cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Botulinum toxin for shoulder pain

Background Recent evidence suggests an anti-nociceptive effect of botulinum toxin. Objectives To compare the efficacy and safety of botulinum toxin in comparison to placebo or other treatment options for shoulder pain. Search strategy We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (The Cochrane Library), Ovid MEDLINE, CINAHL (via EBSCOhost), Ovid SPORTDiscus, EMBASE and Science Citation Index. Selection criteria Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing botulinum toxin with placebo or active treatment in people with shoulder pain were included. Data collection and analysis For continuous measures we calculated mean difference (MD), and for categorical measures risk ratio (RR) (with 95% confidence interval (CI)). Main results Six RCTs with 164 patients were included. Five RCTs in participants with post-stroke shoulder pain indicated that compared with placebo, a single intramuscular injection of botulinum toxin A significantly reduced pain at three to six months post-injection (MD -1.2 points, 95% CI -2.4 to -0.07; 0 to 10 point scale) but not at one month (MD -1.1 points, 95% CI -2.9 to 0.7). Shoulder external rotation was increased at one month (MD 9.8 degrees , 95% CI 0.2 to 19.4) but not at three to six months. Shoulder abduction, external rotation or spasticity did not differ between groups, nor did the number of adverse events (RR 1.46, 95% CI 0.6 to 24.3).One RCT in arthritis-related shoulder pain indicated that botulinum toxin reduced pain severity (MD -2.0, 95% CI -3.7 to -0.3; 10 point scale) and shoulder disability with a reduction in Shoulder Pain and Disability Index score (MD -13.4, 95% CI -24.9 to -1.9; 100 point scale) when compared with placebo. Shoulder abduction was improved (MD 13.8 degrees, 95% CI 3.2 to 44.0). Serious adverse events did not differ between groups (RR 0.35, 95% CI: 0.11, 1.12). Authors' conclusions The results should be interpreted with caution due to few studies with small sample sizes and high risk of bias. Botulinum toxin A injections seem to reduce pain severity and improve shoulder function and range of motion when compared with placebo in patients with shoulder pain due to spastic hemiplegia or arthritis. It is unclear if the benefit of pain relief in post-stroke shoulder pain at three to six months but not at one month is due to limitations of the evidence, which includes small sample sizes with imprecise estimates, or a delayed onset of action. More studies with safety data are needed.
Low-power hardware implementation of artificial neural network strain detection for extrinsic Fabry-Pérot interferometric sensors under sinusoidal excitation

Artificial neural networks are studied for use in estimating strain in extrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometric sensors. These networks can require large memory spaces and a large number of calculations for implementation. We describe a modified neural network solution that is suitable for implementation on relatively low cost, low-power hardware. Moreover, we give strain estimates resulting from an implementation of the artificial neural network algorithm on an 8-bit 8051 processor with 64 kbytes of memory. For example, one of our results shows that for 2048 samples of the transmittance signal, the presented neural network algorithm requires around 24,622 floating point multiplies and 35,835 adds, and where the data and algorithm fit within the 64-kbyte memory.
Binding time in distributed shared memory architectures

The paper revisits three distributed shared memory (DSM) architectures to clarify them with their binding times for new addresses at the local memory: page fault time, node miss time, and cache miss time. The DSM architectures which have different binding times arrange data in different ways with different overheads at an event of reference. Since a large number of cache misses can occur in a large (relative to the cache size) working set, binding at the page fault time alone cannot efficiently utilize locality of reference at the local memory. In a small working set, most of the addresses bound to the local memory at a node miss time are not effective due to the low cache miss rate. The paper shows that binding at the cache miss time can improve system performance.
Interaction of electrostatic and fluid dynamic fields in wire—plate electrostatic precipitators

Gas flow through wire-plate electrostatic precipitators is influenced by a secondary flow of electrical origin known as electric wind. This phenomenon arises when significant momentum is transferred from corona-generated ions to the gas. Electric wind can produce turbulence and recirculation. This complex flow field was characterized in a simple, three-wire precipitator by flow visualization, electrostatic and fluid dynamic numerical modelling, and laser-Doppler anemometry (LDA). Velocity of seeded smoke was measured by two-component LDA. Coulomb effects were regionally eliminated by performing measurements along symmetry axes where the electric field and streamwise velocity component were mutually perpendicular. Coulomb drift velocities were also estimated from field charging theory to allow interpretation of measured transverse velocities. For a low inlet velocity (0.5 m/s), mean flow recirculation was evident and turbulence intensities as high as 50 YO were measured. Higher inlet velocities (1.0, 2.0 m/s) yielded no flow recirculation and lower turbulence levels that were polarity-dependent. Measured profiles of streamwise velocity showed that flow acceleration zones occurred upstream of each wire and also between wires near the collecting plate. The induced turbulence displayed significant inhomogeneity and anisotropy. A combined finite-element, finite-difference electrostatic model was developed to yield ion density and electric field distributions within the precipitator. These predictions were used to incorporate an electric body force into a two-dimensional, turbulent fluid dynamic model based upon the k+ formulation. The model predicted recirculating mean flow and turbulent diffusivities that were consistent with the smoke flow visualizations and LDA measurements.
Effects of Ruminal Degradability of the Protein Supplement on the Utilization of Maize-stover Silage by Growing Beef Cattle

