cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Theory of the fractional quantum Hall effect

A theoretical framework is presented which provides a unified description of the integer and the fractional quantum Hall effects. The main assertion is that new candidate incompressible states can be constructed by taking products of some known incompressible states, and all incompressible states can thus be generated starting from the states at integer filling factors. The crucial difference from previous theories is that the higher Landau levels play an essential role in identifying the correlations responsible for the fractional quantum Hall effect. The quasiparticle excitations of the fractional states can be understood simply in this approach by analogy to the quasiparticles of the integer states. Numerical results show that these trial states very accurately describe the transition from the 1/3 state to the 2/5 state for a four-electron system. It is further shown that the predictions of the theory are completely consistent with the phenomenology of the fractional quantum Hall effect; in particular, the predicted order of stability of the various fractions is in agreement with experiments. Even though the fractional quantum Hall effect is found to be possible at all rational filling factors in this approach, it is indicated why the odd-denominator fractions are in general more stable than the even-denominator ones.
E8. Colored Polygons

I would like to go back to April of 1970 one more time (Chapter E4 included some reminiscences of that time). The thirty judges of the Fourth Soviet Union National Mathematical Olympiad, of whom I was one, stayed at a fabulous white castle, halfway between the cities of Simferopol and Alushta in sunny Crimea, surrounded by the Black Sea. The problems had been selected and approved in a meeting of all thirty judges and A. N. Kolmogorov. They were being printed. The Olympiad was to take place the next morning, when something shocking occurred.
Lipoprotein(a): novel target and emergence of novel therapies to lower cardiovascular disease risk.

Purpose of review This article summarizes recent observations on the role of lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] as a risk factor mediating cardiovascular disease. Recent findings Lp(a) is a highly prevalent cardiovascular risk factor, with levels above 30 mg/dl affecting 20-30% of the global population. Up until now, no specific therapies have been developed to lower Lp(a) levels. Three major levels of evidence support the notion that elevated Lp(a) levels are a causal, independent, genetic risk factor for cardiovascular disease: epidemiologic studies and meta-analyses, genome-wide association studies and Mendelian randomization studies. Recent studies also have noted that individuals with low levels of Lp(a) are associated with a higher risk of incident type 2 diabetes mellitus, and conversely individuals with high levels have a lower risk, but this association does not appear to be causal. Novel therapies to lower Lp(a) include PCSK9 inhibitors and antisense oligonucleotides directly preventing translation of apolipoprotein(a) mRNA. Summary With this robust and expanding clinical database, a reawakening of interest in Lp(a) as clinical risk factor is taking place. Trials are underway with novel drugs that substantially lower Lp(a) and may reduce its contribution to cardiovascular disease.
Sex differences in interest in infants across the lifespan : A biological adaptation for parenting?

This study investigated sex differences in interest in infants among children, adolescents, young adults, and older individuals. Interest in infants was assessed with responses to images depicting animal and human infants versus adults, and with verbal responses to questionnaires. Clear sex differences, irrespective of age, emerged in all visual and verbal tests, with females being more interested in infants than males. Male interest in infants remained fairly stable across the four age groups, whereas female interest in infants was highest in childhood and adolescence and declined thereafter, particularly for the responses to visual stimuli. The observed developmental changes in female interest in infants are consistent with the hypothesis that they represent a biological adaptation for parenting.
The Cardiac Troponin T Mutant Missing the N-Terminal Extension Causes Dose-Dependent Effects on Cardiac Function and Remodeling in Transgenic Mice

The N-terminal extension (NTE; residues 42-73) of mouse cardiac troponin T (TnT) desensitizes cardiac myofilaments to Ca2+ by stabilizing thin filaments in the blocked-state. We arrived at this conclusion using detergent-skinned muscle from transgenic (TG) mouse hearts that expressed 54% of chimeric TnT (residues 1-73 of mouse cardiac TnT were replaced by residues 1-41 of mouse fast skeletal TnT). Here, we extended our investigation to include higher dose effects of the modified TnT on cardiac myofilament function/phenotype using detergent-skinned fiber studies and echocardiography measurements in two different TG mouse lines (TG-55 and TG-64 that expressed 55% and 64% of chimeric TnT, respectively). Both TG-55 and TG-64 mice showed a similar increase in myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity at sarcomere lengths (SL) of 1.9 and 2.3 μm. However, Ca2+-activated maximal tension increased significantly only in TG-64 mice at either SL. There was a progressive decrease in the overall heart size and heart-to-body weight ratios in both TG-55 and TG-64 mice. Left ventricular diastolic functional parameters (isovolumic relaxation time and E-wave deceleration time) showed a graded increase in TG-55 and TG-64 mice; however, such effects were only significant in TG-64 mice, suggesting impaired relaxation. Systolic functional parameters (stroke volume, ejection fraction and fractional shortening) were unaffected in TG-55 mice, but significantly decreased in TG-64 mice. Thus, higher levels of chimeric TnT (64%) depressed both diastolic and systolic function significantly in TG-64 mice. We will discuss the link between the effects of the modified N-terminus of TnT on cardiac myofilament function and the resultant pathological remodeling of the heart. Our findings have pathological relevance because a growing number of disease-related mutations are found both in and near the NTE of cardiac TnT.
Cross-Border Labor Organizing in the Garment and Automobile Industries: The Phillips Van-Heusen and Ford Cuautitlan Cases

