cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mobile GIS in archaeological survey

You are surveying a broad, featureless plain and the planned coverage area is delimited in a Geographic Information System (GIS), but how do you rapidly locate your starting position and line up your survey crew with few landmarks? Your Global Positioning System (GPS) will get you to the survey area, but figuring out the coordinates is time consuming. Ideally, local maps and imagery, the survey coverage area, and yesterday’s coverage are available on a screen with your current GPS position indicated. You have discovered a site consisting of lithic concentrations of different material types, and each looks like a distinctive reduction event, but you only have 45 minutes to record and collect at the site. Using common GPS methods, you can map each concentration as a polygon feature, assign an ID number to it, document and collect it, and attribute it later. Alternately, you open the “lithic locus” geometry in a mobile GIS and map in each concentration. The GIS assigns a new ID number to the locus, and the collection bag from that locus is labeled accordingly. After mapping the locus, a digital form appears and requests summary information about the locus, the environmental context, digital photo numbers, and other relevant information. These data accompany the locus polygon back to your laboratory GIS system, where the feature geometry, data tables, digital photos links, and laboratory results from the analysis of the collection are integrated into a single GIS record by the unique ID number assigned to that artifact concentration.
Segmenting Visitors To A Destination Region Based On The Volume Of Their Expenditures

This article discusses the viability of targeting heavy spenders (as distinguishedfrom heavy users) in regional travel marketing. A sample ofsummertravel parties, contacted in a three-county region in Michigan's UpperPeninsula, was divided into light, medium, and heavy spenders based on each party's total expenditures in the region. Although only 33% of the parties were classified as heavy spenders, the expenditures ofthis segment accounted for 78% of the expenditures of the sample as a whole. Heavy spenders were distinguishable from the othersegments on the basis oftheirlargerparty sizes, longer length of stay, greater involvement with recreation, andgreaterpropensity to use information disseminated by the region's travel industry. Findings suggest how the region's appeal to heavy spenders could be maximized and how its existing market ofheavy spenders could be encouraged to stay longer and return in thefuture. However, few insights emerged on how potential heavy- spenders who have never visited the regi...
Synthetic seismograms using multifold path integrals - I. Theory

Summary. In a laterally varying multi-layered elastic medium the amplitudes of reflected waves often cannot be correctly modelled by geometrical acoustics because of the presence of caustics, shadows and diffractions. Maslov theory and the Gaussian beam method give correct amplitudes at caustics but do not give correct arrival times for waves diffracted from a corner on a reflector. The multi-fold path integral (MFPI) method presented in this paper is an alternative that addresses these problems. The MFPI method uses a combination of Kirchhoff-Helmholtz theory and geometrical acoustics to propagate waves between interfaces, and plane-wave reflection/ transmission coefficients to propagate them across the interfaces. The generalized ray associated with an MFPI consists of a number of smooth segments (one segment across each layer) joined together at interfaces. The integrations are over the point at which this generalized ray touches each interface. We derive MFPl’s for PP, SS and PS reflections and for a PP refraction. The resulting formulas are given in detail and from them the MFPIs for other seismic phases can easily be obtained by inspection. We also discuss how a given MFPI can be numerically evaluated in the frequency domain or in the time domain. For models in which velocities vary between interfaces, much time can be saved by the use of layer matrices that give travel times and spreading factors as functions of points on adjacent interfaces. Finally, the MFPI method is compared to other generalized ray theories.
Plant evolution at the crossroads: the imprint of history, climate, and humans on the Mediterranean flora

I expect that most botanists, when they think of evolution in the world’s Mediterranean-type environments, think of convergent evolution in response to the unusual climatic conditions. Mediterranean-type climates are not only distinctive, with a cool, wet winter and a hot, dry summer, they are also geographically disparate and geologically recent. This combination has led to the assembly of diverse floras on five continents with many shared features, as recognized by Schimper (1903) and others in the early works of plant geography based on the collections and observations of 18 th - and 19 th -century botanists. The single trait most strongly associated with Mediterranean-type vegetation is the development of sclerophylly, the hard, leathery, evergreen leaves of the dominant shrub vegetation, and the associated physiological strategies for survival and growth in the seasonal Mediterranean-type climate. Cooper (1922) in California, and later Loveless (1962) and Beadle (1966) in Australia, provided the foundation for understanding the physiological significance of the sclerophyll strategy in relation to seasonal drought and/or low nutrient availability. With this background in mind, I opened John D. Thompson’s new book, Plant Evolution in the Mediterranean(PEM for short) thinking about convergence and adaptation to Mediterranean-type climates. I was in for a pleasant surprise. Thompson is a population biologist by training, with 15 yr of research experience in the Mediterranean. In his broad-ranging synthesis, he presents the Mediterranean flora poised in a particular moment against a background of geological complexity, climatic fluctuations, and profound human influences. He focuses primarily on contemporary evolutionary processes, in particular the differentiation of populations in the complex environmental and anthropogenic mosaic of the Mediterranean region. Convergence, while receiving due notice, does not play a central role, and as the book unfolds, the particularities of the Mediterranean come to the fore, set in the context of general principles of ecology and evolution. PEM exemplifies the maturation of evolutionary ecology. In its first incarnation, in the 1960s and 1970s, the synthesis of ecology with optimality theory and evolution generated the successful, though much-berated, ‘‘adaptationist’’ program. Cost-benefit models were widely employed to demonstrate the adaptive value of physiological and morphological traits. Studies of convergence were held up as empirical tests of these models, and research on the flora and fauna of Mediterraneantype ecosystems played a central role in this effort (Cody and Mooney, 1978). Spurred in part by Gould and Lewontin’s (1979) critique, attention shifted in the 1980s to detailed studies of within-population selection on the one hand (e.g., Le1
Retinal implants: a systematic review

