cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Parade of Sovereignties: Testing Theories of Secession in the Soviet Setting

This article asks why some ethnically distinct regions fight fiercely to secede while others struggle to save the same multinational state. It tests competing explanations using a new dataset containing forty-five cases, significantly more than any previous study in the Soviet setting. The empirical results confirm arguments that the most separatist regions tend to be those possessing the most wealth, containing the least assimilated ethnic groups and already enjoying the greatest levels of autonomy. Demonstration effects are also found to be powerful. No support is found for prominent theories pointing to group upward mobility and ‘skill sets’ as being decisive. Group histories of grievous exploitation or national independence are found not to explain patterns of secessionism.
Improved separation of sterols by column chromatography

Some closely related sterols have been separated on columns of neutral alumina-Super-Cel impregnated with silver nitrate. Most notable are the separations of some Delta(8)-sterols from their Delta(7)-isomers, separations which have been difficult, if not impossible, to achieve with other published column chromatographic methods.
Mutual Optimism and Unilateral War

In this paper we examine whether mutual optimism can be supported as a cause of war in models that permit the unilateral use of force. Previous work (Fey and Ramsay, 2007) has demonstrated that war cannot occur in any game in which both sides must agree in order to fight. With the more realistic assumption that either side can unilaterally use force, however, war is possible in equilibrium. But we show that mutual optimism is still not a valid explanation for war, because it is neither always necessary or sufficient for war in a wide range of models. In particular, we show that this is true for a broad class of models with unilateral force as well as bargaining models.
Many-Objective Software Remodularization Using NSGA-III

Software systems nowadays are complex and difficult to maintain due to continuous changes and bad design choices. To handle the complexity of systems, software products are, in general, decomposed in terms of packages/modules containing classes that are dependent. However, it is challenging to automatically remodularize systems to improve their maintainability. The majority of existing remodularization work mainly satisfy one objective which is improving the structure of packages by optimizing coupling and cohesion. In addition, most of existing studies are limited to only few operation types such as move class and split packages. Many other objectives, such as the design semantics, reducing the number of changes and maximizing the consistency with development change history, are important to improve the quality of the software by remodularizing it. In this article, we propose a novel many-objective search-based approach using NSGA-III. The process aims at finding the optimal remodularization solutions that improve the structure of packages, minimize the number of changes, preserve semantics coherence, and reuse the history of changes. We evaluate the efficiency of our approach using four different open-source systems and one automotive industry project, provided by our industrial partner, through a quantitative and qualitative study conducted with software engineers.
Room temperature optical frequency superposition state relaxation measurements in glasses doped with semiconductor microcrystallites

Time delayed four-wave mixing (TDFWM) using incoherent light was used to study the optical dephasing of CdSxSe1−x semiconductor microcrystallites in glass (sharp cut color glass filters) at room temperature. Amplified spontaneous emission from a Nd:YAG laser pumped dye cell was used to generate incoherent pulses at 6240 A with 400-A bandwidth, 5-ns duration, and 10-Hz repetition rate.
Mechanism of resistance to the ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitor STI571 in BCR/ABL–transformed hematopoietic cell lines

The tyrosine kinase activity of the Bcr/Abl oncogene is required for transformation of hematopoietic cells. The tyrosine kinase inhibitor STI571 (formerly called CGP57148B, Novartis Pharmaceuticals) inhibits BCR/ABL, TEL/ABL, and v-ABL kinase activity and inhibits growth and viability of cells transformed by any of these ABL oncogenes. Here we report the generation of 2 BCR/ABL-positive cell lines that have developed partial resistance to STI571. BCR/ABL-transformed Ba/F3 hematopoietic cells and Philadelphia-positive human K562 cells were cultured in gradually increasing concentrations of STI571 over a period of several months to generate resistant lines. Resistant Ba/F3.p210 cells were found to have an increase in Bcr/Abl messenger RNA, amplification of the Bcr/Abl transgene, and a greater than tenfold increase in the level of BCR/ABL protein. In contrast to Ba/F3.p210 cells, drug-resistant K562 cells did not undergo detectable amplification of the BCR/ABL gene, although they displayed a 2-fold to 3-fold increase in p210BCR/ABL protein. The addition of STI571 to both resistant Ba/F3. p210 and K562 cells resulted in a rapid reduction of tyrosine phosphorylation of cellular proteins, similar to that observed for nonresistant cells. However, the inhibition of kinase activity was transient and partial and was not accompanied by apoptosis. The results suggest that resistance to STI571 may be multifactorial. Increased expression of the target protein BCR/ABL was observed in both lines, and resulted from oncogene amplification in one line. However, altered drug metabolism, transport, or other related mechanisms may also contribute to drug resistance.
Progress in SPECT/CT imaging of prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer (other than skin cancer) among men in the United States. Although prostate cancer is one of the few cancers that grow so slowly that it may never threaten the lives of some patients, it can be lethal once metastasized. Indium-111 capromab pendetide (ProstaScint®, Cytogen Corporation, Princeton, NJ) imaging is indicated for staging and recurrence detection of the disease, and is particularly useful to determine whether or not the disease has spread to distant metastatic sites. However, the interpretation of 111 In-capromab pendetide is challenging without correlated structural information mostly because the radiopharmaceutical demonstrates nonspecific uptake in the normal vasculature, bowel, bone marrow, and the prostate gland. We developed an improved method of imaging and localizing 111 In-Capromab pendetide using a SPECT/CT imaging system. The specific goals included: i) development and application of a novel iterative SPECT reconstruction algorithm that...
Some Aspects of the Mating and Oviposition Behavior of the Codling Moth, Carpocapsa pomonella

