cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Promise of Trailing-Edge Guidelines to Resolve the Conflict between Uniformity and Judicial Discretion

Until the mid-1980’s, federal judges had broad discretion in sentencing defendants. However, this created disparities in sentencing from one judge to another, and this created a desire for much greater uniformity. This drive for uniformity resulted in a number of strict legislative measures, including mandatory minimum sentences and mandatory sentencing guidelines. Over time, the judiciary branch grabbed back some discretion (largely through the Supreme Court’s Booker decision in 2005, which made the sentencing guidelines advisory rather than mandatory), but this has resulting in a return to disparities. The underlying problem is a view of sentencing that sees a zero-sum equation between judicial discretion and uniformity - that is, the belief that uniformity must be established by curtailing judicial discretion. This article argues for a different model: Sentencing guidelines that use peer effects and modern technology to directly use judicial discretion to create uniformity. Instead of mandated, arbitrary guidelines, a computer-based sentencing information system would require a sentencing judge to review and consider all the other sentences chosen by judges in similar situations, and this body of experience would functionally become the guidelines. A judge who strays too far from the norm would have to justify that choice based on unusual and compelling circumstances. Such a system would harness discretion as the engine towards uniformity, and discard the false dichotomy between the two that has created so much discord.
Comments on the Riggs Case as used in the 'Historians and Legal Scholars' Amicus Brief in the Hobby Lobby Obamacare Mandate Case

The “Historians and Legal Scholars” amicus brief in the 2014 Hobby Lobby case tries to make the case that historically courts treated ordinary corporations as having rights different from non-corporate persons and nonprofit corporations. This paper looks at one of the main cases it cites, Northwestern National Life Insurance Co. v. Riggs, 203 U.S. 243 (1906). In that case the Court denied Lochner-style substantive due process protection to a life insurance corporation that claimed state law could not void fine print contract clauses that would allow it to escape paying claims if its customer had made even a non-material error in filling out its forms. The statute applied to all insurance, however, not just to corporations. Moreover, Lochner is dead; nobody, whether natural person or corporation gets that kind of 14th Amendment protection nowadays, so the case’s relevance is dubious even if it did hinge on the plaintiff’s status as a corporation. In any case, corporations at that time had rights very different from corporations today because the doctrine of ultra vires was alive and well, so a corporation’s behavior was tightly controlled by the wording of its corporate charter. In applying historical cases to current jurisprudence, one must look at the historical context and be wary of simply extracting quotes from judicial opinions.
Predictors of Follow-Up Visits Post Radical Prostatectomy:

Long-term follow-up care among prostate cancer patients is important as biochemical recurrence can occur many years after diagnosis, with 20%–30% of men experiencing biochemical recurrence within 1...
Hemoptysis? Try Inhaled Tranexamic Acid.

Abstract Background Tranexamic acid (TXA) is a synthetic anti-fibrinolytic agent used to prevent and treat various bleeding complications. In many studies, investigators have evaluated its utility and safety orally, intravenously, and topically, but few studies have described the potential benefits of nebulized TXA. Case Report We present a case of massive hemoptysis treated with nebulized TXA in the emergency department (ED) that led to the cessation of bleeding and avoidance of endotracheal intubation. Why Should an Emergency Physician Be Aware of This? In massive hemoptysis, rapidly available nebulized TXA may be considered a therapeutic option, serving either as primary therapy or as a bridge until other definitive therapies can be arranged.
Rehabilitation Following Hip and Knee Arthroplasty

This article details the steps in successful rehabilitation after hip and knee arthroplasty. Practical recommendations about prophylactic interventions, drugs and medications, and physical and occupational therapy protocols are included for each stage of recovery. In addition, patients’ physical capacities and functional levels after surgery are described. Special issues, such as wound infections, also are addressed.
Nowhere-zero Z3-flows through Z3-connectivity

Let @C be an abelian group. Jaeger et al. [Group connectivity of graphs-a nonhomogeneous analogue of nowhere-zero flow properties, J. Combin. Theory Ser. B 56 (1992) 165-182] introduced a class of graphs which they call @C-connected. The main interest in @C-connected graphs is that every @C-connected graph admits a nowhere-zero @C-flow. In this paper, we found some families of Z"3-connected graphs. Our results generalize an early theorem by Lai (Nowhere-zero 3-flows in locally connected graphs, J. Graph Theory 42 (2003) 211-219) for nowhere-zero Z"3-flows in locally connected graphs, and provide a simplified proof of a theorem of Xu and Zhang on nowhere-zero Z"3-flows in squares of graphs.
Ratio Limit Theorems for Empirical Processes

Concentration inequalities are used to derive some new inequalities for ratio-type suprema of empirical processes. These general inequalities are used to prove several new limit theorems for ratio-type suprema and to recover a number of the results from [1] and [2]. As a statistical application, an oracle inequality for nonparametric regression is obtained via ratio bounds.
Operative treatment for intussusception: Should an incidental appendectomy be performed?

