cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SPERMATOZOAL VELOCITY AND MOTILITYAND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO FERTILITY IN THE RABBIT INSEMINATED WITH LOW SPERM NUMBERS

The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between velocity and fertility of rabbit sperm, using low sperm numbers per insemination. Semen was collected weekly for 5 weeks from two fertile males. To study the effect of high dilution of sperm in media without macromolecules, each semen sample was split with one portion retained as whole semen, and the remainder was centrifuged and washed with saline. The washed sperm were resuspended with seminal plasma (SP), phosphate­buffered saline (PBS), or PBS containing 1 % (wt/vol) of bovine serum albumin (BSA). Each week two non-lactating does per buck were each inseminated at the cervix with 0.5 X 106 total sperm, for a total of 80 does inseminated. This was followed immediately with injection of luteinizing hormone. Sperm were video taped at this time. The velocity of 25 sperm from each semen sample was determined by each of two observers (50 sperm total). The two observers also estimated the percentage of motile sperm. Fertilized and unfertilized oocytes (1635 total) were recovered from the oviducts 42 hours after insemination. Both the percentage of motile sperm and their velocity were greatly affected by the washing and diluting fluid used. The ranges for these two variables, respectively, were 1 to 50% and 11 to 100 Fm/second. The percentage of motile sperm and velocity were highly correlated (P<0.05) in the different treatments (BSA=0. 77; SP=0.59; PBS=0.81; WS=0.86). Fertility ranged from 42 to 85%. Velocity was not more useful than the percentage of motile sperm in predicting fertility. The importance of including macromolecules in the diluting fluids to maintain motility of highly diluted sperm was obvious from the five-fold or greater improvement in motility and velocity of sperm by adding BSA. Good fertility was obtained with low sperm numbers inseminated on the cervix in media containing macromolecules, even following extensive washing and storage.
Bioaugmentation of butane-utilizing microorganisms for the in situ cometabolic treatment of 1,1-dichloroethene, 1,1-dichloroethane, and 1,1,1-trichloroethane

Bioaugmentation of microbial cultures is a potential method to enhance the performance of in situ bioremediation. In this study we evaluated the bioaugmentation of aerobic microorganisms that grow on butane that can transform chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbon (CAH) mixtures, such as 1,1,1-trichloroethane (1,1,1-TCA), 1,1-dichhloroethane (1,1-DCA) and 1,1-dichloroethene (1,1-DCE). This mixture of contaminants is of interest, since 1,1,1-TCA was a frequently used solvent at Department of Defense (DoD) facilities in the United States, and 1,1-DCE and 1,1-DCA are abiotic and biotic transformation products of 1,1,1-TCA. Kinetic studies with butane grown enrichment cultures and pure cultures isolated from the enrichment culture showed effective transformation of mixtures of these contaminants, with 1,1-DCE most rapidly transformed, followed by 1,1-DCA, and 1,1,1-TCA. In laboratory microcosm batch experiments, with aquifer material and groundwater from the field site, microcosms bioaugmented with mixed and pure cultures outperformed microcosms where indigenous butane-utilizing microorganisms were stimulated. The microcosm tests were consistent with the kinetics from mixed and pure cultures. Field studies were conducted in the saturated zone at the Moffett Field In Situ Test Facility in California. Tests were performed in an indigenous test leg along with a bioaugmented test leg, and the bioaugmented test leg outperformed the indigenous test leg. In the bioaugmented leg, 1,1-DCE was more effectively transformed, followed by 1,1-DCA, and 1,1,1-TCA, consistent with the results from laboratory kinetic studies and microcosm studies.
Sonography's Expansion Into Space

In 2001, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) integrated a sonography machine into the Health Research Facility on the International Space Station. With longer missions in space and a possible trip to Mars, NASA decided the International Space Station needed more diagnostic capabilities. A ground-to-space two-way communication system was set up between the astronauts and the radiologists at Mission Control. A series of studies was conducted to ensure the operating astronauts could produce diagnostic images under remote guidance. Some of the remotely guided studies included ocular examinations, the Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma scan, and musculoskeletal examinations.
The Possibility of Normative Jurisprudence: A Response to Brian Leiter

In a recent article Brian Leiter concluded that a useful normative theory of adjudication is impossible. A normative theory of adjudication would be a theory that, among other things, identified the moral and political norms that judges ought to follow in determining the law for any particular legal dispute. Letter's elegant and subtle argument, stripped to its bones, runs as follows: Philosophers of law regard a correct normative theory of adjudication as being dependent upon an antecedent descriptive theory. The dependence here, as Leiter describes it, is of a very strong sort and unique among philosophical theories: Any normative theory, to be acceptable, cannot depart from the actual practice of judges and lawyers. Consequently, the content of the normative side of the theory is simply to “continue to do what you've been doing,” supplemented, perhaps, by Holme's injunction to do it more selfconsciously and explicitly.
The Culture of innovation Styles: Are our Corporate Cultures Tuned for Innovation?

