cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multiple-Step-Ahead Prediction by Hierarchical Neural Networks

Two methods for constructing a neural network map of stochastic systems from input-output time series are presented. Extension of the iterated map to multiple-step predictions outside the training data set is through use of a novel hierarchical architecture, based on forward time-shifting of the general NARMAX model which is subsumed by the Werbos’ time-lagged recurrent network in each level of the hierarchy. The proposed methodology only requires a partial knowledge of the system model orders. A number of numerical examples is given, one of which is on multiple-step-ahead forecasting of an hourly municipal water consumption time series. The test cases demonstrate that the proposed hierarchical mapping idea is valid.
Exousia: Healing with Authority in the Christian Tradition

The contemporary Western world holds tenaciously to a demand for individual liberty which stands radically opposed to an ever increasing need for individuals to be dependent upon the expertise of others. Ironically, the banner of autonomy has been raised high at a moment in history characterized by profound interdependence in a complex, specialized, technological culture. Perhaps this conflict between the demand for independence and the demand for dependence is nowhere more readily apparent than it is in medicine.
Xenoreactive CD4+ T cells and acute rejection of orthotopic guinea pig corneas in mice.

PURPOSE To explore immunologic issues involved in orthotopic corneal xenotransplantation in a discordant combination using guinea pigs as donors and mice as recipients. METHODS Two-millimeter-diameter guinea pig corneal buttons were transplanted into 1.5-mm-diameter graft beds on mouse corneas using 12 interrupted sutures. Eyelids were maintained occluded with tarsorrhaphy except at the times of clinical inspection. Grafts were considered to be rejected when the pupil margin was not visible clearly through the graft by slit-lamp microscopy. RESULTS Guinea pig corneas protected from desiccation by persistent tarsorrhaphy survived indefinitely in the eyes of C.B-17SCID mice but were rejected acutely (but not hyperacutely) in eyes of normal BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice (median survival times, MST, 16 and 10 days, respectively). Graft survival was not extended in mice deficient in micro heavy chain or beta-2 microglobulin genes, slightly extended in mice deficient in the C3 gene (MST of 21 versus 17 days) and greatly extended in mice deficient in the CD4 gene (MST of 26 versus 9 days). Reconstitution of CD4 knock-out (KO) mice with CD4+ T cells promoted acute rejection of corneal xenografts. CONCLUSIONS Hyperacute rejection does not occur in guinea pig corneal xenografts in mouse eyes, indicating that corneal xenografts are less vulnerable to this type of rejection than other solid tissue xenografts. CD4+ T cells are the primary mediators of acute graft rejection, although complement may contribute in a minor way. Neither antibodies nor CD8+ T cells participate in acute graft rejection. Because guinea pig cornea grafts in eyes of CD4KO mice are rejected in a delayed fashion, other innate and/or adaptive immune effectors must also be able to cause rejection of orthotopic corneal xenografts.
The Pleasures of Punishment: Complicity, Spectatorship, and Abu Ghraib

At the same time that the Supreme Court has come to insist on a radical distinction between representations of sex and violence as a matter of constitutional law, never have the two genres been more deeply intertwined, in popular entertainment, of course, but also in certain practices of punishment. This paper considers the phenomenon of “torture porn” to explore not only representations of torture and humiliation in popular culture, but also the ways in which popular culture has shaped practices of punishment. Here I explore photographs of Abu Ghraib (as well as other legal and cultural disputes over the disclosure of photographs of torture) to explore the ways in which the popular vernaculars of pornography and smart phone photography informed the practice of torture. I compare the photos to a burgeoning genre of reality TV shows from the same era in which in which the spectacle of humiliation, punishment and even torture plays a pivotal and seemingly pleasurable role in the drama. In both scenarios, I focus not only on the mixture of sexuality and violence, pleasure and punishment, but also on the critical role of the camera. Ultimately by analyzing the similarities between “torture porn” in popular entertainment and the visual materials produced at Abu Ghraib, I suggest a mutually productive relationship between popular culture and punishment.
Distribution and Quantification of Bioaerosols in Poultry-Slaughtering Plantst †.

Four poultry-slaughtering plants (2 turkey, 2 duck) were investigated for airborne concentration of microorganisms, including mesophilic and psychrotrophic bacteria and yeasts and molds. Approximately 40 sites were sampled in each plant during four visits (fall, winter, spring, and summer) by using an Anderson N-6 Air Sampler containing either tryptic soy agar (for mesophilic and psychrotrophic bacteria), or Rose Bengal agar (for yeasts and molds). Sampling sites inside the plants were categorized into the following areas: shackling, picking, evisceration, post chiller, cut-up, portion packaging and whole bird packaging. Areas outside the plant were sampled as controls. Airborne microbial counts in each plant were highest in shackling areas and decreased toward the packaging areas. Bacteria were the most common airborne microorganisms identified. In general, mesophilic bacterial counts ranged from an average high of 6 log CFU/m3 in shackling to an average low of 2.5 log CFU/m3 outside the plant. Mean psychrotrophic bacterial levels were usually within 1 log unit (90%) less than mesophilic bacterial levels and ranged from 2.5 to 5 log CFU/m3 Yeasts and molds typically represented only a small proportion of the microbial population and usually were between 2.5 to 4 log CFU/m3 Air flow, distribution, temperature, relative humidity, and design of the slaughtering facility were all important factors affecting overall bioaerosol contamination. This study identified the sources and concentrations of bioaerosols that may affect product safety and shelf life. This information is useful for developing appropriate strategies for poultry-slaughtering plant design.
Evaluating Self-Efficacy After a Team-Based Learning Activity.