Studies on codling moths ( Carpocapsa pomonella (L.)) caged in the greenhouse showed that the moths are capable of mating in the first 12 hours after emergence. Mating was found to occur equally Well under conditions of complete darkness as in periods of alternating dark and light. with and without twilight. By the use of varied sex ratios in the mating and oviposition tests it appears that a reduction in the ability of females to attract males occurs after the females have been mated. The occurrence of multiple matings was determined by dissecting the field-captured moths each week and counting the number of spermatophores present in the females. The incidence of multiple-mated females increased in the field as the season progressed. In laboratory tests, the preoviposition period was approximately 1 day. The peak of oviposition occurred by the fourth day and the females were reproductively old after the sixth day. Dissection of field-captured codling moths from black-light traps revealed that more than 90% of the females attracted to the black light were ready to oviposit or were reproductively young. This suggests that blacklight traps are more efficient than bait pans for the timing of codling moth sprays. The sex ratio of the codling moths captured in the black-light traps was very nearly the same as the sex ratio found in the laboratory thus indicating that the codling moths attracted to the black light lire representative of the sex ratio which actually occurs in the field.
The impact of carbon coating on the synthesis and properties of α′′-Fe16N2 powders

This paper presents the preparation of carbon composite Fe16N2 powders, and the influence of a protective carbon coating on the yield and magnetic properties of Fe16N2. Nanoparticle precursors with and without carbon were reacted under ammonia gas flow to produce Fe16N2. Neutron and X-ray powder diffraction indicate that the powders contain typically 40-60% Fe16N2, with the remaining phases being unreacted iron, Fe4N or Fe3N. Transmission electron microscopy demonstrates that the carbon coating is effective at reducing the level of sintering of Fe nanoparticles during the reduction stage prior to ammonolysis. XPS results support the retention of a carbon coating on the surface after ammonolysis, and that there is Fe-C bonding present at the particle surface. In situ TEM was used to observe loss of ordering in the nitrogen sublattice of carbon composite Fe16N2 powders in the range of 168 °C to 200 °C. Magnetic susceptibility measurements show maximum values for saturation magnetization in the range of 232 emu g(-1), and for coercivity near 930 Oe, for different samples measured up to 2 T applied field at 300 K.
Design of a Bench-Top Bioreactor System to Mimic the Dynamic Environment of Peripheral Arteries

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, killing at least 787,000 people every year. Similarly, more than 200 million people worldwide are affected by Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD), which causes atherosclerosis in the lowerextremity arteries. Atherosclerosis of the periphery is a problem that is very underdiagnosed and undertreated by the medical community. Currently, it is known that vascular interventional procedures, in particular stents, fail to treat PAD due to stent fracture caused by bending, torsion and axial forces of periphery arteries. Furthermore, the impact of these forces on regenerating cells and newer interventional procedures such as drug coated balloons and other non-stent platforms remains unknown. For this reason, the aim of this work was to design a bench-top bioreactor system to mimic the dynamic environment of peripheral arteries. A system compromised of motors and a holding chamber unit was developed to house freshly harvested arteries and expose the vessel to twisting and axial forces within a culture incubator. The developed bioreactor system will thus be used to study the impact of arterial mechanical deformation on current and next generation interventional devices.
Noise Insensitive Feature Descriptors for Histogram and Application in Image Retrieval

Content based image retrieval methods usually represent images as histograms,and retrieve images based on similarity between images.The noise in digital photography makes its histogram even more smoothing,and at the same time,makes two images more similar,which increases the number of result images during retrieving.In order to improve the performance of image retrieval,this paper proposed a feature descriptor,which is insensitive to noise for histogram,and computed similarities between images based on the proposed feature descriptor.We described the noise in an image as stationary additive Gaussian white noise,and gave its corresponding histogram.Then,we defined the feature descriptor of histogram by the general moments of random variable,and analyzed how to recover original histogram of an image using the proposed feature descriptor.During the validation of the proposed method,we compared it with four popular related algorithms,and validated its efficiency according to image retrieval experiments in two real image databases.
Knowledge Survey of AIDS among Different Populations in Qinzhou City

