cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Verifying the Produce of Car-Bind through Timed Petri Net

The automobile industry was faced a decreasing marketing with the impact of economic crises gradually. The manufacturer need to progress for the material cost control and reduced its man hour or man power on the manufacturing process. This would make an achievement of a higher production capacity and more profit area obviously. This study was approved by the research data that the Petri Net architecture could be verified for the process of product currently. And it could identify the conflict and the consuming of man power in which of obstructing working station. Finally, we built up a simulating model by the Petri.NET Simulator 2.0 to solve the expend problem of man power eventually.
Rapid elongation of a myelinated nerve fiber: a model for neural injury

A single nerve fiber from the sciatic nerve of a frog is presented as an isolated tissue model for neural trauma. An experimental system that delivers a controlled high-strain-rate uniaxial displacement pulse to the single fiber is described. The use of the system to study the effects of rapid stretch on the nodal regions of a myelinated nerve is discussed. >
What is the best treatment for prediabetes

Worldwide, along with the increasing prevalence of obesity, the number of people with prediabetes is increasing. The diagnostic criteria for prediabetes include impaired fasting glucose, impaired glucose tolerance, and metabolic syndrome. The presence of two or more of these three criteria renders a person at high risk for future diabetes. The treatment goal of prediabetes is to prevent future development of type 2 diabetes and diabetes-related cardiovascular complications. The treatment approach is twofold: glycemic control and control of cardiovascular risk factors, mainly hypertension and hyperlipidemia. Intensive lifestyle modification is the mainstay of treatment in low-risk patients. When lifestyle modification fails and in high-risk patients, medications such as metformin and/or acarbose are recommended. For high-risk patients and those who progress despite intensive lifestyle modification, thiazolidinediones are also recommended. The goals for cardiovascular risk factor control are similar to those for patients with diabetes.
The impact of appendicularian grazing on natural food concentrations in situ1

The filtering rates of Oikopleura dioica and Stegasoma magnum (Tunicata: Appendicularia) were measured in situ by a SCUBA diver in the Gulf of California. Simultaneous measurement of the age class structure of each appendicularian population, natural food densities, and the rate of increase of food particles allowed calculation of the grazing impact of each population on natural food assemblages in the field. Filtering rates increased exponentially with animal size and reached maxima of 12.5 ml* animal-‘. h * for 0. dioica and 627 for S. magnum. The filtering rate of S. magnum was an order of magnitude higher than that of copepods of similar ash-fret dry weight. At densities ranging from 205 to 4,587 animals * mP3, 0. dioica populations filtered from 1.3 to 37.7% of each cubic meter in 24 h. At maximum population densities clearance exceeded the replacement rate of the particulate food. Stegasoma magnum ranged from 11 to 63 animals em -3 and filtered from 5.4 to 13.4% of each cubic meter in 24 h. Direct field evidence indicates that appendicularian grazers exert significant grazing pressure on natural food assemblages in situ.
Estimating the child health equity potential of improved sanitation in Nepal.

Background Access to improved sanitation plays an important role in child health through its impact on diarrheal mortality and malnutrition. Inequities in sanitation coverage translate into health inequities across socio-economic groups. This paper presents the differential impact on child mortality and diarrheal incidence of expanding sanitation coverage across wealth quintiles in Nepal.
From Isolation to Skepticism

If moral properties lacked causal powers, would moral skepticism be true? I argue that it would. Along the way I respond to various arguments that it would not.
Temporal lobe functional activity and connectivity in young adult APOE ɛ4 carriers

Abstract Background We sought to determine if the APOE e4 allele influences both the functional activation and connectivity of the medial temporal lobes (MTLs) during successful memory encoding in young adults. Methods Twenty-four healthy young adults, i.e., 12 carriers and 12 noncarriers of the APOE e4 allele, were scanned in a subsequent-memory paradigm, using event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging. The neuroanatomic correlates of successful encoding were measured as greater neural activity for subsequently remembered versus forgotten task items, or in short, encoding success activity (ESA). Group differences in ESA within the MTLs, as well as whole-brain functional connectivity with the MTLs, were assessed. Results In the absence of demographic or performance differences, APOE e4 allele carriers exhibited greater bilateral MTL activity relative to noncarriers while accomplishing the same encoding task. Moreover, whereas e4 carriers demonstrated a greater functional connectivity of ESA-related MTL activity with the posterior cingulate and other peri-limbic regions, reductions in overall connectivity were found across the anterior and posterior cortices. Conclusions These results suggest that the APOE ɛ4 allele may influence not only functional activations within the MTL, but functional connectivity of the MTLs to other regions implicated in memory encoding. Enhanced functional connectivity of the MTLs with the posterior cingulate in young adult e4 carriers suggests that APOE may be expressed early in brain regions known to be involved in Alzheimer's disease, long before late-onset dementia is a practical risk or consideration. These functional connectivity differences may also reflect pleiotropic effects of APOE during early development.
Explicit eigenmodes for anisotropic media

