cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Central nervous system neoplasms: indications for electron microscopy.

Diagnostic dilemmas of biopsy specimens in the central nervous system (CNS) tumors are often the result of multiple factors, including fixation artifact, biopsy size, lack of immuno-histochemical techniques to distinguish cell types, and un-awareness of rare entities. Correct diagnosis and confirmation of diagnosis of primary CNS neoplasms is imperative and may require electron microscopic examination. In some instances, use of electron microscopy may be the only approach for accurate recognition of an entity. Although diagnostic electron microscopy is expensive and cost cutting is encouraged in today's practice of medicine, cost must be weighed against the consequences of even 1 patient developing CNS treatment-related necrosis or a radiation-induced neoplasm secondary to misdiagnosis of a benign entity. This study reviews the ultrastructural differences of three groups of diagnostically difficult CNS lesions: clear cell neoplasms (ependymoma, oligodendroglioma, central neurocytoma), rare entities contai...
Ricardian Equivalence Under Asymmetric Information

Several empirical studies have found that extended household units do not appear to be highly altruistically linked, thereby violating the very premise of the Ricardian Equivalence Hypothesis (REH). This finding has a very strong implication for the effectiveness of fiscal policies that change the allocation of resources between generations. We build a two-sided altruistic-linkage model in which private transfers are made in the presence of two types of shocks: an “observable” shock that is public information (for example, a public redistribution like debt or pay-as-you-go social security) and an “unobservable” shock that is private information (for example, individual wage innovations). Parents and children observe each other’s total income but not each other’s effort level. In the second-best solution, unobservable shocks are only partially shared, whereas, for any utility function satisfying a condition derived herein, observable shocks are fully shared. The model, therefore, can generate the low degree of risk sharing found in previous empirical studies, but REH still holds.
Collective Work

The idea behind collective work is that we're all attempting to perform individual tasks, and the ways in which we accomplish our objectives interact. Sometimes this is because we're all part of a larger project, and sometimes it's just because what we do can affect other people's plans if they know about what we've done. Sometimes, what we're attempting to do generates conflict with other people's objectives, and other times it generates opportunities. It would be great if we knew of these conflicts and opportunities - and if the Internet could tell us.
Acetylcholine modulates respiratory pattern: effects mediated by M3-like receptors in preBötzinger complex inspiratory neurons.

Perturbations of cholinergic neurotransmission in the brain stem affect respiratory motor pattern both in vivo and in vitro; the underlying cellular mechanisms are unclear. Using a medullary slice ...
Polymer-Titania Composites for Photocatalysis of Organics in Aqueous Environments

Microcomposites composed of titanium dioxide nanoparticles embedded within cross-linked, thermally responsive microgels of poly( N -isopropylacrylamide) were prepared. These microcomposites showed rapid sedimentation, which is useful for gravity separation of the titania nanoparticles in applications such as environmental remediation. To investigate the degradation kinetics using these microcomposites in aqueous suspensions, methyl orange was employed as a model contaminant. The decline in the methyl orange concentration was monitored using UV-Vis spectroscopy. Degradation of methyl orange was also measured using only nanoparticles TiO 2 (Degussa TM P25) for comparison with the microcomposites. Experiments were performed at different pH conditions that spanned acidic, neutral, and basic conditions to gain insight into the interplay of TiO 2 surface charge, ionization of the polyelctrolyte chains in the microcomposites, and ionization of the methyl orange.
Synthesis and Characterization of Metal Silicide/Silicon Carbide Composites by Low Temperature Solid-State Reactions

Co-reduction of mixtures of MoCl3(THF)3 and SiCls4 in THF using Li/C10H8 or both Li/C10Hs8 and LiBEt3H resulted in formation and separation of black powders which upon thermal annealing at temperatures ranging from 750°C to 1 100°C produced crystalline molybdenum silicide and silicon carbide composite. Co-reduction of mixtures of WCI4 and GeBr4 with LiBEt3H in THF formed W2C and elemental Ge which upon thermal treatment at 750°C for 4 hours generated a small amount of crystalline W5Ge3.
Abdominal myomectomy for otherwise unexplained infertility

Twenty-three patients with otherwise unexplained infertility underwent abdominal myomectomy for the removal of subserous or intramural myomata. None were submucosal in location. Fifteen of these patients (65.2%) conceived. There were 18 term births in 13 patients. All but 1 patient conceived within the first year. The age of the patient, duration of infertility, size and number of the fibroids, hysterosalpingography, or presence of menorrhagia did not necessarily predict success.
Immunohistochemical loss of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine expression in acute myeloid leukaemia: relationship to somatic gene mutations affecting epigenetic pathways.

