cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Two new species of Huananpotamonas the second intermediate host of Paragonimus skriabini(Decapoda:Potamidae)

In the present paper,two new species of Huananpotamon as the second intermediate host of Paragonimus skriabini found from the north part of Fujian province were described and all the specimens are deposited in the Center of Disease Control and Prevention of Fujian.They are Huananpotamon lini sp.nov(Fig.1,1-11)Holotype:male,carapace length 20.5 mm,breadth 24.3 mm,thickness 13.1 mm,allotype:female,length 18 mm,breadth 23 mm,paratypes 4 male and 2 female,they were collected from Songxi county in north part of Fujian(27 10.256'N;117°32.590'E),346 meters above sea level;24 th June 2002,holotype,male,carapace length from head to chest,20.5 mm;breadth,24.3 mm;thickness,13.1 mm;allotype,female:carapace length from head to chest 18.0 mm,breadth 23.0 mm,thickness 12.3 mm.The back of carapace is dark yellow in color,and its bodily form is relatively larger.The end of the first pleopod of male exceeds the neighbor of ventro-lock projection,but it does not reach the suture between 4-5 th sternum.Its second distal segment is 1.3 times as long as the distal segment.The inner horn of the distal segment is not distinct,but appears to be bluntly round and square-shaped.Its outer horn is blended and points to the upper part of abdomen.Morphologically,this new species resembles to other fresh water crabs,such as H.guixiense Dai,1905,H.lichuanense Dai,1995,H.yiyangenens Dai,1995(Table 1),and they are found in Songxi county of Fujian,where they are naturally infected by metacercaria of Paragonimus agonimu,skrjanbini with an infective rate of 18.75%(3/16).2.Huananpotamon sheni sp.nov(Fig 2,1-11)Holotype:paratypes,4 male and 2 female,they are collected from Shaowu county of Fujian(27 10.256'N,117°32.590'E),and 190 meters above sea level,29 th Dec,2007,holotype:male,carapace length from head to chest,15.4 mm,breadth 18.1 mm,thickness 9.6 mm,allotype,female,carapace length from head to chest,13.3 mm,breadth 16.0 mm,thickness 8.6 mm.The back of the carapace is dark brown in color,and the end of the first pleopod of male exceeds the ventral-lock projection,reaching the suture between 4-5 th sternum.The inner horn of the distal segment is bluntly round and its protrude is not distinct.The outer horn is long-horn-shaped,and the second distal segment is 1.9 times as long as the distal segment.Also,their content is distinctly bulging,which is 1.8 times as long as the breadth of the middle distal segment.This new species resembles to H.nanchengense Dai 1995,H.medium Dai 1995 and H.chongrenens Dai 1995(Table 2),and they were found in Shaowu county of Fujian,where they are naturally infected by metacercariea of Paragonimus skrjanbini with an infective rate of 21.43%(3/14).
Bacteroides Sepsis: Diagnosis and Therapy

The clinical setting—such as gynecologic or gastrointestinal surgery—often provides the tipoff that these usually harmless anaerobes are responsible for a life-threatening infection; when the presence of bacteroides is suspected, treatment with appropriate antimicrobials such as chloramphenicol should begin without awaiting confirmation by culture. Even with this approach mortality is likely to be high.
Cromolyn sodium does not prevent hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension in newborn and young lambs

Hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension may be mediated by leukotrienes. Pulmonary mast cells produce leukotrienes, histamine and prostaglandin D2, and degranulate in response to hypoxia. Cromolyn sodium, a mast cell membrane stabilizing agent, may prevent hypoxia-induced mast cell degranulation. To investigate the role of mast cell products in hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension, we studied the haemodynamic responses to alveolar hypoxia before and during an intravenous infusion of 3-5 mg/min per kg of cromolyn sodium in 6 chronically instrumented, spontaneously breathing lambs. Since there are age-dependent differences in the response of the pulmonary circulation to some mast cell products, we studied the effects of cromolyn sodium on hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension in newborn (4-7 days) and young lambs (15-18 days). During alveolar hypoxia, mean pulmonary arterial pressure increased by 68% (P less than 0.05) and 59% (P less than 0.05) in the newborn and young lambs, respectively. With alveolar hypoxia during cromolyn sodium infusion, mean pulmonary arterial pressure increased by 71% (P less than 0.05) and 42% (P less than 0.05) in the newborn and young lambs, respectively. Cromolyn sodium did blunt the hypoxia-induced release of histamine into the circulation. Because hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension was not inhibited by cromolyn sodium in either age group, mast cell products are not important mediators of hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension.
The irritable bowel syndrome. A continuing dilemma

This article deals with the dilemmas in the definition, diagnostic work-up, and treatment of patients with the irritable bowel syndrome. The data presented are a blend of scientific insight to date and more than four decades of clinical experience with this disorder.
The Role of Liquid Properties on Lifetime of Levitated Droplets.

