cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
MSE studio project: The viewpoint of a UC student

This paper is a reflection on how the studio concept is applied in the Master of Software Engineering (MSE) in the joint program between University of Coimbra (UC) and Carnegie Mellon University(CMU). The partnership is sponsored by the Portuguese Government through the CMU Portugal program. The original MSE concept of James Tomayko was based on the ideas of Donald Schon on the education of the "reflective practitioner". It evolved over time, with contributions of faculty and students. Some of the improvements were made by Mary Shaw with the introduction of the Methods course, others by David Root, Mel Rosso-Lloppard and Gil Taran, addressing current concerns on Studio structure and exporting the program to foreign partners such as the University of Coimbra. One of the key concerns we have seen is on the identification of what is good and should be repeated and what is not so good and should be changed. Students are asked to contribute to this effort, this paper is the author's contribution to the effort of continuous improvement made by the MSE.
College Students' Perceptions of Advances in HIV Treatment and the Need for Safer Sex Practices:

Advances in the treatment of HIV disease may result in reduced concern about the severity of HIV and the need to practice safer sex. A pilot study was conducted among 258 college students to assess effects of the new treatments on perceptions of HIV and the need for safer sex practices. In a sample of minority heterosexual students 155 (60%) had heard about the new HIV treatments, and perceptions of the new treatments were analyzed for only these students. A small proportion of the 155 students (17.5%) believed that the threat of AIDS is less serious than in the past, and 21% indicated that they practiced safer sex less often since new treatments were introduced. Students with high knowledge of AIDS risk were more likely to report reduced concern about HIV and indicated that there was less need to practice safer sex. Prevention programs should emphasize that the threat of HIV remains serious, and continuing to practice safer sex is important. Further research should focus on factors influencing reduced co...
Methods and technologies for handling mortality losses

Poultry carcasses resulting from death by natural occurrences at high levels of production represents a tremendous amount of organic matter that requires environmentally and biologically safe disposal or utilization. Methods for disposal of poultry carcasses include burial, incineration, composting, and rendering. Burial pits used for carcass disposal pose concerns that include the decline in ground water quality where pits are located and residue remaining in pits after years of use. Burial is no longer permitted in some poultry producing areas of the United States except in he case of catastrophic loss. Incineration is a biologically safe method of disposal; however, it tends to be slow and expensive even when highly efficient incinerators are used. Burial and incineration impose environmental concerns that are becoming less acceptable. Research has been conducted during the past decade in support of composting for carcass disposal. When poultry carcass composting is properly conducted, disease-causing microorganisms do not survive the process and the composted material can be used as a soil amendment. Composting is environmentally sound, relatively inexpensive, and has gained widespread acceptance. Rendering carcasses into a protein by-product meal is an alternative in the United States, but is not permitted in the European Union. Poultry carcasses can be removed from the farm, but the spread of pathogenic microorganisms during routine pickup and transportation to a rendering facility may present a substantial threat. Refrigeration, principally freezing, has potential for short-term storage prior to rendering, but costs of operation and transportation need careful consideration. Lactic acid fermentation of poultry carcasses prior to transportation stabilizes carcass deterioration and minimizes pathogen threat. Fermentation allows for longterm on-farm storage of poultry carcasses, reduced transportation costs and results in a usable feed ingredient. When coupled with rendering, fermentation is an excellent alternative for storing and transporting pathogen-free poultry carcasses. All methods that allow for the environmentally safe and bio-secure disposal of poultry carcasses should be considered. No single method will completely solve the problem.
Neural primitives for motion control

The neural control of movement requires the ability to deal with changes, both in the environment and in the parameters that characterize the mechanical structure of the organism. Here we discuss the three types of coordinate representations that sensory and motor systems use to generate and control movements, and argue that the intrinsic redundancy of the musculoeskeletal system can be exploited to implement control signals that result in successful task completion while allowing for variance in trajectory parameters not relevant to the task. We also argue that muscle synergies activated through the stimulation of specific loci along the spinal cord provide evidence for the existence of a vocabulary of motor primitives that can be combined, either simultaneously or sequentially, to generate a broad repertoire of complex movements.
Easy to Retrieve but Hard to Believe: Metacognitive Discounting of the Unpleasantly Possible

People who recall or forecast many pleasant moments should perceive themselves as happier in the past or future than people who generate few such moments; the same principle should apply to generating unpleasant moments and perceiving unhappiness. Five studies suggest that this is not always true. Rather, people’s metacognitive experience of ease of thought retrieval (“fluency”) can affect perceived well-being over time beyond actual thought content. The easier it is to recall positive past experiences, the happier people think they were at the time; likewise, the easier it is to recall negative past experiences, the unhappier people think they were. But this is not the case for predicting the future. Although people who easily generate positive forecasts predict more future happiness, people who easily generate negative forecasts do not infer future unhappiness. Given pervasive tendencies to underestimate the likelihood of experiencing negative events, people apparently discount hard-to-believe metacogni...
Spreadsheet‐Based Design Tool for In Situ Anaerobic Bioremediation Using Soluble Substrate