Aims Genes affecting epigenetic pathways are frequently mutated in myeloid malignancies, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML). TET2, IDH1, and IDH2 are among the most commonly mutated genes and cause defective conversion of 5-methylcytosine into 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) impairing demethylation of DNA, presumably serving as driver mutations in leukemogenesis. The objective of this study was to correlate 5hmC immunohistochemical loss with the mutation status of genes involved with epigenetic pathways in AML. Methods and Results Immunohistochemistry using an anti-5hmC antibody was performed on 41 decalcified, FFPE bone marrow biopsies from patients with AML. Archived DNA was subjected to next generation sequencing for analysis of a panel of genes, including TET2, IDH1, IDH2, WT1, and DNMT3A. Mutations in TET2, IDH1, IDH2, WT1, and DNMT3A were found in 46% (19/41) of the cases. 5hmC staining was deficient in 10/15 cases (67%) with a mutation in TET2, IDH1, IDH2, or WT1, whereas 9/26 cases (35%) without a mutation in these genes exhibited loss of 5hmC. Of note, all 4 cases with TET2 gene mutations showed deficient 5hmC staining. Conclusions Overall, somatic mutations in TET2, IDH1, IDH2, WT1, and DNMT3A were common in our cohort of AML cases. 5hmC staining by immunohistochemistry was lost in the majority of cases harboring mutations in these genes, reflecting the proposed relationship between dysfunctional epigenetic pathways and leukemogenesis. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Elegy for a Lost World

How are we to suffer with—and amidst—the loss of our earthly habitat and its despoilment through ecocidal economic and political policies? This essay engages biblical texts in order to claim that Earth is an inherently valuable organism with the capacity to feel and suffer. Turning to Jesus’ mudpie ritual in John 9, I recover it as a story of palpable holiness in which the sacred elements of dirt and spit—like bread and wine in traditional Christian liturgy—are God’s holy means of grace and healing. I conclude that cultivating an attitudinal disposition toward Earth, as holy ground, is the basis for healing the suffering among ourselves and the wider community of living beings.
Protein Kinase C Controls Binding of Igo/ENSA Proteins to Protein Phosphatase 2A in Budding Yeast.

Protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) plays important roles in controlling mitosis in all eukaryotic cells. The form of PP2A that controls mitosis is associated with a conserved regulatory subunit that is called B55 in vertebrates and Cdc55 in budding yeast. The activity of this form of PP2A can be inhibited by binding of conserved Igo/ENSA proteins. Although the mechanisms that activate Igo/ENSA to bind and inhibit PP2A are well understood, little is known about how Igo/Ensa are inactivated. Here, we have analyzed regulation of Igo/ENSA in the context of a checkpoint pathway that links mitotic entry to membrane growth in budding yeast. Protein kinase C (Pkc1) relays signals in the pathway by activating PP2ACdc55. We discovered that constitutively active Pkc1 can drive cells through a mitotic checkpoint arrest, which suggests that Pkc1-dependent activation of PP2ACdc55 plays a critical role in checkpoint signaling. We therefore used mass spectrometry to determine how Pkc1 modifies the PP2ACdc55 complex. This revealed that Pkc1 induces changes in the phosphorylation of multiple subunits of the complex, as well as dissociation of Igo/ENSA. Pkc1 directly phosphorylates Cdc55 and Igo/ENSA, and phosphorylation site mapping and mutagenesis indicate that phosphorylation of Cdc55 contributes to Igo/ENSA dissociation. Association of Igo2 with PP2ACdc55 is regulated during the cell cycle, yet mutation of Pkc1-dependent phosphorylation sites on Cdc55 and Igo2 did not cause defects in mitotic progression. Together, the data suggest that Pkc1 controls PP2ACdc55 by multiple overlapping mechanisms.
Drought and simulated deer herbivory reduce growth in Atlantic white cedar seedlings

White-tailed deer are overabundant in much of eastern North America and may be suppressing regeneration in some tree species. Herbivory initially reduces plant biomass, but it has the potential to stimulate compensatory growth. However, stressful environmental conditions may reduce recovery from herbivory. Seedlings of Atlantic white cedar, Chamaecyparis thyoides (L.) Britton, Sterns & Poggenb., are frequently browsed by white-tailed deer and also experience both flooded and dry soils in natural habitats. We conducted a growth chamber experiment to test for a potential interaction between simulated deer browsing and water availability treatments on seedling height, stem diameter, and above- and belowground biomass. Of the 180 study plants, half were subjected to an initial clipping treatment, and all plants were then exposed to high, intermediate, or low water availability for 90 days. We found that, over the short term, seedlings in favorable growing conditions could not compensate for lost biomass after...
Henry Kissinger's Negotiation Campaign to End the Vietnam War

President Richard M. Nixon was elected in 1968 with the widespread expectation that he would bring about an end to the costly and unpopular war in Vietnam. The task largely fell to National Security Adviser Henry Kissinger. When the negotiations began, North Vietnam appeared to have a winning hand with time on its side. To induce agreement from North Vietnam on acceptable terms, Kissinger orchestrated a complex negotiation campaign with multiple fronts: North Vietnam, the U.S. public and Congress China, the USSR, West Germany, and South Vietnam. Kissinger’s efforts culminated in the signing of the 1973 Paris Peace Accords, which held for about two years before collapsing in the wake of Watergate. The account in this working paper carefully describes — but does not analyze nor draw lessons from — core features of these challenging negotiations. Forthcoming papers will provide analysis and derive general insights from this negotiation campaign.
Electronic Structure of TlBa2CaCu2O(7-Delta)