PurposeEvidence suggests that confidence in learning may improve academic performance. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) physician assistant (PA) student's self-efficacy for learning end-of-life (EOL) care after a team-based learning (TBL) activi
Dopamine neurons encode performance error in singing birds.

Many behaviors are learned through trial and error by matching performance to internal goals. Yet neural mechanisms of performance evaluation remain poorly understood. We recorded basal ganglia–projecting dopamine neurons in singing zebra finches as we controlled perceived song quality with distorted auditory feedback. Dopamine activity was phasically suppressed after distorted syllables, consistent with a worse-than-predicted outcome, and was phasically activated at the precise moment of the song when a predicted distortion did not occur, consistent with a better-than-predicted outcome. Error response magnitude depended on distortion probability. Thus, dopaminergic error signals can evaluate behaviors that are not learned for reward and are instead learned by matching performance outcomes to internal goals.
Extraskeletal osteosarcoma arising in myositis ossificans: a case report and review of the literature

We report a case of a 23-year-old female with pain and fullness in the right popliteal fossa. An MRI scan demonstrated an ossified enhancing soft tissue mass. Evaluation of the resected specimen showed a high-grade extraskeletal osteosarcoma juxtaposed to the three zones of myositis ossificans. At 1-year follow-up the patient is alive and disease free. A review of the literature purporting to document such an association failed to demonstrate a single case in which an osteosarcoma and MO with its zonal architecture co-existed.
Formation Mechanisms and Defect Engineering of Imine-based Porous Organic Cages

Syntheses of porous organic cages (POCs) represent an important synthetic puzzle in dynamic covalent chemistry-based self-sorting. Improved understanding of the formation mechanisms of POCs can lead to control and rational design of cages with desired functionality. Herein, we explore the formation mechanisms of imine-based POCs using time-resolved electrospray mass spectrometry and electronic structure calculations at the density functional theory and correlated molecular orbital theory levels. We found that the synthesis of the [4 + 6] cycloimine cage CC3-R and the [2 + 3] cycloimine cage CC-pentane both proceed through similar intermediates via a series of consecutive reactions. The proposed reaction mechanisms are supported by electronic structure calculations. On the basis of our observations from both experiments and calculations, we propose a comprehensive method for designing and predicting new POC species. In addition, the observation of stable incomplete cages during CC3-R synthesis inspired us ...
Click-xylosides overcome neurotoxic effects of reactive astrocytes and promote neuronal growth in a cell culture model of brain injury

Astrocytes, upon activation in response to brain injury, play a critical role in protecting neurons by limiting inflammation through the excessive secretion of many soluble factors, such as, chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs). Unfortunately, excessive CSPGs paradoxically prohibit neuronal recovery and growth, and eventually constitute a scar tissue. Many studies have attempted to overcome this barrier through various molecular approaches including the removal of inhibitory CSPGs by applying chondroitinase enzymes. In this study, we examined whether click-xylosides, which serve as primers of glycosaminoglycan (GAG) biosynthesis, can compete with endogenous inhibitory CSPGs for GAG assembly by serving as decoy molecules and thereby potentially reverse reactive astrocyte mediated neuronal growth inhibition. We investigated the axonal growth of hippocampal neurons in the presence of xyloside treated and untreated reactive astrocyte-conditioned media as a model recapitulating brain injury. Click-xylosides were found to interfere with the GAG biosynthetic machinery in astrocytes and reduced the amount of secreted inhibitory CSPGs by competing with endogenous assembly sites. The extent of underglycosylation was directly related to the outgrowth of hippocampal neurons. Overall, this study suggests that click-xylosides are promising therapeutic agents to treat CNS injuries and warrants further in vivo investigations.
Open Technique for Transhiatal Esophagectomy

Open transhiatal esophagectomy is a well-established approach that has been shown to be effective and safe with acceptable morbidity and mortality. Indications for transhiatal esophagectomy include both benign and malignant diseases with esophageal carcinoma comprising the majority of cases. Following an appropriate preoperative workup and possible neoadjuvant therapy, the operation is performed in the supine position with access to the left neck, chest, and abdomen. The essential phases of the operation include mobilization of the gastric conduit, pyloric drainage procedure, initial mediastinal dissection, cervical esophageal mobilization, completion of the mediastinal dissection, esophageal and gastric transection with creation of the gastric conduit, and finally cervical esophagogastric anastomosis. Postoperatively the patients are immediately started on an aggressive regimen of pulmonary toilet and physical therapy and tube feedings. Several well-recognized complications that can occur during or after esophagectomy include tracheal tears, major intrathoracic bleeding, recurrent laryngeal nerve injury, anastomotic leak, and thoracic duct leak.
A matched comparison of MMPI responses in patients with primary snoring or obstructive sleep apnea.

