cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Novel Indirect Fluorescent Antibody Test for Lyme Disease

An indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) test was developed using a novel format of Borrelia burgdorferi organisms adhered to a monolayer of cultured endothelial cells derived from an equine tumor. Sensitivity and specificity of the new IFA test for detecting anti-B, burgdorferi antibodies were evaluated using sera from dogs inoculated with live B. burgdorferi or vaccinated with B. burgdorferi bacterin or leptobacterins and from unvaccinated specific-pathogen-free (SPF) dogs. To compare the new IFA test with existing tests, serum samples were submitted to independent laboratories to be tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and a traditional IFA test. Samples were also tested with 2 commercially available membrane-bound ELISA kits. Both Borrelia-inoculated dogs and dogs vaccinated with B. burgdorferi bacterin developed levels of antibody detectable by the new IFA test. Dogs vaccinated with a combination canine vaccine or leptobacterin for food animal use developed detectable levels of antibody against Leptospira but remained seronegative for Borrelia by the new IFA test, as did the unvaccinated SPF dogs. The new IFA test was sensitive, detecting antibodies against B. burgdorferi as early as 7 days postinoculation. It was also specific, showing no cross-reactivity with anti-Leptospira antibodies induced by vaccination with leptobacterins. The new IFA test compared favorably with both the standardized traditional IFA test and ELISA. Results from both membrane-bound ELISA kits were not consistent when compared with each other or with the new IFA test. The new IFA test had low nonspecific fluorescence, which made it easier to evaluate and reduced the human error and variability of test results.
Finite element methods for real-time haptic feedback of soft-tissue models in virtual reality simulators

Applies the linear elastic finite element method to compute haptic force feedback and domain deformations of soft-tissue models for use in virtual reality simulators. Our results show that, for virtual object models of high-resolution 3D data (>10,000 nodes), haptic real-time computations (<500 Hz) are nor currently possible using traditional methods. Current research efforts are focused in the following areas: (1) efficient implementation of fully adaptive multi-resolution methods, and (2) multi-resolution methods with specialized basis functions to capture the singularity at the haptic interface (point loading). To achieve real-time computations, we propose parallel processing of a Jacobi pre-conditioned conjugate gradient method applied to a reduced system of equations resulting from surface domain decomposition. This can effectively be achieved using reconfigurable computing systems such as field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), thereby providing a flexible solution that allows for new FPGA implementations as improved algorithms become available. The resulting soft-tissue simulation system would meet NASA Virtual Glovebox requirements and, at the same time, provide a generalized simulation engine for any immersive environment application, such as biomedical/surgical procedures or interactive scientific applications.
The Credit Crunch: The Roller Coaster Ride Continues

Borrowers face tight credit markets after years of easy credit. This study examines the events that led to the credit crunch and its impact on global economies.
Turf Nutrient Leaching and Best Management Practices in Florida

Best management practices (BMPs) for Florida’s green industries have been established since 2002. BMPs for nonagricultural industries such as commercial lawn care were developed in 2002 by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), and other parties. The BMP educational program, delivered primarily by UF/IFAS extension in partnership with the FDEP, began in 2003 as a voluntary program. As a result of increasing concerns regarding lawn fertilization and potential harmful effects on ground and surface waters, several local governments throughout the state require commercial fertilizer applicators to have a certificate of completion in a BMP educational program. The BMP program emphasizes appropriate fertilization practices to reduce nonpoint source pollution, including proper rates, timings, and application of fertilizers. Research done on fate of fertilizer applied to turfgrass demonstrates that a properly maintained lawn provides an effective means for uptake of nutrients. Some of the factors that have been shown through research to increase the opportunity for nutrient leaching include nitrogen (N) application at higher than recommended rates, excess rainfall after fertilization, and fertilization at a time when turf is not actively growing. Research results vary regarding N source and the difference in nitrate leaching resulting from N source. To provide concise research-based information for lawmakers and elected officials in Florida, there is currently a large research project underway to further quantify nutrient leaching under a variety of circumstances. Results of this research should form the basis for future regulations regarding fertilizer applications.
Higher Topological Complexity of Artin Type Groups

We calculate the higher topological complexity TC s for the complements of reflection arrangements, in other words for the pure Artin type groups of all finite complex reflection groups. In order to do that we introduce a simple combinatorial criterion for arrangements sufficient for the cohomological lower bound for TC s to coincide with the dimensional upper bound.
Abstract WP17: Rates and Outcomes of Neurosurgical Evacuation for Thromboytic Related Intracerebral Hemorrhage in Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke

Background: Thrombolytic related intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is an infrequent occurrence in patients with acute ischemic stroke. There is controversy surrounding the value of neurosurgical evacuation of hematomas and decompression in these patients and whether such availability is a necessary pre-requisite for administration of thrombolytics. Objective: To report the frequency and outcomes of patients who suffer from thrombolytic related ICH and undergo a craniotomy. Materials/Methods: Using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) from 2002 to 2010, acute ischemic stroke patients who suffered from thrombolytic related ICH were identified using ICD-9 codes. Patients were divided into those who received craniotomy and those who received medical management alone. Discharge destination and mortality were primary endpoints. Results: A total of 7359 patients suffered thrombolytic related ICH, 125 (1.7%) of those patients underwent craniotomy and 7234 patients (98.3%) received medical treatment alone. Patients who underwent craniotomy were younger (58±5 versus 72±11 years, p=0.09). Patients in the craniotomy group were frequently in extreme severity APR-DRG category compared with medical management group (92.2% versus 55.5%, p=0.0003). The craniotomy group had greater requirements for gastrostomy (47.8% versus 16.7%, p=0.02) and mechanical ventilation (55% versus 13.8%, p=0.005) compared with the medical management group. The mean length of stay was also longer in the craniotomy group (21.5±7 versus 10±2 days, p Conclusion: Emergent craniotomy for thrombolytic related hematoma evacuation or decompression in acute stroke is a salvage treatment offered to a small proportion of patients. There may be evidence that this reduces mortality, however long term disability may be higher in those patients. More detailed analysis may be required to understand the impact of emergent craniotomy on patient disability in thrombolytic related hemorrhage for acute ischemic stroke.
Reagan and the New Deal: Repeal or Replay?

President Reagan's success lies not in the size of federal budget cuts but in that he has been able to make cuts at all. He has a long way to go before the New Deal is repealed or even derailed . The Reagan budget has been viewed as revolutionary, as an unprecedented break in the tradition of modern social policy. According to Russell Baker, “… in the end even the Democrats were agreeable to the death of the New Deal, which took place this week at the Capitol.” Yet this view runs up against the fact that Ronald Reagan cut his political teeth on the New Deal, admired FDR and emulated his political style, was an ardent Democrat and an early labor organizer, and has cast his political appeal to many groups who were raised up by the New Deal to non-poor status. Is the Administration of President Reagan a repeal of the New Deal or a replay? A close look at the budget, and the political context that produced the budget, gives some partial answers. For our purposes, the New Deal is defined as the loose set of principles and policies that has developed from the 1930s to the 1970s and formed the “mainstream” of American domestic politics. For the moment we consider the Great Society to be part of that tradition. President Reagan himself apparently does not share this assumption, viewing the New Deal as having more in common with progressivism than with the Great Society of Lyndon Johnson.
Uptake of seven myocardial tracers during increased myocardial blood flow by dobutamine infusion.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: Direct comparison of myocardial perfusion tracers has been made difficult by variability in experimental models, and by a virtual absence of data comparing tracer uptake to myocardial blood flow under conditions of increased myocardial oxygen consumption, similar to what occurs with dynamic exercise. METHODS: Tracer uptake versus myocardial blood flow was evaluated for thallium-201 (201TI) and six technetium-99m (99mTc) myocardial-imaging agents in 24 open-chest canines with an occluded left-anterior descending coronary artery during dobutamine infusion. Data were fitted to the exponential model y = ax(1 - exp[-PSc/x]), where y is the tissue tracer/g normalized to normal (activity at 1 mL/minute/g) and x is the blood flow measured by the radioactive microsphere method. RESULTS: With dobutamine, myocardial tracer uptake was linear across a wide range of ischemic and hyperemic flows for each tracer. Based on the permeability surface area product, 201TI and 99mTc Q3 provided the best tracer estimate of myocardial blood flow (5.30+/-0.86 mL/minute/g, r = 0.91; 5.46+/-0.58 mL/minute/g, r = 0.94, respectively). Correlation coefficient (r) values for other tracers studied were 99mTc Q4 (r =0.93), 99mTc Q12 (r = 0.93), 99mTc sestamibi (r = 0.90), 99mTc tetrofosmin (r = 0.96), and 99mTc-N-Noet (r = 0.82). CONCLUSIONS: Of the 99mTc tracers examined under conditions of dobutamine-altered myocardial contractility, the myocardial uptake properties of 99mTc Q3 were most similar to those of 201TI.
Diuretic activity of three primary fractions of total nondialyzable solids from human urine.

SummaryThe total nondialyzable solids of normal human urine have been partially fractionated by ultrafiltration yielding an ultrafilterable fraction (UFO) and a residue, fraction RO. The latter has been fractionated further by extraction with barbital-sodium barbital buffer, pH 8.6, yielding a soluble fraction RSI and an insoluble residue fraction Rl. A significant increase in rate of urine flow in dogs was obtained by intravenous administration of fraction RSl in a dose range of 0.5–10 μg/kg. On a weight basis fraction RSl is much more potent than acetazolamide or chlorothiazide, under the conditions of the assay. Fraction UFO did not result in an increase in urine flow when given in a dose range of 0.5–2 μg/kg. Fraction Rl could not be assayed in the dog because of toxicity, but when administered as a suspension intraperitoneally in doses of 20–25 μg/100 g to the rat it resulted in appreciable increases in rate of urine flow and electrolyte excretion.
Appetitive Flight Behavior of Male Gypsy Moths (Lepidoptera: Lymantridae)