The globalization of the world economy has created new opportunities for cross-border labor organizing. In this paper I examine two case studies of cross -border labor organizing. One case involves Phillips Van-Hernen (PVH) workers in Guatemala City, and the other Ford automobile workers in Cuautitlan, Mexico. The PVH case illustrates the potential for cross-border labor organizing in the highly mobile garment industry. The PVH workers' union and their cross-border allies adopted a "strategic cross-border organizing model" that included consumer and trade pressure, an active international trade secretariat, and several other strategies, to achieve an amazing victory. However, the Ford Cuautitlan case demonstrates that corporatist state-labor relations and internal union conflicts have limited cross-border organizing in the automobile industry. These two case studies and their different outcomes have many important lessons for academics and activists interested in cross-border labor organizing.
Polyol accumulation in muscle and liver in a mouse model of type 2 diabetes

Aims Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a complex metabolic disease leading to complications in multiple organs. Diabetic myopathy and liver disease are common complications of T2D, but are incompletely understood. To gain insight into the pathogenesis of these conditions we performed metabolomic analysis of skeletal muscle and liver in a mouse model of T2D.
Review of Rate-distortion Optimization Techniques of H.264/AVC

In this paper,first the rate-distortion based on the H.264/AVC video standards is introduced in detail,and then its motion estimation and macroblock coding mode is analyzed,as well as the current rate-distortion optimization algorithm is summarized,finally rate-distortion optimization algorithm and its improved algorithms of the test model JM7.6 are given.
Advances in Turbofan Engines: A US Perspective

Turbofan engines have been the mainstay of large aircraft propulsion systems since the first turbofan-powered commercial airliner was introduced in the late 1960s, replacing the less efficient and noisier turbojets. Engine manufacturers have continually improved the overall engine efficiency by both increasing the propulsive efficiency of the fan system and increasing the thermal efficiency of the core. Combustor technologies have also advanced, resulting in significantly lower emissions even as the overall pressure ratio of the cores has increased. Low operating costs improve aircraft economic competitiveness and motivate the efforts for fuel efficiency/noise reduction, while emissions reduction tends to be regulation driven. The historical improvements in turbofan efficiency, noise, and emissions are reviewed. Current-generation turbofan systems can still achieve both propulsive and thermal efficiency gains. However, the engine cycle and configuration changes that benefit efficiency can potentially have negative consequences for emissions and noise. Complementary efforts in combustion technology and noise reduction are needed for a balanced approach to engine development. The current development efforts within the United States for next-generation engines with lower fuel burn, noise, and emissions are summarized. Additionally, research efforts are discussed for generation-after-next systems that are typically more electric and/or hybrid. Keywords: aeroacoustics; jet engine; propulsion; turbofan
Afterword: Victorian Sculpture for the Twenty-First Century

Commenting on the directions proposed by this issue of 19, the afterword discusses the broad trends in twenty-first century studies of Victorian sculpture and the opportunity for debate arising from the first attempt at a comprehensive exhibition.
Inflammation and Organ Failure

A clinical trial in 2006 dramatically illustrated the potential dangers of the unintended induction of a systemic inflammatory response by a drug or chemical. Six healthy subjects were selected for the trial, sponsored by the manufacturer of TGN1412, a monoclonal antibody specific for the T cell costimulatory receptor, CD28 (Suntharalingam et al. 2006). Within 6–15 h all the subjects were critically ill. They developed hypotension, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) (accompanied by inflammatory infiltrates in the lungs), disseminated intravascular coagulation, and multiple organ failure. Two of the subjects required ventilation. Their condition gradually improved upon treatment with glucocorticoids. A ‘cytokine storm,’ during which high concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines were measured in serum samples, preceded the development of clinical signs (Suntharalingam et al. 2006). The entire scenario, including multiple organ failure, was quite similar to what one would expect in septic shock (Borgel et al. 2007). However, organ failure was caused in this case by a biopharmaceutical, not an infection (Borgel et al. 2007). This illustrates the capacity of immune/inflammatory responses per se, in the absence of direct cellular damage caused by microbes, to cause life-threatening responses. This is of interest, in part, because a wide variety of toxicants are also potent inducers of inflammatory responses (Devlin et al. 1996; Liu et al. 2001; Ryffel 1995; Schook et al. 1992; Wong et al. 2007).
Decision Theoretic and Bayesian Approach in Testing and Estimation