The core levels of TlBa2CaCu2O(7-delta) (Tl-1212) epitaxial films have been measured with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The valence electronic structure has been determined using the full-potential linear muffin-tin-orbital band-structure method and measured with XPS. The calculations show that a van Hove singularity (VHS) lies above the Fermi level (E(sub F)) for the stoichiometric compound (delta = 0.5), while for 50% oxygen vacancies in the Tl-O layer (delta = 0.5) E(sub F) is in close proximity to the VHS. Samples annealed in nitrogen (to reduce the hole overdoping by the removal of oxygen) exhibit higher core-level binding energies and a higher T(sub c), consistent with a shift of E(sub F) closer to the VHS. Comparisons are made to the core levels and valence bands of Tl2Ba2CaCu2O(8 + delta)(Tl-2212) and HgBa2CaCu2O)6 + delta) (Hg- 1212). The similarity of the Cu 2p(sub 3/2) spectra for Tl-1212 and Tl-2212 indicates that the number of Tl-O layers has little effect on the Cu-O bonding. However, the Tl-1212 and Hg-1212 Cu 2p(sub 3/2) signals exhibit differences which suggest that the replacement of T(sup 3+) with Hg(sup 2+) results in a decrease in the O 2p right arrow Cu 3d charge-transfer energy and differences in the probabilities of planar vs apical oxygen charge transfer and/or Zhang-Rice singlet-state formation. Differences between the Tl-1212 and the Tl-2212 and Hg-1212 measured valence bands are consistent with the calculated Cu 3d and (Tl,Hg) 6s/5d partial densities of states.
The anvil: a crushing conversation

In this collaboratively written piece, the authors narrate the most crushing day of their life. Their reflections reveal their different yet resonating perceptions of finding out bad news about their first child during pregnancy. The authors seek to investigate the parental experience of receiving a devastating diagnosis for a child by placing two accounts of the same event side-by-side. While illness stories abound, they often represent only one viewpoint. The authors seek to provide a study of life in the midst of a crisis, which is rarely what it seems from the outside looking in. Additionally, by using the accessible format of personal narrative, they provide a piece of research for a more diverse audience.
Prediction and Characterization of Application Power Use in a High-performance Computing Environment

Power use in data centers and high-performance computing (HPC) facilities has grown in tandem with increases in the size and number of these facilities. Substantial innovation is needed to enable meaningful reduction in energy footprints in leadership-class HPC systems. In this paper, we focus on characterizing and investigating application-level power usage. We demonstrate potential methods for predicting power usage based on a priori and in situ characteristics. Finally, we highlight a potential use case of this method through a simulated power-aware scheduler using historical jobs from a real scientific HPC system.
The Histone Deacetylase Inhibitor Vorinostat (SAHA) Induces Apoptosis and Cell Cycle Arrest in Hodgkin Lymphoma (HL) Cell Lines by Altering Several Survival Signaling Pathways and Synergizes with Doxorubicin, Gemcitabine and Bortezomib.

Abstract Several epigenetic changes have been recently implicated in the pathogenesis of several human malignancies, including HL. This pathway is currently explored for cancer therapy using hypomethylating agents and histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors. The purpose of this study was to examine the potential clinical value for HDAC inhibition in HL. Therefore, we examined the single agent activity of vorinostat (suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid, SAHA) in a panel of three well defined HL-derived cell lines (HD-LM2, L-428, and KM-H2). Furthermore, we determined the molecular mechanisms of vorinostst activity in these cell lines. Vorinostat showed antiproliferative effect in all HL cell lines in a time- and dose-dependent manner, as determined with the MTS assay. The most sensitive cell line was the HD-LM2 with an IC50 of 2 micromolar, but antiproliferative activity was observed at concentrations between 0.1 and 0.5 micromolar. This antiproliferative effect was due to cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase, as determined by Propidium Iodide DNA staining and FACS analysis. This effect was most prominent in the HD-LM2 cells, as the G2M fraction increased by 6 fold within 24 hours of incubation with 10 micromolar of vorinostat, and by 4 fold when 5 micromolar was used. Cell cycle arrest was followed with an increase in Annexin-V binding indicative of induction of apoptosis. This apoptotic effect was associated with activation of the caspase pathway, which resulted in caspase 3 and PARP cleavage. Furthermore, the antiproliferative activity was associated with de-phosphorylation of three important survival signals that are known to promote HL survival: STAT6, Akt and ERK. To determine the potential synergy of vorinostat with conventional chemotherapy and modern targeted small molecules, we treated HL cell lines with the combination of vorinostat and doxorubicin, gemcitabine, and the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib. In all the combinations SAHA significantly enhanced the effect of the other drugs, as determined with the MTS assay and the calculation of the Combination Index. Moreover, the combination of vorinostat and bortezomib arrested the cells in G2/M phase more efficiently and showed increased rate of apoptosis than each drug alone. In contrast, there was no added benefit when vorinostat was combined with the heat shock protein-90 inhibitor 17-AAG or with the mTOR inhibitor CCI-779. Our data indicate that HDAC inhibition by vorinostat may have a clinical value in HL, especially when combined with bortezomib or with chemotherapy.
Seasonal variability of the parameters of the Ball–Berry model of stomatal conductance in maize (Zea mays L.) and sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) under well-watered and water-stressed conditions