A Microsoft Excel spreadsheet-based design tool has been developed to assist remediation professionals in the design of injection systems for distributing soluble substrate (SS) to enhance in situ anaerobic bioremediation. The user provides site data, design parameters, and unit-cost information to generate estimates of remediation-system cost and steady-state contact efficiency (CESS) for various designs. CESS is estimated from a nonlinear regression equation that includes terms for the SS injection concentration (CI), minimum substrate concentration (CMIN), groundwater travel time between rows of injection wells (TT), SS half-life (TH), substrate reinjection time interval (TR), and pore volumes of substrate solution injected (PV). With this tool, users can quickly compare the relative costs and performance of different injection alternatives and identify the best design for their specific site conditions. The design process embodied in the tool includes: (1) entering injection-well configuration and unit costs for well installation, injection, and substrate; (2) determining treatment-zone dimension; (3) selecting trial injection-well spacing, time period between substrate reinjection, and injection pore volume; and (4) estimating contact efficiency and capital and life-cycle costs. This process is then repeated until a final design is selected. In most cases, injection costs increase with increasing CESS. However, the best (highest) ratio of CESS to injection cost typically occurs for CESS in the range of 70 to 80 percent. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Probing degeneracy in T-cell recognition using peptide combinatorial libraries

Recent studies have demonstrated flexibility of the T-cell receptor (TCR) with respect to recognition of peptide bound to self major histocompatibility complex (MHC). With the introduction of peptide combinatorial libraries, it has become possible to dissect the extent of degeneracy in T-cell recognition. On the basis of these novel findings, Bernhard Hemmer and colleagues propose a conceptual framework for lymphocyte selection and survival and the occurrence of autoimmunity.
Logic of constraints: a quantitative performance and functional constraint formalism

In the era of billion-transistor design, it is critical to establish effective verification methodologies from the system level, all the way down to the implementations. In this paper, we introduce logic of constraints (LOC), a logic that is particularly suited to express quantitative performance constraints as well as functional constraints. We analyze the expressiveness of LOC and show that it is important and different from linear temporal logic, upon which traditional hardware assertion languages (e.g., PSL and OpenVera) are based. We propose an automatic simulation trace checking/runtime monitoring methodology that can be used to verify system designs very efficiently. Since a subset of LOC is decidable, we also discuss the formal verification approach for LOC formulas. Through several industrial case studies, we demonstrate the usefulness of the LOC formalism and the corresponding simulation and verification approach at the higher transaction level of abstraction.
High-frequency mobilization of broad-host-range plasmids into Neisseria gonorrhoeae requires methylation in the donor.

Antibiotic resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae has been associated with the acquisition of R plasmids from heterologous organisms. The broad-host-range plasmids of incompatibility groups P (IncP) and Q (IncQ) have played a role in this genetic exchange in nature. We have utilized derivatives of RSF1010 (IncQ) and RP1 (IncP) to demonstrate that the plethora of restriction barriers associated with the gonococci markedly reduces mobilization of plasmids from Escherichia coli into strains F62 and PGH 3-2. Partially purified restriction endonucleases from these gonococcal strains can digest RSF1010 in vitro. Protection of RSF1010-km from digestion by gonococcal enzymes purified from strain F62 is observed when the plasmid is isolated from E. coli containing a coresident plasmid, pCAL7. Plasmid pCAL7 produces a 59-MECG-39 cytosine methylase (M.SssI). The M.SssI methylase only partially protects RSF1010-km from digestion by restriction enzymes from strain PGH 3-2. Total protection of RSF1010-km from PGH 3-2 restriction requires both pCAL7 and a second coresident plasmid, pFnuDI, which produces a 59-GGMECC-39 cytosine methylase. When both F62 and PGH 3-2 are utilized as recipients in heterospecific matings with E. coli, mobilization of RSF1010 from strains containing the appropriate methylases into the gonococci occurs at frequencies 4 orders of magnitude higher than from strains without the methylases. Thus, protection of RSF1010 from gonococcal restriction enzymes in vitro correlates with an increase in the conjugal frequency. These data indicate that restriction is a major barrier against efficient conjugal transfer between N. gonorrhoeae and heterologous hosts. Images
Relationship of the pattern of movements, including rhythm and terminal success.

Abstract Fifty-one subjects preformed two coincident timing tasks that required a horizontal arm movement and a whole body movement. An investigation of the progressive movement involved in the culmination of the motor acts revealed no identifiable aspects that were related to the success of the tasks. A method of determining an individual's rhythmic pattern, required by the task employed, was devised. Measures of the subjects' rhythmic progressions were also found to be unrelated to the success of a coincident timing task.
Learning from Listservs: Collaboration, Knowledge Exchange, and the Formation of Distributed Leadership for Farmers' Markets and the Food Movement.

