cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Microbubble signal classification using NSSA-based filtering methods

Microbubbles (MBs) are capable of binding specifically to molecular markers on the vascular endothelium to enable sensitive detection of early stage disease. Traditional microbubble imaging techniques rely on the nonlinearity of microbubble signal to differentiate it from surrounding tissue. However, the presence of harmonic energy among echogenic tissue interfaces can limit the effectiveness of these methods in enhancing microbubble contrast. In many cases, it is challenging to achieve any quantitative separation between static tissue signal and bound MB signal (Fig. 1B). In this study, we use normalized singular spectrum area (NSSA) to differentiate between static tissue signal, bound MB signal, and free MB signal in a mouse hindlimb tumor.
Strategies to hydrophilize silicones via spontaneous adsorption of poly(vinyl alcohol) from aqueous solution

Abstract It is challenging to achieve long-lasting hydrophilicity by surface modification of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), principally due to the hydrophobic recovery that occurs. This involves the migration of low molecular weight species from the bulk to the surface and is driven by the reduction of interfacial free energy. In this study, spontaneous adsorption of poly(vinyl alcohol) was carried out on Sylgard PDMS films and their modified derivatives. PDMSox1s, PDMSox60s, and PDMSox60s+2k were prepared by 1-s oxygen plasma, 60-s oxygen plasma, and 60-s oxygen plasma followed by covalent attachment of linear PDMS of 2 kDa molecular weight on PDMS films, respectively. Surface morphology was characterized by optical and atomic force microscopy and hydrophilicity was monitored by dynamic water contact angle measurements. It was found that negligible PVOH adsorption takes place on PDMSox60s due to the lack of hydrophobic driving force and that extensive PVOH thin film dewetting on PDMS and PDMSox1s results in insignificant improvement in hydrophilicity. However, a continuous PVOH thin film albeit with some small holes was obtained on PDMSox60s+2k. PDMSox60s+2k-PVOH exhibits advancing and receding contact angles of 80–90°/16 ± 2°, which are significantly lower than 123 ± 5°/97 ± 2° on unmodified PDMS. A range of static contact angles were also measured, some of which are lower than those reported in the literature. The PDMSox60s+2k-PVOH system demonstrates superior long-term and hydrolytic stability, which are attributed to the removal of the driving force for hydrophobic recovery by inserting a hydrophobic PDMS layer between a hydrophilic, plasma-oxidized, PDMS bulk and a hydrophilic PVOH exterior. This is a new concept in addressing hydrophobic recovery of hydrophilized silicones. The spontaneous nature of the adsorption process and the crystallinity of the PVOH barrier layer are the other advantages demonstrated in this study.
Distance error for determining the acoustic velocity of standing tree using tree morphological, physical and anatomical properties

Time-of-flight (ToF) acoustic tools is one of the most practical nondestructive methods for predicting tree stiffness. In the literature, 120 cm between probes has been adopted as the standard for the assessment of tree acoustic velocity. However, there is no empirical study supporting this assertion, hence this study is aimed at determining the effect of distance on error for a common ToF acoustic tool. Twenty-five trees each were randomly selected from four loblolly pine plantations. Seven distances from 120 to 10 cm between probes were used to measure velocity. The morphological characteristics, physical and anatomical properties of the selected trees were also determined. The results indicated, at distances below 60 cm, the waveform is dominated by the fundamental frequency of the transmitter probe hence the velocities determined within 10–60 cm are not statistically different. Consequently, distances from 80 to 120 cm constitute the optimum range for velocity determination for this ToF acoustic tool. Furthermore, velocity determined at 40 cm is significantly higher than that determined at 120 cm suggesting velocity is dependent on the between probes distance. Using 120 cm as a standard distance, the dynamic stiffness is overestimated by 13, 50, 102, and 197 MPa respectively for 100, 80, 60, and 40 cm. Finally, microfibril angle and the fiber wall thickness are the main anatomical properties driving the signal at the micro-level.
Identification: Sorting Decisions and Analytic Consequences

This chapter takes up a matter insufficiently discussed in zooarchaeology: how analysts make decisions about specimen identifiability, both in terms of osteological and of taxonomic identification. This chapter explores the relationship of these two planes of identifiability, citing some key discussions in the literature, and presents an overview with examples of the many factors that can affect specimen identification. Specimens with high osteological but lower taxonomic identifiability are essential to studying human carcass processing, and even nonidentifable specimens are useful in such research. Entire body segments may actually be referred to this category due human processing directed toward them, which means such “minimally identifiable” specimens must be identified, if one wishes to address selective transport systematically. This chapter cites recommendations on communicating novel taxonomic identifications and discusses an inter-analyst agreement experiment that reports good analyst concordance with highly fragmented mammal bones. The chapter offers an example from my own field experience of circumstances that may require an analyst to flexibly alter their identification practices, in effect triaging an archaeofaunal sample to attain the project’s highest priority goals.
The architecture of network collective intelligence: correlations between social network structure, spatial layout and prestige outcomes in an office.

