cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Therapeutic Delivery of Cyclin A2 Induces Myocardial Regeneration and Enhances Cardiac Function in Ischemic Heart Failure

Background— Heart failure is a global health concern. As a novel therapeutic strategy, the induction of endogenous myocardial regeneration was investigated by initiating cardiomyocyte mitosis by expressing the cell cycle regulator cyclin A2. Methods and Results— Lewis rats underwent left anterior descending coronary artery ligation followed by peri-infarct intramyocardial delivery of adenoviral vector expressing cyclin A2 (n =32) or empty adeno-null (n =32). Cyclin A2 expression was characterized by Western Blot and immunohistochemistry. Six weeks after surgery, in vivo myocardial function was analyzed using an ascending aortic flow probe and pressure-volume catheter. DNA synthesis was analyzed by proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), Ki-67, and BrdU. Mitosis was analyzed by phosphohistone-H3 expression. Myofilament density and ventricular geometry were assessed. Cyclin A2 levels peaked at 2 weeks and tapered off by 4 weeks. Borderzone cardiomyocyte cell cycle activation was demonstrated by increased PCNA (40.1±2.6 versus 9.3±1.1; P P P P P =0.0011). Borderzone wall thickness was greater in cyclin A2 hearts (1.7±0.4 versus 1.4±0.04 mm; P P =0.017), max dP/dt (3000±588 versus 2500±643 mm Hg/sec; P 2 ; P P =0.004). Conclusions— A therapeutic strategy of cyclin A2 expression via gene transfer induced cardiomyocyte cell cycle activation yielded increased borderzone myofilament density and improved myocardial function. This approach of inducing endogenous myocardial regeneration provides proof-of-concept evidence that cyclin A2 may ultimately serve as an efficient, alternative therapy for heart failure.
Comparison of neutron diffusion and Monte Carlo simulations of a fission wave

Abstract Simulations by many groups have shown that fission waves could form in uranium and potentially be used as the basis for a power reactor. The vast majority of studies have been done using a neutron diffusion approximation. Monte Carlo simulations are typically considered to be the benchmark against which other computational approaches are tested. However, a direct comparison of Monte Carlo and diffusion results for fission waves has not been made. In the present work we show the results of 1-D and 3-D simulations of a fission wave system done using MCNPX 2.7.0. The results are compared with those from a one-dimensional, one-group neutron diffusion code. The diffusion simulations produce a wave speed of 5.9 cm/year versus 7.9 cm/year for the 3-D Monte Carlo simulations and 5.3 cm/year for the 1-D simulations. The 1-D diffusion and Monte Carlo simulations produce flux profiles with a correlation of R 2 = 0.93, and their 238 U burnup profiles have R 2 = 0.98.
Simulation of a QCA-based CLB and a multi-CLB application

This paper presents the design and simulation of a circuit consisting of multiple interacting configurable logic blocks (CLBs) using quantum-dot cellular automata (QCA). Previous work on QCA-based field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) has focused on fixed logic and programmable interconnect. In contrast, this work uses CLBs consisting of look-up tables (LUTs). These CLBs have been previously presented in isolation. This paper presents two main contributions. First, we improve the latency and area of the existing CLBs. Second, we simulate four connected CLBs acting as a very simple FPGA. We configure this FPGA to emulate a ripple-carry adder and analyze latency and throughput. We employ a multilevel approach to design specification and simulation. QCADesigner software is used for detailed layout and simulation of the individual CLB. For simulations of multiple-CLB circuits, we use the high-level HDLQ Verilog library instead. This hybrid approach provides a high degree of confidence in reasonable simulation time.
SELECTED FACTORS AREALLY ASSOCIATED WITH POPULATION GROWTH DUE TO NET MIGRATION

T N the scientific study of population, the I geographer attempts to arrive at valid generalizations, or statements of regularities, about a set of facts concerning the spatial distribution of population phenomena. In order to do so, he formulates hypotheses about areal associations or relationships which may exist between the population phenomenon under investigation and other phenomena. These hypotheses are based upon a set of observations, or facts. Sets of facts collected by governmental or other agencies are available; in the United States, for example, births and deaths are recorded, and many types of census are taken. Such data constitute the raw material which may be used to test hypotheses. It is obvious that since the resulting generalizations have been derived from the set of observations in the aggregate, they are in turn applicable to the entire set rather than to any particular observation or area. In other words, they account for the phenomenon as a whole, or on the average, rather than accounting for the circumstances in any one area. A scientific explanation consists essentially of such a statement of regularity about a set of facts. Study of the spatial aspects of migration is an important component of population geography. Geographers, as well as other social scientists, have used many different approaches in attempting to explain the observed movement of people. The use of migration probabilities has been pioneered by Swedish geographers, notably Hagerstrand1 and Kulldorff.2 The gravitational concept of human interaction has been employed by
Proclivity for Improvisation as a Predictor of Entrepreneurial Intentions

This study examines the relationship between improvisation and entrepreneurial intentions. Of specific interest is whether or not a proclivity for improvisation explains any variance in entrepreneurial intentions beyond what is accounted for by other relevant individual difference measures. Using a sample of 430 college students, entrepreneurial intentions are found to be significantly associated with measures of personality, motivation, cognitive style, social models, and improvisation. The strongest relationship is found between entrepreneurial intentions and improvisation. The results of hierarchical regression show that improvisation accounts for a significant amount of variance in entrepreneurial intention above and beyond what is accounted for by the other variables.
Intranasal administration of PEGylated transforming growth factor-alpha improves behavioral deficits in a chronic stroke model.

