cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Numerical simulation of multiple interacting wind turbines on a complex terrain

Abstract Modern wind farms are subjected to significant aerodynamic interference due to unsteady wakes of individual turbines as well as the complex terrains on which they are erected. The present study uses a new mixed basis formulation of the Navier–Stokes equations to numerically simulate turbines on a complex terrain. The turbines are modeled using a distribution of momentum sources. A finite-volume procedure (SIMPLER algorithm) is used to solve the incompressible Reynolds Averaged Navier–Stokes equations on body-fitted grids to obtain the flow-field. Three different turbulence models, the standard, RNG, and realizable K − ϵ are implemented and compared. Results validating the ability of the numerical procedure to simulate flows over complex terrains and interacting wind turbines are presented. Applications providing insights into the performance and loading on wind turbines on complex terrains are studied. The evolution and interaction of the turbine wakes over the complex terrain are also analyzed.
Rapid π-Extension of Aromatics via Alkyne Benzannulations

The rational synthesis of atomically precise polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) has been achieved by using ‘bottom-up’ strategies. The creation of new methods to make functional PAHs and GNRs under mild conditions is of significant value. Recently, we have described the synthesis of pyrene, peropyrene, and teropyrene derivatives through the double or quadruple cyclization reaction of alkynes promoted by Bronsted acids. The successful synthesis of GNRs further exemplified the application of this method to the rapid construction of large PAHs.
Terminal Iron Carbyne Complexes Derived from Arrested CO2 Reductive Disproportionation

The encumbered tetraisocyanide dianion Na2 [Fe(CNArMes2 )4 ] reacts with two molecules of CO2 to effect reductive disproportionation to CO and carbonate ([CO3 ]2- ). When the reaction is performed in the presence of silyl triflates, reductive disproportionation is arrested by silylative esterification of a mono-CO2 adduct. This results in the formation of four-coordinate terminal iron carbynes possessing an aryl carbamate substituent owing to the direct attachment of an C(O)OSiR3 group to an isocyanide nitrogen atom. Crystallographic, spectroscopic, and computational analyses of these iron-carbon multiply bonded species reveal electronic structure properties indicative of a conformationally locked iron carbyne unit.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a very common disease that affects approximately 2–3 % of the general population across the lifespan [APA (Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. APA, 1994)]. OCD has been listed as one of the ten most disabling illnesses by the World Health Organization [Murray and Lopez (Science 274(5288): 740–743, 1996)], while the National Comorbidity Survey Replication identified it as the anxiety disorder with the highest proportion of serious cases (50.6 %) [Kessler et al. (Arch Gen Psychiatry 62(6): 617–627, 2005)]. Many individuals with OCD receive markedly delayed diagnosis and treatment for this illness [Jenike (N Engl J Med 350(3): 259–265, 2004)]. Although it has a waxing and waning course, it frequently increases in severity due to ritual reinforcement when left untreated. Hence, improved understanding of OCD by clinicians is imperative to reduce the gap between symptom onset and eventual diagnosis and to promote early implementation of strategies for long-term symptomatic relief. This chapter will provide a general description of clinical features, assessment strategies, and treatment of OCD.
Vector sensor cross-spectral density for surface noise in a stratified ocean—Formulas for arbitrary sensor geometries

The cross-spectral density between pressure and particle velocity channels of two vector sensors with arbitrary orientation and separation is developed for a noise field consisting of directional sources distributed on a plane. Equations for arbitrary sensor orientations are necessary because cross-spectral density is an averaged product of two sensors' outputs that cannot be projected onto another direction after it is calculated. This prevents the use of existing methods, which calculate cross-spectral density for orthogonal particle velocity sensors, for sensors with different orientations. Analytic solutions to special cases for azimuthally symmetric environments and orthogonal velocity sensor orientations are developed and compared to previous results. The general equations are stated in a form suitable for use with any propagation model that produces Green's functions for pressure and orthogonal particle velocity components. Simulation examples demonstrate how sensor geometry and propagation conditions affect vector sensor array performance for wind-driven surface noise in deep and shallow water environments. Vector sensor beamforming is shown to provide additional gain in these directional noise fields as compared to isotropic noise.
Copper in Sub-Arctic Waters of the Pacific Northwest

Copper concentration data from the north-central continental shelf-slope of the Bering Sea and nearshore regions of the western Gulf of Alaska are summarized. Copper concentrations which increase toward the sediments were found in a frontally confined continental shelf water mass of the Bering Sea, and also in deep waters of restricted circulation of a fjord on the north-western Gulf of Alaska coastline. These data are indicative of a benthic flux of copper to overlying waters. Mass balance estimates suggest that the benthic remineralization and flux to the overlying waters in the shallow shelf of the Bering Sea contributes significantly to the copper input to the deep Bering basin. However, in the fjord basin of the Gulf of Alaska, remineralized copper from inshore surface sediments was estimated at less than 20% of copper added to surface waters. Also, most copper input could be accounted for trapped in accumulating fjord sediments.
Exercise as a Countermeasure for Sarcopenia

