cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of the neuromuscular effects of mivacurium and suxamethonium in infants and children

We compared both the time course of neuromuscular blockade and the cardiovascular side-effects of suxamethonium and mivacurium during halothane and nitrous oxide anaesthesia in infants 2-12 months and children 1-12 years of age. Equipotent doses of mivacurium and suxamethonium were studied; 2.2 x ED95 was used in four groups of infants and children, while 3.4 x ED95 was used in two groups of children. Onset of neuromuscular block in infants was not significantly faster with suxamethonium than with mivacurium (P = 0.2). In all infants given suxamethonium, intubating conditions were excellent, while, in 6/10 infants given mivacurium, intubating conditions were excellent. Onset of complete neuromuscular block in children was significantly faster with suxamethonium, 0.9 min compared with mivacurium, 1.4 min (P < or = 0.05). Increasing the dose of suxamethonium or mivacurium in children to 3.4 x ED95 did not change the onset of neuromuscular block. Recovery of neuromuscular transmission to 25% of initial twitch height (T25) in infants and children was significantly faster after suxamethonium than after mivacurium, at 2.5 and 6 min, respectively (P < or = 0.05). In children given 3.4 x ED95 of suxamethonium or mivacurium, recovery from neuromuscular block was almost identical with the dose of 2.2 x ED95, with spontaneous recovery to T25 prolonged by only 0.5 min. No infant or child had hypotension after the mivacurium bolus dose.
PROPERTIES OF THE CAUSATIVE AGENT OF A CHICKEN TUMOR : XIII. SEDIMENTATION OF THE TUMOR AGENT, AND SEPARATION FROM THE ASSOCIATED INHIBITOR.

1. The agent causing Chicken Tumor I can be separated from the other constituents of the tumor filtrate by means of high speed centrifugation. The separation was practically complete when a filtrate of average viscosity (0.018 poise) was submitted to a centrifugal field of 14,000 times gravity for 2 hours. 2. Relative purification of the agent was obtained by means of differential centrifugation and washing in Tyrode's solution or in distilled water. The washed sediment gave opalescent solutions composed of minute particles of approximately, but not exactly, the same size. The dry weight of the active material separated by high speed centrifugation was 0.0008 mg. per cc. of filtrate, or about 1 part per 2800 parts of the total filtrate. 3. The tumor-producing activity of the washed sediment was significantly greater than that of the entire original filtrate. It is suggested that the gain in tumor-producing power was effected by the removal of an inhibiting factor, known to occur normally in chicken tumor extracts.
Subpixel resolving optofluidic microscope based on super resolution algorithm

We report the implementation of a fully on-chip, lensless, sub-pixel resolving optofluidic microscope (SROFM) based on the super resolution algorithm. The device utilizes microfluidic flow to deliver specimens directly across a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensor to generate a sequence of low-resolution (LR) projection images, where resolution is limited by the sensor's pixel size. This image sequence is then processed with a pixel super-resolution algorithm to reconstruct a single high resolution (HR) image, where features beyond the Nyquist rate of the LR images are resolved. We demonstrate the device's capabilities by imaging red blood cell, microspheres, protist Euglena gracilis, and Entamoeba invadens cysts with sub-cellular resolution. We also demonstrate the capability of SROFM for malaria infected red blood cell diagnostics.
A generalized theory of collaborative caching

Collaborative caching allows software to use hints to influence cache management in hardware. Previous theories have shown that such hints observe the inclusion property and can obtain optimal caching if the access sequence and the cache size are known ahead of time. Previously, the interface of a cache hint is limited, e.g., a binary choice between LRU and MRU.In this paper, we generalize the hint interface, where a hint is a number encoding a priority. We show the generality in a hierarchical relation where collaborative caching subsumes non-collaborative caching, and within collaborative caching, the priority hint subsumes the previous binary hint. We show two theoretical results for the general hint. The first is a new cache replacement policy, priority LRU, which permits the complete range of choices between MRU and LRU. We prove a new type of inclusion property---non-uniform inclusion---and give a one-pass algorithm to compute the miss rate for all cache sizes. Second, we show that priority hints can enable the use of the same hints to obtain optimal caching for all cache sizes, without having to know the cache size beforehand.
A new wavelet-based paradigm for hierarchical coarse-graining applied to materials modeling

We outline how the wavelet transform, a hierarchical averaging scheme, can be used to perform both structural and topological coarse-graining in systems with multiscale physical behavior, such as Ising lattices and polymer models. We illustrate how to create sampling mechanisms, which we call wavelet-accelerated Monte Carlo (WAMC), to study these systems and obtain qualitative and quantitatively accurate results in orders of magnitude less time than using atomistic simulations.
Correction of capacitor errors during the conversion cycle of self-calibrating A/D converters