The Ball-Berry (BB) model of stomatal conductance (gs) is frequently coupled with a model of assimilation to estimate water and carbon exchanges in plant canopies. The empirical slope (m) and ‘residual’ gs (g0) parameters of the BB model influence transpiration estimates, but the time-intensive nature of measurement limits species-specific data on seasonal and stress responses. We measured m and g0 seasonally and under different water availability for maize and sunflower. The statistical method used to estimate parameters impacted values nominally when inter-plant variability was low, but had substantial impact with larger inter-plant variability. Values for maize (m = 4.53 ± 0.65; g0 = 0.017 ± 0.016 mol m-2 s-1) were 40% higher than other published values. In maize, we found no seasonal changes in m or g0, supporting the use of constant seasonal values, but water stress reduced both parameters. In sunflower, inter-plant variability of m and g0 was large (m = 8.84 ± 3.77; g0 = 0.354 ± 0.226 mol m-2 s-1), presenting a challenge to clear interpretation of seasonal and water stress responses — m values were stable seasonally, even as g0 values trended downward, and m values trended downward with water stress while g0 values declined substantially.
Juvenile instability in planted pines.

Planted pines often require a number of years to achieve a firm anchorage. In this, they differ from naturally established trees which, at least to begin with, are usually quite stable. This difference is due to the effect of the usual methods of raising and planting forest tree seedlings on root morphology. One way to eliminate this effect is to plant seedlings while they are very young and still retain the capacity to initiate first order lateral roots. Another, is to use planting stock raised in containers coated with a root growth inhibitor to prevent the elongation of lateral roots until after planting. With both methods, planted trees can be obtained having a symmetrical array of primary lateral roots comparable in form and mechanical function to the roots of a naturally established tree.
Recurrent Childhood Animal Cruelty and Its Link to Recurrent Adult Interpersonal Violence

In the early 1960s, researchers began to examine the potential link between childhood animal cruelty and future interpersonal violence. Findings since then have been inconsistent in establishing a relationship between the two. This may be due to researchers failing to measure the recurrency of childhood animal abuse and the recurrency of later violent acts committed in adulthood. The current study, using data from 257 inmates at a medium-security prison in a Southern state, is a replication of research conducted by Tallichet and Hensley, and Hensley, Tallichet, and Dutkiewicz, which examined this recurrency issue. The only statistically significant predictor of recurrent adult interpersonal violence in this study was recurrent childhood animal cruelty. Inmates who engaged in recurrent childhood animal cruelty were more likely to commit recurrent adult interpersonal violence. Respondents' race, education, and childhood residence were not significant predictors of the outcome variable.
Exploring the potential of LMS log data as a proxy measure of student engagement

This study examines the relationship between log data of student activity in learning management systems and self-reported student engagement survey scores. Log data has the potential to serve as a meaningful proxy for survey scores. Should this be the case, log data could be used as a minimally disruptive and scalable approach to quickly identify who needs help, evaluate design, and personalize instruction. We correlated LMS log data variables to student engagement survey scores to study the relationship between these two sources of data. Overall, log data was not a statistically significant proxy measure of students’ self-reported cognitive and emotional engagement. Our results underscore the complexity of learning and the relationship between observed and reported cognitive and emotional states. Future educational research using log data will need to account for other factors that help explain trends in student engagement. Exploring the Potential of LMS Log Data as a Proxy Measure of Student Engagement.
Abstract P637: Absence Of Estrogen Receptor Alpha In T Regulatory Cells Results In Decreased Cardiac Glucose Uptake And Improves Diastolic Function In Western Diet-fed Female Mice