Abstract Background/objectives An incidental appendectomy is performed by some surgeons during operative treatment for intussusception to eliminate future appendicitis as a diagnostic consideration. However, an appendectomy can increase the risk of infection and other noninfectious complications making an incidental appendectomy controversial. We examined outcomes for surgical intervention for intussusception with appendectomy (SWA) compared to surgical reduction alone (SRA). Methods The Pediatric Health Information System database, 8/2008–9/2015, was retrospectively analyzed for patients under the age of five who required an operative intervention for intussusception without bowel resection. Demographic data and postoperative outcomes were analyzed. Available data included need for postoperative enema, subsequent small bowel obstruction, recurrent intussusception, length of stay (LOS), and adjusted total cost (ATC). Results Fifty-seven percent (748/1312) of patients had appendectomy performed during surgical reduction, 564 (43%) did not. ATC ($10,594 vs. $8939, p Conclusion There is a higher mean LOS and ATC in the SWA group. This study suggests that appendectomy during surgery for uncomplicated intussusception should be reconsidered and requires further investigation. Type of Study retrospective comparative study. Level of Evidence III.
Inertial Sensing for Gait Event Detection and Transfemoral Prosthesis Control Strategy

Objective: This paper presents a method for walking gait event detection using a single inertial measurement unit (IMU) mounted on the shank. Methods: Experiments were conducted to detect heel strike (HS) and toe off (TO) gait events of 10 healthy subjects and 5 transfemoral amputees walking at various speeds and slopes on an instrumented treadmill. The performance of three different algorithms [thresholding (THR), linear discriminant analysis, and quadratic discriminant analysis] was evaluated on both timing and frequency of gait event detections compared to data collected using force plates. Results: Though all algorithms could be used reliably (within 8.2% stride temporal error and 0.2% frequency error), THR was the most accurate, detecting 100% of gait events within an average of 2% stride for both the healthy subjects and the amputees. Furthermore, universal parameters could be used across all speeds and slopes within each demographic. Conclusion: HS and TO for walking gait can be reliably detected in healthy and transfemoral amputee subjects using a single IMU. Significance: This work provides a robust, simple, and inexpensive method of gait event detection that does not rely on a load cell and could be easily implemented in a lower-limb prosthesis.
Intelligent Sampling of Periods for Reduced Computational Time of Time Series Analysis of PV Impacts on the Distribution System

In this work, a sampling method, known as intelligent sampling (IS), is presented to reduce simulation time in Quasi Static Time Series (QSTS) analysis on electrics grids with distributed PV. The sampling method decomposes a year's worth of input solar and load data into six hour intervals and bins the intervals according to irradiance and load metrics. Representative samples are chosen from the bins and simulated using standard power flow solvers. We show that when using the IS method, only a fraction of the total entries in the year need to be simulated. An example test circuit is used and the IS method achieves a 57% reduction in simulation time while meeting acceptable error margins.
Mechanism of pyrosis. A clinical study.

Multiple measurements of gastroesophageal reflux and esophageal motility were performed in a group of 23 patients consisting of 5 normals, 7 patients with an organic pattern of pyrosis and 11 patients with a functional pattern of pyrosis. Reflux was demonstrated in none of the normals, in all 7 of the organic group, and in 7 of the 11 functional patients. Perfusion of various solutions produced pyrosis as readily in the functional patients (83%) as in the organic group (85%). Motility changes with the appearance of pyrosis was noted as frequently in the functional group (66%) as in the organic group (76%). It is concluded that pyrosis is produced in the functional patient by a mechanism similar to that in the organic group. Neither reflux and/or motility change could account for pyrosis in every instance. The differential diagnosis of pyrosis in the functional patient versus pyrosis associated with organic diseases cannot be made by current parameters of evaluation. This suggests that other factors not measured by present technics are also necessary for the ultimate production of this symptom.
Beta Thalassemia: Monitoring and New Treatment Approaches

Beta thalassemias are a significant global health problem. Globin chain imbalance leads to a complex physiologic cascade of hemolytic anemia, ineffective erythropoiesis, and iron overload. Management of the broad spectrum of phenotypes requires the careful use of red blood transfusions, supportive care, monitoring, and management of iron overload. In this article, the authors discuss recommendations for monitoring of individuals with thalassemia, as well as ongoing preclinical and clinical trials of therapies targeting different aspects of thalassemia pathophysiology.
Research on Converter Topology and Control of Co-phase Traction Power Supply System Based on MMC Topology

With the rapid development of railways, high-quality power supply and safe operation of trains have received extensive attention. Aiming at the problems of electrified railway power quality and electric phase separation device, combined with the status quo of engineering transformation, converter reliability, economy and redundant backup of the power supply system. Summarized and compared the advantages of MMC topology in the traction power supply system. Proposed a co-phase power supply system based on modular multi-level converter (MMC) and traction transformer. When the converter works normally, the power is obtained from the three-phase power grid, the three-phase power is converted into two-phase power through the traction transformer, the two-phase power is respectively connected to two single-phase MMC to become direct current, the direct current is converted into single-phase alternating current for the locomotive through the single-phase MMC; when the converter fails, due to the traditional traction transformer structure is retained, the conventional power supply mode can be operated to achieve the redundancy backup purpose of the system. Then, analyzed the DC capacitance voltage control, circulation suppression, control strategy and modulation strategy suitable for MMC topology during normal operation. Finally, obtained some research conclusions of the co-phase power supply system based on MMC topology and traction transformer.
Ensemble machine learning-based algorithm for electric vehicle user behavior prediction