[Objective]To understand the knowledge levels about HIV/AIDS among 4 kinds of populations,to evaluate the effect of health education,and adjust the content of health education and methods on next steps.[Methods]Random sampling method was adopted to conduct questionnaire survey on 4 kinds of populations during September 2008.[Results]The general awareness of AIDS knowledge among 4 kinds of populations was 65.10% of urban residents,39.61% of rural residents,50.67% of school students,60.33% of migrant workers,respectively;the differences between them were significant,the awareness of urban residents,rural residents and school students was higher than that of migrant workers(χ2=40.10,P0.01);the major media to gain the knowledge of HIV/AIDS was through television,which occupied 62.52%.[Conclusion]The general awareness of AIDS knowledge among 4 kinds of populations was lower than that of national average,the source of gaining AIDS knowledge is narrow,available media resources and other new approaches for propaganda should be used to improve the knowledge levels of HIV/AIDS among different social populations,which can really help enhancing the awareness of AIDS so as to prevent and control HIV/AIDS.
The Valeo stent: a pre-mounted, open-cell, large stent for use in small children with CHD.

Objectives The aim of the present study was to determine the outcomes of using the Valeo stent (Bard Peripheral Vascular, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America) in small children with CHD. Background Stenting vascular stenoses is safe and effective in adults and older children with CHD but is limited in smaller children. The design of the Valeo stent addresses these limitations but has not been extensively described. Methods Bench testing was conducted to determine the maximum diameter of the stent, foreshortening, and side-cell diameter. A retrospective analysis of Valeo stents implanted between October, 2012 and October, 2014 was performed. Patient profile, pre-implant/post-implant catheterization data, and stent geometry were reviewed. Results Bench testing: medium and large Valeo stents can be dilated up to 13 mm and 20 mm diameters, respectively. Side-cells are dilatable up to 12 mm. Valeo stents are of low profile – delivered through 6- or 7-Fr sheaths – and show minimal foreshortening. Retrospective analysis: a total of 81 stents were implanted in 61 patients with CHD. The median weight was 15.3 kg, and the median age was 58.9 months. Stents were implanted in the pulmonary artery, systemic vein, aorta, and pulmonary vein. Overall, mean vessel diameters increased from 4.1 to 7.7 mm (121.7%). There was effective mean gradient reduction: 3.7–0.5 mmHg (63%) in the venous systems, 28.2–12.5 mmHg (63.7%) in the pulmonary arteries, and 17.4–4 mmHg (77.1%) in the aorta. The mean stent foreshortening was 2.5%, and the mean recoil was 5.9%. Side-cells that crossed other vessels were dilated in four cases, and stents were re-mounted onto different-sized balloons in seven cases. Conclusions The features of the Valeo stent, such as low profile, large maximum diameter, open-cell design, minimal foreshortening, and recoil, make it suitable for treating vascular stenoses in small children with CHD.
Integrated actions of cholecystokinin on the gastrointestinal tract: use of the cholecystokinin bioassay.

SUMMARY This article has centered on the hormonal actions of CCK on a variety of different target tissues. Until the development of specific assays for measuring plasma levels of the hormone, it was not possible to distinguish physiologic from pharmacologic effects. However, by the methods described earlier it now has become clear that CCK, in physiologic concentrations, stimulates gallbladder contraction, delays gastric emptying, potentiates insulin secretion, and may affect satiety. Actions of CCK that have been studied by radioimmunoassay methods and determined also to be physiologic include stimulation of pancreatic exocrine secretion. 8 Other actions of CCK that may be physiologic but have not been thoroughly investigated include effects on bowel motility, relaxation of lower esophageal sphincter pressure, regulation of sphincter of Oddi pressure, effects on analgesia, and modification of behavior. Some of these actions may be attributable to endogenous, but neurally released CCK and, therefore, would not be hormonal actions. However, continued investigations with specific CCK receptor antagonists together with accurate measurements of circulating levels of CCK should make it possible to define the physiologic importance of CCK on these other potential sites of action. The variety of CCK’s physiologic effects emphasizes its integrative function on both digestive and metabolic processes. After a meal, in a highly coordinated fashion, CCK (1) regulates the movement of nutrients through the gastrointestinal tract, (2) contracts the gallbladder and stimulates pancreatic exocrine secretion to facilitate digestion, and (3) potentiates amino acid-induced insulin secretion and delays gastric emptying to maintain euglycemia. An effect to reduce food intake following food ingestion would be a logical extension of these integrated actions. Thus, CCK appears to have an essential role in regulating the intake, processing, and distribution of essential nutrients.
Erin, Ireland, and the Emanation in Blake’s Jerusalem

