cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A novel, minimally-invasive surgical approach for ablation of ventricular tachycardia originating near the proximal left anterior descending coronary artery.

Idiopathic ventricular tachycardia (VT) arising from the left ventricular (LV) summit can be challenging for catheter-based percutaneous ablation. We present a patient in whom endocardial and percutaneous epicardial ablations were not successful in eliminating VT. Subsequently, a minimally invasive surgical approach with robotic-assisted mapping, followed by minithoracotomy and cryoablation of the myocardium near the region of the proximal left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery, was successful in eliminating arrhythmia. A 54-year-old man with a medical history significant for hypertension and sleep apnea presented with exertional palpitations associated with lightheadedness. Holter monitoring revealed frequent premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) and nonsustained VT. β-blockers were started (metoprolol 100 mg BID), but sustained VT was demonstrated on exercise stress testing performed while on β-blockers. Physical examination and laboratory evaluation were unremarkable. Coronary angiography documented normal epicardial coronary vessels with a normal LV ejection fraction (64%). Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging revealed mild LV hypertrophy without fibrosis or other structural abnormalities. Despite optimal dose of β-blockers (metoprolol 100 mg BID) and calcium channel blockers (diltiazem CD 120 mg QD), the patient continued to have symptoms of lightheadedness and presyncope and was subsequently brought to the electrophysiology laboratory for further evaluation and treatment. On 12-lead ECG, the morphology of spontaneous PVCs was predominantly positive in the inferior leads with early precordial transition (V2). The ratio of QS complexes in aVL/aVR was <1, suggestive of origin from the inaccessible region of the LV summit.1 (Figure 1) Figure 1. Surface 12-lead ECG showing premature ventricular contractions with inferior axis, early transition suggesting site of origin near the anterosuperior …
Virilizing ovarian dermoid cyst with leydig cells.

Abstract Background The clinical observation of virilization is a rare finding that has a number of possible explanations. Overall, ovarian tumors causing virilization are exceedingly rare and mostly occur in post-menopausal women. In fact, there are no reported cases of virilization from a testosterone-producing ovarian dermoid in the adolescent female age group. The most frequent germ cell tumor derived from the ovaries is the benign cystic teratoma (dermoid) which accounts for 25% of all ovarian neoplasms. 1 Teratomas consist of tissues that recapitulate the ectoderm, endoderm, and mesoderm. Usually the tumors are asymptomatic, but they occasionally can cause severe pain if there is torsion or if sebaceous material perforates the cyst wall, leading to reactive peritonitis. 1 Case A 12-year-old female was found to have a large 3 5× 19 × 12 cm ovarian mature cystic teratoma arising from her right ovary. The patient also displayed evidence of masculinization demonstrated by a deepening voice and clitoromegaly. The dermoid was producing large amounts of testosterone from a nest of Leydig cells found pathologically in the mass. Conclusion Benign cystic teratomas can produce active hormones, albeit rarely. This is a finding important to consider when ovarian cystectomy is performed for removal of a benign cystic teratoma.
Investigating pipeline–soil interaction under axial–lateral relative movements in sand

This paper presents results from an experimental and numerical study on the axial–lateral interaction of pipes with dense sand. A series of centrifuge tests were conducted, with a rigid pipeline di...
Supersymmetric three-cycles and (super)symmetry breaking

We describe physical phenomena associated with a class of transitions that occur in the study of supersymmetric three-cycles in Calabi-Yau (CY) threefolds. The transitions in question occur at real codimension one in the complex structure moduli space of the Calabi-Yau manifold. In type-IIB string theory, these transitions can be used to describe the evolution of a Bogomol'nyi-Prasad-Sommerfeld (BPS) state as one moves through a locus of marginal stability: at the transition point the BPS particle becomes degenerate with a supersymmetric two-particle state, and after the transition the lowest energy state carrying the same charges is a nonsupersymmetric two-particle state. In the IIA theory, wrapping the cycles in question with D6 branes leads to a simple realization of the Fayet model: for some values of the CY modulus gauge symmetry is spontaneously broken, while for other values supersymmetry is spontaneously broken. (c) 1999 The American Physical Society.
Using Structural Equation Modeling With Forensic Samples

Because of its many advantages, structural equation modeling (SEM) has been used with increasing frequency in behavioral science, and it is a set of techniques that can be useful in analyzing forensic research data. Issues in SEM, including theory, estimation method, sample size and data requirements, identification, and fit indices are discussed. Using a sample of data from men arrested for domestic violence perpetration and court referred to treatment, examples of path analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and full structural models with latent variables are presented.
Patient and physician perceptions of their relationship and patient satisfaction: A study of chronic disease management