Systems engineering work is requiring increasing collaboration among various enterperprises, nations, and individuals to innovate to meet the comlex needs of large numbers of stakeholders. This indicates a need to better understand the cultural differences in innovation styles that can enable or hinder collaboration. This paper argues that applying the Hofstede Cross-Cultural Dimensions to enterprises will provide useful insights for systems engineering enterprises in working with cross-cultural teams. Furthermore, this paper seeks to apply the Hofstede dimensions to identifying enterprise cultures conducive to innovation, radical and incremental. By exploring the relationship between the Hofstede Dimensions and Miller and Friesen's Conservative and Entreprenurial Innovation Models, and between the Hofstede Dimensions and Brown's System Model of Technological Innovation, this paper seeks to help enterprises match their culture to the type of innovation their enterprise culture supports. Furthermore, it suggests future research to investigate and compare the Hofstede dimensions of defense organizations and of the companies listed on the BusinessWeek Most Innovative Companies List.
Robust fusion of uncertain information

A technique is presented to combine n data points, each available with point-dependent uncertainty, when only a subset of these points come from N/spl Lt/n sources, where N is unknown. We detect the significant modes of the underlying multivariate probability distribution using a generalization of the nonparametric mean shift procedure. The number of detected modes automatically defines N, while the belonging of a point to the basin of attraction of a mode provides the fusion rule. The robust data fusion algorithm was successfully applied to two computer vision problems: estimating the multiple affine transformations, and range image segmentation.
A multiband, compact, and full-duplex beam scanning antenna transceiver system operating from 10 to 35 GHz

This paper presents a compact phased-array antenna transceiver system that can operate over a wide bandwidth from 10 to 35 GHz with the abilities of beam scanning and full-duplex communication. The system consists of ultrawide-band Vivaldi antennas, a multiline PET-based phase shifter, a six-channel microstrip multiplexer, and monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) amplifiers. The multiplexer routes 10, 19, and 32 GHz signals to the transmit path and 12, 21, and 35 GHz signals to the receive path. The multiplexer shows insertion loss between 2.2 and 3.4 dB for all six channels and together with wide-band MMIC amplifiers plays an important role to build a compact, multifrequency, and full-duplex transceiver system. The system should have many applications in multiband satellite communication systems and radar systems.
Sexual Coercion Among Black and White Teenagers Sexual Stereotypes and Psychobehavioral Correlates

The relations between type of sexual coercion (i.e., verbal, substance-facilitated, physical) and psychological and behavioral health were examined among Black (n = 107) and White (n = 114) young women. We also explored the moderating role of sexual stereotypes in understanding the relations between sexual coercion and health. Over half (53%) of the total sample reported experiencing at least one sexually coercive incident. Direct relations were found between sexual coercion type and psychological and behavioral health correlates. Specifically, for both Black and White young women, greater verbal coercion was related to increased risky sexual behaviors. Substance-facilitated sexual coercion was related to lower levels of two indicators of mental health among Black participants (i.e., psychological distress and self-esteem). Endorsement of sexual stereotypes moderated the relations between total sexual coercion experiences and self-esteem for Black young women and between total sexual coercion experiences ...
Anesthetic state does not affect the map of the hand representation within area 3b somatosensory cortex in owl monkey.

Receptive fields defined for small clusters of neurons within the middle cortical layers of area 3b differed little in size or in the skin locations represented among: (a) alert, (b) nitrous oxide-anesthetized, (c) deep sodium pentobarbital-anesthetized, and (d) ketamine-anesthetized owl monkeys. Repeated recordings from nearly identical cortical loci yielded nearly identical multiunit receptive fields under different conditions of anesthesia.
Geometry of concepts

Every study organizes data according to a specific conceptualization scheme, which is defined by the purpose and method of exploration. Co-processing data from diverse studies requires concept mapping. The model presented in this work places all elements of knowledge into a topological space. Conceptualization schemes subdivide this space into subspaces of lower dimensionality where every element has well-defined coordinates. Allocating semantics to the conceptualization scheme enables the use of abstract mathematical approaches, such as category theory and geometry, for concept and data mapping. Relative coordinates of concepts, models and data are defined via morphisms that represent complex relationships among these elements. Data models for implementing morphisms in a database are presented here. This work provides a framework for data and knowledge integration illustrated with practical examples. It addresses several important challenges in interdisciplinary data integration and ontology building, such as defining complex relationships and unambiguous data interpretation. The geometrical interpretation enables visualization of the intangible world of data and knowledge and facilitates interactive and meaningful discussions of the subject.
Immunology of Gene Therapy with Adenoviral Vectors in Mouse Skeletal Muscle