A social network represents interactions and knowledge that transcend the intelligence of any of its individual members. In this study, I examine the correlations between this network collective in...
Intelligent Interfaces to Empower People with Disabilities

Severe motion impairments can result from non-progressive disorders, such as cerebral palsy, or degenerative neurological diseases, such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Multiple Sclerosis (MS), or muscular dystrophy (MD). They can be due to traumatic brain injuries, for example, due to a traffic accident, or to brainstem strokes [9, 84]. Worldwide, these disorders affect millions of individuals of all races and ethnic backgrounds [4, 75, 52]. Because disease onset of MS and ALS typically occurs in adulthood, afflicted people are usually computer literate. Intelligent interfaces can immensely improve their daily lives by allowing them to communicate and participate in the information society, for example, by browsing the web, posting messages, or emailing friends. However, people with advanced ALS, MS, or MD may reach a point when they cannot control the keyboard and mouse anymore and also cannot rely on automated voice recognition because their speech has become slurred.
TOTAL VIABLE COUNTS | Specific Techniques

This article is a revision of the previous edition article by Michael G. Williams, Frank F. Busta, volume 3, pp 2160–2166, © 1999, Elsevier Ltd.
The Nonprofit Management and Communications Program

Millions of employees have been displaced over the last decade, and many of these have been corporate professionals and managers. Unfortunately, government agencies have not deemed it necessary to create career transition programs for white-collar displaced managers. Only one program—the Nonprofit Management and Communications Program1 (Program)—emerged to address this particular stratum, and it did so with the special intention of building a bridge to the nonprofit work world. It therefore provides a unique resource for research concerning the adult resocialization of corporate managers. Other managers have made this transition alone, but by studying the Program I could follow many managers all encountering similar problems and observe the range of responses and adaptations. No other setting that I am aware of would have provided such a research opportunity.
Marxism and the new middle classes: French critiques

An entire history of political sociology could be written on the theme of the "new middle classes." Whether in the guise of the "managerial revolution," "white collar," the "new working class," or the "new petite bourgeoisie," the emergence of intermediate strata in advanced industrial societies has been rediscovered more often than the wheel. Moreover, nowhere does the ideological. commitment of whatever variety found in political sociology appear more tiansparently than in consideration of this problem. Examples abound. German Social Democratic sociologists used the appearance of the new mittelstanden (with their alleged political moderation) as the sociological justification for their Revisionism. Later, and primarily in America, the "managerial revolution" was used by intellectuals of many political persuasions for their own purposes, from liberal economic fundamentalists (Schumpeter, James Burnham) who saw new bureaucratic strata as decisive threats to the integrity of capitalism, to liberal pluralists (Kaysen et al.) who saw the same groups as bringing the private corporation to a new stage of socially responsible soulfulness. Then, in the America of the 1950s and 60s, in what C.Wright Mills called the "Great American Celebration," pluralist political scientists saw the burgeoning new middle classes as a new, moderate political center between polarized elites and workers and, as such, the key to American capitalism's permanent stability (S. M. Lipset's Political Man is one key source here). This analysis was exported in toto to England in the 1950s by "revisionist" British intellectuals to justify the strategic changes which they were urging upon the British Labor Party.
A Comparison of Computer-Assisted Instruction and Field-Based Learning for Youth Rangeland Education

Field-based learning experiences are often used to increase the effectiveness of science curricula. However, time and financial limitations in public schools often hinder a teacher's ability to bring their students into the field for learning, despite increased demands to incorporate more science content into their curricula. In addition, federal mandates are placing more pressure on teachers to integrate educational technologies in their classrooms. Our objective was to compare a computer-based rangeland education module to a field-based version of the module. Data from pre- and post-tests were analyzed to determine whether student knowledge gain differed among treatment groups. In addition, grade level (5th and 6th), gender, prior levels of computer use, and familiarity with nature were examined for their impact on knowledge gain. Findings indicated that both the field- and computer-based experiences effectively improved student knowledge gain regarding rangelands and rangeland plants and that each modality was most effective for 5th grade students. No gender differences were observed between treatments. Prior levels of computer use were inversely related to knowledge gain for students in the computer treatment group. Familiarity with nature had no detectable influence on knowledge gain for students in the field treatment group. Results suggest that both modalities of rangeland education were effective in promoting knowledge of rangelands and that computer-assisted instruction can be used as an effective alternative to traditional field-based rangeland education.
The Warm Electron Beam Ion Trap (WEBIT): An instrument for ground calibration of space-borne x-ray spectrometers.

