cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Conceptualizing Practitioner-Scholarship for Educational Leadership Research and Practice:

In this conceptual article, we draw upon recent literature to describe the theoretical, epistemological, and methodological anchors that can inform a working conception of practitioner-scholarship. We position practitioner-scholarship at the intersection of an individual’s work as a practitioner and researcher, wherein a practitioner focuses on understanding localized problems of practice through in-depth inquiry. Through our discussion, we highlight three implications for leadership programs. First, practitioner-scholarship demands that all program faculty take a learning orientation. Second, research experiences provided to students should be immersed in leadership practice and directly situated within schools and districts. Third, we advocate increased consistency, rigor, and theoretical depth in methods training for educational leadership students.
Life-history studies by non-lethal sampling: using microchemical constituents of fin rays as chronological recorders.

Chemical properties of fin rays were investigated in nine fish species to test whether life-history characteristics can be analysed using a non-lethal and minimally invasive methodology. Fish specimens from public aquariums were acquired after fishes died in captivity. Analyses concentrated on exploring the differences between the wild and captive life periods of each fish, which were known from aquarium records. Differences between the two life periods were observed in both the trace-element and stable-isotope compositions of the chemical matrix of the fin ray. Trace-element concentrations in fin rays were compared with those in otoliths using measures of resolved variance and cross-correlation to test the assumption of conserved matrices in the fin ray. Divalent ions and positively charged transition metals (i.e. Fe and Co) had strong associations between the two structures, suggesting conservation of material. Stable-isotope values of δ13C and δ15N differed between the wild and captive life periods in most of the fishes, also suggesting conserved matrices. δ13C and δ15N were derived from the organic matrix within the fin ray, which may present a stable-isotope chronology. Future studies can use these chronologies to study diet and movement trends on a temporal scale consistent with the entire lifetime of an individual.
Co-creating “The Deal.” How Salesperson Negotiation Strategies and Customer Persuasion Knowledge Interact to Determine Price Discounts and Customer Satisfaction: A Structured Abstract

An increasing number of businesses are encouraging their salespeople to negotiate with customers while making a deal. The deal is where product specifications and the logistical aspects of the exchange are discussed and negotiated. This research examines the “crafting of a deal” from the perspective of value co-creation, where important negotiation outcomes are theorized to be determined by the interactions between salespeople’s negotiation strategies (SNSs) and customers’ persuasion knowledge (CPK). Using a unique dyadic dataset that combines multisource (salesperson and customer) survey data with objective purchase price information, we find that neither SNS nor CPK directly impact either outcome. Instead, all outcomes depend on the interaction of SNS and CPK. The compelling results provide evidence for varying levels of value co-creation on both the selling firm and the customer sides of the sales interaction based on the negotiation strategy employed by the salesperson.
The course of depression, inflammation in the serum and tumor microenvironment, and survival in the context of advanced cancer.

9507 Background: The aims of the present study were to study the course of depression in patients diagnosed with cancer and the link with biomarkers of inflammation in the serum or tumor microenvir...
Pathways to Success for Women Scientists in Higher Education in the US

A continuing problem regarding gender equity in higher education in the United States is attracting and retaining women in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields. For example, only 20% of the science and engineering faculty at four-year colleges and universities are women.1 Within certain disciplines such as mathematics and physics, the numbers are dramatically smaller.
Abstract 5520: CCN5/WISP-2 is a negative regulator of epithelial to mesenchymal transition and stemness in breast cancer

Background and Objective: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and a leading cause of cancer mortality in western countries. CCN5 (also known as Wnt-1-induced signaling protein-2 or WISP-2) is a 29-31-kDa matricellular protein that plays as a negative regulator of breast carcinoma. Our previous studies had shown the importance of CCN5/ WISP-2 in the suppression of breast and pancreatic cancer progression through the regulation of the invasive phenotypes. Considering the previous report, our aim is to investigate whether human recombinant CCN5 inhibit pathobiological events like epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), migration and stemness in triple negative breast cancer cells. Methods: To investigate the negative impact of CCN5 on EMT and stemness of TNBC, we performed several techniques like western blot, clonoogenic assay, soft agar assay, sphere formation assay etc. Results and Conclusions: The exposure of triple negative human breast cancer cells (TNBC), MDA-MB-231 and HCC-70, to recombinant CCN5 (hrCCN5), resulted in a dose-dependent inhibition of cell-proliferation through the induction of apoptotic cell death. The treatment of hrCCN5 regulates various pathobiological events in breast cancer cells, such as reprogramming the mesenchymal to epithelial transition (MET) followed by reduction of stemness features as confirmed by sphere formation assay and delaying in vitro migration. Finally, treatment with hrCCN5 in TNBC cells significantly inhibited anchorage-dependent and independent growth of TNBC. Collectively, CCN5’s control of cancer cell physiology indicates that hrCCN5 has the potential of being used as a major therapeutic agent against triple negative breast cancer. Citation Format: Gargi Maity, Amlan Das, Sandipto Sarkar, Snigdha Banerjee, Sushanta K. Banerjee. CCN5/WISP-2 is a negative regulator of epithelial to mesenchymal transition and stemness in breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 5520. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-5520
A Serendipitous Mutation Reveals the Severe Virulence Defect of a Klebsiella pneumoniae fepB Mutant