So Paddy says to Fergus, ‘What do the Anglo-Irish and the Irish-Catholics have in common?’ And Fergus says ‘- a hyphen!’ This rather limp joke circulated through the faux-Irish pubs of Santa Monica, California, in the 1970s. But even worse than a bad joke is an attempt to explain it, as I will now demonstrate. By finding an orthographic feature common to the signifiers, Fergus implies that the signifieds have nothing in common; he might just as well have said that the two parties have an ‘a’, an ‘o’, and an T in common. Or might he? Does that hyphen indeed signify something about the Anglo- Irish and the Irish-Catholics — indeed, about Ireland and its historical links o Britain — that the ‘a’, ‘o’, and T do not? And what could that possibly have to do with William Blake’s illuminated epic, Jerusalem? I will attempt to answer these questions, but the route will be a little circuitous and will begin with some musings on how we orchestrate relationships between poems and political history.
Increased 4E-BP1 Expression Protects against Diet-Induced Obesity and Insulin Resistance in Male Mice

Obesity is a major risk factor driving the global type II diabetes pandemic. However, the molecular factors linking obesity to disease remain to be elucidated. Gender differences are apparent in humans and are also observed in murine models. Here, we link these differences to expression of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E binding protein 1 (4E-BP1), which, upon HFD feeding, becomes significantly reduced in the skeletal muscle and adipose tissue of male but not female mice. Strikingly, restoring 4E-BP1 expression in male mice protects them against HFD-induced obesity and insulin resistance. Male 4E-BP1 transgenic mice also exhibit reduced white adipose tissue accumulation accompanied by decreased circulating levels of leptin and triglycerides. Importantly, transgenic 4E-BP1 male mice are also protected from aging-induced obesity and metabolic decline on a normal diet. These results demonstrate that 4E-BP1 is a gender-specific suppressor of obesity that regulates insulin sensitivity and energy metabolism.
Robust Timing Calibration for PET Using L1-Norm Minimization

Positron emission tomography (PET) relies on accurate timing information to pair two 511-keV photons into a coincidence event. Calibration of time delays between detectors becomes increasingly important as the timing resolution of detector technology improves, as a calibration error can quickly become a dominant source of error. Previous work has shown that the maximum likelihood estimate of these delays can be calculated by least squares estimation, but an approach is not tractable for complex systems and degrades in the presence of randoms. We demonstrate the original problem to be solvable iteratively using the LSMR algorithm. Using the LSMR, we solve for 60 030 delay parameters, including energy-dependent delays, in 4.5 s, using 1 000 000 coincidence events for a two-panel system dedicated to clinical locoregional imaging. We then extend the original least squares problem to be robust to random coincidences and low statistics by implementing $\ell _{1}$ -norm minimization using the alternating direction method of the multipliers (ADMM) algorithm. The ADMM algorithm converges after six iterations, or 20.6 s, and improves the timing resolution from 64.7 ± 0.1s full width at half maximum (FWHM) uncalibrated to 15.63 ± 0.02ns FWHM. We also demonstrate this algorithm’s applicability to commercial systems using a GE Discovery 690 PET/CT. We scan a rotating transmission source, and after subtracting the 511-keV photon time-of-flight due to the source position, we calculate 13 824 per-crystal delays using 5 000 000 coincidence events in 3.78 s with three iterations, while showing a timing resolution improvement that is significantly better than previous calibration methods in the literature.
Bongkrekic acid. An inhibitor of the adenine nucleotide translocase of mitochondria.

The antibiotic bongkrekic acid is shown to inhibit the phosphorylation of added ADP coupled with either the reactions of the respiratory chain or the dismutation of α-ketoglutarate in mammalian mitochondria. It also prevents the utilization of ATP for energy-linked cation transport and in energy dissipation by uncoupling agents. However, bongkrekic acid does not inhibit the Mg++-requiring ATPase of submitochondrial particles, the phosphorylation of endogenous ADP, or the stimulation of oxidation caused by arsenate. The ADP enhancement of the arsenate effect is prevented. These results distinguish its site of action from that of oligomycin (rutamycin), and indicate that bongkrekic acid inactivates translocation of adenine nucleotides into mitochondria. This is confirmed by measurement of the uptake of 14C-labeled adenine nucleotides. The extent of inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation by bongkrekic acid shows a sigmoidal relationship to the concentration of antibiotic, which is in contrast to the linear relationship reported for atractyloside, a known inhibitor of the translocase enzyme.
Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease as a Nexus of Metabolic and Hepatic Diseases