Abstract This research investigates electric vehicle (EV) charging behavior and aims to find the best method for its prediction in order to optimize the EV charging schedule. This paper discusses several commonly used machine learning algorithms to predict charging behavior, including stay duration and energy consumption based on historical charging records. It is noted that prediction error increases along with the rise of data entropy or the decrease of data sparsity. Thus, this paper accounts for both indicators by defining the entropy/sparsity ratio (R). When R is low, support vector regression (SVR) and random forest (RF) regression show better accuracy for stay duration and energy consumption predictions, respectively. While R is high, a diffusion-based kernel density estimator (DKDE) performs better for both predictions. The three methods are assembled as the proposed Ensemble Predicting Algorithm (EPA) to improve predicting performance by decreasing 11 % of the duration and 22 % of the energy consumption prediction errors. The prediction results are then applied to an optimal EV charging scheduling algorithm to minimize load variance while reducing the EV charging cost. A numerical simulation using real charging data is conducted to show the effectiveness of improved predictions and EV load management. The results show that the charging scheduling combined with EPA prediction can reduce 27% of peak load, 10% of load variation, and 4% cost reduction, compared to uncoordinated charging.
Helicobacter Pylori Infection and Lung Cancer: New Insights and Future Challenges

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is the causative agent of chronic gastritis and peptic ulcer diseases and is an important risk factor for the development functional dyspepsia, peptic ulceration, gastric adenocarcinoma and mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma. H. pylori has very high rates of infection in human populations, and it is estimated that over 50% of the world population is infected. Recently, certain extra-gastric manifestations, linked to H. pylori infection, have been widely investigated. Noteworthy, a growing body of evidences supports an association between H. pylori infection with lung cancer. The present review intend to highlight not only the most recent evidences supporting this association, but also some missed points, which must be considered to validate this emerging association.
Laparoscopic Fundoplication for the Surgical Management of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease in Children

Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) is common in infants generally resolving in early childhood. However, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is diagnosed when persistent troublesome symptoms and/or complications of GER develop. These symptoms and complications can significantly affect the quality of life, thus requiring medical or surgical treatment. Medical management is typically trialed, but operative treatment is indicated with severe symptoms such as aspiration pneumonia, apneic episodes, bradycardia, apparent life-threatening events, severe vomiting, failure to thrive, esophagitis, stricture, and failed medical therapy. We review the recent literature on the indications and outcomes for laparoscopic fundoplication in the management of pediatric GERD.
Epidemiology, Risk Factors, Treatment, and Prevention of Breast Cancer Metastases

A large percentage of Americans are plagued by cancer. In the United States, one third of females and one half of males face the condition sometime in their lifetime. One type of cancer that has adversely impacted the lives of many on a multinational scale is breast cancer (BC). In order to effectively battle and prevent the condition of BC, it is critical to obtain a better understanding of the biology of BC and its metastases. An important step to gain better understanding is by studying risk factors. Under this category, it is important to consider both occupational hazards and genetic predispositions. Additionally, drugs are ever-important in the fight against any disease. In the fight against BC, it is important to be aware of new drugs for BC prevention and cure. However, older drugs should not be disregarded, and thus, studies should continue to search for new information concerning their side effects and uses. Lastly, since 90 % of cancer deaths occur due to metastases, this aspect of cancer cannot be disregarded. Prevention and treatment methods for BC metastases must also be considered. Thus, this article will represent discussion on risk factors, information about new and existent drugs, and treatment and prevention for BC metastases, especially to bones and the brain. This article will also discuss new ways to synergize existing conventional drugs and preventive technologies in order to achieve optimal management strategies for eradicating BC.
Reviewing the Decade, 2010 to 2019 and Challenges for the Next.

Edited byJacquelyn H. Flaskerud, RN, PhDSchool of Nursing, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USAJanna Lesser, RN PhD, FAANSchool of Nursing, University of Texas Health Science Cent...
It’s Not about the Fish: Women’s Experiences in a Gendered Recreation Landscape

We analyzed the recreational fishing experiences of 15 Michigan women using photovoice, a feminist participatory methodology. The combination of individual photography, facilitated group discussion...
After Reagan: Bush, Dukakis, and the 1988 Election

After Reagan is an engaging narrative account of the 1988 presidential election. While Pitney frames the election as a pivotal point between the politics of the post-World War II era and what has f...
Tracking Passengers and Baggage Items using Multi-camera Systems at Security Checkpoints.