Two trials were conducted to study the effects of varying the ruminal degradability of the protein in supplements on the utilization of maize-stover by growing beef cattle. A control supplement or protein supplements containing urea, casein, dehydrated alfalfa, soya bean meal or maize-gluten meal were prepared and contained 49, 168, 179, 166, 169 and 170 g crude protein (CP) kg−1 dry matter (DM) respectively, of which 543, 92, 70, 464, 183, 575 g kg−1 N was estimated by a protease to be undegraded in the rumen (UDN). Supplements were fed as 200 g kg−1 of the dietary DM with maize-stover silage (82 g CP kg−1 DM) in a 6 × 6 Latin square digestion trial using Angus steers (mean weight, 250 kg). Dry matter intake was increased (P < 0.05) by protein supplementation, but was not affected by the degradability of the protein in the supplement. The digestion coefficients of DM, organic matter (OM), neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and acid detergent fibre (ADF) were not improved by protein supplementation. In a 98-day growth trial, 60 Angus × Charolais heifers (mean weight, 244 kg) in 12 lots were fed 700 g kg−1 DM maize-stover silage (61 g CP kg−1 DM) with either a control supplement or an isonitrogenous formaldehyde-treated soya bean meal supplement or protein supplements containing urea, soya bean meal or formaldehyde-treated soya bean meal with urea or casein. The CP concentrations of these supplements were 126, 122, 189, 197, 193 and 193 g kg−1 DM, respectively, of which 292, 637, 211, 256, 264 and 275 g kg−1 N was UDN. Protein supplementation resulted in increased (P < 0.05) daily gains and reduced (P < 0.05) feed-to-gain ratios. The degradability of the protein source, however, had no effect on these variables. Mean ruminal-ammonia concentration and DM digestibility, as estimated with acid-insoluble ash, were higher (P < 0.05) in heifers fed the urea supplement than in those fed the other supplements. These results are interpreted to show that supplying peptides or amino acids through ruminally-degraded protein is of little value beyond meeting the microbial population's requirement for ammonia.
Intravesical gemcitabine in combination with mitomycin C as salvage treatment in recurrent non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

Objectives To evaluate oncological outcomes after combination intravesical therapy with gemcitabine (GC) and mitomycin C (MMC) in the setting of recurrent non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) after failure of previous intravesical therapy. Patients and Methods We retrospectively identified patients with recurrent NMIBC after previous intravesical therapy, who refused or were not candidates for cystectomy, between 2005 and 2011. GC and MMC were sequentially instilled weekly for 6–8 weeks. Data were collected regarding patient demographics, bladder cancer history, and number and type of intravesical therapies before GC/MMC. Outcomes evaluated included time to recurrence and/or progression after GC/MMC. Recurrence-free outcomes were estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method, and Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to test the association of clinicopathological features with outcomes. Results In all, 27 patients were identified, 23 with high-risk disease (high-grade or carcinoma in situ) and four with intermediate-risk disease (multifocal or recurrent low-grade). All patients received prior intravesical therapy, and 17 patients (63%) received multiple courses. Twenty-four patients were treated with BCG. The median (range) disease-free survival of all patients was 15.2 (1.7–39.3) months. Seventeen patients (63%) developed recurrent bladder cancer, a median of 15.2 months after therapy. One patient progressed to muscle-invasive disease 5 months after treatment, and one developed metastatic disease 22 months after treatment. Three patients went on to cystectomy. Ten patients (37%) had no evidence of disease at last follow-up, with a median follow-up of 22.1 months. Conclusion The combination of intravesical GC and MMC could offer durable recurrence-free survival to some patients with recurrent NMIBC who are not candidates for, or refuse, cystectomy.
Long-term trends in water clarity revealed by Secchi-disk measurements in lower Narragansett Bay

Observations of Secchi-disk depth and related parameters were made weekly, from 1972 through 1996, in lower Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island. A significant increase in Secchi depth, at a linearized rate of 0.05 m yr −1 , was detected during this 25-year time series. Most of the increase in water clarity occurred between 1984 and 1994, when loading of total suspended solids (TSS) to the Bay via waste-water treatment plants decreased ca. 75%, and Secchi depths increased ca. 25%. Decreased annual TSS loading explained 43% of the variance in mean annual Secchi depth between 1983 and 1995. In addition to a long-term increase, there was also a strong seasonal pattern in water clarity. The rate of increase in Secchi depth in Narragansett Bay between 1972 and 1996 was similar to rates observed in other coastal waters that have had recent reductions in anthropogenic TSS loading.
Synthesis and polymerizability of 7,8-dicyano-7,8-diphenylquinodimethane

7,8-Dicyano-7,8-diphenylquinodimethane (DCDPQ) was prepared by oxidation of the dianion of α,α′-dicyano-α,α′-diphenylxylene. 1H-NMR of a solution of the purified compound showed that the cis and trans isomers were present in a 1:1 ratio. Following further spectroscopic and electronic characterization the polymerizability of the title compound was investigated. DCDPQ did not homopolymerize at 65°C in the presence of AIBN. DCDPQ copolymerized with p-methoxystyrene and p-aminostyrene in the presence of AIBN at 65°C. Characterization of the latter two copolymers indicated that they were nearly alternating. The copolymerization between DCDPQ and p-aminostyrene proceeded in the absence of AIBN.
Economic impact of paclitaxel shortage in patients with newly diagnosed ovarian cancer.