ABSTRACT Klebsiella pneumoniae is considered a significant public health threat because of the emergence of multidrug-resistant strains and the challenge associated with treating life-threatening infections. Capsule, siderophores, and adhesins have been implicated as virulence determinants of K. pneumoniae, yet we lack a clear understanding of how this pathogen causes disease. In a previous screen for virulence genes, we identified a potential new virulence locus and constructed a mutant (smr) with this locus deleted. In this study, we characterize the smr mutant and show that this mutation renders K. pneumoniae avirulent in a pneumonia model of infection. The smr mutant was expected to have a deletion of three genes, but subsequent genome sequencing indicated that a much larger deletion had occurred. Further analysis of the deleted region indicated that the virulence defect of the smr mutant could be attributed to the loss of FepB, a periplasmic protein required for import of the siderophore enterobactin. Interestingly, a ΔfepB mutant was more attenuated than a mutant unable to synthesize enterobactin, suggesting that additional processes are affected. As FepB is highly conserved among the members of the family Enterobacteriaceae, therapeutic targeting of FepB may be useful for the treatment of Klebsiella and other bacterial infections. IMPORTANCE In addition to having a reputation as the causative agent of several types of hospital-acquired infections, Klebsiella pneumoniae has gained widespread attention as a pathogen with a propensity for acquiring antibiotic resistance. It is capable of causing a range of infections, including urinary tract infections, pneumonia, and sepsis. Because of the rapid emergence of carbapenem resistance among Klebsiella strains, there is a dire need for a better understanding of virulence mechanisms and identification of new drug targets. Here, we identify the periplasmic transporter FepB as one such potential target.
Soft Margin Support Vector Classification as Buffered Probability Minimization

In this paper, we show that the popular C-SVM, soft-margin support vector classifier is equivalent to minimization of Buffered Probability of Exceedance (bPOE) by introducing of a new SVM formulation, called the EC-SVM, which is derived as a bPOE minimization problem. Being derived from a simple bPOE minimization problem, we show that the EC-SVM is simple to interpret with a meaningful free parameter, optimal objective value, and probabilistic derivation. We then connect the EC-SVM to existing SVM formulations. We first show that the C-SVM, formulated with any regularization norm, produces the same set of solutions as the EC-SVM over the same parameter range. Additionally, we show that the Eν-SVM, formulated with any regularization norm, produces the same set of solutions as the EC-SVM over their entire parameter range. These equivalences, coupled with the interpretability of the EC-SVM, allow us to gain surprising new insights into the C-SVM and fully connect soft margin support vector classification with superquantile and bPOE concepts. Additionally, we provide general dual formulations for the EC-SVM and C-SVM allowing for a brief discussion of application of the kernel trick to the EC-SVM.
Making a Small World Smaller: Path Optimization in Networks

Reduction of end-to-end network delay is an optimization task with applications in multiple domains. Low delays enable improved information flow in social networks, quick spread of ideas in collaboration networks, low travel times for vehicles on road networks, and increased rate of packets in the case of communication networks. Delay reduction can be achieved by both improving the propagation capabilities of individual nodes and adding additional edges in the network. One of the main challenges in such network design problems is that the effects of local changes are not independent, and as a consequence, there is a combinatorial search-space of possible improvements. Thus, minimizing the cumulative propagation delay requires novel scalable and data-driven approaches. We consider the problem of network delay minimization via node upgrades. We show that the problem is NP-hard and prove strong inapproximability results about it (i.e., APX-hard) even for equal vertex delays. On the positive side, probabilistic approximations for a restricted version of the problem can be obtained. We propose a greedy heuristic to solve the general problem setting which has good quality in practice, but does not scale to very large instances. To enable scalability to real-world networks, we develop approximations for Greedy with probabilistic guarantees for every iteration, tailored to different models of delay distribution and network structures. Our methods scale almost linearly with the graph size and consistently outperform competitors in quality. We evaluate our approaches on several real-world graphs from different genres. We achieve up to two orders of magnitude speed-up compared to alternatives from the literature on moderate size networks, and obtain high-quality results in minutes on large datasets while competitors from the literature require more than four hours.
Confidence Sets for the Mean of a Multivariate Normal Distribution

An attempt is made to determine confidence sets for the mean of a multivariate normal distribution with known covariance matrix that take advantage of the fact that the sample mean is not the best estimate when the loss is a nonsingular quadratic function of the error vector. Only the case of high dimension is considered. The geometrical size and shape of the confidence sets, the probability of covering false values, and the relation to posterior probabilities are studied, unfortunately somewhat incompletely.
Automatic application of neural stimulation during wheelchair propulsion after SCI enhances recovery of upright sitting from destabilizing events.