The aging process is characterized by the gradual decrease in muscle mass, strength and power leading to a decline in physical functioning, increased frailty and disability. This age related loss of muscle mass and function has been termed sarcopenia. The mechanisms that underlie sarcopenia are only beginning to be elucidated. However, specific modes and intensities of physical activity can both act to preserve and also increase skeletal muscle mass, strength, power in healthy and functionally limited older individuals. This effect appears to be pervasive throughout the lifespan and there is evidence for similar responses in men and women. The focus of this chapter is on the role of exercise as a therapeutic intervention for the prevention and treatment of sarcopenia. This will be accomplished by (1) reviewing the epidemiology on physical activity and sarcopenia (2) summarizing the molecular mechanisms associated with sarcopenia and exercise, (3) discussing the efficacy of resistance and endurance exercise or multi-modal exercise, such as the combination of aerobic and resistance exercise for the management of sarcopenia.
Weight bias in health care.

Numerous sources of weight bias exist in medicine; physicians can play an important role in ameliorating it. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the American Medical Association.
A Genetic Algorithm for the Pickup and Delivery Problem: An Application to the Helicopter Offshore Transportation

This paper is a result of the application of soft computing technologies to solve the pick up and delivery problem (PDP). In this paper, we consider a practical PDP that is frequently encountered in the real-world logistics operations, such as Helicopter Offshore Crew Transportation of Oil & Gas Company. We consider a typical scenario of relatively large number of participants, about 70 persons and 5 helicopters. Logistics planning turns to be a combinatorial problem, and that makes it very difficult to find reasonable solutions within a short computational time. We present an algorithm based on two optimization techniques, genetic algorithms and heuristic optimization. Our solution is tested on an example with a known optimal solution, and on actual data provided by PEMEX, Mexican Oil Company. Currently, the algorithm is implemented as part of the system for simulation and optimization of offshore logistics called SMART-Logistics and it is at a field-testing phase.
Utilization of Left Ventricular Assist Devices in Vulnerable Adults Across Medicaid Expansion.

Abstract Background Continuous-flow left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation is a payor sensitive procedure influenced by preoperative comorbidities and social factors. Whether expansion in insurance coverage will further influence device utilization is unknown. This study sought to assess the effects of Medicaid expansion on vulnerable populations (namely racial–ethnic minorities and those with low-income status) undergoing continuous-flow LVAD implantation after the enactment of the 2014 Affordable Care Act (ACA). Methods Data from the 2012 to Q3 2015 State Inpatient Database were used to examine a cohort of 624 nonelderly adults (aged 18-64 y) who were given a continuous-flow LVAD in three expansion states (Kentucky, New Jersey, and Maryland) and two nonexpansion states (North Carolina and Florida). The cohort excluded patients who had a heart transplant, heart–lung transplant, or noncontinuous-flow LVAD. Poisson Interrupted Time Series was used with three-way interactions and change of slope and intercept parameters at 2014 to determine the impact of the ACA expansion on utilization of continuous-flow LVAD by race and insurance strata. Results Poisson Interrupted Time Series models show that within expansion states, the population of Medicaid and uninsured patients saw an increase in the utilization of LVAD's immediately after ACA expansion, from 2.8 in Q4 2013 to 9.83 Q1 2014 (incidence rate ratio [IRR] 5.26, P = 0.02). Utilization eventually declined to pre-ACA levels, however, ending with 3.04 LVADs in Q3 2015 (IRR 0.84, 95% confidence interval 0.58-1.20). Models testing for racial effect showed no statistically preferential or disparate effects (immediate effect IRR 1.608, P = 0.506; marginal effect IRR 0.897, P = 0.512). Conclusions These findings show that despite expanded insurance coverage, the utilization of continuous-flow LVADs was not increased in nonelderly racial and ethnic minorities following the ACA Medicaid expansion. Although these findings are preliminary and require further long-term evaluation, they suggest that insurance coverage alone does not play a significant role in increased utilization of continuous-flow LVAD. These findings point toward the importance of further exploring social, medical, and hospital drivers of these disparities.
Differential effects of interleukin-1 alpha and interleukin-1 beta on human peripheral blood eosinophils.