STUDY OBJECTIVE To compare the MMPI responses between nonapneic primary snoring (PS) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). DESIGN Cross sectional with matched samples. SETTING University sleep disorders center. PATIENTS All PS patients (n = 49) available in a series of 428 clinical referrals to a sleep disorders center, and age and gender-matched OSA patients (n = 49) selected from the 199 available OSA patients in the series. INTERVENTIONS Not applicable. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS Subjects completed the MMPI prior to overnight diagnostic polysomnographic assessment and multiple sleep latency test (MSLT). OSA patients exhibited a mean of 2.3 elevated MMPI scales, which was significantly more than the PS mean of 1.6 elevations, and attributable to higher OSA scores on Depression (D) and Hypochondriasis (Hs). Approximately twice as many OSA patients than PS patients showed disturbed scores on D (49% vs. 25%, p < .05) and Hy (35% vs. 16%, p < .05). On nine of the ten MMPI clinical scales, both patient groups exceeded the elevation rate expected in nondistressed individuals. Among OSA patients, but not PS patients, number of MMPI elevations had a significant negative correlation with sleep efficiency and average blood saturation during NREM, and a significant positive correlation with wake time after sleep onset. CONCLUSIONS Compared to patients with PS, those with OSA have more intense depressive symptoms (e.g., pessimism, inactivity, guilt) and somatic concerns. General psychopathology is associated with blood oxygen saturation only among OSA patients. Nonetheless, PS patients show psychological maladjustment that is qualitatively similar, but quantitatively less severe, than that characterizing OSA.
Cancer of the Urinary Bladder

Invasive bladder cancer remains a clinical challenge for the urologist. In the last 20 years significant progress has been made unraveling the molecular and genetic pathology of transitional cells cancers. We now have a preliminary understanding of the role of tumor suppressor genes such as p53 and oncogenes such as RAS in the development of this potentially lethal disease. Important breakthroughs have been made in treating superficial tumors with intravesical therapies. Despite these advances, the standard treatment for invasive transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the bladder in the absence of metastatic disease remains, radical cystectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy with urinary diversion. Recent experience with laparoscopic urologic surgery has demonstrated that a minimally invasive approach to urologic cancers is associated with a significant decrease in morbidity. While radical cystectomy is effective at providing local control for bladder cancer, there is significant associated operative morbidity and mortality. In recent years the laparoscopic and robotic approaches to radical cystectomy have been explored with encouraging initial results. This chapter describes the laparoscopic and robotic approaches to radical cystectomy and summarizes current worldwide experience with these techniques.
Temperature Dependence of The Intersubband Hole Relaxation Time in P-Type Quantum Wells

Relaxation times ranging from 1 to 10 ps have been measured with infrared bleaching techniques in n-type quantum wells (QWs) when the inter-subband transition energy is larger than the LO-phonon energy.1–3 These relaxation times have been attributed to electron-LO-phonon scattering. However, they are significantly longer than the theoretical predictions and the discrepancy is attributed to LO-phonon screening, intervalley scattering, and hot-phonons.4 Methods that employ a lower excitation levels are a better tool for exploring the intraband relaxation. For example, sub-picosecond timeresolved Raman-scattering measurements have revealed an inter-subband relaxation time of less than 1 ps, which is consistent with the theoretical predictions.5 For p-type QWs, the density of states and the band structure are different and it would be interesting to determine the role of different scattering mechanisms, such as LO-phonon scattering and deformation-potential scattering. In our recent work, we have shown that pump-probe measurements are suitable for p-type QWs.6 In this paper, we report the temperature dependence of the relaxation time and present some details of the theoretical calculations.
A Modified Hydrogen Flame-Ionization Detector, Highly Sensitive and Selective for Phosphates

Microcoulometric and electron capture detectors have been routinely used for many years in pesticide residue analysis. With the microcoulometric systems one is capable of detecting halogens, sulfur, and phosphorus with high specificity but with somewhat low sensitivity, while with the electron capture detector one can detect compounds containing strong electronegative groups with high sensitivity but with low specificity. While in most cases the electron capture mode of detection is relatively sensitive to most organic phosphate pesticides, its lack of selectivity tends to limit the usefulness of this detector. It was fortunate that a detector was developed for these organophosphate pesticides. This detector was the sodium thermionic detector.
Low Self-Esteem for Physical Appearance Mediates the Effect of Body Mass Index on Smoking Initiation Among Adolescents.