An exact computational algorithm that solves steady-state Maxwell equations for fields produced by electric currents in the presence of slabs with biaxial anisotropy is developed. Eigenmodes are computed explicitly and are used to study unattenuated propagation and transverse modes. >
Sequential design of multiple description scalar quantizers

This paper introduces a new sequential design method for multiple description scalar quantizers (MDSQs) to generate two or more balanced descriptions. In this design method, a multiple description system is divided into multiple stages, and the m-th stage can be understood intuitively as minimizing the distortion of receiving any m of all the descriptions, while looking ahead to the next stage to reduce the distortion if more descriptions are present. Entropy-constrained sequential MDSQ with two descriptions is shown to achieve the same asymptotic performance as entropy-constrained MDSQ with uniform stepsize. Then this method is applied to the design of sequential MDSQ with three descriptions, for which two slightly different designs are given and compared with a three description system based on unequal loss protection at high rate. The results suggest that if the quality of the decoded source with two or more descriptions (rather than a single description) is most important, general multiple description systems should be favored over unequal loss protection systems. However, if the quality of the decoded source with a single description is most important (in the case of, for example, high channel failure rates), the difference in their performances is not terribly large.
Second Order Anisotropy in Exchange Spring Systems

XCHANGE spring systems have been proposed recently as a possible solution for increasing write-ability of recording media. The structure allows for the reduction of the switching field, significantly more substantial than the reduction expected by averaging the anisotropy fields of the hard and soft layers. The reversal process in case an external field is applied parallel to the easy axis of the hard layer has been described in [2]: a domain wall develops in the soft phase that subsequently propagates through the interface and assists switching the hard phase. Separating the magnetic properties of the soft and hard layers in the structure is essential in the process of developing the media. Films containing only the hard phase can be used to measure the saturation moment and anisotropy field and , for example by employing the torque method. The torque curve—showing how the component of magnetization perpendicular to the field varies with the angle when the sample is rotated in a constant field—has a sinusoid shape and is easily expressed mathematically if we assume that the hard layer behaves as a single spin. By fitting the experimental data an effective anisotropy is determined, to which the demagnetization term equal to must be added to obtain the crystalline Hk. The difficulty of measuring the properties of the soft phase-M and come from the fact its microstructure changes significantly if the soft layer is grown by itself, compared to the case when it is grown on top of the hard layer. Thus we cannot use films composed of the soft layer only, we must measure directly the exchange spring structure. In analyzing the torque curve of the exchange spring, we must take into account the nonuniformity of magnetization orientation. Partial domain walls develop at the boundary of the two phases, due to the difference in anisotropy [3]. The magnetization of the hard/soft layer combination can be modeled theoretically as a one-dimensional chain of spins, extending from the bottom of the hard layer to the top of the soft layer. We deduced analytical formulas for the dependence of spin orientation on the position in the chain, when the sample is rotated in constant
Gender as a Question of Historical Analysis

This article examines the historically and culturally specific valence of ‘gender’ as currently deployed in the field of gender and women's history. It draws broadly on the scholarship on gender since the 1980s, while focusing particularly on the case of the British North American colonies and the early United States republic. The essay argues against the common practice of assuming that gender, understood as an oppositional binary, functions virtually universally as a primary process for representing differential power. It concludes by calling for a way of thinking about gender that can recognise important historical and cultural alternatives.
Do paediatric cardiologists discuss cardiovascular risk factors with patients and their families

Atherosclerotic disease of the heart likely has its origins in childhood. The promotion of cardiovascular health in children, however, has been studied only for those practicing in general paediatrics. We hypothesised that paediatric cardiologists do not consistently discuss cardiovascular risk factors with patients and their families. We therefore, carried out a nationwide survey of paediatric cardiologists to determine how often they discussed atherosclerosis and 4 modifiable risk factors, specifically weight, smoking, diet and nutrition, and physical activity. Only two-fifths reported that they discussed atherosclerotic disease frequently to always. For patients with cardiovascular disease, weight was discussed frequently to always by 59%, smoking by 61%, diet and nutrition by 63%, and physical activity by 92%. In contrast, for patients without cardiovascular disease, weight was discussed frequently to always by 35%, smoking by 46%, diet and nutrition by 39%, and physical activity by 62%. These differences are statistically significant (p < 0.003 by chi2 analysis). Cardiovascular risk factors were discussed more consistently as children grew older (p < 0.0001). Respondents stated that, in their opinion, the promotion of cardiovascular health was a role more appropriate for providers of primary care than for paediatric cardiologists (p < 0.0001). Constraints of time, and the perceived role of the cardiologist, were the most common barriers to anticipatory guidance. We suggest that these findings indicate that paediatric cardiologists can assume a more prominent role in preventive cardiology and education, although their precise role or roles, and the optimal methods of anticipatory guidance, remain controversial.
Waltzing Matilda: An Autoethnography of a Father’s Stillbirth

