cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ESCA and SIMS analysis of the composition of passive films formed on E-brite stainless steel

Abstract Anodic oxide films were formed on E-brite 26% Cr-1% Mo stainless steel in 1.0M NaCl+H 2 SO 4 solution (pH 3.3). ESCA and SIMS techniques have been used to determine the composition of the passive film. It was found by both techniques that molybdenum was present on the outermost part of the film, however, it was not detected by Auger electron spectroscopy as reported by other workers. The SIMS results showed that there was a chromium enrichment in the passive film.
Clinical Assessment of the Effect of Tetrabenazine on Functional Scales in Huntington Disease: A Pilot Open Label Study

Background: Tetrabenazine is a monoamine depleter with a well-documented effect against chorea associated with Huntington disease (HD). There is a paucity of data about how reduction in chorea relates to better performance on motor, gait, cognitive, and psychiatric assessments. Methods: We designed an open label tetrabenazine withdrawal study to test performance using validated scales. The following instruments were used to assess cognitive, behavioral, and motor function in 10 patients with documented HD: The Montreal Cognitive Assessment, Beck Depression Inventory II, Dynamic Gait Index (DGI), Jebsen Hand Test, Timed 25-foot walk, Berg Balance Test (BBT), QuickDASH, and the Unified Huntington Disease Rating Scale (UHDRS) Motor, Stroop Color Word, Behavioral Assessment, Functional Checklist, and Independence Scale. Results: Subjects performed significantly better while on tetrabenazine as measured by the DGI (p = 0.041), BBT (p = 0.007), and the UHDRS Total Motor (p = 0.009), Maximum Chorea (p = 0.005), and Stroop Color-Word tests (p = 0.028). Discussion: This pilot study demonstrates tetrabenazine's potential effects beyond improvement in chorea.
Pyrolysis gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to characterize organic matter and its relationship to uranium content of Appalachian Devonian black shales

Gas Chromatographic analysis of volatile products formed by stepwise pyrolysis of black shales can be used to characterize the kerogen by relating it to separated, identified precursors such as land-derived vitrinite and marine-source Tasmanites. Analysis of a Tasmanites sample shows exclusively n-alkane and -alkene pyrolysis products, whereas a vitrinite sample shows a predominance of one- and two-ring substituted aromatics. For core samples from northern Tennessee and for a suite of outcrop samples from eastern Kentucky, the organic matter type and the U content (<10−120ppm) show variations that are related to precursor organic materials. The samples that show a high vitrinite component in their pyrolysis products are also those samples with high contents of U.
Climatological Basin-Scale Amazonian Evapotranspiration Estimated through a Water Budget Analysis

Abstract Spatially averaged evapotranspiration [ET] over the Amazon Basin is computed as the residual of the basin’s atmospheric water balance equation, at the monthly time scale and for the period 1988–2001. Basin-averaged rainfall [P] is obtained from the Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP) dataset, and alternative estimates of the net convergence of atmospheric water vapor flux over the basin [C] are derived from three global reanalyses: the NCEP–NCAR and NCEP–Department of Energy (DOE) reanalyses and the 40-yr ECMWF Re-Analysis (ERA-40). Additionally, a best estimate of [C] is obtained by taking a weighted average of data from these three sources, in which the weight factors are based on the random error attributed to each reanalysis’ [C] estimates by comparison to river discharge data. The resulting time series is dominated by ERA-40’s contribution, which was found to be the most accurate over the study period. Data products from the three reanalyses are also employed to compute the month...
Reestablishment of function in transplanted thyroid glands of mice.

INVESTIGATION of the problem of transplantation of endocrine glands has proceeded almost entirely from the standpoint of histology and morphology, and up to the present time relatively little information has been obtained concerning the physiology of endocrine transplants. Some conclusions as to the functional condition of such implants have been drawn from observations on the varying degrees of success of autoplastic, syngenesial, and heteroplastic transplants. Additional information has been provided by observed differences in the ability of a graft to “take” depending on the presence or absence of the host's own gland. Evidence of this type is somewhat indirect, however, since it is based on interpretation of purely morphological data. In the case of the thyroid gland, a direct method has been developed for studying the functional properties of individual thyroid follicles by radioautography with I131. It seemed to be of considerable interest, therefore, to apply this technique to the study of transpla...
The Process of Healing Transformations: A Model for Holistic Practice

This article presents an emerging model of healing transformations to guide nurses in caring for those living with a chronic illness. A review of the literature on chronic illness and its relationship to lifestyle behavior change and transformative nursing practice is included. Derived from qualitative narratives, this work reports the clusters of phenomena within each phase of the model. The model emerged from data gathered during 36 in-depth interviews with 18 men and women living with chronic skin wounds. During two interviews, each participant shared important life stories and meaningful reflections on living with a chronic skin wound. Using the theory of health as expanding consciousness, analysis of each participant's life story revealed individual life patterns and patterns across participants. These patterns were validated and reflected on with participants during the second interview. Synthesizing participants' patterns of responses, the model of healing transformations emerged. Developed from clients' experiences, the model of healing transformations provides rich insight into the nature of healing and the central role of the nurse practicing from a holistic perspective in this process. Nurses make a positive difference in the healing trajectory of those living with chronic illnesses such as chronic skin wounds.
A fresh look at an old story: revisiting HLA class II antigen expression by melanoma cells