It is known that the temperature difference between a droplet and a liquid surface can extend the levitation time of that droplet by providing a thin air film between the surface and the droplet. However, the effect of fluid properties, liquid surface velocity, and air film thickness on the lifetime of droplets is still not well understood. Also, there is inconsistency in the literature about the role of vapor pressure in noncoalescence. Here we test a variety of liquids including silicone oil, Fluorinert, and water to understand the effect of surface tension, density ratio, viscosity, and heat capacity on the lifetime of a droplet. Droplets with larger heat capacity and vapor pressure like water remain floating for a longer time compared to oils. Similarly, higher surface velocity, which is seen in low viscous liquids, helps the air to replenish into the interstices beneath droplet and delay the drainage process. We also discuss the air film variation with temperature manipulation, and propose a correlat...
Mesoionic insecticides: a novel class of insecticides that modulate nicotinic acetylcholine receptors

BACKGROUND As the world population grows towards 9 billion by 2050, it is projected that food production will need to increase by 60%. A critical part of this growth includes the safe and effective use of insecticides to reduce the estimated 20–49% loss of global crop yields owing to pests. The development of new insecticides will help to sustain this protection and overcome insecticide resistance. RESULTS A novel class of mesoionic compounds has been discovered, with exceptional insecticidal activity on a range of Hemiptera and Lepidoptera. These compounds bind to the orthosteric site of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor and result in a highly potent inhibitory action at the receptor with minimal agonism. The synthesis, biological activity, optimization and mode of action will be discussed. CONCLUSION Triflumezopyrim insect control will provide a powerful tool for control of hopper species in rice throughout Asia. Dicloromezotiaz can provide a useful control tool for lepidopteran pests, with an underexploited mode of action among these pests. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry
Boundary element formulation for steady state plane problems in size-dependent thermoelasticity

Abstract A boundary element method is developed to examine two-dimensional size-dependent thermoelastic response in isotropic solids. The formulation is founded on the recently established consistent couple stress theory, in which both the couple-stress tensor and its energy conjugate mean curvature tensor are skew-symmetric. For isotropic materials, there is no thermal mean curvature deformation, and the thermoelastic effect is solely the result of thermal strain deformation. As a result, size-dependency is quantified by one characteristic material length scale parameter l , while the thermal coupling is activated through the classical thermal expansion coefficient α . Interestingly, in this size-dependent multi-physics model, the thermal governing equation is independent of the deformation. However, the mechanical governing equations depend on the temperature field. Here, we develop the boundary integral representation and numerical implementation for this size-dependent thermoelastic boundary element method (BEM) for plane problems, which involves temperatures, displacements, rotations, normal heat fluxes, force-tractions and couple-tractions as primary variables within a boundary-only formulation. Then, we apply this new BEM formulation to several basic computational problems in an effort to validate the robustness of the numerical implementation and to examine size-dependent response.
Trends in incidence and risk markers of student emergency department visits with alcohol intoxication in a U.S. public university-A longitudinal data linkage study.

Abstract Background To examine the trends in incidence and socio-demographic, organizational, academic, and clinical risk markers of student alcohol intoxication associated with emergency department (ED) visits. Methods Student admission data from 2009 to 2015 were linked to primary healthcare data and subsequent ED visits with alcohol intoxication identified using ICD-9 codes within one year following the first (index) enrollment each year. Incidence rate per 10,000 person-years was calculated. Cox proportional hazard regression provided adjusted hazard ratios (HR) (95 % CIs) for the association between student characteristics and subsequent ED visits with alcohol intoxication. Results Of 177,128 students aged 16–49 enrolled, 889 had at least one ED visit with alcohol intoxication, resulting in an incidence rate of 59/10,000 person-years. Incidence increased linearly from 45/10,000 person-years in 2009–10 to 71/10,000 person-years in the 2014–15 academic year (p Conclusions Linking student admission data with ED clinical data can help monitor student alcohol intoxication associated with ED visits and identify student groups at higher risk who subsequently can be targeted for intervention efforts.
Onabotulinumtoxin A (BOTOX®) for ProphylaCTIC Treatment of Pediatric Migraine: A Retrospective Longitudinal Analysis:

Background:The use of onabotulinumtoxin A in the pediatric population has not been evaluated for chronic migraine in a longitudinal study. This retrospective study sought to determine the efficacy ...
Violent Victimization and Future Expectations: Results from a Longitudinal Study of At-Risk Youth

The relationship between offending and expectations for the future is well documented. Despite the link between offending and victimization and the wealth of research documenting the negative effec...
STRUCTURAL IMPLICATIONS OF GAS TRANSPORT IN AMORPHOUS SOLIDS

The interstitial structure of vitreous silica and related materials is in a difficult size range for evaluation. Diffraction and spectroscopic techniques are generally limited to more local structural descriptions (bond lengths, coordination numbers, defect structures, etc.). Electron microscopy surveys somewhat larger geometry (e.g., phase separation). A careful analysis of the diffusion and solubility of inert gas atoms and molecules provides an experimental probe for interstitial structure. Such information is of substantial interest because of the basis for structural classification (in the manner of Bernal’s canonical hole model2 of liquid structure). There is also a close connection to some commercially important processes, such as the thermal oxidation of silicon.
Genetic Influences on Sexual Behavior Differentiation