AbstractComputer-mediated communications, in particular listservs, can be powerful tools for creating social change—namely, shifting our food system to a more healthy, just, and localised model. They do this by creating the conditions—collaborations, interaction, self-reflection, and personal empowerment—that cultivate distributed leadership. In this article, we will show how the listserv hosted by the Farmers Market Coalition (FMC), a US-based non-profit organisation, acts as an important venue for involvement in a community of practice, through which informal learning and the formation of distributed leadership takes place. The learning that takes place through this listserv can be seen as part of a transformative process that empowers participants to make change and builds unity across the movement.
A novel method to characterize silica bodies in grasses

The deposition of silicon into epidermal cells of grass species is thought to be an important mechanism that plants use as a defense against pests and environmental stresses. There are a number of techniques available to study the size, density and distribution pattern of silica bodies in grass leaves. However, none of those techniques can provide a high-throughput analysis, especially for a great number of samples. We developed a method utilizing the autofluorescence of silica bodies to investigate their size and distribution, along with the number of carbon inclusions within the silica bodies of perennial grass species Koeleria macrantha. Fluorescence images were analyzed by image software Adobe Photoshop CS5 or ImageJ that remarkably facilitated the quantification of silica bodies in the dry ash. We observed three types of silica bodies or silica body related mineral structures. Silica bodies were detected on both abaxial and adaxial epidermis of K. macrantha leaves, although their sizes, density, and distribution patterns were different. No auto-fluorescence was detected from carbon inclusions. The combination of fluorescence microscopy and image processing software displayed efficient utilization in the identification and quantification of silica bodies in K. macrantha leaf tissues, which should applicable to biological, ecological and geological studies of grasses including forage, turf grasses and cereal crops.
Scalable solvo-plasma production of porous tin oxide nanowires

Abstract This paper reports a fast, scalable method for synthesizing tin oxide nanowire powder using cheap starting material of commercial tin oxide particles and an atmospheric microwave plasma reactor. Specifically, the synthesis concept involves plasma oxidation of tin oxide powder combined with potassium hydroxide for few seconds to a minute which is orders of magnitude lower than that using hydrothermal or vapor–liquid–solid (VLS) techniques. Even at lab scale, large-scale production of tin oxide nanowire powder as high as 10 g per hour has been produced. Systematic studies reveal nucleation and growth of K 2 SnO 3 nanowires from molten alloy involving KOH and tin oxide. A simple annealing step is used to convert K 2 SnO 3 intermediate nanowires into pure tin oxide nanowires. The extremely short reaction time of 20 s is three orders of magnitude faster than that of traditional hydrothermal method. It was shown that our tin oxide nanowire powder shows a high reversible capacity of 848 mA h g −1 after 55 cycles at a current density of 100 mA g −1 . The scalable production technique presented here and the applicability of resulting tin oxide nanowire powders makes it as suitable for practical implementation into lithium-ion battery applications.
Dietary Inositol Requirement of Periplaneta Americana (L.)1

Newly emerged nymphs were reared on diets containing 0 to 100 mg./kg. of meso-inositol. Observations of growth, maturation, and survival indicate that the minimal level lies between 40 and 80 mg./kg.
Introduction of Bridging and Pendant Organic Groups into Mesoporous Alumina Materials

Incorporation of organic functionalities into soft-templated mesoporous alumina was performed via organosilane-assisted evaporation induced self-assembly using aluminum alkoxide precursors and block copolymer templates. This strategy permits one to obtain mesoporous alumina-based materials with tailorable adsorption, surface and structural properties. Isocyanurate, ethane, mercaptopropyl, and ureidopropyl-functionalized mesoporous alumina materials were synthesized with relatively high surface area and large pore volume with uniform and wormhole-like mesopores. The presence of organosilyl groups within these hybrid materials was confirmed by IR or Raman spectroscopy and their concentration was determined by elemental analysis.
Nuclear receptor REV-ERBα mediates circadian sensitivity to mortality in murine vesicular stomatitis virus-induced encephalitis.

Certain components and functions of the immune system, most notably cytokine production and immune cell migration, are under circadian regulation. Such regulation suggests that circadian rhythms may have an effect on disease onset, progression, and resolution. In the vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV)-induced encephalitis model, the replication, caudal penetration, and survivability of intranasally applied VSV depends on both innate and adaptive immune mechanisms. In the current study, we investigated the effect of circadian time of infection on the progression and outcome of VSV-induced encephalitis and demonstrated a significant decrease in the survival rate in mice infected at the start of the rest cycle, zeitgeber time 0 (ZT0). The lower survival rate in these mice was associated with higher levels of circulating chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2), a greater number of peripherally derived immune cells accumulating in the olfactory bulb (OB), and increased production of proinflammatory cytokines, indicating an immune-mediated pathology. We also found that the acrophase of molecular circadian clock component REV-ERBα mRNA expression in the OB coincides with the start of the active cycle, ZT12, when VSV infection results in a more favorable outcome. This result led us to hypothesize that REV-ERBα may mediate the circadian effect on survival following VSV infection. Blocking REV-ERBα activity before VSV administration resulted in a significant increase in the expression of CCL2 and decreased survival in mice infected at the start of the active cycle. These data demonstrate that REV-ERBα–mediated inhibition of CCL2 expression during viral-induced encephalitis may have a protective effect.
Research and Application of Data Center Management and Control for Electric Power Enterprises