NAFLD is closely linked with hepatic insulin resistance. Accumulation of hepatic diacylglycerol activates PKC-e, impairing insulin receptor activation and insulin-stimulated glycogen synthesis. Peripheral insulin resistance indirectly influences hepatic glucose and lipid metabolism by increasing flux of substrates that promote lipogenesis (glucose and fatty acids) and gluconeogenesis (glycerol and fatty acid-derived acetyl-CoA, an allosteric activator of pyruvate carboxylase). Weight loss with diet or bariatric surgery effectively treats NAFLD, but drugs specifically approved for NAFLD are not available. Some new pharmacological strategies act broadly to alter energy balance or influence pathways that contribute to NAFLD (e.g., agonists for PPAR γ, PPAR α/δ, FXR and analogs for FGF-21, and GLP-1). Others specifically inhibit key enzymes involved in lipid synthesis (e.g., mitochondrial pyruvate carrier, acetyl-CoA carboxylase, stearoyl-CoA desaturase, and monoacyl- and diacyl-glycerol transferases). Finally, a novel class of liver-targeted mitochondrial uncoupling agents increases hepatocellular energy expenditure, reversing the metabolic and hepatic complications of NAFLD.
Calcium and Plant Hormone Action

It is widely accepted that a complex system of signal-transduction pathways links the responses of cells to external stimuli. In plants, hormones and environmental stimuli such as light, temperature and touch are transduced into a cellular response by a set of reactions that are only beginning to be understood. Compounds that act as second messengers have a central role in the initial transduction steps leading from these stimuli. Rather than forming simple, linear signal-transduction chains, however, signaling molecules are thought to form complex webs of interconnected pathways (Fig. 1). The interactions between signal-transduction chains, the so-called cross-talk, can be a source of signal amplification as well as signal complexity. The existence of multiple, interconnected signaling pathways may help to explain how the small number of plant hormones can elicit such a wide variety of cellular responses.
Efficacy and safety in older patient subsets in studies of endocrine monotherapy versus combination therapy in patients with HR+/HER2− advanced breast cancer: a review

Purpose Prospective information regarding the tolerability and efficacy of endocrine therapy (ET) alone and in combination with targeted agents in older patients in the metastatic setting is limited. This review summarizes available trial data in this population.
Assessing Racial Disparities in HCV Infection and Care Outcomes in a Southern Urban Population

This study assessed racial disparities in access to healthcare services, hepatitis C virus (HCV) exposure, and retention in a treatment cascade in two indigent populations in an urban center in the Southern US. Opt-in HCV antibody screening was offered at two large homeless centers and three residential substance abuse treatment centers (SATCs) in New Orleans, LA. Five hundred ninety-four participants experiencing homelessness and 342 residents of SATCs were assessed for previous access/perceived barriers to healthcare services and high-risk behaviors associated with HCV exposure. Participants were then screened using rapid HCV antibody testing and tracked through a treatment cascade involving referral to a primary care provider (PCP), RNA confirmation, and specialist referral. In both the homeless and SATC populations, whites were more likely to report barriers to accessing healthcare and high-risk behaviors, especially prior intravenous drug use (IVDU). Interaction between age and race demonstrates a protective effect of white ethnicity at higher ages, at a level approaching statistical significance. Non-whites were equally likely to access follow-up care and treatment as whites. Despite many more risk factors reported by the white population, HCV antibody positivity was largely equal between the two racial groups. Known interactions between race and age in the African American population were demonstrated in these high-risk, urban populations. Whites were no more likely to achieve various levels of a treatment and care cascade. The results may demonstrate the impact of improved access to testing services and primary care, although access to treatment remains a significant barrier to eliminating racial disparities in HCV infection.
Overcoming urban stream syndrome: Trophic flexibility confers resilience in a Hawaiian stream fish

Urbanisation is widely associated with a suite of physical, chemical and biological degradation of stream ecosystems, known as “urban stream syndrome.” It is unclear whether urban stream syndrome is applicable to oceanic islands, where marine dispersal of larvae enables diadromous species to continuously recolonise even highly degraded urban streams. The depauperate native fauna of oceanic island streams can be entirely composed of diadromous species, but urban streams food webs are often dominated by introduced predators, competitors and functional groups derived from continental systems. Despite these challenges, some native species appear to thrive in urbanised catchments. Here, we test for urban stream syndrome on oceanic islands by quantifying catchment land use, nutrient concentrations and fish community composition for 37 streams across the Hawaiian archipelago. To assess how native species adapt to food webs altered by species introductions, we quantified trophic responses by examining stomach contents, nitrogen stable isotopes and body condition of Awaous stamineus (an omnivorous goby) in each stream. Urbanisation was consistently associated with nitrogen pollution and replacement of native species with more tolerant exotics. Population densities of three of five native goby species declined sharply with urbanisation, whereas the two other native gobies species were resilient. The trophic position of the omnivore A. stamineus was elevated in urban streams compared to forested catchments, reflecting a shift in stomach contents from algae to greater reliance on exotic aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates. Comparable body condition and resilient population density of A. stamineus across the urbanisation gradient suggest that dietary flexibility buffers this species against environmental degradation. Our findings indicate that the concept of urban stream syndrome is applicable to oceanic islands, yet A. stamineus shows striking resilience. Flexibility in diet, life history and habitat use of this native goby appear to buffer it against the effects of urbanisation compared to most other amphidromous fishes in Hawaiian streams.
Self-Efficacy Change Associated with a Cognitive Load-Based Intervention in an Undergraduate Biology Course