The appearance of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class II antigens may be associated with malignant transformation of melanocytes. However, the information available regarding the clinical relevance of HLA class II antigen expression, which has been found in approximately 50% of primary and metastatic cutaneous melanoma lesions, is scarce and conflicting. The debate regarding the clinical relevance of HLA class II antigen expression by malignant melanocytes, in conjunction with our increased understanding of HLA class II antigen processing and presentation, their role in the interactions between melanoma cells and components of the adaptive immune system and their potential involvement in melanoma cell migration have provided the impetus to revisit the topic of HLA class II antigen expression by malignant melanocytes. This review will discuss the current knowledge regarding HLA class II antigens, including the presentation pathway; frequency of expression in cell lines and lesions of melanocytic origin; po...
Support and crystallite size effects in CO hydrogenation on nickel

Adsorption and CO hydrogenation activity/selectivity properties of well-defined NiSiO2, NiAl2O3, and NiTiO2 catalysts representing wide ranges of dispersion and nickel concentration were investigated. CO and H2 adsorption uptakes were determined for all of the catalysts. The extent of reduction to the metal was also determined for all catalysts by oxygen titration or nickel carbonyl extraction. Specific activities for COH2 synthesis were measured for each of the catalysts at 500–550 K and 140 kPa. Effects of strong metal-support interactions are evident in NiTiO2, in well-dispersed NiAl2O3, and to a lesser extent in very well-dispersed NiSiO2 from (i) changes in the nature and stoichiometry of CO and H2 adsorption and (ii) significant changes in activity and selectivity properties for COH2 synthesis with changes in metal dispersion, support, preparation technique, and catalyst pretreatment. Both COH adsorption ratio and selectivity to C2+ hydrocarbons increase with increasing metal dispersion in NiSiO2 and NiAl2O3 systems, suggesting that metal-support interactions affect selectivity by changing the relative abundance of adsorbed CO and H2 during reaction.
Health Insurance Status and Disparities in Kidney Cancer Care

Abstract Introduction Through PPACA (Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act) many adults have or will gain health insurance via Medicaid expansion. To understand how this policy change may potentially impact patients with kidney cancer we examined the relationship between insurance status and cancer related outcomes. Methods Using SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results) data we identified 18,632 patients 26 to 64 years old with kidney cancer from 2007 to 2009. For each patient we classified insurance status as no insurance, Medicaid or private insurance. After adjusting for patient and county characteristics we measured the association of insurance status with cancer stage, treatment and 1-year mortality using multinomial logistic regression with clustering or generalized estimating equations as appropriate. Results In our study cohort 937 (5.0%) and 2,027 patients (10.9%) had no insurance and Medicaid, respectively. These patients were more likely to be younger, nonwhite, unmarried and residing in areas with lower income, education or employment (p Conclusions Uninsured and Medicaid patients suffer disproportionately from kidney cancer with equal magnitude. Given the reliance on Medicaid, even as insurance coverage expands differences in outcomes will likely persist, underscoring the need for additional efforts that address disparities in kidney cancer care.
Equilibrium Theory in Infinite Dimensional Spaces

Este e o primeiro numero da nova serie da editora SpringerVerlag, "Studies in Economic Theory", editada por C.D. Aliprantis (Departamento de Matematica, IUPUI, Indianapolis, IN, EUA) e N.C. Yannelis (Departamento de Economia, Universidade de Illinois, Champaign, IL, EUA). Mais uma vez essa editora demonstra que esta na vanguarda da divulgacao cientifica na area de teoria economica avancada.
Comparative studies of height and weight as a blood volume reference standard in normal children and children with sickle cell anemia.

Blood volume studies with the use of IHSA 131I were done on 25 normal children and 25 children with sickle cell anemia. Values which appeared to be significantly different when related to weight were no longer different when related to height. The best correlation was obtained when log blood volume was related to log height. Study of this relationship indicated that there was no significant volume difference between the anemic and normal children. Since volume relates best to lean body mass or to body water, the use of body weight alone as the basis for its determination will be inaccurate in individuals whose weights deviate from normal, if this deviation is clue essentially to fat. Thus, previous studies of high volume values in anemic children were probably related to the use of weight as the reference parameter. The following formula is recommended to calculate blood volume based on height: log B.V. = 0.247 + 2.14 log Ht.
Transfer Capability Improvement Through Market-Based Operation of Series FACTS Devices