Interleukin-1 (IL-1) plays a major role in the response to infection, inflammation, and immunological challenge. Eosinophils participate in the host response to parasitic infection and allergic and hypersensitivity diseases. The role of IL-1 in these disease states has not been extensively explored. We have reported that purified human monocyte derived IL-1 (mIL-1), a mixture of the two IL-1 forms but predominantly consisting of IL-1 beta, modulates eosinophil oxidative metabolism and enzyme secretion. Although the two major species of IL-1 (IL-1 alpha and IL-1 beta) have identical specific activities on T cells, we now report the selective effects of human recombinant IL-1 (hrIL-1) alpha and hrIL-1 beta on eosinophil function. Whereas hrIL-1 beta caused a significant increase in arylsulfatase secretion (235.4 +/- 29% of resting secretion, P less than or equal to .01) and beta- glucuronidase secretion (135.8 +/- 9.6% of resting secretion, P less than or equal to .02) similar to our experience with mIL-1, hrIL-1 alpha had no effect on enzyme secretion. However, a mixture of hrIL-1 alpha and hrIL-1 beta reproduced the ability of mIL-1 to inhibit the oxidative response to suboptimal doses of phorbol myristate acetate (PMA). When eosinophils were separated into subpopulations by density gradients, we found that eosinophil responses to IL-1 differed among the populations. These results suggest that eosinophil subpopulations respond selectively to each form of IL-1.
Military Health History: Resources for Use at the Point of Care.

Many clinicians outside of the VA or military are unaware of the importance of specific aspects of the military health history. The clinical expertise of health care professionals in the VA and military health systems can be leveraged to expand training opportunities.
The Rametrix™ PRO Toolbox v1.0 for MATLAB®.

Background Existing tools for chemometric analysis of vibrational spectroscopy data have enabled characterization of materials and biologicals by their broad molecular composition. The Rametrix™ LITE Toolbox v1.0 for MATLAB® is one such tool available publicly. It applies discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC) to spectral data to classify spectra into user-defined groups. However, additional functionality is needed to better evaluate the predictive capabilities of these models when "unknown" samples are introduced. Here, the Rametrix™ PRO Toolbox v1.0 is introduced to provide this capability. Methods The Rametrix™ PRO Toolbox v1.0 was constructed for MATLAB® and works with the Rametrix™ LITE Toolbox v1.0. It performs leave-one-out analysis of chemometric DAPC models and reports predictive capabilities in terms of accuracy, sensitivity (true-positives), and specificity (true-negatives). Rametrix™PRO is available publicly through GitHub under license agreement at: https://github.com/SengerLab/RametrixPROToolbox. Rametrix™ PRO was used to validate Rametrix™ LITE models used to detect chronic kidney disease (CKD) in spectra of urine obtained by Raman spectroscopy. The dataset included Raman spectra of urine from 20 healthy individuals and 31 patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis treatment for CKD. Results The number of spectral principal components (PCs) used in building the DAPC model impacted the model accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity in leave-one-out analyses. For the dataset in this study, using 35 PCs in the DAPC model resulted in 100% accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity in classifying an unknown Raman spectrum of urine as belonging to a CKD patient or a healthy volunteer. Models built with fewer or greater number of PCs showed inferior performance, which demonstrated the value of Rametrix™ PRO in evaluating chemometric models constructed with Rametrix™ LITE.
Blackstonian Marriage, Gender, and Cohabitation

In Blumenthal v. Brewer, the Illinois Supreme Court held that it would not enforce an alleged agreement between a nonmarital couple that centered on their relationship. The National Center for Lesbian Rights argued that the court’s holding punished people who entered into a nonmarital relationship. Nancy Polikoff found the opinion “shocking.” Albertina Antognini suggests that nonmarriage cases refusing to enforce such agreements harm women. These accusations also reflect concern that Blumenthal-type results are designed to encourage marriage and penalize others. Our analysis of Blumenthal and the nonmarriage cases starts from a different place. We think that the Blumenthal approach may not be entirely evil, even though we think Blumenthal itself raises issues about the retroactive application of these principles to people who could not marry at the time they began their relationship. Prospectively, our approach to nonmarital relationships rests on the principle that such relationships should be seen as one of a continuum of possible types of intimate relationships, and their legal regulation should reflect the parties’ intentions in entering into them, intentions that are shaped by differing community norms. Central to such an approach are assumptions about the concept of equality between partners and between marital and nonmarital couples. At one time, marriage was conceived of as an intrinsically hierarchical institution necessary to protect women from the stigma and impoverishment associated with nonmarital sexuality. In that context, nonmarital relationships were associated with shame in some cases and, in others, the desire to craft more egalitarian unions. Today, at a time when more than nine million people have entered into nonmarital unions and when women enjoy access to the means of self-support (albeit not full equality), the nature of nonmarital unions has changed. The stigma is gone and the reasons for entering into them have become much more varied, defying any cookie cutter approach to their legal regulation. We therefore argue that it is a mistake to assume that nonmarital relationships should necessarily generate the same legal consequences as marital ones or that a failure to generate the same legal consequences is somehow a penalty designed to discourage nonmarital relationships. Instead, legal regulations should follow from the nature of the relationships as they stand on their own terms, without a presumption that they rest either on interdependence between two partners making equal contributions or dependence arising from the assumption of gendered roles.
Monolayer WSe2 induced giant enhancement in the spin Hall efficiency of Tantalum