The conversion cycle of self-calibrating, successive approximation (analog/digital) A/D converters (ADCs) is analyzed. The effects of capacitor ratio mismatch errors on the transfer characteristics of unipolar and bipolar ADCs are presented. Error correction during conversion is shown to eliminate linearity errors in unipolar ADCs and offset and linearity errors in bipolar ADCs. It is shown that for bipolar ADCs, the correction algorithm depends on the way the average unit capacitor is defined, which essentially depends on the calibration algorithm used during the ADC calibration cycle. High-resolution ADC considerations are presented, and computer simulations are reported. >
An evaluation of SOI technologies for high performance analog bipolar circuits

Summary form only given. Characterization results of analog circuits fabricated on dielectric isolation (DI), bonded wafer SOI and multiple implant separation by implantation of oxygen (SIMOX) substrates are reported. The DI parts were manufactured using standard processing technology while the SIMOX and bonded wafer SOI circuits utilized the front-side fabrication method. The SIMOX substrates were prepared using three 5E17 implants at an energy of 200 keV and a temperature of 600 degrees C. The anneals were performed at 1285 degrees C for 2 hours. DC parameters for JFET input op amps fabricated on DI, bonded, and SIMOX substrates are presented. Good agreement is seen between the DC parameters for all three materials. However, the input offset voltage was generally higher for bonded and SIMOX substrates. This has been attributed to trench-related defects, based on Wright etched samples and comparisons of single transistors in each technology. >
A Case of Seronegative HIV-1 Infection

Patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) typically seroconvert within weeks of primary infection. In rare cases, patients do not develop antibodies against HIV-1 despite demonstrable infection. We describe here a human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B*5802-positive individual who presented with acquired immune deficiency syndrome despite repeatedly negative HIV-1 antibody screening test results. Phylogenetic analysis of env clones revealed little sequence diversity, and weak HIV-1-specific CD8 + T cell responses were present to Gag epitopes. The patient seroconverted after immune reconstitution during receipt of highly active antiretroviral therapy. Lack of an antibody response to HIV-1 is rare and appears to be due to a defect in HIV-1-specific immunity rather than infection with attenuated virus.
C4NP Cu-cored Pb-free flip chip interconnections

We report here preliminary results on a new Cu-cored flip chip structure combining C4NP (Controlled Collapse Chip Connect New Process) with Cu spheres for high density interconnections. C4NP is a new wafer bumping technology developed by IBM in which molten solder is injected into a mold and then transferred to the UBM (Under Bump Metallurgy) pads on the wafer. This simple and parallel process has shown the capability to combine low cost attributes with high performance capabilities. C4NP allows a larger number of interconnections with finer pitch than screen printing methods because it eliminates the volume reduction problem of solder paste. Also, C4NP allows more freedom in selecting the composition of solder bumps when compared with the electroplating method. To make Cu-cored flip chip interconnections with C4NP, Cu spheres are arrayed in the cavities on a mold which matches the CTE of the wafer. The Cu spheres are then transferred from the Si mold to C4NP solder bumps on the wafer by using the same process used for C4NP solder transfer. Then, after dicing, the diced chip is flip chip assembled on the substrate which has been pre-soldered. This combination of C4NP and Cu spheres is a dry process with potential for low cost, because it does not need thick photoresist, lithography, or plating process steps. Our early laboratory demonstrations of Cu-cored bumping have processed individual chips rather than full wafers; but, based on our manufacturing experience with C4NP solder bumping, we expect the process to be readily extendible to wafer scale. The C4NP Cu-cored flip chip joints offer potential advantages in stress mitigation and electrical performance. The centered Cu sphere in the joint ensures greater stand-off for fine pitch, which facilitates the underfill process and improves fatigue resistance due to the taller bump. The low electrical resistivity of Cu enhances current carrying capacity. The small Sn/Cu ratio in the bump would decrease UBM consumption and solder depletion under high current stressing. The high thermal conductivity of Cu also enhances heat transfer from the chip to the substrate. Due to the high Cu/Sn ratio in the flip chip interconnections, the higher Young's modulus of Cu over solder could be a concern for stress concentration on the IC despite the higher stand-off height provided by the Cu-core bump. However, in the C4NP Cu-cored flip chip structure, since the transfer mold is used for inserting Cu spheres into the flip chip joints, Cu spheres can be selectively deployed only to the joints where the composite bumps are required, whereas the other, highly stressed joints can be electrically connected without Cu spheres. Therefore, the selective use of composite interconnects may allow stress to be minimized while optimizing electrical performance.
Large Deflection of an Encastré Rigid-Plastic Grid

The large deflection analysis of a rigid-plastic encastre beam carrying a point load obtained by Haythornthwaite is extended to cover beams carrying uniformly spaced equal point loads. It is shown how the principles revealed in the extended analysis may be used to draw the flow line for an idealized encastre three beam by three beam grid loaded at all node points. Experimental results are presented to show what significance may be attached to the analysis.
A reference governor-based controller for a cable robot under input constraints