Traditionally, electric system operators have dispatched generation to minimize total production costs, ignoring the flexibility of the transmission system. Implementation of smart-grid systems could allow operators to co-optimize flexible transmission alongside generation dispatch; the technologies that would enable such co-optimization are still regulated as part of the monopoly transmission system. One particular flexible transmission asset is variable impedance flexible AC transmission system (FACTS). This paper 1) points out the positive externality problem existing in a recent market design proposal with active transmission participation, and 2) proposes a sensitivity-based method to estimate the marginal market value of FACTS adjustments to overcome this positive externality problem. The marginal value would suggest efficient impedance adjustments to the operator and provide the right financial incentives for the FACTS owners to operate their assets in a socially optimal way. Revenue adequacy is demonstrated under specific conditions and more broadly investigated through simulation studies. An analytical example on a two-bus system as well as a numerical study on the IEEE 118-bus system are presented. The results suggest that inclusion of a price signal for FACTS devices would lead to significant social welfare improvements in competitive power markets.
A Feminist Repudiation of the Rape Shield Laws

The federal government and most states currently enforce some version of a so-called rape shield law. Rape shield laws generally bar defense attorneys from inquiring into a rape complainant’s sexual history. Michigan adopted the nation’s first rape shield law in 1974, after an unlikely coalition of feminists and “law and order” politicians organized a national consciousness-raising about the frequency of rape and the rarity of prosecution and conviction. This Article examples the original justification for the rape shield laws and unearths flaws that have only deepened in light of legal and social developments. It concludes that feminists guaranteed the failure of a stated long-term goal – changing perceptions about female sexuality – by advancing empirically unsound and legally outdated arguments in order to win the short-term victory of passing the rape shield laws.
Anaphylaxis during intrauterine insemination secondary to bovine serum albumin

A case of anaphylaxis is reported after IUI with sperm processed in Tyrode's solution supplemented with BSA. The patient had a positive prick cutaneous test to BSA and also had specific IgE antibody against it. Repeat IUI using the patient's own blood serum instead of BSA for processing the sperm proceeded without incident. Clinicians should be aware of this rare, but not inconsequential, adverse effect of using xenogeneic proteins during IUI and other assisted reproductive techniques.
A Cross National Study of Advertising’s Effect on the Savings Rate

This study presents an empirical examination of the effect of advertising on the personal savings rate in 30 nations. After identifying conceptual and methodological concerns in previous studies, a structural model is developed. The model is operationalized using secondary data sources and estimated using Partial Least Squares. Results suggest that long term exposure to advertising does not reduce the personal savings rate.
Equality, Liberty, and Hard Cases: A Contemporary View

Contemporary egalitarian liberals — unlike their classical counterparts — have lived through many contentious events where the right to freedom of expression has been tested to its limits: the Skokie, Illinois skinhead marches, hate speech incidents on college campuses, internet pornography and hate speech sites, Holocaust deniers, and cross-burners, to name just a few. Despite this contemporary tumult, freedom of expression has been nearly unanimously affirmed in both the US jurisprudence and philosophical discourse. In what follows, I will examine Ronald Dworkin’s influential contemporary justification for freedom of expression, which claims that a thoroughgoing right to freedom of expression is justified by the fact that it guarantees and preserves liberalismâ€™s commitment to equality by offering everyone an opportunity to speak, whereas any other policy, such as state regulation, would fail to offer this equal opportunity.
Enumeration Methods For Bacteriuria: Effect of Antimicrobial Carryover

The effects of antimicrobial carryover on three dip-slide devices and two sizes of calibrated loops were evaluated using the quantitative results of agar pour plates as a standard. Pooled urine was seeded with Escherichia CO/J and divided into two equal samples. One sample contained an easily achievable urinary concentration of trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole (SXT); the other sample was SXT-free. Increasing colony-forming units per milliliter (CFU/mL) were detected by all test systems for the sample without SXT throughout the four-hour incubation at 35°C. The SXT-containing samples displayed profound inhibition of growth using the agar dip-slide devices. Significant bacteriuria was accurately detected in the SXT-containing sample with both 0.01-mL and 0.001-mL calibrated loops. When patients are receiving SXT or when their antimicrobial therapy is unknown, agar dipslide results should be evaluated cautiously.
A behavioral bioassay employing Daphnia for detection of sublethal effects: Response to polarized light

The swimming response of Daphnia pulicaria to polarized white light was examined. This response was employed as a behavioral bioassay to investigate the effects of sodium bromide (NaBr) on Daphnids physiology. The control response to linearly polarized white light involved an orientation at 90° to the e‐vector. With the addition of NaBr the response became more random. An EC50 (concentration which eliminates the response in 50% of the test individuals) of 1.31 x 10‐1 M NaBr was calculated using the statistic von Mises K. A possible mechanism to account for the toxicity of this mild sedative is the blocking by the bromide ion of chloride channels involved in transmitting nerve impulses.
Guillain-Barre Syndrome: Age Variations