We previously demonstrated that infusion of transforming growth factor (TGF)-α after chronic middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) stimulates stem and progenitor cell proliferation, migration, and neuronal differentiation associated with the amelioration of neurologic impairment. But the use of TGF-α in humans is impeded by impracticality of intracranial infusion and the inability of intravenous TGF-α to cross the blood-brain barrier. Here we investigated whether intranasal delivery of PEGylated TGF-α (PEG-TGF-α) is a viable alternative. We found that intranasal PEG-TGF-α can also induce the proliferation of neural progenitors and their migration to the damaged striatum, and that this is associated with significant behavioral improvement in the MCAO model. This nonsurgical approach represents a potential therapeutic strategy for human patients.
Foaming in Glass Melts Produced by Sodium Sulfate Decomposition under Ramp Heating Conditions

Ramp heating a glass batch with sulfate permits determination of the foaming temperature and maximum foam height as a function of sulfate addition. Experiments revealed that, in the soda-lime glass studied, foam was produced when the mass fraction of SO[sub 3] in the glass was higher than 0.0027. With increasing sulfate content, the foaming temperature decreased and the maximum foam height increased until the mass fraction of SO[sub 3] was 0.01. Further additions of sulfate had little effect on foaming temperature and decreased maximum foam height. In this paper the results are discussed in terms of sulfate solubility and nonequilibrium effects.
Enteric Bacteria and Cancer Stem Cells

Intestinal bacteria can contribute to cell proliferation and cancer development, particularly in chronic infectious diseases in which bacteria and/or bacterial components might interfere with cell function. The number of microbial cells within the gut lumen is estimated to be 100 trillion, which is about 10-times larger than the number of eukaryotic cells in the human body. Because of the complexity of the gut flora, identifying the specific microbial agents related to human diseases remains challenging. Recent studies have demonstrated that the stemness of colon cancer cells is, in part, orchestrated by the microenvironment and is defined by high Wnt activity. In this review article, we will discuss recent progress with respect to intestinal stem cells, cancer stem cells, and the molecular mechanisms of enteric bacteria in the activation of the Wnt pathway. We will also discuss the roles of other pathways, including JAK-STAT, JNK, and Notch, in regulating stem cell niches during bacterial infections using Drosophila models. Insights gained from understanding how host-bacterial interaction during inflammation and cancer may serve as a paradigm for understanding the nature of self-renewal signals.
Extended Linear Modeling with Splines

Extended linear models form a very general framework for statistical modeling. Many practically important contexts fit into this framework, including regression, logistic and Poisson regression, density estimation, spectral density estimation, and conditional density estimation. Moreover, hazard regression, proportional hazard regression, marked point process regression, and diffusion processes, all perhaps with time-dependent covariates, also fit into this framework. Polynomial splines and their tensor products provide a universal tool for constructing maximum likelihood estimates for extended linear models. The theory of rates of convergence for such estimates as it applies both to fixed knot splines and to free knot splines will be surveyed, and the implications of this theory for the development of corresponding methodology will be discussed briefly.
I-GEMS and Global Security

This paper describes the role of the IEEE Global Education for Microelectronic Systems Initiative (I-GEMS) and its role in the nascent discipline of global security engineering and critical embedded systems engineering. Design for globalization defines the process for developing critical embedded systems in the global era. Our work specializes in systems that perform key monitoring and control functions for critical infrastructure and other applications that demand high levels of reliability.
Regulation of Chromatin Remodeling by Inositol Polyphosphates

Chromatin remodeling is required for efficient transcription of eukaryotic genes. In a genetic selection for budding yeast mutants that were defective in induction of the phosphate-responsive PHO5 gene, we identified mutations in ARG82/IPK2, which encodes a nuclear inositol polyphosphate kinase. In arg82 mutant strains, remodeling of PHO5 promoter chromatin is impaired, and the adenosine triphosphate-dependent chromatin-remodeling complexes SWI/SNF and INO80 are not efficiently recruited to phosphate-responsive promoters. These results suggest a role for the small molecule inositol polyphosphate in the regulation of chromatin remodeling and transcription.
The Pediatric Inpatient Family Care Conference: A Proposed Structure Toward Shared Decision-Making