Retinal implants present an innovative way of restoring sight in degenerative retinal diseases. Previous reviews of research progress were written by groups developing their own devices. This systematic review objectively compares selected models by examining publications describing five representative retinal prostheses: Argus II, Boston Retinal Implant Project, Epi-Ret 3, Intelligent Medical Implants (IMI) and Alpha-IMS (Retina Implant AG). Publications were analysed using three criteria for interim success: clinical availability, vision restoration potential and long-term biocompatibility. Clinical availability: Argus II is the only device with FDA approval. Argus II and Alpha-IMS have both received the European CE Marking. All others are in clinical trials, except the Boston Retinal Implant, which is in animal studies. Vision restoration: resolution theoretically correlates with electrode number. Among devices with external cameras, the Boston Retinal Implant leads with 100 electrodes, followed by Argus II with 60 electrodes and visual acuity of 20/1262. Instead of an external camera, Alpha-IMS uses a photodiode system dependent on natural eye movements and can deliver visual acuity up to 20/546. Long-term compatibility: IMI offers iterative learning; Epi-Ret 3 is a fully intraocular device; Alpha-IMS uses intraocular photosensitive elements. Merging the results of these three criteria, Alpha-IMS is the most likely to achieve long-term success decades later, beyond current clinical availability.
Scalable agent distribution mechanisms for large-scale UAV simulations

A cluster of computers is required to execute large-scale multi-agent. However, such execution incurs an inter-node communication overhead because agents intensively communicate with other agents to achieve common goals. Although a number of dynamic load balancing mechanisms have been developed, these mechanisms are not scalable in multi-agent applications because of the overhead involved in analyzing the communication patterns of agents. This paper proposes two scalable dynamic agent distribution mechanisms; one mechanism aims at minimizing agent communication cost, and the other mechanism attempts to move agents from overloaded agent platforms to lightly loaded platforms. Our mechanisms are fully distributed algorithms and analyze only coarse-grain communication dependencies of agents, thus providing scalability. We describe the results of applying these mechanisms to large-scale micro UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) simulations involving up to 10,000 agents.
La Crosse Encephalitis Virus Habitat Associations in Nicholas County, West Virginia

Aedes triseriatus (Say) population density patterns and La Crosse encephalitis virus infection rates were evaluated in relation to a variety of habitat parameters over a 14-wk period. Ovitraps and landing collections were used in a La Crosse virus-enzootic area in Nicholas County, WV. Study sites were divided into categories by habitat type and by proximity to the residences of known La Crosse encephalitis cases. Results demonstrated that Ae. triseriatus population densities were higher in sugar maple/red maple habitats than in hemlock/mixed hardwood habitats or in a site characterized by a large number of small red maple trees. Sites containing artificial containers had higher population densities than those without. La Crosse virus minimum infection rates in mosquitoes collected as eggs ranged from 0.4/1,000 to 7.5/1,000 in the 12 study sites, but did not differ significantly among sites regardless of habitat type or proximity to human case residences. La Crosse virus infection rates in landing Ae. triseriatus mosquitoes ranged from 0.0/1,000 to 27.0/1,000. La Crosse virus was also isolated from host-seeking Ae. canadensis (Theobald) in two study sites, at rates similar to those found in the Ae. triseriatus populations. The Ae. triseriatus oviposition patterns and La Crosse virus infection rates suggest that this mosquito species disperses readily in the large woodlands of central West Virginia. The La Crosse enzootic habitats in Nicholas County, WV, are contrasted with those studied in other geographic regions where La Crosse virus is found.
A Numerical Method for Synthesizing Atmospheric Temperature and Humidity Profiles

Abstract A numerical technique is described for synthesizing realistic atmospheric temperature and humidity profiles. The method uses an ensemble of radiosonde measurements collected at a site of interest. Erroneous profiles are removed by comparing their likelihood with prevailing meteorological conditions. The remaining profiles are decomposed using the method of empirical orthogonal functions. The corresponding eigenprofiles and the statistics of the expansion coefficients are used to numerically generate synthetic profiles that obey the same statistics (i.e., have the same mean, variability, and vertical correlation) as the initial dataset. The technique was applied to a set of approximately 1000 temperature and humidity soundings made in Denver, Colorado, during the winter months of 1991–95. This dataset was divided into four cloud classification categories and daytime and nighttime launches to better characterize typical profiles for the eight cases considered. It was found that 97% of the variance ...
Earnings Of Hispanic And Asian Immigrants: Are Hispanic Immigrants Discriminated Against?