Abstract Objective To determine the potential economic impact of a paclitaxel drug shortage in patients with newly diagnosed, untreated ovarian cancer. Methods A modified Markov state transition model with a 6cycle time horizon compared two scenarios: (1) Standard treatment (STD): paclitaxel 175mg/m2/carboplatin AUC 5×6cycles; (2) Paclitaxel drug shortage (DS): docetaxel 75mg/m2/carboplatin AUC 5×6cycles. Adverse events, quality of life, and costs of chemotherapy, neuropathy, febrile neutropenia, and anemia were incorporated. Key assumptions: (1) Costs and consequences were assigned only to grade 2+ neuropathy, febrile neutropenia, and grade 3–4 anemia; (2) Grade 2+ neuropathy prompted a switch from paclitaxel/carboplatin to docetaxel/carboplatin or from docetaxel/carboplatin to carboplatin alone; (3) Febrile neutropenia resulted in inpatient hospitalization followed by G-CSF prophylaxis. Results The mean cost of 6cycles of chemotherapy was $4939 in the STD and $16,107 in the DS scenario, for a cost difference of $11,168 per patient over 6cycles of treatment. STD was the dominant strategy (less expensive and more effective than the drug shortage scenario). In sensitivity analysis, DS was more costly over a wide range of clinical estimates in each arm. A drug shortage that affects approximately 50% of women initiating chemotherapy is expected to impact 779 women and cost third party payers an additional $8,699,872 monthly. Conclusions Our model indicates that chemotherapy drug shortages can have a significant negative impact on the average cost of primary treatment for ovarian cancer and have the potential to negatively impact health system costs.
Diagnosis and Management of Skin Cancer

When our fathers entered the dental profession (Dr. Joseph Goldwasser in 1945, and Dr. Nelson Bailey in 1963), we are sure they had no idea that each would have sons who followed in their footsteps. From the wet-fingered practice of dentistry to the high-tech contemporary practices of dentistry and medicine, many changes have occurred. The specialty practice of oral and maxillofacial surgery has changed to incorporate implantology, facial cosmetic surgery, and the management of head and neck malignancies. Likewise, the management of cutaneous malignancies of the head and neck has become a part of many oral and maxillofacial surgeons’ clinical practice. In our practice at Carle Clinic Association in Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, we have developed a very close working relationship with our colleagues in dermatology and jointly treat over 1200 patients each year. This issue of the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Clinics of North America features articles that cover the most common cutaneous malignancies, biopsy techniques, Mohs micrographic surgery, surgical treatment options, alternative treatment choices, and secondary procedures for managing patients. We appreciate the effort our colleagues have made to contribute to the literature and their willing-
Somatic p.T771R KDR (VEGFR2) Mutation Arising in a Sporadic Angioma During Ramucirumab Therapy.

Importance Inhibition of angiogenesis is an effective anticancer strategy because neoplasms require a rich blood supply. Ramucirumab, approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2014 to treat gastric adenocarcinomas and non–small cell lung carcinomas, targets vascular endothelial growth factor 2 (VEGFR2). We identified a patient prescribed a regimen of irinotecan hydrochloride, cetuximab, and ramucirumab for metastatic rectal cancer (diagnosed in November 2013 and treated through early January 2015) who developed a new-onset, expanding vascular lesion on his right leg. Via exome sequencing, we found that the lesion contained a single somatic mutation in KDR (encodes VEGFR2), possibly in response to ramucirumab. Vascular tumors are not a known complication of antiangiogenic therapeutics. Observations Exome sequencing of the well-demarcated, blanching vascular lesion on the lateral right shin revealed a somatic p.T771R mutation in KDR , without evidence of other somatic mutations or loss of heterozygosity. Histological features included lobules of small vessels within the dermis, resembling a tufted angioma. Conclusions and Relevance A potential adverse effect of ramucirumab in combination therapy is the development of sporadic angiomas. The p.T771R mutation was previously implicated in autophosphorylation of VEGFR2 and reported in angiosarcomas alongside other driver mutations. Our observations suggest that this mutation confers a proliferative advantage in the setting of ramucirumab therapy. Patients receiving ramucirumab should be monitored for the development of new vascular lesions.
GIGANTOCHARINUS SZATMARYI, A NEW TRIGONOTARBID ARACHNID FROM THE LATE DEVONIAN OF NORTH AMERICA (CHELICERATA, ARACHNIDA, TRIGONOTARBIDA)