The leading cause of injury for manual wheelchair users are tips and falls caused by unexpected destabilizing events encountered during everyday activities. The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility of automatically restoring seated stability to manual wheelchair users with spinal cord injury (SCI) via a threshold-based system to activate the hip and trunk muscles with electrical stimulation during potentially destabilizing events. We detected and classified potentially destabilizing sudden stops and turns with a wheelchair-mounted wireless inertial measurement unit (IMU), and then applied neural stimulation to activate the appropriate muscles to resist trunk movement and restore seated stability. After modeling and preliminary testing to determine the appropriate inertial signatures to discriminate between events and reliably trigger stimulation, the system was implemented and evaluated in real-time on manual wheelchair users with SCI. Three participants completed simulated collision events and four participants completed simulated rapid turns. Data were analyzed as a series of individual case studies with subjects acting as their own controls with and without the system active. The controller achieved 93% accuracy in detecting collisions and right turns, and 100% accuracy in left turn detection. Two of the three subjects who participated in collision testing with stimulation experienced significantly decreased maximum anterior-posterior trunk angles (p < 0.05). Similar results were obtained with implanted and surface stimulation systems. This study demonstrates the feasibility of a neural stimulation control system based on simple inertial measurements to improve trunk stability and overall safety of people with spinal cord injuries during manual wheelchair propulsion. Further studies are required to determine clinical utility in real world situations and generalizability to the broader SCI or other population of manual or powered wheelchair users. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT01474148 . Registered 11/08/2011 retrospectively registered.
Integration of Ethylene and Auxin Signaling and the Developmental Consequences of Their Crosstalk

Ethylene and auxin have overlapping effects on growth and development of young seedlings, with either synergistic or antagonistic actions depending on the developmental process. This chapter introduces the growth and developmental processes that are regulated by these two hormones and explores recent studies that provide insight into the mechanistic basis for the regulation of these processes. Ethylene and auxin both inhibit root elongation and stimulate root hair elongation, while acting in opposition on lateral root development and hypocotyl elongation. The interplay between the hormones is even more complex in differential growth processes, such as gravitropism, nutation, and apical hook opening. The presence of well characterized mutants with altered ethylene and auxin signaling and synthesis, as well as auxin transport, has been essential to demonstrate the mechanistic basis of crosstalk between these hormones. As both of these hormones lead to profound changes in gene expression, genome-wide transcript abundance data sets are identifying additional genes that are induced or repressed through this hormonal crosstalk. Experimental tests of predicted regulatory networks involving these genes will likely yield the next set of new insights into the mechanisms by which these hormones control plant growth and development.
Franklin Park: 150 years of changing design, disturbance, and impact on tree growth

Urban stresses are known to affect street trees growing in spatially restricted conditions, but even in relatively large parks the cumulative effects by construction, pedestrian uses, and impacts from temporary events may have deleterious long-term effects on plant health. In Columbus, Ohio, the 93 ac (42.3 ha) Franklin Park has been subjected to major construction events and site re-configuration about once per generation—at least six times in 150 years. The first recorded shade- and ornamental tree installations occurred between 1895 and 1910. Those trees, as well as those native to the park, were mapped in 1939, 1989, and again in 2000. Testing the hypothesis that cumulative disturbance reduces tree vigor and growth rate even in open-grown conditions, tree diameters were compared over the sixty year period between 1939 and 2000. Soil compaction and percolation were measured on a 50 m grid, and maps were overlain to determine where site disturbance,buildings, utility lines, paths and pavements had occurred since 1860. Only 8% of the park's surface escaped disturbance; undisturbed areas occurred only in isolated patches. For all trees, trunk diameter increase averaged 0.5 cm/year for 61 years. While late successional species (e.g., Quercus, Acer) had growth rates less than expected for open-grown specimens, many early successional species (Celtis, Populus) were less affected. Despite availability of soil nutrients and lack of canopy or understory competition, tree health was generally poor in all size classes and the majority of the trees present in 1939 were in decline by 2000.
Whitecaps, Bubbles, and Spray

Results reviewed earlier are summarized along with those reported recently to further explore parameterizations of whitecap coverage of the sea surface, bubbles in the near-surface ocean, and spray in the atmospheric surface layer.
Prevention of Behavioral and Conduct Disorders: Trends and Research Issues:

This paper discusses prevention of behavioral disorders through early intervention efforts. Recurrent themes in the area of prevention include (a) early intervention and family-focused prevention services, including assistance in parenting skills and accessing community-based services; (b) school-based prevention programs, including effective teaching practices, peer mediation, social skills intervention, self-management, and classroom management; and (c) within- and across-setting collaboration. Key areas for prevention research include universal prevention programs for at-risk groups, continued investigations of teacher and parent support systems, evaluation of prevention programs, and commitments for funding.
Digital Pheromone Implementation of PSO with Velocity Vector Accelerated by Commodity Graphics Hardware

In this paper, a model for Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) implementation of Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) using digital pheromones to coordinate swarms within ndimensional design spaces is presented. Particularly, the velocity vector computations are carried out on graphics hardware. Previous work by the authors demonstrated the capability of digital pheromones within PSO for searching n-dimensional design spaces with improved accuracy, efficiency and reliability in serial, parallel and GPU computing environments. The GPU implementation was limited to computing the objective function values alone. Modern GPUs have proven to outperform the number of floating point operations when compared to CPUs through inherent data parallel architecture and higher bandwidth capabilities. This paper presents a method to implement velocity vector computations on a GPU along with objective function evaluations. Three different modes of implementation are studied and presented - First, CPU-CPU where objective function and velocity vector are calculated on CPU alone. Second, GPU-CPU where objective function is computed on the GPU and velocity vector is computed on GPU. Third, GPU-GPU where objective function and velocity vector are both evaluated on the GPU. The results from these three implementations are presented followed by conclusions and recommendations on the best approach for utilizing the full potential of GPUs for PSO.
Intraoperative Cerebrospinal Fluid Leak in Extradural Spinal Tumor Surgery.

OBJECTIVE Patients with extradural spine tumors are at an increased risk for intraoperative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks and postoperative wound dehiscence due to radiotherapy and other comorbidities related to systemic cancer treatment. In this case series, we discuss our experience with the management of intraoperative durotomies and wound closure strategies for this complex surgical patient population. METHODS We reviewed our recent single-center experience with spine surgery for primarily extradural tumors, with attention to intraoperative durotomy occurrence and postoperative wound-related complications. RESULTS A total of 105 patients underwent tumor resection and spinal reconstruction with instrumented fusion for a multitude of pathologies. Twelve of the 105 patients (11.4%) reviewed had intraoperative durotomies. Of these, 3 underwent reoperation for a delayed complication, including 1 epidural hematoma, 1 retained drain, and 1 wound infection. Of the 93 uncomplicated index operations, there were a total of 9 reoperations: 2 for epidural hematoma, 3 for wound infection, 2 for wound dehiscence, and 2 for recurrent primary disease. One patient was readmitted for a delayed spinal fluid leak. The average length of stay for patients with and without intraoperative durotomy was 7.3 and 5.9 days, respectively, with a nonsignificant trend for an increased length of stay in the durotomy cases (p=0.098). CONCLUSION Surgery for extradural tumor resections can be complicated by CSF leaks due to the proximity of the tumor to the dura. When encountered, a variety of strategies may be employed to minimize subsequent morbidity.
Learning to Teach Newcomer Students Using Dioramas of North America

This chapter illustrates a “learning to teach with dioramas story”. A story based on the assumption that, in the same way that visitors are inspired by dioramas, we should explore how teachers respond to dioramas on both personal and professional levels. The story reveals the variety of teacher knowledge and interests that eventually evolve into lessons. The teachers are attending Masters-level Teacher Education programs and the courses are collaborations between these programs and the education department at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. The teachers are studying pedagogy in a museum setting. The main thrust of this course is the strands of learning science in informal settings (NRC 2009), backwards planning design, and the qualitative methods of observation, recording conversations, surfacing key ideas in focus group, and how to use museum-created resources. The setting is the Hall of North American Mammals and the question posed to teachers was, “How would you use this exhibition and its dioramas to teach newcomer students about North America?” The process of planning and implementing their lessons begins with examining their personal interests and motivations, their reactions to aesthetics of dioramas, what they know about their students, the content they need to teach and how they may teach it in museums. Their science content is Earth science. In addition to the teacher knowledge construct, the story surfaces theories of aesthetics and how dioramas first impress us with their images and locations. The teachers’ voices reflect museum education research on conversations in museums.
Genetic interactions support an inhibitory relationship between bone morphogenetic protein 2 and netrin 1 during semicircular canal formation.