The warm electron beam ion trap (WEBIT) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is being developed as a pre-launch, ground calibration source for space-borne, high-throughput, high-resolution x-ray spectrometers, such as the x-ray imaging and spectroscopy mission Resolve quantum calorimeter. Historically, calibration sources for calorimeter spectrometers have relied on characteristic line emission from x-ray tubes, fluorescing metals, and radioactive sources. The WEBIT, by contrast, relies on emission from x-ray transitions in highly charged ions, for example, hydrogen-like and helium-like ions, whose energies are well known and whose line shapes are relatively simple. The WEBIT can create astrophysically relevant ions whose x-ray emission falls in the 0.3-12 keV science bandpass of Resolve and has a portable design advantageous for a calibration source. The WEBIT will be used to help calibrate Resolve’s instrumental line shape and gain scale as a function of various operational parameters during both detector subsystem level testing and instrumental level testing.
Bayesian hierarchical latent class models for estimating diagnostic accuracy

The diagnostic accuracy of a test or rater has a crucial impact on clinical decision making. The assessment of diagnostic accuracy for multiple tests or raters also merits much attention. A Bayesia...
Spatial and temporal partitioning and tree preference in California woodland ants

Spatial and temporal partitioning of habitat may facilitate diversity and have important impacts on ant communities. To investigate niche overlap in an ant community in a northern California oak woodland, we observed ant foraging on trees in 4 seasonal surveys, each lasting 2 weeks, in a 9.5-hectare plot over the course of a year. Foraging activity in all 5 observed ant species differed by season, time of day, and/or the genera of trees used. Of the 3 ant species most frequently observed, Camponotus semitestaceus was most active during spring and summer nights, Formica moki was most active during spring and summer days, and Prenolepis imparis was most active during both day and night of fall and winter. All ant species preferred native trees to exotic trees and preferred evergreen trees to deciduous trees. Our results suggest that native evergreen oaks such as Quercus agrifolia, currently threatened by sudden oak death (Phytophthora ramorum), may be important for supporting ant biodiversity.
A Fast Ultrasonic Imaging System for Measuring Unsteady Velocity Fields in Air

Advances in ultrasonic imaging in medicine have prompted the development of ultrasonic imaging systems to be used as diagnostic tools in fluid mechanics. The fact that a sound wave propagating through a medium is convected with the flow velocity can be utilized to probe the velocity field. Such a measurement technique, being nonintrusive, does not require any scattering particles and may be applied in optically opaque media, as pointed out by Johnson et al.1 In contrast with their work, in which individual time of flight measurements are made, in the present work the entire object wave is measured in both amplitude and phase along a linear transducer array. Hence, Fresnel transforming techniques may be applied to reconstruct the flow field in depth. Furthermore, fast acquisition of the acoustical data offers the possibility of tracking unsteady flow fields. The working medium is air because of its smaller sound speed compared to water, which results in a larger sensitivity to velocity disturbances.
Clinician challenges in providing health care for a morbidly obese family member: a bariatric case study

Morbid obesity is a chronic disease affecting millions of Americans. The disorder is likely to increase in prevalence because currently one third of the American population is obese. Many factors are associated with morbid obesity, including psychological (eg, depression), physiological (eg, hypothyroidism) mechanisms, sleep disorders (eg, sleep apnea), drug therapy (antidepressants, antidiabetic agents, steroids), and genetics. Increasing numbers of morbidly obese patients are requiring critical care, presenting major challenges to professional staff across the disciplines. This manuscript presents a case study describing the experiences of a morbidly obese woman in the final years of her life from the perspective of her health professional relative. The patient typifies many of the major risk factors for morbid obesity; her story reveals many of the issues faced as she revolved in and out of the critical care and acute care system. Her substantive health problems affected multiple body systems and included hypothyroidism, congestive heart failure, hyperlipidemia, and subclinical Cushing's Syndrome, likely related to previous medical therapy (cortisone) for rheumatic fever in childhood. The case description addresses many integumentary system issues the patient experienced; skin injuries and infections that can pose serious life-threatening situations for the morbidly obese patient must be prevented or treated efficiently. Health professionals can learn a great deal and improve the care they provide by listening to morbidly obese patients.
Computational News Discovery: Towards Design Considerations for Editorial Orientation Algorithms in Journalism

Computational news discovery (CND) is a particular application area within computational journalism related to the use of algorithms to orient editorial attention to potentially newsworthy events o...
Targeted crystal growth of uranium gallophosphates via the systematic exploration of the UF4–GaPO4–ACl (A = Cs, Rb) phase space

The molten flux synthesis of a uranium gallophosphate and a uranium gallate, Cs4[UO2Ga2(PO4)4] (1) and Cs2UO2Ga2O5 (2), and four uranium phosphates, [Rb2Rb3.93Cl0.93][(UO2)5(PO4)5] (3), Rb11[(UO2)8(PO4)9] (4), Rb7.6[(UO2)8O8.6F0.4(PO4)2] (5), and Rb6[(UO2)5O2(PO4)4] (6), is reported. A systematic exploration of the UF4–GaPO4–ACl (A = Cs, Rb) phase space resulted in the synthesis of targeted Cs4[UO2Ga2(PO4)4] (1) and Cs2UO2Ga2O5 (2), which are gallium analogs of the previously reported aluminates, Cs4[UO2Al2(PO4)4] and Cs2UO2Al2O5. The exploration of this phase space simultaneously led to the synthesis and characterization of four new uranium phosphate phases: [Rb2Rb3.93Cl0.93][(UO2)5(PO4)5] (3), a salt inclusion material, and Rb11[(UO2)8(PO4)9] (4), both of which have complex 3D, porous, framework structures, and Rb7.6[(UO2)8O8.6F0.4(PO4)2] (5) and Rb6[(UO2)5O2(PO4)4] (6), both of which are layered structures related to the U3O8 topology. Fluorescence spectroscopy data are reported for all the compositions and are found to be typical for uranyl compounds.
Diagnosis and treatment progress of children's acute myeloid leukemia