Skeletal muscle is an attractive target for somatic gene transfer of both acquired and inherited disorders. Direct injection of adenoviral vectors in the skeletal muscle leads to recombinant gene expression in a large number of muscle fibers. Transgene expression has been transient in most organs and associated with substantial inflammation when experiments are performed in adult immune competent mice. In this report, we utilize a variety of in vivo and in vitro models of T and B cell function to characterize the nature of the immune response to adenoviral vectors injected into murine skeletal muscle. Cellular immunity dependent on CD4+ and CD8+ T cells contributes to the loss of recombinant gene expression and the development of localized inflammation. Antigen specific activation of T cells occurs to both viral proteins and the reporter gene beta-galactosidase. Systemic levels of neutralizing antibody to the capsid proteins of the vector are also generated. Destructive immune responses responsible for loss of transgene expression are largely directed against beta-galactosidase in that transgene expression was stable when beta-galactosidase was eliminated as a neoantigen in mice transgenic for lacZ. A strategy to prevent the cellular and humoral immunity to this therapy was developed based on transiently ablating CD4+ T cell activation at the time of vector delivery. Encouraging results were obtained when vector was administered with one of several immune modulating agents including cyclophosphamide, mAb to CD4+ cells, and mAb to CD40 ligand. These studies indicate that cellular and humoral immune responses are elicited in the context of gene therapy directed to skeletal muscle with adenoviral vectors. Transient ablation of CD4+ T cell activation prevents the effects responses of the CD8+ T and B cells.
Ruptured renal artery aneurysm: an uncommon cause of acute abdominal pain

Previously thought to be extremely rare, renal artery aneurysms are now being found more commonly as incidental findings during the evaluation of refractory hypertension. Symptoms related to the aneurysm are uncommon and rupture occurs infrequently, but with devastating consequences. Factors predisposing to rupture include pregnancy, polyarteritis nodosa, and lack of aneurysmal calcification. Angiography is the study of choice for diagnosing the presence of visceral aneurysm and rupture. We report a case of ruptured renal artery aneurysm that presented with sudden onset of abdominal pain but no significant findings on physical examination. The patient's size precluded the detection of a pulsatile abdominal mass or the ability to obtain an abdominal angiogram. Computed tomography scan with contrast revealed the correct diagnosis, and successful treatment was initiated.
Effects of thrombin on myometrial contractions in vitro and in vivo.

Abstract Objective: A previous report from our laboratory demonstrated that thrombin stimulates myometrial contractions by activating the phosphatidylinositol signaling pathway in a dose-dependent fashion. The studies described in this report sought to determine whether thrombin and blood stimulate myometrial contractions both in vivo and in vitro and whether these uterotonic effects could be suppressed or prevented with thrombin inhibitors. Study Design: In vitro contraction studies were performed with proestrus and estrus rat myometrial tissue. In vivo contraction studies were performed with nonpregnant and timed-pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats. Results: Pretreatment of thrombin with hirudin suppressed the uterotonic effects of thrombin in vitro. Fresh whole blood stimulated myometrial contractions in a dose-dependent fashion in vitro, and thrombin inhibitors decreased the myometrial response seen with blood alone. Thrombin increased the frequency, intensity, and tone of myometrial contractions in vivo in a dose-related manner. In pregnant animals increasing doses of whole blood increased the frequency and tone of myometrial contractions. In both pregnant and nonpregnant animals whole blood significantly stimulated myometrial contractions, whereas heparinization of the blood significantly suppressed this in vivo uterotonic effect. Conclusion: Thrombin is a potent uterotonic agent both in vitro and in vivo; furthermore, the uterotonic effects of blood appeared to be related to thrombin production during coagulation. These studies provide a possible mechanistic explanation for the observed increase in myometrial contractions in the presence of intrauterine bleeding and may also provide an insight into preterm labor associated with vaginal bleeding. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2000;183:799-804.)
Numerical Magnitude Representations Influence Arithmetic Learning

This study examined whether the quality of first graders' (mean age = 7.2 years) numerical magnitude representations is correlated with, predictive of, and causally related to their arithmetic learning. The children's pretest numerical magnitude representations were found to be correlated with their pretest arithmetic knowledge and to be predictive of their learning of answers to unfamiliar arithmetic problems. The relation to learning of unfamiliar problems remained after controlling for prior arithmetic knowledge, short-term memory for numbers, and math achievement test scores. Moreover, presenting randomly chosen children with accurate visual representations of the magnitudes of addends and sums improved their learning of the answers to the problems. Thus, representations of numerical magnitude are both correlationally and causally related to arithmetic learning.
A Point Mutation in Domain 4-Segment 6 of the Skeletal Muscle Sodium Channel Produces an Atypical Inactivation State