The flight direction of male gypsy moths across an observation area (10 by 10 m) at three sites representing high, intermediate, and low population densities was not preferentially crosswind, upwind, or downwind, nor was it correlated with any cardinal direction. Horizontal flight and tree-oriented vertical flight were the predominant behaviors observed at both low- and high-density sites. Males spent more time in tree-oriented vertical flight in the high-density site, although even at low density it was a predominant behavior in the virtual absence of females and, presumably, pheromone. Similarly, more males were captured at sticky traps unbaited with pheromone stapled to tree trunks than at traps hung in the air >2 m from large trees. Most males flew at heights 2 m from large trees, most males were captured at 0 m at the low-density site, but trap catch was evenly distributed at all heights in the high-density site.
The Logic of Collective Actions——Take the Group Event of Taxi Strike in Chongqing in 2008 as an Example

The collective action is a logical group of action.As a result of various social controls,people do not feel contented for a long period,and are liable to resentment influenced by triggers,then collective actions form under the emotional inspiration and social mobilization.At present,with pluralistic subjects of interests,the expression of one's interest,vulnerable groups in particular,have appeared an inevitable problem.Therefore it's a leading part to construct the relevant benefit-expressing mechanism and find easy access to it in order to achieve the social governance——good governance.
On decision support system for search-scheme making in aviation antisubmarine warfare

On the basis of analyzing the characteristics of modern aviation Antisubmarine Warfare(ASW) and search decision-making process,the major functions that aviation ASW decision support system must be provided with are presented.The two-level decision-making process,i.e.search equipment and search pattern choice,is put forward.Then the essential frame of search-scheme decision support system is established.In the end,the main methods and other key technologies for constructing aviation ASW decision support systems by means of modern decision theory are pointed out.
SWI/SNF-directed stem cell lineage specification: dynamic composition regulates specific stages of skeletal myogenesis

SWI/SNF chromatin-remodeling complexes are key regulators of the epigenetic modifications that determine whether stem cells maintain pluripotency or commit toward specific lineages through development and during postnatal life. Dynamic combinatorial assembly of multiple variants of SWI/SNF subunits is emerging as the major determinant of the functional versatility of SWI/SNF. Here, we summarize the current knowledge on the structural and functional properties of the alternative SWI/SNF complexes that direct stem cell fate toward skeletal muscle lineage and control distinct stages of skeletal myogenesis. In particular, we will refer to recent evidence pointing to the essential role of two SWI/SNF components not expressed in embryonic stem cells-the catalytic subunit BRM and the structural component BAF60C-whose induction in muscle progenitors coincides with the expansion of their transcriptional repertoire.
Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies

The idiopathic inflammatory myopathies are a heterogeneous group of uncommon diseases. The incidence rate of IIM is approximately 5 cases per million population, but there appears to be an increase in the rate over the last two decades, particularly in black females. This may be a true increase or due to renewed interest and awareness of the disease and improvement in our ability to diagnose mild disease. There has also been progress in decreasing the mortality rate in IIM perhaps secondary to better treatment and/or the diagnosis of mild disease. The discovery of anti-Jo-1 antibodies has renewed the investigation of a possible viral etiology of IIM. Studies of quantitative slot blot hybridization with coxsackievirus probes and RNA from IIM muscle biopsies and in situ hybridization of biopsies with a Theiler's virus probe have revealed a few positive hybridizations in each study. Although there are some fundamental problems with these studies, these intriguing results bear confirmation. These results continue to implicate picornaviruses as the primary suspects in the pathogenesis of IIM. HIV has now been associated with a number of rheumatologic syndromes, including a polymyositis that is indistinguishable from IIM, and we can expect additional changes in the epidemiology of this family of disorders in coming years. Study of these patients may provide insight into the etiopathogenesis of IIM.
The evolution of patent mining: Applying bibliometrics analysis and keyword network analysis

Abstract Text mining methods allow researchers to investigate technical documents (tech mining) and specifically explore patents for valuable information (patent mining. To the review literature and analyze the evolution of patent analysis and patent mining methods, bibliometrics analysis and keyword-based network analysis is applied on 143 papers extracted from the 'Web of science' database. Bibliometrics analysis was applied to determine top players researching in patent mining. Applying cluster analysis on the keyword network shows three main stages of patent analysis evolution. Also, it is discussed how patent mining is evolutionized in terms of information retrieval, pattern recognition and pattern analysis.
University research in hardware security

This article consists of a collection of slides from the author's conference presentation on hardware security. Some of the specific topics discussed include: examples of using Moving Target Defense for Secure Hardware design (DHS/AFRL project); system performance evaluations; network security considerations; secure processors; dynamic information flow tracking; software-hardware security verification; security measurement techniques; typs of security attacks; supply chain security options; hardware trojans; security CAD tools; trust management issues; cyber-physical systems; and secure software design, new problems and solutions.
Use of Amplatzer Vascular Plugs for the treatment of combined extralobar and intralobar pulmonary sequestration in a 5-year-old child

Pulmonary sequestration is a rare congenital anomaly that can be asymptomatic or present with recurrent infections, respiratory symptoms, or rarely heart failure. Sequestration is classified as intralobar or extralobar on the basis of whether there is separation from normal lung tissue by its own visceral pleura. Classically, patients are treated with surgical resection. We present a case of multivessel, combined intralobar and extralobar pulmonary sequestration treated with transcatheter embolisation.
Influence of previous treatment of oral squamous cell carcinoma on the geographic distribution of recurrent neck metastases: A case series of unusual level 4 metastases.