Objective Adolescence is a period during which youth may begin experimenting with substances. Youth with overweight or obesity may be at increased risk for substance use, including cigarette smoking. Understanding the associations between smoking and excess weight and the pathways associated with increased likelihood for smoking initiation is of particular importance given the increased risk for negative health outcomes associated with each. Methods Using longitudinal panel data from 1,023 middle school youth (baseline age M = 12.5, 52% female), we tested whether smoking initiation was concurrently and prospectively predicted by self-reported body mass index (BMI) and whether self-esteem for physical appearance (SEPA) mediated the effect of BMI on risk of early initiation. Results BMI predicted smoking initiation concurrently and prospectively in unadjusted models. In adjusted models, SEPA mediated the effects of BMI on smoking initiation. Bootstrapped mediation results indicated that the positive relationship between BMI and subsequent smoking initiation was significantly mediated by lower SEPA (B =.10, 95% confidence interval [0.01, 0.22]). Conclusions Adolescents who have overweight or obesity are more likely to feel negatively about their appearance and bodies, and this negative perception may result in experimentation with cigarettes. Cigarettes may be used by youth with overweight or obesity in an effort to manage weight, to cope with low self-esteem or for other reasons. Future research should explore the motives and psychosocial context of smoking initiation among adolescents with overweight/obesity further (e.g., with whom they first try smoking, perceived benefits of smoking).
Building Community Through Festival: Library Orientation on the Quad

Abstract Each fall, the Libraries at the College of the Holy Cross host a library orientation festival, “LibFest,” to introduce first-year students to our services. To enhance the festival atmosphere, LibFest is hosted outside with a variety of giveaways and entertainment, including a local food truck. The event provides opportunities for students to informally meet and chat with library staff, while simultaneously learning about our services. Over time, LibFest has grown into a substantial event located in the heart of the campus, encompassing all Library departments and branches as well as offices with which we frequently partner. Through yearly evaluations, we have been able to tweak and improve each year's festival, with significantly increased attendance over time. We are pleased with the positive results we have seen overall and the significant strides we have made in emphasizing the Libraries' presence on campus.
What Are They Thinking?: Eliciting Student Reasoning About Troublesome Concepts in Introductory Computer Science

Understanding student conceptions and identifying student misconceptions is an important precursor to developing high quality pedagogical materials and approaches. We conducted a pencil-and-paper survey consisting of a demographic questionnaire and 21 content-based questions with 106 students at the start of a second semester course for CS majors (i.e., CS2) at a large public U.S. university with a focus on engineering and science. We then selected the questions that appeared to be most problematic for students and several closely related questions and analyzed the student reasoning for each question and across questions with similar concepts. We found that students exhibited misconceptions related to pass by value versus pass by reference semantics, "false sharing" of variables of the same name in different scopes, and believing that global variables may not be accessed from the main function and/or that a global variable may be modified via a local variable of the same name (i.e., in the presence of variable shadowing). Potential explanations for these misconceptions include fragile knowledge, lack of attention to detail, over-attention to newly acquired knowledge, information foraging (abductive reasoning) in the presence of misleading contextual clues, and lack of exposure to the use of global variables beyond the specification of constants.
ScratchThat: Supporting Command-Agnostic Speech Repair in Voice-Driven Assistants

Speech interfaces have become an increasingly popular input method for smartphone-based virtual assistants, smart speakers, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices. While they facilitate rapid and natural interaction in the form of voice commands, current speech interfaces lack natural methods for command correction. We present ScratchThat, a method for supporting command-agnostic speech repair in voice-driven assistants, suitable for enabling corrective functionality within third-party commands. Unlike existing speech repair methods, ScratchThat is able to automatically infer query parameters and intelligently select entities in a correction clause for editing. We conducted three evaluations to (1) elicit natural forms of speech repair in voice commands, (2) compare the interaction speed and NASA TLX score of the system to existing voice-based correction methods, and (3) assess the accuracy of the ScratchThat algorithm. Our results show that (1) speech repair for voice commands differ from previous models for conversational speech repair, (2) methods for command correction based on speech repair are significantly faster than other voice-based methods, and (3) the ScratchThat algorithm facilitates accurate command repair as rated by humans (77% accuracy) and machines (0.94 BLEU score). Finally, we present several ScratchThat use cases, which collectively demonstrate its utility across many applications.
Gold diggers and their housewives: the gendered political economy of Thai labor export to Saudi Arabia, 1975–1990

ABSTRACTFrom 1975 to 1990 several hundred thousand Thais became guest workers in the Middle East. Focusing on texts from the period including migrant guidebooks, lyrics, and state publications, thi...
A Multi-stage Approach to Curve Extraction