Diabetic women are at greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease than diabetic men. Our group has shown that insulin resistant female mice are more prone to develop diastolic dysfunction than male mice when fed a high fat/high fructose (western diet - WD). T regulatory cells (Tregs) suppress inflammation and insulin resistance, and estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) signaling has been postulated to modulate their function. Consequently, using a novel rodent model lacking ERα in Treg cells (TregERαKO) we tested the hypothesis that in conditions of WD-feeding, abrogation of ERα signaling in Tregs in female mice results in worsened whole-body and cardiac-specific insulin sensitivity, as well as diastolic function. Female TregERαKO mice and ERαFloxed (ERα Fl2 ) littermate controls were fed a WD for 16 weeks. WD consisted of high fat (46%) and high carbohydrate as sucrose (17.5%) and high fructose corn syrup (17.5%). At the end of the intervention, rodents underwent hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamps (n=7-9 per group) and, in a separate cohort, cardiac MRI (n=4 per group). Although TregERα deletion did not significantly impact whole-body insulin sensitivity (glucose infusion rate at steady state: 20 ± 2 vs. 17 ± 2 mg/Kg/min, TregERαKO vs. ERαFl 2 respectively, p=0.22), cardiac glucose uptake was significantly lower in the TregERαKO cohort (214.0±7.5 vs.167.3±19.6 μmol/min/100g tissue, TregERαKO and ERαFl 2 respectively p 2 respectively, p Conclusions: In female mice fed a WD, lack of ERα signaling in Tregs results in cardiac-specific insulin resistance. However, the decreased cardiac glucose uptake did not translate into deterioration of diastolic function. Further studies are needed to evaluate the differential effects of TregERα deletion on glucose uptake and diastolic function. Acknowledgments: We acknowledge Vanderbilt MMPC for performing the clamps. MMPC is supported in part by grant U24 DK059637.
Superconductivity in FeSe: The Role of Nematic Order.

Bulk FeSe is a special iron-based material in which superconductivity emerges inside a well-developed nematic phase. We present a microscopic model for this nematic superconducting state, which takes into account the mixing between $s$-wave and $d$-wave pairing channels and the changes in the orbital spectral weight promoted by the sign-changing nematic order parameter. We show that nematicity only weakly affects ${T}_{c}$, but gives rise to $\mathrm{cos}2\ensuremath{\theta}$ variation of the pairing gap on the hole pocket, whose magnitude and size agrees with angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy and STM data. We further show that nematicity increases the weight of the ${d}_{xz}$ orbital on the hole pocket, and increases (reduces) the weight of the ${d}_{xy}$ orbital on the $Y$ ($X$) electron pocket.
Bond-slip effect in flexural behavior of GFRP RC slabs

Abstract The use of glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) composite bars as internal reinforcement for concrete is rapidly increasing especially in structures exposed to aggressive environments. A proper bond mechanism between GFRP bar and concrete is essential to ensure proper functioning of such structures. The slippage between the concrete and reinforcement has usually been ignored in numerical modeling of reinforced concrete (RC) structures. In this study, the effect of the bond action in flexural behavior of GFRP RC slabs was investigated. The analysis was first performed by considering a perfect bond between the concrete and reinforcement and ignoring any slippage. Next, an experimentally obtained bond-slip relation was used to replace the unrealistic perfect bond assumption. The predicted flexural load-deflection response of the slab was compared to the experimental data. The result obtained by incorporating the bond-slip model showed a better agreement with the experimental data. Hence, considering the slippage between the GFRP and concrete may be necessary when accurate deflection estimate is required under the service condition. Additionally, it was shown that the perfect bond assumption was sufficiently safe for the design of the GFRP RC slabs.
Computation by Extrapolation of Solutions of Singular Perturbation Problems

We show how the asymptotic form of the solution of singular perturbation problems can be used to generate associated unperturbed or relaxed equations. Solutions of these relaxed equations are easily calculated and appropriate combinations of them furnish numerical approximations to the original problem. Variations of this method are applied to two classes of initial problems; those with rapidly equilibrating solutions and those with highly oscillatory solutions.
Mechanisms and Evolution of Dorsal–Ventral Patterning

In the last two decades, a great progress has been made with the discovery and understanding of conserved signaling pathways, in particular those involved in embryonic dorsal–ventral patterning and the organization of the nervous system. Remarkably, the spatial distribution of these signal molecules appears conserved across a large group of animals that have centralized nervous systems. Despite these achievements, there are still many unanswered questions on how the nervous system organization evolves and responds to variations in organism size. In this review, we discuss the progression of the field from early observations made more than a century ago and introduce future challenges regarding the problem of scaling of the nervous system during evolution.
Adolescent's Perceptions of Sexual Relationships Between Students and Teachers.

Very little is known about how people perceive and respond to sexual relationships between students and teachers, and even less is known about how adolescents view these relationships. In this stud...
Metal accumulation from leachate by polyculture in crushed brick and steel slag using pilot-scale constructed wetland in the climate of Pakistan