The heterogeneity of immigrants raises a question as to whether there is a general pattern of earnings progress that applies to all immigrants. As there are many types of immigrants, earnings patterns among immigrant groups are not well known. To fill in this research gap, this paper investigates the role of various determinants in the earnings process of two major immigrant groups: Hispanic and Asian immigrants. If there is a gap between these two immigrant groups, could it be a result of different human capital characteristics or some other factors? According to empirical results based on the 1990 Census of Population 5 percent Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS), the decomposition of the earnings difference between immigrant groups indicates that approximately 28 percent of the gap is unexplained by the observable labor market characteristics. Cotton’s modified version of the Oaxaca-Blinder procedure is used to decompose the earnings gap.
Local Ethnic Geography, Expectations of Favoritism, and Voting in Urban Ghana

African democracies are increasingly urban. While ethnicity is generally correlated with vote choice, recent research suggests there may be less ethnic voting in cities. But I show that voting for co-ethnic parties is as common in some urban neighborhoods as in rural areas, while non-existent elsewhere in the same city, combining original survey data, polling station results, and fine-grained census data from urban Ghana. Rather than being explained by the individual salience of ethnic identity or other characteristics of voters themselves, this intra-urban variation is influenced by the diversity and wealth of the local neighborhoods in which parties and voters interact, which change otherwise similar voters’ expectations of the benefits they will receive from a co-ethnic party in different places.
Abstract 14605: Epicardial/Endocardial Ablation for Inappropriate Sinus Tachycardia After Failed Endocardial Ablation

Introduction: Refractory inappropriate sinus tachycardia (IST) can be treated by sinus node ablation. The long term success of endocardial (EN) ablation is limited by the epicardial (EP) location o...
The Maxaquene Project: Maputo's First Urban Upgrade Scheme

In 1977, the Maputo neighborhood of Maxaquene was selected as the site of independent Mozambique’s first slum upgrade scheme. The Maxaquene Project, among the first of its kind in Africa, was modest in its goals: It left house construction up to residents themselves. Unlike expensive housing projects and site-and-service schemes elsewhere on the continent, it simply created conditions within an existing shantytown for future infrastructural improvement—primarily by opening up roadways for better service access and creating spaces for future schools and sewage and water lines. Given the arbitrary removals of the late colonial era, the most important part of the project was the plotting of parcels and the issuing of ad hoc building permits, a process that gave residents a sense of greater security of tenure.The permits weren’t accepted by municipal authorities, and more significant to the fate of the project, hardliners within the Frelimo hierarchy began to see the project as a threat. This paper, based on interviews with residents and with planners, as well as on materials from architects’ personal archives, explores how the organization of the spaces of the bairro—mostly by residents themselves—set the terms of an emergent urban citizenship, a set of claims regarding rights and responsibilities that clashed with Frelimo’s statist ideology.
A simple method for spinal localization in MR imaging.

MR imaging has become a powerful tool in the study of the spinal canal and its contents. In spite of the many advantages of this imaging technique over previous methods, the problem of spinal localization remains when imaging the upper, mid, and lower thoracic spine. Identification of the correct anatomic level in these regions holds obvious implications for planning therapy [1 ]. By using gelatin cod liver oil capsules as a surface marker, theproblem of spinal localization can be eas1ly overcome. The second cervical vertebra and the L5-S1 junction are used as anatomic reference points on preliminary scout films, which include the surface marker. Sagittal T1-weighted scout images with a large field of view are obtained to cover
What Ever Happened to Public Finance

The field of public finance has much to say about the short and long-term burden placed on the economy as a result of public debt financing. Unfortunately, in the current debate, we hear mostly anti-government rhetoric with little basis in fact.
Tungsten Silicide Films Based on Dichlorosilane Chemistry for Sub 0.5 Micron Applications

CVD WSi x , films have found widespread use as ultra thin gate, wordline and bitline interconnects due to the lower resistance that polycide offers. For submicron technologies, WSi x films based on the monosilane chemistry shows limitations due to the incorporation of high concentrations of Fluorine ions and poor step coverage. Recent work has shown that, WSi x films based on the dichlorosilane (DCS) chemistry minimizes these problems. One of the major issues in DCS WSi x films is the in-depth compositional non uniformity, especially those deposited on poly-Si substrates. The formation of a W-rich region at the WSi x /poly-Si interface can cause localized stresses which can result in cracking and adhesion problems. In this paper, we report the composition and structure of DCS WSi x , films deposited on undoped, doped and in situ doped poly-Si and oxide substrates. We have investigated the effect of different processing conditions on Si/W uniformity and the formation of W-rich and Si-rich interfaces, and the role of the nucleation step in modulating the Si/W ratio at the WSi x /poly-Si interface. The impact of a Si-rich region at the WSi x /poly-Si interface on silicide film properties has also been explored. RBS measurements were used to determine the composition profile through the depth of the film and Si/W uniformity in terms of Si-rich and W-rich interfaces. SIMS measurements were used to determine the impurity content in the silicide film and at the film/substrate interface.
Stability of La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3-δ perovskite membranes in reducing and nonreducing environments