We introduce a novel tracking-by-detection framework to track multiple objects in overhead camera videos for airport checkpoint security scenarios where targets correspond to passengers and their baggage items. Our approach improves object detection by employing a test-time data augmentation procedure that provides multiple geometrically transformed images as inputs to a convolutional neural network. We cluster the multiple detections generated by the network using the mean-shift algorithm. The multiple hypothesis tracking algorithm then keeps track of the temporal identifiers of the targets based on the cluster centroids. Our method also incorporates a trajectory association mechanism to maintain the consistency of the temporal identifiers as passengers travel across camera views. Finally, we also introduce a simple distance-based matching mechanism to associate passengers with their luggage. An evaluation of detection, tracking, and association performances on videos obtained from multiple overhead cameras in a realistic airport checkpoint environment demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Alcohol-impregnated caps and ambulatory central-line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs): A randomized clinical trial.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of 70% isopropyl alcohol–impregnated central venous catheter caps on ambulatory central-line–associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) in pediatric hematology-oncology patients. Design: This study was a 24-month, cluster-randomized, 2 period, crossover clinical trial. Setting: The study was conducted in 15 pediatric healthcare institutions, including 16 pediatric hematology-oncology clinics. Participants: All patients with an external central line followed at 1 of the 16 hematology-oncology clinics. Intervention: Usual ambulatory central-line care per each institution using 70% isopropyl alcohol–impregnated caps at home compared to usual ambulatory central-line care in each institution without using 70% isopropyl alcohol–impregnated caps. Results: Of the 16 participating clinics, 15 clinics completed both assignment periods. As assigned, there was no reduction in CLABSI incidence in clinics using 70% isopropyl alcohol–impregnated caps (1.23 per 1,000 days) compared with standard practices (1.38 per 1,000 days; adjusted incidence rate ratio [aIRR], 0.83; 95% CI, 0.63–1.11). In the per-protocol population, there was a reduction in positive blood culture incidence in clinics using 70% isopropyl alcohol-impregnated caps (1.51 per 1,000 days) compared with standard practices (1.88 per 1,000 days; aIRR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.52–0.99). No adverse events were reported. Conclusions: Isopropyl alcohol–impregnated central-line caps did not lead to a statistically significant reduction in CLABSI rates in ambulatory hematology-oncology patients. In the per-protocol analysis, there was a statistically significant decrease in positive blood cultures. Larger trials are needed to elucidate the impact of 70% isopropyl alcohol–impregnated caps in the ambulatory setting. Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov; NCT02351258
Analyses on Psychological Steady State Variations Caused by Auditory Stimulation

Contemporary society is seriously threatened with food as part of the world due to the continuous increase in world population, the degradation and decline of agricultural lands due to high industrialization, climate change and the aging of the population. Therefore, modern society is studying different solutions to solve human food. In this paper, a framework for precision agriculture using IoT Gateway is proposed for solving human food, and the productivity of crops must be increased first. IoT solution through architecture, platforms and IoT standards, or the use of interoperable IoT technologies beyond the adopters in particular, simplifying existing proposals. Connecting different sensors, connected devices, developing intelligent breeding systems as much as possible. One of our aims is to manage and challenges. We provide a techniques and technologies applications during our work. The result shows that the advantages of various types of sensors for agriculture services in their decision making. And a proposed architecture for Agriculture Mobile services based on Sensor Cloud substructure that helps farms and IoT applications are effective in intelligent farming system. In this study, therefore, we have presented a technique for applying the stimuli allowing all subjects to maintain their psychologically steady state by using the customized stimuli optimized for individual users, and have attempted to promote the psychologically steady state of the subjects by using stimuli tailored to each user. For that reason, we performed quantitative analyses of brainwaves in the users by using the auditory stimuli and to investigate the variations in the psychologically steady state of the users based on a two-dimensional analytical model on emotions.
Novel Insights from Fetal and Placental Phenotyping in Three Mouse Models of Down Syndrome