In this autoethnographic essay, I consider the experience of my daughter Matilda’s stillbirth. I explore stillbirth, grief, tactile contact with death, and how all of these demonstrate the strictur...
School of phish: a real-world evaluation of anti-phishing training

PhishGuru is an embedded training system that teaches users to avoid falling for phishing attacks by delivering a training message when the user clicks on the URL in a simulated phishing email. In previous lab and real-world experiments, we validated the effectiveness of this approach. Here, we extend our previous work with a 515-participant, real-world study in which we focus on long-term retention and the effect of two training messages. We also investigate demographic factors that influence training and general phishing susceptibility. Results of this study show that (1) users trained with PhishGuru retain knowledge even after 28 days; (2) adding a second training message to reinforce the original training decreases the likelihood of people giving information to phishing websites; and (3) training does not decrease users' willingness to click on links in legitimate messages. We found no significant difference between males and females in the tendency to fall for phishing emails both before and after the training. We found that participants in the 18--25 age group were consistently more vulnerable to phishing attacks on all days of the study than older participants. Finally, our exit survey results indicate that most participants enjoyed receiving training during their normal use of email.
One Magnitude Unit Reduction in Detection Threshold by Cross Correlation Applied to Parkfield (California) and China Seismicity

Abstract From a local high-resolution base catalog at Parkfield, California, 5076 earthquakes ( M 0.2 to 6) are used to study the comparative performance of a correlation detector and standard energy detector on the sparse regional network of continuously operating stations. Eighty-six percent of the events detected by a standard energy detector can also be detected by cross correlation. Correlation detection is able to find additional events by lowering the detection threshold by about 1 unit beyond what standard processing detects for Parkfield, a factor of 10 increase in number of events such as those predicted by Gutenberg–Richter. Most event separation distances for events that correlate at Parkfield are less than 1 km. The distribution of magnitude differences for events that correlate at Parkfield is not distinguishable from the input magnitude distribution. More robust measures to quantify reduction in detection threshold are introduced. Detection magnitude threshold reduction of about 1 unit holds for large-scale application to the 18,886 events in China and 5,076 events in Parkfield with false-alarm rates of a few percent. Large and small events are seen to correlate well enough for detection. Two examples are shown with magnitude differences as large as 2.3 and 3.3 units. The correlation detector also finds two cases of buried aftershocks in the coda of mainshocks that were previously unreported in the Annual Bulletin of Chinese Earthquakes (ABCE).
A Reassessment of “The Methods behind the Madness: Presidential Electoral College Strategies, 1988–1996”

Daron Shaw (1999) offers evidence for the predictable and systematic effects of campaign strategy. This article has influenced other scholars who rely on its findings in support of key assumptions about the strategic behavior of presidential candidates (Damore 2002; Heppen 2001; Prior 2001; Stoker and Bowers 2002). To conclude that candidates form campaign strategy based on predictable factors such as competitiveness, electoral vote share, and the cost of TV advertisements, Shaw (1999) claims to use “ordered probit” (1999, 906) instead of least-squares regression (LS) to avoid familiar problems with ordinal dependent variables. Then, to conclude that electoral college strategy is a strong exogenous predictor of campaign resource allocation, Shaw claims to use “two-stage least squares (2SLS)” (1999, 907) to avoid problems with endogeneity bias. Attempting to replicate Shaw’s (1999) results, we discover that both analyses are actually LS regressions presented as if they were ordinal probit and 2SLS. When we perform ordinal probit and 2SLS analyses, all substantive findings in Shaw (1999) vanish.
Coxiella burnetii exhibits morphological change and delays phagolysosomal fusion after internalization by J774A.1 cells.

Coxiella burnetii, the etiological agent of Q fever, is an obligate intracellular bacterium proliferating within the harsh environment of the phagolysosome. Mechanisms controlling trafficking to, and survival of pathogens within, the phagolysosome are unknown. Two distinct morphological variants have been implicated as playing a role in C. burnetii survival. The dormant small-cell variant (SCV) is resistant to extracellular stresses and the more metabolically active large-cell variant (LCV) is sensitive to environmental stresses. To document changes in the ratio of SCVs to LCVs in response to environment, a protein specific to SCV, ScvA, was quantitated. During the first 2 h after internalization of C. burnetii by J774A.1 cells, the level of ScvA decreased, indicating a change from a population containing primarily SCVs to one containing primarily LCVs. In vitro experiments showed that 2 h of incubation at pH 5.5 caused a significant decrease in ScvA in contrast to incubation at pH 4.5. Measuring in vitro internalization of [35S]methionine-[35S]cysteine in response to pH, we found the uptake to be optimal at pH 5.5. To explore the possibility that after uptake C. burnetii was able to delay phagolysosomal fusion, we used thorium dioxide and acid phosphatase to label phagolysosomes during infection of J774A.1 cells. We determined that viable C. burnetii was able to delay phagolysosomal fusion. This is the first time that a delay in phagolysosomal fusion has been shown to be a part of the infection process of this pathogenic microorganism.
Copper-Containing Enzymes: Structure and Mechanism