To make data management standardization,and efficiently monitor the system platform and interfaces of data center at run time,this paper introduces the research and development of the data center data management and control platform for electric power enterprises,describes its function design,technical framework design and critical solutions,and summaries successful application experiences.Application of the proposed platform can standardize the data usage of data center,improve operation and maintenance work efficiency,and provide a reference for other enterprises' data center data management and control.
Atomic structure of InxGa1−xAs/GaAs(001) (2×4) and (3×2) surfaces

We report the first atomic resolution scanning tunneling microscope images of the As-rich (2]4) and Ga-rich (3]2) reconstructions of In x Ga 1~x As/GaAs(0 0 1) films (0.001(x(0.012) grown by metalorganic vapor-phase epitaxy. The (2]4) phase was obtained during annealing the sample at 480iC in an ultrahigh vacuum chamber. Annealing the (2]4) surface to 540iC produced the (3]2) phase which consists of single rows running parallel to the [1 1 0] direction with a spacing of 12 A_ . The rows vary in length, being separated by defects which contain As dimers. A model is proposed for the (3]2) which consists of rows of Ga dimers alternating between the first and third layers. Since this structure exhibits a deficient of one electron, defects are required to expose As dimers in the second layer and neutralize the surface charge. ( 1998 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Ecological Genetics, Local Adaptation, and Phenotypic Plasticity in Bromus tectorum in the Context of a Changing Climate

Effective management of invasive species spread requires understanding the potential of exotic species to colonize different habitat types. In the case of Bromus tectorum, colonization potential includes persisting in variable environments via phenotypic plasticity or via genetic variation. Bromus tectorum L. (cheatgrass or downy brome) is a highly invasive, self-pollinating, winter annual grass that was introduced to the intermountain region of North America around 1890 and expanded to its modern range within 40 years. Common garden studies have helped shed light on outcrossing frequency, microsite effects on establishment and growth, traits that could confer invasiveness, and variation in germination, morphology, and physiology. Here, we review the evidence for existing local adaptation and phenotypic plasticity in B. tectorum in its invaded range along with the potential for responses to climate change and discuss implications of both for its success as an invader and future management. All of these studies show that B. tectorum can tolerate a wide range of habitats as the result of genetic variation among populations, a range of locally adapted ecotypes, and phenotypic plasticity. The success of B. tectorum could be due to its ability to maintain fitness in both high-quality and marginal environments.
The Role of Computerized Tomography in the Management of Bilateral Tuberculous Psoas Abscess

AbstractWe report a case of bilateral tuberculous psoas abscess. The integral role of computerized tomography in the management of this disease is discussed.
The Choice of Life: Art and Nature in Rasselas

The relation between Rasselas and the post-Newtonian perspective of his review of Jenyns’s Inquiry can be seen in a conception of desire which, inasmuch as it is located on a horizon of vacuity, can never be realized in the natural world. The movement of desire is that of a poignant yearning and a disillusioned satiety: the deficient ‘tedium’ of an expectation that precedes ‘endeavour’ and the excessive ‘disgust’ of a ‘fulness’ that follows attainment. Given this play of defect and excess, it is not surprising that the central issue for the characters of Rasselas becomes the means of achieving lasting satisfaction or happiness. In Johnson’s Oriental tale, the attempt to resolve this issue often takes the form of a distinctive conception of art in which the natural world is subjected to a logic of choice, and reorganized around a contrast between good and evil, purity and impurity, inside and outside. Within this system, art serves as the techne by which the ‘blessings’ of nature are systematically ‘collected’ and ‘its evils extracted and excluded’.
High-Fidelity Reprogrammed Human IPSCs Have a High Efficacy of DNA Repair and Resemble hESCs in Their MYC Transcriptional Signature

Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) are reprogrammed from adult or progenitor somatic cells and must make substantial adaptations to ensure genomic stability in order to become “embryonic stem cell- (ESC-) like.” The DNA damage response (DDR) is critical for maintenance of such genomic integrity. Herein, we determined whether cell of origin and reprogramming method influence the DDR of hiPSCs. We demonstrate that hiPSCs derived from cord blood (CB) myeloid progenitors (i.e., CB-iPSC) via an efficient high-fidelity stromal-activated (sa) method closely resembled hESCs in DNA repair gene expression signature and irradiation-induced DDR, relative to hiPSCs generated from CB or fibroblasts via standard methods. Furthermore, sa-CB-iPSCs also more closely resembled hESCs in accuracy of nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ), DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair, and C-MYC transcriptional signatures, relative to standard hiPSCs. Our data suggests that hiPSCs derived via more efficient reprogramming methods possess more hESC-like activated MYC signatures and DDR signaling. Thus, an authentic MYC molecular signature may serve as an important biomarker in characterizing the genomic integrity in hiPSCs.
Stationary liquid fuel fast reactor SLFFR – Part I: Core design