The temperate climate of Pakistan has enhanced the performance of macrophytes grown in crushed brick and steel slag in constructed wetland for removal of heavy metals from leachate. Two pilot-scale constructed wetlands [constructed wetland 1 (CW1) and constructed wetland 2 (CW2)] were planted with a polyculture of Phragmites australis and Typha latifolia in crushed brick and steel slag, respectively. These wetlands were located in the National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad campus, and operated for 15 months for treatment of leachate with climatic variations of Islamabad. The metal accumulation in a polyculture of Phragmites australis and Typha latifolia and in substrates was analyzed in the laboratory of Institute of Environmental Sciences and Engineering located near wetland site. Despite the high temperature in summer season, removal of Cu, Zn, and Pb was efficient due to the synergistic combination of macrophytes and substrates in both wetlands. Substrates acted as a primary sink of metals and enhanced metal accumulation in the plant’s roots which resulted in poor translocation of Cu, Zn, and Pb to shoots. Despite the variation in precipitation and temperature during summer and winter seasons, the average removal of copper, zinc, and lead was 95%, 91%, and 89% by polyculture in crushed brick in CW1 and 97%, 95%, and 91% in steel slag in CW2, respectively. A The variation in climate has a negligible effect on the sorption of metals by both substrates in CW1 and CW2. Furthermore, Phragmites australis with crushed brick in CW1 was efficient for removal of Zn and Typha latifolia was performing better with steel slag in CW2 for significantly high removal of Cu and Pb in the climate of Islamabad, Pakistan.
1307 Ureterolysis: Preventing Ureteral Injury during Robotic Hysterectomy

Video Objective To demonstrate successful ureterolysis technique when the ureter is abutting the cervix. Setting A 43 year-old multiparous woman with an enlarged fibroid uterus and abnormal uterine bleeding desired definitive surgical management. Her right ureter was abutting the cervix to within less than 0.5cm and required meticulous dissection to maintain its integrity. Interventions Several factors are considered to maintain ureteral integrity during hysterectomy. These include: 1- Identification and dissection of the ureter along the medial leaflet of the broad ligament; 2- In-depth knowledge of the anatomical variations of the parametric; 3- Judicious use of monopolar and bipolar electrosurgery; 4- In-depth understanding of the various effects of electrosurgery on tissues. Conclusion Understanding the course of the ureter is crucial during hysterectomy. When abutting the cervix, judicious use of monopolar and bipolar energy is key to maintain ureteral integrity.
Peg Fraser examines artefacts of Black Saturday: Black Saturday. Not the End of the Story, by Peg Fraser, Clayton, Victoria, Monash University Press, 2018, 266 pp., (paperback), ISBN 9781925523683, Publisher’s website: www.publishing.monash.edu/books/bs-9781925523683.html

Few events – certainly no other bushfire – have been as thoroughly recorded as the Black Saturday conflagrations that ripped across Victoria on 7 February 2009. Bushfires are common, and occasional...
Evaluation of new rice varieties in the conditions of climate change

In obtaining stable and high rice yields, the leading role belongs to the use of the best varieties, harmoniously combining productivity and technological indicators of grain and milled rice quality, adapted for cultivation in the main rice-growing regions. Therefore, the aim of our research is to evaluate new rice genotypes by a set of economically valuable traits that can replace obsolete varieties in the sowing area of the region and the country as a whole for industry efficiency. Experimental plots of competitive variety testing (CVT) were laid on the territory of the rice irrigation system of the experimental production department of the Federal Scientific Rice Centre, Belozerny, Krasnodar region for three years. The results are processed by analysis of variance and correlation analysis. All new varieties formed dense panicles of 10.0-11.9 pcs / cm with a sufficient number of fertile spikelets 139.7-165.9 pcs. on average, which is responsible for the high grain content of agrophytocenosis 44.1-58.2 thousand units/m2. Hence the high grain yield - 9.2-10.2 t / ha with a good combination of the main technological indicators - the mass of 1000 grains and head rice content. The closeness of the interconnections of the main economically valuable traits and the heat supply of the growing season is determined. Four varieties (except VNIIR 10284) show a neutral yield response to one of the main factors of external influence on the plant - the sum of effective temperatures above 15 ° C. According to the results of the test, for three years in CVT and in the environmental testing, the variety Romans was transferred to State variety testing, VNIIR 10279 is being prepared for transfer.
Alaskan Hunting License Lotteries are Flexible and Approximately Efficient

We analyze the k-ticket lottery, which is used to allocate hunting permits in the state of Alaska. Each participant is given k tickets to distribute among lotteries for different types of items. Participants who win multiple items receive their favorite, and new winners are drawn from the lotteries with unclaimed items. When supply is scarce, equilibrium outcomes of the k-ticket lottery approximate a competitive equilibrium from equal incomes (CEEI), which is Pareto efficient. When supply is moderate, k-ticket lotteries exhibit two sources of inefficiency. First, some agents may benefit from trading probability shares. Second, outcomes may be ``wasteful": agents may receive nothing even if acceptable items remain unallocated. We bound both sources of inefficiency, and show that each is eliminated by a suitable choice of k: trades are never beneficial when k = 1, and waste is eliminated as k approaches infinity. The wastefulness of the k-ticket lottery has some benefits: agents with strong preferences may prefer k-ticket lottery outcomes to those of any nonwasteful envy-free mechanism. These agents prefer small values of k, while agents with weak preferences prefer large values of k. Together, these results suggest that the k-ticket lottery performs well under most circumstances, and may be suitable for other settings where items are rationed.
Source Code Comments: Overlooked in the Realm of Code Clone Detection.