Acute mveloid leukemia(AML) is a heterogeneous group of leukemias that arise from clonal transformation of hematopoietic precursors.This review summarizes classification of pediatric AML,more precise risk-group stratification,ongoing phase Ⅲ studies and minimal residual diseasse monitoring.In addition,we discuss the opportunities for innovative chemotherapy drugs in refractory AML and relapsed AML,such as gemtuzumab ozogamicin,liposomal daunorubicin,clofarabine,cladribine and lmatinib.Finally,the roles of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in pediatric AML are also discussed. Key words: Children; Acute myeloid leukemia; Diagnosis; Treatment
Holistic Extractables and Leachables Program: Evaluations of Prefilled Syringe Systems for Biotechnology Products

Prefilled syringes (PFS) are a container and delivery device of choice for storing and administering therapeutic protein products to patients. Addressing concerns and regulatory expectations related to the risk to biologic drug product quality and patient safety from PFS requires implementation of an extractable and leachable program based on understanding of materials, risk assessment, review of existing literature, and testing supported by a sound scientific foundation. Extractables and leachables data generated as part of a thorough and holistic program are presented for five PFS systems, including glass and plastic syringes filled with 12 biologic drug products encompassing the implementation of traditional and single-use biotechnology manufacturing processes. The comprehensive extractables and leachables data presented demonstrate and substantiate a holistic extractable and leachable program designed to ensure product quality and patient safety.
Optical design of the Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) imaging spectrometer

The Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) instrument is a high fidelity imaging spectrometer developed to characterize surface mineralogy of the Earth's dust source regions over the spectral range of 380- 2500 nm and spectral sampling of 7.4 nm. EMIT will close the current knowledge gap in dust source mineral composition by collecting over 1 billion high signal-to-noise ratio spectra in this region of our planet. These new measurements will be used in conjunction with state-of-the-art Earth System Models to understand and reduce the uncertainty in the radiative forcing effect of mineral dust aerosols. EMIT will be deployed on the International Space Station that has an orbit that is well suited for measuring the arid land regions of the Earth. The optical design utilizes a Dyson spectrometer to reduce volume and mass for a fast (F/1.8) and wide swath (1240 samples) optical system. An overview of the EMIT optical design, development, and current status are discussed.
Dodging a Bullet

This article is an expanded version of a letter to the Editor of the Notices of the American Mathematical Society (AMS). In it, I give an inside look at a cancelled meeting of the AMS. Someday, when one looks back at mathematics in this unusual period in history, it may be useful to have a few contemporaneous first-hand accounts.
Exercise and Cognitive Training Intervention Improves Self-Care, Quality of Life and Functional Capacity in Persons With Heart Failure:

This study evaluated a 12-week, home-based combined aerobic exercise (walking) and computerized cognitive training (EX/CCT) program on heart failure (HF) self-care behaviors (Self-care of HF Index [SCHFI]), disease specific quality of life (Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire [KCCQ]), and functional capacity (6-minute walk distance) compared to exercise only (EX) or a usual care attention control (AC) stretching and flexibility program. Participants (N = 69) were older, predominately female (54%) and African American (55%). There was significant improvement in self-care management, F(2, 13) = 5.7, p < .016; KCCQ physical limitation subscale, F(2, 52) = 3.4, p < .039; and functional capacity (336 ± 18 vs 388 ± 20 m, p < .05) among the EX/CCT participants. The underlying mechanisms that EX and CCT targets and the optimal dose that leads to improved outcomes are needed to design effective interventions for this rapidly growing population.
Pretransplant Hepatitis C Virus Treatment Decreases Access to High-quality Livers.