Background In human fetuses with Down syndrome, placental pathology, structural anomalies and growth restriction are present. There is currently a significant lack of information regarding the early life span in mouse models of Down syndrome. Objective The objective of this study was to examine embryonic day 18.5 and placental phenotype in the 3 most common mouse models of Down syndrome (Ts65Dn, Dp(16)1/Yey, Ts1Cje). Based on prenatal and placental phenotyping in 3 mouse models of Down syndrome, we hypothesized that one or more of them would have a similar phenotype to human fetuses with trisomy 21, which would make it the most suitable for in utero treatment studies. Study Design Here, C57BL6J/6 female mice were mated to Dp(16)1/Yey and Ts1Cje male mice and Ts65Dn female mice to C57BL/B6Eic3Sn.BLiAF1/J male mice. At embryonic day 18.5, dams were euthanized. Embryos and placentas were examined blindly for weight and size. Embryos were characterized as euploid or trisomic, male or female by polymerase chain reaction. A subset of embryos (34 euploid and 34 trisomic) were examined for malformations. Results The Ts65Dn mouse model showed the largest differences in fetal growth, brain development, and placental development when comparing euploid and trisomic embryos. For the Dp(16)1/Yey mouse model, genotype did not impact fetal growth, but there were differences in brain and placental development. For the Ts1Cje mouse model, no significant association was found between genotype and fetal growth, brain development, or placental development. Euploid mouse embryos had no congenital anomalies; however, 1 mouse embryo died. Hepatic necrosis was seen in 6 of 12 Dp(16)1/Yey (50%) and 1 of 12 Ts1Cje (8%) mouse embryos; hepatic congestion or inflammation was observed in 3 of 10 Ts65Dn mouse embryos (30%). Renal pelvis dilation was seen in 5 of 12 Dp(16)1/Yey (42%), 5 of 10 Ts65Dn (50%), and 3 of 12 Ts1Cje (25%) mouse embryos. In addition, 1 Ts65Dn mouse embryo and 1 Dp(16)1/Yey mouse embryo had an aortic outflow abnormality. Furthermore, 2 Ts1Cje mouse embryos had ventricular septal defects. Ts65Dn mouse placentas had increased spongiotrophoblast necrosis. Conclusion Fetal and placental growth showed varying trends across strains. Congenital anomalies were primarily seen in trisomic embryos. The presence of liver abnormalities in all 3 mouse models of Down syndrome (10 of 34 cases) is a novel finding. Renal pelvis dilation was also common (13 of 34 cases). Future research will examine human autopsy material to determine if these findings are relevant to infants with Down syndrome. Differences in placental histology were also observed among strains.
Turning Natural Resource Curse Into What It Should Be – Means to National Prosperity

It is the irony of human nature, and indeed the incentive mechanism inherent in social institutions, that some societies less endowed by nature strive harder to improve their collective lot, and in many instances succeed in achieving their development objectives more frequently than their counterparts with more favorable allotments of natural resources. And if necessity is truly the mother of invention, then the sorry economic conditions of many resource-rich African nations may not be so ironic after all. When it comes to wasted wealth, and the problems that bedevil poor countries that are rich in natural resources, especially oil, there is plenty of blame to go around. Economists have long observed that such countries tend to do badly. In a study in 1995, Jeffrey Sachs, now of Columbia University in New York, showed that the resource-rich grow more slowly than other poor countries — even after such variables as initial per capita income and trade policies are taken into account. The usual explanation for this is “Dutch Disease”, named for the hardships that befell the Netherlands after it found North Sea gas. When a country strikes hydrocarbons, a sudden inflow of dollar-denominated revenues often leads to a sharp appreciation in the domestic currency. That tends to make non-oil sectors like agriculture and manufacturing less competitive on world markets, thus leaving oil to dominate the economy.
Controlled eutectics

Many binary eutectic alloys can be forced to solidify with an ingot structure that contains a very highly anisotropic arrangement of the phase particles. Fundamental concepts of solidification are reviewed to provide a basis for understanding the production of ingots of controlled eutectics.
Glutamate Buffering Capacity and Blood-Brain Barrier Protection of Opioid Receptor Agonists Biphalin and Nociceptin.

Opioids play crucial roles in the regulation of many important brain functions including pain, memory, and neurogenesis. Activation of opioid receptors is reported to have neuroprotective effects after ischemic reperfusion injury. The objective of this study was to understand the role of biphalin and nociceptin, opioid receptor agonists, on blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity during ischemic stroke. In this study, we aimed to measure the effect of biphalin and nociceptin on astrocytic glutamate uptake and on expression of excitatory amino acid transporter to study the indirect role of astrocytes on opioid receptor–mediated BBB protection during in vitro stroke conditions. We used mouse brain endothelial cells (bEnd.3) and primary astrocytes as an in vitro BBB model. Restrictive BBB properties were evaluated by measuring [14C] sucrose paracellular permeability and the redistribution of the tight junction proteins. The protective effect of biphalin and nociceptin on BBB integrity was assessed after exposing cells to oxygen glucose deprivation (OGD) and glutamate. It was observed that combined stress (2 mM glutamate and 2 hours of OGD) significantly reduced glutamate uptake by astrocytes; however, biphalin and nociceptin treatment increased glutamate uptake in primary astrocytes. This suggests a role of increased astrocytic buffering capacity in opioid-meditated protection of the BBB during ischemic stroke. It was also found that the combined stress significantly increased [14C] sucrose paracellular permeability in an in vitro BBB model. Biphalin and nociceptin treatment attenuated the effect of the combined stress, which was reversed by the opioid receptor antagonists, suggesting the role of opioid receptors in biphalin and nociception’s BBB modulatory activity. Significant Statement There is an unmet need for discovering new efficacious therapeutic agents to offset the deleterious effects of ischemic stroke. Given the confirmed roles of opioid receptors in the regulation of central nervous system functions, opioid receptor agonists have been studied as potential neuroprotective options in ischemic conditions. This study adds to the knowledge about the cerebrovascular protective effects of opioid receptor agonists and provides insight about the mechanism of action of these agents.
Quirks of Human Anatomy: An Evo-Devo Look at the Human Body