The chemical stability of perovskite La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3-δ (LSCF-6428) has been investigated in connection with its potential use as a catalytic membrane for the oxidative coupling of methane (OCM). Once a steady-state oxygen-defect gradient is established (15−20 h), these membranes are found to be very stable under air/nitrogen gradients at temperatures up to 960 °C and they respond instantaneously to temperature changes with an apparent activation energy of 159 kJ/mol. However, serious near-surface etching occurs when one side of the membrane is exposed to 100% CH4 at 850 °C and atmospheric pressure, which resulted in dramatic increases in oxygen flux (a factor of 5). While this also caused an increase in the OCM reaction rate, the selectivity of C2+ hydrocarbons fell from 40 to 10%. It is also shown that stable operation under OCM conditions is possible if CH4 pressures are reduced to 0.1 atm but at a cost of C2+ production rate.
Novice therapist attachment and perceived ruptures and repairs: a pilot study.

Although extensively discussed in theoretical articles, empirical studies of therapist attachment and perceptions of ruptures and repairs are lacking. The present study examined the relationship between therapist attachment anxiety and avoidance and their perceptions of rupture tension, effort, and repair. Twenty-two novice therapists completed a measure of adult romantic attachment and a measure to assess perceptions of ruptures and repairs following the eighth session with their first clients. Results revealed that there was a strong positive correlation between therapist attachment anxiety and effort spent focused on perceived ruptures and a moderate positive correlation between attachment anxiety and rupture tension. There was no significant relationship between attachment anxiety and perceived repairs of ruptures. Attachment avoidance was not significantly correlated with either perceptions of the ruptures or repairs. Therapists who were higher on anxiety and avoidance, more fearful therapists, reported the most ruptures. Limitations and implications of the findings are presented.
Possible Effects of Vitamin K on Prothrombin and Clotting Time in Newly-born Infants

SummaryIn 2 infants an abnormally high prothrombin time and clotting time was strikingly reduced by administration of a concentrate rich in so-called Vitamin K. The dramatic results in 2 cases suggest that concentrates of this nature may prevent the occurrence of hemorrhagic disease of the newly-born and its tragic consequences.
US Physicians Overwhelmingly Endorse Hospice as the Better Option for Most Patients at the End of Life.

Background:Utilization of hospice has increased significantly over the past 2 decades, but there has been no recent assessment of US physicians’ opinions regarding and practices of referring patients to hospice.Methods:We surveyed 2016 US physicians from various specialties. Respondents agreed or disagreed with 2 statements: “For most patients, hospice provides better care at the end of life than they would otherwise receive without hospice” and “Many patients who enter hospice end up missing out on medical interventions from which they would have benefited.” Physicians were also asked, “In the past 12 months, approximately how many patients and/or their surrogates have you encouraged to consider entering hospice?”Results:Ninety-eight percent of physicians agreed that hospice provides better care at the end of life than the patient would receive without hospice. Only 11% of physicians agreed that patients who enter hospice miss out on medical interventions from which they would have benefitted. Ninety-two...
Determination of nitrate in air of residential areas by ion chromatography

Objective:To establish an ion chromatography method for the determination of nitrate in air of residential areas.Methods:The suspended particulate matter was collected on the glass fibre filter,ultrasonic elution with high pure water,and then determined by ion chromatography with electric conductivity detector,nitrate could be identified by elution time and quantified by peak height or peak area.Results:The limit and low limit of detection for nitrate were 0.009 mg/L and 0.029 mg/L,respectively.Nitrate could be determined in the range of 0.010 μg/m3~28 μg/m3 when 144 m3 air was collected at the flow of 0.1 m3/min.Conclusion:This method is rapid,accurate and sensitive,which can be applied for analysis of nitrate in air of residential areas.
Temple and Monastic Forests

Buddhism is said to have reached China during the reign of the Han Emperor, Ming Di (AD 58–75), or possibly a little earlier1 (Zurcher, 1972: ch. 2; Chen, 1972: ch. 2), bringing with it the monastic tradition. The religion spread rapidly, sometimes under imperial and gentry patronage. From the beginning, temples and monasteries were important centres for the propagation of the faith and as centres of learning. As Buddhism gained a following, temples and monasteries were built both in the cities and in more secluded rural areas. Some thirty thousand temples are said to have been active in north China alone by the Northern Wei (5th century ad), (Chen, 1972: 259).
Isolation and Plasmid Characterization of a Lactobacillus Species Involved in the Manufacture of Fermented Sausage1