Enzymes that require copper for their activity catalyze reactions of many diverse types. In recent years, we have been studying Cu-containing enzymes whose reaction mechanisms are complex and incompletely understood. This report covers studies on two enzymes with different Cu stoichiometry at their active sites as well as different spectroscopic properties. Kinetic data are presented to delineate the reaction mechanism of galactose oxidase and spectroscopic data reveal the different classes of copper in phenoxazinone synthase.
Dotation, connection with some of external influences

Agriculture particularly aimed at the conservation landscape and its components; activities and expected future. It must hold out in its functions: production, ecological social, political in some case aesthetic. Hereto it needs a support, outgoing extraneous - dotation. However any unilateral view of dotation problems and their valuation can lead to distortion, mistaken calculation and decision. The contribution is devoted to the chosen areas coming from complex working problems namely external influence to: the position of branch among others, donator status and goings, tax and accounting legislature.
Overview of Nd Isotopic Variations

The chondritic meteorites probably provide the best samples of the building blocks from which the terrestrial planets were constructed (e.g. Ringwood 1975). They are primitive objects composed of condensates from the solar nebula that have suffered little further modification. As discussed in Chaps. 1 and 3, the inference that Sm and Nd condensed from the solar nebula at a high temperature implies that their relative proportions in chondritic meteorites, and indeed in all of the planets, should be the same as in the solar nebula (i.e., the sun). Because the chondrites have not been affected by magmatic processes, they provide an estimate of the bulk-earth values of Sm/Nd and 143Nd/144Nd.
Tumor-Induced Rickets Presenting in an Adolescent: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Rickets of any etiology is rarely encountered in modern clinical practice, and a primary presentation in an adolescent is even less common. Most cases of rickets are due to abnormalities in vitamin D intake, absorption, activity, or metabolism; others are related to phosphate deficiency from excessive renal excretion (e.g., X-linked dominant hypophosphatemic rickets). When a patient presents with no evidence of hereditary rickets and a standard workup fails to reveal the cause, unusual etiologies must be considered. Tumor-induced hypophosphatemia is a paraneoplastic condition that typically presents with osteomalacia in adults in their fifth decade of life1. We present a case of tumor-induced rickets in a previously healthy adolescent. The patient and his family were informed that data concerning the case would be submitted for publication, and they provided consent. A fourteen-year-old black adolescent presented to the pediatrician with the vague symptoms of bilateral knee and ankle pain, as well as generalized weakness. His mother was concerned that he “walked like a 70-year-old man.” He had no history of trauma or related family history. At the time of presentation, his height was at the 70th percentile and his weight was above the 90th percentile for age. He had no overt skeletal deformities. The pain was initially attributed to “growing pains.” He was prescribed nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, physical therapy, and shoe insoles. When the pain did not remit over the subsequent seven months, he was referred to a primary care sports medicine clinic where he was diagnosed with bilateral patellofemoral syndrome and bilateral pes planus. Radiographs of the knees obtained at that time demonstrated notable physeal widening and generalized demineralization of the cortices bilaterally (Fig. 1). Laboratory assessment was initiated (Table I). He was diagnosed with vitamin D deficiency and hypophosphatemic rickets and was prescribed calcitriol as well as sodium …
Nanoindentation studies of yield point phenomena on gold single crystals

Nanoindentation studies often show an instantaneous displacement-excursion in the load-displacement curve. This anomaly is generally associated with a surface contamination effect, dislocation emission, a phase transition, or an oxide break-through event. The determination of which effect is operative is often difficult when investigating oxide covered surfaces. The authors have performed a detailed nanoindentation study on clean, flame annealed single-crystal Au thus eliminating the effects of a surface oxide or contamination layer. Multiple displacement excursions were observed exhibiting a new phenomenon of staircase yielding. Owing to the fact that the radius of contact is more than an order of magnitude smaller than the average dislocation spacing expected for well annealed Au, the excursions are explained in terms of multiple dislocation nucleation events on parallel slip bands. Indentation data were taken on Au(111), (110), and (100) single crystal surfaces.
Usefulness of the Additional K-Wire Fixation and Suture for Reinforce the Treatment of Distal Clavicle Fracture Using Modified Tension Band Wiring

107 Copyright c 2016 The Korean Fracture Society. All rights reserved. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by-nc/4.0) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Received March 25, 2015 Revised (1st) April 26, 2015, (2nd) August 18, 2015, (3rd) November 2, 2015 Accepted December 31, 2015
Research and Application of PID Control in Idle Stability Control