The importance of perinatal hormonal stimulation for sexual behavior differentiation is well established in mammals. Hormones secreted by the testes during a critical developmental period have masculinizing and defeminizing effects on sexual behaviors. Moreover, these differentiating actions of testicular hormones on behavior are independent of genetic sex. Females exposed perinatally to testosterone will show more male mating responses and fewer female mating responses in adulthood. Similarly, males deprived of perinatal testicular stimulation display limited male mating behavior but high levels of female mating behavior following the appropriate hormone treatment in adulthood. Although these data demonstrate that the development of sexual behaviors can be independent of genetic sex, the genotype does play an important role in normal sexual differentiation.
Representations of Reduced Enveloping Algebras

In this paper we indicate how algebro-geometric techniques can be employed in order to obtain information concerning the representation finite reduced enveloping algebras of restricted Lie algebras.
The Value of Individual and Societal Risks to Life and Health

Abstract The value of risks to life as measured by the risk-money trade-off plays a fundamental role in economic analyses of health and safety risks and serves as the principal benefit measure for government risk regulation policies. The hedonic models that have been employed to generate empirical estimates of the value of statistical life (VSL) have produced a substantial literature on VSL based on market behavior. Segmentation of labor market opportunities requires that the hedonic approach be altered for disadvantaged labor market groups. Stated preference models often serve a beneficial function, particularly with respect to valuing risks other than acute accident risks and developing estimates of how utility functions depend on health status. The VSL varies with age, income, the cause of death (e.g., cancer), and other factors. This chapter also examines the risk-risk analysis approach and provides a comprehensive survey of the use of VSL by government agencies.
EEG-Based User Authentication Using a Convolutional Neural Network

In this study, we explore the feasibility of using a convolutional neural network (CNN) to decode human electroencephalographic (EEG) response for user authentication. In particular, we exploit the low-frequency components of the steady-state visual-evoked potentials (SSVEP) that contain consistent individualized patterns as the biometric. We evaluate the discriminating capabilities across different parameter configurations to optimize the CNN model. We also investigate how the length of EEG data impact the authentication performance. Our proposed framework achieved ~97% accuracy of crossday user authentication across 8 subjects, shedding light on a practical EEG-based biometric powered by the CNN-based brain decoding.
Trade-offs in Fair Redistricting

What constitutes a 'fair' electoral districting plan is a discussion dating back to the founding of the United States and, in light of several recent court cases, mathematical developments, and the approaching 2020 U.S. Census, is still a fiercely debated topic today. In light of the growing desire and ability to use algorithmic tools in drawing these districts, we discuss two prototypical formulations of fairness in this domain: drawing the districts by a neutral procedure or drawing them to intentionally induce an equitable electoral outcome. We then generate a large sample of districting plans for North Carolina and Pennsylvania and consider empirically how compactness and partisan symmetry, as instantiations of these frameworks, trade off with each other -- prioritizing the value of one of these necessarily comes at a cost in the other.
Mortality rates and associated conditions of hospitalized children with non-traumatic abdominal compartment syndrome.

Background Abdominal Compartment Syndrome (ACS) is a serious condition. Two types of ACS are recognized - traumatic and non-traumatic. Non-traumatic ACS is a challenging diagnosis, which is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Objective To evaluate the prevalence of non-traumatic ACS and enumerate the conditions associated with a higher risk of mortality in hospitalized children with non-traumatic ACS using the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project’s 2012 Kids’ Inpatient Database (KID). Methodology We performed a retrospective cohort analysis of the 2012 KID. …
How obesity and malnutrition interplay to affect mortality in critically ill patients with hematological malignancies: a retrospective cohort study

Obesity has been associated with improved survival in critically ill patients in general (the obesity paradox) [1], however in a recent study this effect seemed to disappear when adjusting for maln...
Absolute quantification and degradation evaluation of SARS-CoV-2 RNA by droplet digital PCR

Quantifying SARS-CoV-2 infectivity, formulating well-calibrated public-health policy, and managing the safety of workplaces would all be facilitated by precise measurement of the extent to which SARS-CoV-2 RNA is present in an intact form in biological specimens and human environments. We describe assays that use digital PCR in nanoliter droplets (droplet digital PCR) to measure these properties. Such assays could be broadly deployed to inform COVID-19 epidemiology, measure symptomatic and asymptomatic infectivity, and help manage the safety of environments in which people live, move, and work.
Disease-Specific Quality of Life in Vestibular Schwannoma: A National Cross-sectional Study Comparing Microsurgery, Radiosurgery, and Observation:

ObjectiveTo examine the impact of treatment on disease-specific health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among patients with sporadic vestibular schwannoma (VS).Study DesignNational cross-sectional s...
Using EEG to Distinguish Between Writing and Typing for the Same Cognitive Task