Isolation and characterization of a Lactobacillus species capable of proper acid production in a sausage environment is described. The isolate from sausage, categorized as a lactobacillus in the subgenus Streptobacterium , was designated Lactobacillus sp. DR1. Growth occurred at 5 and 42°C but not at 45°C. Fructose, galactose, glucose, mannose, melibiose, N-acetylglucosamine, ribose, sucrose and trehalose were fermented. Gas production from glucose was not observed. In MRS glucose broth, D(-) and L(+) lactic acid were produced. Lactobacillus sp. DR1 contained a single cryptic plasmid of approximately 30 megadaltons (Mdal). In sausage fermentation trials, both Lactobacillus sp. DR1 and plasmid-free derivative DR1C lowered the pH to below 5.3 after 8 h in the smokehouse. Conjugation was demonstrated through the transfer of plasmid pAMβ1, which encodes erythromycin resistance, from Streptococcus lactis 2301β to Lactobacillus sp. DR1. Mutanolysin-generated protoplasts could be regenerated using 0.5 M ammonium chloride, lactose, maltose or sucrose as osmotic stabilizers. Regeneration frequencies ranged from less than 1.0% up to 35%; however, transformation of Lactobacillus sp. DR1 protoplasts by plasmid DNA in the presence of polyethylene glycol (PEG) was unsuccessful.
Validation of late oral health outcomes, an oral health subscale of the Vanderbilt Head and Neck Symptom Survey in post-radiation therapy head and neck cancer patients.

6040 Background: The Vanderbilt Head and Neck Symptom Survey (VHNSS) version 2.0 oral symptom subscale was developed to address potentially overlooked and underreported oral health issues. We repor...
On dimension growth of modular irreducible representations of semisimple Lie algebras

In this paper we investigate the growth with respect to p of dimensions of irreducible representations of a semisimple Lie algebra g over Fp. More precisely, it is known that for p ≫ 0, the irreducibles with a regular rational central character λ and p-character χ are indexed by a certain canonical basis in the K0 of the Springer fiber of χ. This basis is independent of p. For a basis element, the dimension of the corresponding module is a polynomial in p. We show that the canonical basis is compatible with the two-sided cell filtration for a parabolic subgroup in the affine Weyl group defined by λ. We also explain how to read the degree of the dimension polynomial from a filtration component of the basis element. We use these results to establish conjectures of the second author and Ostrik on a classification of the finitedimensional irreducible representations of W-algebras, as well as a strengthening of a result by the first author with Anno and Mirkovic on real variations of stabilities for the derived category of the Springer resolution.
Transmission of Infectious Diseases: Data, Models, and Simulations

Abstract This chapter introduces students to various aspects of mathematical modeling in epidemiology, including data collection, development of models, and deriving and interpreting predictions of models. The agent-based models of this chapter are explored by using a teaching tool, IONTW (Infections On NeTWorks), which was developed by the authors using the NetLogo programming language. The chapter discusses in detail the process of building mathematical models of disease transmission. Students will frequently be challenged to critically examine the simplifying assumptions that are involved in this process. It also provides an intuitive introduction to thinking about simulation models in terms of pseudocode, intended to empower students who have no prior knowledge of computer programming to analyze simulation models at a semiformal level. The chapter includes numerous conceptual and simulation exercises aimed at developing deeper understanding of the concepts.
Interrogating the Spatiotemporal Landscape of Neuromodulatory GPCR Signaling by Real-Time Imaging of cAMP in Intact Neurons and Circuits

Modulation of neuronal circuits is key to information processing in the brain. The majority of neuromodulators exert their effects by activating G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that control the production of second messengers directly impacting cellular physiology. How numerous GPCRs integrate neuromodulatory inputs while accommodating diversity of incoming signals is poorly understood. In this study, we develop an in vivo tool and analytical suite for analyzing GPCR responses by monitoring the dynamics of a key second messenger, cyclic AMP (cAMP), with excellent quantitative and spatiotemporal resolution in various neurons. Using this imaging approach in combination with CRISPR/Cas9 editing and optogenetics, we interrogate neuromodulatory mechanisms of defined populations of neurons in an intact mesolimbic reward circuit and describe how individual inputs generate discrete second-messenger signatures in a cell- and receptor-specific fashion. This offers a resource for studying native neuronal GPCR signaling in real time.
Airway Management, Emergencies and the Difficult Airway

Modern surgical practice necessitates safe and efficient management of the airway in order to administer anesthesia in a controlled manner. It is the primary role and responsibility of the anesthesiologist to assess, secure, and monitor a patient’s airway in the perioperative setting. Although performed on a daily basis in seemingly routine fashion, unanticipated problems in airway management will be encountered by even the most skilled anesthesiologist in anywhere from 1 % to 3 % of patients undergoing general endotracheal anesthesia [1]. The effective identification of such potentially “difficult” airways should be the focus of the preoperative assessment by both surgeon and anesthesiologist in order to develop a coordinated plan of care and minimize the risk of precipitating a true airway emergency.
Polarized Justice? Changing Patterns of Decision-Making in the Federal Courts