Spin Orbit Torque Magnetic RAM (SOT-MRAM) is emerging as a promising memory technology owing to its high endurance, reliability and speed. A critical factor for its success is the development of materials that exhibit efficient conversion of charge current to spin current, characterized by their spin Hall efficiency. In this work, it is experimentally demonstrated that the spin Hall efficiency of the industrially relevant ultra-thin Ta can be enhanced by more than 25× when a monolayer (ML) WSe2 is inserted as an underlayer. The enhancement is attributed to spin absorption at the Ta/WSe2 interface, suggested by harmonic Hall measurements. The presented hybrid spin Hall stack with a 2D WSe2 underlayer has a total body thickness of less than 2 nm and exhibits greatly enhanced spin Hall efficiency, which makes this hybrid a promising candidate for energy efficient SOT-MRAM.
The frequencies and disparities of adverse childhood experiences in the U.S.

Adversity experienced during childhood manifests deleteriously across the lifespan. This study provides updated frequency estimates of ACEs using the most comprehensive and geographically diverse sample to date. ACEs data were collected via BRFSS (Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System). Data from a total of 211,376 adults across 34 states were analyzed. The ACEs survey is comprised of 8 domains: physical/emotional/sexual abuse, household mental illness, household substance use, household domestic violence, incarcerated household member, and parental separation/divorce. Frequencies were calculated for each domain and summed to derive mean ACE scores. Findings were weighted and stratified by demographic variables. Group differences were assessed by post-estimation F-tests. Most individuals experienced at least one ACE (57.8%) with 21.5% experiencing 3+ ACEs. F-tests showed females had significantly higher ACEs than males (1.64 to 1.46). Multiracial individuals had a significantly higher ACEs (2.39) than all other races/ethnicities, while White individuals had significantly lower mean ACE scores (1.53) than Black (1.66) or Hispanic (1.63) individuals. The 25-to-34 age group had a significantly higher mean ACE score than any other group (1.98). Generally, those with higher income/educational attainment had lower mean ACE scores than those with lower income/educational attainment. Sexual minority individuals had higher ACEs than straight individuals, with significantly higher ACEs in bisexual individuals (3.01). Findings highlight that childhood adversity is common across sociodemographic, yet higher in certain categories. Identifying at-risk populations for higher ACEs is essential to improving the health outcomes and attainment across the lifespan.
Innovative Family Medicine and Behavioral Health Co-Precepting via Telemedicine.

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic created an opportunity to find a way to maintain a family medicine(FM)/behavioral health co-preceptorship model when treating patients and educating resident physicians via telehealth. The ability to identify and treat mental health disorders is a core skill for FM
Diffusion and Typology: The Invention and Early Adoption of Medicinal Marijuana and Offshore Wind Policies

Objective This article investigates how different types of policies (morality based and highly technical) inform early‐stage policy learning and diffusion processes. Methods Using process tracing, interviews, archival research, and cross‐case analysis, this article describes and compares the emergence of medical marijuana and offshore wind energy policies in U.S. states. Using iterative data collection and analysis, the study identifies which factors proffered by the literature affect the policy learning and diffusion process. Results Despite representing different types of policies, there were significant similarities across both cases: State actors drew lessons from Europe; policy lessons from Europe were weaponized by national political interests in an effort to stymy state‐level diffusion; and, as policies diffused to other states, organized opposition curtailed. Conclusion This study demonstrates how the stage of diffusion can be as determinative of the policy learning context as the type of policy, and highlights how the diffusion and typology literatures can inform each other.
Triple Inhaled Therapy Provides a Small Reduction in Moderate COPD Exacerbations, No Effect on Severe Exacerbations.

Triple inhaled therapy, with budesonide (Pulmicort) in a dose of either 160 mcg or 320 mcg daily plus a long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA) and a long-acting beta2 agonist (LABA), reduces moderate exacerbations (a need for an antibiotic or steroid for three or more days) more than either a LAMA plus a LABA or inhaled corticosteroid plus a LABA, but the difference is small and of questionable clinical significance.
Plasmonic Gold Nanostar-Mediated Photothermal Immunotherapy

Cancer is among the leading cause of death around the world, causing close to 10 million deaths each year. Significant efforts have been devoted to developing novel technologies that can detect and treat cancer early and effectively to reduce cancer recurrences, treatment costs, and mortality. Gold nanoparticles (GNP) have been given particular attention for its use with photo-induced hyperthermia coupled with novel immunotherapy methods to provide a new platform for highly selective and less invasive cancer treatment. Among the various GNP platforms, gold nanostars (GNS) have a unique star-shaped geometric structure that allows superior light absorption and photothermal heating. This photothermal effect have also been found to amplify the anti-tumor immune response and can be exploited with adjuvant treatments using immune checkpoint inhibitors. This combination treatment known as Synergistic Immuno Photo Nanotherapy (SYMPHONY) has been shown to reverse tumor-mediated immunosuppression and has led to effective and long-lasting immunity against not only primary tumors but also cancer metastasis. This overview highlights the development and applications of GNS-mediated therapy developed in our laboratory for cancer treatment. This paper also presents recent results of experimental studies to illustrate the superior performance of GNS for photothermal treatment applications.
Effect of photobiomodulation on external root resorption during orthodontic tooth movement - a randomized controlled trial.