Cable-suspended robots are structurally similar to parallel actuated robots but with the fundamental difference that cables can only pull the end-effector but not push it. From a scientific point of view, this feature makes feedback control of cable-suspended robots lot more challenging than their counter- part parallel actuated robots. In this brief, we look into the control design for a nonredundant cable-suspended robot under positive input constraints. The design is based on feedback linearization controllers augmented with a reference governor (RG). This RG operates in accordance with the receding horizon strategy, by generating admissible reference signals, that do not violate the input constraints. An important issue in implementing such an algorithm for nonlinear systems is to predict the system behavior in a computationally efficient way. We show that feedback lin- earization controllers with the RG can offer an efficient way to predict the system's future states, using the error dynamics of inner feedback loop. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method is illustrated by numerical simulation and laboratory experiments on a 6-degree-of-freedom cable suspended robot.
Neuroglian stabilizes epithelial structure during Drosophila oogenesis

The vertebrate L1 family of cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) and their fly homolog, Neuroglian, are members of the immunoglobulin (Ig) superfamily of CAMs. In general, Ig CAMs have been found to play critical roles in mediating axon guidance. One Ig CAM, NCAM, has also been implicated in maintaining epithelial integrity and suppressing metastatic dissemination of tumor cells. Other Ig CAMs, such as Nrg, are also expressed in epithelia. We thus tested the hypothesis that, like NCAM, Nrg might also be required for maintaining epithelial integrity and for inhibiting tumor invasion. We used the Drosophila follicular epithelium to determine the function of Nrg in vivo in maintaining epithelial structure, and in regulating the motility of migrating border cells and invasive tumorous follicle cells. Nrg(167) is expressed on the lateral membrane of follicle cells. Loss of Nrg(167) causes border cells to delay delamination and causes other follicle cells to delaminate inappropriately. The delaminated cells have aberrant epithelial polarity manifested as severe mislocalization of apical and basal membrane proteins, and uniform localization of lateral membrane proteins. Furthermore, loss of Nrg(167) dramatically enhances the invasive phenotype associated with loss of Discs Large, a neoplastic tumor suppressor. These results indicate that Nrg(167) stabilizes epithelial polarity by regulating junctional adhesion and function in normal and tumorous epithelia. Our data also suggest that Ig superfamily members have significant functional redundancy in maintaining epithelial polarity, with individual members playing subtle, unique roles during epithelial morphogenesis.
Expert Systems in Marketing: Guidelines for Development

This paper is aimed at understanding and developing marketing expert systems. A discussion of the structure of expert systems is presented. Guidelines for development of marketing expert systems and marketing areas most amenable to expert system development are also provided.
DEVELOPMENT OF AN ACCEEPTABILITY CONSTRAINT FOR A LINEAR PROGRAMMING MODEL IN FOOD FORMULATION

. Control of a product's market acceptability can be a difficulty when using linear programming models in food formulation. The development of an acceptability constraint was demonstrated for a linear programming model used for the formulation of fresh turkey bratwurst, a coarse ground type sausage. Development was in two stages. First, an experimental design and in-house panel determined quantitative relationships between the product's textural attributes and turkey meat ingredients. Second, the product toughness relationship was utilized to develop three formulations with different levels of toughness. These formulations were market tested using the acceptor set size as the measure of market acceptability. A relationship between product toughness and acceptor set size was determined, into which was substituted the toughness f (ingredients) relationship. This yielded acceptor set size as a f (ingredients) that was added to the least cost linear programming model in the form of an acceptability constraint.
Embracing the Social in Social Media: An Analysis of the Social Media Marketing Strategies of the Los Angeles Kings

This article addresses the rise of social media in professional sport and the varying ways in which sport organizations have interacted with consumers in the social media environment. We examine one particularly interesting case: The innovative social media marketing practices of the Los Angeles Kings hockey organization, most especially through its twitter account @LAKings. Through the use of digital ethnography, we analyze and interpret official statements produced within the context of the Kings marketing and consumer strategies. We argue that the Los Angeles Kings’ social media strategy illustrates the potential collaborative efforts of an organization and its consumers in a social media space. This “coexistence” between brand and consumer provides the organization an opportunity to encourage relationship development and brand community.
Affect changes observed with right versus left lateral visual field stimulation in psychotherapy patients: Possible physiological, psychological, and therapeutic implications

Seventy psychotherapy patients were given two pairs of goggles each taped over to allow vision from only the left or the right lateral visual field (LVF and RVF). Sixty percent reported at least a one-point difference between visual fields on a five-point anxiety scale; 23% reported at least a two-point difference. Among 21 patients with major depression, 11 reported greater anxiety through the LVF, four reported greater anxiety through the RVF, and six reported no difference. Among 18 with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), 10 reported greater anxiety from the RVF and four from the LVF, and four reported no difference. The absolute difference in anxiety ratings was significantly greater (P < .001) between the two pairs of experimental goggles than between two pairs of control goggles allowing monocular vision among 40 patients in whom the four pairs were tested. During a subsequent psychiatric interview, 40 of 49 patients who were responsive while using the experimental goggles manifested an intensification of their usual symptoms on one side and an alleviation on the other. The possible physiological, psychological, and therapeutic implications of these findings are discussed.
Reconstruction of sternal wounds with and without rigid plate fixation