Abstract Cognitive load theory (CLT) holds that discovery learning and other instructional strategies imposing high levels of extraneous load on novice learners hinder learning. Such learning conditions are also associated with significant drops in persistence, a key measure of motivation. However, research within the CLT framework typically engages motivation as a necessary precursor to learning, rather than as an outcome of instruction. In this study, we examine changes in motivational beliefs as outcomes of learners' cognitive processes through a CLT lens as they engage with instruction. Using a double-blind quasi-experimental design, we manipulate the level of cognitive load imposed on participants through instruction and assess changes in self-efficacy from pre-to post-intervention. In an analysis of data from students enrolled in an undergraduate biology course (n = 2078), students in the treatment condition demonstrated significantly higher performance on end-of-semester lab reports and self-efficacy measures. However, post-instruction self-efficacy was not significantly related to performance, controlling for pre-instruction self-efficacy, gender, and scientific reasoning ability. These findings introduce the possibility that the cognitive load imposed on working memory during instruction may affect motivational beliefs and provides a foundation to further explore connections between historically distinct theoretical frameworks such as CLT and social cognitive theory.
Principles of surgery for epilepsy.

The pre-requisite conditions for surgical treatment of epilepsy are: ineffective pharmacotherapy, the unacceptable nature of the seizures and the presence of an organic brain lesion as the basis of the disease. The principles of surgery stem from knowledge of the anatomico-functional structure and evolution of the epileptic process, which indicate the targets for surgery. Two main groups of surgical approaches are available. The first and most efficient one aims at suppressing the seizures by acting on the nucleus of origin of the epilepsy; the combined removal of both the causative cerebral lesion and the primary epileptogenic zone is considered as the “optimal” type of surgery (hemispherectomy, lobectomy, topectomy); only in rare cases is an ablation limited either to the causative lesion (mainly in children) or to the epileptogenic zone sufficient. The second group of surgical procedures aims at reducing the cerebral epileptogenicity by preventing diffusion of the epileptic discharges (callosotomy, subpial transections), by enhancing inhibitory (cerebellar stimulation) or reducing facilitatory influences (stereotactic deep lesions); these are regarded as a “second choice” treatment. The final surgical indication, the choice of the surgical approach and the surgical prognosis are dependent on accurate presurgical investigations. The very good results which can be obtained should favour the wider use of surgery.
The Interaction of Cisplatin with Signal Transduction Pathways and the Regulation of Apoptosis

There are many ways to kill a cell. In the absence of serum, cells usually die because they have lost a receptor-mediated survival signal. Some cells can be killed by engaging certain receptors such as during glucocorticoid-mediated killing of thymocytes. Cells can also be killed by a multitude of cytotoxic agents including cisplatin. These insults all have a common endpoint: the cells die by apoptosis. There is a network of signals, initially unique to each insult, but eventually converging on a common pathway, only the latter part of which can truly be considered apoptosis. For example, resistance to cisplatin may be mediated by altered drug accumulation, decreased DNA damage or increased DNA repair.1,2 These mechanisms may inhibit apoptosis induced by cisplatin, but they do not rescue a cell from most drugs, and they certainly do not rescue cells from removal of serum. In contrast, the Bcl-2 protein can protect cells from each of these insults, and therefore reflects a step much further along the pathway; a step that is common to multiple insults. Bcl-2 is the prototype of an anti-apoptotic protein, defined as a means to protect cells from multiple unrelated insults. With respect to cancer chemotherapy, Bcl-2 elicits a kind of non-specific multi-drug resistance.
The Nonstructural Proteins of Paramyxoviruses

This chapter describes properties of the paramyxovirus genes and their mRNAs which encode polypeptides known as nonstructural proteins. The designation nonstructural is used here in a loose sense to describe a virus-encoded polypeptide that is synthesized in virus-infected cells but is greatly underrepresented in or absent from purified virions. In virus-infected CV1 cells the nonstructural polypeptides B, C′, and C synthesized by Sendai virus and the nonstructural cysteine-rich polypeptide V synthesized by SV5 can be identified (Fig. 1). In addition to nonstructural polypeptide V, a small hydrophobic (SH) integral membrane protein is synthesized in SV5-infected cells, but it cannot be resolved on the gel shown in Fig. 1. All these polypeptides will be discussed in detail in the ensuing sections.
Anticoagulation, Thrombolysis, and Mechanical Thrombectomy for Acute Limb Ischemia