Background Despite the revolutionary role of direct-acting antivirals for hepatitis C virus (HCV), the treatment timing for liver transplant candidates remains controversial. We hypothesize that deferring treatment until after liver transplantation improves access to a larger and higher-quality donor pool without a detrimental impact on post-liver transplantation outcomes. Methods This single-center study includes recipients that underwent deceased-donor liver transplant with HCV as the primary indication January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2018. For recipients that were untreated (n = 87) versus treated (n = 42) pre-LT, we compared post-LT mortality using Cox regression with inverse probability of treatment-weighted data. Results Among pre-LT untreated recipients, 95% were willing to accept an HCV+ donor, and 44.8% received a positive HCV antibody and nucleic acid amplification test (NAT) liver. Among pre-LT treated recipients, 5% were willing to accept an HCV+ donor, and 100% received a negative HCV antibody and NAT liver. The median calculated model for end-stage liver disease at transplant was similar between pre-LT untreated (13, IQR = 9-22) and treated recipients (11, IQR = 8-14) (P = 0.1). Pre-LT treated recipients received livers from older (47 y old versus 37, P < 0.01) and higher body mass index donors (30.2 versus 26.6; P = 0.04) and spent longer on the waiting list (319 d 180, P < 0.001). Unadjusted post-LT mortality at 1 year was higher in the pre-LT treated recipients (14.6% versus 3.5%, P = 0.02). After adjusting for recipient factors, pre-LT treated recipients trended toward a 3.9 times higher risk of mortality compared with the pre-LT untreated recipients (adjusted hazard ratio = 0.973.8615.4) (P = 0.06). Conclusions Deferring HCV treatment improves access to higher-quality donors and may improve post-LT survival.
A Web-Based Digital Contact Tracing Strategy Addresses Stigma Concerns Among Individuals Evaluated for COVID-19.

Background: Conventional contact tracing approaches have not kept pace with the scale of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and the highly anticipated smartphone applications for digital contact tracing efforts are plagued by low adoption rates attributed to privacy concerns; therefore, innovation is needed in this public health capability. Methods: This study involved a cross-sectional, nonrepresentative, online survey in the United States of individuals tested for COVID-19. Testing survey items measured the performance of conventional contact tracing programs, quantified the stigma related to the notification of COVID-19 close contacts, and assessed the acceptability of a website service for digital contact tracing. Results: A sample of 668 (19.9%) individuals met the inclusion criteria and consented to participation. Among the 95 participants with COVID-19, results were received after a median of 2 days, 63.2% interacted with a contact tracing program a median of 2 days after receiving test results, 62.1% had close contacts, and 37.1% of participants with COVID-19 and close contacts did not disclose their results to all close contacts. Among all participants, 17% had downloaded a mobile application and 40.3% reported interest in a website service. One hundred and nine participants perceived stigma with the disclosure of COVID-19 test results; of these, 58.7% reported that a website service for close contact notification would decrease this stigma. Discussion: Conventional contact tracing programs did not comprehensively contact individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 nor did so within a meaningful time frame. Digital contact tracing innovations may address these shortcomings; however, the low penetration of mobile application services in the United States indicates that a suite of digital contact tracing tools, including website services, are warranted for a more exhaustive coverage of the population. Conclusions: Public health officials should develop a complementary toolkit of digital contact tracing strategies to enable effective pandemic containment strategies.
Why Can't We Eradicate Congenital Syphilis?

* Abbreviation: CS — : congenital syphilis The epidemic of congenital syphilis (CS) in the United States continues unabated, a tragic indicator of the lack of control of syphilis in many of our communities. Despite evidence-based recommendations for screening all pregnant women and the availability of highly effective penicillin therapy, CS cases continue to increase in the United States, disproportionally affecting racial minorities.1 The national rate of CS in 2019 was 48.5 per 100 000 live births, a 41.4% increase relative to 2018 and a 291.1% increase relative to 2015.1 There were 94 syphilitic stillbirths and 34 additional CS-related infant deaths.1 Although more common in western and southern states, the 1870 cases of CS reported in 2019 were from 43 states and the District of Columbia.2 This preventable infection may result in miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth, or life-threatening fetal or neonatal illness, but, more commonly, it is completely silent and identified only through appropriate maternal and newborn testing. Failure to diagnose and treat or delays in treatment of syphilis during pregnancy and after the neonatal period can result in more serious disease and lifelong morbidity. In this issue of Pediatrics , Kimball et al3 alert us to an additional challenge for health care professionals who care for children: the increasing number of infants diagnosed with CS after newborn nursery discharge, which is in large part because of the continuing failure … Address correspondence to Joseph A. Bocchini Jr, MD, FAAP, Willis-Knighton Children’s Health Services, 2508 Bert Kouns Industrial Loop, Suite 103, Shreveport, LA 71118. E-mail: jbocchini{at}wkhs.com
A Review of “The Color of America Has Changed: How Racial Diversity Shaped Civil Rights Reform in California, 1941–1978”

In The Color of America Has Changed: How Racial Diversity Shaped Civil Rights Reform in California, 1941–1978, Mark Brilliant has produced the defining work concerning the western civil rights move...
Spiritists versus spirit-mongers: Julia Vázquez and the struggle for progress in 1920s Puerto Rico

Resumen en: In 1922 thousands found their way to a barrio in San Lorenzo, where Julia Vazquez, better known as La Samaritana, dispensed magnetized water and healed t...
Multi-agent learning with policy prediction

Due to the non-stationary environment, learning in multi-agent systems is a challenging problem. This paper first introduces a new gradient-based learning algorithm, augmenting the basic gradient ascent approach with policy prediction. We prove that this augmentation results in a stronger notion of convergence than the basic gradient ascent, that is, strategies converge to a Nash equilibrium within a restricted class of iterated games. Motivated by this augmentation, we then propose a new practical multi-agent reinforcement learning (MARL) algorithm exploiting approximate policy prediction. Empirical results show that it converges faster and in a wider variety of situations than state-of-the-art MARL algorithms.
The anatomical diaspora: evidence of early American anatomical traditions in North Dakota.