INTRODUCTION: The inferior pedicle, Wise-pattern reduction mammaplasty is the most popular technique for breast reduction because of its reproducible results and reliability. However, complication rates in obese patients or large volume reductions are high, ranging from 35 to 78%. This study aimed to determine whether a modification to the standard Wise-pattern reduction technique, an expanded inframammary fold skin triangle, produces improved outcomes in high-risk large volume breast reduction patients.
Ultrastructural alterations in mammary glands of pregnant rats after ovariectomy and hysterectomy: Effect of adrenal steroids and prolactin

Pregnant rats were subjected to oophorectomy and hysterectomy (O-H) on the seventeenth day of pregnancy, a time when serum levels of prolactin, estrogen, and corticosterone are not substantially greater than the respective levels in nonpregnant rats. At 32 hours after O-H, serum prolactin and corticosterone both rose more than threefold, and lactose appeared in the mammary glands. Biopsies of mammary tissue obtained at 8 hour intervals after O-H showed a progressive secretory response over 16 hours, similar to that previously shown to occur within a period of about 4 hours on the last day of pregnancy. Suppression of serum prolactin by ergocriptine administration and adrenalectomy 24 hours before O-H each prevented the secretory response. However, some differences in the effects of deprivation of the two types of hormones were evident. After cortisol acetate administration at O-H, mammary tissue responded rapidly despite adrenalectomy 24 hours earlier. It is concluded that simple withdrawal of progesterone is not sufficient to initiate lactation in the pregnant rat; glucocorticoids must be present continuously during progesterone withdrawal, and prolactin elevation and other factors present at parturition may be required as well.
Genomic instability and its role in neoplasia.

The study of how genomic integrity is regulated is important not only in the formation and progression of a neoplasia, but also in how a tumor responds to therapy. Genomic instability has been hypothesized to be a driving force behind multistep carcinogenesis (Nowell 1976). A number of genetic changes are required for a normal cell to become tumorigenic (Foulds 1959; Fearon and Vogelstein 1990). If genomic instability increases the rate at which these alterations occur, then the accumulation of changes and subsequent selection for growth and motility advantage may lead to the formation of a neoplasia. Thus, the new variants generated during tumor progression may be fueled by an underlying genomic instability. Once a cell becomes neoplastic, its evolution may continue to malignancy. Further genetic changes are required to confer metastatic properties on the tumor cell. These properties include the ability to invade surrounding tissues, enter the vasculature, extravasate, and colonize a secondary site. Proficiency at each step is necessary for a tumor cell to become fully metastatic. Genetic alterations are the basis for this acquired variation (Rubin 1987; Liotta et al. 1987). The emergence of drug-resistant or radiation-resistant variants is one of the most disappointing aspects of treating a neoplasia. These variants are generated by the same forces that allow the tumor to become established and progress.
From Practice to Theory: Identifying the 'Theories of Practice' and the Role of the Firm in a Sexual Violence Program in Sierra Leone

Traditionally applied research has taken the shape of moving ideas from theory to practice. This paper tries to move from practice to theory in the field of international conflict resolution. First, the paper uses Ross's (2000) Theories of Practice, a framework widely known among conflict resolution practitioners, to examine a project for survivors of sexual violence in Sierra Leone that took place from 2003-2004. Second, in the course of the analysis, the paper shows that the role of the firm is important to understand project outcomes and their impact on peace. The relevance of understanding the theoretical assumptions behind conflict resolution projects and theorizing the role of the firm for both practitioners and researchers is discussed.
A pharmacodynamic analysis of Straub's morphine reaction

In 1911 Straub and later his pupil Herrmann described a biological reaction for morphine which they thought was specific for that alkaloid and could possibly be used in forensic work.1, 2 They noted that after injections of small amounts of morphine in mice there followed a peculiar stiffening and bending backwards or curling of the tails of those animals. No adequate explanation of this phenomena was given by the authors. In May, 1918, Van Leersum1 described the same phenomenon in the rat and showed that this peculiar stiffening and upbending of the tail was really due to a spasm of the sphincters of the anus and especially of the bladder and that the same phenomenon could be produced by exciting spasm of the sphincters by other agents, chemical or physical. The researches of the present author on the influence of various opium alkaloids on smooth muscle, which were first reported before the Pharmacological Society in December, 1917,2 and later, in the PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY FOR EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY ...
Compassion in medicine.