Differentiating embolization from thrombosis has direct implications on prognosis and treatment. Emboli usually lodge at arterial bifurcations (where there is a change in vessel caliber) with the most frequent locations being the bifurcation of the common femoral artery, popliteal artery, and brachial artery. Thrombosis of a chronically diseased artery may be accompanied by large collaterals thereby causing less severe ischemia as compared to an embolic event.
Conceptual continuity as a mode of understanding complex systems: Applications to the dynamics sociopolitical systems: Essays & Commentaries

In complex biological systems, entities that are conceptually distinct but empirically related—such as sunlight and plant growth or antigene and immune response—are being explicitly linked through the identification of highly specific uninterrupted interaction sequences that take place between their macromolecular system components. These uninterrupted sequences of causation include common elements that are shared by the empirically related but conceptually distinct entities. Through the identification of specific shared elements, “conceptual continuity” is established between these entities. Examples are introduced to suggest that in sociopolitical systems, an analogous conceptual continuity can be established between distinct sociopolitical entities. The identification of specific shared elements, essential for the well being of each of the entities, can play a significant role in resolving conflicts between those separated by seemingly insurmountable obstacles such as race or religion or ideology. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Complexity 11:20–24, 2006
What is the optimal therapy for childhood AML

The use of intensive therapy over a brief period of time has produced dramatic improvements in outcome for pediatric patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), as has been demonstrated in studies by the major cooperative groups in the United States and Europe. Still, despite high-intensity chemotherapy and bone marrow transplantation, only about half of the children diagnosed with AML are cured. Future improvements are unlikely to come from further increases in chemotherapy intensity. Alternative approaches, such as risk-directed therapy based on different prognostic criteria; differentiation therapy with all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA, Vesanoid), arsenic trioxide (Trisenox), or azacytidine; and immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, tumor vaccines, or cytokines may lead to further advances.
Refugee health and medical student training.

Background and objectives Cultural awareness training is an increasingly important priority within medical curricula. This article describes an academic family practice-community partnership focusing on health care needs of refugees that became the model for a medical school selective on cultural sensitivity training. Methods The monthly Refugee Health Night program featured dinner with preceptors and patients, international sessions on special medical needs of refugees, and actual clinical encounters with patients. Students were not expected to become culturally competent experts but, rather, health care providers sensitive to and appreciative of cultural context, experience, and expectations. We worked with students to develop sensitive methods of inquiry about mental health, especially around issues of war and torture. We used problem-based cases to emphasize primary care continuity and the benefit of establishing trust over time. Results Over 2 years, 50 students and nearly 300 refugees (more than 73 families) participated. Students reported that their interactions with the refugees provided positive learning experiences, including expanded knowledge of diverse cultures and enhanced skills for overcoming communication barriers. Patients of refugee status were able to have emergent health care needs met in a timely fashion. Conclusions Providing health care for refugee individuals and families presents many challenges as well as extraordinary opportunities for patients and practitioners to learn from one another.
Effects of population, urbanization, household size, and income on electric appliance adoption in the Chinese residential sector towards 2050

Abstract We present an analytical framework to project adoption of household electric appliances under a number of scenarios with different levels of population, urbanization, household size, and per-capita income. This framework enables us to estimate the saturation (i.e., number of a particular electric appliance per household) and the extent of adoption (total number of a particular electric appliance owned in each province), and to assess the impact of each driver. We focus on six types of appliances: personal computer, air conditioner, microwave oven, refrigerator, washing machine and television, and project their adoption during the 2015–2050 period. The projections are conducted for forty-five scenarios that combine five levels of population growth, three levels of per-capita gross domestic product (GDP) and income growth, and three levels of change in household size. We find that, among the six appliances investigated, ownership of personal computers and air conditioning equipment will grow the most, and that the current differences in appliance saturation among provinces and between urban and rural regions will almost disappear by 2050. However, most of the appliances will be owned in urban centers in Eastern China, where the majority of the population will be concentrated. Income growth, combined with urbanization and a reduction in household sizes, increases the total number of appliances, while a reduction in population decreases the total number of appliances. The results can be used as key inputs for long-term electricity system planning and to explore the potential effects of policies to support End-Use Energy Efficiency and Demand Side Response.
KIDS Thematic Indices: Enabling Investors to Invest in Firms That Cater to Children

Thematic exchange-traded funds have been growing in popularity. In this article, three children-oriented indices are constructed based on equal-weight (KIDSEW), price-weight (KIDSPW), and value-weight (KIDSVW) techniques, respectively. All three indices comprise thirty-nine companies that cater to children in some way. The performance of these three KIDS indices is compared with that of the S&P 500 Index from January 1, 2006, to January 1, 2019. Results in this article indicate that the KIDS indices consistently outperformed the traditional S&P 500 market index in both absolute and risk-adjusted terms. These indices can be used in advancing financial literacy in high schools and among parents, as they are easily understood because of their familiarity with composition and construction methods. TOPICS:Exchange-traded funds and applications, security analysis and valuation, performance measurement Key Findings • Children are a neglected or underrepresented segment of the thematic investment universe. • A thematic index wrapped in an ETF can produce above-market risk-adjusted returns. • Three KIDS indices described in this paper can bring more investors to firms that cater to children and enable financial literacy campaigns to educate children about the investment industry.
Pediatric Robotic Transplant Ureteral Reimplantation for Vesicoureteral Reflux