Abstract Background Cervical node management is vital for the successful treatment of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Lymphatic spread from intra-oral malignancies usually follows a predictable path. We report on two patients with isolated level 4 recurrence following previous treatment for OSCC. Methods Single institutional case series. Results Two patients, initially N0, treated by surgery and ipsilateral neck dissection, presented with recurrent OSCC. One patient received adjuvant radiotherapy. Both patients developed recurrent/new disease at 7 years and and 22 months, respectively, and had salvage surgery, one had adjuvant radiation therapy. Both, subsequently, presented again at 3 and 12 months with isolated, ipsilateral level 4 metastases. Conclusion These two patients presented with delayed skip metastases which defies normal drainage patterns. The experience with these patients and a review of the literature raises the question of addressing the treatment of level 4 lymph nodes in recurrent OSCC due to altered drainage.
Closed-form criterion for convergence and stability of pseudo-force method for nonlinear dynamic analysis

The pseudo-force (PF) method has been successfully applied to numerous problems with positive secant stiffness or positive tangential stiffness; however, it is widely believed to diverge for problems with the ratio of actual stiffness to pseudo-tangential stiffness being negative or larger than two. In the present paper, this point of view is investigated by applying PF method to single- and multi-degree of freedom systems with elasto-plastic nonlinearities which involve repeated cycles of loading and unloading, where the elastic behavior is either very high positive tangential stiffness or very high negative tangential stiffness (e.g., in Coulomb friction or velocity-dependent friction) or geometrically nonlinear problems. The objective of this study is to in essence seek the reasons for convergence of PF method in the presence of stiff nonlinearities. Closed-form expressions for convergence and stability criteria are derived. Approximate solution by modified Lindstedt–Poincare method (L–P method) is formulated. The PF method is also applied to a base-isolated structure with nonlinear sliding or velocity-dependent friction bearings. The results of the study indicate the wide applicability of PF method for highly nonlinear problems, including those with high positive or negative tangential stiffness.
Community-Based Participatory Research on Urban Parks and Health Disparities: Perspectives from an Urban Planning Researcher

As part of the University of Minnesota Community-engaged Scholars Program, I undertook a Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) project evaluating the potential of urban parks to improve health outcomes in disadvantaged communities. This paper describes my CBPR rookie experiences and discusses challenges in the CBPR process. By reflecting on my missteps, I offer critical insights and recommendations. Urban Planning researchers interested in applying the CBPR approach are recommended to commit to the “muddling through” process, seek institutional support, engage both government agencies and community advocates, and acquire long-range and flexible funding.
Radiographic Changes in the Cervical Spine Following Arthrodesis: Causation or Correlation? Commentary on an article by Raj D. Rao, MD, et al.: "Radiographic Changes in the Cervical Spine Following Anterior Arthrodesis: A Long-Term Analysis of 166 Patients".

In this article, Rao et al. present radiographic changes in the cervical spine following anterior arthrodesis. This is a retrospective review of 166 patients over a mean follow-up of 12.7 years, although there was a wide variation in follow-up, ranging from 5 to 30 years. Good interobserver reliability was demonstrated by having two assessors grade 20 sets of radiographs, but the other 146 sets of radiographs were graded by only one assessor. The study’s strengths include that the arthrodesis was performed by a single surgeon and that no instrumentation was used, which could be seen as contributing to adjacent-level ossification disease1. …
Fluoride transport in Brassica: A positron emission tomography botanical study

We imaged [18F]fluoride in living plants in a commercially available preclinical scanner by positron emission tomography (PET).
Searching for a Place to Stand: Toward a Workable Ethical Philosophy for Marketing

The authors suggest and support three characteristics that should be useful for the development of a workable ethical philosophy for marketing. They also illustrate why the adaptation of currently ...
Human Growth up to Six Years — Distance and Velocity

It is important to consider intrauterine growth for various reasons: Firstly, such standards are a prerequisite for understanding the patterns of intrauterine growth. They are indispensable for judging the timing and extent of fetal growth retardation and of postnatal catch-up growth. Secondly, growth standards of the fetus are necessary in order to compare the postnatal extrauterine growth of pretera infants until their expected date of delivery.
Coverage reflects importance of fishing to community

This study compares the coverage of new federal regulations on New England fisheries in local newspapers in historic fishing towns and that in regional newspapers. Local newspapers were much more likely to present anti-regulatory viewpoints and name one person or entity as a villain, thereby dismissing or demeaning pro-regulation environmental activists or government officials.
β-Catenin Expression in Bone Marrow Stromal Cells Is Required for Normal Proliferation and Differentiation of Primitive Hematopoietic Cells.