1. Background 2. Symmetry and asymmetry 3. Mysteries of the midline 4. Merism and modularity 5. Sexual dimorphisms 6. Silly, stupid, and dangerous quirks 7. Mind and brain.
Stress Effects on Neuronal Structure: Hippocampus, Amygdala, and Prefrontal Cortex

The hippocampus provided the gateway into much of what we have learned about stress and brain structural and functional plasticity, and this initial focus has expanded to other interconnected brain regions, such as the amygdala and prefrontal cortex. Starting with the discovery of adrenal steroid, and later, estrogen receptors in the hippocampal formation, and subsequent discovery of dendritic and spine synapse remodeling and neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus, mechanistic studies have revealed both genomic and rapid non-genomic actions of circulating steroid hormones in the brain. Many of these actions occur epigenetically and result in ever-changing patterns of gene expression, in which there are important sex differences that need further exploration. Moreover, glucocorticoid and estrogen actions occur synergistically with an increasing number of cellular mediators that help determine the qualitative nature of the response. The hippocampus has also been a gateway to understanding lasting epigenetic effects of early-life experiences. These findings in animal models have resulted in translation to the human brain and have helped change thinking about the nature of brain malfunction in psychiatric disorders and during aging, as well as the mechanisms of the effects of early-life adversity on the brain and the body.
Colocated MIMO radars using the Sparse Fourier Transform

We consider a MIMO radar system with M t transmit and M r receive antennas, which uses uniform linear arrays (ULAs), transmits orthogonal waveforms and implements matched filtering at the receive antennas. Under certain conditions, the receive antennas snapshot can be viewed as a signal containing spatial frequencies, which are directly related to target direction of arrivals. For a small number of targets relative to the product M t M r , the snapshot is sparse in the spatial frequency domain, thus we propose to employ the Sparse Fourier Transform (SFT) to estimate the targets. The SFT enables the MIMO radar to operate at the same resolution as an M t M r -antenna phased array, while employing only O (K log 2 (M t M r /2)) matched filters, where K is an integer larger than and proportional to the number of targets; a typical MIMO radar would require M t M r matched filters to achieve the same resolution. Thus, the SFT enables lower operational cost for the MIMO radar system.
Automatic Detection of Significant Variation From Designed Intent Utilizing Survey Data CIAMS: Construction Information and Management System.

Current practice of providing an “As-built” survey as the completion of work should not be the only mechanism for observation of problems in the construction process. In many cases, survey data is available early in a project, but may not yet have been reconciled against the engineering intent. CIAMS (Construction Information And Management System) is proposed to drive the rapid reconciliation of survey data against engineering design intents through information automation. We will also describe other applications that could benefit from such rapid automated metrology techniques.
Independent Genetic Control of the Catalytic Activity and the Rate of Degradation of Catalase in Mice

An examination of three inbred strains of mice differing with respect to liver and kidney catalase activity reveals two distinct genetic factors controlling the level of liver catalase activity. The first genetic factor controls the catalytic activity of the enzyme. Specific activity of purified enzyme from C57BL/6 and C57BL/Ha strains is 60% that of the DBA/2 strain. The second factor controls the content of liver catalase. Liver catalase of CS7BL/Ha is degraded in vivo at a rate one-half that of liver catalase of DBA/2 and C57BL/6, resulting in the accumulation of twice as many catalase molecules in C57BL/Ha. The factor affecting turnover of catalase is apparently specific for catalase of liver since no differences exist in kidney catalase levels between C57BL/Ha and C57BL/6. Furthermore, this factor does not appear to alter the metabolism of peroxisomes or of liver protein since no substantial differences are observed among the strains with respect to liver urate oxidase activity levels and the turnover rate of liver protein. It is particularly significant that the genetic factor affecting the amount of liver catalase does so by altering the rate of catalase degradation rather than the rate of synthesis, confirming the previously published report of Rechcigl and Heston (Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun., 27, 119 (1967)). Thus, these studies emphasize that the quantity of an enzyme in animal cells is a balance between the rate of synthesis and the rate of degradation of the enzyme.
Automated systematic testing of open distributed programs

We present an algorithm for automatic testing of distributed programs, such as Unix processes with inter-process communication, Web services, etc. Specifically, we assume that a program consists of a number of asynchronously executing concurrent processes or actors which may take data inputs and communicate using asynchronous messages. Because of the large numbers of possible data inputs as well as the asynchrony in the execution and communication, distributed programs exhibit very large numbers of potential behaviors. Our goal is two fold: to execute all reachable statements of a program, and to detect deadlock states. Specifically, our algorithm uses simultaneous concrete and symbolic execution, or concolic execution, to explore all distinct behaviors that may result from a program's execution given different data inputs and schedules. The key idea is as follows. We use the symbolic execution to generate data inputs that may lead to alternate behaviors. At the same time, we use the concrete execution to determine, at runtime, the partial order of events in the program's execution. This enables us to improve the efficiency of our algorithm by avoiding many tests which would result in equivalent behaviors. We describe our experience with a prototype tool that we have developed as a part of our Java program testing tool jCUTE.
Modification of the Starch Block Electrophoresis Method for the Preparation of Immunoglobulin A from Multiple Myeloma Sera on a Large Scale