Abstract A new trigonotarbid arachnid, Gigantocharinus szatmaryi new genus and species, is described from Upper Devonian (Late Famennian) sediments in Pennsylvania. Devonian trigonotarbids were known before from only a single North American locality and several European ones. The new trigonotarbid occurs in what had previously been a significant time gap between the faunas of the Middle Devonian and the late Carboniferous. Gigantocharinus szatmaryi is assigned with some hesitation to the family Palaeocharinidae.
Empirical Research on Factors in Psychotherapeutic Change

One of the prime reasons that psychotherapists have come to have a strong interest in psychotherapy integration is that the competition among schools of therapy has, on the whole, generated more heat than light (Arnkoff & Glass, 1992). Recently, therapists have become interested in the ways in which orientations are similar in spite of surface distinctions, as well as the ways in which they are truly different. This focus on common and specific factors has been accompanied by renewed curiosity about how psychotherapy accomplishes its goals, that is, the process of psychotherapy and how processes relate to outcome. In this chapter, we will first discuss empirical research on common and specific factors across schools of therapy.
Principles and New Approaches in Surgical Reconstruction

The reconstruction of oncologic defects remains a critical element in the surgical treatment of head and neck cancer. Goals of reconstruction are wound healing, vital structure protection, function, and cosmesis. In this chapter, we discuss the reconstructive ladder as it applies to defects of the oral cavity, oropharynx, nose, orbit, midface, hypopharynx, larynx, and cervical esophagus. Patient cases are shown to illustrate outlined principles. New approaches in surgical reconstruction are discussed, including salvage surgery after failed chemoradiotherapy, the use of perforator flaps, and the frontier of transoral laser microsurgery defects that require flap reconstruction.
Low Temperature Annealing of Rh (111) Surfaces

We have studied smoothing kinetics of Rh (111) surfaces during low temperature annealing using in-situ real-time reflection high energy electron diffraction and scanning tunneling microscopy. The initial surface features were produced by low temperature homoepitaxial growth of Rh (111). Two types of surfaces were studied, surfaces with two-dimensional (2D) islands at submonolayer coverages, and those with 3D multilayered features. 2D islands coarsen rapidly at the onset of the anneal. 3D features are more stable initially. Their annealing process exhibits a distinct transition from an initial slow coarsening, characterized by a nearly linear growth of lateral size, to a rapid flattening. The activation energy for the transition is ˜ 0.6 eV. The observed behavior indicates that the smoothing kinetics in the low temperature regime is limited by adatom detachment from the step-edges, and that the fast process for the 3D features is made possible by the formation of a network of “chain-like” structures which provide new pathways for diffusion thus overcoming the slow detachment kinetics. These effects determine the low temperature stability of the non-equilibrium epitaxial morphologies.
Cyber-Physical integration to connect vehicles for transformed transportation safety and efficiency

In this paper, we explore a distributed cyber-physical solution using connected vehicle technology (CVtech) to substantially mitigate transportation systems' safety and efficiency problems. Future vehicles, by communicating with other vehicles (V-V), roadside infrastructures (V-R), and personal communication devices (V-P), will adapt to the external regional environment and consequently avoid collisions and congestion. We proposes to seamlessly integrate networked and embedded sensing, computational intelligence, and real-time communication (cyber) into transportation infrastructure including vehicles and roadsides (physical) to facilitate self-organization and system coordination. Specifically, this research addresses two specific themes: Foundations by advancing basic theories in component fields and abstracting the particular knowledge into core principles that integrate cyber and physical processes; and Methods and Tools by designing alternative architectures, modeling a unified online system of cyber and physical elements. The integration of research and education will prepare the future workforce to operate and advance CPS.
Replacing the Moral Foundations: An Evolutionary‐Coalitional Theory of Liberal‐Conservative Differences

Moral Foundations Theory (MFT) explains liberal-conservative differences as arising from different moral intuitions, with liberals endorsing “individualizing” foundations (Harm and Fairness) and conservatives also endorsing “binding” foundations (Authority, Respect, and Purity). We argue these labels misconstrue ideological differences and propose Evolutionary-Coalitional Theory (ECT) as an alternative, explaining how competitive dynamics in the ancestral social environment could produce the observed ideological differences. We test ECT against MFT across three studies. Study 1 shows the so-called “binding” orientation entails the threat-sensitivity and outgroup antagonism predicted by ECT; that is, an authoritarian motive. Similarly, Study 2 shows the so-called “individualizing” orientation is better described as a universalizing motive, one reflecting a broader set of moral commitments (e.g., to nature) and a broader sociality than the egocentrism implied by MFT. Study 3 provides a factor analysis reducing “binding” to authoritarianism and “individualizing” to universalism, with the latter loading against social dominance orientation (SDO). A hierarchical regression then provides additional evidence for ECT, showing this dominating motive (SDO) accounts for variance in conservatism that MFT leaves unexplained. Collectively, these three studies suggest that ECT offers a more accurate and precise explanation of the key psychological differences between liberals and conservatives.
Investigation of subalgebra lattices by means of Hasse constants