Abstract For effective burning of hazardous transuranic (TRU) elements of used nuclear fuel, a transformational advanced reactor concept named the stationary liquid fuel fast reactor (SLFFR) has been proposed based on a stationary molten metallic fuel. A compact core design of a 1000 MWt SLFFR has been developed using TRU-Ce-Co fuel, Ta-10W fuel container, and sodium coolant. Conservative design approaches have been adopted to stay within the current material performance database. Detailed neutronics and thermal-fluidic analyses have been performed to evaluate the steady-state performance characteristics. The analysis results indicate that the SLFFR of a zero TRU conversion ratio is feasible while satisfying the conservatively imposed thermal design constraints. A theoretical maximum TRU consumption rate of 1.01 kg/day is achieved with uranium-free fuel. Compared to the solid fuel reactors with the same TRU conversion ratio, the core size and the reactivity control requirement are reduced significantly. The primary and secondary control systems provide sufficient shutdown margins, and the calculated reactivity feedback coefficients show that the prompt fuel expansion coefficient is sufficiently negative.
Seizure-associated central apnea in a rat model: Evidence for resetting the respiratory rhythm and activation of the diving reflex.

Abstract Respiratory derangements, including irregular, tachypnic breathing and central or obstructive apnea can be consequences of seizure activity in epilepsy patients and animal models. Periods of seizure-associated central apnea, defined as periods > 1 s with rapid onset and offset of no airflow during plethysmography, suggest that seizures spread to brainstem respiratory regions to disrupt breathing. We sought to characterize seizure-associated central apneic episodes as an indicator of seizure impact on the respiratory rhythm in rats anesthetized with urethane and given parenteral kainic acid to induce recurring seizures. We measured central apneic period onsets and offsets to determine if onset-offset relations were a consequence of 1) a reset of the respiratory rhythm, 2) a transient pausing of the respiratory rhythm, resuming from the pause point at the end of the apneic period, 3) a transient suppression of respiratory behavior with apnea offset predicted by a continuation of the breathing pattern preceding apnea, or 4) a random re-entry into the respiratory cycle. Animals were monitored with continuous ECG, EEG, and plethysmography. One hundred ninety central apnea episodes (1.04 to 36.18 s, mean: 3.2 ± 3.7 s) were recorded during seizure activity from 7 rats with multiple apneic episodes. The majority of apneic period onsets occurred during expiration (125/161 apneic episodes, 78%). In either expiration or inspiration, apneic onsets tended to occur late in the cycle, i.e. between the time of the peak and end of expiration (82/125, 66%) or inspiration (34/36, 94%). Apneic period offsets were more uniformly distributed between early and late expiration (27%, 34%) and inspiration (16%, 23%). Differences between the respiratory phase at the onset of apnea and the corresponding offset phase varied widely, even within individual animals. Each central apneic episode was associated with a high frequency event in EEG or ECG records at onset. High frequency events that were not associated with flatline plethysmographs revealed a constant plethysmograph pattern within each animal, suggesting a clear reset of the respiratory rhythm. The respiratory rhythm became highly variable after about 1 s, however, accounting for the unpredictability of the offset phase. The dissociation of respiratory rhythm reset from the cessation of airflow also suggested that central apneic periods involved activation of brainstem regions serving the diving reflex to eliminate the expression of respiratory movements. This conclusion was supported by the decreased heart rate as a function of apnea duration. We conclude that seizure-associated central apnea episodes are associated with 1) a reset of the respiratory rhythm, and 2) activation of brainstem regions serving the diving reflex to suppress respiratory behavior. The significance of these conclusions is that these details of seizure impact on brainstem circuitry represent metrics for assessing seizure spread and potentially subclassifying seizure patterns.
Reconstructed storm tracks reveal three centuries of changing moisture delivery to North America