This study investigated patient and physician perceptions of their relationship and examined how their perceptions related to patient satisfaction. Data are based on 134 patient-physician interactions. Study participants included 12 physicians (five women and seven men) and 134 male patients with a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus being seen on an outpatient basis. Information on patient and physician demographics, patient’s metabolic control and functional status and time spent in the interaction were also collected. Results revealed that patients with lower levels of education were most satisfied and that physicians who viewed the relationship as a patient-physician partnership had more satisfiedpatients than those who viewed the relationship as physician controlled. Findings also indicated that physicians’gende r and number of years in practice were not related to patient satisfaction. Practical implications include: (1) increasing attention to physician S perceptions of his or her relationship with individual patients and (2) exposing newly trained physicians to partnership types of relationships, if future research confirms these findings in chronic disease management.
Tolerance induction using nanoparticles bearing HY peptides in bone marrow transplantation.

Allogeneic cell therapies have either proven effective or have great potential in numerous applications, though the required systemic, life-long immunosuppression presents significant health risks. Inducing tolerance to allogeneic cells offers the potential to reduce or eliminate chronic immunosuppression. Herein, we investigated antigen-loaded nanoparticles for their ability to promote transplant tolerance in the minor histocompatibility antigen sex-mismatched C57BL/6 model of bone marrow transplantation. In this model, the peptide antigens Dby and Uty mediate rejection of male bone marrow transplants by female CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, respectively, and we investigated the action of nanoparticles on these T cell subsets. Antigens were coupled to or encapsulated within poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLG) nanoparticles with an approximate diameter of 500 nm. Delivery of the CD4-encoded Dby epitope either coupled to or encapsulated within PLG particles prevented transplant rejection, promoted donor-host chimerism, and suppressed proliferative and IFN-γ responses in tolerized recipients. Nanoparticles modified with the Uty peptide did not induce tolerance. The dosing regimen was investigated with Dby coupled particles, and a single dose delivered the day after bone marrow transplant was sufficient for tolerance induction. The engraftment of cells was significantly affected by PD-1/PDL-1 costimluation, as blockade of PD-1 reduced engraftment by ∼50%. In contrast, blockade of regulatory T cells did not impact the level of chimerism. The delivery of antigen on PLG nanoparticles promoted long-term engraftment of bone marrow in a model with a minor antigen mismatch in the absence of immunosuppression, and this represents a promising platform for developing a translatable, donor-specific tolerance strategy.
HYDRA: the kernel of a multiprocessor operating system

This paper describes the design philosophy of HYDRA—the kernel of an operating system for C.mmp, the Carnegie-Mellon Multi-Mini-Processor. This philosophy is realized through the introduction of a generalized notion of “resource,” both physical and virtual, called an “object.” Mechanisms are presented for dealing with objects, including the creation of new types, specification of new operations applicable to a given type, sharing, and protection of any reference to a given object against improper application of any of the operations defined with respect to that type of object. The mechanisms provide a coherent basis for extension of the system in two directions: the introduction of new facilities, and the creation of highly secure systems.
Time-frequency radar processing for meteor detection

In this paper, we present signal processing techniques to detect meteor returns from Arecibo Observatory 430-MHz UHF radar data. We exploit the characteristics of the transmit waveform in the frequency domain as well as in the time domain. Two detection methods are investigated. First, when a meteor is present in the radar return over several interpulse periods, there will be a periodic structure in frequency spectrum. By detecting this structure, we detect the presence of a meteor. Second, we construct a matched filter bank to detect the energy of different Doppler frequency components. When the energy exceeds a certain threshold, we declare meteor detection. We also find the altitude of a meteor by finding the peak of the matched filter output. Analytical and experimental results show that we can efficiently and reliably detect meteors using these methods.
Importance of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors in Myocardial Infarction and Congestive Heart Failure: Implications for Clinical Practice

Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors) have been shown to be effective in improving symptoms and survival in patients with systolic left ventricular dysfunction. Despite their prove
Secretory Granules and Progesterone Secretion by Ovine Corpora Lutea in Vitro

To study the relationship between formation and release of Golgi-derived secretory granules and progesterone secretion, slices of ovine luteal tissue were incubated in the presence of LH and/or calcium ionophore A23187. Increases in progesterone secretion in response to LH and/or ionophore were accompanied by a concomitant release of secretory granules. In contrast, in the presence of colchicine, LH-stimulated progesterone secretion was significantly reduced (P less than 0.01), granule formation appeared to be blocked, and there was little evidence of exocytosis. In addition, unusual pleomorphic membrane-bounded saccules containing an electron-dense material were abundant throughout the centrospheric region of cells treated with colchicine. Because of the close parallelism between formation and release of Golgi-derived secretory granules and progesterone secretion, it appears that progesterone secretion may be coupled to exocytosis of secretory granules. Although the exact content and function of the secretory granules described remains to be elucidated, the data obtained are compatible with the notion that they may contain a progesterone carrier protein.
UTILIZING BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTIONS TO IMPROVE SUPERVISION OUTCOMES IN COMMUNITY-BASED CORRECTIONS