Abstract We compared wild-type rat skeletal muscle NaChs ( μ 1) and a mutant NaCh (Y1586K) that has a single amino acid substitution, lysine (K) for tyrosine (Y), at position 1586 in the S6 transmembrane segment of domain 4. In Y1586K, macroscopic current decay is faster, the V 1/2 of the activation curve is shifted in the depolarized direction, and the fast-inactivation curve is less steep compared with μ 1. After an 8-ms depolarization pulse, Y1586K recovers from inactivation much more slowly than μ 1. The recovery is double exponential, suggesting recovery from two inactivation states. Varying the depolarization protocols isolates entry into an additional, "atypical" inactivation state in Y1586K that is distinct from typical fast or slow inactivation. Substitution of positively charged arginine (R) at Y1586 produces an inactivation phenotype similar to that of Y1586K. Substitution by negatively charged aspartic acid (D) or uncharged alanine (A) at Y1586 produces an inactivation phenotype similar to μ 1. Our results suggest that the positive charge of lysine (K) produces the atypical inactivation state in Y1586K. We propose that a conformational change during depolarization alters the relative position of the 1586K residue in the D4-S6 segment and that atypical inactivation in Y1586K occurs via an electrostatic interaction in or near the inner pore region.
Mechanical circulatory support.

In other chapters, there are detailed discussions of acute decompensated heart failure (Chap. 19) and shock (Chap. 21). Cardiogenic shock (CS) represents a state in which cardiac dysfunction is either wholly or partially responsible for an inadequate level of cardiac output to support end-organ function. CS is an especially dangerous state, with in-hospital mortality as high as 27–51% (van Diepen et al., Circulation. 136:e232–68, 2017). Therefore, interventions that promptly reverse the pathophysiologic process are critical. While CS can result from a variety of etiologies – acute myocardial infarction (AMI), acute valvular regurgitation, decompensated heart failure, ventricular tachycardic storm, or myocarditis, to name just a few – once the insult triggers primary dysfunction, the nature of CS is a downward spiral of consequences ultimately resulting in multi-organ failure and death. Even if myocardial ischemia is not the primary cause of cardiac dysfunction, a drop in cardiac output and coronary perfusion pressure during CS nonetheless leads to ischemia and further systolic and diastolic dysfunction, both of which precipitate a feedback loop of progressive dysfunction. This chapter focuses on the use of mechanical circulatory support (MCS) to intervene in the early stages of this cycle.
Harmonically-related diffraction gratings-based interferometer for quadrature phase measurements.

We demonstrate the use of shallow diffraction gratings for quadrature phase interferometry. A single shallow diffraction grating-based Michelson interferometer yields only trivial (0° or 180°) phase shift between different output ports. In comparison, a combination of two parallel shallow diffraction gratings can be useful to achieve desired phase shifts (e.g., 90° for quadrature phase interferometry). We show that the phase at different output ports of a grating-pair based interferometer can be adjusted by shearing the two gratings with respect to each other. Two harmonically-related diffraction gratings are used to demonstrate phase shift control at the output ports of a modified Michelson interferometer. Our experimental data is in good agreement with theory.
History of the U.S. Navy Body Composition Program

The Navy currently employs maximum weight-for-height tables and body fat prediction equations based on circumference measurements to assess body composition. However, many Sailors believe the current method fails to accurately predict body fat percentage. As a result, the Naval Health Research Center (NHRC) conducted numerous studies in an attempt to improve the accuracy and reliability of the Navy's Body Composition Analysis program. In 2012, NHRC conducted a study that researched the feasibility of using a single abdominal circumference (AC) measurement in lieu of circumference measurements. The Air Force and National Institutes of Health (NIH) employ a single AC measurement taken at the superior border of the iliac crest to assess body composition and all-cause mortality risk. Although the Air Force and NIH use the iliac crest, NHRC is proposing the Navy use the umbilicus as the AC site since it is less invasive and easier to identify. If implemented, the Navy would use cutoff values of 40 in. and 36 in. for males and females, respectively. The purpose of this article is to provide a brief history of the Navy's Body Composition Analysis program as well as propose the transition from circumference measurements to a single AC measurement.
Maximum time-dependent space-charge limited diode currents

Recent papers claim that a one dimensional (1D) diode with a time-varying voltage drop can transmit current densities that exceed the Child-Langmuir (CL) limit on average, apparently contradicting a previous conjecture that there is a hard limit on the average current density across any 1D diode, as t → ∞, that is equal to the CL limit. However, these claims rest on a different definition of the CL limit, namely, a comparison between the time-averaged diode current and the adiabatic average of the expression for the stationary CL limit. If the current were considered as a function of the maximum applied voltage, rather than the average applied voltage, then the original conjecture would not have been refuted.
Clinical experience with basal temperature rhythm.