The chapter discusses decision theoretic and Bayesian approach in testing and estimation. The decision theoretic approach provides a general framework for both estimation of parameters and testing hypotheses. The risk functions depend on the parameters θ of the parent distribution. The average risk can be defined as an expected risk according to some probability distribution on the parameter space. This expected risk is called in Bayesian theory the prior risk and the probability measure on the parameter space is called a prior distribution. The estimators or test functions that minimize the prior risk, with respect to some prior distribution, are called Bayes procedures for the specified prior distribution. Bayes procedures have certain desirable properties. The chapter is describes the structure of optimal decision rules in the framework of Bayesian theory. In the Bayesian approach, the unknown parameters are considered as values determined at random according to some specified distribution, called the prior distribution. This prior distribution can be conceived as a normalized nonnegative weight function that the statistician assigns to the various possible parameter values.
Optic Pathway Gliomas

Childhood optic pathway gliomas (OPGs) are low-grade neoplasms intrinsic to the precortical visual pathway. These tumors occur preferentially during the first decade of life, especially in children with neurofibromatosis type 1. This review describes our current understanding of OPG pathology and discusses advances in their clinical evaluation, imaging, and management.
Family Support and Family Negativity as Mediators of the Relation between Acculturation and Postpartum Weight in Low-Income Mexican-Origin Women

Obesity presents a significant health concern among low-income, ethnic minority women of childbearing age. The study investigated the influence of maternal acculturation, family negativity, and family support on postpartum weight loss among low-income Mexican-origin women. Low-income Mexican-origin women (N=322; 14% born in the U.S.) were recruited from a prenatal clinic in an urban area of the Southwest U.S. Acculturation was assessed during a prenatal home visit (26–38 weeks gestation), and post-birth family support and general family negativity were assessed at 6 weeks postpartum. Objective maternal weight measures were obtained at five time points across the first postpartum year. Higher acculturation predicted higher family support and family negativity. Higher family support predicted decreasing weight across the first postpartum year, and higher family negativity predicted higher weight at 6 weeks postpartum and increasing weight across the first postpartum year. In combination, family negativity and support mediated the impact of acculturation on postpartum weight gain. Cultural and family-related factors play a significant role in postpartum weight gain and loss for low-income Mexican-origin women.
Physiology in Perspective: Structure and Function—Anatomy and Physiology Are Integral

“Anatomy is to physiology as geography is to history; it describes the theatre of events.” This quote is from Jean Francois Fernel, the 16th-century French physician who introduced the term physiology to describe the study of the body's function. In emphasizing the close relationship between
Protecting food security when facing uncertain climate: Opportunities for Afghan communities

Abstract Climate change, population growth, and weakly developed water management institutions in many of the world’s dry communities have raised the importance of designing innovative water allocation methods that adapt to water supply fluctuations while respecting cultural sensitivities. For example, Afghanistan faces an ancient history of water supply fluctuations that have contributed to periodic food shortage and famine. Poorly designed and weakly enforced water allocation methods continue to result in agriculture sector underperformance and periodic food shortages when water shortfalls occur. To date, little research has examined alternative water sharing rules on a multi-basin scale to protect food security for a subsistence irrigation society when the community faces water shortage. This paper’s contribution examines the economic performance of three water-sharing mechanisms for three basins in Afghanistan with the goal of protecting food security for crop irrigation under ongoing threats of drought, while meeting growing demands for food in the face of anticipated population growth. We achieved this by formulating an integrated empirical optimization model to identify water-sharing measures that minimize economic losses while protecting food security when water shortages occur. Findings show that implementation of either a water trading policy or a proportional shortage policy that respects cultural sensitivities has the potential to raise economic welfare in each basin. Such a policy can reduce food insecurity risks for all trading provinces within each basin, thus being a productive institution for adapting to water shortage when it occurs. Total economic welfare gains are highest when drought is the most severe for which suffering would otherwise be greatest. Gains would be considerably higher if water storage reservoirs were built to store wet year flows for use in dry years. Our results light a path for policy makers, donors, water administrators, and farm managers, who shoulder the burden of protecting food security and rural livelihoods in the world’s poor dry communities.
Body Composition During Growth

Growth is not only a change in height but also a change in the relative proportions of bone, muscle, water, visceral tissues, and body fat that comprise body weight.
Update on the proteomics of male infertility: A systematic review.