Over the past decade, there has been a steady increase in the medical complexity of patients on the pediatric inpatient service while at the same time, there are few data to show that families are satisfied with communication of complex issues. Family care conferences are defined as an opportunity outside of rounds to meet and discuss treatment decisions and options. They offer a potential pathway for psychosocial support and facilitated communication. The lack of consensus about the structure of these conferences impedes our ability to research patient, family, and provider outcomes related to communication. The goal of the present article was to describe a structure for family care conferences in the pediatric inpatient setting with a literature-based description of each phase of the conference. The theoretical framework for the structure is that patient and family engagement can improve communication and ultimately health care quality. This proposed model offers guidance to providers and researchers whose goal is to improve communication on the inpatient service.
Surgical Atlas of the Musculoskeletal System

M. Llusa, A. Meri, and D. Ruano. Rosemont, IL: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons; 2008. 422 pages. $175.00. ISBN: 978-0-89203-394-2 . New from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) this year is the Surgical Atlas of the Musculoskeletal System, originally published in Spanish and written by Llusa, Meri, and Ruano. This text has just recently been carefully translated into English, under the direction of the publications and international departments at the AAOS. This textbook provides quite detailed information about general musculoskeletal anatomy and is divided into four principal sections. Section 1 provides general information, reviewing simple anatomic nomenclature, providing background for the reader, and establishing a basic foundation for students who are relatively new to the subject of anatomy. This section is well illustrated (as are all sections), with very nice color plates that demonstrate and enhance the various topics that are addressed. The subsequent three sections are divided into general anatomic regions: the scapular girdle and upper limb, the head and trunk, and the pelvic …
Exercise recovery above and below anaerobic threshold following maximal work.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of resting and exercise recovery above [70% of maximum O2 uptake (VO2 max)] and below [40% of VO2 max] anaerobic threshold (AT) on blood lacta...
Nanoscale Effects in Water Splitting Photocatalysis

From a conceptual standpoint, the water photoelectrolysis reaction is the simplest way to convert solar energy into fuel. It is widely believed that nanostructured photocatalysts can improve the efficiency of the process and lower the costs. Indeed, nanostructured light absorbers have several advantages over traditional materials. This includes shorter charge transport pathways and larger redox active surface areas. It is also possible to adjust the energetics of small particles via the quantum size effect or with adsorbed ions. At the same time, nanostructured absorbers have significant disadvantages over conventional ones. The larger surface area promotes defect recombination and reduces the photovoltage that can be drawn from the absorber. The smaller size of the particles also makes electron–hole separation more difficult to achieve. This chapter discusses these issues using selected examples from the literature and from the laboratory of the author.
A method of powering a nebulizer manually using parts locally available in Honduras

The objective of this project was to design and build a simple, low-cost human-powered nebulizer (HPN) using locally available parts purchased in Honduras, and evaluate its clinical performance. The work was performed by students in an international engineering service-learning program at The Ohio State University. Nebulizers are used to treat people with respiratory diseases, e.g. asthma, which have a high prevalence in Honduras. Our design consists of a bicycle pump, two pump needles, plastic medical tubing, a soccer ball, air filter and a nebulizer/mask, all connected in series. A common motorcycle fuel filter serves as the air filter in the system. Pumping the foot-operated bicycle pump generates air pressure/flow in the system. The soccer ball acts as a low-pass mechanical compliance filter to smooth the time-varying pressure/flow pattern. We established a pumping frequency — 40 strokes/minute — that produced a pressure and volumetric flow rate consistent with a commercial electrically-powered medical nebulizer compressor. In a pilot study in Honduras, we compared our HPN — costing USD17 to construct from locally available parts — to a commercial nebulizer — costing several hundred dollars to purchase — as to how each improved the patients' breathing performance. We measured breathing performance before and after treatment with a standard peak-flow spirometer. Each machine improved the patients' breathing performance (p≤0.001); we found no difference in breathing improvement between the two machines (p=0.288) in this small study. Qualitatively, patients in both groups reported improved breathing performance following treatment. Our HPN is currently being used in clinics in the Choluteca region of Honduras where commercial nebulizers and the electricity needed to power them are scarce or unavailable.
Voluntary Simplifiers, Spirituality, and Happiness:

In this article, we explore the connections between voluntary simplicity (VS), people who are dedicated to consuming less material goods, and Western spirituality. We investigate how voluntary simp...
Particle Growth in a Tumbling Fluidized Bed Coater

Particle growth in a tumbling fluidized bed coater, where a slurry or solution was being atomized, was investigated theoretically and experimentally. A growth rate equation of particles in the apparatus was derived assuming that spray droplets collided with individual particles of different sizes with a uniform mass rate per unit surface area of the particles at any instant and also assuming that the particles were coated with a constant proportion of coating substance in the droplets regardless of particle size and coating time. Individual seed particles with an equal size were found experimentally to have a scatter of coating mass unlike the assumption in the model. However, the theoretical relationship between the mean coating mass and the size of seed particles was in reasonably good agreement with the experiment. Consequently, the model proved to be useful for estimating the variation in the size distribution of coated particles with time.
Computer-Aided Rssr Spacial Mechanism Design For Function Generation