The medical records of 83 children with Guillain-Barre Syndrome were reviewed with reference to the age associated changes at the Department of Pediatrics, University of Tokyo, Japan.
PDZ-Binding Kinase (PBK/TOPK), a Serine-Threonine Kinase Known to downmodulate P53 Function, is Frequently Overexpressed In a Variety of Hematological Malignancies

Abstract 5110 Background: PBK/TOPK (PDZ-binding kinase, T-LAK-cell-originated protein kinase) is a serine-threonine kinase that was originally cloned as an IL-2 inducible gene exclusively expressed in cytotoxic T lymphocytes, and an interaction partner with the human tumor suppressor hdlg. PBK/TOPK mRNA has been found to be expressed in normal testicular and embryonic tissues, proliferating neural progenitor cells and various tumor cell lines. Numerous studies have demonstrated that PBK exerts its proproliferation function by phophorylating and thus activating its substrate proteins p38, ERK2, LGN/GPSM2, and histone H3, which are involved in cell growth, cell cycle progression and chromatin remodeling. Recently, we further reported that PBK could interact with tumor suppressor p53 via its DNA binding domain and impair its function as a transcription factor (Oncogene, 2010). These lines of evidence all point to PBK as a novel multifunctional oncoprotein. Study Aim: To investigate the frequency of PBK expression in hematological malignancies. Methods: Immunohistochemistry for PBK expression on various tissue microarrays (US Biomax) was performed. Briefly, paraffin-embedded tissue microarrays were treated with xylene and ethanol followed by a protein-blocking reagent. After incubation with 1:50 diluted PBK antibody (Cell Signaling) and HRP-labeled-secondary antibody (US Biomax), the tissue microarrays were stained with substrate DAB. The slides were scored according to the following criteria: 0 (negative), 75% cells were stained. Results: In 108 cases of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, 50% were positive for PBK, among which 27 scored +1, 21 scored +2, and 6 scored +3; in 8 cases of Burkitt lymphoma, 7/8 (87.5%) were positive for PBK with all of them scoring +3; in 58 cases of Hodgkin lymphoma, 67% were positive for PBK with 35 scoring +1 and only 4 scoring +2; in 9 cases of plasma cell myeloma, only 2 were positive for PBK and both scored +1. Three follicular lymphomas and 4 reactive lymph nodes scored 0. Conclusions and Future Directions: PBK protein was highly expressed in a high proportion of Burkitt lymphoma. PBK was also expressed in a relatively high proportion of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and Hodgkin lymphoma, suggesting that PBK is implicated in the pathogenesis of hematological malignancies with higher proliferation rates. PBK expression was much less frequent in more indolent hematologic neoplasms such as myeloma and follicular lymphoma. Our lab is now working on the crystal structure of PBK with the long-term goal to identify small molecular inhibitors of PBK function. These new results in combination with our earlier data suggest that inhibition of PBK function may be a rational strategy to sensitize aggressive/highly proliferative hematologic neoplasms to anti-neoplastic therapy. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Changes in Author, Editor, and Reviewer Genders Over 42 Years in Teaching of Psychology

The present study examined changes in the genders of authors, first authors, reviewers, and editorial staff over 42 years (1974–2015) in Teaching of Psychology. Over the first 6 years of the journa...
Stewardship in the "Age of Algorithms"

This paper explores pragmatic approaches that might be employed to document the behavior of large, complex socio-technical systems (often today shorthanded as “algorithms”) that centrally involve some mixture of personalization, opaque rules, and machine learning components. Thinking rooted in traditional archival methodology — focusing on the preservation of physical and digital objects, and perhaps the accompanying preservation of their environments to permit subsequent interpretation or performance of the objects — has been a total failure for many reasons, and we must address this problem. The approaches presented here are clearly imperfect, unproven, labor-intensive, and sensitive to the often hidden factors that the target systems use for decision-making (including personalization of results, where relevant); but they are a place to begin, and their limitations are at least outlined. Numerous research questions must be explored before we can fully understand the strengths and limitations of what is proposed here. But it represents a way forward. This is essentially the first paper I am aware of which tries to effectively make progress on the stewardship challenges facing our society in the so-called “Age of Algorithms;” the paper concludes with some discussion of the failure to address these challenges to date, and the implications for the roles of archivists as opposed to other players in the broader enterprise of stewardship — that is, the capture of a record of the present and the transmission of this record, and the records bequeathed by the past, into the future. It may well be that we see the emergence of a new group of creators of documentation, perhaps predominantly social scientists and humanists, taking the front lines in dealing with the “Age of Algorithms,” with their materials then destined for our memory organizations to be cared for into the future.
Automated scalable detection of location-specific Santa Ana conditions from weather data using unsupervised learning