This is a copy of an article published in the Criminal Justice and Behavior © 2011 SAGE Publications
Candidate Valence and Ideological Positions in U.S. House Elections

We examine the relationship between the valence qualities of candidates and the ideological positions they take in U.S. House elections based on a study of the 2006 midterm elections. Our design enables us to distinguish between campaign and character dimensions of candidate valence and to place candidates and districts on the same ideological scale. Incumbents with a personal-character advantage are closer ideologically to their district preferences, while disadvantaged challengers takemoreextremepolicypositions.Contrarytoconventionalwisdom,challengerscanreapelectoralrewardsbytakingmore extreme positions relative to their districts. We explore a possible mechanism for this extremism effect by demonstrating that challengers closer to the extreme received greater financial contributions, which enhanced their chances of victory. Our results bear on theories of representation that include policy and valence, although the interactions between these two dimensions may be complex and counterintuitive.
A Consensual Technique for Creativity Assessment

The consensual definition of creativity, my assumptions about the nature of creativity assessment, and the requirements of an appropriate methodology for a social psychology of creativity led to the development of the consensual assessment technique used in my research. Before presenting studies that employed the technique and assessing the extent to which it meets the criteria for creativity measurement in social psychology, I will describe the major features of the technique in some detail.
Investigation of the Effects of the Telephone in Causing Positive or Negative Factors in the Study Habits of Female College Students in an Urban University

THIS IS AN investigation of the effects of the telephone in causing positive or negative factors in the study habits of female college students in an urban university, in the City of Newark, New Jer sey. Sub-problems considered in the study are: part-time jobs; class assignments; topics of inter est, and television programs. The form used in this study was the Normative (Descriptive) Survey Method.
A Technique for Inducing Attacks and Mating of the Mountain Pine Beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosae (= monticolae) (Coleoptera: Scolytidae)

Studies of population dynamics within the laboratory depend largely upon known population densities for experimentation. This fact requires the development of techniques that insure successful attack and mating by the parent adults.
Sympathetic modulation of blood flow and O2 uptake in rhythmically contracting human forearm muscles.

This study tested the effects of sympathetically mediated changes in blood flow to active muscles on muscle O2 uptake (VO2) in humans. Four minutes of graded (15-80% of maximum voluntary contractio...
Silent, asymptomatic rupture of the uterus following normal labor and delivery: With two case reports

Abstract 1. 1. Attention is drawn to a group of uterine ruptures occurring during labor that are silent and asymptomatic; they are not associated with any of the classical signs. 2. 2. Two case histories are presented. Both cases were diagnosed by incidental dental laparotomy for postpartum tubal ligation for other indications. 3. 3. This type of partial rupture of the uterus cannot be classified under the usual terminology. 4. 4. These cases are presented as a possible explanation for complete rupture of the uterus following normal labor in subsequent pregnancies.
General Theory of Optimality

In this chapter the only requirements made of the loss function L(xT, zT, uT−1) are that it be measurable, non-negative, and possibly infinite. The principal idea exploited here is that of the minimal conditional loss functional \( \hat F_t \left( {z^t ,\left\{ u \right\}} \right) \). For {u} fixed \( \hat F_t \), is a measurable function of zt, and for zt fixed it depends on the truncated law {ut−1} — hence the term “functional.” In the usual treatment of the dynamic programming problem (Blackwell [2], Hinderer [8], etc) the minimal conditional loss function depends only on the value of the truncated law ut−1(zt−1) at the observation point z and not on the entire law {ut−l}. While the complexity of the functional \( \hat F_t \left( {z^t ,\left\{ u \right\}} \right) \) over the function \( \hat F_t \left( {z^t ,u^{t - 1} } \right) \) may be a disadvantage, it appears to be outweighed by the “natural” properties of \( \hat F_t \),. Section 4.4, in which a comparison of the two criteria is made is not required for the development of the argument and is included primarily to show the relation of the present approach to that of the literature of dynamic programming.
Influence of perceived femininity, masculinity, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status on intimate partner violence among sexual-minority women

Sexual-minority women (SMW) are believed to experience comparable or higher rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) than heterosexual women. In this study, we expand upon existing research by examining the intersectional relationships among self-perceptions of femininity and masculinity, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status (SES), and IPV. Data are obtained from the most recent wave of the longitudinal Chicago Health and Life Experiences of Women study that included a diverse sample of SMW (N = 608). We use multivariate generalized linear models to investigate self-perceptions of femininity and masculinity, race/ethnicity, and SES differences in multiple types of IPV, including moderate IPV, severe IPV, and a sexual-minority-specific measure of IPV, threat of "outing" one's partner. Results suggest no differences across self-perceptions of femininity and masculinity in SMW's reporting of victimization but clear differences based on race/ethnicity and SES. Implications for providing support to SMW who experience IPV and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Growth and Aging: Why Do Big Dogs Die Young?