We propose a multi-stage approach to curve extraction where the curve fragment search space is iteratively reduced by removing unlikely candidates using geometric constrains, but without affecting recall, to a point where the application of an objective functional becomes appropriate. The motivation in using multiple stages is to avoid the drawback of using a global functional directly on edges, which can result in non-salient but high scoring curve fragments, which arise from non-uniformly distributed edge evidence. The process progresses in stages from local to global: (i) edges, (ii) curvelets, (iii) unambiguous curve fragments, (iv) resolving ambiguities to generate a full set of curve fragment candidates, (v) merging curve fragments based on a learned photometric and geometric cues as well a novel lateral edge sparsity cue, and (vi) the application of a learned objective functional to get a final selection of curve fragments. The resulting curve fragments are typically visually salient and have been evaluated in two ways. First, we measure the stability of curve fragments when images undergo visual transformations such as change in viewpoints, illumination, and noise, a critical factor for curve fragments to be useful to later visual processes but one often ignored in evaluation. Second, we use a more traditional comparison against human annotation, but using the CFGD dataset and CFGD evaluation strategy rather than the standard BSDS counterpart, which is shown to be not appropriate for evaluating curve fragments. Under both evaluation schemes our results are significantly better than those state of the art algorithms whose implementations are publicly available.
Macrocybe titans: The Mushroom Giant of the Western Hemisphere

The aptly named Macrocybe titans, meaning "giant head," is the largest known gilled mushroom in the Western Hemisphere. This species was originally described from Florida but can be found across the southeastern United States as well as the Caribbean, Central America, and parts of South America. These mushrooms are often found in clusters with the caps growing as large as 3 ft wide and 1n1.5 ft tall! This species was first discovered in Gainesville, Florida, and is generally found near buildings or roads. This new three-page publication of the UF/IFAS Plant Pathology Department describes these giant mushrooms, their discovery, and where to find them. Written by Elena Karlsen-Ayala and Matthew E. Smith. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pp356
CLINICAL CHALLENGES IN THE MANAGEMENT OF AN 85-YEAR-OLD PATIENT WITH A LONG HISTORY OF SCHIZOPHRENIA AND NON-COMPLIANCE, WHO DEVELOPED HALOPERIDOL DECANOATE INDUCED PANCYTOPENIA

Introduction Management of psychosis in elderly patients is complicated because of the numerous medical comorbidities and increased susceptibility to side effects of psychotropics in this population. Management of psychosis can be further complicated by a variety of psychosocial factors. Methods We reviewed the case of a non-compliant geriatric patient who developed pancytopenia while on haloperidol decanoate monthly injection and clinical challenges we faced regarding her management on the psychiatric inpatient unit. Results We present the case of an 85-year-old African-American woman with a long history of schizophrenia, who was stabilized on Haloperidol Decanoate 50?mg monthly IM for a few years at another hospital. She developed pancytopenia while on haloperidol decanoate and relapsed within a month after stopping the injection resulting in hospitalization at our inpatient unit. At initial presentation, she was catatonic and had poor oral intake resulting in acute renal injury, requiring stabilization in the medical unit. Subsequently, the patient was transferred to the psychiatry inpatient unit where she continued to refuse food and medications due to delusional paranoid beliefs. Hematology was consulted; lab work to exclude other causes of pancytopenia was completed and haloperidol induced pancytopenia was suspected. She didn't receive any more haloperidol decanoate during her hospital stay and continued to refuse all medications offered. Due to poor compliance on medications in the unit and continued deterioration of her medical condition, a court order was obtained for medication-over-objection, however, patient refused to comply with that too. Due to the risk of pancytopenia with haloperidol, very slow recovery from the bone marrow suppression due to slow wash-out of the long acting antipsychotic, and the ongoing resistance of the patient to accept any medications, the clinical team had limited choices to offer in terms of choice of antipsychotic medications. She received olanzapine 5?mg IM daily for a few days as per court order, which resulted in some improvement in her clinical condition. She ultimately received Aripiprazole lauroxil before her discharge from the unit, with a limited challenge on oral aripiprazole prior to that to assess tolerability. Conclusions Management of schizophrenia in elderly can be very challenging and can be further complicated by side effects of medications and variety of psychosocial factors which need to be addressed for optimum outcomes. This research was funded by: Not applicable
Application of ML & AI to model petrophysical and geo-mechanical properties of shale reservoirs – A systematic literature review

Abstract Extensive reviews and cross-comparison studies are essential to analyze the emerging developments in a specific field of research. In the past decade, hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation from the shale reservoirs have been the most discussed and researched area around the globe. A dramatic development in shale formations became the game-changer, especially in the US. On the other hand, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) are playing an important role in the rapid development in all the industries through automating most of the routine operations. The oil industry is also getting equal benefits of AI and ML for the reservoir development planning and its operational accuracy through a series of automated systems. For the field development, computerized static and dynamic simulation models are generated based on several Petrophysical and Geomechanical properties gathered through different resources that are quite a time taking and expensive. AI and ML have made this process much easier, faster, and economical by means of learning through uncounted experiences from already explored and developed reservoirs, their rock properties, and the cross-ponding fluid flow behavior under different circumstances and hence, predicts accordingly. This article provides a comprehensive literature review in the area of AI and ML application to model Petrophysical and Geomechanical properties using different approaches and algorithms. Also, a systematic publication counts in each field of subject study per year in different literature databases are presented that infect reflects the trending interest in this subject. Finally, multiple AI and ML techniques are discussed in detail that has been tested in the last decade for the sake of achieving more accuracy in Petrophysical and Geo-Mechanical simulation models.
Thenar and Hypothenar Muscle Coverage on the Transverse Carpal Ligament