Engine idle speed stability in vehicle comfort evaluation plays a critical role.PID control strategy always used in the actual control systems,this paper introduces the PID control principle,and the theory in actual gasoline engine idle stability control application.Through control the gasoline engine ignition-path and air-path PID control,achieve the aim of the engine idle stability fluctuation is less than 30rpm/s.Analysis every components of PID works on idle speed stability control,summed up the PID adjustment rules in calibration.
Epidermal growth factor signaling in transformed cells

Members of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR/ErbB) family play a critical role in normal cell growth and development. However, many ErbB family members, especially EGFR, are aberrantly expressed or deregulated in tumors and are thought to play crucial roles in cancer development and metastatic progression. In this chapter, we provide an overview of key mechanisms contributing to aberrant EGFR/ErbB signaling in transformed cells, which results in many phenotypic changes associated with the earliest stages of tumor formation, including several hallmarks of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). These changes often occur through interaction with other major signaling pathways important to tumor progression, causing a multitude of transcriptional changes that ultimately impact cell morphology, proliferation, and adhesion, all of which are crucial for tumor progression. The resulting mesh of signaling networks will need to be taken into account as new regimens are designed for targeting EGFR for therapeutic intervention. As new insights are gained into the molecular mechanisms of cross talk between EGFR signaling and other signaling pathways, including their roles in therapeutic resistance to anti-EGFR therapies, a continual reassessment of clinical therapeutic regimes and strategies will be required. Understanding the consequences and complexity of EGF signaling and how it relates to tumor progression is critical for the development of clinical compounds and establishing clinical protocols for the treatment of cancer.
Bone marrow fibrosis in myelofibrosis: pathogenesis, prognosis and targeted strategies

Bone marrow fibrosis is a central pathological feature and World Health Organization major diagnostic criterion of myelofibrosis. Although bone marrow fibrosis is seen in a variety of malignant and non-malignant disease states, the deposition of reticulin and collagen fibrosis in the bone marrow of patients with myelofibrosis is believed to be mediated by the myelofibrosis hematopoietic stem/progenitor cell, contributing to an impaired microenvironment favoring malignant over normal hematopoiesis. Increased expression of inflammatory cytokines, lysyl oxidase, transforming growth factor-β, impaired megakaryocyte function, and aberrant JAK-STAT signaling have all been implicated in the pathogenesis of bone marrow fibrosis. A number of studies indicate that bone marrow fibrosis is an adverse prognostic variable in myeloproliferative neoplasms. However, modern myelofibrosis prognostication systems utilized in risk-adapted treatment approaches do not include bone marrow fibrosis as a prognostic variable. The specific effect on bone marrow fibrosis of JAK2 inhibition, and other rationally based therapies currently being evaluated in myelofibrosis, has yet to be fully elucidated. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation remains the only curative therapeutic approach that reliably results in resolution of bone marrow fibrosis in patients with myelofibrosis. Here we review the pathogenesis, biological consequences, and prognostic impact of bone marrow fibrosis. We discuss the rationale of various anti-fibrogenic treatment strategies targeting the clonal hematopoietic stem/progenitor cell, aberrant signaling pathways, fibrogenic cytokines, and the tumor microenvironment.
Soundwaves in the Universe

Observations of large scale structure indicate the presence of very large, wall-like superclusters. In their distributions there is a growing evidence, that there is a characteristic scale in excess of 100h −1 Mpc. Other observations seem to imply only Gaussian fluctuations in the power spectrum. We describe how this apparent conflict can be caused by differences in sampling strategy. If the baryon fraction of the background density is high, close to the upper limits from the D abundance, the characteristic scale can possibly be interpreted as a remnant of the acoustic oscillations at recombination. Such a model would have very specific predictions for the position and amplitude of the Doppler peaks in the cosmic microwave background.
Roger Scruton's Conservatism and the Liberal Regime

ABSTRACTAlthough Roger Scruton insists on the incompatibility of his conservatism and the fundamental liberal principles of individualism and consent, his political thought has much in common with classical liberal constitutionalism. This essay explores these relationships while arguing that particularly Locke's constitutionalism is more compatible with Scruton's ideas than he allows. Specifically, Scruton argues that authority necessarily precedes any individual claims, but Locke's civil society, in fact, subordinates individual rights to political authority and common goods. Similarly, Scruton's insists that the state is an end rather than a means, but his own account of the conditionality of allegiance approaches Locke's understanding of legitimacy in the practice of civic association. This narrowing of the differences suggests that a conservative teaching could begin with an education in liberal constitutionalism rightly understood.
Metric for the ability of functional capture cycles to ensure functional operation conditions