: The current focus in forensic anthropology on increasing scientific certainty in ancestry determination reinforces the need to examine the ancestry of skeletal remains used for osteology instruction. Human skeletal remains were discovered on the University of North Dakota campus in 2007. After recovery, the osteological examination resulted in a profile for a 33- to 46-year-old woman of African descent with stature ranging from 56.3 to 61.0 in. The pattern of postmortem damage indicated that the remains had been prepared for use as an anatomical teaching specimen. Review of the American history of anatomical teaching revealed a preference for Black subjects, which apparently extended to states like North Dakota despite extremely low resident populations of people of African descent. This study emphasizes the need to examine the ancestry of older teaching specimens that lack provenience, rather than assuming they are derived from typical (i.e., Indian) sources of anatomical material.
Function Theory of One Complex Variable

Fundamental concepts Complex line integrals Applications of the Cauchy integral Meromorphic functions and residues The zeros of a holomorphic function Holomorphic functions as geometric mappings Harmonic functions Infinite series and products Applications of infinite sums and products Analytic continuation Topology Rational approximation theory Special classes of holomorphic functions Hilbert spaces of holomorphic functions, the Bergman kernel, and biholomorphic mappings Special functions The prime number theorem Appendix A: Real analysis Appendix B: The statement and proof of Goursat's theorem References Index.
Rheological Measurements in Liquid-Solid Flows

The behavior of liquid-solid flows varies greatly depending on fluid viscosity, particle and liquid inertia, and collisions between particles. While particle collisions in inviscid fluids can be understood statistically, liquid-solid flows are complicated by the fluid viscosity and forces acting on the particles (e.g. lift, drag, added mass). These flows were first studied by Bagnold, whose investigation found two different flow regimes: a macro-viscous regime where the shear and pressure forces are proportional to the shear rate, and a grain-inertia regime defined by a dependance on the square of the shear rate [1, 2]. The scaling relations he developed have been used to model and understand natural phenomena since.
Methods of Associating Typewriter Ribbons and Correcting Tapes with a Questioned Text

Various methods of associating fabric and film typewriter ribbons and correction systems with a questioned typewritten text are reviewed. Identifying characteristics produced by inexpensive typewriters using thermal transfer ribbons are also described.
Activated autologous macrophage implantation in a large-animal model of spinal cord injury.

Object Axonal regeneration may be hindered following spinal cord injury (SCI) by a limited immune response and insufficient macrophage recruitment. This limitation has been partially surmounted in small-mammal models of SCI by implanting activated autologous macrophages (AAMs). The authors sought to replicate these results in a canine model of partial SCI. Methods Six dogs underwent left T-13 spinal cord hemisection. The AAMs were implanted at both ends of the lesion in 4 dogs, and 2 other dogs received sham implantations of cell media. Cortical motor evoked potentials (MEPs) were used to assess electrophysiological recovery. Functional motor recovery was assessed with a modified Tarlov Scale. After 9 months, animals were injected with wheat germ agglutinin–horseradish peroxidase at L-2 and killed for histological assessment. Results Three of the 4 dogs that received AAM implants and 1 of the 2 negative control dogs showed clear recovery of MEP response. Behavioral assessment showed no difference in motor...
Access to Justice and Technology Clinics: A 4% Solution

This article is targeted at the criticisms of the quality of legal education, criticisms that law schools fail to prepare graduates to succeed in the profession. We propose a modest improvement to the law school curriculum that may make graduates more capable to serve their clients. We propose that law schools add a new type of clinical course that teaches law students how to use and deploy technology to assist law practice. The changes we propose will affect about four percent of the average law school curriculum. If widely adopted, the changes we propose will help law students to learn core competencies needed in an increasingly technological profession, while they build tools and write content to help low-income, self-represented litigants overcome serious barriers in their pursuit of justice.Specifically, we propose that law schools offer a new clinical experience — the Access to Justice Technology Clinic, or A2J Clinic for short. The Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction (CALI), in partnership with IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law, has launched its Access to Justice Clinical Course Project to develop and refine A2J Clinics. In these courses law students build web tools and other interactive content to help low-income people achieve their justice goals. Courses of this type have been taught by several law schools during the past decade. This CALI initiative builds on those efforts, organizes faculty across the country into a team of collaborators, and establishes a structured process to share new insights, tools and curricula with all law schools.
Technical Note: Validation of halo modeling for proton pencil beam spot scanning using a quality assurance test pattern.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the utility of a comprehensive test pattern in validating calculation models that include the halo component (low-dose tails) of proton pencil beam scanning (PBS) spots. Such a pattern has been used previously for quality assurance purposes to assess spot shape, position, and dose. Methods: In this study, a scintillation detector was used to measure the test pattern in air at isocenter for two proton beam energies (115 and 225 MeV) of two IBA universal nozzles (UN #1 and UN #2). Planar measurements were compared with calculated dose distributions based on the weighted superposition of location-independent (UN #1) or location-dependent (UN #2) spot profiles, previously measured using a pair-magnification method and between two nozzles. Results: Including the halo component below 1% of the central dose is shown to improve the gamma-map comparison between calculation and measurement from 94.9% to 98.4% using 2 mm/2% criteria for the 115 MeV proton beam of UN #1. In contrast, including the halo component below 1% of the central dose does not improve the gamma agreement for the 115 MeV proton beam of UN #2, due to the cutoff of the halo component at off-axis locations. When location-dependent spot profiles are used for calculation instead of spot profiles at central axis, the gamma agreement is improved from 98.0% to 99.5% using 2 mm/2% criteria. The two nozzles clearly have different characteristics, as a direct comparison of measured data shows a passing rate of 89.7% for the 115 MeV proton beam. At 225 MeV, the corresponding gamma comparisons agree better between measurement and calculation, and between measurements in the two nozzles. Conclusions: In addition to confirming the primary component of individual PBS spot profiles, a comprehensive test pattern is useful for the validation of the halo component at off-axis locations, especially for low energy protons.
VprBP Is Required for Efficient Editing and Selection of Igκ+ B Cells, but Is Dispensable for Igλ+ and Marginal Zone B Cell Maturation and Selection