Southern California's dry climate and fire-prone vegetation make the area vulnerable to extreme wildfire conditions. These conditions are exacerbated by Santa Ana weather patterns, which are characterized by very low humidity and gusty winds blowing in from the deserts. We present an approach using unsupervised learning to model and detect Santa Ana conditions based on sensor measurements from weather stations. Our approach uses cluster analysis to capture weather patterns specific to the region surrounding each weather station. A method is provided to automatically determine the Santa Ana cluster for each cluster model using dynamic, data-driven criteria. The resulting cluster models are applied to real-time sensor measurements to provide location-specific and time-specific detection of Santa Ana conditions. The Spark distributed platform is leveraged to scale the system to large datasets from multiple weather stations, and the Kepler workflow system is used to provide a GUI-based, easy-to-use interface to the underlying system. Results of testing our approach on an existing network of weather stations are presented. Our scalability experiment shows that the approach can process up to one million live sensor measurements in less than one minute on one machine. The proposed system can be used to aid in wildfire management and prevention by focusing firefighting efforts on regions with increased wildfire risks.
Deep-Seabed Mining

Deep-seabed mining (DSM) is an emerging marine industry that presents particularly complex challenges due to its multi-faceted political, economic, technological, scientific, environmental, social, industrial and legal aspects, all of which must be addressed to achieve commercially viable results. Furthermore, these aspects are either governed by or must take into account the burgeoning regulatory regime promulgated by the International Seabed Authority under the auspices of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which also governs regional and national DSM regimes. This chapter briefly reviews the international DSM management regime and identifies innovative approaches to these myriad challenges that may also assist in informing the responsible development of other new deep-sea industries.
Phase II Trial of High-Dose Gemcitabine/Busulfan/Melphalan with Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation for Primary Refractory or Poor-Risk Relapsed Hodgkin Lymphoma.

Abstract We conducted a prospective phase 2 trial of gemcitabine, busulfan and melphalan (Gem/Bu/Mel) with autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in patients with primary refractory or poor-risk relapsed Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) (ie, extranodal relapse or within 1 year of frontline therapy). The trial was powered to detect an improvement in 2-year progression-free survival (PFS) from a historical 50% using a BEAM regimen (carmustine/etoposide/cytarabine/melphalan) to 65%. We compared the study population with all other concurrent patients who were eligible for the trial but instead received the BEAM regimen at our center. No patient received post-ASCT maintenance therapy. The Gem/Bu/Mel trial enrolled 80 patients with a median age of 31 years, 41% with primary refractory HL and 59% with relapsed HL (36% extranodal relapses), and 30% with positron emission tomography (PET)-positive lesions at ASCT. The concurrent BEAM (n = 45) and Gem/Bu/Mel cohorts were well balanced except for higher rates of bulky relapse and PET-positive tumors in the Gem/Bu/Mel cohort. There were no transplantation-related deaths in either cohort. At a median follow-up of 34.5 months (range, 26 to 72 months), Gem/Bu/Mel was associated with better 2-year PFS (65% versus 51%; P = .008) and overall survival (89% versus 73%; P = .0003). In conclusion, our data show that Gem/Bu/Mel is safe, in this nonrandomized comparison yielding improved outcomes compared with a concurrently treated and prognostically matched cohort of patients with primary refractory or poor-risk relapsed HL receiving BEAM.
A Review on Cloud Computing Security and Privacy in Service Oriented Architecture (SOA)

Cloud computing is powerful computing which is transformed the traditional computing and industries. Cloud is not a new concept. Many organizations like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon accelerate in developing this computing and provide the services for lots of users and storing the data through cloud now become a norm. But there are many issues that arrive to store the data in cloud. In this paper we review some securities issues and give a survey solution that have been done to minimize the security risk and describe future research work about all these risk that occur when data is stored in cloud computing.
US mushroom import demand estimation with the source-differentiated AIDS model

Recognising that the share of imports in total consumption has been increasing, and will likely continue to do so as US consumers adopt healthier diets, the goal of this paper is to contribute to the understanding of US mushroom demand by estimating the first-ever import demand elasticities for canned and fresh mushrooms by source. Price elasticities from a source-differentiated almost ideal demand system (AIDS) model suggest that while Canada, the leading exporter of fresh mushrooms to the US, may gain more revenue from rising mushroom prices; China, the leading exporter of canned mushrooms to the US may lose. The expenditure elasticities suggest that Chinese exporters of canned mushrooms stand to gain more from rising US spending on imported mushrooms than Canadian exporters of fresh mushrooms. Should NAFTA be scrapped and tariffs imposed, Mexico will lose more market share in the US fresh mushroom market than Canada.
The Use and Validity of Standardized Achievement Tests for Evaluating New Curricular Interventions in Mathematics and Science

We investigated the use and validity of standardized achievement tests for summative evaluation of 78 educational intervention projects funded by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) math and ...
A randomized, subject and rater-blinded, placebo-controlled trial of dimethyl fumarate for obstructive sleep apnea.