Several test generation procedures are based on the expectation that after clocking a circuit in functional mode for several clock cycles, the circuit enters its functional state space and operates under functional operation conditions. Functional operation conditions are important for avoiding overtesting of delay faults. This study develops a quantitative metric for assessing the ability of functional capture cycles to take the circuit into its functional state space, and ensure functional operation conditions. The metric is based on the distances between the states that the circuit traverses during functional capture cycles and reachable states that the circuit can enter during functional operation. The paper also describes a procedure for modifying a test set so as to reduce the values of the metric for its tests.
Effort, play, and sport

AbstractThe effort involved in playing sports calls for a hermeneutical reflection on the power that we have to move our bodies. Drawing on Paul Ricoeur’s phenomenology of the lived body and his later ontology of the flesh, I explore how athletic displays of agility, strength, and speed within the theater of sporting competitions exemplify the way that the effort made by athletes attests to their will and desire to succeed. The agonistic spirit of the Greek Olympics is evident in sporting events where competitors or teams strive against one another. At the same time, the players’ willingness to enter the field of play has a counterpart in real-life situations over which we cannot exert complete control. The contingencies of the game in which the players are caught up are a model of the absence of aseity that is a mark of all human existence. By setting the playing field off from the concerns of everyday life, the game places this feature of the human condition on stage. The players’ physical exertion is t...
Potential Role of Chemokines in Fracture Repair.

Chemokines are a family of small cytokines that share a typical key structure that is stabilized by disulfide bonds between the cysteine residues at the NH2-terminal of the protein, they are secreted by a great variety of cells in several different conditions. Their function is directly dependent on their interactions with their receptors. Chemokines are involved in cell maturation and differentiation, infection, autoimmunity, cancer and, in general, in any situation where immune components are involved. However, their role in post-fracture inflammation and fracture healing is not yet well established. In this review paper, we will discuss the response of chemokines to bone fracture and their potential roles in post-fracture inflammation and healing based on data from our studies and from other previously published studies.
Are Tiny Homes Here to Stay? A Review of Literature on the Tiny House Movement

In the last few years, tiny houses have been promoted as a new, eco-friendly housing solution to combat the current waste of the housing industry. This article provides a review of the current literature regarding tiny houses and an examination of tiny house communities through the lens of the three-pronged approach to sustainability. This approach encompasses environmental, social, and economic considerations to provide a holistic examination of the sustainability of the tiny house movement.
7. Ballistic Electron Emission Microscopy

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the basic concepts of ballistic carrier spectroscopies, using the scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), as well as an extension to the study of nonballistic processes. Ballistic electron emission microscopy (BEEM) and its related techniques are extremely powerful probes of subsurface interfaces and of carrier transport through materials and across these interfaces. BEEM provides the most precise method available for the determination of Schottky barrier heights, and in addition is sensitive to other characteristics of the interface band structure, such as effective mass and satellite conduction band minima. The precision of barrier height measurements allows the determination of small changes in barrier height, because of such factors, as strain or temperature change. Such measurements are one important means for evaluating theories of interface formation. The implementation of BEEM, using STM, is a vital aspect of the method, since the highly localized electron injection enables a corresponding spatial resolution of interface properties. Therefore, this implementation provides an interface imaging capability that has been used to reveal hitherto unknown heterogeneity at semiconductor interfaces. The chapter presents two methods for probing carrier transport through materials. The first, using conventional BEEM involves the measurement of collector current as a function of base thickness and a determination of carrier attenuation lengths. The second method for the investigation of carrier transport involves the use of carrier-carrier scattering spectroscopy or reverse-bias BEEM. This spectroscopy allows the first direct probe of carrier-carrier scattering in materials and can also be performed as a function of base thickness, temperature, and with off-axis collectors to provide a wealth of data on the carrier scattering mechanisms.
Tylosin sorption to diatomaceous earth described by Langmuir isotherm and Freundlich isotherm models

Abstract Tylosin, an antibiotic used for maintaining livestock health, is a macrolide structurally similar to a number of important, often prescribed human antibiotics. Because of this relationship, tylosin presents a potential threat of antimicrobial resistance from environmental buildup. This work investigated tylosin sorption to natural diatomaceous earth product (DE) and the types of physical interactions responsible for sorption. Most sorption processes were best described by the Langmuir model when compared with Freundlich model. Heat of sorption ( ΔH ) was 1.14 kJ mol −1 indicating a physisorption process. Change in entropy ( ΔS ) was 119 J mol −1 . Sorption was evaluated from aqueous solution with various H + , KCl and Urea concentrations. In 0.01 M phosphate buffer (PB) pH 6.6, a maximum sorption capacity of 15 mg tylosin per g of DE was achieved. Changing the pH to 2.9 or 11.2 resulted in decreased sorption of tylosin (13 and 10 mg g −1 , respectively). Addition of 1 M KCl to 0.01 M PB pH 6.6 decreased sorption of tylosin to DE with the maximum binding capacity of 7 mg g −1 . Sorption in 1.0 M urea, 0.01 M phosphate buffer pH 6.6 showed a maximum sorption of 13 mg g −1 . Based on these results, the sorption of tylosin appears to be a physisorption process, with charge-charge interactions being the mode of sorption at neutral pH and small contributions from secondary interactions. This information will be useful for developing effective strategies for mitigating tylosin and other antimicrobial's impact on the environment.
Single-index regression for pooled biomarker data

Laboratory assays used to evaluate biomarkers (biological markers) are often prohibitively expensive. As an efficient data collection mechanism to save on testing costs, pooling has become more com...
Serum factor that blocks the action of fish oils on endothelial cell production of platelet-derived growth factor is ceruloplasmin.