Now, even though you did not know them, imagine the kindness that may have been exchanged by your great and great-great grandparents and ancestors stretching back to the beginning of life as we know it. We can only begin to imagine the billions of acts of kindness that have drawn people, families, and communities together across time. Kindness and compassion bind us together as social animals. Without family and communities, few of us would be able to survive. While all humans have the capacity for compassion, and many other animals demonstrate acts of selflessness and concern for others, we also know that kindness is a learned skill that is more likely to flourish under favorable conditions.
Rational Choice and Market Efficiency

As Charles Dickens illustrated in Hard Times, economic conditions shape people’s health. Written in the mid-nineteenth century, the novel described life in Coketown, a standardized commercial center dedicated to rapid economic growth and efficiency. Town life revolved around pragmatic usefulness: You saw nothing in Coketown but what was severely workful … The jail might have been the infirmary, the infirmary might have been the jail, the townhall might have been either, or anything else … Relations between master and man were all fact, and everything was fact between the lying-in hospital and the cemetery, and what you couldn’t state in figures, or show to be purchaseable in the cheapest market and saleable in the dearest, was not, and never should be, world without end, Amen.1 For the Coketown elites, economic efficiency took priority over popular health. Smoke, dust, and a black mist enveloped the town. Most people lived in miserable homes, suffered deplorable working conditions, and rarely breathed pure air. Millworkers labored until an early death. Businessmen, teachers, and government officials justified these conditions by appeals to self-interest. Adopting a calculating mentality, Bitzer, a young clerk, proclaimed: ‘The whole system is a question of self-interest … I was made in the cheapest market, and have to dispose of myself in the dearest.’2
Current Treatment and Results of St. Jude Studies for Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

The Goldie-Coldman hypothesis predicts that early use of all active agents in maximum doses will increase leukemic cell kill and prevent the early emergence of drug resistance [1]. Results of contemporary clinical trials in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) support this hypothesis, in that early intensification of treatment, combined with effective CNS preventive therapy, has markedly improved cure rates [2–6]. St. Jude Total Therapy Study XI [6,7] was designed to test the value of intensified chemotherapy throughout treatment. Rotational administration of four drug pairs was used during continuation therapy because of the severe toxicity that is associated with simultaneous administration of multiple drugs. The efficacy and potential complications of rapid weekly rotation of these drug pairs was compared to slow rotation (every 6 weeks) in a randomized fashion among patients with higher-risk leukemia. This trial produced very promising treatment results and provides the basis on which our recently opened frontline trial, Total Therapy Study XIII, is built. Here, we summarize the results of the Total XI trial, focussing on those elements that have contributed to the design of current studies.
Fast algorithms for UAV tasking and routing

The problem of partitioning a set of geographically distributed tasks among a team of UAVs that must travel to perform the tasks arises in many contexts, from surveillance to environmental monitoring. When UAVs have limits in their travel distances, it is important to select subsets of tasks for each UAV that achieve highest team values while remaining feasible given limits on UAV resources. This class of problems has been studied previously in computer science and operations research as orienteering problems. This problem is known to be NP-Hard. Previous algorithms for solving orienteering problems as integer programming problems are slow; faster algorithms have been proposed based on heuristic techniques used in traveling salesperson problems. In this paper, we develop a different class of fast algorithms, based on a decomposition of the orienteering problem into a knapsack assignment problem and a subsequent traveling salesperson problem. We combine greedy algorithms for knapsack problems with the use of spanning trees to estimate traveling salesperson tour lengths to obtain new, approximate algorithms for orienteering problems. We conduct experiments with single and multiple UAV algorithms on benchmark problems as well as problems derived from a LANDAT dataset, comparing our new algorithms with other algorithms in the literature. Our results indicate that our new algorithms are consistently fast, and perform better than competing algorithms.
Curvature-Eliminating Head Field and Track Edge Characteristics in Heat-Assisted Magnetic Recording

Transition curvature in heat-assisted magnetic recording can be eliminated by appropriately varying head field amplitude across recording track width. In this paper, we present a systematic micromagnetic study on the effects of non-vanishing field beyond track edges in practical head designs, focusing on the recording characteristics beyond track edges. It is found that a uniform field amplitude beyond track edges will create wing-like patterns beyond straightened transitions, forming erase bands at high linear densities. The width of the erase band decreases if the head field diminishes beyond track edges. However, for practical field reduction gradients beyond track edges, the width of the erase band still remains significant.
Teaching, Learning and Assessment of Agents and Robotics in a Computer Science Curriculum

This paper presents our experience in integrating agents and robotics in our Computer Science Curriculum. We present a series of modules throughout our curriculum that progressively address these themes and other AI related topics, which ends with a specialised final year module central to teaching and learning multi-agent systems and principles of robotics. As part of this module a Robotics Challenge is organised, allowing students to integrate the knowledge they obtained in previously attended modules, and to practically apply knowledge and skills in order to solve a real problem.
Death, injury and disability from kinetic impact projectiles in crowd-control settings: a systematic review.