Publisher Summary The strongest evidence in favor of the idea linking early life growth rate and aging comes from the analysis of size and mean life span among dog breeds. The squared correlation coefficient indicates that more than half of the life-span variation among breeds is explained by the factors—virtually all genetic—that modulate interbreed differences in body weight. The differences in longevity among dog breeds of different sizes seemingly reflect not only survival per se but also real differences in aging rate in multiple degenerative conditions. Diseases appear earlier in larger breeds compared to smaller ones. Indeed, the age at which clinical veterinarians consider dogs to require “geriatric” care ranges from 6 to 9 years in giant breeds to 9 to 13 years in smaller breeds. Life span of rodents can be extended by at least two classes of nutritional manipulations, those that diminish total caloric intake and those that restrict the levels of essential amino acids, such as methionine or tryptophan.
Optimization and Analysis of a Slow-Release Permanganate Gel for Groundwater Remediation in Porous and Low-Permeability Media

Dense nonaqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs) like trichloroethylene (TCE) serve as the most common form of groundwater pollution in the world. Potassium permanganate (KMnO4) is a strong oxidant that can quickly destroy DNAPLs into innocuous products. Slow-release permanganate gel (SRPG), a mixture of colloidal silica (CS) and KMnO4, has been recently developed as novel treatment option for dilute and large plumes of DNAPLs in groundwater. The objective of this study was to characterize and optimize gelling and release properties of a SRPG solution in saturated porous media. It was hypothesized that CS and KMnO4 content of the SRPG constrain gelation and release duration. Batch and column tests showed that gelation could be delayed through manipulation of the KMnO4 content. In column tests, silica content had little effect on the gelation lag stage and release rate but influenced duration of permanganate release. Flow tank tests comparing Bindzil 1440 (B-40) SRPGs with pure KMnO4 solutions under varying media conditions demonstrated that the presence of CS enhanced lateral spread and prolonged release duration of the oxidant.
NOD1 and NOD2: Beyond Peptidoglycan Sensing

NOD1 and NOD2 are pattern recognition receptors of the innate immune system with well-established roles in sensing fragments of bacterial peptidoglycan. In addition to their role as microbial sensors, recent evidence indicates that nucleotide-binding oligomerization domains (NODs) can also recognize a broader array of danger signals. Indeed, recent work has expanded the roles of NOD1 and NOD2 to encompass not only sensing of infections with viruses and parasites but also perceiving perturbations of cellular processes such as regulation of the actin cytoskeleton and maintenance of endoplasmic reticulum homeostasis. This review will comment on recent progress and point out emerging questions in these areas.
Religious Attendance and Body Mass: An Examination of Variations by Race and Gender

Studies of the association between religious attendance and body mass have yielded mixed results. In this paper, we consider intersectional variations by race and gender to advance our understanding of these inconsistencies. We use data from the 2006–2008 Health and Retirement Study to examine the association between religious attendance and three indicators of body mass: overall body mass index, waist circumference, and waist-to-height ratio (n = 11,457). For White women, attendance is either protective or unrelated to body mass. For Black women, attendance is consistently associated with increased body mass. We find that religious attendance is not associated with body mass among the men.
Infrasound propagation in tropospheric ducts and acoustic shadow zones

Numerical computations of the Navier-Stokes equations governing acoustic propagation are performed to investigate infrasound propagation in the troposphere and into acoustic shadow zones. An existing nonlinear finite-difference, time-domain (FDTD) solver that constrains input sound speed models to be axisymmetric is expanded to allow for advection and rigid, stair-step topography. The FDTD solver permits realistic computations along a given azimuth. It is applied to several environmental models to examine the effects of nonlinearity, topography, advection, and two-dimensional (2D) variations in wind and sound speeds on the penetration of infrasound into shadow zones. Synthesized waveforms are compared to a recording of a rocket motor fuel elimination event at the Utah Test and Training Range. Results show good agreement in the amplitude, duration, and spectra of synthesized and recorded waveforms for propagation through 2D atmospheric models whether or not topography, advection, or nonlinearity is explici...
Combination checkpoint immunotherapy and cytotoxic chemotherapy: Further results from a phase Ib/II trial of pembrolizumab and docetaxel or gemcitabine in patients with advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer.