Normal function of adult hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) is dependent upon the bone marrow microenvironment, which is comprised of multiple cell types, including fibroblasts, endothelial cells, osteoblasts and stromal progenitors. We hypothesized that canonical Wnt signaling, which is necessary for the development of mesenchymal tissue, regulates the cellular structure and function of the microenvironment. We tested this hypothesis using an in vitro model of bone marrow stroma that is deficient in β-catenin, the critical transactivator of canonical Wnt signals. β-catenin −/ − Dexter stroma cultures were established from whole bone marrow harvested from β-catenin lox/lox Mx-cre +/cre mice treated with 7–10 doses of 300 μg pIpC. PCR analysis of stromal cell DNA showed nearly 100% deletion of β-catenin. Confluent stroma cultures were irradiated and seeded with 4 x 10 4 lin cells/cm 2 . We have reported (Nemeth, et al , Blood, 108, 29a) that β-catenin −/ − stroma exhibit decreased ability to support CFU formation and generate osteoblasts. The reduction in CFU-C correlates with a 75% increase in the percentage of lin − progenitors cultured on β-catenin −/ − stroma undergoing apoptosis (23.6 ± 3.4%) compared to wild-type (13.6 ± 1.3% ; n = 3; p −/ − stroma. The decrease in VCAM-1 corresponded with decreased percentages of VCAM-1 + osteoblasts (26.8 ± 0.9% vs. 43.9 ± 5.7%) and endothelial cells (31.6 ± 5.7% vs. 76.5 ± 10.9%) in β-catenin −/ − stroma compared to wild-type (n = 4, p 6 wild-type whole bone marrow cells (CD45.1) into lethally-irradiated β-catenin lox/lox Mx-cre +/cre mice and littermate controls. 8 weeks later, transplanted mice were treated with pIpC, resulting in mice with a wild-type hematopoietic system and a β-catenin −/ − microenvironment. Two weeks after the final treatment, we observed a 2.7 ± 0.1-fold reduction in the percentage of long- and short-term HSCs (lin − , c-kit HI , Sca-1 HI ) in bone marrow from mice with a β-catenin −/ − microenvironment compared to wild-type (n = 4, p 6 whole bone marrow cells harvested from primary recipients with a wild-type or β-catenin −/ − microenvironment with 1 x 10 6 CD45.2 whole bone marrow cells into lethally-irradiated secondary recipient mice. After 16 weeks, there was no difference in mean repopulation by bone marrow cells from the β-catenin −/ − microenvironment (9.2 ± 2.8%) compared to wild-type (10.7 ± 0.6%), indicating that self-renewal was unaffected. However, we did observe a significant 4-fold increase in variability of repopulation by bone marrow cells from the β-catenin −/ − microenvironment (F-test = .01). Since smaller numbers of HSCs will yield greater variability in repopulation than larger numbers, this is consistent with the observation that the β-catenin −/ − microenvironment supports fewer HSCs. From these data, we propose a model in which canonical Wnt signaling in the microenvironment is necessary for hematopoietic proliferation and differentiation.
Balancing simplicity with accuracy in the use of dispersion modelling in the United States

Dispersion modelling has been a requirement of air–quality regulatory agencies in the United States for over 20 years. Over the years, the task of performing this modelling has shifted from the regulatory agency to the applicant. One purpose of the modelling is to show that air–quality standards or air toxic guidelines will not be exceeded when the proposed modification or new facility is constructed. Thus, the role of modelling is to estimate reliably the maximum concentrations likely to occur sometime, somewhere beyond the boundary of the facility. Because thousands of modelling studies are performed each year, the United States Environmental Protection Agency guidelines specify a tiered approach: first, screening modelling, and then, refined modelling. Approval for site–specific models can be obtained after extensive validation studies. The vast majority of studies are performed for modest–size factories and installations. The guideline also specifies a 'level of significance' below which concentrations are considered trivial. Since 1979, building downwash effects must be considered and, in the author's experience, these effects are the cause of maximum concentrations in approximately 90% of the studies. Most studies are performed with the use of meteorological data from nearby airports. The 1977 Amendments to the Clean Air Act specified that a violation of an air quality standard could be identified by either modelling or monitoring. As a result, the modelling performed by applicants must include data from all 'nearby sources', which in turn hinges on the availability of accurate emission inventories to anyone from regulatory agencies. It is essential that whatever tools the European Union decides to use, they be accessible to ordinary factory environmental engineers and be understandable to the typical staff engineer at a regulatory agency. Thus, practicability will be a hallmark if modelling is to come into widespread use.
Integrated Message Dissemination and Traffic Regulation for Autonomous VANETs