This paper discusses CAD method of RSSR spacial mechanism for function generation and cites the relevant software structure which can be applied in microcomputer. In CAD, specified function is inputed by man-computer conversation, structural parameters are calculated out by procedure of chaosing precision point and solving equation, and mechanism motion is simulated by displaying 2-D and 3-D mechanism drawing one by one. Therefore general mechanism designer can design cutbetter mechanism rapidy and visually by running the CAD software on design and better microcomputer.
Political Thought and Historical Problematics

The aim of this essay is to challenge the assumption of a basic unity of vision and purpose at the roots of Anglo-American jurisprudence through a study of the role of juries and judgment in revolutions. Through a comparative look at the relationship between English and American conceptions of law and judgment in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the conclusion can be reached that British and American jurisprudence are separated not only historically by differing court practices which commentators have frequently observed, but correlatively by essentially different theoretical conceptions of sovereignty, the nature of law, and the extent of ordinary citizens’ power to judge the legitimacy of law. This last factor has been far less frequently observed, if not implicitly denied, by legal commentators. From a theoretical perspective, this comparative analysis helps to explain why the question of the scope and limits of the judicial function in a democratic state is the overarching question of American jurisprudence, whereas in English jurisprudence it remains a question of little significance.1 At the same time, this study aims to contribute to the contemporary debate among legal and philosophical analysts of the American judicial system, by adding to these typically limited and abstract discussions of competing theories of law and adjudication a theoretical and historically informed discussion of the evolution of judicial institutions whose nature these theories are intended to elucidate.2 The aim is to reconstruct an intellectual and historical problematic that provoked both significant constitutional debate and innovative legal and jurisprudential responses in eighteenth-century American jurisprudence. That problematic is one of determining the proper locus of judgment about the content and ‘constitutionality’ of law.
Identifying vulnerabilities and hardening attack graphs for networked systems

We investigate efficient security control methods for protecting against vulnerabilities in networked systems. A large number of interdependent vulnerabilities typically exist in the computing nodes of a cyber-system; as vulnerabilities get exploited, starting from low level ones, they open up the doors to more critical vulnerabilities. These cannot be understood just by a topological analysis of the network, and we use the attack graph abstraction of [1] to study these problems. In contrast to earlier approaches based on heuristics and evolutionary algorithms, we study rigorous methods for quantifying the inherent vulnerability and hardening cost for the system. We develop algorithms with provable approximation guarantees, and evaluate them for real and synthetic attack graphs.
Pregnancy Outcomes in Women With a History of Previable, Preterm Prelabor Rupture of Membranes.

OBJECTIVE:To characterize subsequent pregnancy outcomes among women with a history of previable, preterm prelabor rupture of membranes (PROM) and assess factors associated with recurrent preterm birth.METHODS:This was a retrospective cohort study of women cared for with a history of one or more sing
An analytical approach for determining harmonic cusps and torque dips in line start synchronous reluctance motors

Excellence of line start synchronous reluctance motors (LS-SynRM) such as their high efficiency amongst other types of line start motors necessitates the existence of analytical methods in their design. The start-up period of these motors is of high importance and regarding this, the cage design needs to be discussed thoroughly since the squirrel cage is responsible for speeding up the motor to reach at synchronism. One of the issues in this sense is the rich harmonic content of the air-gap MMF arising from irregular bars configuration which afterwards could lead to creation of the torque dips in the torque-speed characteristic of the machine and making it incapable of synchronization under load. An analytical approach to calculate these harmonic effects while also considering the reluctance rotor contribution on them is proposed in this paper. This scheme starts from the stator winding configuration as a known parameter, obtaining the air gap MMF due to only the stator magnetic field, calculating the current and voltages induced through the rotor bars considering the effect of saliency using the model proposed in [1, 2]. Next, harmonic contribution of the rotor cage in the air gap MMF is derived. Finally, probable harmonic cusps and consequently torque dips is found in the torque-speed characteristic of the motor which is helpful in anticipating the synchronization capability under various loads. The results have been verified with a sample 4-pole, two flux barriers per pole LS-SynRM which suffers crawling due to the existence of the torque dips in its torque-speed characteristic. All simulations have been done by finite element analysis (FEA) software and a comprehensive program was written in Matlab to implement the proposed algorithm.
Pure Michigan Beer? Tourism, Craft Breweries, and Sustainability