B cell development past the pro-B cell stage in mice requires the Cul4-Roc1-DDB1 E3 ubiquitin ligase substrate recognition subunit VprBP. Enforced Bcl2 expression overcomes defects in distal VH-DJH and secondary Vκ-Jκ rearrangement associated with VprBP insufficiency in B cells and substantially rescues maturation of marginal zone and Igλ(+) B cells, but not Igκ(+) B cells. In this background, expression of a site-directed Igκ L chain transgene increases Igκ(+) B cell frequency, suggesting VprBP does not regulate L chain expression from a productively rearranged Igk allele. In site-directed anti-dsDNA H chain transgenic mice, loss of VprBP function in B cells impairs selection of Igκ editor L chains typically arising through secondary Igk rearrangement, but not selection of Igλ editor L chains. Both H and L chain site-directed transgenic mice show increased B cell anergy when VprBP is inactivated in B cells. Taken together, these data argue that VprBP is required for the efficient receptor editing and selection of Igκ(+) B cells, but is largely dispensable for Igλ(+) B cell development and selection, and that VprBP is necessary to rescue autoreactive B cells from anergy induction.
The application of DSP C language compilers to adaptive signal processing

Techniques are described that lead to the efficient implementation of adaptive filters using C language on the TMS320C25, TMS320C30, DSP32, and DSP56000 digital signal processors (DSPs). The relative performances of these C compilers were related to the architecture of each DSP. In order to generate efficient codes for DSP systems, four C function libraries for implementing the most widely used adaptive filters were developed. These libraries also provide the facility to do rapid prototyping and implementing of adaptive signal processing algorithms. The problem of roundoff noise produced from the C compiler output code is discussed. >
The interactions of transcription factors and their adaptors, coactivators and accessory proteins.

Consistent with the complexity of the temporally regulated processes that must occur for growth and development of higher eukaryotes, it is now apparent that transcription is regulated by the formation of multi-component complexes that assemble on the promoters of genes. These complexes can include (in addition to the five or more general transcription factors and RNA polymerase II) DNA-binding proteins, transcriptional activators, coactivators, adaptors and various accessory proteins. The best studied example of a complex that includes a transcriptional adaptor, accessory proteins and a DNA-binding protein is that involving the herpes simplex virus VP16 protein. Evidence suggests that the adenovirus E1a protein and the cellular Sp1 and CTF/NF1 transcription factors also function through adaptors or coactivators. Each additional component of the transcription complex provides the cell with another point at which to exert control of gene expression.
Bleomycin-mediated electrochemotherapy of basal cell carcinoma

Abstract Background: A new technique, electroporation, enhances the antitumor effects of a variety of chemotherapeutic agents. When used in combination with conventional chemotherapy, the procedure is termed electrochemotherapy . Exposure of cancerous tissues to pulses of electricity during electrochemotherapy appears to increase cell membrane permeability and thus intracellular access to cytotoxic drugs. Electrochemotherapy has been shown to have potent antitumor activity in a variety of in vitro studies, animal tumor models, as well as in clinical trials with squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck. Objective: The purpose of the study was to determine the effects of bleomycin-mediated electrochemotherapy on several basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) in two patients with nevoid BCC syndrome. Methods: Electrical pulses were delivered to tumor nodules by means of caliper electrodes after systemic doses of bleomycin were administered. Vital signs were closely monitored during application of the electrical pulses. Results: Partial responses were observed in tumors from both of the patients treated with electrochemotherapy; three partial responses were observed in one patient, and one partial response was observed in the other patient. Complete responses were seen in two lesions. Only minimal local or systemic side effects were noted in response to the therapy. Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first study that documents the effects of bleomycin-mediated electrochemotherapy on BCC. Studies are ongoing with intralesional bleomycin during electrochemotherapy to see whether additional antitumor effects can be produced in patients with BCC by this route of administration.
Analysis of EMG measurements during bicycle pedalling.