The production of growth factors by endothelial cells (EC) and other vascular cells may regulate the migration and proliferation of smooth muscle cells in normal and pathological vessel wall processes. We have previously shown that EC production of platelet-derived growth factor-like protein (PDGFc) is regulatable, and in particular is inhibited by specific lipids and by lipid-containing complexes, e.g. oxidized low density lipoproteins and fish oil emulsions. In this report we show that the inhibitory activity of the fish oils is in turn regulated by a component present in serum. Addition of the fish oil extract MaxEPA to bovine aortic EC, in serum-free medium, reduced PDGFc secretion to about 30% that of control cells. Addition of calf serum to the medium almost completely suppressed this inhibitory activity of MaxEPA, while in contrast, fetal calf serum augmented the activity. The suppressor activity in calf serum was dose-dependent, with a half-maximal suppression of about 0.1% serum at a MaxEPA concentration of 50 micrograms/ml. Adult human serum was observed to have a quantitatively similar suppressor activity. The suppressor activity in human serum was identified as ceruloplasmin since: 1) purified ceruloplasmin also suppressed the activity of fish oil, and at concentrations comparable to the inhibitory levels in serum, and 2) removal of ceruloplasmin from human plasma-derived serum by immunoprecipitation restored the inhibitory activity of MaxEPA. These results may have implications in the effectiveness of fish oils as a therapeutic agent for the reduction of intimal thickening in atherosclerosis.
Building for Tomorrow Today: Opportunities and Directions in Radiology Resident Research

Rationale and Objectives With rapid scientific and technological advancements in radiological research, there is renewed emphasis on promoting early research training to develop researchers who are capable of tackling the hypothesis-driven research that is typically funded in contemporary academic research enterprises. This review article aims to introduce radiology residents to the abundant radiology research opportunities available to them and to encourage early research engagement among trainees. Materials and Methods To encourage early resident participation in radiology research, we review the various research opportunities available to trainees spanning basic, clinical, and translational science opportunities to ongoing research in information technology, informatics, and quality improvement research. Conclusions There is an incredible breadth and depth of ongoing research at academic radiology departments across the country, and the material presented herein aspires to highlight both subject matter and opportunities available to radiology residents eager to engage in radiologic research. The opportunities for interested radiology residents are as numerous as they are broad, spanning the basic sciences to clinical research to informatics, with abundant opportunities to shape our future practice of radiology.
Demonstrating the Value of an ACL Registry

Objectives:One purpose of a registry is to identify procedures or devices that have either good or poor outcomes and improve treatment outcomes through feedback to surgeons. In 2010 we initially re...
Impact of Influenza Vaccination on Outcomes of Influenza Infections in Immunocompromised Patients

Introduction Patients with cancer are more susceptible to influenza infections than the general population, Hematopoietic Cell Transplant (HCT) recipients in particular. Conflicting data on influenza vaccine effectiveness and a lack of clear recommendations in complex clinical scenarios make the compliance with immunization suboptimal. Methods We conducted a retrospective study and included both HCT and non-HCT recipients with laboratory-confirmed influenza infection during the previous flu season (September 2017- May 2018). We evaluated 365 patients with hematologic malignancies (85), HCT recipients (138), and patients with various solid tumors (142). We analyzed the impact of influenza vaccination on mortality. Results Influenza A/H3N2 was the most common type detected during the past season with a total of 251 (69%) patients affected and half of the patients were hospitalized. Amongst the HCT recipients, more patients had an allogeneic than autologous transplant (56% vs. 44%). When compared to HCT recipients who were vaccinated, non-vaccinated HCT recipients had higher mortality rate (21% vs. 6%, p Conclusion Influenza vaccine administered to HCT and non-HCT recipients prior to a flu infection was effective in reducing overall morbidity and mortality associated with this infection. Although protection from influenza infection was suboptimal, we recommend universal vaccination during the flu season to prevent worse outcomes including mortality, especially amongst HCT recipients.
Transforming Medical Library Staff for the Twenty-First Century, edited by Melanie Norton and Nathan Rupp: Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield Publishing Group, 2017. 164 p. ISBN 9781442272194. $29.95 (hardcover).