4541Background: We previously reported tolerability of pembrolizumab plus either docetaxel or gemcitabine in platinum-treated metastatic urothelial cancer patients (pts), given the hypothesis that ...
The History of Psychological Ownership and Its Emergence in Consumer Psychology

This chapter is about the history of the construct psychological ownership and its migration into consumer psychology. The emergence of the construct in the organizational sciences is largely one of “serendipity” followed by our ability to “stand upon the shoulders of giants” whose prior reflections on the concept of ownership, and especially its manifestation as a psychological phenomenon, were extremely illuminating. We start with comments on what we believe to be the origins of the construct psychological ownership. This is followed by an overview of the theory of psychological ownership as both an individual and collective phenomenon. Finally, we conclude this chapter with a discussion of the emergence of the construct into the realm of consumer psychology.
Reverse CDN in Fog Computing: The lifecycle of video data in connected and autonomous vehicles

This paper introduces the concept of the Reverse Content Distribution Network (rCDN) infrastructure synergized with Fog Computing. In many IoT use cases, video content and other streaming data flow from downstream devices (cameras) to upstream devices (e.g., IoT Gateway, Road Side Unit, network edge node) that can stream the content directly to the Cloud or can aggregate, store and process data in a distributed fashion. This builds a Content Distribution Network (CDN) that changes the traditional CDN model. This gives rise to rCDN, a collection of related video streams that flow from multiple content sources in a many-to-1 fashion, and where highly dynamic video data is likely aggregated, processed, analyzed, transformed, cached and migrated potentially multiple times en route to its final storage destination. In this paper, we present a solution that synergize rCDN and Fog Computing to serve connected and autonomous vehicles, where video content from vehicles cameras and street cameras are distributed across rCDN nodes. We also discuss the role of rCDN for data re-usability within the Smart City, and highlight existing challenges.
The Status of Integration of Academic and Agricultural Education in North Carolina.

As we enter the 21st century, education is becoming more and more technologically advanced. As a result, effective education cannot be either liberal/academic or technical/vocational. According toKearns and Doyle (1988), liberal education teaches both traditional academic subjects, such as science and history, and critical thinking and problem-solving skills.Figler (1989)outlined some skills taught in a liberal or academic curriculum that are needed in the workplace, including communications, thinking, valuing, and interviewing skills. Technical or vocational education, on the other hand, teaches skills required for many occupations(Roegge, 1994).Rankin (1993)stated that 97% of all high school students enroll in a vocational course during their high school career, and many students consider vocational goals most important to their future. Vocational and academic integration is a marriage of both types of curricula in order to teach the many skills necessary for students' future successes.
Spanglish in the United States: ‘We speak Spanglish to the dogs, to the grandchildren, to the kids’

There are many different varieties of both standard and non-standard Spanish spoken in the United States, and virtually all have been strongly influenced by their extensive contact with English. One of the results of this language contact has been the emergence of a number of different contact language varieties, commonly grouped together and called ‘Spanglish’. Spanglish is neither Spanish nor English; it is a distinctive language variety (or, more accurately, collection of language varieties) used by different populations in the US. In this chapter, some of the common phonological, lexical and syntactic characteristics identified with Spanglish are discussed, as are the implications of Spanglish for both identity and education.
The Approach to a Patient with Suspected Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Disease (LPRD)

Laryngopharyngeal reflux disease (LPR) refers to the symptomatic manifestation of tissue injury that is caused when gastric contents are refluxed retrograde above the level of the upper esophageal sphincter. LPR symptoms can be variable and may include throat symptoms, voice changes, and even disordered swallowing. In addition, LPR symptoms often overlap with other conditions such as other laryngeal pathologies, allergies, and pulmonary disease. This can pose both a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. In this chapter, we discuss the many ways that LPR may manifest clinically, as well as the common clinical mimickers that should be considered when evaluating a patient with LPR-like symptoms. We then present an overview of the different strategies that are currently available to diagnose LPR – from symptom questionnaires to sophisticated measurement of gastric refluxate – and the relative merits of each. The goal of this chapter is to equip the reader with the knowledge necessary to confidently evaluate the patient with suspected LPR and choose a diagnostic modality that is appropriate for each situation.
Rapid local adaptation to northern winters in the invasive Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus: A moving target