Activity of eight leg muscles has been monitored for six test subjects while pedalling a bicycle on rollers in the laboratory. Each electromyogram (EMG) data channel was digitized at a sampling rate of 2 kHz by a minicomputer. Data analysis entailed generating plots of both EMG activity regions and integrated EMG (IEMG). For each test subject, data were recorded for five cases of pedalling conditions. The different pedalling conditions were defined to explore a variety of research hypotheses. This exploration has led to the following conclusions: Muscular activity levels of the quadriceps are influenced by the type of shoes worn and activity levels increase with soft sole shoes as opposed to cycling shoes with cleats and toeclips. EMG activity patterns are not strongly related to pedalling conditions (i.e. load, seat height and shoe type). The level of muscle activity, however, is significantly affected by pedalling conditions. Muscular activity bears a complex relationship with seat height and quadriceps activity level decreases with greater seat height. Agonist (i.e. hamstrings) and antagonist (i.e. quadriceps) muscles of the hip/knee are active simultaneously during leg extension. Regions of peak activity levels, however, do not overlap. The lack of significant cocontraction of agonist/antagonist muscles enables muscle forces during pedalling action to be computed by solving a series of equilibrium problems over different regions of the crank cycle. Regions are defined and a solution procedure is outlined.
Parallel Generalized Born Implicit Solvent Calculations with NAMD.

Accurate electrostatic descriptions of aqueous solvent are critical for simulation studies of biomolecules, but the computational cost of explicit treatment of solvent is very high. A computationally more feasible alternative is a generalized Born implicit solvent description which models polar solvent as a dielectric continuum. Unfortunately, the attainable simulation speedup does not transfer to the massive parallel computers often employed for simulation of large structures. Longer cutoff distances, spatially heterogeneous distribution of atoms, and the necessary 3-fold iteration over atom pairs in each timestep combine to challenge efficient parallel performance of generalized Born implicit solvent algorithms. Here, we report how NAMD, a parallel molecular dynamics program, meets the challenge through a unique parallelization strategy. NAMD now permits efficient simulation of large systems whose slow conformational motions benefit most from implicit solvent descriptions due to the inherent low viscosi...
Splitting fields of association schemes

Abstract The splitting field K of a commutative association scheme is the extension of the rationals by the adjunction of all eigenvalues of the association scheme. Let L be a subfield of K containing all the Krein parameters. It is shown that the Galois group of K/L is contained in the center of the Galois group of K /ℚ. In particular, if the Krein parameters are all rational, then the eigenvalues are contained in a cyclotomic number field.
PORTAL HYPERTENSION, VARICES, AND TRANSJUGULAR INTRAHEPATIC PORTOSYSTEMIC SHUNTS

The longest march starts with a single stride.LAO-TZU The primary topic of this article is portal hypertension and esophagogastric varices, the primary clinical problem posed by portal hypertension. Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic (TIPS) shunts is the newest and the least invasive method of eradicating varices. This article defines portal hypertension succinctly, describes how it gives rise to varices and their consequences, and briefly reviews the development, short experience with, and current status of TIPS shunts. Portal hypertension is the state of increased pressure in the portal venous system and its tributaries and collaterals, including the hepatic sinusoids. The portal venous pressure is determined by the amount of blood that flows through the portal venous system and the resistance that opposes the blood flow. It can be expressed as a variant of Ohm's law, P=FR; that is, the pressure gradient through the portal venous system, P, is determined by F, the volume of blood flowing through the system, and R, the resistance to that flow. Changes in either F or R affect the pressure. The portal venous blood flow is the total of the blood flow to the liver, the spleen, and the splanchnic organs. In most types of portal hypertension, both the blood flow and the resistance to the blood flow are altered. Resistance is determined largely by the radius of the vessel, by the viscosity of the blood and by the length of the vessel. This relationship, which is known as Poiseuille's law, can be expressed as R=8nL/r 4 , where n is the coefficient of viscosity and L is the length of the vessel, both of which are essentially constant. Because the radius ( r ) of the vessel is expressed as its fourth power, it is by far the most mathematically important component of the formula. Thus, the smaller the vessel, the greater the resistance to the passage of blood through that vessel. The main sites of resistance to hepatic blood flow appear to be small portal and hepatic veins and the sinusoids. The key to the syndrome of portal hypertension is an increase in plasma volume. 20 In experimental animal models, sodium restriction has been shown to prevent plasma expansion and the development of portal hypertension, 21 and thus the development of varices, and can minimize the hyperdynamic state. The second most important factor in the development of portal hypertension is the development of the portosystemic collateral circulation. The complications of portal hypertension, which are consequences of the increased portal pressure, are mediated more by the portosystemic collaterals than by the portal pressure itself.