Hasse constants and their basic properties are introduced to facilitate the connection between the lattice of subalgebras of an algebra \( \mathcal{C} \) and the natural action of the automorphism group Aut( \( \mathcal{C} \)) on \( \mathcal{C} \). These constants are then used to describe the lattice of subloops of the smallest nonassociative simple Moufang loop.
Regulation of mRNA turnover in cystic fibrosis lung disease

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal recessive disease due to mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene, F508del-CFTR being the most frequent mutation. The CF lung is characterized by a hyperinflammatory phenotype and is regulated by multiple factors that coordinate its pathophysiology. In CF the expression of CFTR as well as proinflammatory genes are regulated at the level of messenger RNA (mRNA) stability, which subsequently affect translation. These mechanisms are mediated by inflammatory RNA-binding proteins as well as small endogenous noncoding microRNAs, in coordination with cellular signaling pathways. These regulatory factors exhibit altered expression and function in vivo in the CF lung, and play a key role in the pathophysiology of CF lung disease. In this review, we have described the role of mRNA stability and associated regulatory mechanisms in CF lung disease. WIREs RNA 2017, 8:e1408. doi: 10.1002/wrna.1408 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
INHIBITION OF CLOSTRIDIUM PERFRINGENS BY STREPTOCOCCUS FAECALIS IN A MEDIUM CONTAINING CURING SALTS1

Inhibition of two strains of Clostridium perfringens by Streptococcus faecalis in Cooked Meat Medium containing curing salts was investigated. Inhibitory effects were evaluated by growth-curve studies and by measurement of inhibition zones on agar. Both strains of C. perfringens were inhibited by S. faecalis in a medium containing glucose, although to different degrees. Addition of nitrite to the medium containing glucose increased the inhibitory effect of S. faecalis towards C. perfringens. Production of lactic acid by S. faecalis appears to play an important role in this inhibition of C. perfringens.
25 years (actually 45 years) of diode-pumped Yb-doped lasers

It has been 25 years since the report of the first room-temperature, diode-pumped Yb:YAG laser. Diode-pumped Yb lasers have become among the most important systems for achieving high power with good efficiency. Article not available.
Homeomorphic Isomerization as a Design Element in Container Molecules; Binding, Displacement, and Selective Transport of MCl2 Species (M = Pt, Pd, Ni)

The dibridgehead diphosphine ((CH2)14)3P (1) can rapidly turn inside-out (homeomorphic isomerization) to give a mixture of in,in and out,out isomers. The exo directed lone pairs in the latter are able to scavenge Lewis acidic MCl2; cagelike adducts of the in,in isomer, trans-Cl2(P((CH2)14)3P) (M = 2/Pt, 3/Pd, 4/Ni), then form. The NiCl2 unit in 4 may be replaced by PtCl2 or PdCl2, but 2 and 3 do not give similar substitutions. U-tubes are charged with CH2Cl2 solutions of 1 (lower phase), an aqueous solution of K2MCl4 (charging arm; M = Pt, Pd), and an aqueous solution of excess KCl (receiving arm). The MCl2 units are then transported to the receiving arm until equilibrium is reached (up to 22 d). When the receiving arm is charged with KCN, transport is much faster (ca. 100 h) and higher K2MX4 equilibrium ratios are obtained (≥96≤4). Analogous experiments with K2PtCl4/K2PdCl4 mixtures show PdCl2 transport to be more rapid. A similar diphosphine with longer methylene chains, P((CH2)18)3P, is equally effecti...
Developments in Research on Testing Chinese as a Second Language

This chapter provides an overview of developments in research on testing Chinese as a Second Language (CSL), with a focus on four language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) and two types of language knowledge (vocabulary and grammatical knowledge). It aims to make CSL testing research, which has almost all been published in Chinese, accessible to non-Chinese-speaking scholars who might have become interested in Chinese testing and assessment as the popularity of the language grows. It is also hoped to make scholars of CSL testing aware of the research limitations so that more high-quality research, especially original research on issues that specifically pertain to Chinese testing, could be conducted in the future.
Food Journeys: Place, Mobility, and the Everyday Food Practices of Young People

We examine the everyday food practices of a group of high school students living in an urban, multicultural, and lower income community in San Diego, California. We integrate theoretical and empirical insights from research in health, food, and youth geographies and offer a relational conceptualization and analysis of the food environment that is sensitive to young people's everyday mobilities and encounters with food. We pay particular attention to how young people journey through the local food landscape and navigate contradictions between food norms across places, including home, school, and neighborhood. Our goal is to uncover young people's personal and emotional engagements with what, how, and where they eat. Our methodology begins by recognizing young people's agency and centers on an analysis of the spatiality of their food routines. We present results of a year-long participatory study involving Global Positioning System–tagged photography, Photovoice interviews, and surveys. Our results provide ...
Hamlet's delay.