Separation of immunoglobulin A from a large sample of human serum from patients with multiple myeloma was done by utilizing a large zone electrophoresis apparatus.
Flux and bioavailability of Cape Fear River and rainwater dissolved organic carbon to Long Bay, southeastern United States

[1] This study presents the first comparison of riverine and rainwater dissolved organic carbon (DOC) flux to a coastal region, and the first examination of rainwater DOC bioavailability. The bioavailability of DOC from these two sources was determined because its impact on coastal waters depends on whether DOC is labile or refractory. The study site, Long Bay, off the North Carolina and South Carolina coasts in the southeastern United States, receives external sources of DOC from the Cape Fear River system and rainwater. Conservative mixing of estuarine DOC, and a consistent DOC value for the river sources entering the Cape Fear Estuary (Cape Fear and Black rivers combined: 937 ± 178 μM, n = 12; Northeast Cape Fear River: 1266 ± 196 μM, n = 8) allowed for a calculation of DOC flux using river DOC values and U.S.G.S. river flow data. Rainwater DOC flux was determined by a deposition calculation at a rainwater collection station in Wilmington, N. C., 40 km from Long Bay. Riverine DOC flux was determined to be (77 × 109 gCyr−1) or roughly 4x the rainwater flux (21 × 109 gCyr−1) on an annual basis. The bioavailability of the riverine DOC (9.0 ± 4.5%) was much less than that of rainwater (63 ± 14%). Therefore, taking into account only bioavailable DOC, rainwater provides more labile DOC (13 × 109 gCyr−1) to Long Bay than riverwater (7 × 109 gCyr−1) meaning that rainwater is important for fueling secondary productivity whereas river DOC is important for long-term storage of carbon.
Abstract 122: STAT3 Mediates Toll-Like Receptor 4--Dependent Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Formation in Angiotensin II--Treated ApoE-/- Mice

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAAs) is a life threatening disease and currently the only treatment is surgical or endovascular repair. Using an animal model for AngiotensinII (AngII) mediated AAA formation in the ApoE-/- mouse, we demonstrate that AAA formation is dependent on the activation of the JAK/STAT pathway. STAT3 activity was increased in the abdominal aortas of Ang II treated ApoE-/- mice. Treatment of ApoE-/- mice with AngII and the p-STAT3 inhibitor S3I-201 decreased the incidence of AAA formation and aortic diameter by greater than 50% compared to placebo. While AngII treatment increased activity of MMP2 and MMP9 in aortas of ApoE-/- mice, S3I-201 treatment inhibited p-STAT3 stimulation and decreased MMP2 and MMP9 activity to levels similar to those in control aortas. The increase in p-STAT3 levels and the secretion of MMP2 and MMP9 in AngII treated bone marrow derived macrophages (BDMs) from ApoE-/- mice was inhibited by pretreatment with S3I-201. Interestingly, AngII stimulated TLR4 expression in AAAs and in BDMs from ApoE-/- mice. Based on these findings we determined the role of TLR4 on AAA formation and p-STAT3 stimulation in ApoE-/-TLR4-/- mice. The incidence of AAA formation, increase in aortic diameter and MMP2 and MMP9 activity were markedly decreased in AngII treated ApoE-/-TLR4-/- mice compared to ApoE-/- controls. Importantly, AngII stimulation of p-STAT3 was also decreased in ApoE-/-TLR4-/- mice compared to control. Similar effects on AngII stimulated p-STAT3 and activity of MMP2 and MMP9 were demonstrated in BMDs from ApoE-/-TLR4-/- mice. Treatment of ApoE-/- mice with the TLR4 inhibitor Eritoran (Eisai, Inc) also decreased the incidence and severity of AAAs, MMPs secretion and p-STAT3 activity. Finally, we determined that S3I-201 decreased AngII stimulated TLR4 expression in AngII treated ApoE-/- mice and in BDM from ApoE-/- mice compared to placebo. These data supported the conclusion that AngII stimulation of AAAs is mediated via a TLR4 dependent activation of p-STAT3 and that both p-STAT3 and TLR4 might be potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of AAAs.
Transforming a University Tradition Into a Geoscience Teaching and Learning Opportunity for the University Community

ABSTRACT Recent initiatives in geosciences education have focused on interactive and inquiry-based learning experiences both inside and outside of the classroom. While the concept is sound, examples and datasets seldom focus on opportunities to which the students can immediately relate. Herein we show how a university tradition has been transformed into an interactive geosciences learning opportunity for the university community. Each year during the third week of November, thousands of university students jump into an artificial pond on campus in support of the annual football rivalry game. An undergraduate student research initiative documenting the water quality of the pond before, during, and after the event clearly documents how humans can affect their environment. Use of the resulting dataset in the classroom for an entry-level geoscience laboratory exercise on water contamination has sparked student interest in the effects of anthropogenic activities on water quality and has mobilized subsequent st...
3-Hydroxy-2-alkyl carboxylic acids related to mycolic acid

Abstract A series of long-chain 3-hydroxy-2-alkyl acids structurally analogous to mycolic acids are reported. The synthesis applied, making use of 3-keto esters as intermediates, permits the insertion of 2-alkyl groups having no structural relationship to the main acid chain.
Developing Whispering Gallery Mode Resonators for Quantum Optics Applications.