This chapter describes and explores the relationships between the popularity of craft beer and impacts on water resources. Is there a connection between tourism, brewing, and sustainability in West Michigan? It is quite clear that tourism impacts the environment, but there is little to no published research on how craft brewing impacts the environment or how craft breweries address sustainability concerns or create the desire to engage in tourism. Accordingly, this chapter attempts to fill these gaps by using the West Michigan region as a descriptive and exploratory case study focused on the sustainability efforts of craft breweries. This chapter uses qualitative interview-based methods, highlighting the region and foregrounding three West Michigan breweries: Founders, Short’s, and Brewery Vivant. This chapter defines and problematizes the issues of sustainability, highlighting the number of craft breweries in the region, providing the brewing context, and how West Michigan craft breweries connect to sustainability issues. Can breweries be sustainable in the face of state tourism campaigns like “Pure Michigan” and the tendencies of businesses and governments to cut corners on environmental issues?
Elasticity and Thermoelasticity

This chapter presents an overview of the historical development of the three-dimensional theories of elasticity and thermoelasticity. While it is not an exhaustive coverage of this subject, the material presented herein is introduced as a means of preparing the reader for the subjects to come that deal with the inelastic deformations that occur in flexible pavements. As such, this material is an essential part of the knowledge necessary to design modern flexible road ways.
Using Self-determination Theory to Understand Challenges to Aging, Adaptation, and Leisure among Community-dwelling Older Adults

Self-determination theory was used to help guide a study examining challenges to aging, adaptation, and leisure among community-dwelling older adults. Two focus groups (n = 21) explored perceptions...
Distinguishing the Plane from the Punctured Plane Without Homotopy

This is a note about topology, meant to illustrate a specific technique. If you do not know what topology is about, think of it this way: if you look at two congruent triangles in the plane, you co...
Intrinsic Transverse Motion of the Pion's Valence Quarks.

Starting with the solution to the Bethe-Salpeter equation for the pion, in a beyond rainbow-ladder truncation to QCD's Dyson-Schwinger equations, we determine the pion's ${l}_{z}=0$ and $|{l}_{z}|=1$ leading Fock-state light-front wave functions (LFWFs) [labeled by ${\ensuremath{\psi}}_{{l}_{z}}(x,{\mathbit{k}}_{T}^{2})$]. The leading-twist time-reversal even transverse momentum dependent parton distribution function (TMD) of the pion is then directly obtained using these LFWFs. A key characteristic of the LFWFs, which is driven by dynamical chiral symmetry breaking, is that at typical hadronic scales they are broad functions in the light-cone momentum fraction $x$. The LFWFs have a nontrivial $(x,{\mathbit{k}}_{T}^{2})$ dependence and in general do not factorize into separate functions of each variable. For ${\mathbit{k}}_{T}^{2}\ensuremath{\lesssim}1\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{GeV}}^{2}$ the ${\mathbit{k}}_{T}^{2}$ dependence of the LFWFs is well described by a Gaussian; however for ${\mathbit{k}}_{T}^{2}\ensuremath{\gtrsim}10\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{GeV}}^{2}$ these LFWFs behave as ${\ensuremath{\psi}}_{0}\ensuremath{\propto}x(1\ensuremath{-}x)/{\mathbit{k}}_{T}^{2}$ and ${\ensuremath{\psi}}_{1}\ensuremath{\propto}x(1\ensuremath{-}x)/{\mathbit{k}}_{T}^{4}$, and therefore exhibit the power-law behavior predicted by perturbative QCD. The pion's TMD naturally inherits many features from the LFWFs. The TMD evolution of our result is studied using both the ${b}^{*}$ and $\ensuremath{\zeta}$ prescriptions which allows a qualitative comparison with Drell-Yan data.
Physiology of the Aging Nose and Geriatric Rhinitis

The impact of the aging world population forces rhinologists to become familiar with how aging affects both normal nasal physiology and contributes to disease. There are several aspects of nasal function that change with age. These include alterations to the framework of the nasal structure and the respiratory epithelium which lines the inside. Changes in vascular regulation and airflow also affect other functional aspects of the nose such as nasal conditioning and mucociliary transport. Rhinitis is a common condition in older patients and its etiology is poorly understood. Consideration of these physiological changes is important to effective treatment of rhinitis in older patients. A number of therapies are useful for this condition, but special attention to principles of geriatric medicine is warranted to safely and effectively treat rhinitis in older patients.
Extraterrestrial Transport, Inc. (ET2): An Out-of-this-World Instructional Innovation for Teaching Management Accounting

Publisher Summary This chapter elaborates the instructional innovation for teaching management accounting. This innovation was used in a required management accounting course for approximately 400 nonaccounting business majors. The college administration requested changes in teaching style, and course requirements because the course had been problematic for both the students, and the instructors. Historically, students considered the course to be irrelevant to the anticipated roles they would assume after graduation. The student's negative attitudes diminished the instructor's willingness to teach this course. In addition, the content, and traditional teaching style of the course failed to communicate the strategic role that accountants play in project team management. The students became lost in the calculations normally performed by professional cost accountants. Students prepared a budgeted direct costing income statement from the absorption income statement prepared as a team in class three. Contribution margins and break-even points were calculated for two products manufactured in one plant.
Repeated exposure to heat stress induces mitochondrial adaptation in human skeletal muscle.