Study objectives To investigate the therapeutic effect of dimethyl fumarate (DMF, an immunomodulatory agent) on obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and potential influence of any such effect by selected proinflammatory molecules. Methods Patients with OSA who deferred positive airway pressure therapy were randomized (2:1) to receive DMF or placebo for 4 months. Participants underwent polysomnography before randomization and at 4 months. Blood was collected monthly. The primary outcome was the mean group change in respiratory disturbance index (δ-RDI). Secondary analyses focused on the association between treatment effect of DMF (on RDI) and expression of plasma cytokines and chemokines, or nuclear factor κ-B (NFκB) signaling molecules in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Results N = 65 participants were randomized. N = 50 participants (DMF = 35, placebo = 15) had complete data for final analyses. The mean difference in δ-RDI between groups was 13.3 respiratory events/hour of sleep: -3.1+/-12.9 vs. 10.2+/-13.1 in DMF and placebo groups, respectively (mixed-effects model treatment effect: β = -0.14, SE = 0.062, p = 0.033). Plasma levels of TNF-α showed only nonsignificant decreases, and IL-10 and IL-13 only nonsignificant increases, in DMF-treated participants compared with placebo. No significant interaction or main effect on RDI for selected cytokines and chemokines was found. Participants with a therapeutic response to DMF did experience significant reductions in intracellular NFκB signaling molecules at 4 months. Overall, DMF was well-tolerated. Conclusions The immunomodulatory drug DMF partially ameliorates OSA severity. Suppression of systemic inflammation through reduction of NFκB signaling may mediate this effect. Clinical trials ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02438137, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02438137?term=NCT02438137&rank=1.
Abortion, Sexual Markets and the Law

There can be little doubt that information and evidence regarding the shared humanity of the unborn child has moved citizens and lawmakers in the United States to oppose abortion and to take steps to protect unborn children. Evidence about the development of unborn human life is a regular part of hearings before legislative bodies considering legal restrictions on abortion. Fundraising dinners for “crisis pregnancy centers” inevitably feature personal testimony from client-mothers, who speak about how they came to understand and accept the value of their child’s life.
Light-Emitting Diodes and Injection Lasers

Since GaAs has a bandgap of 1.45 eV the recombination radiation that is emitted is at about 850 nm for the full bandgap transition; therefore, it is in the infrared region and not visible to the human eye. The bandgap of GaAs0.6P0.4, however, is about 1.9 eV which corresponds to emission at 650 nm in the red region of the spectrum. Hence GaAsP is a widely used material for light-emitting diodes.
Oysters, Ecosystems, and Persuasion

In his essay on the commons scholarship of Carol Rose, Michael Heller deploys an epoch-spanning synopsis of Western society's passion for the oyster to make his case for a Rose theorem.* Professor Heller posits that the work of Carol Rose sets out a testable theory: law emerges from and is shaped by the interactions of human culture with nature and natural resources. The oyster's survival across the ages, he suggests, is due to this process, a "constantly shifting matrix of strategies, simultaneously public and private, individual and community, and on their constant renegotiation and interpolation." Professor Heller's is indeed an engaging account, and he is certainly correct that the oyster's story challenges the neoclassical economic account of the evolution of property rights. But as an account of what the oyster's story contributes to our ideas about common resources, it is incomplete. And Heller surely has not gone far enough in looking at the scholarship of Carol Rose from the point of view of the oyster. By failing to bring the story into the twenty-first century, Heller misses most of what the oyster's story tells us about.human institution^.^ By example and methodology Carol Rose shows us how to draw lessons for our own times and environmental challenges by looking at history, at
AC Impedance Techniques

The use of sinusoidal voltage and current perturbations for the study of electrode processes has expanded rapidly over the last two decades. A complete review of this topic is well beyond the scope of this book. Fortunately, a number of excellent reviews have been published(1–4) and these provide in-depth supplements to the material presented here. The principal aim of the present chapter is to extend the methods employed in Chapters 3–6 to the analysis of systems that are subjected to a sinusoidal potential perturbation function. The emphasis is placed upon the theoretical development of the subject, although reference is made to appropriate experimental work from time to time.
Structural Basis of Death Receptor Signaling

Death receptors (DRs) initiate formation of intracellular signaling complexes upon stimulation by extracellular ligands to induce apoptosis and necrosis. Here we review the structural information on DR signaling accumulated in the past decade and more. These studies highlight the assembly of oligomeric death domain superfamily complexes in caspase activation in apoptosis and the assembly of a functional amyloid complex in kinase activation in necrosis. They open a new vista for our understanding of intracellular signaling in the DR pathway and other innate and adaptive immune pathways.
Regulation of Baculovirus Late and Very Late Gene Expression

The late stage of baculovirus infection is defined as those events that occur following the initiation of viral DNA replication and is usually subdivided into late and very late phases. These phases coincide with the production of the budded and occluded forms of the virus, respectively (see Chapters 2 and 4, this volume). Budded viruses (BVs) are produced by the packaging of newly synthesized viral DNA into nucleocapsids that leave the nucleus and bud through the cell’s plasma membrane. Occluded viruses (OVs) are produced later when the nucleocapsids become enveloped within the nucleus; the resulting virions are then embedded in a crystalline protein matrix, thereby forming nuclear bodies known as polyhedra or granules, depending on their morphological appearance, which, in turn, specifies their genus (nucleopolyhedrosis virus or granulosis virus, respectively).
Combining High Sensitivity and Dynamic Range: Wearable Thin-Film Composite Strain Sensors of Graphene, Ultrathin Palladium, and PEDOT:PSS