Objective We conducted a systematic review of the available literature on deaths, injuries and permanent disability from rubber and plastic bullets, as well as from bean bag rounds, shot pellets and other projectiles used in arrests, protests and other contexts from 1 January 1990 until 1 June 2017.Data sources PubMed, Scopus, JSTOR and grey literature.Data synthesis We report on descriptive statistics as well as data on injury severity, permanent disability and death. We analysed potential risk factors for injury severity, including the site of impact, firing distance and access to medical care.Results Of 3228 identified articles, 26 articles met inclusion criteria. These articles included injury data on 1984 people, 53 of whom died as a result of their injuries. 300 people suffered permanent disability. Deaths and permanent disability often resulted from strikes to the head and neck (49.1% of deaths and 82.6% of permanent disabilities). Of the 2135 injuries in those who survived their injuries, 71% were severe, injuries to the skin and to the extremities were most frequent. Anatomical site of impact, firing distance and timely access to medical care were correlated with injury severity and risk of disability.Conclusions Kinetic impact projectiles (KIPs), often called rubber or plastic bullets, are used commonly in crowd-control settings. We find that these projectiles have caused significant morbidity and mortality during the past 27 years, much of it from penetrative injuries and head, neck and torso trauma. Given their inherent inaccuracy, potential for misuse and associated health consequences of severe injury, disability and death, KIPs do not appear to be appropriate weapons for use in crowd-control settings. There is an urgent need to establish international guidelines on the use of crowd-control weapons to prevent unnecessary injuries and deaths.
The Effect of Dielectric Environment on Doping Efficiency in Colloidal PbSe Nanostructures

Doping, as a central strategy to control free carrier type and concentration in semiconductor materials, suffers from low efficiency at the nanoscale, especially in systems having high permittivity (ϵ) and large Bohr radii, such as lead chalcogenide nanocrystals (NCs) and nanowires (NWs). Here, we study dielectric confinement effects on the doping efficiency of lead chalcogenides nanostructures by integrating PbSe NWs in the platform of field effect transistors (FETs). Elemental Pb or In or elemental Se is deposited by thermal evaporation to remotely n- or p-dope the NWs. Polymeric and oxide materials of varying ϵ are subsequently deposited to control the dielectric environment surrounding the NWs. Analyzing the device characteristics, we extract the change of carrier concentration introduced by tailoring the dielectric environment. The calculated doping efficiency for n-type (Pb/In) and p-type (Se) dopants increases as the ϵ of the surrounding medium increases. Using a high-ϵ material, such as HfO2 for e...
An update on Toxoplasma gondii infections in northern sea otters (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) from Washington State, USA

Toxoplasmosis in marine mammals is epidemiologically and clinically important. Toxoplasma gondii antibodies (by modified agglutination test, cut-off ≥1:25) were detected in serum of 65 of 70 (92.9%) northern sea otters (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) from Washington State, USA. Brains and/or muscles of 44 sea otters were bioassayed in mice (INF-γ knock-out [KO], Swiss Webster outbred [SW]) and viable T. gondii was isolated from 22 of 44 (50%); T. gondii strains were lethal to KO mice but not SW mice. These T. gondii isolates were further propagated in cell culture. Multi-locus PCR-RFLP genotyping of cell culture-derived tachyzoites revealed four different genotypes among 22 isolates including ToxoDB PCR-RFLP genotype #5 (14 isolates), #1 (three isolates), #3 (four isolates), and #167 (one isolate). PCR-DNA sequencing based genotyping using polymorphic gene GRA6 revealed one of four different alleles. Among the 14 RFLP genotype #5 strains, 10 have GRA6 sequences that match with the Type A, one match with the Type X, two strains did not generate sequence data, and one strain had double peaks at known polymorphic sites indicating a mixed infection. The seven strains belong to genotypes #1 and #3, all have identical sequences to T. gondii Type II reference isolate ME49. Genotype #167 strain has identical sequence to Type I reference strain. In summary, we observed high seroprevalence, and high rate of isolation of T. gondii from northern sea otters and predominant genotype #5 that has been previously reported a dominant and widespread strain among terrestrial wildlife in North America. GRA6 sequence analysis of the genotype #5 isolates indicated the dominance of Type A lineage in sea otters in Washington State.
Transcardiac Visualization of a Left Subphrenic Abscess

A left subdiaphragmatic abscess can be difficult to visualize when the left lobe of the liver is small, bowel gas is present and the lateral ribs create artifacts in the area of the abscess. This paper presents one case where the heart was used as an ultrasonic window to better visualize a left subphrenic abscess. The maneuver was relatively easy to perform and may represent an alternate approach for the technician when routine methods prove inadequate.
Multiple Lumiphore-Bound Nanoparticles for in vivo Quantification of Localized Oxygen Levels

Our group has previously published work wherein microparticles with bound oxygen-sensitive and oxygen-insensitive lumiphores proved an accurate, precise and reliable tool for the quantification of localized oxygen partial pressure in vitro. Calibration between the luminescence of oxygen-sensitive lumiphore and local oxygen partial pressure allows for oxygen quantification while the luminescence of oxygen-insensitive lumiphore allows for corrections based on particle concentration. An analogous system may prove to be an equally useful tool for in vivo measurements, if certain design features are altered to address concerns such as tissue optical absorptivity and possible toxicity. Current studies focus on the design of a surface functionalized nanosphere-system as a possible approach. This work focuses on the development of this sensing technology as well as methods to allow for precise and flexible synthesis, characterization of key properties (e.g., oxygen sensing in whole blood) and optimization for in vivo conditions.
A New Mechanics Case Study: Using Collisions to Learn about Newton’s Third Law