Summary Objective The objective of the study was to compare external root resorption during orthodontic tooth movement between patients who were subjected to photobiomodulation and those who were not. Materials and methods The study was designed as a split-mouth, single-blind randomized controlled trial conducted on twenty-two orthodontic patients requiring extraction of maxillary first premolars (age group 13–30 years). A buccal force was applied to all the premolars using a 0.019″ × 0.025″ beta-titanium cantilever spring for 28 days. The test group premolars were irradiated by indium-gallium-arsenide (InGaAs) diode laser (980 nm, 100 mW) 0, 3, 7, 11, 15 and 28 days after force application. Each premolar was irradiated at ten locations on the buccal and palatal gingiva resulting in a total energy of 10 J delivered per tooth. After 28 days, the root surface of all the premolars were studied for the number and volume of resorption craters using three-dimensional optical profilometry by a blinded assessor. One-sample Kolmogorov–Smirnov test was used to ascertain normality and Mann–Whitney U test was applied for data analysis. Results All twenty-two patients enrolled completed the study. The root surface analysis showed formation of 32.78% less number of resorption craters (P Conclusions The results of the present study, therefore, suggest that photobiomodulation reduces external root resorption during orthodontic tooth movement. Trial registration/Registration Number CTRI/2018/04/013520.
Still Fighting after All These Years: Minority Voting Rights 50 Years after the March on Washington

In August 2013, we celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech. On August 28, 1963, over 250,000 people converged on the National Mall to fight for “jobs and freedom.” A central demand of the marchers was the passage of meaningful civil rights legislation, including laws to end discrimination in voting and to free African Americans from the chains of “political and economic slavery.”1 The march culminated with Dr. King’s “I Have A Dream” speech in which he pronounced: “[w]e cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro in Mississippi cannot vote, and the Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote.”2 The Voting Rights Act of 19653 was passed just two years after the March, helping to usher in a new age of African American political participation. The Act’s success is remarkable and undeniable. Indeed, its enactment was a turning point in “the struggle to end discriminatory treatment of minorities who seek to exercise one of the most fundamental rights of our citizens: the right to vote.”4 But, the progress of the past 50 years has effectively come to a halt. The United States Supreme Court’s decision in Shelby Cnty v. Holder5 is the latest and perhaps most potent attack on equal political participation. Shelby neuters one of the most effective tools in our arsenal against political repression, empowering jurisdictions to once again erect barriers to minority voting.6 Fifty years
China's Disappearing Countryside: Towards Sustainable Land Governance for the Poor

Yongjun Zhao. Burlington, VT: Ashgate, 2013. i–ix and 161 pp., maps, tables, index. $98.96 cloth (ISBN 9781409428213); $109.95 electronic PDF (ISBN 9781409428220); $109.95 electronic ePUB (ISBN 978...
Self-Stabilization in the Distributed Systems of Finite State Machines

The notion of self-stabilization was first proposed by Dijkstra in 1974 in his classic paper. The paper defines a system as self-stabilizing if, starting at any, possibly illegitimate, state the system can automatically adjust itself to eventually converge to a legitimate state in finite amount of time and once in a legitimate state it will remain so unless it incurs a subsequent transient fault. Dijkstra limited his attention to a ring of finite-state machines and provided its solution for self-stabilization. In the years following his introduction, very few papers were published in this area. Once his proposal was recognized as a milestone in work on fault tolerance, the notion propagated among the researchers rapidly and many researchers in the distributed systems diverted their attention to it. The investigation and use of self-stabilization as an approach to fault-tolerant behavior under a model of transient failures for distributed systems is now undergoing a renaissance. A good number of works pertaining to self-stabilization in the distributed systems were proposed in the yesteryears most of which are very recent. This report surveys all previous works available in the literature of self-stabilizing systems. Type of Report: Other Department of Computer Science & Engineering Washington University in St. Louis Campus Box 1045 St. Louis, MO 63130 ph: (314) 935-6160 Self-Stabilization in the Distributed Systems of Finite State Machines Abusayeed Saifullah Department of Computer Science and Engineering Washington University in St Louis saifullaha@cse.wustl.edu
Vaccination with carbohydrate peptide mimotopes promotes anti-tumor responses

Tumor-associated carbohydrate (TAC) antigens are important targets in cancer vaccine efforts. Carbohydrates are, however, frequently poor immunogens, in that they are T-cell–independent antigens. Molecular mimicry of TAC by peptides is an alternative approach to generating anti-carbohydrate immune responses. Here we demonstrate that peptide mimotopes can elicit antibody responses that cross-react with representative human TAC antigens. Primary immunization with such a multiple antigenic peptide, along with QS-21 as adjuvant, elicits cytotoxic antibodies reactive with naturally occurring forms of TAC expressed on tumor cells, and vaccination of mice with peptide mimotopes reduced tumor growth and prolonged host survival in a murine tumor model.
National Profiles of Democratic Accountability: Tradeoffs and Complementarities between Democratic Accountability Linkages