ABSTRACT The semicircular canals of the mammalian inner ear are derived from epithelial pouches in which epithelial cells in the central region of each pouch undergo resorption, leaving behind the region at the rim to form a tube-shaped canal. Lack of proliferation at the rim and/or over-clearing of epithelial cells in the center of the pouch can obliterate canal formation. Otic-specific knockout of bone morphogenetic protein 2 ( Bmp2 ) results in absence of all three semicircular canals; however, the common crus and ampullae housing the sensory tissue (crista) are intact. The lack of Bmp2 causes Ntn1 (which encodes netrin 1), which is required for canal resorption, to be ectopically expressed at the canal rim. Ectopic Ntn1 results in reduction of Dlx5 and Lmo4 , which are required for rim formation. These phenotypes can be partially rescued by removing one allele of Ntn1 in the Bmp2 mutants, indicating that Bmp2 normally negatively regulates Ntn1 for canal formation. Additionally, non-resorption of the canal pouch in Ntn1 −/− mutants is partially rescued by removing one allele of Bmp2 . Thus, reciprocal inhibition between Bmp2 and netrin 1 is involved in canal formation of the vestibule.
Ejecta velocities in twice-shocked liquid metals under extreme conditions: A hydrodynamic approach

We apply a hydrodynamic approach to analyze ejecta emanating from doubly shocked liquid metals. In particular, we are interested in characterizing ejecta velocities in such situations by treating the problem as a limiting case of the Richtmyer–Meshkov instability. We find existing models for ejecta velocities do not adequately capture all the relevant physics, including compressibility, nonlinearities, and nonstandard shapes. We propose an empirical model that is capable of describing ejecta behavior across the entire parameter range of interest. We then suggest a protocol to apply this model when the donor material is shocked twice in rapid succession. Finally, the model and the suggested approach are validated using detailed continuum hydrodynamic simulations. The results provide a baseline understanding of the hydrodynamic aspects of ejecta, which can then be used to interpret experimental data from target experiments.We apply a hydrodynamic approach to analyze ejecta emanating from doubly shocked liquid metals. In particular, we are interested in characterizing ejecta velocities in such situations by treating the problem as a limiting case of the Richtmyer–Meshkov instability. We find existing models for ejecta velocities do not adequately capture all the relevant physics, including compressibility, nonlinearities, and nonstandard shapes. We propose an empirical model that is capable of describing ejecta behavior across the entire parameter range of interest. We then suggest a protocol to apply this model when the donor material is shocked twice in rapid succession. Finally, the model and the suggested approach are validated using detailed continuum hydrodynamic simulations. The results provide a baseline understanding of the hydrodynamic aspects of ejecta, which can then be used to interpret experimental data from targ...
Microlens array based three-dimensional light field projection and possible applications in photolithography

A three-dimensional (3D) system is developed with a microlens array (MLA) and a digital micromirror device (DMD) type spatial light modulator (SLM) to perform light field projection. In order to get 3D projections, a pixel value map, i.e. elemental images, is required to be loaded into SLM. Algorithm to render elemental images is developed in this study using ray tracing. The reconstructed 3D projection, which is the 3D output of the system, is examined by cameras at different focal positions. The result shows that the intended projection patterns are correctly reconstructed. The light field projection method can be extended to photolithography when photoresist is exposed to reveal the 3D structures of the intended projection. Compared with current 3D lithography, the proposed MLA based projection/lithography can reconstruct micro-structure with 3D curved structures in a single projection, which can significantly improve the 3D fabrication speed and quality. With the future implementation of optical compression and femtosecond laser, the proposed technique has the capability of conduct large area microfabrication with resolutions better than diffraction limit at a very high speed.
Role of Neutrophils and Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells in Glioma Progression and Treatment Resistance.

Recent efforts in brain tumor research have been directed towards the modulation of the immune system for therapeutic interventions. Several human cancers, including gliomas, are infiltrated with immune cell types—including neutrophils and myeloid-derived suppressor cells—that contribute to tumor progression, invasiveness, and treatment resistance. The role of tumor-associated neutrophils and myeloid-derived suppressor cells in cancer biology remains elusive, as these cells can exert a multitude of pro-tumor and antitumor effects. In this review, we provide the current understanding and novel insights on the role of neutrophils and myeloid-derived suppressor cells in glioma progression and treatment resistance, as well as the mechanisms of pleiotropic behaviors in these cells during disease progression, with an emphasis on possible strategies to reprogram these cells towards their antitumor actions.
Heterotopic Ossification After Spinal Cord Injury: Current Clinical Approaches

Heterotopic ossification (HO) is a frequent complication after spinal cord injury (SCI). This review article critically analyzes the scientific literature of HO after SCI and offers expert opinion on how past research translates to clinical practice. Triple-phase bone scintigraphy has been the gold standard for diagnosing HO; however, recent research suggests diagnostic ultrasound may be more convenient, cost-effective, and safe. Currently, routine pharmaceutical prophylaxis for HO after SCI is not recommended. Range of motion exercises are advised to prevent and treat HO. Etidronate was approved for HO treatment, but it is no longer available in the USA. Evidence to support the use of alternate bisphosphonates is lacking. Surgical resection is reserved for select cases where the primary goal is improving function. HO is a common complication after SCI, and continued research is needed to improve diagnosis, prevention, and treatment.
Regulation of immune responses by the airway epithelial cell landscape