Due to the evolving landscape of health sciences libraries and librarianship, managers may find that information gained during their formal education is not always sufficient for leading their staf...
Validation of circulating CD34+ cell counts as criteria for initiating peripheral blood stem cell collection in pediatric patients

Background & Aim Circulating CD34+ cell (cCD34) counts have been used as a criteria for determining if donors for peripheral blood stem cell harvest are ready for apheresis collection. Different cCD34 counts have been proposed as thresholds for initiation of stem cell collection, but few studies have focused on the validation of these criteria. The aim of this study is to validate an empirical policy of stem cell collection initiation using two independent datasets for statistical training and validation. Methods, Results & Conclusion Retrospective chart reviews were performed to compile patient data in a statistical training dataset that covered the years 2002-2004 and a validation dataset that covered 2005-2018. The training dataset comprised 29 patients and 82 collections. The pre-collection cCD34 counts and the numbers of CD34+ cells collected in this dataset showed a good correlation between the two parameters (Table). cCD34 counts = 9 cells/μl led predominantly to collections with CD34+ cells >=2.0 × 10^6/kg ("Good Collections"). Basing on this result, a procedural policy was established in which stem cell collections would not proceed if pre-collection cCD34 counts were = 9.0 cells/μl. For cCD34 counts between 4.5 and 9 cell/μl, the decision whether to proceed would be made at the clinician's discretion. For the detection of "Poor Collections" in the training dataset, the Sensitivity of the criteria was 46.4% (13/28), Specificity was 100% (40/40), Positive Predictive Value (PPV) was 100% (13/13), and Negative Predictive Value (NPV) was 72.7% (40/55). The validity of this policy was then verified using an independent validation dataset comprising 75 patients and 86 collections. The percentage of "Poor Collections" decreased from 51.2% in the training dataset to 24.4% in the validation dataset, indicating a substantial reduction of inadequate collections after implementation of the policy. For the detection of "Poor Collections" in the validation dataset, the Sensitivity of the criteria was 35.3% (6/17), Specificity was 100% (63/63), PPV was 100% (6/6), and NPV was 85.1% (63/74). In summary, the use of cCD34 counts to predict if stem cell collections will be "Poor Collections" is a reliable criteria that can reduce poor collections by almost 50%, thereby saving resources and decreasing unnecessary risks to the donors.
An exposition of some basic features of strictly stationary, reversible Markov chains

It has been well known for some time that for strictly stationary Markov chains that are ``reversible'', that special symmetry provides special extra features in the mathematical theory. This paper here is primarily a purely expository review of some of the basic features of that special theory. The mathematical techniques employed in this review are relatively gentle, involving only some basic measure-theoretic probability theory.
Appearance and disappearance of swainsonine in serum and milk of lactating ruminants with nursing young following a single dose exposure to swainsonine (locoweed; Oxytropis sericea).

A series of experiments were conducted to investigate the elimination of swainsonine in the milk of lactating ruminants following a single dose oral exposure to swainsonine (locoweed; Oxytropis sericea) and to assess subsequent subclinical effects on the mothers and their nursing young. In a preliminary experiment, lactating ewes were gavaged with locoweed providing 0.8 mg swainsonine/kg BW (n = 4; BW = 75.8 +/- 3.6 kg; lactation = d 45) and lactating cows were offered up to 2.0 mg swainsonine/kg BW free choice (n = 16; BW = 389.6 +/- 20.9 kg; lactation = d 90). Serum and milk were collected at h 0 (before treatment), 3, 6, 12, and 24 for ewes, and h 0 (before treatment), 6, 12, 18, and 24 for cows. Swainsonine was highest (P 0.025 microg/mL) appearance of swainsonine in cow serum and milk. In response to the results obtained in the preliminary experiment, a subsequent experiment utilizing lactating ewes (n = 13; BW = 74.8 +/- 6.4 kg; lactation = d 30) and cows (n = 13; BW = 460.8 +/- 51.9 kg; lactation = d 90) was conducted. Each lactating ruminant was gavaged with a locoweed extract to provide 0 (control), 0.2, or 0.8 mg swainsonine/kg BW and individually penned with her nursing young. Serum and milk from the mothers and serum from the nursing young were collected at h 0 (before treatment), 3, 6, 9, 12, 24 and 48 (an additional sample was obtained at h 72 for ewes and lambs). Serum and milk swainsonine was higher (P < 0.05) in the 0.8 mg treated groups and maximal (P < 0.05) concentrations occurred from h 3 to 6 for ewes and h 6 to 12 h for cows (P < 0.05). Rises in alkaline phosphatase activity indicated subclinical toxicity in the treated ewes (P < 0.05). Following a single dose oral exposure to 0.2 and 0.8 mg swainsonine/kg BW provided by a locoweed extract, swainsonine was detected in the serum and milk of lactating ewes and cows, and rises in serum alkaline phosphatase activity were observed in the ewes. Neither swainsonine nor changes in alkaline phosphatase activity was detected in the serum of the lambs and calves nursing the ewes and cows dosed with swainsonine.