Heat stress has been shown to elicit mitochondrial adaptations in cell culture and animal research. We used pulsed shortwave diathermy to produce deep tissue heating and explore whether beneficial ...
Ontology Mapping Framework with Feature Extraction and Semantic Embeddings

During the last decade, we have seen an increasing interest in biomedical ontologies. In this paper, we proposed a semantic framework for an automatic ontology mapping through ontology search, feature extraction, and word embeddings. This is a new way to discover semantic mapping between the concepts across multiple ontologies. The ontologies were mapped to semantic features extracted from multiple ontologies selected from the NCBO BioPortal. We confirmed that the OMF framework is effective in the enhancement of the existing ontologies mapping and the discovery of new relations across ontologies beyond the boundary of ontologies.
Effects of Diet and Social Housing on Reproductive Success in Adult Zebrafish, Danio rerio.

Abstract Zebrafish (Danio rerio) have proven their efficiency as an animal model for genetics and development, but their nutrition and housing requirements continue to elude researchers. Diet and h...
Telemedicine using an iPad in the spinal cord injury population: a utility and patient satisfaction study.

Prospective observational. To explore participants’ experience, satisfaction, and utility of telemedicine. Spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation clinic at a county hospital. Participants in this study received telemedicine appointments for routine scheduled care and/or urgent consults with a spinal cord injury specialist via iPad on FaceTime. Demographic changes, health care utilization, and medical complications were assessed. A Program Satisfaction Survey (PSS) was completed after a 6-month enrollment. Telemedicine visits included general follow-ups (51.25%), “multiple issues” (24.38%), skin (6.88%), bowel and bladder (5.63%), spasms (3.13%), and pain (3.13%). The PSS was collected (n = 45) and revealed positive results in perceived health, satisfaction with equipment/ease of use, and satisfaction with the program. Analysis of anecdotal comments revealed themes such as efficiency, convenience, and reduced barriers provided by telemedicine visits. This study shows the feasibility and acceptance of a telemedicine intervention via iPad for individuals with SCI through positive PSS ratings and the wide variety of clinical topics addressed. Craig H. Neilsen Foundation.
Item Response Theory

Item response theory (IRT) is a psychometric modeling framework for analyzing categorical data from questionnaires, tests, and other instruments that aim to measure underlying latent traits. Simply speaking, these models estimate a parameter for each item, as well as a parameter for each person. Depending on how many latent traits are involved, a core distinction in IRT is unidimensional vs. multidimensional IRT models. Hence, dimensionality assessment is important before fitting an IRT model, as elaborated in the first section. Subsequently, the focus is on various classical unidimensional models for dichotomous as well as polytomous input data. Afterward, three sections cover various special topics in IRT: item/test information, sample size determination, and differential item functioning, where differences in the item parameters are examined across person subgroups. Some modern IRT flavors are presented in final three sections on multidimensional IRT, longitudinal IRT, and Bayesian IRT.
Improved partial inerting MIE test method for combustible dusts and its CFD validation

Abstract The Minimum Ignition Energy (MIE) is an important dust hazard parameter that guides the elimination of possible ignition sources in solids handling facilities. Partial inerting is a dust explosion mitigation technique implemented in industries, where the dust cloud MIE is increased, reducing the risk of an accidental explosion. Previous work has shown that purging the MIE apparatus Hartmann tube before testing is essential for obtaining accurate MIE values, but have not discussed the importance of the effective purge time required. Through experimentation and CFD modeling, this study has attempted to refine the existing MIE testing standard for partial inerting applications by introducing purge time as an essential parameter. In this study, oxygen sensor measurements were conducted to determine that the purge time for the MIKE3 apparatus should be > 40 s. Additionally, an ANSYS Fluent CFD purging model was developed, which confirmed the experimentally determined purge time. Using this improved methodology, an accurate partial inerting data set was obtained for the combustible dusts Anthraquinone, Lycopodium clavatum and Calcium Stearate.
Free Will and Desire

I make a case for the thesis that no one can refrain from trying to attain the object of his or her currently strongest desire. (More precisely, I argue for this given that our domain of concern doesn’t include desires for things—such as visiting with a deceased relative or flapping one’s arms and flying—that one deems unattainable, but rather is restricted to desires for things one might deliberate about pursuing.) I arrive there by defending an argument by Peter van Inwagen for a relatively mild conclusion about the way desires limit our abilities, and by arguing that if van Inwagen’s conclusion is correct, and correct for his reasons, so is my bolder thesis. I close with replies to objections, such as the objection that it is better to take my argument as a reductio ad absurdum of van Inwagen’s than to take my conclusion seriously.
Pediatric spinal cord biopsy: A case series from a high-volume referral center

