGH rats at higher ethanol concentrations. Furthermore, while ASI in Long-Evans rats resulted in decreased SK2 expression in vHC synaptosomes, no differences were seen in vHC synaptosomes for SK2 or GluA1 in HS rats. These results demonstrate that HS rats are protected against many of the negative effects previously seen in response to ASI, namely anxiety-like behavior and increased ethanol self-administration. The current work suggests that a lack of change in SK2 and GluA1 expression levels in the vHC may play a role in conferring this protection.
Rapid improvement of burning scrotum syndrome with indomethacin.

Burning scrotum syndrome (male genital dysesthesia or red scrotum syndrome) is a cutaneous dysesthesia characterized by persistent erythema of the anterior half of the scrotum.1 It is accompanied by a burning sensation, heat, irritation, and hyperalgesia of the scrotum.1 Previous reports have shown oral gabapentin, pregabalin, doxycycline, and beta-blockers as possible treatment modalities.2, 3, 4 Here, we report a case of burning scrotum syndrome treated with indomethacin.