We have achieved non-critically phase matched frequency conversion at 1064nm in a polished LiNbO3whispering gallery mode resonator disk. This is the first step towards a low-threshold, narrow-band non-classical light source.
On feedback design and risk allocation in chance constrained control

This paper considers the problem of planning for linear, Gaussian systems, and extends existing chance constrained optimal control solutions. Due to the imperfect knowledge of the system state caused by process uncertainty and sensor noise, the system constraints cannot be guaranteed to be satisfied and consequently must be considered probabilistically. Therefore they are formulated as convex constraints on a Gaussian random variable, with the violation probability of all the constraints guaranteed to be below a threshold. Previous work considered optimizing the feedback controller to shape the uncertainty of the system to facilitate the satisfaction of the stochastic constraints. The joint constraints were bounded using an ellipsoidal relaxation technique which assigns uniform risk to each constraint. However this results in a large amount of conservatism degrading the performance of the overall system. Instead of using the ellipsoidal relaxation technique, this work bounds the joint constraints using Boole's inequality which results in a tighter approximation. The conservatism is further reduced by optimizing the risk assigned to each constraint along with the feedback controller. A two-stage optimization algorithm is proposed that alternates between optimizing the feedback controller and the risk allocation until convergence. This solution methodology is shown to reduce the conservatism in previous approaches and improve the performance of the overall system.
Habitat selection and predator avoidance: ontogenetic shifts in habitat use by the Jonah crab Cancer borealis (Stimpson)

Abstract Ontogenetic changes in behaviour and habitat use of Jonah crabs Cancer borealis Stimpson were examined as part of a study on habitat competition between Jonah crabs and American lobsters Homarus americanus Milne-Edwards. Crabs, lobsters and predatory fish ( Tautoga onitis Linnaeus) were placed in large circular tanks, each containing three “habitats”: cobble, featureless sand, and sand with shelter boxes. Two treatments of shelter availability were used: one shelter for every two decapods (limited) or two shelters per decapod (excess). Three size-classes of crabs (encompassing 65–158 mm carapace width) were tested with lobsters 49–59 mm carapace length. When excess shelter was available, crabs and lobsters occupied shelters significantly more frequently than the other habitats. When shelter availability was limited, crabs were displaced to other areas. The alternative habitat selected by crabs and the way in which they used it depended on crab size. Most small and medium crabs chose cobble, while large crabs were found equally in cobble and sand. Small crabs burrowed more deeply than large crabs, and burrowed more deeply in sand than in cobble. Interspecific aggressive interactions increased in intensity with crab size. T. onitis readily kill and consume Jonah crabs in tanks with no substratum or shelter. Based on the literature and my qualitative observations, I predicted that smaller crabs would be more vulnerable to predation than large crabs. However in my habitat choice experiments, crab mortality due to predation was low and was not related to crab size or habitat type. I hypothesize that size-dependent patterns of crab habitat use and behavior compensated for the greater vulnerability of smaller crabs.
Associations between brominated flame retardants in house dust and hormone levels in men

Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) are used in the manufacture of a variety of materials and consumer products in order to meet fire safety standards. BFRs may persist in the environment and have been detected in wildlife, humans and indoor dust and air. Some BFRs have demonstrated endocrine and reproductive effects in animals, but human studies are limited. In this exploratory study, we measured serum hormone levels and flame retardant concentrations [31 polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) congeners and 6 alternate flame retardants] in house dust from men recruited through a US infertility clinic. PBDE congeners in dust were grouped by commercial mixtures (i.e. penta-, octa- and deca-BDE). In multivariable linear regression models adjusted by age and body mass index (BMI), significant positive associations were found between house dust concentrations of pentaBDEs and serum levels of free T4, total T3, estradiol, and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), along with an inverse association with follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). There were also positive associations of octaBDE concentrations with serum free T4, thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and testosterone and an inverse association of decaBDE concentrations with testosterone. Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) was associated with decreased SHBG and increased free androgen index. Dust concentrations of bis-tribromophenoxyethane (BTBPE) and tetrabromo-diethylhexylphthalate (TBPH) were positively associated with total T3. These findings are consistent with our previous report of associations between PBDEs (BDE 47, 99 and 100) in house dust and hormone levels in men, and further suggest that exposure to contaminants in indoor dust may be leading to endocrine disruption in men.