This study is designed to test the hypothesis of whether writing and typing can be detected as different patterns within the same cognitive task. We designed this pilot study with five frequently-conducted learning-related tasks. We used the four electrode Muse Headset. Sixteen healthy subjects participated in this six-session experiment. In each session, we instructed them to conduct five different one-minute tasks, including reading, copying by writing, copying by typing, answering a question by writing and answering a question by typing. We compared the performance of classifiers of different categories within the same context, including the same users, the same feature extraction approach, and the same training and testing split. Most of the machine learning and deep learning algorithms could correctly classify the five tasks (20% by chance), the best algorithms achieved an accuracy for individual subjects of up to 70% for within session training and 44% for between session training.
Low-temperature oxidation of diethyl ether: Reactions of hot radicals across coupled potential energy surfaces

Abstract Electronic structure calculations and transition state theory are used to compute rate coefficients for the low-temperature oxidation of diethyl ether. Additional rate coefficients are computed to account for rovibrationally excited species that react with O2 prior to thermalization in a process known as non-Boltzmann reactions. A detailed, low-temperature kinetic mechanism for DEE combustion is developed. Ignition delay curves are computed using two mechanisms, one that includes only thermal reactions and a second that also includes 8 non-Boltzmann reactions. Simulations suggest that at an initial pressure of 1 atm and temperatures below 800 K, the inclusion of non-Boltzmann reactions decreases the predicted ignition delay by a factor of 2 or more. As the pressure increases, the effective contribution of these reactions diminishes. These results suggest that non-Boltzmann phenomena can have a significant effect on real-world applications.
A Flexible HyperX Topology using Silicon Photonic Switching for Bandwidth Steering

We propose and experimentally demonstrate bandwidth steering using silicon photonic switches within a HyperX topology-based high-performance computing environment. Results running deep learning applications on a physical testbed show 20% improvement in execution time.
Functional characterization of human Heschl's gyrus in response to natural speech

Heschl's gyrus (HG) is a brain area that includes the primary auditory cortex in humans. Due to the limitations in obtaining direct neural measurements from this region during naturalistic speech listening, the functional organization and the role of HG in speech perception remain uncertain. Here, we used intracranial EEG to directly record neural activity in HG in eight neurosurgical patients as they listened to continuous speech stories. We studied the spatial distribution of acoustic tuning and the organization of linguistic feature encoding. We found a main gradient of change from posteromedial to anterolateral parts of HG. We also observed a decrease in frequency and temporal modulation tuning and an increase in phonemic representation, speaker normalization, speech sensitivity, and response latency. We did not observe a difference between the two brain hemispheres. These findings reveal a functional role for HG in processing and transforming simple to complex acoustic features and inform neurophysiological models of speech processing in the human auditory cortex.
Predicting circadian phase across populations: a comparison of mathematical models and wearable devices.

Abstract From smart work scheduling to optimal drug timing, there is enormous potential in translating circadian rhythms research results for precision medicine in the real world. However, the pursuit of such effort requires the ability to accurately estimate circadian phase outside of the laboratory. One approach is to predict circadian phase noninvasively using light and activity measurements and mathematical models of the human circadian clock. Most mathematical models take light as an input and predict the effect of light on the human circadian system. However, consumer-grade wearables that are already owned by millions of individuals record activity instead of light, which prompts an evaluation of the accuracy of predicting circadian phase using motion alone. Here, we evaluate the ability of four different models of the human circadian clock to estimate circadian phase from data acquired by wrist-worn wearable devices. Multiple datasets across populations with varying degrees of circadian disruption were used for generalizability. Though the models we test yield similar predictions, analysis of data from 27 shift workers with high levels of circadian disruption shows that activity, which is recorded in almost every wearable device, is better at predicting circadian phase than measured light levels from wrist-worn devices when processed by mathematical models. In those living under normal living conditions, circadian phase can typically be predicted to within 1 h, even with data from a widely available commercial device (the Apple Watch). These results show that circadian phase can be predicted using existing data passively collected by millions of individuals with comparable accuracy to much more invasive and expensive methods.
Tibial Spine Repair in the Pediatric Population: Outcomes and Subsequent Injury Rates.

Purpose To evaluate short- to mid-term outcomes after arthroscopic operative fixation of tibial spine fractures in pediatric patients, to determine the incidence of further ipsilateral and contralateral knee injuries, and to describe associated meniscal pathology and intraoperative findings at the time of tibial spine repair. Methods All patients under age 18 with a tibial spine fracture treated arthroscopically at 1 institution by 2 surgeons from 2008 through 2019 were identified by Current Procedural Terminology codes. Patients at least 1 year from their date of surgery were contacted to complete a questionnaire, which included the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) form. Questions pertained to knee function, pain, and further injury or surgery on either knee. Patient charts, preoperative imaging, and operative reports were reviewed to determine demographic information, tibial spine fracture type, concomitant injuries, and intraoperative details. Results Sixty-six of 97 eligible patients (68%) completed questionnaires. Average age at initial surgery was 10.7 years (range, 4-17). Mean follow-up was 5.8 years (range, 1.0-11.9). Average IKDC score at follow-up was 91.4 (range, 62.1-100). Patients reported their knee as 92% of “normal” (range, 40-100). Thirty-five (53%) currently participate in sport; 6 (9%) remain limited because of instability and residual pain. Regarding pain on a visual analog scale, 94%, 95%, and 83% of patients reported less than a 3 at rest, with daily activity, and with sport, respectively. Seven patients (11%) had subsequent ACL rupture. Six patients (9%) underwent ACL reconstruction 3.1 years (range, 0.9-7) after initial repair. Fourteen patients (21%) required at least 1 additional procedure. Regarding the contralateral knee, there were no ACL or tibial spine injuries. Sixty-one (92%) patients were both satisfied and would definitely undergo the procedure again. Conclusions Although many pediatric patients demonstrate excellent results after tibial spine repair at mean 5.8 years follow-up, 10.6% sustained an ipsilateral ACL rupture, and 21% required an additional procedure. No patient had a contralateral tibial spine or ACL injury. This is helpful when counseling patients regarding injury risk when returning to activity after tibial spine repair. Level of Evidence Level IV, therapeutic case series.
The Severity of Liver Fibrosis Influences the Prognostic Value of Inflammation-Based Scores in Hepatitis B-Associated Hepatocellular Carcinoma