364 patients were instructed in the use of basal body temperature charts to limit family size. 107 couples claimed to understand the instruction after the 1st visit 1 required a 2nd instruction and 1 never was sure they comprehended the method. Follow-up showed almost 1/2 the group used the method for only 9.3 months. 47 couples continued it for an average of 15.2 months. Before attending the clinic the total group had an unplanned conception rate of 28 pregnancies/100 woman-years. Periodic continence with basal temperatures as a guide resulted in 8 unplanned pregnancies or about 8/100 woman-years. The low number of biphasic charts with abrupt rises in temperature (26%) contrasts sharply with the 80% reported by Marshall. Since sharp transitions obviously make interpretation easier the high percentage of charts with a gradual rise may have contributed to the high drop-out rate.
Los problemas de las fronteras humanitarias

This text engages a critical analysis of humanitarian discourses and practices regarding our understanding of migration and the public policies developed in relation to the population movementsacross international borders. It is based on the premise that humanitarianism, even if well intentioned, can have pernicious effects if, eventually, it ends up replacing justice and migrants’ rights. To explore this paradox, the paper sequentially analyzes various problems associated with humanitarian aid: the problem of innocence —the understanding of refugees as victims calls for humanitarian compassion—; the problem with emergency —«rapid response» operations inhibit the contextualized and historical understanding of the root causes of the problems—; and, finally, the problem of compassion —humanitarianism privilegessentiments over rights. The study of these three key features of humanitarianism in Europe and the USA fosters a healthy skepticism of the emerging forms of the legitimation of exclusion. The article also explores alternative political and discursive strategies which allow for new imaginaries to confront migratory processes beyond borders and humanitarianism, breaking up their dynamic of reproduction of social inequalities and placing justice in the horizon of action.
Abstract 1602: Mucinous adenocarcinoma developed from human fallopian tube epithelial cells through a combination of defined genetic modifications and tumor microenvironment

Epithelial ovarian cancer includes several distinct histologic types including serous, mucinous, endometrioid, and clear cell. The cell origin of these distinct epithelial ovarian cancers has been debated for many years. Recent studies have suggested that some ovarian and pelvic serous carcinomas could originate from the fimbrial end of distal fallopian tube, although direct experimental evidence supporting this hypothesis is still lacking. To test this hypothesis, we immortalized a normal human fallopian tubal epithelial (FTE) cell line by using a retrovirus-mediated infection expressing the early region of SV40 T/t antigen and the human telomerase reverse transcriptase. These immortalized FTEs were then transformed by ectopic expression of oncogenic human HRAS V12 . Tumorigenicity of the immortalized and/or transformed cells was subsequently tested by anchorage-independence assay and inoculation into nude mice via subcutaneous or intraperitoneal injections. As expected, the HRAS V12 -transformed FTEs produced tumors through both subcutaneous and intraperitoneal injections, while no tumor growth was observed in immortalized FTEs. To our surprise, however, while histopathologic examination of resulting tumor from subcutaneous injections revealed a largely undifferentiated carcinoma with focal mucin production, tumors from intraperitoneal injections showed mucinous adenocarcinoma with rich mucin production from an undifferentiated area. The mucinous differentiation of tumors was most prominent near the peritoneal fat and other peritoneal organs including the pancreas, spleen, and intestine. Immunohistochemical staining of tumor cells showed positive staining for the epithelial cell markers cytokeratin AE1/AE3 and CA125. Our study demonstrates that FTEs can generate mucinous adenocarcinoma through genetic modifications and that such mucinous differentiation is dependent on the peritoneal microenvironment. Thus, the experiment described here provided the first experimental evidence that fimbrial epithelial cells of the fallopian tube could be a potential source of ovarian mucinous adenocarcinoma, a distinct histologic entity of epithelial ovarian cancers whose origin is largely unknown. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1602. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-1602
Effects of acetylcholine and substance P on electrical activity of intact toad gastric muscles

By using isolated gastric muscle cells of Bufo marinus, others have studied the mechanism of action of muscarinic agonists and substance P (SP). To compare responses of isolated cells with those of intact muscles, we have studied the effects of acetylcholine (ACh) and SP on membrane potentials of circular muscle cells in strips of intact muscle from the toad gastric corpus region. These cells had average resting potentials of -69 +/- 0.7 mV. Membrane potential rhythmically depolarized, producing slow waves at an average frequency of 1/min and average amplitude of 25 +/- 2.2 mV. The major effect of ACh (10(-7) to 10(-4) M) was chronotropic; the frequency of slow waves was increased by 88 +/- 11% by 10(-6) M ACh. The amplitudes and rates of rise of slow waves were decreased by ACh. SP had effects similar to ACh; its major effect was chronotropic. The data suggest that ACh and SP primarily affect the pacemaker mechanism in gastric muscles. Since rhythmicity is apparently not expressed in isolated gastric myocytes, it is possible that this effect of these agonists may have been missed in studies of dispersed cells. Our data suggest that the excitatory effects of ACh and SP on contractions may be due to summation of Ca2+ signals, a partial tetanus-like effect.
On the analytic continuation of the S -matrix in angular momentum

It is proved that an « analytic continuation » of the coefficients of the partial-wave expansion for two-particle reactions, which M. Froissart proved was holomorphic up to the line Rel =N (N= number of subtractions in the Mandelstam representation), can be further continued up to the line Rel = 1, and it is meromorphic in this extended region. The result has been established for spinless particles of equal massesm, under the assumptions that the minimum threshold for the spectral functions (apart from single poles) is 4m2 and that there is an appropriate continuation inl of the factor of the inelasticity, and under certain other hypotheses about the number of zeros and the asymptotic behavior of the original Froissart continuation. The crossing symmetry and the unitarity condition in the three channels play an essential role in the proof.
Flagellar surface motility: gliding and microsphere movements.