Pediatric patients presenting with intramedullary spinal cord lesions often require specific diagnoses to guide their treatment plans. Though results from magnetic resonance imaging and lumbar puncture may narrow the differential diagnosis, these tests cannot always provide a definitive diagnosis. In such cases, spinal cord biopsy may be undertaken to provide a specific histopathologic diagnosis for guiding treatment. Data from the adult population show 24% of spinal cord biopsies can be nondiagnostic and the procedure may carry a 21% complication rate. Therefore, spinal cord biopsy may portend a similar high risk-to-benefit ratio in the pediatric population. Here, we review spinal cord biopsy cases scheduled for diagnosis, and not debulking, at a high volume pediatric referral center during a seventeen-year period. We report our experience with five patients who met our inclusion criteria. Due to the rarity of the procedure, statistically significant factors associated with improved diagnostic yield or peri-operative complication could not be identified. A definitive diagnosis which guided the post-operative treatment plan was obtained in four of our five patients. None of our patients developed post-operative motor deficits. However, these patients were susceptible to the same risks of open spine surgery, such as wound infections and spinal deformities. Our case series shows that intramedullary spinal cord biopsies may provide tissue for obtaining histopatholgic diagnoses. However, the potential risks of complication, and the possibility of obtaining nondiagnostic tissue, should be discussed with patients, families and their medical treatment teams.
Intermediate temperature corrosion behaviour of Fe-12Cr-6Al-2Mo-0.2Si-0.03Y alloy (C26M) at 300–600 °C

Abstract Iron-chromium-aluminium alloys are of interest to the nuclear materials community due to their resistance to high temperature steam oxidation and good mechanical properties under irradiation. The present work investigates oxide formation on Fe-12Cr-6Al-2Mo-0.2Si-0.03Y alloy at temperatures relevant to light water reactor cladding operation following extended aging to assess growth kinetics, chemical composition, and oxide microstructure. Oxide growth follows a logarithmic time dependence. When the oxidization temperature is 400 °C or below, the oxide is amorphous. At 500 °C or above, crystalline α-Al2O3 oxide film develops and the correlated logarithmic rate constant decreases significantly, indicating enhanced oxidation resistance of the formed oxide film.
What do we know about travel for children with special health care needs? A review of the literature

Abstract Background Children travel with their families, including children with chronic illness. We know that adults with chronic illness who travel are more likely than their healthy peers to become sick while traveling. A review of the literature was undertaken to identify what is known about traveling with children with special health care needs and to identify gaps in our knowledge. Methods An Online search of the PubMed, CINAHL and Google databases of English language literature was conducted June 2016, October 2017, June 2018 and April 2019 using the terms children and travel, air travel, travel health, disabled child, children with special healthcare needs, parents of disabled children, vacations, recreation, international, wheelchairs, planning techniques, asthma, diabetes, altitude, cystic fibrosis, inflammatory bowel disease, sickle cell disease, depression, food allergies, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and seizures. The search was limited to years 2000-2019. A secondary search of relevant articles was conducted using the reference sections of articles identified in the primary search. Results 185 papers were examined for travel health related outcomes for children and adults with chronic diseases. Articles were excluded if they addressed the educational needs of students with disabilities traveling abroad, did not directly address travel health (e.g travel skills, travel itineraries), contained outdated policy statements, or were case reports of a single patient. The remaining 84 papers were organized and reviewed by organ systems. The articles were primarily descriptive and did not lend themselves to a systematic review. Conclusion Children traveling with chronic and complex health conditions are a heterogeneous group of vulnerable travelers. Closing the knowledge gap about how to best help these travelers requires a multipronged approach. Research is urgently needed to identify best practices for five of the most common chronic childhood diseases: asthma, depression, ADHD, food allergies and autism. For less common illnesses, ones typically cared for in specialty clinics, expert consensus opinion and multi-center studies are needed. Families and disease advocacy societies should be included in the research as they may have already identified the most pressing travel-related health concerns and solutions for these problems.
Determinants of digital piracy using deterrence, social learning and neutralization perspectives

ABSTRACTExisting research indicates that the threat of sanctions and social learning constructs are associated with one’s involvement in digital piracy. Yet, there is minimal information on the rol...
A family of symmetric, optimized quadrature rules for pentatopes

Abstract This article introduces a new family of quadrature rules for integrating smooth functions on 4-dimensional simplex elements (i.e. pentatopes). These quadrature rules have 1, 5, 15, 35, 70, and 126 points, and are capable of exactly integrating polynomials of degrees 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, and 8, respectively. One main advantage of these rules, is that they have a ‘pentatopic number’ of points, which means that they can exactly interpolate 4-dimensional polynomials of degrees 0 through 5. As a result, the proposed rules can be used for both quadrature and interpolation purposes. Furthermore, these rules are fully symmetric, as they remain invariant under affine transformations (rotations and reflections) of the pentatope back to itself. In addition, these rules are optimal, in the sense that the truncation error associated with each rule has been minimized via a rigorous optimization procedure. Finally, they have positive weights, and all quadrature points reside strictly within the interior of the pentatope.
Critical events of the origins of life