Abstract Objective To assess the role of differentially expressed proteins as a resource for potential biomarker identification of infertility, as male infertility is of rising concern in reproductive medicine and evidence pertaining to its aetiology at a molecular level particularly proteomic as spermatozoa lack transcription and translation. Proteomics is considered as a major field in molecular biology to validate the target proteins in a pathophysiological state. Differential expression analysis of sperm proteins in infertile men and bioinformatics analysis offer information about their involvement in biological pathways. Materials and methods Literature search was performed on PubMed, Medline, and Science Direct databases using the keywords ‘sperm proteomics’ and ‘male infertility’. We also reviewed the relevant cross references of retrieved articles and included them in the review process. Articles written in any language other than English were excluded. Results Of 575 articles identified, preliminary screening for relevant studies eliminated 293 articles. At the next level of selection, from 282 studies only 80 articles related to male infertility condition met the selection criteria and were included in this review. Conclusion In this molecular era, sperm proteomics has created a platform for enhanced understanding of male reproductive physiology as a potential tool for identification of novel protein biomarkers related to sperm function in infertile men. Therefore, it is believed that proteomic biomarkers can overcome the gaps in information from conventional semen analysis that are of limited clinical utility.
SIN-WAI, Chan. The Future of Translation Technology: Towards a World without Babel . London and New York: Routledge, 2017. 302 p

Chan Sin-wai is a professor and chairman of the Department of Translation at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen. Additionally, he is the director of the Center for Translation Technology as well as the university’s MA Program in Computer-aided translation. In 2016, he published A New Comprehensive Chinese-English Dictionary, Routledge Encyclopedia of Translation Technology and Routledge Encyclopedia of the Chinese Language . His newest book, The Future of Translation Technology: Towards a World without Babel, is described as “an essential read for scholars and researchers of translation studies and computational linguistics, and a guide to system users and professionals.”
Assessing Learning Behaviors in Early Childhood Special Education Classrooms

Research Findings: This study reports on the dimensionality and validation of the Preschool Learning Behaviors Scale (PLBS) for use in a sample of preschool children in early childhood special educ...
Grouping in the Normalized Cut Framework

In this paper, we study low-level image segmentation in the normalized cut framework proposed by Shi and Malik (1997). The goal is to partition the image from a big picture point of view. Perceptually significant groups are detected first while small variations and details are treated later. Different image features -- intensity, color, texture, contour continuity, motion and stereo disparity are treated in one uniform framework. We suggest directions for intermediate-level grouping on the output of this low-level segmentation.
Total Moving Face Reconstruction

We present an approach that takes a single video of a person’s face and reconstructs a high detail 3D shape for each video frame. We target videos taken under uncontrolled and uncalibrated imaging conditions, such as youtube videos of celebrities. In the heart of this work is a new dense 3D flow estimation method coupled with shape from shading. Unlike related works we do not assume availability of a blend shape model, nor require the person to participate in a training/capturing process. Instead we leverage the large amounts of photos that are available per individual in personal or internet photo collections. We show results for a variety of video sequences that include various lighting conditions, head poses, and facial expressions.
Development of a Twin-Screw D2 Extruder for the ITER Pellet Injection System

A twin-screw extruder for the ITER pellet injection system is under development at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The extruder will provide a stream of solid hydrogen isotopes to a secondary se...
Effect of second phase particles and stringers on microstructures after rolling and recrystallization

Abstract Second phase particles and particle stringers have strong influences on recrystallized grain structure and alloy performances. In this work, the effects of second phase particles on grain size and grain size distribution in the U-10 wt% Mo (U-10Mo) after hot rolling and annealing were investigated and quantified. The particle volume fraction (PVF), distribution, morphology, size, and the formation of stringers during hot rolling were all considered. The criteria for stringers were determined using the edge-constrained post-necking model. Potts Model simulations of recrystallization were performed on six captured U-10Mo microstructures deformed using Finite Element Modeling (FEM). The stringer volume fraction (SVF) was found to be higher for captured microstructures with higher particle aspect ratios. It was determined from these simulations that the recrystallized grain size decreases with increasing PVF and the variation in grain size increases with increasing SVF. The current study will assist in the optimization of U-10Mo processing parameters to account for the effects of the second phase particles that exist in the alloy.
Fabrication of titanium dioxide filtration membrane using suspension plasma spray process

Abstract Stable water-based suspension of titanium dioxide has been used to fabricate ceramic micro filtration membranes with the suspension plasma spraying (SPS) process. The results of this study confirmed the potential of SPS as an emerging process in ceramic membrane manufacturing. A hybrid filtration/photocatalysis titanium dioxide membrane with 14% of open porosity and water permeability of 430 L/m2.h.bar was produced. The SPS TiO2 membrane was characterized using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction methods. The microstructural analysis of the membrane revealed the generation of a unique porous microstructure due to the considerable amount of un-melted particles present in the membrane. Porosity measurements were performed using two analytical methods: image analyzing and mercury intrusion porosimetry. Clean water permeability of the SPS TiO2 membrane was measured in a dead end stirred cell. The photocatalytic activity of the membrane was evaluated by measuring the degradation rate constant of the organic dye, methylene blue, in an aqueous solution.
Derivational Morphology: An Intervention Forum