Reusing code can produce duplicate or near-duplicate code clones in code repositories. Current code clone detection techniques, like Program Dependence Graphs, rely on code structure and their dependencies to detect clones. These techniques are expensive, using large amounts of processing power, time, and memory. In practice, programmers often utilize code comments to comprehend and reuse code, as comments carry important domain knowledge. But current code detection techniques ignore code comments, mainly due to the ambiguity of the English language. Recent advances in information retrieval techniques may have the potential to utilize code comments for clone detection. We investigated this by empirically comparing the accuracy of detecting clones with solely comments versus solely source code (without comments) on the JHotDraw package, which contains 315 classes and 27K lines of code. To detect clones at the file level, we used a topic modeling technique, Latent Dirichlet Allocation, to analyze code comments and GRAPLE -- utilizing Program Dependency Graph -- to analyze code. Our results show 94.86 recall and 84.21 precision with Latent Dirichlet Allocation and 28.7 recall and 55.39 precision using GRAPLE. We found Latent Dirichlet Allocation generated false positives in cases where programs lacked quality comments. But this limitation can be addressed by using a hybrid approach: utilizing code comments at the file level to reduce the clone set and then using Program Dependency Graph-based techniques at the method level to detect precise clones. Our further analysis across Java and Python packages, Java Swing and PyGUI, found a recall of 74.86\% and a precision of 84.21\%. Our findings call for reexamining the assumptions regarding the use of code comments in current clone detection techniques.
A residual stiffness-based model for the fatigue damage of biological soft tissues

Abstract Biologically-derived and chemically-treated collagenous tissues such as glutaraldehyde-treated bovine pericardium (GLBP) are widely used in many medical applications. The long-term cyclic loading-induced tissue fatigue damage has been identified as one of the primary factors limiting the durability of such medical devices and an in-depth understanding of the fatigue behaviors of biological tissues is critical to increase device durability. However, a limited number of fatigue damage experiments were performed on biological tissues due to complexity and time-consuming nature of such fatigue experiments. Consequently, accurate constitutive models for fatigue damage are also lacking. In this study, we performed a rigorous fatigue experiment on GLBP tissues. The stress, strain and permanent set at a maximum of 8 different fatigue cycles, up to 15 million cycles, were obtained, which demonstrated a nonlinear stress softening and a nonlinear permanent set accumulation. Based on the experimental data, we developed a novel residual stiffness-based fatigue model. The fatigue model considers the fatigue-induced reduction of initial stiffness and stiffening effect, in contrast to our previous damage-based model that only considered the fatigue-induced reduction of the initial stiffness. Moreover, a new constitutive relation was proposed to describe how the fatigue life (the cycle number at failure) depends on the equivalent strain, analogous to the stress versus fatigue life (S-N) curve for traditional engineering material. The new fatigue model can characterize the stress softening and nonlinear permanent set effects when referring to the pre-fatigued configuration. It can also describe the nonlinear stress stiffening effect when referring to the post-fatigued configuration. The model predictions are in good agreement with the experiment. The experimental results and the novel model could be applied to fatigue analyses of medical devices to improve the durability.
Capacitive Arrays for Robotic Sensing

Electromagnetic arrays have been used effectively for many years in optimizing the responses of antenna systems. The basic principles that make arrayed antennas work and make them easy to control can also be applied to near field electromagnetic array sensors. The array factor allows for flexibility in sensor geometry. Firstly, by exciting only a portion of an array in a sequential fashion one can physically scan and interrogate a region of a sample without having to move the sample or the probe head itself. Secondly, the field configurations can be altered by selectively exciting electrodes of an array. Also, the information received can be selected by combining electrodes to form different effective receiver geometries. Thirdly, array configurations allow for real-time analog signal processing. For instance, one can perform pattern matching by choosing the spatial resolution of the probe to match the spatial resolution of the desired feature.
Can Public Life Be Regenerated

These days, we seem willing to consider the possibility that democracies need something more than written constitutions, multiple parties, free elections, and representative governments. They also depend on a strong public life, a rich depository of social capital, a sense of community, and a healthy civil society (Sandel, 1996).
Characterization of E-cigarette coil temperature and toxic metal analysis by infrared temperature sensing and scanning electron microscopy - energy-dispersive X-ray.

Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) have rapidly evolved since their introduction to the U.S. market. The rebuildable atomizer (RBA) offers user-driven modification to the heating element (coil) a...
COMPONENTS OF COOPERATION OF CRISIS INTERVENTION

Introduction: This scientific study provides an insight into the cooperation of individual social services in connection with several methods and techniques of crisis intervention. Given the diversity of the work of crisis intervention, it brings scientific results concerning the of field social workers in social and legal protection of children and social guardianship. It is the field of social workers which cooperate and manage cooperation between individual ministries and activities of individual crisis intervention services. Aim: The main objective of the research was to investigate the cooperation of social workers with other institutions and the use of diversity techniques in dealing with different types of social problems. Methods: The research was conducted using a quantitative strategy by distributing a questionnaire of our design to social workers in Slovakia operating within the socio-legal protection and guardianship. The subject of the research was social workers of social protection. The number of respondents whose questionnaire applied to the research objectives was 56. We used statistical analysis for the phase of data processing and evaluation. Results: In the first research question, we investigated which social problems the respondents are facing in their practice most often. We can conclude that they often encounter problems solutions in the redevelopment of families, tackling crime, divorce, delinquency, and addictions. In the second research question we focused on with which institutions the workers cooperate in solving individual social problems. Conclusion: Social protection workers in their everyday practice face a wide range of problems. In solving the issues, they cooperate with other professions respectively organizations. Depending on what problems social workers usually deal with, it depends not only on their experience but on their future education.
"Pumpology": the Realistic Issues Associated with Pump Placement in Prosthetic Surgery.

The goal of this paper was to discuss the issues and/or overt complications associated with the 3-piece inflatable penile prosthesis (3-IPP) pump. We also addressed how to resolve such issues with or without surgical intervention. Numerous modifications of the 3-IPP pump have been introduced with multiple techniques to place the pump. These are largely dependent on the approach to place the 3-IPP. Pump issues may inevitably occur, and there are numerous special maneuvers that can be performed to resolve pump issues. It is important for urologists to know maneuvers for pump malfunctions to prevent unnecessary surgical procedures and pump revision. Several studies are reviewed regarding pump issues and patient satisfaction; however, a more structured prospective research project is warranted to further evaluate these issues.
Outcomes Assessment in the Undergraduate Marketing Major: Conceptual and Design Issues

Institutions of higher education are increasingly being held accountable for the value they add to society, and there is pressure to institute quality assurance programs on the lines of those being adopted by industry to stay competitive (Boyle and Boyden 1997). This paper reports on some of the conceptual and design issues facing outcomes assessment of the marketing major.
Cross Trajectory Gaussian Process Regression Model for Battery Health Prediction

Accurate battery capacity prediction is important to ensure reliable battery operation and reduce the cost. However, the complex nature of battery degradation and the presence of capacity regeneration phenomenon render the prediction task very challenging. To address this problem, this paper proposes a novel and efficient algorithm to predict the battery capacity trajectory in a multi-cell setting. The proposed method is a new variant of Gaussian process regression (GPR) model, and it utilizes similar trajectories in the historical data to enhance the prediction of desired capacity trajectory. More importantly, the proposed method adds no extra computation cost to the standard GPR. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method, validation tests on two different battery datasets are implemented in the case studies. The prediction results and the computation cost are carefully benchmarked with cutting-edge GPR approaches for battery capacity prediction.
Comparative effectiveness of antiarrhythmic drugs for rhythm control of atrial fibrillation

Abstract Introduction Although there are many different antiarrhythmic drugs (AADs) approved for rhythm management of atrial fibrillation (AF), little comparative effectiveness data exist to guide drug selection. Methods We followed 5952 consecutive AF patients who were prescribed amiodarone (N = 2266), dronedarone (N = 488), dofetilide (N = 539), sotalol (N = 1718), or class 1C agents (N = 941) to the primary end point of AF recurrence. Results Median follow-up time was 18.2 months (range 0.1–101.6 months). Patients who were prescribed amiodarone had the highest, while patients on class 1C agents had the lowest baseline CHA2DS2-VASc score, Charlson comorbidity index, and burden of comorbid illnesses including coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, chronic obstructive lung disease, chronic kidney disease, or cancer (p Conclusion Compared with dronedarone, amiodarone, class 1C agents, and sotalol are more effective for rhythm control, while dofetilide had similar efficacy. These findings have important implications for clinical practice.
Essential requirements for a workflow standard

The OMG BODTF has issued an RFP for a workflow standard, and by the time this workshop is held, the initial responses to the RFP will be in. We outline a set of important requirements that can be used to evaluate the responses. We also analyze the current version of the dominant workflow standard from the Workflow Management Coalition, and examine it in the context of workflow execution across a heterogeneous, distributed infrastructure. The OMG BODTF needs to consider these issues while creating its own workflow standard.
Foreign Exchange Market Microstructure

This paper provides an overview of the recent literature on Foreign Exchange Market Microstructure. Its aim is not to survey the literature, but rather to provide an introductory tour to the main theoretical ideas and empirical results. The central theoretical idea is that trading is an integral part of the process through which information relevant to the pricing of foreign currency becomes embedded in spot rates. Micro-based models study this information aggregation process and produce a rich set of empirical predictions that find strong support in the data. In particular, micro-based models can account for a large proportion of the daily variation in spot rates. They also supply a rationale for the apparent disconnect between spot rates and fundamentals. In terms of forecasting, micro-based models provide out-of-sample forecasting power for spot rates that is an order of magnitude above that usually found in exchange-rate models.