Rapid adaptation in response to novel environments can facilitate species invasions and range expansions. Understanding how invasive disease vectors rapidly evolve to novel conditions—particularly at the edge of its non‐native range—has important implications for mitigating the prevalence and spread of disease. Here, we evaluate the role of local adaptation in overwintering capability of the Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus. This species invaded the Southern United States in the 1980s and rapidly spread northward into novel climate compared to its native range. Photoperiodically induced egg diapause is a key trait contributing to the establishment and spread of Ae. albopictus in temperate latitudes, and diapause incidence rapidly developed a cline along a latitudinal gradient in the United States shortly after its initial invasion. However, variation in overwintering survival of diapause‐induced eggs along this gradient is not known, but is critical to the fitness‐related role of diapause evolution in the establishment of Ae. albopictus in its northern US range. Using reciprocal transplants, we detected local adaptation in overwinter survival of diapausing Aedes albopictus eggs. In northern range‐edge winters, eggs produced by range‐edge individuals survived better than those produced by range‐core individuals. Diapause eggs from range‐edge and range‐core locations survived equally well in range‐core winters, and no eggs survived a winter beyond the current northern range limit in the United States. Synthesis and applications. These results demonstrate rapid (~3 decades) local adaptation of egg diapause, a key trait facilitating overwinter survival and range expansion for the invasive Asian tiger mosquito. In light of these results, control efforts could shift from targeting satellite populations to a focus on preventing dispersal into locally adapted, range‐edge locations and to aim removal efforts towards areas surrounding locally adapted populations. Adopting new approaches to target rapidly adapting populations will require large‐scale collaboration among control agencies and research institutions, and should begin in the northern US range to better control Aedes albopictus mosquito populations in the face of rapid adaptation.
Cytosolic phospholipase A2 is a key regulator of blood–brain barrier function in epilepsy

Blood–brain barrier dysfunction in epilepsy contributes to seizures and resistance to antiseizure drugs. Reports show that seizures increase brain glutamate levels, leading to barrier dysfunction. ...
Diagnostics: The Role of the Laboratory

The significant role of the laboratory in infectious disease diagnosis calls for a closed loop working relationship between the physician and laboratory technician. The laboratory aims to generate useful information for the diagnosis, prognostication, and therapeutic monitoring of many human conditions. The laboratory and physician’s combined role holds an immense value for the healthcare system as a whole, especially in the critical care unit. This chapter focuses on the role the laboratory plays in critical care medicine. It will help allow physicians to focus on tests that are valuable and understand tests that add little or no value for diagnostic decisions. This chapter will focus on an organism-based approach as opposed to a system-based approach and includes laboratory testing for viral, bacterial, fungal, and parasitic infections. Each section will contain introductory concepts, a summary of key points, the most reliable tests to order, samples to collect in order of preference, specimen transport devices, procedures, temperatures, and detailed notes on specific issues regarding test methods. This chapter is designed to serve as a tool for physicians in choosing tests that will aid them in accurately and effectively diagnosing infectious diseases in critically ill patients.
Legume–Microbe Symbioses

The world will most likely face severe food shortages in the not-too-distant future, in part due to rapid population growth. Based on all models, significant increases in crop production will be needed to maintain human nutrition levels and this will require increased yields in current crop areas and use of land areas now considered to be marginal. If sufficient water is available, nitrogen (N) acquisition and assimilation ranks second in importance for plant growth next to photosynthesis. The production of food is dependent on the availability of N for plant growth and much of this N is now supplied in a non-sustainable manner from fossil fuels. However, many diverse bacteria contribute to N2 fixation (BNF) in soil and aquatic systems. In most agricultural systems, the primary source of biologically-fixed N occurs via the symbiotic interactions of legumes and soil bacteria collectively termed the rhizobia (including the genera Allorhizobium, Azorhizobium, Rhizobium, Mesorhizobium, Ensifer (formerly, Sinorhizobium) or Bradyrhizobium) and several new bacterial groups in the genera Devosia, Methylobacterium, Ochrobactrum, Shinella, Cupriavidus, and Burkholderia. These microbes have the ability to form N-fixing root nodules on roots/stems of legumes. Legumes may provide up of 35% of the world’s protein intake, and symbiotically-fixed N may account for 90 Tg N year−1. Over the last decade, it has been shown that the host plant and microbial genome both control metabolic processes that are essential to the proper functioning of the symbiotic interaction. Since N2-fixing symbioses require the interaction of two evolutionarily unique organisms (plants and microbes) that interact in an appropriate environment, research aimed at improving this process is interdisciplinary by definition. Consequently, understanding and utilizing these important symbiotic systems requires studies in microbial genetics, genomics, microbial and plant physiology, ecology, and soil science. Recently, there have been several exciting developments in the basic and applied sciences directed as this effort, with significant progress being made in bacterial and plant genomics, and in the genetic manipulation of the host plants to better understand the symbiotic process. While the symbiosis between rhizobia and its legume host has obvious importance for agricultural productivity, it also influences the global N cycle, is ecologically beneficial, and reduces use of our limited fossil fuel resources. The effective use of biological N fixation, via the application of rhizobia, results in better cropping systems that have a decreased impact on the environment through the decreased use of N fertilizers. For this reason, the ecological and genetic features of rhizobia have been studied extensively. Here, I present a discussion on the overall mechanisms by which legumes and microbes interact to fix atmospheric N and the genetics and genomics of these tightly linked symbiotic partners.
Analysis of Typical Modes of Relay Protection Defects Based on K-Means Algorithm