Purpose This prologue provides an introduction to the Perspectives forum on derivational morphology, very briefly discussing the concept of morphology and its importance in language learning and li...
Some Reflections on the philosophy of Mathematics Education: A Denunciation of the Time and Content Arguments

Of all the arguments directed against presenting mathematical topics within a cultural and historical context, the most serious ones are those that we will refer to as the time and the content arguments. In this paper, after briefly describing these stances, we will endeavor to evaluate and refute their rationales using a social constructivist line of reasoning. To this end, we will first discuss the basic tenets of radical and social constructivism and then, through some simple concrete examples, show how social constructivism organically heralds the pedagogical methodology that imparts mathematical concepts in conjunction with their historical and cultural contexts.
Inclusion of CVI in Texas Tech University's Personnel Preparation Program

For a number of years, Texas Tech University's (TTU) personnel preparation programs for teachers of students with visual impairments and orientation and mobility (OM 2. the return of soldiers from war with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and CVI who are attending Department of Veterans Affairs' Blind Rehabilitation Centers; 3. the publication of textbooks and the availability of other resources like web sites and electronic bulletin boards on this topic; 4. feedback from personnel in the field of vision that they are increasingly asked to serve students with CVI; and 5. the revision of state certification examinations for teachers of students with visual impairments to include content on CVI. Biannually, the TTU faculty members review syllabi to check the required textbooks and resources that are used in the courses on visual impairment to discuss and make potential changes. All new resources are then reviewed and vetted by the faculty. A book list for all the courses is listed on the web site of the Virginia Murray Sowell Center for Research and Education in Visual Impairment at for students to purchase. Course activities using these new resources are developed by the instructor of record for each course. For example, in EDSP 5392, the Advanced Seminar in Orientation and Mobility, O&M students read Christine Roman-Lantzy's book, Cortical Visual Impairment: An Approach to Assessment and Intervention (New York: AFB Press, 2007) and write a research paper summarizing the content and its application to O&M services. Similarly, in EDSP 5389, Methods and Materials for Teaching Students with Dual Sensory Impairments, a case study of a visually impaired child with additional disabilities is given to students, who are asked to use Roman-Lantzy's range rating scale to assess this child and to develop an assessment report. CVI is also covered in EDSP 5383, Anatomy and Functions of the Visual System. The knowledge that graduate students gain about this topic prepares them to teach children with CVI with more confidence, and the students' evaluations of these children are more accurate. …
Sex-Specific Analysis at Two Time Points in Three High-Impact Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Journals.

Purpose To determine how well the orthopaedic sports medicine literature reported sex-specific analysis (SSA) in 2011 and 2016. Methods The 3 highest-impact orthopaedic sports medicine subspecialty journals (American Journal of Sports Medicine; Arthroscopy; and Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy) were selected for review. Two independent investigators reviewed all journal issues published during 2 different calendar years (2011 and 2016). All randomized controlled, prospective and retrospective group, and case–control studies were included. Studies were stratified into those that involved SSA, where sex was a variable in a multifactorial statistical model, and those that only reported sex as a demographic characteristic or used sex-matched groups without further analysis. Results A total of 960 studies evaluating 3,400,569 patients met criteria and were included in this review. Although 44.4% of the overall study population was female, only 293 (30.5%) studies included patient sex as variable in a multifactorial statistical model. The proportion of studies that performed SSA did not differ between 2011 (29.6%) and 2016 (31.1%; P = .607), although publications from American Journal of Sports Medicine were likely to report SSA (P Conclusions Although most sports medicine studies include approximately 50% female and 50% male patients, statistical analysis differentiating the 2 subsets is not routinely performed. Only 30.5% of all studies performed SSA, 31% of which reported a statistically significant difference in the data when comparing outcomes between male and female patients with the same treatment modalities. Clinical Relevance The current study demonstrates that the orthopaedic sports medicine subspecialty literature is lacking in reporting SSA, and that there has been minimal improvement over a 5-year time period. In addition, this study highlights the high percentage of significant findings within the studies that performed SSA and underscores the differences in sex-specific injury patterns and treatment outcomes.
A quality improvement project improving the value of iNO utilization in preterm and term infants

Inhaled NO (iNO) is used in the NICU for management of hypoxemic respiratory failure. The cost of iNO is significant and does not consistently improve outcomes in infants <34 weeks. Our team used The Model for Improvement to design a quality improvement project to utilize iNO for appropriate indications, ensure response to therapy and initiate timely weaning. The project was carried out at a Level IV NICU and successful interventions spread to a smaller Level III NICU. This project demonstrated significant improvement in all measures; total iNO hours per month, average iNO hours per patient, and the percentage of prolonged iNO courses. With an estimated cost of $115/h, the cost per patient for iNO use declined by half from $21,620 to $10,580. Our team improved the value of iNO utilization at our institution and spread successful interventions to another NICU in our network.
Experiencing autonomous futures: Engaged learning with next generation technology:

Digital software has been proliferating in the classroom, frequently replacing students’ hands on experiences. This article reports on a study that tested how hands on experiences with physical eme...
A critical race theory analysis of transnational student activism, social media counter-stories, and the hegemonic logics of diversity work in higher education

This article employs critical race theory (CRT) to explore what student activist counter-narratives reveal about the logics of institutional diversity work and the ways this work reinforces racist ...
Echocardiographically-Derived Septal Positional Angle to Gauge Right Ventricular Pressure Load

Background: Pulmonary hypertension is a rare disease that can have many long-term consequences, including death. Cardiac catheterization is the gold standard for measuring right ventricular systolic pressures (RVSP), but is invasive and has potentially deadly complications. Non-invasive echocardiographic parameters used to identify and monitor pulmonary hypertension only crudely approximate RVSP. The aim of this study was to create a quantifiable measure of RVSP using septal positioning that is easy to perform, reproducible with low inter-reader variability, and can accurately …
Neurosurgical shunting in neonatal hydrocephalus increased cerebral perfusion only in patients with elevated intracranial pressure

Hydrocephalus is a disorder of cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) physiology that results in increased intracranial pressure (ICP). It is commonly treated via surgical placement of a shunt in the ventricles to divert CSF. Diffuse optical measurements of cerebral perfusion and oxygen extraction were acquired before and after surgical shunt placement in neonates with hydrocephalus. An invasive ICP measurement was made at the time of shunt placement. Shunting increased cerebral perfusion and decreased oxygen extraction only in infants with elevated ICP. This suggests abnormally low perfusion in patients with elevated ICP, and normal perfusion in patients without elevated ICP.
Vibrational self-quenching rates of CO(v=1,2) measured via transient diode laser absorption spectroscopy

Abstract New laboratory measurements of the rate coefficients for the vibrational relaxation of CO(v=1) and CO(v=2) through collisions with CO have been performed. The experimental approach involved creating a temperature-jump in an equilibrium mixture of CO and bath gases by photolyzing a trace amount of O3 in the mixture with a pulsed UV laser. This shifted a small fraction of the CO population to excited vibrational states. Transient diode laser absorption spectroscopy was then used to observe the evolving vibrational state populations as a function of time. Rate coefficients were deduced from the change in collisional relaxation rate with quencher concentration. This work was motivated by the need for a robust non-LTE model to describe Titan's upper atmosphere. Because the gas collision frequencies are not sufficient to reach thermal equilibrium in a non-LTE environment, the distribution of states is not easily predicted. To properly model such a region, all contributing vibrational energy transfer mechanisms must be thoroughly characterized. Despite their importance, the uncertainties associated with several CO quenching rate parameters in the literature are large. In this work, the rate coefficient for CO(v=2) self-quenching was measured to be (2.7 ± 0.6) x 10−12 cm3 molecule−1 s−1and the overall rate coefficient for CO(v=1) self-quenching was measured to be (1.8 ± 0.3) x 10−12 cm3 molecule−1 s−1. Each represents a significant decrease in uncertainty compared with values being used in current Titan non-LTE models.
Utilization of a Pressure Injury Prevention Task Force for Respiratory Device-Related Pressure Injuries in Pediatrics

Background: Pressure injuries (PI) occur often in healthcare and cost billions of dollars annually in the U.S. Device-related PIs (DRPI) occur in up to 41% of hospital admissions. Up to 35% of DRPIs are caused by respiratory equipment. In our pediatric institution, we saw numerous respiratory related DRPIs that were not reported but required intervention. We aimed to increase early reporting of respiratory DRPIs. Methods: A Pressure Injury Prevention Task Force (PIPTF) was formed in Q3 of 2019. The PIPTF included multi-disciplinary team members including RNs, RTs, MDs, and wound care. The task force utilized existing tools to provide re-education related to pressure injury reporting, prevention, and notification. These tools included our NIV Skin Assessment Algorithm (Figure 1) and electronic health record notification for wound care referral and documentation. The PIPTF also reviewed pressure injuries as they were reported in real-time in order to offer expert insight and evaluate our processes from a continuous improvement perspective. In an IRB approved, retrospective analysis, from 1/1/2018 to 4/30/2021, we reviewed the incidence and prevalence of respiratory related DRPIs, and initial PI stage to evaluate the effectiveness of our processes and re-education efforts. Results: In 2018, we had 1 reported respiratory-related DRPI that was stage 2. In 2019, there were 13 reported respiratory-related DRPIs, 61.5% of these reported injuries occurred in Q3 and Q4 of 2019 which coincides with the PIPTF re-education efforts. In 2019, the number of reported respiratory-related DRPIs in 2020 increased to 26 (66% increase when compared to 2019). In 2021 (1/1-4/30), there has been 1 reported respiratory-related DRPI. A reduction in unstageable pressure injuries was also noted when comparing 2019 to 2020/2021. Contributing device and PI stage information for reported events is shown in Table 1. Conclusions: A multidisciplinary PIPTF can influence pressure injury prevention. While an increase in reportable DRPIs is not ideal on the surface, many of these injuries would have been unreported previously. The reduction in unstageable DRPIs could align with earlier detection of PIs and will be explored. Further studies must be done to evaluate the effectiveness of this model in other patient populations.
Rational Expectations and Perfect Foresight Prices