Moisture delivery to western North America is closely linked to variability in the westerly storm tracks of midlatitude cyclones, which are, in turn, modified by larger-scale features such as the El Nino-Southern Oscillation system. Instrumental and modeling data suggest that extratropical storm tracks may be intensifying and shifting poleward due to anthropogenic climate change, but it is difficult to separate recent trends from natural variability because of the large amount of decadal and longer variation in storm tracks and their limited instrumental record. We reconstruct cool-season, midlatitude Pacific storm-track position and intensity from 1693 to 1995 CE using existing tree-ring chronologies along with a network of newly developed chronologies from the U.S. Pacific Northwest, where small variations in storm-track position can have a major influence on hydroclimate patterns. Our results show high interannual-to-multidecadal variability in storm-track position and intensity over the past 303 years, with spectral signatures characteristic of tropical and northern Pacific influences. Comparison with reconstructions of precipitation and tropical sea surface temperature confirms the relationship between shifting drought patterns in the Pacific Northwest and storm-track variability through time and demonstrates the long-term influence of El Nino. These results allow us to place recent storm-track changes in the context of decadal and multidecadal fluctuations across the long-term record, showing that recent changes in storm-track intensity likely represent a warming-related increase amplified by natural decadal variability.
Central and Peripheral Organization of Scorpion Locomotion

Studies of invertebrate locomotion have recently become successful model approaches for the analysis of behavior because invertebrates offer the advantage of being relatively simple, and locomotion, although it is a complex behavior, is stereotyped and easily comparable among different animals.
Compact and Low Power Analog Front End with in-situ Data Decimator for High-Channel-Count ECoG Recording

High channel count neural implants that can record brain activities across diverse cortical regions represent the next step toward whole brain interfaces that will enable new understanding of brain operation and treatment of many neural disorders. To overcome the size and power constraints limiting the channel count of existing neural implants, this paper presents a new neural amplifier array design that utilizes hardware sharing to achieve low power and compact size. Moreover, to ease the burden of large volume data handling, in-situ data decimation is performed to enable off body evaluation of synchrony between signal pairs. A 32-channel analog front end array was designed and post-layout simulations show that the entire front end occupies only 0.031 mm2 per channel while consuming only 3.34 μW per channel at 3.3 V in 0.5 μm CMOS. This front end decimates data by an order of magnitude while keeping the synchrony information with more than 89.1% accuracy.
Is it time to scrap Scadding and adopt computed tomography for initial evaluation of sarcoidosis

In this review, we argue for the use of high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) over chest X-ray in the initial evaluation of patients with sarcoidosis. Chest X-ray, which has long been used to classify disease severity and offer prognostication in sarcoidosis, has clear limitations compared with HRCT, including wider interobserver variability, a looser association with lung function, and poorer sensitivity to detect important lung manifestations of sarcoidosis. In addition, HRCT offers a diagnostic advantage, as it better depicts targets for biopsy, such as mediastinal/hilar lymphadenopathy and focal parenchymal disease. Newer data suggest that specific HRCT findings may be associated with important prognostic outcomes, such as increased mortality. As we elaborate in this update, we strongly recommend the use of HRCT in the initial evaluation of the patient with sarcoidosis.
CATALYTIC HYDROXYLATION ACTIVITIES AND SOME OTHER PROPERTIES OF PARTIALLY PURIFIED RABBIT PULMONARY MICROSOMAL CYTOCHROME P-450

ABSTRACT We have purified rabbit pulmonary cytochrome P-450 to 8.9 nmoles per mg protein and have successfully reconstituted rabbit pulmonary mixed-function oxidase activity using components solubilized exclusively from pulmonary microsomes. Partially purified pulmonary cytochrome P-450 has been obtained free from cytochrome b5 and NADPH-cytochrome c reductase but not epoxide hydrase. Epoxide hydrase activity co-purifies with the cytochrome P-450. NADPH-cytochrome c reductase fractions prepared from rabbit pulmonary or hepatic microsomes by solubilization with sodium deoxycholate supported hydroxylation activity when combined with hepatic but not pulmonary cytochrome P-450. Pulmonary NADPH-cytochrome c reductase solubilized by sodium cholate was active when combined with the cytochrome from either rabbit liver or lung.
Y-90 microsphere selective internal radiation treatment (SIRT) in treatment of primary and metastatic liver cancer.

e15174 Background: Y-90 SIRT is rapidly emerging as an effective treatment modality in patients with liver predominant disease. Aims: #1 Assess comparative efficacy and toxicity between Y-90 resin ...
Thermal Resistance of Xerophilic Fungi in Low-Water-Activity (0.70 to 0.80) Confectionery Model Foods.

ABSTRACT Consumers are increasingly searching for preservative-free and “natural” food options. Confectionery products with low water activity (aw) are typically considered resistant to contaminati...
The First World War, Anticolonialism and Imperial Authority in British India, 1914-1924

Between 1914, when the Great War began, and 1924, when the Ottoman Caliphate ended, British and Indian officials and activists reformulated political ideas in the context of total war in the Middle East, Gandhian mass mobilisation, and the 1919 Amritsar massacre. Using discussions on travel, spatiality, and landscape as an entry point, The First World War, Anticolonialism and Imperial Authority in British India, 1914–1924 discusses the complex politics of late colonial India and the waning of imperial enthusiasm. This book presents a multifaceted picture of Indian politics at a time when total war and resurgent anticolonial activism were reshaping assumptions about state power, culture, and resistance.
Erratum. Predicting hearing outcomes before primary radiosurgery for vestibular schwannomas