We discuss some critical events of the origins of life using a mathematical model and simulation studies. We find that for a replicating population of RNA molecules participating in template-directed polymerization, the hitting and establishment of a high-fidelity replicator depends critically on the polymerase fitness and sequence specificity landscapes and on genome dimension. Probability of hitting is dominated by polymerase landscape curvature, whereas hitting time is dominated by genome dimension. Surface chemistries, compartmentalization, and decay increase hitting times. These results suggest replication to be the first privileged function marking the start of Darwinian evolution, possibly in conjunction with clay minerals or preceded by metabolism, whose dynamics evolved mostly during the final period of the search.
“Men Need Their Egos Pumped up Regularly”: Primary Partnerships Sow the Seeds of Men’s Doubt

Men regarded marriage as spaces where primary partners eventually stopped performing relational management, grew impossible to please, nagged constantly, and oversaw their household labor without offering praise. The men spoke of expectations that their primary partners ask about their emotional state rather than initiating a conversation about their sadness themselves. In fact, they believed they lacked the autonomy to voice their feelings without prompting and probing from their romantic partner. The men clearly saw household labor as the work of their partners, thus any chore they completed became “help” to their wife. This framework positions their primary partner as “in charge” at home, yet men resented being told what to do. This set up a “you versus me” dynamic which served neither party.
Abstract 15415: Trends and Predictors of Cardiogenic Shock and Mortality in Takotsubo Syndrome

Introduction: There is limited data on trends, predictors and outcomes of cardiogenic shock (CS) and mortality among patients admitted with takotsubo syndrome (TTS). We aim to study these parameter...
Cytocompatibility of a mussel-inspired poly(lactic acid)-based adhesive

Incorporating catechols into polymers can provide strong adhesion even in moist environments, and these polymers show promise for use in several biomedical applications. Surgical adhesives must have strong bonds, be biocompatible, and function in a moist environment. Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) has a long history as a biocompatible material for hard tissue device fixation. By combining these concepts, catechol-containing poly(lactic acid) (cPLA) polymers are created that are strongly adhesive and degrade in physiological environments. Here, we evaluated the cytocompatibility of cPLA with iron(III) or periodate (IO4- ) cross-linkers. Fibroblasts cultured in cPLA leachate or on cPLA films generally had slower growth and lower metabolism compared with PLA controls but no differences in viability. These results demonstrated that cPLA was not cytotoxic but that including catechols reduced cell health. When cPLA was cross-linked with periodate, cells generally had reduced metabolism, slower cell growth, and poor actin fiber formation compared with PLA. These results are attributed to the cytotoxicity of periodate since cells cultured with periodate leachate had extremely low viability. Cells grown on the films of iron-cross-linked cPLA generally had high viability and metabolism but slower proliferation than PLA controls. These results indicate that the cPLA and iron-cross-linked cPLA systems are promising materials for biomedical adhesive applications.
Adolescent civic engagement education centered in antiracist praxis

US youth have demonstrated a deeper involvement in social and political issues today than in earlier decades. This trend is reflected in more active voting behaviours as well as more protest and ge...
A Maternalistic Approach to Surrogacy: Comment on Richard Epstein's Surrogacy: The Case for Full Contractual Enforcement

M /[ANY of the other participants in this Symposium have written extensively about surrogacy. Not only have they contributed to the debate, in some instances they have framed it. In some respects, therefore, I merely thank all of them and chime in. Unlike my fellow panelists, however, I do not think surrogacy merits an enthusiastic, positive response. In this Comment, I propose to restate objections to specifically enforceable surrogacy contracts from a family-law perspective as well as from the philosophical or psychological roots of family law.' I will then reexamine the problems of surrogacy from a contractarian, law-and-eco-
Scotty, I Need More Power: The Fission System Gateway to Abundant Power for Exploration

In planning and in crisis, electrical power has been a key consideration when humans venture into space. Since the 1950's, nuclear fission (splitting of atoms) power has been a logical alternative in both fact and fiction, due to its ability to provide abundant power with high energy density, reliability, and immunity to severe environments. Bringing space fission power to a state of readiness for exploration has depended on clearing the hurdle of technology readiness demonstration. Due to the happy coincidence of heritage from prior space fission development efforts such as the Prometheus program, foresight from NASA's Exploration Mission Systems Directorate in the mid-2000's, and relative budget stability through the late 2000's, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Department of Energy (DOE), with their industry partners, are poised to push through to this objective. Hardware for a 12 kWe non-nuclear Fission Power System Technology Demonstration Unit is being fabricated now on a schedule that will enable a low-cost demonstration of technology readiness in the mid-2010s, with testing beginning as early as 2012. With space fission power system technology demonstrated, exploration mission planners will have the flexibility to respond to a broad variety of missions and will be able to provide abundant power so that future explorers will, in planning or crisis, have the power they need when they most need it.