Shiller’s notion of perfect foresight prices is adapted to a crossectional study of 400 firms. Distribution-free statistics, which are unencumbered by the restrictive assumptions underlying parametric methods such as those used in the “implied variance bounds” literature, are used to test hypotheses concerning market efficiency. Market prices of equities are shown, for the period studied, to have been distributed above and below the corresponding perfect foresight prices; and some support is found for the claim that contemporaneous information was not fully impounded in all market prices.
Molecular Mechanisms of Neutrophil Adhesion Studied by Inducing a High Avidity State at β2-Integrin

The immune host response of neutrophils is dependent upon adhesion to endothelium, chemotaxis into the periferral tissue, and phagocytosis of microorganisms. Essential to these adhesion dependent functions are the Leu-CAM family of β2-integrin adhesive molecules which consist of 3 distinct alpha subunits (LFA-1 CD11a, Mac-1 CD11b, and P150.95 CD11c), noncovalently linked to a common beta subunit (CD18) (for review see ref. 1). The physiologic role of these adhesion molecules is elucidated in patients presenting with a deficiency in leukocyte integrins. These patients suffer from opportunistic infections due to an inability of their neutrophils to firmly adhere and migrate across the endothelium and fight tissue borne infections (2). Normal neutrophils isolated from blood respond to the binding of chemotactic formyl peptide to its surface receptor by an increase in the adhesive avidity of CD18 to bind a multitude of ligands including ICAM-1, fibrinogen, and an as yet uncharacterized ligand on the neutrophil plasma membrane (3). At saturating doses of chemotactic peptide (>500 nM) Mac-1 is rapidly mobilized to the plasma membrane from intracellular granular stores, increasing the surface expression ≈10 fold over constitutive levels (3). However, recent studies from our laboratory and others indicate that only a portion of these sites participate in adhesion. Stimulation of neutrophils in a step-wise fashion by binding nanomolar concentrations of formyl peptide results in newly mobilized Mac-1 which participate in adherence-dependent locomotion (4). It has been recently reported that as little as 10% of the surface Mac-1 on activated cells participate in binding to fibrinogen and ICAM-1 (5). The high avidity state of Mac-1 appears to be mediated by a change in the structure or conformation of the epitope.
Evaluation of the Antimicrobial Activities from Secondary Metabolites in Plant Families (Boraginaceae, Fabaceae, Lamiaceae, and Lauraceae)

For several decades, there has been an increased interest in the antimicrobial activities of different extracts obtained from traditional medicinal plants. There are more than 20,000 species of pla...
Nouwen's Puzzle and a Scalar Semantics for Obligations, Needs, and Desires

Nouwen (2010a,b) presents a puzzle involving the interaction of degree expressions and modals: a class of apparently unremarkable sentences expressing minimum and maximum requirements, obligations, desires, etc. are predicted to be trivially false or undefined, or receive otherwise incorrect truth-conditions. I suggest that the puzzle can be resolved if we treat the affected modals not as universal quantifiers over possible worlds but instead as scalar expressions which map propositions to points on a scale of expected utility. Independent arguments indicate that these modals are scalar, non-monotonic, and information-sensitive -- facts which are highly problematic for quantificational theories, but predicted immediately by the proposed scalar semantics. With no extra modification, this semantics also predicts the correct truth-conditions for Nouwen's examples, modulo some subtleties involving epistemic interpretations of minimum and maximum operators. These conclusions provide additional evidence in support of previous work arguing that the semantics of obligation and desire should be built around a non-monotonic scalar semantics rather than quantification over possible worlds.
THE EXOTOXIN OF P. AERUGINOSA: A PROENZYME HAVING AN UNUSUAL MODE OF ACTIVATION.