Political parties combine and use different linkage strategies in order to achieve electoral success. In this paper, we examine the endogenous and exogenous factors that influence which democratic linkage strategies parties will choose to emphasize. In so doing, we challenge an often implicit assumption that parties will use one mode of democratic accountability at the expense of other modes, and show that parties will often use a variety of different linkage mechanisms. With a new dataset ondemocratic accountability developed by a research team based at Duke University, we use cluster analysis to show some of the combinations of accountability mechanisms typically used by parties, and highlight the systemic and party-level factors which result in the linkage patterns observed.
Analytic and Process Classification of Effluents

The residual organics in effluents are classified using analytic and process techniques for component identification. There are residual organics in biologically treated effluents that are either refractory or are produced by biological treatment. There is a residual class of organics not removed by activated carbon. This is confirmed in three ways: (1) by considering the chemical composition of effluents and how these organic components physically interact under process techniques; (2) by extrapolating adsorption isotherm to an ultimate residual organic concentration at an infinite activated carbon dose; and (3) by an electrokinetic fractionation that concentrates ionized organics. These residual organics of activated carbon treatment appear to be electropositive (cationic) of high isoelectric value as determined by gravitational electrodialysis fractionation. The sizes are roughly between 10 A to 100 A (pL 9-8) and 0.1 μ (pL 6); pL being defined as the negative log of the particle size in meters. It is hypothesized that this residual class of organics contain nitrogeneous groups that are the degradation products of bacterial cell walls.
Scaling: Self-similarity and intermediate asymptotics

Preface Introduction 1. Dimensions, dimensional analysis and similarity 2. The application of dimensional analysis to the construction of intermediate asymptotic solutions to problems of mathematical physics. Self-similar solutions 3. Self-similarities of the second kind: first examples 4. Self-similarities of the second kind: further examples 5. Classification of similarity rules and self-similarity solutions. Recipe for application of similarity analysis 6. Scaling and transformation groups. Renormalization groups. 7. Self-similar solutions and travelling waves 8. Invariant solutions: special problems of the theory 9. Scaling in deformation and fracture in solids 10. Scaling in turbulence 11. Scaling in geophysical fluid dynamics 12. Scaling: miscellaneous special problems.
Guanylyl cyclase C as a biomarker for targeted imaging and therapy of metastatic colorectal cancer.

The guanylyl cyclase C (GCC) receptor posseses several well-established properties ideal for use as a biomarker in gastrointestinal malignancies. The GCC receptor is constitutively expressed in the apical membranes of the intestine and its expression is universally preserved in primary colorectal tumors and their metastases. Moreover, receptor binding is retained by GCC’s cognate ligand, the bacterial enterotoxin ST, even after conjugation to functional moieties. Selective tumor, but not gastrointestinal, uptake of ST in mice bearing GCC-expressing colon cancer xenografts demonstrates the potential of exploiting ST–GCC interaction for diagnostic imaging and targeted therapy of metastatic colorectal cancer. We expect this specific targeting provided by ST–GCC interaction to improve diagnosis, staging and management of colorectal cancer metastases, and ultimately prolong patient survival in this disease.
Applying the principles of population biology: assessment and recommendations

In addition to describing recent developments in specific fields, the previous chapters demonstrate a common theme, that the solutions to practical problems have not involved the ready application of a set of firm principles of population biology. Here we (a) explore several possible reasons why this is so, (b) evaluate several weaknesses in the ways in which theoretical principles are currently developed, and (c) suggest several modifications of our approach to both the development of theory and the application of the resulting principles of population biology to practical problems. There is a large amount of uncertainty inherent in the problems of population biology, due to both natural variability on a wide range of temporal and spatial scales, and limited knowledge of mechanisms. The former represents an inherent limit on predictability, and the latter is unique to population biology because of the inherent heterogeneity of mechanisms and behavior. Both should be more widely appreciated among decision makers, as they limit reasonable expectations. They deserve wider appreciation among population biologists as well, as they set a requirement for a special approach tailored to the specific nature of this uncertainty. We recommend an approach in which results from applications are monitored so that they can form an empirical extension of the process of developing theoretical principles. This approach would both foster development of a theory that could be more useful in the solution of practical problems in applied population biology and provide additional empirical support for the theory itself. In the development of a “general, predictive” theory, we recommend (1) closer adherence to the more restrictive definition of the word “general” (i.e., holds for many specific cases) and (2) an appreciation for the weak implications of correct predictions. The former will require synthesis from a larger number of examples, which can be supplied from practical problems. The latter suggests a shift to more of a hypothetico-deductive scheme, which can guide the incorporation of results from applied problems into the empirical process. We point out several existing trends in directions consistent with these recommendations, as well as the points of view of a number of prominent population biologists who argue against a closer relationship between theory and the real world.
Bipolar Memory Circuits