This paper raises a question about Freud's understanding of Hamlet and offers a fresh psychoanalytic perspective on the play, emphasizing the psychological use made of Hamlet by the audience. It suggests Hamlet and Claudius both serve as sacrificial objects, scapegoats, for the audience, embodying, through a mechanism of both identification and disidentification, the fulfillment, punishment, and renunciation of the audience's forbidden (i.e. Oedipal) wishes. The play is thus seen to represent unconsciously a rite of sacrifice in which both Claudius and Hamlet, both the father and the son, are led, albeit circuitously, to the slaughter. The need for delay on the part of Hamlet is thus seen to arise not merely from Hamlet's psychology, whatever the audience may project onto it, but ultimately from the function (both sadistic and defensive) that the sacrificial spectacle, the play as a whole, serves for the audience. The paper also speculates somewhat on the role of tragic heroes and heroines in general, and points to the unconscious collusion that permits author and audience to make use of them. Finally, in an addendum, the paper discusses the work of Rene Girard, a nonpsychoanalytic thinker whose ideas nonetheless are somewhat similar to those presented here.
Hexagonal boron nitride nanomechanical resonators with spatially visualized motion.

Atomic layers of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) crystal are excellent candidates for structural materials as enabling ultrathin, two-dimensional (2D) nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) due to the outstanding mechanical properties and very wide bandgap (5.9 eV) of h-BN. In this work, we report the experimental demonstration of h-BN 2D nanomechanical resonators vibrating at high and very high frequencies (from ~5 to ~70 MHz), and investigations of the elastic properties of h-BN by measuring the multimode resonant behavior of these devices. First, we demonstrate a dry-transferred doubly clamped h-BN membrane with ~6.7 nm thickness, the thinnest h-BN resonator known to date. In addition, we fabricate circular drumhead h-BN resonators with thicknesses ranging from ~9 to 292 nm, from which we measure up to eight resonance modes in the range of ~18 to 35 MHz. Combining measurements and modeling of the rich multimode resonances, we resolve h-BN’s elastic behavior, including the transition from membrane to disk regime, with built-in tension ranging from 0.02 to 2 N m−1. The Young’s modulus of h-BN is determined to be E Y≈392 GPa from the measured resonances. The ultrasensitive measurements further reveal subtle structural characteristics and mechanical properties of the suspended h-BN diaphragms, including anisotropic built-in tension and bulging, thus suggesting guidelines on how these effects can be exploited for engineering multimode resonant functions in 2D NEMS transducers. Next-generation ultrathin sensors and ultralow-power signal processors could be a step closer thanks to single-atom layers of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) (aka ‘white’ graphene). Two-dimensional (2D) crystals of h-BN exhibit ultrawide bandgap, remarkable mechanical and optical properties and are chemically and thermally more stable than graphene — making them attractive building blocks for cutting-edge nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS). By measuring the elasticity and optical properties of extremely thin flakes of h-BN, Philip Feng and his colleagues from Case Western Reserve University in Ohio, United States, were able to fabricate h-BN-based devices that function as highly sensitive nanomechanical resonators, with spatially visualized mutlimode motions. The team ’s work holds promise for the development of 2D devices for emerging applications such as nanoscale sensors and multiphysical transducers. It could also enable future investigations of piezoelectric effects in 2D electromechanical and optoelectromechanical devices made from atomic layers of h-BN and their heterostructures with other 2D materials.
A machine learning approach to characterizing the effect of asynchronous distributed electrical stimulation on hippocampal neural dynamics in vivo

Asynchronous distributed microelectrode theta stimulation (ADMETS) of the hippocampus has been shown to reduce seizure frequency in the tetanus toxin rat model of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy suggesting a hypothesis that ADMETS induces a seizure resistant state. Here we present a machine learning approach to characterize the nature of neural state changes induced by distributed stimulation. We applied the stimulation to two animals under sham and ADMETS conditions and used a combination of machine learning techniques on intra-hippocampal recordings of Local Field Potentials (LFPs) to characterize the difference in the neural state between sham and ADMETS. By iteratively fitting a logistic regression with data from the inter-stimulation interval under sham and ADMETS condition we found that the classification performance improves for both animals until 90s post stimulation before leveling out at AUC of 0.64 ± 0.2 and 0.67 ± 0.02 when all inter-stimulation data is included. The models for each animal were re-fit using elastic net regularization to force many of the model coefficients to 0, identifying those that do not optimally contribute to the classifier performance. We found that there is significant variation in the non-zero coefficients between animals (p < 0.01), suggesting that the ADMETS induced state is represented differently between subject. These findings lay the foundation for using machine learning to robustly and quantitatively characterize neural state.
Utilizing Incident-Based Crime Data to Inform Strategic Interventions: A Problem Analysis of Violence in Michigan

A public health approach to violence prevention involves the empirical identification of groups and communities at the highest risk for violence to inform targeted interventions. We demonstrate the utility of complete incident-level crime data toward this end. Data for 32,056 unique incidents involving homicide, aggravated assault, and robbery were extracted from the 2013 Michigan Incident Crime Reporting system, a statewide National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) data system. Differential victimization rates were calculated across demographic subgroups and jurisdictions to identify patterns in risk. Two-stage least squares regression models were estimated to examine correlates of variation in excess risk. Analyses identified young Black males and females at relatively high risk for violent victimization, and that this risk was amplified within cities with disproportionately high crime rates. Multivariate models suggested concentrated disadvantage as the most stable correlate of variation in exce...
Neurobiological Models of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is commonly understood as a psychological disorder that results from exposure to life-threatening situations. Symptoms of reexperiencing, avoidance, and increased arousal are frequently treated with psychologically based interventions, including individual and group psychotherapy, behavior therapy, and psychoeducation. In recent years, however, it has become increasingly clear that PTSD also can be understood from a biological perspective.
SL RNA Biogenesis in Kinetoplastids: A Long and Winding Road