This article examines the question of whether there has been a pattern of increasing partisan polarization in decisions by federal judges. After an initial section briefly discussing the general issue of partisan polarization in American politics, the analysis draws on several extant data sources to present evidence of concerning polarization for each of the three levels of the federal courts. That analysis shows increasing, and quite significant, polarization in the behavior of the justices of the Supreme Court, although that is not true for decisions dealing with economics issues and regulation. Much of the change reflects who presidents have been appointing to the Court. For the Court of Appeals and the federal district courts, there is also evidence of increasing differentiation between appointees of the two parties’ presidents. Given the more routine nature of cases below the Supreme Court, the gaps and the change at the lower levels are much less. Again, the nature of the changes varies with the types of cases and those changes significantly reflect who is being appointed to the courts.
The Latest Cancer Agents and Their Complications

The latest cancer agents, collectively known as cancer immunotherapy, have tremendously increased the armamentarium against cancer. Their targeted mechanisms seem ideal, but they do come with complications. As these therapies become more widespread, emergency physicians everywhere must be aware of the immune-related adverse events that can occur, and be ready to identify and coordinate treatment. This article provides the emergency physician with a brief introduction and overview of immunotherapy drugs and their complications.
Cantilever Arrays: A Universal Platform for Multiplexed Label-Free Bioassays

Microcantilevers have caught great attention as label-free and ultra-sensitive biological sensors. When molecular adsorption occurs on only one surface of cantilever, the resulting differential surface stress leads to cantilever bending, thus providing a method of detecting molecular adsorption (Figure 2.1). How does the transduction from molecular adsorption to surface stress change occur? Though the underlying science of the transduction is yet to be completely understood, the thermodynamic argument suggests that the reaction-induced free energy reduction on one cantilever surface is balanced by the strain energy increase due to bending, such that at equilibrium the free energy of the whole system reaches the minimum [11]. In other words, the penalty of increasing the strain energy must be compensated by a larger reduction in free energy due to reaction, reflecting the interplay between mechanics and chemistry. Hence, the cantilever bending can be construed as a measure of free energy reduction due to the chemical reaction on one surface. What isworth noting is that because free energy reduction is common for all reactions, the cantilever-based sensing is universal platform for studying reactions. The ability of analyzing molecules without the use of optical or radioactive labels makes this approach rather attractive for biology and medicine.
A Whitehead Theorem

This chapter discusses the classical Whitehead theorem, which states that if f: X → Y is a map between simply connected spaces such that H * f is an isomorphism for i ≤ n and an epimorphism for i = n + 1, then π i f is also an isomorphism for i ≤ n and an epimorphism for i = n + 1. However, as per the present Whitehead theorem, if n ≥ 0 and if f : X → Y ∈ ℒ such that X and Y are connected and that H i f is an isomorphism for i ≤ n and an epimorphism for i = n + 1. Then, in the notation of 2.2, π i f’ is also an isomorphism for i ≤ n and an epimorphism for i = n + 1.
Optimal Contract Design in Residential Brokerage

We introduce a principal–agent model where a real estate agent has private information that is important for a home seller to make decisions on marketing strategies. The seller designs a commission contract that motivates the agent to acquire information and then truthfully reveal it. We find that fixed commission rates are optimal if the agent has no private information or if his private information is given. If the agent's private information is acquired endogenously, the optimal commission rate should vary with the information revealed by the agent. The varying commission rate, however, is associated with distorted decisions on marketing strategies.
Reduced sensitivity to devaluation for instrumental but not consummatory behaviors in binge eating prone rats.

Abstract Binge eating is characterized by the consumption of a large amount of palatable food in a short period of time and is a core feature of many eating disorders. Patients with eating disorders are also known to display impairments in inhibitory control, cognition and decision-making, which may promote and maintain binge eating symptomology. In the current study, we examined whether rats that were subsequently characterized as displaying a higher propensity to binge eat would show pre-existing deficits in reinforcer devaluation—a paradigm used to examine decision-making following reductions in the value of a food reinforcer. Female rats were first trained to respond on two levers for the delivery of two food reinforcers (sucrose and maltodextrin solutions). At the test stage, rats were provided 1 h access to one of the two reinforcers to allow for devaluation via sensory specific satiety, immediately followed by an extinction test with both levers. Normal rats typically show reductions in responding on the lever associated with the devalued reinforcer (i.e., intact goal-directed responding). Subsequently, we used intermittent access to palatable food to identify high (BE prone [BEP]; n = 14), intermediate (BE neutral [BEN]; n = 48), and low (BE resistant [BER]; n = 13) phenotypes of binge eating. Prior reinforcer devaluation performance showed BEN and BER rats suppressed responding on the lever associated with the devalued reinforcer while BEP rats did not. This insensitivity to instrumental reinforcer devaluation in BEP rats did not reflect impaired sensory-specific satiety as during a food choice test, BEP rats showed a more robust alteration in food preferences following devaluation. Additionally, across all rats sensory specific satiety was correlated with subsequent intake of palatable food. Collectively, these findings suggest dissociable effects of devaluation procedures on instrumental actions and consummatory behaviors in BEP rats, and may indicate that pre-existing differences in goal-directed behavior and sensory-specific satiety contribute to the propensity to overeat palatable food.
Endogenous Carcinogenesis: Nitrate, Nitrite and N-Nitroso Compounds