Several researchers have reported on conceptual difficulties students encounter in the study of Newton’s Laws, especially Newton’s Third Law. This paper describes a project to restructure the introductory physics mechanics curriculum to present Newton’s Laws in a more logical sequence. This curriculum is based on the use of direct experience coupled with Microcomputer-Based Laboratory (MBL) tools. This paper gives particular attention to the sequence of learning experiences developed to improve student understanding of Third Law concepts applied to collision processes. The results of pre- and post-testing show significant gains in student ability to apply the Third Law to different types of interactions.
Henry Miller: Prophet of the Sexual Revolution

Miller writes hundreds of pages describing in the minutest and clearest detail his exploits in bed. Every serious reader of erotica has remarked about Miller that he is probably the only author in history who writes about such things with complete ease and naturalness. Lawrence never quite rid himself of his puritanical consciousness, nor Joyce; both had too much religion in their veins… Miller‘s achievement is miraculous: he is screamingly funny without making fun of sex, the way Rabelais does…. Miller is accurate and poetic in the highest degree; there is not a smirk anywhere in his writings.1
Analytical Global Sensitivity Analysis and Uncertainty Propagation for Robust Design

In industrial practice, the computational expenses associated with certain types of metamodels and the random errors introduced by the data-sampling approach require analytical methods such as those used for global sensitivity analysis (GSA) and uncerta..
TPA-023 attenuates subchronic phencyclidine-induced declarative and reversal learning deficits via GABA A receptor agonist mechanism: possible therapeutic target for cognitive deficit in schizophrenia.

GABAergic drugs are of interest for the treatment of anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, pain, cognitive impairment associated with schizophrenia (CIAS), and other neuropsychiatric disorders. Some evidence suggests that TPA-023, (7-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-6-(2-ethyl-2H-1,2,4-triazol-3-ylmethoxy)-3-(2-fluorophenyl)-1,2,4-triazolo[4,3-b] pyridazine), a GABAA α2,3 subtype-selective GABAA partial agonist and α1/5 antagonist, and the neurosteroid, pregnenolone sulfate, a GABAA antagonist, may improve CIAS in pilot clinical trials. The goal of this study was to investigate the effect of TPA-023 in mice after acute or subchronic (sc) treatment with the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonist, phencyclidine (PCP), on novel object recognition (NOR), reversal learning (RL), and locomotor activity (LMA) in rodents. Acute TPA-023 significantly reversed scPCP-induced NOR and RL deficits. Co-administration of sub-effective dose (SED) TPA-023 with SEDs of the atypical antipsychotic drug, lurasidone, significantly potentiated the effect of TPA-023 in reversing the scPCP-induced NOR deficit. Further, scTPA-023 co-administration significantly prevented scPCP-induced NOR deficit for 5 weeks. Also, administration of TPA-023 for 7 days following scPCP reversed the NOR deficit for 1 week. However, TPA-023 did not blunt acute PCP-induced hyperactivity, suggesting lack of efficacy as a treatment for psychosis. Systemic TPA-023 significantly blocked lurasidone-induced increases in cortical acetylcholine, dopamine, and glutamate without affecting increases in norepinephrine and with minimal effect on basal release of these neurotransmitters. TPA-023 significantly inhibited PCP-induced cortical and striatal dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine, and glutamate efflux. These results suggest that TPA-023 and other GABAA agonists may be of benefit to treat CIAS.
Demonstration of Model-Independent Control of the Longitudinal Phase Space of Electron Beams in the Linac-Coherent Light Source with Femtosecond Resolution

The dynamics of intense electron bunches in free electron lasers and plasma wakefield accelerators are dominated by complex collective effects such as wakefields, space charge, coherent synchrotron radiation, and drift unpredictably with time, making it difficult to control and tune beam properties using model-based approaches. We report on a first of its kind combination of automatic, model-independent feedback with a neural network for control of the longitudinal phase space of relativistic electron beams with femtosecond resolution based only on transverse deflecting cavity measurements.
Initial dentin formation in human deciduous teeth. An electron microscope study.

Dentin matrix formation is initiated as far as 11 μ deep in the prospective dental pulp. From this area, growth of the preodontoblast processes occurs toward the ameloblast. Process elongation is followed successively by 3 stages of dentin matrix formation: 1) fibril formation, 2) matrix maturation and 3) matrix calcification. These stages occur concurrently with differentiation of the odontoblasts. The bases of the odontoblast processes and distal surfaces of their cell bodies extrude cytoplasmic buds into the surrounding matrix. These function as initial sites of calcification.
Biaxial fracture stresses for filled-epoxy tubes

Strength results for a filled epoxy are reported for biaxial stresses. Three test methods and several specimen configurations were employed. Strength magnitudes were quite dependent upon specimen geometry under compression-compression stresses. For other stress states, this dependence disappeared and the modified Coulomb-Mohr theory fit the data well. Similar data for graphite are cited.
Dysfunctional peripheral T follicular helper cells dominate in people with impaired influenza vaccine responses: Results from the FLORAH study