Background The purpose of the study was to examine the coverage of thenar and hypothenar muscles on the transverse carpal ligament (TCL) in the radioulnar direction through in vivo ultrasound imaging of the carpal tunnel. We hypothesized that the TCL distance covered by the thenar muscle would be greater than that by the hypothenar muscle, and that total muscle coverage on the TCL would be greater than the TCL-alone region. Methods Ultrasound videos of human wrist were collected on 20 healthy subjects. Automated algorithms were used to extract the distal cross-sectional image of the trapezium-hamate level. Manual tracing of the anatomical features was conducted. Results Thenar muscles covered a significantly larger distance (11.9 ± 1.8 mm) as compared with hypothenar muscles (1.7 ± 0.8 mm) (p Conclusions More than 50% of the TCL at the distal carpal tunnel is covered by thenar and hypothenar muscles. Knowledge of muscular attachments to the TCL improves our understanding of carpal tunnel syndrome etiology and can guide carpal tunnel release surgery.
Radiographic assessment of traction-induced esophageal growth and traction-related complications of the Foker process for treatment of long-gap esophageal atresia.

BACKGROUND Radiographic assessment of esophageal growth in long-gap esophageal atresia while on traction and associated traction-related complications have not been described. OBJECTIVE To demonstrate how chest radiography can estimate esophageal position while on traction and to evaluate radiography's utility in diagnosing certain traction system complications. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this retrospective evaluation of portable chest radiographs obtained in infants with long-gap esophageal atresia who underwent the Foker process between 2014 and 2020, we assessed distances between the opposing trailing clips (esophageal gap) and the leading and trailing clips for each esophageal segment on serial radiographs. Growth during traction was estimated using longitudinal random-effects regression analysis to account for multiple chest radiograph measurements from the same child. RESULTS Forty-three infants (25 male) had a median esophageal gap of 4.5 cm. Median traction time was 14 days. Median daily radiographic esophageal growth rate for both segments was 2.2 mm and median cumulative growth was 23.6 mm. Traction-related complications occurred in 13 (30%) children with median time of 8 days from traction initiation. Daily change >12% in leading-to trailing clip distance demonstrated 86% sensitivity and 92% specificity for indicating traction-related complications (area under the curve [AUC] 0.853). Cumulative change >30% in leading- to trailing-clip distance during traction was 85% sensitive and 85% specific for indicating traction complications (AUC 0.874). CONCLUSION Portable chest radiograph measurements can serve as a quantitative surrogate for esophageal segment position in long-gap esophageal atresia. An increase of >12% between two sequential chest radiographs or >30% increase over the traction period in leading- to trailing-clip distance is highly associated with traction system complications.
Bourdieu on Religion: Imposing Faith and Legitimacy

Preface, Otto Maduro Introduction 1. The Life, Work, and Influences of a "Master of Suspicion" 2. Theory of Practice: Field, Habitus, Capital 3. Bourdieu's Writings on Religion 4. Outline of Theory of Religious Practice: Eternalizing the Arbitrary in Colonial New England 5. Using Bourdieu to Interpret Religion: Applications and Limitations Conclusion
Microdisk electrodes. Part II. Fast-scan cyclic voltammetry with very small electrodes

Abstract Cyclic voltammetry has been investigated at inlaid disk electrodes with nominal radii of 0.3, 1.0, and 5.0 μm. The electrode capacitance is found to be much larger than expected for the two smaller radii electrodes. This effect is attributed to the capacitance between the inner conductor and the electrolyte solution. The excess capacitive current is minimized by the use of a conductive shield around the electrode which is connected to ground potential. Criteria are investigated for the degree of filtering of steady-state voltammograms to minimize noise while avoiding distortion of the experimental data. Experimental voltammograms for the oxidation of ferrocene in acetonitrile solutions are found to be in good agreement with existing theories for scan rates in which linear and convergent diffusion occur. The factors which limit the use of very small electrodes are discussed in terms of signal-to-noise, ohmic drop, and linear diffusion.
Sugars and Amino Acids as Carbon, Nitrogen, or Energy Sources for Coccidioides immitis Spherules and Endospores

Of various carbohydrates and amino acids tested, glucose, mannose, fructose, and glutamate were the most efficient substrates metabolized by the endospores and spherules of Coccidioides immitis.
An ant system approach to redundancy allocation

The paper solves the redundancy allocation problem of a series-parallel system by developing and demonstrating a problem-specific ant system. The problem is to select components and redundancy levels to maximize system reliability, given system-level constraints on cost and weight. The ant system algorithm presented in the paper is combined with an adaptive penalty method to deal with the highly constrained problem. An elitist strategy and mutation are introduced to our AS algorithm. The elitist strategy enhances the magnitude of the trails of good selections of components. The mutated ants can help explore new search areas. Experiments were conducted on a well known set of sample problems proposed by D.E. Fyffe et al. (1968).
Bovine dentin phosphophoryn: Calcium ion binding properties of a high molecular weight preparation