This study was designed to evaluate the prognostic value of three systemic inflammation markers, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and prognostic nutritional index (PNI), for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) associated with hepatitis B (HBV). This analysis included 234 HBV-HCC patients who underwent primary surgical resection at the Mount Sinai Medical Center between 1988 and 2013. Serum albumin and circulating neutrophil, lymphocyte, and platelet counts immediately before surgery were obtained to calculate NLR, PLR, and PNI. Patients with larger tumor size (>3 cm) had higher NLR, higher PLR, and lower PNI. Stratified analysis showed that the impact of three markers on outcome depends on the severity of liver fibrosis. High NLR, high PLR, or low PNI was associated with poor outcome only in patients without end-stage fibrosis (Ishak stage 0–5) and not in those with cirrhosis (Ishak stage 6). Multivariate analysis in Ishak stage 0–5 patients showed that only high NLR was associated with poor outcome independent of tumor size. Of the three markers, only NLR correlated with PD-L1 expression in center of tumor, but not in nonneoplastic liver. The prognostic value of these three markers following surgery was only significant for HBV-HCC patients without end-stage fibrosis, and among the three markers, only NLR remained a significant prognostic indicator independent of tumor size. The correlation of NLR with intratumoral PD-L1 expression raises a hypothesis for shared pathways leading to PD-L1-mediated local tolerance within tumor and systemic inflammatory responses represented by elevated NLR in HBV-HCC.
SU-E-T-574: Novel Chance-Constrained Optimization in Intensity-Modulated Proton Therapy Planning to Account for Range and Patient Setup Uncertainties

Purpose: We propose to apply a probabilistic framework, namely chanceconstrained optimization, in the intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT) planning subject to range and patient setup uncertainties. The purpose is to hedge against the influence of uncertainties and improve robustness of treatment plans. Methods: IMPT plans were generated for a typical prostate patient. Nine dose distributions are computed — the nominal one and one each for ±5mm setup uncertainties along three cardinal axes and for ±3.5% range uncertainty. These nine dose distributions are supplied to the solver CPLEX as chance constraints to explicitly control plan robustness under these representative uncertainty scenarios with certain probability. This probability is determined by the tolerance level. We make the chance-constrained model tractable by converting it to a mixed integer optimization problem. The quality of plans derived from this method is evaluated using dose-volume histogram (DVH) indices such as tumor dose homogeneity (D5% – D95%) and coverage (D95%) and normal tissue sparing like V70 of rectum, V65, and V40 of bladder. We also compare the results from this novel method with the conventional PTV-based method to further demonstrate its effectiveness Results: Our model can yield clinically acceptable plans within 50 seconds. The chance-constrained optimization produces IMPT plansmore » with comparable target coverage, better target dose homogeneity, and better normal tissue sparing compared to the PTV-based optimization [D95% CTV: 67.9 vs 68.7 (Gy), D5% – D95% CTV: 11.9 vs 18 (Gy), V70 rectum: 0.0 % vs 0.33%, V65 bladder: 2.17% vs 9.33%, V40 bladder: 8.83% vs 21.83%]. It also simultaneously makes the plan more robust [Width of DVH band at D50%: 2.0 vs 10.0 (Gy)]. The tolerance level may be varied to control the tradeoff between plan robustness and quality. Conclusion: The chance-constrained optimization generates superior IMPT plan compared to the PTV-based optimization with explicit control of plan robustness. NIH/NCI K25CA168984, Eagles Cancer Research Career Development, The Lawrence W. and Marilyn W. Matteson Fund for Cancer Research, Mayo ASU Seed Grant, and The Kemper Marley Foundation.« less
On the Consistency of Vision-Aided Inertial Navigation

In this paper, we study estimator inconsistency in Vision-aided Inertial Navigation Systems (VINS). We show that standard (linearized) estimation approaches, such as the Extended Kalman Filter (EKF), can fundamentally alter the system observability properties, in terms of the number and structure of the unobservable directions. This in turn allows the influx of spurious information, leading to inconsistency. To address this issue, we propose an Observability-Constrained VINS (OC-VINS) methodology that explicitly adheres to the observability properties of the true system.We apply our approach to the Multi-State Constraint Kalman Filter (MSC-KF), and provide both simulation and experimental validation of the effectiveness of our method for improving estimator consistency.
The organization of honey bee embryonic cells: I. Microtubules and amoeboid activity