Wearable mechanical sensors have the potential to transform healthcare by enabling patient monitoring outside of the clinic. A critical challenge in the development of mechanical-e.g., strain-sensors is the combination of sensitivity, dynamic range, and robustness. This work describes a highly sensitive and robust wearable strain sensor composed of three layered materials: graphene, an ultrathin film of palladium, and highly plasticized PEDOT:PSS. The role of the graphene is to provide a conductive, manipulable substrate for the deposition of palladium. When deposited at low nominal thicknesses (~8 nm) palladium forms a rough, granular film which is highly piezoresistive (i.e., the resistance increases with strain with high sensitivity). The dynamic range of these graphene/palladium films, however, is poor, and can only be extended to ~10% before failure. This fragility renders the films incompatible with wearable applications on stretchable substrates. To improve the working range of graphene/palladium strain sensors, a layer of highly plasticized PEDOT:PSS is used as a stretchable conductive binder. That is, the conductive polymer provides an alternative pathway for electrical conduction upon cracking of the palladium film and the graphene. The result was a strain sensor that possessed good sensitivity at low strains (0.001% engineering strain) but with a working range up to 86%. The piezoresistive performance can be optimized in a wearable device by sandwiching the conductive composite between a soft PDMS layer in contact with the skin and a harder layer at the air interface. When attached to the skin of the torso, the patch-like strain sensors were capable of detecting heartbeat (small strain) and respiration (large strain) simultaneously. This demonstration highlights the ability of the sensor to measure low and high strains in a single interpolated signal, which could be useful in monitoring, for example, obstructive sleep apnea with an unobtrusive device.
Neuroimaging Subjective Labeling Dichotomization and Class Imbalance Alleviation

Ground truth labels are expected to be certain, and their existence is essentially a vital component of supervised learning problems. In certain cases, however, they can prove to be obstacles. They can lead to two possible issues: class imbalances due to skewed label distributions, and unreliability due to the uncertainty of raters underlying rationale. In cases where the labels are continuous, they need to be dichotomized for a classification task. Dichotomization is often decided statistically or based on the subject matter. However, the subjectivity of participants and its impact is neglected. In this paper, we investigate the effect of thresholding on an EEG emotional self-assessment. We propose a modification in the prediction pipeline to minimize subjectivity, improving model outcomes as well as alleviating the effect of label imbalance.
The Illusion of Consensus: Febrile Neonates and Lumbar Puncture

In the current issue of Hospital Pediatrics , Aronson et al1 conducted a qualitative analysis of factors influencing decision-making on lumbar punctures (LPs) in febrile infants ≤8 weeks of age. In this study, they interviewed 15 physicians and 8 nurses, identifying 5 main factors that influence the decision about whether to perform an LP: age, physician experience, use of research findings, physician values, and the role of the primary care provider. The authors also explored the role of shared decision-making, identifying both facilitators and barriers to incorporating a family into the decision on whether to perform an LP. Within their study sample, Aronson et al1 report physicians stated that they uniformly perform LPs for all infants ≤4 weeks of age, identifying consensus as the driving and primary factor influencing the decision for performing the procedure. Consensus, defined as …
India-Pakistan Crises, 1999–2016

This chapter examines four India-Pakistan crises between 1999 and 2016: the Kargil conflict of 1999, the Twin Peaks crisis of 2001–2002, the Mumbai attacks and their aftermath in 2008, and the Uri attack and subsequent Indian “surgical strikes” in 2016. I present a concise chronological narrative of each episode, focusing in particular on the nature of the Indian response to Pakistani and Pakistan-abetted subconventional aggression. In all of the crises, the Indian government opted for markedly restrained, non-escalatory responses in the face of intense domestic pressures to retaliate with punishing military force. The chapter sets the empirical stage for a comparative analysis of the explanations most often posited by scholars for New Delhi’s forbearance, which is the subject of Chap. 3.
Method for Analysis of Rat Acceptance Data Generated in Anticoagulant Bait Bioassays

A possible method for interpreting data generated in rat free-choice bioassays with anticoagulant rodenticides is described. The method allows a greater freedom in interpretation of parameters of efficacy but has a slightproblem in differences in bait acceptance by male and female rats. Basically, analysis is a simple one-tailed t-test comparing percent bait acceptance with a cutoff point. The use of the method is demonstrated with authentic data developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The Effects of Furosemide on Oxygenation in Mechanically Ventilated Children with Bronchiolitis