Advances in autonomous vehicular technology facilitate the development of intelligent traffic regulation systems. Such a system aims to configure and regulate vehicular mobility patterns to enhance in-road transportation safety and efficiency. To effectively function, the autonomous system must enable high-rate communications and rapid dissemination of vehicle-to-vehicle messaging flows. Instead of applying classical mobility models to capture human driver behaviors, the use of autonomously controlled driverless vehicles brings up another design dimensionality: the regulation and shaping of vehicular flows. The induced joint impact of the vehicular flow process on the message communications networking system, on the vehicular throughput rate, and on on-ramp waiting times for highway systems, has not been addressed by the existing studies. In this paper, we investigate the integrated design of these aspects. We synthesize and study methods that are used to optimally group autonomously controlled vehicles to travel along a highway in platoons. Vehicular formations are structured to yield effective autonomous mobility operation and to realize high-performance multihop dissemination of multiclass messaging flows. We then investigate an on-ramp traffic flow control mechanism that serves to regulate the admission of vehicles into the highway. We characterize the tradeoffs available to the system's designer in attaining high message communication throughput rates, accounting for time delays experienced by on-ramp waiting vehicles, while also striving to enhance the highway's capacity for accommodating high vehicular flow rate levels.
Open mind common sense: crowd-sourcing for common sense

Open Mind Common Sense (OMCS) is a freely available crowd-sourced knowledge base of natural language statements about the world. The goal of Open Mind Common Sense is to provide intuition to AI systems and applications by giving them access to a broad collection of basic information and the computational tools to work with this data. For our system demo, we will be presenting three aspects of the OMCS project: the OMCS knowledge base, the Concept-Net semantic network (Liu and Singh 2004) (Havasi, Speer, and Alonso 2007), and the AnalogySpace algorithm (Speer, Havasi, and Lieberman 2008) which deals well with noisy, user-contributed data.
Alcohol expectancies longitudinally predict drinking and the alcohol myopia effects of relief, self-inflation, and excess.

Abstract Introduction Alcohol myopia theory posits that alcohol consumption attenuates information processing capacity, and that expectancy beliefs together with intake level are responsible for experiences in myopic effects (relief, self-inflation, and excess). Methods Adults (N = 413) averaging 36.39 (SD = 13.02) years of age completed the Comprehensive Effects of Alcohol questionnaire at baseline, followed by alcohol use measures (frequency and quantity) and the Alcohol Myopia Scale one month later. Three structural equation models based on differing construct manifestations of alcohol expectancies served to longitudinally forecast alcohol use and myopia. Results In Model 1, overall expectancy predicted greater alcohol use and higher levels of all three myopic effects. In Model 2, specifying separate positive and negative expectancy factors, positive but not negative expectancy predicted greater use. Furthermore, positive expectancy and use explained higher myopic relief and higher self-inflation, whereas positive expectancy, negative expectancy, and use explained higher myopic excess. In Model 3, the seven specific expectancy subscales (sociability, tension reduction, liquid courage, sexuality, cognitive and behavioral impairment, risk and aggression, and self-perception) were simultaneously specified as predictors. Tension reduction expectancy, sexuality expectancy, and use contributed to higher myopic relief; sexuality expectancy and use explained higher myopic self-inflation; and risk and aggression expectancy and use accounted for higher myopic excess. Across all three predictive models, the total variance explained ranged from 12 to 19% for alcohol use, 50 to 51% for relief, 29 to 34% for self-inflation, and 32 to 35% for excess. Conclusions Findings support that the type of alcohol myopia experienced is a concurrent function of self-fulfilling alcohol prophecies and drinking levels. The interpreted measurement manifestation of expectancy yielded different prevention implications.
Exploring morphology, layering and formation history of linear terrestrial dunes from radar observations: Implications for Titan

Abstract Understanding the morphology and internal layering of large aeolian dune fields through radar observations can provide unique insights into the climatic and geophysical conditions that led to their formation. In this study, we perform a large-scale characterization of the morphology and internal layering of linear dunes in hyper-arid areas on Earth, through utilizing multiple complementary radar datasets (SIR-C imaging, SRTM interferometry-derived elevations and radar sounding or Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR)). Linear dune fields in the Egyptian desert are of special interest, due to their significance as planetary analogs to dunes on Mars and Saturn's largest moon, Titan. Satellite radar imagery and elevation data of the region show significant variance in the geomorphology of different dune fields in Egypt. In addition, GPR probing of the first few meters suggests different inner settings in the layering of dunes of different ages in eastern and western Egypt, reflecting different paleo-climatic regimes that led to their formation. Furthermore, our radiometric analysis suggests that dunes with different inner layering arrangement also exhibit different radar backscatter returns as a function of their heights. For relatively younger dunes with a homogeneous inner structure, like the ones in eastern Egypt in the Qattaniya dune field, we observe that sigma0 does not change as a function of the dune height. For relatively older dunes in western Egypt like the Great Sand Sea (Northern (Siwa) and Southern dune fields), we observed a linear correlation between sigma0 and the dune height. Thus, surface properties of dunes like morphology and backscatter variation with height are related to inner characteristics like arrangement of internal layering, relative ages and can be used to infer their depositional history. Linear dunes discovered in the equatorial regions of Titan by the Cassini-Huygens mission are morphologically very similar to these linear dune fields in the Egyptian Sahara. Hence, assessing the variability of morphology and radar backscatter properties of Titan's dunes as a function of their heights can help constrain the ambiguities associated with their internal structure and formation history and provide insights into Titan's paleo-wind regimes.
Surgical stabilization for first-time shoulder dislocators: a multicenter analysis.