The calcium ion binding properties of a high molecular weight bovine phosphophoryn preparation have been studied at high ionic strength (0.5 M KCl as supporting electrolyte). Surprisingly, even under these conditions at which intermolecular ionic interactions are effectively screened, phosphophoryn was capable of binding calcium ions. This suggests that calcium ion binding by bovine phosphophoryn involves formation of a coordination complex or chelation. Two classes of binding sites were identified. The high affinity sites have a relatively low affinity constant of ∼775 moles but maximally represented about 90% of the (SerP+Asp) residues along the polypeptide backbone. Binding was nonideal in that the number of high affinity sites showed a marked dependence on phosphophoryn concentration, increasing with the protein concentration. This unusual concentration dependence suggests that calcium-mediated intramolecular interactions may limit available high affinity sites at lower phosphophoryn solution concentrations by a requirement for intramolecular folding. In support of this conclusion, the reduced viscosity of dilute phosphophoryn solutions was found to fall rapidly as a result of intramolecular folding, whereas at higher phosphophoryn concentrations calcium-mediated intermolecular aggregate formation slowed the rate of viscosity decrease. At the lower physiological ionic strength the affinity constant for specific calcium ion binding is several orders of magnitude greater than under the extreme conditions described in this work.
Ground-based simulations of galactic cosmic ray fragmentation and transport.

Abstract Since mean free paths for nuclear fragmentation are of the order of the ranges of primary Galactic Cosmic Ray (GCR) nuclei, determination of the radiation field produced by successive fragmentations of nuclei in material and tissue is essential to accurate assessment of GCR radiation risk to humans on long-duration missions outside the geomagnetosphere. We describe some recent measurements made at the Bevalac of heavy ion transport through materials, with representative results and examples of how they may be applied to aspects of the space radiation problem, including efforts to devise analytical tools for predicting biological effects and for designing spacecraft shielding.
Stresses in accreted planetary bodies

Abstract An explicit analytical solution is obtained for the stress field in an accreted triaxial ellipsoid under the influence of self-gravitation and rotation. Material is assumed to attach to the surface of the accreting body in a stress-free state, after which it behaves elastically. The results differ significantly from the classical elasticity solutions that are based on the assumption that the body is fully formed before the loading is applied. These results are relevant to the strengths of accreted planetary bodies such as comets and asteroids. The solution allows both the magnitude and direction of the angular velocity to be a general function of the time-like parameter defining the progress of accretion. Simple closed-form expressions are given for two special cases—the ellipsoid accreting at constant angular velocity and the sphere accreting with an angular velocity vector that precesses through 90° during the accretion process. A Mathematica notebook permitting the solution of other problems can be downloaded from the website http://www-personal.umich.edu/jbarber/ellipsoid.nb .
Interpretation of Impedance Data for Porous Electrodes and Diffusion Processes

Abstract The transmission lines most frequently used in corrosion studies are discussed. The interpretation of impedance data for cylindrical pores, and irregularly-shaped noncylindrical pores, fre...
Modeled patterns of Late Pleistocene glacier inception and growth in the Southern and Central Rocky Mountains, USA: sensitivity to climate change and paleoclimatic implications

Abstract High-resolution modern climate data for the Southern and Central Rocky Mountains provide a starting point for analysis of climate changes necessary to produce regional Late Pleistocene glaciation. A GIS-based model was used to assess the sensitivity of glaciation in different ranges to climatic change and the combinations of temperature and precipitation change necessary to sustain the last glacial maximum (LGM) extent of glaciation in each range. Extensive glaciation initiates first in the Wind River Range of Wyoming under every climate change scenario tested. In absence of precipitation change a summer temperature depression of 6–8 °C would be necessary to maintain LGM ice extents in Colorado and Wyoming. If precipitation was halved, necessary summer temperature depression would be 8–10 °C; if precipitation was doubled, a depression of 3.5–5.5 °C would suffice. Given model uncertainties, these values may underestimate necessary temperature depression by as much as 2 °C. Under all scenarios tested, LGM glaciation in Utah, particularly the Wasatch Range, requires either more temperature depression for given precipitation change, or more precipitation for a given temperature depression than is required in the Colorado/Wyoming Rockies. A summer temperature depression of 7 °C, which would suffice to sustain LGM ice extent with little change from modern precipitation in the Colorado/Wyoming Rockies, would need to be coupled with a near doubling of precipitation to maintain LGM ice extent in the Wasatch Range. This difference appears to reflect LGM precipitation enhancement in the Wasatch Range, and to a lesser degree the Uinta Mountains, resulting from the presence of Lake Bonneville immediately upwind of these ranges.
DNA-Length-Dependent Quenching of Fluorescently Labeled Iron Oxide Nanoparticles with Gold, Graphene Oxide and MoS2 Nanostructures