The spliced leader (SL) RNA is a defining element in the gene expression of kinetoplastids. The first 39 nt of this small RNA are trans-spliced onto every nuclear message, providing a unique hypermethylated cap and sequence elements required for stability and translation. Transcribed from a large tandem array, the journey that each primary SL transcript takes en route to splicing is marked by molecular modifications. Methylation, pseudouridylation, and 3′-end nuclease processing contribute to the mature product. The consequences of this elaborate pathway are not understood fully, but may reveal distinctions that will make these oft-parasitic organisms yield their foothold in the vertebrate host.
Modeling and Prediction of Online Product Review Helpfulness: A Survey

As the amount of free-form user-generated reviews in e-commerce websites continues to increase, there is an increasing need for automatic mechanisms that sift through the vast amounts of user reviews and identify quality content. Review helpfulness modeling is a task which studies the mechanisms that affect review helpfulness and attempts to accurately predict it. This paper provides an overview of the most relevant work in helpfulness prediction and understanding in the past decade, discusses the insights gained from said work, and provides guidelines for future research.
Identifying the True Catalyst in the Reduction of 4-Nitrophenol: A Case Study Showing the Effect of Leaching and Oxidative Etching Using Ag Catalysts

The fundamental understanding of liquid-phase catalytic reactions is unavoidably complicated when the catalyst is prone to leaching since questions inevitably arise as to the true nature of the catalyst. While the catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol by borohydride is widely accepted as a trusted model reaction, it has faced little scrutiny concerning the potential impact of leached species or the appropriateness of assigning catalytic activity to the inserted nanostructures without rigorous experimental verification. Here, we present results from a spectroscopically monitored split test in which supported silver catalysts are physically separated from the reactants midway through the reaction. It is unambiguously demonstrated that the influence of leaching is far from benign, instead acting to extinguish the catalytic activity of the inserted nanostructures while giving rise to an unsupported heterogeneous catalyst that is the true catalytic entity. With only submonolayer quantities of silver leached fro...
Ecological and evolutionary implications of allometric growth in stomach size of brachyuran crabs

Individual characteristics often scale allometrically with organismal body size and the form of this scaling can be influenced by ecological and evolutionary factors. Examining the specific form of this scaling can therefore yield important insights into organismal ecology and evolution and the ability of organisms to respond to future environmental changes. We examine the intraspecific allometric scaling of stomach volume with body mass for 17 species of brachyuran crabs. We also examine how this scaling is influenced by dietary strategy, maximum body size, and activity level, all while controlling for phylogenetic relationships between the species. We show that the slope and intercept of the allometric scaling relationships vary across species and are influenced by all three ecological factors examined here, as well as by evolutionary relationships. These results highlight potential divergent strategies in stomach growth taken by different groups of crabs and highlight potential limitations that may be imposed on the ability of this group of organisms to respond to warming trends expected with climate change.
The Homeland and the Legitimation of the Diaspora: Egyptian Jewish Origin Stories in the Hellenistic and Roman Periods

How diasporans tell the story of their origin in the homeland and how they came to their new home abroad is just as important as the historical context(s) in which the diaspora community was create...
Iterative Learning-Based Path Optimization for Repetitive Path Planning, With Application to 3-D Crosswind Flight of Airborne Wind Energy Systems

This paper presents an iterative learning approach for optimizing the course geometry in repetitive path following applications. In particular, we focus on airborne wind energy (AWE) systems. Our proposed algorithm consists of two key features. First, a recursive least squares (RLS) fit is used to construct an estimate of the behavior of the performance index. Second, an iteration-to-iteration path adaptation law is used to adjust the path shape in the direction of optimal performance. We propose two candidate update laws, both of which parallel the mathematical structure of common iterative learning control (ILC) update laws but replace the tracking-dependent terms with terms based on the performance index. We apply our formulation to the iterative crosswind path optimization of an AWE system, where the goal is to maximize the average power output over a figure-8 path. Using a physics-based AWE system model, we demonstrate that the proposed adaptation strategy successfully achieves convergence to near-optimal figure-8 paths for a variety of initial conditions under both constant and real wind profiles.
Abstract 3273: CMP-001, a virus-like particle containing immunostimulatory CpG-A, for treatment of peritoneal carcinomatosis of gastrointestinal and pancreatic cancers