Abstract In the development of the honey bee embryo, two lateral sheets of ectoderm overgrow a mid-ventral mesoderm plate, eventually meeting and fusing in the ventral midline. Cells from embryos at this stage (stage 6), isolated either singly or as multicellular monolayers, exhibit active pseudopod formation which, in the monolayers, is confined to the free edges of the marginal cells; this pseudopodal activity can sometimes be correlated with net locomotion in a direction normal to the free edge of the monolayer. It is therefore proposed that amoeboid movement by individual cells can account for the movement of lateral ectoderm in the intact embryo. Stage 6 embryonic cells also exhibit typical saltatory movements of cytoplasmic organelles. The following relationships have been observed: (1) Saltatory movements without pseudopod formation; (2) active pseudopod formation with minimal saltatory movements; (3) neither type of movement; (4) both movements together. In the latter case, when pseudopod formation has an obvious polarity (e.g., in the marginal cells of a monolayer), the saltatory movements may show a similar polarity, but they occur at a much more rapid rate. The evidence suggests that pseudopod formation and movement of cytoplasmic granules involve separate mechanisms in these cells. Whole-mount electron microscopy of stage 6 cells reveals that the cytoplasmic organelles are connected to one another and to the nuclear envelope by an extensive system of fine fibers. These fibers vary around 185 A in diameter; they run in straight courses for distances of several microns, and in general, they conform with the organization of “microtubules” (recently described in other types of cell after thin-sectioning). Saltatory movement of cytoplasmic organelles in honey bee embryonic cells would appear to be due to longitudinal contraction of the extranuclear fibers or “microtubules.” On the basis of observations in this report, a possible mechanism of amoeboid movement is proposed, which depends on assembly of microtubules at the anterior end of the cell, accompanied by disassembly at the posterior end. In this scheme, net pseudopodal locomotion would depend on assembly of microtubules, while movement of cytoplasmic granules would depend on contraction of microtubules.
Photoluminescence of InGaAs/InP quantum dots

The spatial distribution of photo-excited carriers in dry etched InGaAs/InP quantum-well-dots (QWDs) has been investigated by photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy and cathodoluminescence (CL) imaging. High resolution e-beam lithography and CH/sub 4H/sub 2/ reactive ion etching were used to fabricate QWDs from multiple quantum well (MQW) heterostructures with GaAs well thicknesses ranging from 1 to 15 nm. Low temperature CL spectra from a single QWD stack provided a measure of the layer-to-layer variation in intensity in such MQW dots. Lateral distributions of emission intensity in single quantum dots and dot-to-dot variations in emission intensity have been obtained from CL line scans. The QWD PL intensity from the thicker, bottom QWDs in a stack is found to increase relative to the PL from the thinner, top QWDs with increasing excitation intensity and increasing temperature. This observation is attributed to the diffusion of carriers generated in the InP substrate into the bottom quantum wells. The PL spectra of all five 128 nm diameter QWDs in the MQW stacks exhibit a blueshift of about 3 meV at the lowest excitation intensity. >
Indestructibilidad en el voluntarismo metafisico de Schopenhauer

La teoria de la indestructibilidad de la naturaleza se halla en consonancia con la concepcion de la voluntad esgrimida por Schopenhauer. De hecho, la naturaleza pone de relieve que el individuo se muestra incapaz de sobrevivir a la muerte. Sin embargo, lo que resulta ser indestructible es la especie, convertida en la objetivizacion de la voluntad. Afirma Schopenhauer que la voluntad, considerada como la cosa en si, pudiera muy bien ser calificada de eterna, manteniendose fuera de los limites temporales, dentro de los cuales habria que incluir a los meros fenomenos individuales y empiricos. Para dicho pensador la verdadera esencia de la naturaleza es la voluntad universal, que no fue creada de la nada y, por consiguiente, la muerte ni tiene poder sobre ella, ni se encuentra propensa a destruirla totalmente.
Letter to the Editor What Is the Organization of Waves in Ventricular Fibrillation

To the Editor: Analysis of the spatiotemporal organization of wave propagation during ventricular fibrillation (VF) can provide important clues about underlying mechanisms.1,2 Although VF may be the result of the breakup of multiple, randomly propagating wavelets,3 it may also result from rotor-generating wavefronts that break at fixed heterogeneities.4 These two apparently vastly different mechanisms are hypothesized to have different signatures in terms of VF dynamics, the latter showing, of course, more organization and stability in its patterns of wave propagation.5,6 In a recent article published in Circulation Research , Choi et al7 presented results of a study of the dynamics of VF in the Langendorff-perfused guinea pig heart. They used optical mapping and various methods of analysis, including spectral and velocity …
Two Sisters and Their Mother: The Anthropology of Incest

Two Sisters and Their Mother: The Anthropology of Incest. Francoise Heritier. Jeanine Herman. trans. New York: Zone Books, 1999. 341pp.
Valerie Sperling. Sex, Politics, and Putin: Political Legitimacy in Russia

The use of gender norms and sexualization in politics is not a new phenomenon and can be found in almost every contemporary society. Yet, according to Valerie Sperling the deliberate use of sexual ...
Spatially selective reagent delivery into cancer cells using a two-layer microfluidic culture system.