The community of cells lining our airways plays a collaborative role in the preservation of immune homeostasis in the lung and provides protection from the pathogens and pollutants in the air we breathe. In addition to its structural attributes that provide effective mucociliary clearance of the lower airspace, the airway epithelium is an immunologically active barrier surface that senses changes in the airway environment and interacts with resident and recruited immune cells. Single-cell RNA-sequencing is illuminating the cellular heterogeneity that exists in the airway wall and has identified novel cell populations with unique molecular signatures, trajectories of differentiation and diverse functions in health and disease. In this Review, we discuss how our view of the airway epithelial landscape has evolved with the advent of transcriptomic approaches to cellular phenotyping, with a focus on epithelial interactions with the local neuronal and immune systems.
Low-dose mRNA-1273 COVID-19 vaccine generates durable memory enhanced by cross-reactive T cells.

Vaccine-specific CD4+ T cell, CD8+ T cell, binding antibody, and neutralizing antibody responses to the 25-μg Moderna messenger RNA (mRNA)–1273 vaccine were examined over the course of 7 months aft...
A Tale from the Right Hemisphere: Amusia and Aphasia in Franz Grillparzer’s The Poor Musician

This chapter analyses Franz Grillparzer’s novella The Poor Musician through the lens of the medical case study, a genre of prose narrative that emerged contemporaneously with Poetic Realism. Grillparzer’s text, in staging the emergence of competing models of musical cognition, anticipates contemporary neurological debates on the links between aphasia and amusia, and in particular August Knoblauch’s definition of tone-deafness and note-blindness.
En bloc oesophagectomy for cancer of the distal oesophagus, cardia and proximal stomach

The first successful resection of the thoracic oesophagus without re-establishing gastrointestinal continuity was performed in 1913 by Franz Torek. The patient continued to eat after surgery by placing a rubber tube between her cervical oesophagostomy and gastrostomy and lived for 13 years. The first surgeon to establish normal alimentation after oesophagectomy was Oshawa who, in 1933, performed oesophageal resection followed by oesophagogastrostomy in eight patients. Five years later Adams and Phemister reported their results with one-stage resection and intrathoracic oesophagogastrostomy.
Charge Transfer Spectra of Aromatic Hydrocarbon Crystals

Charge-transfer (CT) spectra are commonplace in the class of molecular crystals known as CT crystals [1]. They refer to electronic transitions in which an electron is transferred between two different molecules, one behaving as the donor, the other as the acceptor. Although there is no obvious reason why the donor and acceptor molecules must be different, CT spectra in molecular crystals built from one type of molecule have long escaped detection. Presumably they are masked by the more intense spectra associated with intramolecular transitions (“Frenkel excitons”). Their prominence in CT crystals, one might argue, is simply the result of their being the lowest-energy absorption bands in the crystal, and hence not subject to masking.
Use of Chitosan with Different Deacetylation Degrees for the Adsorption of Food Dyes in a Binary System

Chitosan with different deacetylation degrees was applied for the adsorption of food dyes (Acid Blue 9 and Food Yellow 3) in a binary aqueous system. The effects of deacetylation degree (DD) and pH on the food dyes adsorption were evaluated by response surface methodology (RSM). In the more adequate adsorption condition, the equilibrium curves were obtained under different temperatures, and the extended Langmuir model was fitted to the experimental data. RSM results showed that the best conditions for the adsorption of food dyes onto chitosan were DD of 95% and pH 2.5. Under these conditions, the adsorption capacities were 163.6 and 193.4 mg/g for Acid Blue 9 and Food Yellow 3, respectively. The total percentage removal was 90%. The equilibrium curves were of high affinity (H type) and the adsorption was favored by the temperature decrease. The extended Langmuir model presented satisfactory fit with the experimental equilibrium data. These results demonstrated that chitosan is an efficient adsorbent to remove dyes from binary systems.
The layer thickness dependence of the transition temperature in niobium-tin

It is commonly observed that bronze-processed Nb3Sn composites (internal diffusion, external diffusion, or in situ) have a super-conducting critical temperature (TC) that rises as reaction time increases at any reaction temperature until a maximum value is finally reached. This has been explained by some as a reduction in the stress, which produces a degradation of the TC of Nb3Sn layers,1, 2, 3 or, in a slightly different system, as a proximity effect of the unreacted Nb core on the Nb3Sn.4 We have studied two 13 wt.% Sn bronze tape composites (bronze:superconductor ~ 3:1) and found that the intrinsic TC (i.e., without bronze) is more a function of layer thickness than reaction time. We have compared our data to that of other workers and have found a common plot of TC versus layer thickness for diffusion-grown Nb3Sn. Our Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) studies show that this behavior can be explained by the composition gradients existing in the diffused layers and that impurity concentrations within the layer and particularly reaction temperature also affect TC but are found to be secondary in their effect. The common plot of TC versus layer thickness is valid only for layers where the reaction is still proceeding, that is, for layers that have a considerable core of unreacted Nb.
What is Agricultural Law