Publisher Summary Flagella are generally thought to promote whole-cell locomotion through the initiation and propagation of bends along the organelle. Chlamydomonas and certain other flagellated protists provide a striking exception to this rule. While Chlamydomonas species can clearly swim through liquid medium by the coordinated initiation and propagation of bends along their two flagella, this is probably not the physiologically most relevant form of whole-cell locomotion for these cells. Chlamydomonas exhibit whole-cell locomotion along a solid substrate, be it soil, glass or agar. This is referred to as gliding motility. Gliding motility is exhibited by all flagellated stages of Chlamydomonas. During the course of gliding motility, the flagella can appear to be absolutely straight and immotile, exhibiting no obvious bends or undulations. On occasion, however, the distal 1 μm of the leading flagellum can be seen to wiggle; this observation, coupled with the fact that cells can glide in curved trajectories, suggests the possibility that Chlamydomonas can regulate the direction of gliding motility. A wide variety of paralyzed flagellar strains, exhibit normal gliding behavior, suggesting that gliding motility is not coupled to axonemal motility and is not dependent on the motor responsible for axonemal motility and flagellar beating, also involvement of a minus end-directed micro-tubule-associated motor. This chapter discusses procedures for observing gliding motility and polystyrene microsphere movements. Nongliding cell strains of Chlamydomonas were unable to exhibit microsphere movement along the flagellar surface, suggesting that microsphere movements are a manifestation of the same force transduction system responsible for whole-cell gliding motility. Attachment to and movement along the flagellar surface of polystyrene microspheres provides an easy, quantitative assay for the force transduction system responsible for gliding motility. Availability of nongliding mutants, especially that have been insertionally tagged, provides the opportunity to identify genes whose products are involved in this form of whole-cell locomotion.
Maximum likelihood positioning of scintillation events: Preliminary experiments

The centroid algorithm fails to accurately position events in slab scintillators as the location of the scintillation flash approaches the edges of the slab, an effect particularly critical in small field-of-view gamma cameras where much of the crystal is "near" an edge. Maximum likelihood (ML) positioning offers the potential of minimizing this loss by statistical estimation of event positions using detailed a priori knowledge of detector performance obtained during detector calibration. We conducted preliminary studies of ML positioning to explore two potential improvements that might (1) reduce the time to acquire high quality 2D calibration data and (2) might reduce the computational burden usually associated with ML position estimation without compromising the ability of the method to significantly increase useful field-of-view and spatial resolution. Preliminary results suggests that 2D ML positioning is indeed feasible and effective using the described calibration method combined with "row and column" readout of a detector module comprised of a multi-anode PSPMT coupled to a 44 mm square x 10 mm thick LaBr3 slab.
Prospective Memory in Context

Abstract Although memory usually is associated with recall of past events or previously learned information, an equally important function of memory is to remember to perform intended actions in the future. Remembering to perform an action when there is a delay between the point at which the intention to act is formed and the point at which the action can be carried out is called prospective memory. A defining aspect of prospective memory tasks is that they are to be performed without external prompting, that is, we have to remember to perform the task without being asked to do so at the time that it is to be performed. However, a potentially important source of support for performing prospective memory can arise from the context in which the task occurs. The preparatory attentional and memory processes theory places a considerable emphasis on the role of context, especially with respect to how limited capacity resources are allocated to support prospective memory performance. Research on the effects of context and prospective memory is reviewed, with an emphasis on how context affects allocation of attentional resources and how context is used to initiate preparatory attentional processing. This overview leads to the proposal of greater parallels between time-based and event-based prospective memory than often is assumed to be the case and concludes by outlining possibilities for future research.
Effects of soil anisotropy on a soil structure interaction in a heat exchanger pile

Abstract A coupled thermal-hydro-mechanical computational modeling of actual field tests, which had been conducted on an end bearing heat exchanger pile, has been carried out. Results of a conventional triaxial test program, which was performed during the site investigation, indicated that two soil layers were anisotropic. A simplified form of a transverse isotropy was used to model the response of these layers. Additional analyses were carried out for completely isotropic soil layers. Comparisons between the measurements obtained during the field testing and predictions of the computational models showed a very good to excellent agreement. Overall the anisotropic model performed better than the isotropic model.
Low-dose Prothrombin Complex Concentrate for Warfarin-Associated Intracranial Hemorrhage with INR Less Than 2.0