Fluid balance management, including diuretic administration, may influence outcomes among mechanically ventilated children. We retrospectively compared oxygenation saturation index (OSI) before and after the initial furosemide bolus among 65 mechanically ventilated children. Furosemide was not associated with a significant change in median OSI (6.25 [interquartile range: 5.01–7.92] vs. 6.06 [4.73–7.54], p = 0.48), but was associated with expected changes in fluid balance and urine output. Secondary analysis suggested more favorable effects of furosemide in children with worse baseline OSI. The reported common use of furosemide by pediatric intensivists obligates further study to better establish its efficacy, or lack thereof, in mechanically ventilated children.
CRT-100.85 Procedural and Clinical Outcomes of Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for De Novo Lesions in the Ostial and Proximal Left Circumflex Artery

Aorto-ostial and proximal coronary artery lesions can be challenging during a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Stenting of the ostial or proximal left circumflex (LCX) artery lesions remains a concern due to high calcium burden and steep angulation. We aimed to determine the procedural and
Design of a Soft Glove-Based Robotic Hand Exoskeleton with Embedded Synergies

Paralysis caused by stroke, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, or other injuries and medical conditions can significantly impair the hand function. This impacts an individual’s ability to perform manual tasks in activities of daily living (ADL), affecting their independence and psychological well-being. Robotic hand exoskeletons and orthoses have been developed to assist individuals with hand paralysis in conducting ADL; however, existing commercial systems tend to provide basic whole-hand opening and closing motions rather than dexterous manipulation. In this chapter, we document the design of the second prototype of the hand exoskeleton with embedded synergies (HEXOES). This soft glove-based cable-driven robot provides independent actuation of 10 degrees of freedom of the hand using a remote actuator assembly and a lightweight hand component. The hand component, weighing 258 g, actuates the metacarpophalangeal (MCP) and proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joints of each finger and thumb in flexion, with passive extension provided by adjustable springs. Design features were incorporated which aid in donning and doffing and allow individuals with various hand sizes to use the same exoskeleton effectively. Flex sensors placed over the actuated joints along with position and force sensors on the robot’s linear actuators enable closed-loop control.
Comparison of outcomes of infants with giant omphaloceles over two decades.

Background The purpose of this study was to compare the outcomes of infants with giant omphalocele (GO) born in two different epochs over two decades at a single institution. Specifically, it examined whether the utilization of selective pulmonary vasodilators and extracorporeal membrane oxygenator (ECMO) in the management of pulmonary hypertension in the second epoch were associated with improved outcomes. Methods The medical records of all patients diagnosed with GO at a large children's hospital from January 1, 1996 to December 31, 2016 were reviewed and divided into two epochs. Patients were classified as having an isolated GO or GO with minor or major associated anomalies. GO was defined as a defect more than or equal to 5 cm in size and/or liver in the sac. Results During the study period, 59 infants with GO were identified. The duration of invasive mechanical ventilation was significantly shorter among the survivors from the second epoch (p = 0.03), with none greater than seven days. There were no significant differences in the outcomes of survival to NICU discharge and length of stay (LOS) between infants in the two epochs. Conclusions Infants with GO who required invasive mechanical ventilation for more than seven days did not survive in the second epoch. Survival did not improve with uses of selective pulmonary vasodilators and ECMO. This information could be shared with families during prenatal and postnatal counselling to facilitate informed decision making regarding goals of care.
Pre-locus coeruleus neurons in rat and mouse

Previously, we identified a population of neurons in the hindbrain tegmentum, bordering the locus coeruleus (LC). We named this population the pre-locus coeruleus (pre-LC) because in rats its neurons lie immediately rostral to the LC. In mice, however, pre-LC and LC neurons intermingle, making them difficult to distinguish. Here, we use molecular markers and anterograde tracing to clarify the location and distribution of pre-LC neurons in mice, relative to rats. First, we colocalized the transcription factor FoxP2 with the activity marker Fos to identify pre-LC neurons in sodium-deprived rats and show their distribution relative to surrounding catecholaminergic and cholinergic neurons. Next, we used sodium depletion and chemogenetic activation of the aldosterone-sensitive HSD2 neurons in the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) to identify the homologous population of pre-LC neurons in mice, along with a related population in the central lateral parabrachial nucleus. Using Cre-reporter mice for Pdyn, we confirmed that most of these sodium-depletion-activated neurons are dynorphinergic. Finally, after confirming that these neurons receive excitatory input from the NTS and paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus, plus convergent input from the inhibitory AgRP neurons in the arcuate hypothalamic nucleus, we identify a major, direct input projection from the medial prefrontal cortex. This new information on the location, distribution, and input to pre-LC neurons provides a neuroanatomical foundation for cell-type-specific investigation of their properties and functions in mice. Pre-LC neurons likely integrate homeostatic information from the brainstem and hypothalamus with limbic, contextual information from the cerebral cortex to influence ingestive behavior.
Real-Time Speech Workload Estimation for Intelligent Human- Machine Systems:

Demanding task environments (e.g., supervising a remotely piloted aircraft) require performing tasks quickly and accurately; however, periods of low and high operator workload can decrease task per...