The sections in this article are 1 Emitter Coupled Logic 2 ECL Memories 3 Faults in ECL Memories 4 Behavior of Faults in ECL Storage Elements 5 Detection of Certain Faults 6 Bridging Faults: Modeling and Analysis 7 Bridging of Logical Nodes With Feedback 8 Conclusion
BCG vaccination of guinea pigs modulates Mycobacterium tuberculosis-induced CCL5 (RANTES) production in vitro and in vivo.

CCL5 can attract and activate macrophages and Th1 lymphocytes, which are involved in eliciting a protective immune response against tuberculosis. In this study, the effects of BCG vaccination on CCL5 production in vitro and in vivo in the guinea pig model were examined. Splenocytes, alveolar, and resident peritoneal macrophages obtained from naive and BCG-vaccinated animals were infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis in vitro at various time points and analyzed for CCL5 mRNA and protein levels. All three leukocyte populations harvested from BCG-vaccinated guinea pigs and infected with M. tuberculosis produced elevated CCL5 mRNA and protein compared to infected cells from naive animals. The kinetics of CCL5 production in vivo was evaluated by inducing tuberculous pleurisy in BCG-vaccinated guinea pigs and analyzing CCL5 in pleural effusions at daily intervals. Both CCL5 mRNA and protein levels increased to maximum levels at day 4 post-pleurisy induction. These data suggest that BCG-vaccination enhances CCL5 production in vitro and in vivo. The effect of neutralizing CCL5 with polyclonal anti-CCL5 IgG in vivo during tuberculous pleurisy resulted in a trend toward diminished levels of pro-inflammatory cytokine mRNA, although neutralizing CCL5 in vivo did not appear to alter the intensity of the histopathological response.
Abstract 980: Intrathecal methotrexate induces focal cognitive deficits and alters CNS folate physiology in rats

Background: In order to reduce the persistent neurologic toxicity of therapy for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), many treatment protocols avoid cranial radiation, relying instead on intrathecal chemotherapy to prevent central nervous system relapses. Nevertheless a significant subset of survivors treated without radiation manifest persistent focal deficits in cognitive function. The folate antagonist methotrexate (MTX), a key component of prophylactic intrathecal therapy, is suspected to contribute to treatment-induced cognitive dysfunction. Our goal was to establish a rodent model to isolate the cognitive and neurotoxic effects of MTX after direct administration into cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Methods: Adult Long-Evans rats were given either intrathecal MTX 0.5mg/kg or artificial CSF via transcutaneous puncture at the level of the cisterna magna. Three days later, all rats subsequently underwent a battery of behavioral tests designed to assess cognitive domains frequently impaired among children treated for ALL, including spatial memory, visual memory, and motor coordination. Indicators of folate physiology (folate and homocysteine) in CSF and serum were measured using high performance liquid chromatography. Concentrations of interleukin-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α were measured in CSF to assess whether intrathecal MTX induces an inflammatory response. Results: Intrathecal MTX administration reliably produced both visual and spatial memory deficits, without altering general activity or motor coordination. MTX administration was associated with a significant reduction in both CSF and serum folate concentrations, along with an increase in CSF homocysteine. At 24 hours post-injection of MTX, CSF folate decreased by 75% and CSF homocysteine was increased 4-fold, relative to baseline. Intrathecal injection of both MTX and artificial CSF was associated with a significant rise in CSF IL-6 within 6 hours, which then returned to baseline by 24h. Conclusion: We have established an animal model in which intrathecal MTX induces cognitive dysfunction that mimics clinically observed toxicity, in association with a rapid fall in CSF folate and increase in CSF homocysteine. A non-specific, transient increase was seen in the proinflammatory cytokine IL-6 within CSF. This proinflammatory response does not appear sufficient to cause cognitive deficits, as it was observed among both groups of rats, while toxicity was demonstrated among only those who received MTX. This model will allow us both to further investigate the pathophysiology of treatment-induced cognitive dysfunction and to test protective interventions. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 980.
PRE-SOLUTION TRIALS IN DISCRIMINATION LEARNING