Peritoneal carcinomatosis is a common form of metastasis occurring in approximately 10% of gastrointestinal and pancreatic cancers with life expectancy often less than 6-12 months. Due to the limited options for treatment of peritoneal carcinomatosis, there is a significant need for novel therapeutic strategies. We explored the therapeutic potential of CMP-001, a novel virus-like particle composed of the Qβ bacteriophage capsid protein encapsulating an immunostimulatory CpG-A oligodeoxynucleotide (CpG-A ODN) in this cancer. CpG-A ODN is a known activator of toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9), which is expressed by human and murine plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs). Initial studies evaluated the effect of CMP-001 in vitro on cells obtained from the ascitic fluid of patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis. These studies demonstrated that pDCs are present in the ascitic fluid and produce IFN-α in response to CMP-001 stimulation. A mouse model of peritoneal carcinomatosis was used to further explore the therapeutic potential of CMP-001. C57BL/6 mice were challenged intraperitoneally (i.p.) with Panc02 mouse pancreatic cancer cells. On days 5, 9, and 13 post-tumor challenge mice were treated i.p. with either saline or 100 μg CMP-001. Mice treated with CMP-001 had a median survival of 35 days compared to mice treated with saline alone with a median survival of 28 days (n = 10 per group, p = 0.028). Examination of the immune response demonstrated CMP-001 induced an influx of dendritic cells (CMP- 001 8.99% ± 0.95 vs saline 4.57% ± 0.7, p = 0.0015), NK cells (CMP-001 0.26% ± 0.052 vs saline 0.087% ± 0.0085, p = 0.006), and CD4+ T cells (CMP-001 3.29% ± 0.85 vs saline 0.95% ± 0.097, p = 0.0168) into the ascitic fluid. In addition, CMP-001 induced a significant increase in antigen-experienced, effector and memory, CD11ahiCD44hi CD4+ T cells (CMP-001 54.55% ± 6.52 vs saline 28.12% ± 3.68, p = 0.0028) and CD11ahiCD8αlo CD8+ T cells (CMP-001 58.49% ± 4.47 vs saline 23.04% ± 2.86, p Citation Format: Ann M. Miller, Caitlin Lemke-Miltner, Sue Blackwell, Ann Tomanek-Chalkley, Kristen Coleman, George Weiner, Carlos Chan. CMP-001, a virus-like particle containing immunostimulatory CpG-A, for treatment of peritoneal carcinomatosis of gastrointestinal and pancreatic cancers [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3273.
43 The Spread of Non-indigenous Species in the Mediterranean – A Threat to Cold-Water Corals?

Only few live records of cold-water corals are known from the Aegean and Levant seas, though antipatharians, ceriantharians, zoantharians, gorgonians and pennatulaceans have been recorded from their continental shelf and upper slope. These mesophotic coral communities, including the Corallium rubrum (Linnaeus, 1758) colonies in Crete and southeast Turkey, are already within the depth range of disruptive carnivorous and omnivorous non-indigenous species introduced though the Suez Canal. The recent enlargement of the Suez Canal has raised concern over increasing propagule pressure of deeper living species. In fact, the recently observed “descent” of Erythraean non-indigenous species from the upper to lower continental shelf and upper slope may be also a harbinger of temperature-dependent range expansion, both horizontal and vertical. As mesophotic coral communities in the easternmost Mediterranean have barely been documented, it is impossible to predict the possibility of degradation and loss of native populations, habitats and ecosystem services. However, preliminary studies on impacts of the invasive Indo-Pacific lionfish on Caribbean mesophotic reef communities suggested a shift in community structure. The spread of non-indigenous species to mesophotic depths requires a concerted effort to map these habitats and study their communities.
The End of War: How a Robust Marketplace and Liberal Hegemony Are Leading to Perpetual World Peace

Permanent world peace is beginning to emerge. States with developed market-oriented economies have foremost interests in the principle of self-determination of all states as the foundation for a ro...
Generalized Bayesian quantification learning

Quantification Learning is the task of prevalence estimation for a test population using predictions from a classifier trained on a different population. Commonly used quantification methods either assume perfect sensitivity and specificity of the classifier, or use the training data to both train the classifier and also estimate its misclassification rates. These methods are inappropriate in the presence of dataset shift, when the misclassification rates in the training population are not representative of those for the test population. A recent Bayesian quantification model addresses dataset shift, but only allows for single-class (categorical) predictions, and assumes perfect knowledge of the true labels on a small number of instances from the test population. We propose a generalized Bayesian quantification learning (GBQL) approach that uses the entire compositional predictions from probabilistic classifiers and allows for uncertainty in true class labels for the limited labeled test data. We use a model-free Bayesian estimating equation approach to compositional data using Kullback-Liebler loss-functions based only on a first-moment assumption. This estimating equation approach coherently links the loss-functions for labeled and unlabeled test cases. We show how our method yields existing quantification approaches as special cases through different prior choices thereby providing an inferential framework around these approaches. Extension to an ensemble GBQL that uses predictions from multiple classifiers yielding inference robust to inclusion of a poor classifier is discussed. We outline a fast and efficient Gibbs sampler using a rounding and coarsening approximation to the loss functions. For large sample settings, we establish posterior consistency of GBQL. Empirical performance of GBQL is demonstrated through simulations and analysis of real data with evident dataset shift.