OBJECTIVE Optimizing outcomes in the management of patients with vestibular schwannomas (VSs) requires consideration of the patient's goals. Earlier recognition of VS by imaging has led to an evolution in management. Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) has emerged as a frequently used strategy designed to reduce management risks, obtain long-term tumor control, and preserve current neurological function. The authors analyzed features that impact hearing preservation rates in patients with serviceable hearing prior to SRS. METHODS The study included 307 patients who had serviceable hearing (Gardner-Robertson hearing scale [GR] grade 1 or 2, speech discrimination score ≥ 50%, pure tone average ≤ 50 dB) at the time of SRS. The authors evaluated parameters that included age, tumor volume, hearing status, disequilibrium, tinnitus, Koos class, sex, and tumor margin dose. The Pittsburgh Hearing Prediction Score (PHPS) was evaluated as a method to predict long-term hearing outcomes in these cases. RESULTS At a median of 7.6 years after SRS (range 1-23 years), tumor control was achieved in 95% of patients. The overall serviceable hearing preservation rate was 77.8% at 3 years, 68.8% at 5 years, and 51.8% at 10 years. The PHPS assigns a total of 5 points based on patient age (1 point if < 45 years, 2 points if 45-59 years, and 3 points if ≥ 60 years), tumor volume (0 points if < 1.2 cm3, 1 point if ≥ 1.2 cm3), and GR grade (0 points if grade 1 hearing, 1 point if grade 2 hearing) The serviceable hearing preservation rate was 92.3% at 10 years in patients whose score total was 1. In contrast, none of the patients whose PHPS was 5 maintained serviceable hearing at 10 years (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS SRS resulted in a high rate of long-term tumor control and cranial nerve preservation. The PHPS helped to predict long-term hearing preservation rates in patients who underwent SRS when they still had serviceable hearing. The best long-term hearing preservation rates were found in younger patients with smaller tumor volumes.
116 – Equation Splitting

Publisher Summary This chapter elaborates the yield and applications of equation splitting. It is applicable to differential equations. It yields an exact solution, but usually not the most general form of the solution. It is found that by equating two parts of a differential equation to a common term, one may be able to find a fairly general solution to the given differential equation. Use the other term to restrict this general solution. From fluid dynamics, the stream function form of the boundary layer equations is solve for Φ: ΦyΦxy−Φx Φyy = νΦyyy. The equation is splitted by choosing both the right- and the left-hand sides of this equation to be identically equal to zero.
Transitioning from Paper to Digital: State Statutory and Regulatory Frameworks to Address Health Information Technology

In all sectors of the healthcare and public health systems, electronic health information (EHI) is created, shared, used, and reused. However, EHI use raises important legal issues. This study examines states’ efforts to address these issues. Attorney researchers used WestlawNext® to search for EHI-related statutes and regulations of the states, U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia, and distinguished provisions by the nature of the EHI use. This study identified 2,364 EHI-related laws representing 49 different uses of EHI as of January 2014, providing empirical evidence that a complex landscape of laws exists for EHI and health information technology.
Prevention of infection and optimizing vaccination in the solid organ transplant candidate and recipient.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Infections can result in serious complications in solid organ transplant (SOT) patients. The need to remain up to date on recommendations on screening, vaccinations, and chemoprophylaxis is paramount in the management of SOT patients. The goal of this review is to provide an overview of current recommendations for the prevention of infections and optimization of vaccinations from the pretransplant through posttransplant periods. RECENT FINDINGS There is an emphasis on thorough pretransplant evaluation to guide clinicians and pretransplant testing based on epidemiological and endemic risk factors. Additionally, recent studies on vaccine safety and efficacy of newer vaccine formulations in SOT recipients are addressed. SUMMARY This review provides insight on updated recommendations for pretransplant screening, new data on vaccine optimization in SOT recipients and posttransplant prophylaxis. Further research is needed in order to improve preventive measures including screening tests, vaccines, and chemoprophylaxis.
Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Risk Factor Outcomes in Women with a History of Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy: Integrative Review.

Background Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy increase a woman's risk for developing cardiovascular disease, with risk factors manifested as early as one year postpartum. Researchers are examining how physical activity may help to mitigate cardiovascular risk factors in this population. Aim Review the existing scientific literature on the impact of physical activity in women with a history of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy related to physical activity and cardiovascular risk factor outcomes. Methods This integrative review examined research studies addressing physical activity in women with a history of preeclampsia or other hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Using four databases, the search strategy included published studies through December 31, 2019. Identified studies were assessed using Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tools. Results The initial search identified 1,166 publications. Seven studies including two observational, four quasi-experimental, and one experimental study were included in the review. Although the studies had limitations, none of these limitations were deemed significant enough to eliminate a study from the review. Studies were conducted in four countries, and participants were predominantly White. Physical activity interventions primarily consisted of delivery of educational content, and data were primarily obtained by self-report. Of the five studies utilizing intervention strategies, three reported positive findings including increased physical activity, enhanced physiologic adaptations, and decreased physical inactivity. One study reported mixed findings of improved physical fitness in both groups, while another reported no change in intent to change exercise behavior associated with the intervention. Linking evidence to action Physical activity promotion among women with a history of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy has been studied by a small group of researchers. Current literature on the topic is characterized by limited sample diversity, lack of exercise-based interventions, and over reliance on self-report to measure physical activity. It is imperative that further research be conducted to facilitate improved cardiovascular outcomes.
Salinity Control Planning Framework