The accurate diagnosis and disposal of relay protection defects play an important role in ensuring the function of relay protection and the safe operation of power systems. As the numerous relay protection devices and circuits and the wide variety of defects, it brings challenges to the accurate diagnosis and disposal of defects. In this paper, based on historical defects, the overall analysis of defects is carried out from the perspective of location, cause and severity of defect. The key quantitative indicators of relay protection defect's characteristics are proposed. Based on K-means algorithm, historical defect's character data is clustered and analyzed. The defects are divided into different categories, and the typical defect mode of relay protection is obtained, which can lay a good foundation for the intelligent diagnosis and overhaul recommendation of defects.
Dynamic Generation of Empirical Cyberattack Models with Engineered Alert Features

Due to the increased diversity and complexity of cyberattacks, innovative and effective analytics are needed in order to identify critical cyber incidents on a corporate network even if no ground truth data is available. This paper develops an automated system which processes a set of intrusion alerts to create behavior aggregates and then classifies these aggregates into empirical attack models through a dynamic Bayesian approach with innovative feature engineering methods. Each attack model represents a unique collective attack behavior that helps to identify critical activities on the network. Using 2017 National Collegiate Penetration Testing Competition data, it is demonstrated that the developed system is capable of generating and refining unique attack models that make sense to human, without a priori knowledge.
Inactivation of bacteria in plasma by photosensitizers benzophenone and vitamins K3, B1 and B6 with UV A light irradiation.

Abstract Background A photosensitizer is a light-activated molecule that can generate reactive oxygen species or directly interact with nucleic acids. Both consequences can be applied to reduction of pathogens in various media and to selectively attack tumor cells. Numerous natural and synthesized photosensitizers have been identified for pathogen reduction. Methods The photosensitizers of vitamins K3 (VK3), B1 (VB1), B6 (VB6) and benzophenone (BP) were prepared in 100–200 μM of PBS solution, irradiated with UVA at 0–48 J/cm2 for absorption spectrum alterations analysis. Bacteria species of E. coli, B. cereus, S. aureus and K. pneumoniae were mixed with 0−200 mM concentration of compounds and exposed to UVA irradiation of different dose at 6, 12 or 18 J/cm2 to assess the bactericidal effects. Results and conclusions Over six logs CFU/ml reduction of E. coli suspended in PBS occurred after treatment with either VB1, VB6, VK3 or BP combined with UVA irradiation. When bacteria were suspended in plasma, two to seven logs reduction occurred depending on the UVA dose, photosensitizer concentration, and bacteria species. Among these photosensitizers, BP had the most potent bactericidal effect and is a promising UVA photosensitizer for pathogen reduction. The level of absorption spectrum alteration after UVA irradiation was profound for VK3 and VB6 but minimal for BP and VB1. The UV–vis absorption spectrum changes did not correlate with the bactericidal effect indicating that molecule modification by UVA light is not required for the bactericidal activity.
Statistical modelling of microsegregation in laser powder-bed fusion

Laser powder-bed fusion solidification of Ni–Nb alloys often results in cellular morphology in which the solute microsegregation was determined using experiments and simulations, and the data obtai...
Sex differences in integrated neurocardiovascular control of blood pressure following acute intermittent hypercapnic hypoxia.

Repetitive hypoxic apneas, similar to those observed in sleep apnea, result in resetting of the sympathetic baroreflex to higher blood pressures (BP). This baroreflex resetting is associated with h...
An ally you say? Endorsing White women as allies to encourage perceptions of allyship and organizational identity-safety among Black women:

Black women often question their belonging in organizational environments, and exposure to an allyship cue, such as a White woman endorsed as an ally, may help mitigate such concerns. We examine wh...
RURAL YOUTH PRACTIC OF CITIZENSHIP BEHAVIOUR IN A VILLAGE IN FAYOUM GOVERNORATE

The study aimed basically to determine the level of rural youth practicing ofcitizenship behavior in the study area, constructing and testing a causal model of therelationship between the level of rural youth practicing of citizenship behavior andsome studied variables, identifying the direct and indirect effects of the studiedvariables on the variation of the level of rural youth practicing of citizenship behaviorand finally identifying the most important obstacles of the rural youth practicing ofcitizenship behavior and the respondents suggestions for facing them. The empiricaldata used in the study were collected from 300 rural youth in the villages ofALgarq,Manshiet Abdal Majeed, AL Garq Qabaly and Daniel in Etsa district,Fayoum governorate.The findings provided an empirical evidence of the validity of the proposedmodel. There were direct and indirect significant effects of the following variables onthe level of rural youth practicing of citizenship behavior: age, the number of years offormal education, the degree of attension of problems and societal issues, leadership level, cultural openness and achievement motivation. Based upon the study findings,a number of theoretical and applied implications were presented and discussed.
Pulmonary vein occlusion: A delayed complication following radiofrequency ablation for atrial fibrillation