Abstract In this work, we demonstrate a two-layer microfluidic system capable of spatially selective delivery of drugs and other reagents under low shear stress. Loading occurs by hydrodynamically focusing a reagent stream over a particular region of the cell culture. The system consisted of a cell culture chamber and fluid flow channel, which were located in different layers to reduce shear stress on cells. Cells in the center of the culture chamber were exposed to parallel streams of laminar flow, which allowed fast changes to be made to the cellular environment. The shear force was reduced to 2.7 dyn cm −2 in the two-layer device (vs. 6.0 dyn cm −2 in a one-layer device). Cells in the side of the culture chamber were exposed to the side streams of buffer; the shear force was further reduced to a greater extent since the sides of the culture chamber were separated from the main fluid path. The channel shape and flow rate of the multiple streams were optimized for spatially controlled reagent delivery. The boundaries between streams were well controlled at a flow rate of 0.1 mL h −1 , which was optimized for all streams. We demonstrated multi-reagent delivery to different regions of the same culture well, as well as selective treatment of cancer cells with a built in control group in the same well. In the case of apoptosis induction using staurosporine, 10% of cells remained viable after 24 h of exposure. Cells in the same chamber, but not exposed to staurosporine, had a viability of 90%. This chip allows dynamic observation of cellular behavior immediately after drug delivery, as well as long-term drug treatment with the benefit of large cell numbers, device simplicity, and low shear stress.
Modeling of high-efficiency ITO/ZnO quantum wire photovoltaic

This paper presents a new nanofiber photovoltaic cell with ITO/ZnO/ITO concentric core designed to have high efficiency of solar energy conversion. The high energy bandgap of ZnO relative to ITO creates quantum wells for effective charge transfer of photogenerated carries from the ZnO active region, and the higher refractive index of the ZnO relative to the ITO enables solar radiation, incident on the ITO inner and outer cores, to couple to the ZnO resulting in effective separation of the optical signal path and the drift current. At the highest fill factor of 0.941, the proposed fiber produces 0.654V as an open-circuit voltage with fiber length of 1mm; where the solar cell could operate at maximum power point of P mp =0.24mW at V mp =0.5722V and I mp =0.0.415mA. The cell voltage and current are dependent on fiber length and area where the highest open-circuit voltage recorded at 0.9317V and the highest shortcircuits current recorded at 0.4379A for fiber length of 1μm with power of 0.408W.
Seeking Help for Same-Sex Relationship Abuses

Abstract Four hundred ninety-nine ethnically diverse gay men, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered people were surveyed regarding use of resources to stop same-sex relationship abuses. Just over half (54%) reported seeking help, and most resources, with the exception of police, shelter and crisis hotlines, were considered helpful. When asked about perceived services needed, most participants focused on intra-psychic solutions rather than use of community or macrosystem institutions. Perceived or actual homophobia is the biggest barrier to seeking help. Women and people of color expressed a statistically significant preference for caregivers of the same gender and ethnicity, respectively, but indicated that this would not stop them from seeking assistance.
Mesalamine Inhibits Epithelial β-Catenin Activation in Chronic Ulcerative Colitis

Background & Aims Mesalamine is a mainstay therapeutic agent in chronic ulcerative colitis (CUC) in which condition it reverses crypt architectural changes and reduces colitis-associated cancer (CAC). The present study addressed the possibility that mesalamine reduces β-catenin-associated progenitor cell activation, Akt-phosphorylated β-catenin Ser552 (P-β-catenin), and colitis-induced dysplasia (CID). Methods Effects of mesalamine on P-β-catenin staining and function were assessed by immunohistochemistry and quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) in biopsy specimens of CUC in mild or "refractory" severe mucosal inflammation. Effects of mesalamine on epithelial proliferation and activation of Akt and β-catenin were assessed in interleukin (IL)-10 −/− colitis and CID by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. Dysplasia was assessed by counting the number and lengths of lesions per colon. Results Data from IL-10 −/− and human colitis samples show that mesalamine reduced Akt activation and P-β-catenin levels in the middle and upper crypt. Reductions in P-β-catenin in CUC biopsy specimens with severe inflammation suggested that mesalamine reduced P-β-catenin levels in tissue refractory to mesalamine's anti-inflammatory effects. In IL-10 −/− mice, mesalamine reduced CID concordant with inhibition of crypt Akt and β-catenin signaling. Conclusions The results are consistent with the model that mesalamine contributes to chemoprevention in CAC by reducing β-catenin signaling within intestinal progenitors.
Lectin binding patterns to plasmalemmal glycoconjugates of goblet cells undergoing differentiation in vitro