The Association of American Law Schools (AALS) Agricultural Law Section chair, Professor Anthony Schutz identified two related goals for the 2009 AALS Agricultural Law section session: (1) To consider the pedagogical and scholarly value of agricultural law, and (2) To identify what belongs in the canon of agricultural law. This article defines agricultural law in the context of the contemporary law school curriculum, considering the particularly relevancy of consumers' increasing interest in food. It concludes with suggestions for those interested in teaching in this dynamic area.
Reduction of viscous potential for northward interplanetary magnetic field as seen in the LFM simulation

[1] The two primary methods responsible for solar wind magnetosphere coupling are magnetic reconnection and the viscous interaction. The viscous interaction is generated due to the antisunward dragging of plasma inside the magnetopause by the plasma flowing in the magnetosheath, creating a return flow deeper inside the magnetosphere and producing a circulation pattern. This viscous circulation pattern is mapped into the ionosphere via magnetic field lines, which results in ionospheric electric field in the nonrotating Earth's frame. We measure this interaction in terms of an electric potential, the viscous potential. In this paper, we use the results obtained from the Lyon-Fedder-Mobarry (LFM) simulation model during periods of purely northward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) for different solar wind velocity and ionospheric conductivity, showing a reduction of the viscous potential with increasing magnitude of northward IMF. The viscous potential is found to settle around 5–10 kV for large +Bz values. The decrease in viscous potential was found to be associated with a weak or nonexistent sunward plasma flow in the nightside plasmasheet. Instead, the return flow to the dayside occurs at high latitudes and is associated with the reconnection topology and dynamics that occur during northward IMF periods. We also show that the magnetosphere remains closed during purely northward IMF, except for two small regions—one on each hemisphere, where the magnetic reconnection occur. We argue that the reduction of the viscous potential is due to a reduction of the velocity shear across the magnetopause and the lack of sunward convection in the equatorial tail.
Enhancing RLT relaxations via a new class of semidefinite cuts

In this paper, we propose a mechanism to tighten Reformulation-Linearization Technique (RLT) based relaxations for solving nonconvex programming problems by importing concepts from semidefinite programming (SDP), leading to a new class of semidefinite cutting planes. Given an RLT relaxation, the usual nonnegativity restrictions on the matrix of RLT product variables is replaced by a suitable positive semidefinite constraint. Instead of relying on specific SDP solvers, the positive semidefinite stipulation is re-written to develop a semi-infinite linear programming representation of the problem, and an approach is developed that can be implemented using traditional optimization software. Specifically, the infinite set of constraints is relaxed, and members of this set are generated as needed via a separation routine in polynomial time. In essence, this process yields an RLT relaxation that is augmented with valid inequalities, which are themselves classes of RLT constraints that we call semidefinite cuts. These semidefinite cuts comprise a relaxation of the underlying semidefinite constraint. We illustrate this strategy by applying it to the case of optimizing a nonconvex quadratic objective function over a simplex. The algorithm has been implemented in C++, using CPLEX callable routines, and two types of semidefinite restrictions are explored along with several implementation strategies. Several of the most promising lower bounding strategies have been implemented within a branch-and-bound framework. Computational results indicate that the cutting plane algorithm provides a significant tightening of the lower bound obtained by using RLT alone. Moreover, when used within a branch-and-bound framework, the proposed lower bound significantly reduces the effort required to obtain globally optimal solutions.
EPR-Like “Funny Business” in the Theory of Branching Space-Times

EPR-like phenomena are (presumably) indeterministic, but they furthermore suggest that our world involves seeming-strange ``funny business.'' Without invoking any heavy mathematics, the theory of branching space-times offers two apparently quite different ways in which EPR-like funny business goes beyond simple indeterminism. (1) The first is a modal version of a Bell-like correlation: There exist two space-like separated indeterministic initial events whose families of outcomes are nevertheless modally correlated. That is, although the occurrence of each outcome of each of the two space-like separated initial events is separately possible, some joint occurrence of their outcomes (one from each) is impossible. (2) The second sounds like superluminal causation: A certain initial event can bear a cause-like relation to a certain without being in the causal past of that outcome. The two accounts of EPR-like funny business are proved equivalent, a result that supports the claim of each as useful to mark the line between mere indeterminism and EPR-like funny business. This is a ``postprint'' based on the version published in Non-locality and modality, T. Placek and J. Butterfield eds., Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, 2002, pp. 293--315. The archive at http://philsci-archive.pitt.edu contains two recent related articles by the author, ``No-common-cause EPR-like funny business in branching space-times'' (2002) and ``A theory of causation: causae causantes (originating causes) as inus conditions in branching space-times'' (2002).
PROGNOSTIC ACCURACY OF CERVICAL CONE BIOPSY IN DETERMINATION OF THE MANAGEMENT OF CARCINOMA IN SITU.