This case reports demonstrates the rare but potentially serious complication of pulmonary vein stenosis and subsequent thrombosis diagnosed two years after radiofrequency ablation of the pulmonary veins for atrial fibrillation. Pulmonary vein stenosis can remain asymptomatic until significant occlusion occurs, after which it can present with a variety of symptoms, mimicking a myriad of cardiovascular and pulmonic pathologies. Early diagnosis and treatment rely on consistent follow up using appropriate diagnostic imaging modalities and is paramount in preventing severe complications.
Shared automated vehicle fleet operations for first-mile last-mile transit connections with dynamic pooling

Abstract Shared automated vehicles (SAVs) have the potential to promote transit ridership by providing efficient first-mile last-mile (FMLM) connections through reduced operational costs to fleet providers and lower out-of-pocket costs to riders. To help plan for a future of integrated mobility, this paper investigates the impacts of SAVs serving FMLM connections, as a mode that provides flexibility in access/egress decisions and is well coordinated with train station schedules. To achieve this objective, a novel dynamic pooling algorithm was introduced to match SAVs with riders while coordinating the riders' arrival times at the light-rail station to a known train schedule. Microsimulations of SAVs and travelers throughout two central Austin neighborhoods show how larger service areas, higher levels of SAV demand, and longer arrival times between successive trains require larger SAV fleet sizes and higher SAV utilization rates to deliver close traveler wait times. Four-person SAVs appear to perform similar to 6-seat SAVs but will cost less to provide. Using a dynamic pooling algorithm tightly coordinated with train arrivals (every 15 min) delivers 87% of travelers to their stations in time to catch the next train, while uncoordinated assignments deliver just 58% of travelers in time.
Scalable linear programming based resource allocation for makespan minimization in heterogeneous computing systems

Resource management for large-scale high performance computing systems poses difficult challenges to system administrators. The extreme scale of these modern systems require task scheduling algorithms that are capable of handling at least millions of tasks and thousands of machines. Highly scalable algorithms are necessary to efficiently schedule tasks to maintain the highest level of performance from the system. In this study, we design a novel linear programming based resource allocation algorithm for heterogeneous computing systems to efficiently compute high quality solutions for minimizing makespan. The novel algorithm tightly bounds the optimal makespan from below with an infeasible schedule and from above with a fully feasible schedule. The new algorithms are highly scalable in terms of solution quality and computation time as the problem size increases because they leverage similarity in tasks and machines. This novel algorithm is compared to existing algorithms via simulation on a few example systems. We present a novel scheduling algorithm for heterogeneous computing environments.Uses groupings of similar tasks and machines to reduce the computational complexity.Computes upper and lower bounds on the optimal makespan.Schedule approaches a lower bound on the makespan as the number of tasks increases.Scheduling algorithm run time scales linearly with the number of tasks.
Influence and Impact Relationship between GIS Users and GIS Interfaces

A Geographic Information System (GIS) is a computer-based system for managing and processing geospatial data. GIS has been an important tool in science, government agencies, private agencies and the public since the 1960s. To make GIS more usable and useful to GIS users, the GIS community has paid increasing attention to GIS interfaces. This paper provides an individual level analysis of influence and impact relationship between GIS users and GIS interfaces based on the level analysis framework developed by Korpela et al. The analysis results show that, on one hand, different physical and mental characteristics of the end GIS users have influenced design of GIS interfaces; on the other hand, technologies developed in GIS interfaces have impacted how the GIS users understand and use the GIS in different ways.
Optical Coherence Tomography for the Evaluation of Retinal and Optic Nerve Morphology in Animal Subjects: Practical Considerations

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a noninvasive, noncontact imaging technique capable of producing high-resolution images of the retina and optic nerve. These images provide information that is useful for following the progression and/or resolution of posterior segment disease. Rapid advances in OCT technology allow the acquisition of increasingly detailed images, approaching the original goal of providing in vivo histopathology. Increases in scan acquisition speeds and axial resolution enhance the clinical diagnostic value of this modality. Adapting instrumentation designed for use in human patients for use in animals can be challenging. Each species has a unique set of adjustments that need to be made but it is possible to obtain reproducible, high-quality OCT images in a variety of animals, including rodents, dogs, cats, pigs, and monkeys. Deriving quantitative measurements from OCT instruments is hindered by software algorithm errors in detecting the edges of the distinct retinal layers. These segmentation errors occur in scans of human eyes as well in other species and arise with similar frequency with each of the different OCT instruments. Manual segmentation methods to derive optic nerve head and other structural indices have been developed for several species.