An accurate assessment of salinity problems in an irrigated area requires detailed knowledge not only of the hydrology, but many other unique physical and institutional characteristics of the area being studied. Even though each area must be evaluated individually, because of the site-specific nature of irrigated agriculture, definite procedures are common to all evaluations. A framework for planning a salinity control program has been developed which can be applied to any individual irrigated valley or to an entire river basin. The salinity control planning framework consists of three phases: (l)Identification of salinity problems; (2)development of best management practices; and (3)implementation of best management practices. The planning steps in each phase are considered.
Inhibition of cyclooxygenases 1 and 2 by the phospholipase-blocker, arachidonyl trifluoromethyl ketone.

Background and purpose: Arachidonyl trifluoromethyl ketone (ATK) is widely used as an inhibitor of cytosolic group IV phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) and calcium-independent group VI phospholipase A2 (iPLA2). ATK thus reduces arachidonic acid (AA) substrate for cyclooxygenase (COX; also known as prostaglandin H synthase) and attenuates prostaglandin (PG) synthesis. It has been shown previously, that ATK blocks thromboxane B2 production induced by exogenous AA in human platelets. It remains, however, unknown whether ATK also directly modulates the activity of cyclooxygenase (COX). Experimental approach: Time courses for inhibition of COX by ATK was obtained using osteoblast-like MC3T3-E1 cells, with exogenous AA as substrate and the pure enzymes COX-1 and COX-2. PGE2 was measured by GC-MS. Key results: ATK was a potent inhibitor of COX-1 and COX-2 with IC50 values of 0.5 and 0.1 μM in MC3T3-E1 cells and of 1.7 and 2.6 μM using the pure enzymes. Inhibition was reversible, with slow- and tight-binding characteristics. The arachidonyl carbon chain was essential, as the saturated palmitoyl analogue had no effect. Conclusions and implications: Attenuation of PG synthesis by ATK is taken to be the consequence of PLA2 inhibition and the findings of many studies are interpreted on that basis. If there are, however, alternative routes for AA liberation (such as phospholipase C/diacyl glycerol lipase or phospholipase D), this interpretation can lead to false conclusions. As ATK is a widely used and important pharmacological tool in eicosanoid research, knowledge of its interactions with other major enzymes of the cascade is of considerable importance. British Journal of Pharmacology (2008) 155, 731–737; doi:10.1038/bjp.2008.304; published online 21 July 2008
Diffusion in the Mean for an Ergodic Schrödinger Equation Perturbed by a Fluctuating Potential

Diffusive scaling of position moments and a central limit theorem are obtained for the mean position of a quantum particle hopping on a cubic lattice and subject to a random potential consisting of a large static part and a small part that fluctuates stochastically in time. If the static random potential is strong enough to induce complete localization in the absence of time dependent noise, then the diffusion constant is shown to go to zero, proportional to the square of the strength of the time dependent part.
Effects of Mechanical Forces on Signal Transduction and Gene Expression in Endothelial Cells

Fluid shear stress and circumferential stretch play important roles in maintaining the homeostasis of the blood vessel, and they can also be pathophysiological factors in cardiovascular diseases su...
THE ALPS AND THE ALPINE SYMPHONY, AND ENVIRONMENTALISM: SEARCHING FOR CONNECTIONS

(2011). THE ALPS AND THE ALPINE SYMPHONY, AND ENVIRONMENTALISM: SEARCHING FOR CONNECTIONS. Green Letters: Vol. 15, Eco-Musicology, pp. 8-21.
Measuring knowledge production of an agricultural research system

Abstract Agricultural research that increases knowledge is an important component of agricultural productivity and development. This paper focuses on understanding and formulating the interactions among factors involved in the knowledge production process. A conceptual mode of research input-output relationships is developed based on the existing literature. These relationships are estimated based on cross-sectional time-series data for the public research system in Israel. Research resources (inputs) such as direct cost and senior scientific manpower were found to extend knowledge production, while resources such as junior researchers and technicians were found to be nonsignificant. Use of the estimated functions for forecasting and control of agricultural development is also illustrated.
Giftedness in preschool: A better time for development than identification

The author argues that since it is too difficult to identify gifted preschool children with real accuracy, the preschool environment should be enriched so that those who are gifted have opportunities to develop their gifts.