We controlled the fluorescence emission of a fluorescently labeled iron oxide nanoparticle using three different nanomaterials with ultraefficient quenching capabilities. The control over the fluorescence emission was investigated via spacing introduced by the surface-functionalized single-stranded DNA molecules. DNA molecules were conjugated on different templates, either on the surface of the fluorescently labeled iron oxide nanoparticles or gold and nanographene oxide. The efficiency of the quenching was determined and compared with various fluorescently labeled iron oxide nanoparticle and nanoquencher combinations using DNA molecules with three different lengths. We have found that the template for DNA conjugation plays significant role on quenching the fluorescence emission of the fluorescently labeled iron oxide nanoparticles. We have observed that the size of the DNA controls the quenching efficiency when conjugated only on the fluorescently labeled iron oxide nanoparticles by setting a spacer betw...
Hot Corrosion of Metals and Alloys

When metals and alloys are used at high temperatures, especially in combustion processes, deposits often accumulate on the metal surfaces and affect the oxidation processes. This paper is concerned with deposit-induced accelerated corrosion, or hot corrosion, of metals and alloys. Initially, the characteristics of hot corrosion are identified for Na2SO4 deposits in terms of the factors that influence the reaction process. It is shown that hot corrosion consists of initiation or incubation and propagation stages. During the initiation or incubation stage, the deposit is shown to not have a significant effect on the corrosion processes, but it is causing conditions to develop whereby the propagation stage characteristics are determined with attendant large increases in the corrosion rates. Type I, high temperature hot corrosion and Type II, low temperature hot corrosion are then described in terms of historical mechanistic perspectives. The dependence of Type I and Type II hot corrosion on temperature and SO3 partial pressure is discussed along with future work that is needed in order to more completely understand these hot corrosion processes along with the effects of some elements such as Cr, Al, Mo, Co and Pt.
Economic Background for Gambling Policy

Legalized gambling as a revenue source is evaluated on the basis of data derived from a nationwide survey. The major findings include: (1) gambling is essentially a consumer commodity which people purchase because they enjoy it, rather than because they expect to make money; (2) maximum revenue potential depends on consumer responsiveness to the price of a given game; (3) high take-out rates encourage gamblers to participate in illegal substitutes; (4) state receipts from gambling, regardless of the details of the way they are collected, are economically identical to any other form of excise tax; (5) although gambling outlays tend to increase with income, the amount of increase is disproportionate to the amount of income, and therefore gambling tends to be a highly regressive form of taxation; and (6) the maximum revenue which states could expect to collect as the result of legalizing gambling is about a 4 percent addition to total receipts from other sources of revenue.
Immunotherapy with tumor cell subpopulations

L1210 tumor subpopulations were isolated by lectin-nylon chromatography and evaluated in active, specific immunotherapy of residual L1210 leukemia (following reduction in tumor burden by chemotherapy). Immunotherapy with cells either not binding mannosylspecific columns or eluted from fucose-specific columns resulted in a higher percent of long-term survivors compared to mice treated with chemotherapy only. In contrast, immunotherapy with cells eluted from galactose-specific columns was deleterious, and abrogated the beneficial effects of chemotherapy. The results emphasize that (a) clinical immunotherapy may be either beneficial or deleterious, depending upon the properties of the tumor cell vaccine, and (b) the therapeutic value of L1210 subpopulations is related to the expression of cell-surface carbohydrates.
Characterization of type I IGF receptor and IGF-I mRNA expression in cultured human and bovine glomerular cells

Abstract Glomerular hypertrophy is reported in several endocrine disorders such as acromegaly and diabetes mellitus, where abnormalities of growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I) have been reported. In the present report, we have cultured bovine and human glomerular endothelial cells, and bovine glomerular epithelial and mesangial cells, and characterized the expression of IGF-I mRNA and its receptor in these cells. High affinity, specific receptors for IGF-I were identified in all three types of cells by radioreceptor assays. Receptor number ( R o ) derived by Scatchard analysis revealed an unusually high number of Type I IGF receptors, approx. 1.2·105 receptors/cell in glomerular endothelial cells. Affinity crosslinking studies and immunoprecipitation with antibodies against the Type I IGF receptor identified the α-subunit of the IGF-I receptor as having a molecular mass of 140 kDa. Biologically, IGF-I was more potent than insulin or IGF-II in stimulating DNA synthesis in glomerular endothelial cells. Northern blot analysis showed that glomerular and aortic endothelial cells expressed IGF-1 mRNA of 1.7 kb. In contrast, renal glomeruli showed several IGF-1 mRNAs of 7.5, 1.7 and 1.2 kb. Thus, the demonstration of both a prepondence of Type I IGF receptors coupled with the growth promoting effects of IGF-I in glomerular endothelial and epithelial cells, as well as the local production of IGF-I mRNA suggests that IGF-I serves an important role as an autocrine or paracrine regulator of the growth of renal glomeruli.