Background Anterior shoulder dislocations in young patients are associated with high rates of recurrent instability. Although some surgeons advocate for surgical stabilization after a single dislocation event in this population, there is sparse research evaluating surgical treatment for first-time dislocators. Methods Patients undergoing surgical stabilization for anterior shoulder instability were prospectively enrolled at multiple institutions from 2015-2017 and stratified by number of dislocations before surgery. Demographic data, preoperative patient-reported outcomes, imaging findings, surgical findings, and procedures performed were compared between groups. Analysis of variance, χ2, and multivariate logistic regression were used for statistical analysis. Results The study included 172 patients (mean age, 25.3 years; 79.1% male patients) for analysis (58 patients with 1 dislocation, 69 with 2-5 dislocations, 45 with >5 dislocations). There were no intergroup differences in demographic characteristics, preoperative patient-reported outcomes, or physical examination findings. Preoperative imaging revealed increased glenoid bone loss in patients with multiple dislocation events (P = .043). Intraoperatively, recurrent dislocators were more likely to have bony Bankart lesions (odds ratio [OR], 3.26; P = .024) and biceps pathology (OR, 6.27; P = .013). First-time dislocators more frequently underwent arthroscopic Bankart repair and/or capsular plication (OR, 2.22; P = .016), while recurrent dislocators were more likely to undergo open Bristow-Latarjet procedures (OR, 2.80; P = .049) and surgical treatment for biceps pathology (OR, 5.03; P = .032). Conclusions First-time shoulder dislocators who undergo stabilization are more likely to undergo an arthroscopic procedure and less likely to have bone loss or biceps pathology compared with recurrent dislocators. Future studies are needed to ascertain long-term outcomes of surgical stabilization based on preoperative dislocation events.
The Evidence on Mergers and Acquisitions: A Historical and Modern Report

Abstract We review historical and current research on mergers and acquisitions. The literature is extensive. After a discussion of earlier survey articles (our “survey of the surveys”), we provide a review of more than 120 M&A related-articles published in leading finance journals since 2011. A basic important finding in the early M&A literature is that, on average, M&A activity creates wealth. Following this finding, researchers in the 1980s through 2000s studied how the process and the parties in the deals worked, the motivations for M&A, and the sources of the wealth gain. We note that much of the recent work represents straight-forward extensions of earlier research, such as the impact of characteristics of the board of directors on acquiring firm stock returns, but there is also much that is new. For example, the availability of new executive databases has led to research that has been key to understanding the importance of networking and relationships in M&A. Changes in globalization and better understanding of cross-country cultural, political and economic differences has led to using new international databases to test the international generality of relations observed in the US and to examine the factors that come into play in cross-border acquisitions. Importantly, we provide perspective on the historical development of the study of M&A, offer caveats to remember when interpreting the research of others or designing one's own research and note the importance of incrementalism in our overall understanding of the value of research in M&A.
Abstract 146: Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) Channel Contributes to Cerebral Reperfusion after Stroke

Introduction: The TRPV1 channel is a non-selective ion channel that is activated by capsaicinoids, temperature (>43 °C), and multiple factors produced during inflammation or injury. At this time, t...
Role of Protein Charge Density on Hepatitis B Virus Capsid Formation

The role of electrostatic interactions in the viral capsid assembly process was studied by comparing the assembly process of a truncated hepatitis B virus capsid protein Cp149 with its mutant protein D2N/D4N, which has the same conformational structure but four fewer charges per dimer. The capsid protein self-assembly was investigated under a wide range of protein surface charge densities by changing the protein concentration, buffer pH, and solution ionic strength. Lowering the protein charge density favored the capsid formation. However, lowering charge beyond a certain point resulted in capsid aggregation and precipitation. Interestingly, both the wild-type and D2N/D4N mutant displayed identical assembly profiles when their charge densities matched each other. These results indicated that the charge density was optimized by nature to ensure an efficient and effective capsid proliferation under the physiological pH and ionic strength.
Adding Radiotherapy to Adjuvant Chemotherapy Does Not Improve Survival of Patients With N2 Lung Cancer.