Man is exposed to carcinogens in both his internal and external environment. In the case of N-Nitroso compounds the endogenous burden may greatly exceed environmental exposure. Endogenous synthesis may occur from nitrite preformed or added to foods, or from nitrite formed endogenously from nitrate. Nitrate may originate from food or water, but there is also an important component introduced via endogenous synthesis not of microbial origin. The distribution and metabolism of nitrate is discussed in relation to formation of nitrite, synthesis of N-Nitroso compounds, and the etiology of gastric cancer.
Predictive value of individual Sequential Organ Failure Assessment sub-scores for mortality in the cardiac intensive care unit.

Purpose To determine the impact of Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) organ sub-scores for hospital mortality risk stratification in a contemporary cardiac intensive care unit (CICU) population. Materials and methods Adult CICU admissions between January 1, 2007 and December 31, 2015 were reviewed. The SOFA score and organ sub-scores were calculated on CICU day 1; patients with missing SOFA sub-score data were excluded. Discrimination for hospital mortality was assessed using area under the receiver-operator characteristic curve (AUROC) values, followed by multivariable logistic regression. Results We included 1214 patients with complete SOFA sub-score data. The mean age was 67 ± 16 years (38% female); all-cause hospital mortality was 26%. Day 1 SOFA score predicted hospital mortality with an AUROC of 0.72. Each SOFA organ sub-score predicted hospital mortality (all p <0.01), with AUROC values of 0.53 to 0.67. On multivariable analysis, only the cardiovascular, central nervous system, renal and respiratory SOFA sub-scores were associated with hospital mortality (all p <0.01). A simplified SOFA score containing the cardiovascular, central nervous system and renal sub-scores had an AUROC of 0.72. Conclusions In CICU patients with complete SOFA sub-score data, risk stratification for hospital mortality is determined primarily by the cardiovascular, central nervous system, renal and respiratory SOFA sub-scores.
A Layered Manufacturing Approach for Soft and Soft-Rigid Hybrid Robots.

We present a manufacturing process for creating centimeter-scale multichambered inflatable robots and structures that can include both soft and rigid components. Our process uses a thermoplastic po...
Benefits and promotion of physical activity in rheumatoid arthritis.

Purpose of review The aim of this article is to describe the benefits of physical activity and exercise on rheumatoid arthritis disease activity, functioning, and symptoms; and offer recommendations for promotion of physical activity and exercise among people with rheumatoid arthritis. Recent findings In addition to well-known benefits of exercise such as improving cardiovascular health and metabolic syndrome and reducing obesity, exercise has consistently shown rheumatoid arthritis-specific benefits. Exercise and increases in physical activity improve clinically measured disease activity, reduce symptoms such as fatigue and pain, and improve function and mental health. In spite of these benefits, most people with rheumatoid arthritis are inactive. Patient barriers to engaging in physical activity may include fears of joint damage, rheumatoid arthritis symptoms, and lack of understanding that physical activity improves the symptoms that may be barriers. However, the greatest barrier to healthy levels of physical activity among individuals with rheumatoid arthritis appears to be the lack of direction from healthcare providers. Summary Exercise is safe and highly beneficial for people with rheumatoid arthritis. Because receiving recommendations from healthcare providers may be the factor most strongly associated with engaging in physical activity or exercise, providers are encouraged to give patients positive messages about the benefits of physical activity and the extremely low risks of harm.
Design, Build, and Test a Solar Powered Phone Charger

In this paper, a solar powered phone charger was designed, built, and tested. Initially, a hydrogen fuel cell was constructed using a series of razor blades, wires, and an aqueous solution of potassium hydroxide. Since the fuel cell failed in delivering power to electronic devices, a four parallel stacks of six NiMH AA rechargeable batteries in series were substituted to deliver roughly 8 V to an Arduino Uno, which powered a DROK integrated circuit in order to provide charge to small electronics, such as cell phones. A 50 W solar panel was used to charge these batteries. To maximize the efficiency of this solar panel, a mount was designed and built using a servo motor and CdS photo resistors that was capable of orienting the photovoltaic cell to the strongest source of light. A program for the Arduino Uno was composed to control this mount to provide power to the DROK integrated circuit, and read the battery stack’s relative state of charge and illuminate LEDs accordingly. A switch was incorporated into the design that would cut power to the microcontroller when the prototype was not being used. After constructing the prototype, multiple tests were run both on subassemblies and on the overall device to verify its electrical capabilities, mechanical stability, and aesthetic appeal to a broader audience. Appropriate design changes were made as a direct result of these tests, consequently strengthening the legitimacy of the overall design. Possible improvements include a manufactured hydrogen fuel cell, increased electronic charging capabilities using a simple transformer, and linear actuators to improve the solar-tracking capabilities of the photovoltaic cell mount.
Carbonyl-protein content increases in brain and blood of female rats after chronic oxycodone treatment