The plasmalemmal glycoconjugates of the HT29-18N2 (N2) cell line were characterized on cells grown as 1) undifferentiated multilayers in glucose-containing culture media and 2) monolayers of columnar cells acquiring the goblet cell phenotype in glucose-free media. Lectins were unable to bind sheets of detached N2 cells in the absence of fixation. Following fixation with aldehydes, a dramatic unmasking of lectin binding sites was seen. When fixed monolayers were stained prior to embedding, biotinylated lectins, visualized by the avidin-biotin-complexed peroxidase technique, were more efficient than collodial gold-coupled lectins. Lectin binding sites could also be detected by using collodial gold-coupled lectins to stain monolayers embedded in LR White, Lowicryl K4M, and Lowicryl HM20. The binding of 5 lectins (wheat germ, Dolichos bifluros, peanut, soybean, and Ulex europeus) was found to be independent of the stage of differentiation; "pre-differentiated" columnar cells which had prominent microvilli and no or few mucous secretory granules had identical staining patterns as well-differentiated goblet cells with large numbers of secretory granules. Ricinus communis I was the only lectin whose binding was influenced by the stage of differentiation; it intensely labeled undifferentiated multilayers of N2 cells but only weakly labeled basolateral membranes of differentiated monolayers. Canavalia ensiformas (ConA) caused a moderate and even labeling of both apical and basolateral membranes of fixed monolayers stained prior to embedding, but post-embedding labeling revealed heavy labeling along the lateral margins of all columnar cells and weak to moderate binding along the apical and basal cell surface.
Locating groundwater monitoring wells near cutoff walls

Abstract This paper presents a modeling study of two five-well monitoring networks designed for a rectangular landfill oriented oblique to regional groundwater flow. Respectively, a ‘linear’ and ‘non-linear’ network ignored and considered the hydraulic head field induced by a cutoff wall at the landfill's up-gradient boundary. All wells were located the same distance (measured parallel to groundwater flow) from the down-gradient boundary of the landfill, and there was an equal spacing (measured perpendicular to groundwater flow) between wells in each network. A simulation model was used to compute the detection efficiency of each monitoring network. In the non-linear network, wells clustered near the down-gradient corner of the landfill registered a 100% detection efficiency. This strategy was effective because the cutoff wall induced convergent groundwater flow beneath the landfill. Inter-well spacing was too high, and consequently detection efficiency was lower in the linear network. Two outer wells in that network detected no contaminant plumes. This study suggests that distorted hydraulic head fields induced by partial cutoff walls should be considered when designing detection monitoring networks at landfills.
Long-term immunologic and virologic responses in patients with highly resistant HIV infection who are treated with an incompletely suppressive antiretroviral regimen.

Background. Some treatment-experienced patients with highly drug-resistant human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection have no option but to continue to receive an incompletely suppressive regimen (ISR). We performed a study to determine their long-term immunologic and virologic responses to ISR, to investigate risks for immunologic or virologic failure, and to examine for the occurrence of new drug-resistance mutations. Methods. Antiretroviral treatment‐experienced HIV-infected patients with a genotype sensitivity score 1, an HIV load 11000 copies/mL, and no available optimized regimen were included in the study. The proportion of patients treated with ISR who developed immunologic failure (defined as a 25% reduction in the CD4 cell count from the baseline level) and virologic failure (defined as a 0.5-log10 increase in the HIV load from the baseline level) was determined. Cox proportional hazards analysis was used to investigate variables associated with immunologic or virologic failure. New drug-resistant mutations were calculated in 27 patients with sequential genotypes available. Results. Forty-seven patients (median duration of prior antiretroviral therapy, 89 months; median CD4 cell count, 277 cells/mm 3 ; and median HIV load, 19,728 copies/mL) had multiple HIV mutations (a median of 5 nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitor mutations, 1 nonnucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitor mutation, and 6 protease inhibitor mutations; median genotype sensitivity score, 0) at baseline. By 48 months after ISR use, 43% had developed immunologic failure, and 22% had developed virologic failure. None of the studied variables (i.e., age, !50 years; baseline HIV load, 1100,000 copies/mL; baseline CD4 cell count, !200 cells/mm 3 ; or inclusion of lamivudine in the treatment regimen) were associated with immunologic or virologic failure. New nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitor mutations occurred in 63% of patients, and new primary protease inhibitor mutations occurred in 52.6% of protease inhibitor recipients. No deaths occurred. A total of 8.5% of patients experienced a new AIDS-defining event. Conclusions. Most patients with highly drug-resistant HIV infection who were treated with an ISR maintain durable immunologic and virologic responses. New drug-resistant mutations occur frequently.
Liquid-assisted ventilation: from concept to clinical application

This article presents theoretical concepts, experimental evidence and initial clinical results that support the possibility of liquid as an alternative respiratory medium for treating neonates and adults with respiratory insufficiency. Of the many fluids explored as breathing media, perfluorochemical (PFC) liquids have shown the best promise because of their physicochemical properties of low surface tension, high respiratory gas solubility chemical and biological inertness. At present, liquid-assisted ventilation techniques with PFC liquids consist of tidal ventilation (TLV), PFC lavage, partial liquid ventilation (PLV), pulmonary administration of biological and non-biological agents and utility in pulmonary imaging. Specific methods of delivery and physicochemical properties that should be considered in the selection of a PFC liquid for a specific respiratory application are discussed.