Abstract The exotoxin of Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a proenzyme possessing latent adenosine diphosphate ribose-transferase activity. Conversion to the active form can be effected by simultaneous treatment with a protein denaturant and a chemical able to split disulfide bonds. Activation results from a conformational change that exposes the previously buried active site. Proteolysis is not required.
Eco‐Evolutionary Pathways Toward Industrial Cities

Industrial location theory has not emphasized environmental concerns, and research on industrial symbiosis has not emphasized workforce housing concerns. This article brings jobs, housing, and environmental considerations together in an agent-based model of industrial and household location. It shows that four classic outcomes emerge from the interplay of a relatively small number of explanatory factors: the isolated enterprise with commuters; the company town; the economic agglomeration; and the balanced city.
Peak reduction technique in commutative algebra

The “peak reduction” method is a powerful combinatorial technique with applications in many different areas of mathematics as well as theoretical computer science. It was originally created by Whitehead, a famous topologist and group theorist, who used it to solve an important algorithmic problem concerning automorphisms of a free group. Since then, this method was used to solve numerous problems in group theory, topology, combinatorics, and probably in some other areas as well.
Digestion of fibrinogen by trypsin. II. Characterization of the large fragment obtained.

Abstract The large fragment of the fibrinogen molecule produced by short tryptic digestion has been isolated in a homogeneous state. The physico-chemical parameters of the fragment were determined: s = 5.22, D = 5.12 · 10 −7 , β − = 0.735 . From these values and from the results of approach to sedimentation-equilibrium studies an average molecular weight of 95 000 was calculated. The complete amino acid and hexose content of the fragment was also determined. The relationship of the fragments to the parent fibrinogen molecule are discussed.
Post-liver transplantation sarcopenia in cirrhosis: A prospective evaluation

Background and Aim Pre-transplant sarcopenia (reduced skeletal muscle mass) predicts poor outcome in cirrhosis. In contrast, whether muscle mass increases post orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) is not known and was studied prospectively.
On the Performance of MIMO Nullforming with Random Vector Quantization Limited Feedback

This paper analyzes the performance of random vector quantization (RVQ) for limited feedback nullforming in multi-input multi-output (MIMO) communication systems with and without receiver coordination. A single-stream scenario is considered in which one or more primary receivers request nulls by providing limited feedback to the transmitter. Without receiver coordination, each primary receiver informs the transmitter of its best beamforming precoding vector. The transmitter then selects a zero-forcing precoding vector orthogonal to all of the beamforming precoding vectors. With receiver coordination, the primary receivers feed back the common precoding vector that minimizes the average interference. In both cases, secondary receivers in the network do not provide feedback and experience channels statistically equivalent to a single-antenna fading channel. Analytical results show that, for a system with K primary receivers and random codebooks with N=2^B precoding vectors, the mean received power at the primary receivers is upper bounded by N^{-1/K} = 2^{-B/K} with or without receiver coordination. Exact results are also derived for the K=1 receiver case. Numerical results verify the scaling and also show that systems with receiver coordination outperform those without receiver coordination by a constant gap for large N in terms of average interference.
The Race for the Extra Decibel: A Brief Review of Current ADC Performance Trajectories

At the turn of this century, there was widespread concern that the performance of analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) might have reached a saturation point and would, in fact, deteriorate as we began to scale into deep submicron CMOS technology. The past 15 years of innovation have clearly refuted such fears. Driven by a combination of application pull, architectural modifications, and relentless optimization, we have seen steady improvements in several key performance metrics.
Drug delivery applications for superporous hydrogels

Introduction: Considerable advances have been made to hydrogels with the development of faster swelling superporous hydrogels (SPHs). These new-generation hydrogels have large numbers of interconnected pores, giving them the capacity to absorb large amounts of water at an accelerated rate. This gives SPHs the ability to be used in a variety of novel drug delivery applications, such as gastric retention and peroral intestinal delivery of proteins and peptides. Areas covered: This review focuses on the applications of SPHs for drug transport and targeted drug therapies, as well as the characteristics and historical advancements made to SPH synthesis as it pertains to drug delivery. Manufacturing considerations and challenges that must be overcome are also discussed, such as scale-up, biocompatibility and safety. Expert opinion: Modern SPHs have high swelling and high mechanical strength making them suitable for many diverse pharmaceutical and biomedical applications. However, demonstrative preclinical anima...
A Novel Application of Mosher's Method to Epimeric Carbinols in Acetogenins; Absolute Configurations of 12-Hydroxy-Bullatacins A and B, New Acetogenins from Rollinia Mucosa

Abstract A novel application of Mosher's method to epimeric carbinols is described and demonstrated in eight known Annonaceous acetogenins. The procedure requires the preparation and analysis of either the R or S Mosher esters. As an example, the absolute stereochemistries of 12-hydroxy-bullatacins A and B, two new epimeric acetogenins from Rollinia mucosa, were determined by this new procedure.
Wet chemical synthesis of bulk optical materials

Abstract Wet chemical processing has a large number of both proven and potential applications in different areas of glasses and ceramics. In optics where homogeneity and high purity are of utmost importance, the inherent advantages of sol-gel methods can be fully exploited. The optical applications of wet chemical methods are widespread and range from direct casting of SiO 2 lenses to semiconductor-doped glasses. The most notable benefits of wet chemical approaches and progress achieved to date in a number of the most attractive representative areas are surveyed.