This study was designed to test conflicting hypotheses of the continuity and non-continuity theories of discrimination learning. The hypotheses to be tested may be paraphrased as follows: (a) Continuity theory, as presented by Spence ( 1940), states that associative response strength develops as a monotonic function of the frequency of the occurrence of a stimulus cue at or near the time of reinforcement provided the stimulus cue is "impinging upon the sensorium" of S. (b) Non-continuity theory, as presented by Lashley ( 1942 ) and Krechevsky (1938), states that associative response strength is developed selectively to those aspects of the stimulus complex which are chosen by S as a basis for making a response. A comparison of these hypotheses indicates that the theories differ in their interpretation of stimulus selectivity. Continuity theory considers stimulus selectivity according to the spatial arrangement of the stimulus elements with respect to S as indicated by the requirement "impinging on the sensorium;" non-continuity theory considers stimulus selectivity as a factor imposed by S independent of spatial and postural arrangements. These differences have developed from experiments with lower animal Ss that did not permit the identification of the primary stimulus cues which influenced the responses. E had to infer what cues were used from an analysis of S's responses. The typical design employed by both Spence (1945) and Krechevsky (1938) introduced a stimulus cue reversal after a number of trials, the presolution series. The performance of these Ss was compared with that of a control group who experienced no stimulus cue reversal. There was no way to determine whether individual Ss in the experimental group had, during the pre-solution series, actually adopted a response to the appropriate cue which was later reversed. The research presented here uses a design which permits the positive identification of pre-solution trials by using human Ss who can indicate the cue for the response on each trial. This eliminates the necessity for inferring that any given number of trials are pre-solution trials. Spence (1937) has questioned the use of humans in such a test since verbal symbols might be used by the Ss. Lashley (1938) questioned the use of humans because of the rapidity with which they were able to solve simple discrimination problems. The mode of construction of the stimulus units and the complexity of the discrimination task were adopted to minimize these factors in this experiment.
What part of spirituality don't you understand?

There is much to support in Kuczewski's (2007) article on the appropriateness of spirituality in the clinical setting. Unfortunately, the need to raise consciousness about this issue is a sign that...
Induction of anesthesia with fentanyl or fentanyl plus etomidate in high-risk patients

Anesthetic doses of fentanyl (46 +/- 1.3 micrograms/kg) and oxygen (group I) were compared to a moderate dose of fentanyl (3 to 4.7 micrograms/kg; mean = 3.54 +/- 0.1 micrograms/kg) + etomidate (0.4 mg/kg) intravenously (IV) (group II) during the anesthetic induction-endotracheal intubation sequence to evaluate hemodynamic changes and the incidence of side effects in 23 New York Heart Association class III and IV patients. Chest wall rigidity only occurred in group I (27%), and pain on injection (8%) and myoclonus (25%) only in group II. Patients in group I experienced transient, small increases in central venous pressure (immediately after induction) and mean pulmonary artery pressure (after tracheal intubation). Patients in group II had small, transient decreases in heart rate, mean arterial blood pressure and cardiac index after induction which returned to baseline levels immediately after tracheal intubation. The data indicate that a modest dose of fentanyl with etomidate is similar to a large (anesthetic) dose of fentanyl in terms of avoiding cardiovascular depression and preventing hemodynamic stimulation during and following the induction-tracheal intubation sequence. Our findings also demonstrate that these doses of fentanyl before etomidate decrease but do not eliminate side effects of etomidate. The results suggest that a modest dose of fentanyl followed by etomidate may be an attractive alternative to high doses of fentanyl in patients with limited cardiovascular reserve, especially when prolonged postoperative respiratory depression secondary to high doses of an opioid is undesirable.
Indeterminacy, Ultimacy, and the World: the Self-Creation of Religious Pluralism through Community and Creation

Common arguments for truth in religious pluralism absolutize an ultimate or lived component of religion, reducing a positive affirmation of plurality to deeper unity or exclusion. The arguments of John Hick, William Connolly, Nicholas Rescher, and S. Mark Heim fall into such a trap. By considering how an indeterminate concept of ultimacy, proposed by Robert C. Neville, fares against the problems their arguments raise, it will be shown that such a concept of ultimacy can both give rise to and grow out of communal experiences and the nature of the world. The indeterminate ultimate, communal experiences, and the world pluralize themselves once understood in mutual relation.
Grammatical evolution support vector machines for predicting human genetic disease association

Identifying genes that predict common, complex human diseases is a major goal of human genetics. This is made difficult by the effect of epistatic interactions and the need to analyze datasets with high-dimensional feature spaces. Many classification methods have been applied to this problem, one of the more recent being Support Vector Machines (SVM). Selection of which features to include in the SVM model and what parameters or kernels to use can often be a difficult task. This work uses Grammatical Evolution (GE) as a way to choose features and parameters. Initial results look promising and encourage further development and testing of this new approach.
A state-space formulation of the causal linear prefiltering problem in sampled-data systems

Abstract In this paper, we consider the problem of linearly prefiltering and coding a random process which is to be sampled in time and transmitted over a noisy channel. We take the linear reconstruction filter at the receiving end to be fixed and known, and we then determine the form of the optimum linear prefilter subject to a power constraint on its output. If the process to be filtered is described using a state-space representation, the prefilter can be realized as a continuous Kalman filter followed by a digital filter which in general has memory. If the duration of the impulse response of the reconstruction filter is less than the interval between adjacent samples, the digital filter becomes a memoryless matrix coder.