Background The management of N2 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) found at operation is controversial. Current guidelines recommend adjuvant chemotherapy or adjuvant chemoradiotherapy. We evaluated whether adjuvant chemoradiotherapy was associated with improved survival compared with adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with N2 NSCLC after complete resection. Methods We queried the National Cancer Database for all patients with clinical N0, pathologic N2 NSCLC who did not receive preoperative therapy and underwent complete (R0) surgical resection, followed by adjuvant chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy. We performed propensity matching to create a well-balanced cohort of patients with respect to age, sex, race, comorbidities, treating facility, tumor size, year of diagnosis, and number of positive nodes. Survival was examined using the Kaplan-Meier method with log-rank analysis. Results We identified 2,031 eligible patients; 1,149 (56.6%) received adjuvant chemotherapy and 882 (43.4%) received chemoradiotherapy. Patients in the unmatched cohort who received chemoradiotherapy tended to be younger (64.2 vs 65.4 years) and to have a comorbidity score of 0 (57.5% vs 52.1%). Median survival was similar (3.9 years with chemoradiotherapy vs 3.8 years with adjuvant chemotherapy, p = 0.518). We then identified 848 well-matched pairs and again did not detect differences in median survival (3.9 years with chemoradiotherapy vs 3.8 years with adjuvant chemotherapy, p = 0.705). Conclusions In a large database study, the addition of radiotherapy to adjuvant chemotherapy after resection of N2 NSCLC was not associated with improved survival. Until more definitive data are available, consideration should be given to treating patients with N2 disease detected at resection with adjuvant chemotherapy only.
Quaternary ammonium compounds with multiple cationic moieties (multiQACs) provide antimicrobial activity against Campylobacter jejuni

Abstract Recently developed quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) possessing multiple cationic moieties, referred to as multiQACs, were tested with strains of Campylobacter jejuni to determine their potential as antimicrobial compounds against this important foodborne pathogen. Eight multiQACs were tested against a cocktail of six C. jejuni strains isolated from environmental and clinical sources. The resulting reductions in C. jejuni numbers mediated by the multiQACs were compared to the reductions produced by the application of four commercially available QACs, each of which bears a single cation. Multiple concentrations and exposure times were utilized for all compounds. The compounds which yielded the maximum C. jejuni reductions at the lowest concentrations and applied over the shortest exposure times were judged to be the most successful. Of the eight multiQACs investigated, four demonstrated reductions in C. jejuni numbers superior to the commercial QACs; these four are biscationic, and two of them bear an additional uncharged nitrogen atom. The remaining four multiQACs, which contain three or four cations, did not produce reductions in bacterial numbers comparable to commercial QACs in the timeframes tested. At the intermediary compound concentration (0.05 mM) and exposure time (5 min) the most effective multiQACs (PQ-12,12 and 12(3)0(3)12) on average killed over 99% of the Campylobacter cells present while the best commercial compound at those parameters (cetyl pyridinium chloride, CPC) only killed on average 84.56% of the Campylobacter cells. At the highest compound concentration tested (0.1 mM) and shortest exposure time (1 min), the same two biscationic multiQACs averaged mean percent reductions of Campylobacter cell numbers around 99.5% while CPC at the same concentration/exposure only managed a percent reduction of 91.3%. The biscationic multiQACs demonstrate the potential for providing a new group of antimicrobial compounds superior to current commercially available QACs in their effectiveness against C. jejuni.
Hunt, James Ramsay

American neurologist James Ramsay Hunt (1872–1937) was one of the foremost American neurologists of the first half of the twentieth century. After completing his training in Philadelphia and abroad, Hunt practiced neurology in New York at Columbia University. He served as president of the American Neurological Association in 1920 and was recognized eponymously with several different syndromes, including geniculate neuralgia from herpes zoster, entrapment of the deep palmar branch of the ulnar nerve, and progressive cerebellar dysynnergia. In 1914, Hunt also called attention to extracranial carotid occlusive disease as a cause of transient ischemic attacks ‘cerebral intermittent claudication’ or cerebral infarction.
The Impact of Citizens United on Large Corporations and Their Employees

The goal of this research is to determine whether the Supreme Court’s landmark 2010 Citizens United ruling changed the contribution strategies of employees of major corporations. Using an original ...
Systematic process intensification

Process intensification often requires innovative equipment and flowsheets to achieve significant improvement compared to traditional unit operations. Systematic methods are needed for automatic generation, screening, and discovery of promising intensification pathways at the conceptual design stage. In this contribution, we present a synopsis of the key elements of systematic process intensification (SPI), which include specification, representation, assessment, screening, and analysis. We conclude with a brief overview of future challenges and research opportunities in each of these areas.
Opioid-induced bowel disorder and narcotic bowel syndrome

Abstract The use of opioids in the past 25 years has increased significantly, and along with it, the increase of opioid associated side effects. The two major gastrointestinal side effects of opioids use are opioid-induced bowel disorders (OIBD) and narcotic bowel syndrome (NBS). The most common OIBD is opioid-induced constipation (OIC). OIC has a negative effect on quality of life and is associated with a significant economic impact. NBS or opioid-induced hyperalgesia is characterized by the paradoxical increase in the severity of chronic abdominal pain despite the use of continuous or increasing doses of opioids prescribed for abdominal pain. These patients will have improvement of their abdominal pain when opioids are withdrawn. OIBD and NBS are under-recognized due to lack of awareness, especially because these conditions may co-exist with functional bowel disorders. We describe the pathophysiology and management of these disorders. Several different pharmaceutical approaches have been developed to prevent and treat OIC. Evidence-based guidelines have been developed for management of OIC.