Opioids are the most effective drugs commonly prescribed to treat pain. Due to their addictive nature, opioid pain relievers are now second to marijuana, ahead of cocaine with respect to dependence. Ours and other studies suggest potential toxic effects of chronic opioid administration leading to neuronal degeneration. It has been suggested that protein carbonylation may represent a sensitive biomarker of cellular degeneration. To evaluate whether prolonged oxycodone administration is associated with accumulation of protein aggregates that may contribute to neuronal degeneration we measured protein carbonylation levels in brain and also in blood plasma of rats after 30-days of 15 mg/kg daily oxycodone administration. We observed a significant increase in the level of carbonylated proteins in rat brain cortex after 30-days of oxycodone treatment compare to that in water treated animals. Also, oxycodone treated rats demonstrated accumulation of insoluble carbonyl-protein aggregates in blood plasma. Our data suggests that tests detecting insoluble carbonyl-protein aggregates in blood may serve as an inexpensive and minimally invasive method to monitor neuronal degeneration in patients with a history of chronic opioid use. Such methods could be used to detect toxic side effects of other medications and monitor progression of aging and neurodegenerative diseases.
What Makes a Discovery Successful? The Story of Linda Buck and the Olfactory Receptors

In 1991, Buck and Axel published a landmark study in Cell for work that was awarded the 2004 Nobel Prize. The identification of the olfactory receptors as the largest family of GPCRs catapulted olfaction into mainstream neurobiology. This BenchMark revisits Buck's experimental innovation and its surprising success at the time.
Aerosol penetration through fabrics: Experiments and theory

Clothing or garments have been widely used to prevent dermal contact from particles. During the current COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a renewed focus on the role of clothing for personal protec...
Machine Learning Enabled Fast Multi-Objective Optimization for Electrified Aviation Power System Design

With the rise of more electric and all-electric aviation power systems, engineering efforts of system optimization shift to the electrical domain. A substantial amount of time and resources are dedicated to finding the best system architecture and design specifications to meet energy efficiency goals and physical constraints. Current processes utilize models of power system components to determine the optimal designs. However, such modeling is computationally expensive as numerous iterations are required to settle on an optimal design. This paper proposes a machine learning (ML) enabled constrained multi-objective optimization solver to drastically reduce the amount of design iterations required for Pareto set discovery for power systems. The process contributes significantly to design automation. A heavy-duty vertical-takeoff-landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) power system is selected to demonstrate the efficacy and limitation of ML enabled optimization. Two extreme trials were run: 1) a search throughout the entire design space with only 9% valid designs within constraints; 2) a search throughout the valid design space. While Trial 1 was unsuccessful in discovering the Pareto front, Trial 2 uncovered all Pareto optimal designs with a 99% reduction of iterations compared to a brute force method.
Dual therapy with clopidogrel and rivaroxaban in cats with thromboembolic disease.

ObjectivesFeline arterial thromboembolism (ATE), an often devastating outcome, was recently shown to affect 11.3% of cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy over 10 years. Current American College of...
Early Postoperative Complications and Factors Associated with Early vs Late Discharge of Patients Undergoing Colporrhaphy for Pelvic Organ Prolapse: A National Report

AbstractIntroduction:Pelvic organ prolapse is a highly prevalent condition that is commonly managed with surgical intervention. Our purpose was to determine associated factors and postoperative mor...
Molecular Detection of Group B Streptococcus

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the molecular detection of group B streptococcus (GBS). Infection with Streptococcus agalactiae or group B Streptococcus (GBS) was identified in the 1970s as a leading cause of sepsis in neonates and presents a serious health threat for an otherwise healthy infant. GBS infection can present with clinical variability, ranging from mildly asymptomatic to severe. Commonly observed early- and late-onset disease presentations include sepsis, pneumonia, and meningitis; however, the clinical implications of perinatal GBS disease extend beyond neonatal illness and death and include long-term health issues such as developmental delays, sight or hearing loss, learning disabilities, and cerebral palsy. Infections in adults are associated with sepsis and soft tissue infections, and manifestations of infection during pregnancy can include sepsis, amnionitis, urinary tract infection, and stillbirth. Adults who are particularly susceptible to infection include those with chronic illnesses such as liver failure and diabetes mellitus. Also at substantially increased risk are infants born to women colonized with GBS, or to mothers who experience prolonged rupture of membranes or deliver prematurely. Other risk factors for early-onset GBS include a previous infant with GBS disease, demographic risk factors such as African-American ethnicity and young age, and a low antibody titer to GBS capsular polysaccharide.