Prothrombin complex concentrates (PCCs) have become the first-line therapy for warfarin reversal in the setting of central nervous system (CNS) hemorrhage. Randomized, controlled studies comparing agents for warfarin reversal excluded patients with international normalized ratio (INR) <2, yet INR values of 1.6–1.9 are also associated with poor outcomes. We retrospectively reviewed our use of a low-dose (15 units/kg) strategy of 4-factor PCC (4F-PCC) on warfarin reversal (INR 1.6–1.9) in the setting of both traumatic and spontaneous intracranial bleeding. A total of 21/134 (15.7%) patients with either spontaneous or traumatic intracranial hemorrhage presented with an INR value of 1.6–1.9. Nine patients (43%) presented with traumatic bleeding and 12 (57%) with spontaneous bleeding. The median (IQR) presenting INR was 1.8 (1.7, 1.9) which decreased to 1.3 (1.2, 1.3) following the administration of low-dose 4F-PCC (median dose = 1062 units; 15.2 units/kg). A total of 19/20 (95%) patients achieved a goal INR value of ≤1.5 on the first check following dosing and 17/20 (85%) achieved an INR value ≤1.3. One patient did not have follow-up INR testing due to withdrawal of life support. No patient experienced hematoma expansion within 48 h of 4F-PCC, and there were no thromboembolic events within 72 h of administration. The administration of low dose (15 units/kg) of 4F-PCC for urgent warfarin reversal in the setting of CNS hemorrhage was effective in correcting the INR in patients presenting with INR values of 1.6–1.9. Further assessment of low-dose PCC for urgent reversal of modest INR elevation is warranted.
Suppose They Are Communists! The Unemployed Councils and the 1933 Chicago Sopkin Dressmakers’ Strike1

In the summer of 1933, Claude Lightfoot, a Black Communist on Chicago's South Side, witnessed an incredible scene. A group of striking African American women met with a local Black politician, Osca...
Implementing a distributed volumetric data analytics toolkit on apache spark

The multidimensional array is a fundamental data structure that has been widely used in scientific computing, as well as in many big data analytics applications. Distributed multi-dimensional array has been well studied in the High Performance Computing (HPC) platforms; however, little research has been done in the widely-used big data analytics platforms. In this paper, we present an implementation of Distributed Multi-dimensional Array Toolkit (DMAT) on top of the Apache Spark big data analytics platform. The toolkit supports several fashions for multidimensional array distributions, repartition, transposition, access, and data parallelism with a variety of parallel execution templates. This paper introduces the software architecture and implementations of DMAT, and also studies the performance characteristics of some typical multi-dimensional array operations with different configurations.
Randomized Trials in Children With UTI.

* Abbreviations: IV — : intravenous UTI — : urinary tract infection Randomized trials have played a pivotal role in shaping the management of pediatric urinary tract infections (UTIs). In important recent trials, authors have demonstrated that oral antibiotics are as effective as intravenous (IV) antibiotics1 and that prophylactic antibiotics do not prevent renal scarring.2 Given multiple ongoing controversies in the diagnosis and management of UTIs, however, still more trials are needed. In this issue of Pediatrics , Basmaci et al3 report a systematic review of 40 trials published between 1990 and 2016 involving 4381 UTI cases. They highlight the numerous inconsistencies in inclusion criteria and choice of end points in published UTI antibiotic trials and suggest that more uniformity is required. The lack of uniform inclusion criteria across trials reflects an ongoing controversy over the definition of UTI.4 Because of fear that some UTIs will be missed,5 there is reluctance to incorporate pyuria as a diagnostic criterion,6 despite the latest recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics UTI clinical practice guideline7 and subsequent supportive data that the urinalysis is more reliable than previously … Address correspondence to Alan R. Schroeder, MD, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hospital Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, 300 Pasteur Dr, MC 5776, Stanford, CA 94305. E-mail: aschroe{at}stanford.edu
Continuous Verification for Cryptographic Protocol Development

The proliferation of connected devices has motivated a surge in the development of cryptographic protocols to support a diversity of devices and use cases. To address this trend, we propose continuous verification, a methodology for secure cryptographic protocol design that consists of three principles: (1) repeated use of verification tools; (2) judicious use of common message components; and (3) inclusion of verifiable model specifications in standards. Our recommendations are derived from previous work in the formal methods community, as well as from our past experiences applying verification tools to improve standards. Through a case study of IETF protocols for the IoT, we illustrate the power of continuous verification by (i) discovering flaws in the protocols using the Cryptographic Protocol Shapes Analyzer (CPSA); (ii) identifying the corresponding fixes based on the feedback provided by CPSA; and (iii) demonstrating that verifiable models can be intuitive, concise and suitable for inclusion in standards to enable third-party verification and future modifications.
Segmental Arterial Mediolysis: Abdominal Imaging of and Disease Course in 111 Patients.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study is to identify the imaging characteristics of segmental arterial mediolysis (SAM) at presentation and establish the longitudinal course of disease. MATERIALS AN...
How much automation do we really need