Antigen-primed cluster of differentiation (CD) 4+ T follicular helper (Tfh) cells interact with B cells in the germinal centers (GCs) of lymph nodes to generate vaccine-induced antibody (Ab) responses. In the circulation, peripheral Tfh (pTfh) cells, a subset of memory CD4 T cells, serve as surrogates for GC Tfh because of several functional and phenotypic similarities between them. We investigated features of H1N1 influenza antigen-specific pTfh (Ag.pTfh) in virologically controlled HIV+ volunteers on antiretroviral therapy (ART) and healthy control (HC) participants selected from a seasonal influenza vaccine responsiveness study. Selection of the participants was made based on age, defined as young (18-40 y) and old (>60 y) and on their classification as a vaccine responder (VR) or vaccine nonresponder (VNR). VRs demonstrated expansion of CD40L+ and CD69+ Ag.pTfh, with induction of intracellular interleukin 21 (IL-21) and inducible costimulator (ICOS) post vaccination; these responses were strongest in young HC VRs and were less prominent in HIV+ individuals of all ages. Ag.pTfh in VNRs exhibited dramatically different characteristics from VRs, displaying an altered phenotype and a cytokine profile dominated by cytokines IL-2, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), or IL-17 but lacking in IL-21. In coculture experiments, sorted pTfh did not support the B cell IgG production in VNRs and were predominantly an inflammatory T helper 1 (Th1)/T helper 17 (Th17) phenotype with lower ICOS and higher programmed cell death protein 1 (PD1) expression. Induction of IL-21 and ICOS on Ag.pTfh cells are negatively affected by both aging and HIV infection. Our findings demonstrate that dysfunctional Ag.pTfh cells with an altered IL-21/IL-2 axis contribute to inadequate vaccine responses. Approaches for targeting inflammation or expanding functional Tfh may improve vaccine responses in healthy aging and those aging with HIV infection.
Teaching Legislative Politics and Policy Making

The study of the American Congress raises compelling issues for both teachers and students in the examination of three interrelated arenas of analysis: Congressional members, Congress as an institution, and the role of Congress in the American political system. Underlying my approach to teaching Congress is a strong emphasis on discussing the role Congress should play in our Madisonian policy process as well as the role of elected representatives in a representative democracy. In many ways, then, a course on Congress or Legislative Politics and Policy making allows the instructor and students to examine the broader operation of the American political system by looking over the shoulders of congressional members as well as Congress as an institution. In doing so, broad structural questions might be addressed: To what extent is a Madisonian framework of government relevant for confronting and solving the policy problems that we currently face and will likely face in the future? What role can (and should) Congress play in addressing issues, such as the deficit, energy and environmental problems, homelessness, education, and covert foreign policy operations? In confronting these questions, I have found that students seek the opportunity to place Congress in an historical context. In doing so, I ask students to examine the three times in this century when Congress has responded to sweeping presidential domestic policy initiatives, including FDR's New Deal (1933-1936), Lyndon Johnson's Great Society programs (1965-1966), and Ronald Reagan's first-term budget and tax cut initiatives (1981).
Two of My Favorite Ways of Obtaining Asymptotics for Orthogonal Polynomials

Improvements of the continuous and discrete Liouville-Steklov method for proving asymptotic formulas for orthogonal polynomials are discussed, and a short survey of recent asymptotic results is given.
Developmental exposure to a mixture of unconventional oil and gas chemicals: A review of experimental effects on adult health, behavior, and disease

Unconventional oil and natural gas extraction (UOG) combines directional drilling and hydraulic fracturing and produces billions of liters of wastewater per year. Herein, we review experimental studies that evaluated the potential endocrine-mediated health impacts of exposure to a mixture of 23 UOG chemicals commonly found in wastewater. The purpose of this manuscript is to synthesize and summarize a body of work using the same UOG-mix but with different model systems and physiological endpoints in multiple experiments. The studies reviewed were conducted in laboratory animals (mice or tadpoles) and human tissue culture cells. A key feature of the in vivo studies was the use of four environmentally relevant doses spanning three orders of magnitude ranging from concentrations found in surface and ground water in UOG dense areas to concentrations found in UOG wastewater. This UOG-mix exhibited potent antagonist activity for the estrogen, androgen, glucocorticoid, progesterone, and thyroid receptors in human tissue culture cells. Subsequently, pregnant mice were administered the UOG-mix in drinking water and offspring were examined in adulthood or to tadpoles. Developmental exposure profoundly impacted pituitary hormone concentrations, reduced sperm counts, altered folliculogenesis, and increased mammary gland ductal density and preneoplastic lesions in mice. It also altered energy expenditure, exploratory and risk-taking behavior, the immune system in three immune models in mice, and affected basal and antiviral immunity in frogs. These findings highlight the diverse systems affected by developmental EDC exposure and the need to examine human and animal health in UOG regions.