Abstract The prognostic accuracy of complete or incomplete removal of carcinoma in situ of the cervix by cone biopsy was evaluated in 88 cases. Confirmation was obtained from the hysterectomy specimens. Under favorable conditions, generous cone biopsy did not eliminate carcinoma in situ of the cervix in 100 per cent of the cases. With consideration of the multicentric origin of this lesion as well as the carcinogenic susceptibility of the cervix, it is concluded that the entire cervix must be removed for definitive therapy, preferably as part of hysterectomy which includes a generous portion of adjacent vagina.
Partial-Thickness Rotator Cuff Tears

Rotator cuff repair is one of the most common procedures performed in orthopedic surgery. The goal of repair is to restore normal rotator cuff kinematics in an effort to improve glenohumeral function and reduce pain. Recent data has revealed that healing and anatomic integrity of the rotator cuff repair site correlates with improved outcomes, particularly with regard to strength and functional recovery. Rotator cuff pathology exists on a wide spectrum that ranges from cuff tendon edema and inflammation to partial- and full-thickness tears of one or more of the cuff tendons. Recent advances in diagnostic imaging modalities have led to an increase in clinician recognition of partial-thickness rotator cuff tears. As elegantly described by Clark and Harryman (J Bone Joint Surg 74A:713–725, 1992), the anatomy of the rotator cuff insertion onto the humerus is complex as the tendons, articular capsule, coracohumeral ligament (CHL), and glenohumeral ligament complex essentially blend to form a confluent, layered sheet prior to insertion onto the tuberosities.
Mission unaccomplished: form and behavior but no function

Tools for modeling function may be an important step in achieving computer-aided design software that can genuinely improve the quality of design. Although researchers have included function in product models for many years, current commercial Building Information Models are focused upon representations of form that can drive models of behavior but lack models of function. If a model of function is added to a BIM, then the building model will be much more capable of representing the cognitive process of design and of supporting design reasoning. The paradigm of a form model, a function model, and a behavior model may suggest ways to reorganize architectural and engineering practice. Design teams could also be organized into roles of form modelers, function modelers, and behavior modelers. Although this would be a radical and novel definition of roles in a team, it parallels principles that have arisen naturally in contemporary practice.
What is a genetic map function

We review the reasons that genetic map functions are studied and the way they are used. The connexions between chiasma point processes on four-stranded bivalents, crossover point processes on the single strand products of meiosis, multilocus recombination probabilities and map functions are discussed in detail, mainly, but not exclusively under the assumption of no chromatid interference. As a result of this discussion we obtain a number of inequalities constraining map functions which lead to both bound and smoothness constraints. We show that most of the functions proposed as map functions in the literature do in fact arise in association with a stationary renewal chiasma process, and we clarify the relation between their doing so, while failing to be multilocus feasible in the sense of Liberman & Karlin (1984). We emphasize the fact that map functions can in general neither define chiasma nor crossover processes nor multilocus recombination probabilities, nor can they fully reflect the nature of the interference present in a chiasma or crossover process. Our attempt to answer the question in the title of this paper is not wholly successful, but we present some simple necessary conditions which become sufficient when supplemented by two further simple conditions. The paper closes with the statement of several open problems.
Polarizations on Abelian Varieties and Self-dual ℓ-adic Representations of Inertia Groups

It is well known that every finite subgroup of GLd(Ql) is conjugate to a subgroup of GLd(Zl). However, this does not remain true if we replace general linear groups by symplectic groups. We say that G is a group of inertia type of G is a finite group which has a normal Sylow-p-subgroup with cyclic quotient. We show that if l>d+1, and G is a subgroup of Sp2d(Ql) of inertia type, then G is conjugate in GL2d(Ql) to a subgroup of Sp2d(Zl). We give examples which show that the bound is sharp. We apply these results to construct, for every odd prime l, isogeny classes of Abelian varieties all of whose polarizations have degree divisible by l2. We prove similar results for Euler characteristic of invertible sheaves on Abelian varieties over fields of positive characteristic.
Achievement, learning, and seasonal impact as measures of school effectiveness: it's better to be valid than reliable

When evaluating schools' effectiveness, is it better to use absolute achievement levels or to use learning rates over a 9- or 12-month period? Or is it better to use a new measure, seasonal impact, which is defined as the acceleration in learning rates that occurs when students finish summer vacation and start the school year? Answering this question involves a tradeoff between validity and reliability, since unfortunately the most reliable measure (achievement) is the least-valid measure as well. In this paper, we evaluate the tradeoff using a simple covariance-structure model. The results suggest that, when achievement is compared to learning and impact, reliability is a minor issue compared to validity. Although achievement is more reliable than learning or impact, achievement's advantage in reliability is much smaller than its disadvantage in validity. Our findings support the view that reliability is not a sufficient reason to evaluate schools using achievement levels.