Nowadays many OEMs equip their cars with Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) functions (see figure 1) which assist the driver e.g. to stay in the lane, keep an appropriate distance to the vehicle in front or identify if someone is driving in the driver’s blind spot. These functions have a mere informative character or only affect a single task in the driving process within comfort boundaries. Moreover, the driver is always able to overrule them.
Antithrombotic Therapy for Patients with Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is both a cause and consequence of pathology associated with stasis and risk of thromboembolism, especially ischemic stroke. Anticoagulation decreases stroke risk in patients with AF, but benefit comes at the risk of bleeding, including intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). The vitamin K antagonist (VKA), warfarin (target INR 2.0–3.0), is more effective than antiplatelet or no therapy for thromboembolism prevention, but a narrow therapeutic margin, drug and food interactions, and variable pharmacokinetics require regular monitoring and dose adjustment. Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) that directly inhibit thrombin (dabigatran) or factor Xa (rivaroxaban, apixaban, and edoxaban) were non-inferior or superior to warfarin for efficacy against stroke and caused less severe bleeding, particularly ICH, when given without coagulation monitoring in randomized trials, leading to relatively rapid uptake in practice. We review these data along with subgroup analyses, post-marketing studies, practice-based evidence, and consensus guidance applicable to patients with advanced age, prior stroke, impaired renal function, diabetes, heart failure, coronary disease, or undergoing cardioversion or revascularization. Assays to measure the anticoagulant effect of DOACs are not available in the USA, and a specific reversal strategy has been introduced only for dabigatran (idarucizumab). Others are under development to reverse oral factor Xa inhibitors in patients with severe bleeding or in need of urgent invasive or surgical procedures. Considered collectively, the DOACs are more similar than different, and we urge clinicians to identify patients at risk of thromboembolism and select antithrombotic therapy based on individual characteristics, values, and preferences.
Droplet-train induced spatiotemporal swelling regimes in elastomers

In this work, we perform a combined experimental and numerical analysis of elastomer swelling dynamics upon impingement of a train of solvent droplets. We use time scale analysis to identify spatiotemporal regimes resulting in distinct boundary conditions that occur based on relative values of the absorption timescale and the droplet train period. We recognize that when either timescale is significantly larger than the other, two cases of quasi-uniform swelling occur. In contrast, when the two timescales are comparable, a variety of temporary geometrical features due to localized swelling are observed. We show that the swelling feature and its temporal evolution depends upon geometric scaling of polymer thickness and width relative to the droplet size. Based on this scaling, we identify six cases of localized swelling and experimentally demonstrate the swelling features for two cases representing limits of thickness and width. A finite element model of local swelling is developed and validated with experimental results for these two cases. The model is subsequently used to explore the swelling behavior in the rest of the identified cases. We show that depending upon the lateral dimension of the sample, swelling can locally exhibit mushroom, mesa, and cap like shapes. These deformations are magnified during the droplet-train impact but dissipate during post-train polymer equilibration. Our results also show that while swelling shape is a function of lateral dimensions of the sample, the extent of swelling increases with the elastomer sample thickness.
Limit Theorems Arising in Soil Erosion Modelling

It was shown in a recent paper that the effect of soil erosion on crop production can be described by a stochastic process {X n}1 ∞ where Xn = Yn • Ln. Here {Y n}1 ∞ is an independent and identically distributed sequence of non-negative random variables and {L n }1 ∞ is a Markov chain, with stationary transition probabilities, independent of {Y n}1∞. In this paper we are concerned with the limiting distributions of the maximum term Xn = sup1≤k≤n X k and of the sum Sn = X1 +… + Xn.
Biomechanics of Allografts

The advantages of using autograft in defects less than 6 cm even in areas of high mechanical demand have been addressed elsewhere in this book (Chapter on Intercalary Reconstruction). If the defect exceeds what is possible to compensate with autograft it often becomes necessary to consider the use of allogeneic tissue. Furthermore, complications associated with autograft occur not infrequently and include blood loss and hematoma at the procurement site necessitating transfusion, infection, injury to the lateral cutaneous nerve of the thigh, fracture of the remaining iliac wing, hernia, and persistent pain and cosmetic deformity. Alternatively, allograft is associated with no morbidity with procurement, decreased operative time, allows modifying the bone graft to fit the deficiency anatomically, and theoretically unlimited supply. As such, transplant bone and soft tissue have become viable alternatives in the reconstruction of the multiply revised arthroplasty patient, after tumor resection, spinal surgery and in complex soft tissue deficiencies such as ligament reconstruction of the knee and rotator cuff repair of the shoulder. The long-term success of musculoskeletal transplantation, however, depends on the incorporation of the allograft to the host, whether it be osseous or soft tissue and avoidance of complications. Both of these factors are dependent on the biology and biomechanics of the reconstruction and are not mutually exclusive. Implications of the former to allograft success is thoroughly discussed by Dr. Hans Burchardt in a previous chapter.