Background: The first published report of a pediatric robotic extravesical transplant ureteral reimplantation for vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) in a renal allograft is described. Case Presentation: T...
FUNDAMENTAL MASS SPECTROMETRY AND EICOSANOIDS RESEARCH

Mass spectrometry is an instrument based technique in which the interaction of ions in a vacuum are studied with magnetic and/or electrical fields. The behavior and motion of ions is quite predictable based upon the mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) of the ions and this forms the basis of the mass spectrometric experiment. The first studies in this area were carried out by J.J. Thompson in England close to the turn of the century which lead to his discovery of isotopes of elements. Later experiments by Aston, Dempster as well as many others lead to the development of the fundamental theory of modern instrumentation for mass spectrometry. Mass spectrometry is an exceedingly versatile technique which can provide fundamental information of great value in many disciplines and has been applied directly to virtually all areas of science including biology, chemistry, and physics. Some of the first experiments involving mass spectrometry applied to biology, involved using the quantitative nature of the information which can be obtained. In these studies, Rittenberg used stable isotopes as tracers in order to study the biochemistry of amino acids (1). Fred McLafferty in the mid 1950s illustrated the usefulness of fragmentation of organic ions and was able to deduce the structures of biological substances based upon mass spectrometry (2). These concepts were quickly applied to extremely complex molecules as illustrated by the work of Klaus Biemann in the late 1950s and early 1960s in which he elegantly demonstrated the ability of mass spectrometry to provide data necessary for the structure elucidation of complex natural products (3).
Estimating retinal vascular permeability from fluorescein videoangiography data despite signal saturation in large vessels in low-dynamic range systems

Fluorescein videoangiography is often used to visualize diabetic retinopathy (DR), a degenerative disease characterized by degradation of retinal blood vessels. However, more sensitive and quantitative measures of increased vessel permeability in the asymptomatic phase of DR (non-proliferative DR) could help identify patients who would benefit from therapeutic intervention to avoid vision loss. Here, a modified “adiabatic approximation to the tissue-homogeneity model” was shown in simulations and rat experiments to estimate extraction fraction within a 20%-error for physiological ranges of vascular permeability expected in nonproliferative DR, even in low-dynamic-range (8-bit) fluorescein imaging systems that are standard in many institutes.
Ventricular Tachycardia in a Patient with Mitral Valve Prolapse

Malignant ventricular arrhythmias may occur in patients with mitral valve prolapse (MVP). In the MVP syndrome, particular myocardial structures are prone to develop replacement fibrosis, which creates a substrate for reentrant ventricular tachycardia (VT). Knowledge of these patterns of fibrosis may assist in mapping and ablation of VT in patients with MVP.
Long-Term Creep Behavior of a CoCrFeNiMn High-Entropy Alloy

The potential of high-entropy alloys (HEAs) to meet or exceed austenitic stainless steel performance with the additional benefit of improved hot corrosion/oxidation resistance makes FCC HEAs attractive for use in energy applications. While shorter-term creep tests have been reported in the literature on HEAs, not all methodologies utilize repeatable techniques. This manuscript reports on over 23,500 accumulated hours of tensile creep testing with adherence to ASTM standards on a melt-solidified ingot of CoCrFeNiMn HEA converted to wrought plate using conventional thermo-mechanical processing techniques. The typical standard creep analyses are reported, i.e., Larson–Miller parameter, Monkman–Grant relationship, activation energy for creep, and creep stress exponents were calculated and compared to previously reported short-term creep tests. Additionally, characteristics of creep fracture and microstructural evolution are reported with cursory dislocation mechanisms investigated.
Exponential fluorescent amplification of individual RNAs using clampFISH probes

Non-enzymatic, high-gain signal amplification methods with single-cell, single-molecule resolution are in great need. We present click-amplifying FISH (clampFISH) for the fluorescent detection of RNA that combines the specificity of oligonucleotides with bioorthogonal click chemistry in order to achieve high specificity and extremely high-gain (>400x) signal amplification. We show that clampFISH signal enables detection with low magnification microscopy and separation of cells by RNA levels via flow cytometry. Additionally, we show that the modular design of clampFISH probes enables multiplexing, that the locking mechanism prevents probe detachment in expansion microscopy, and that clampFISH works in tissue samples.
A comprehensive study on current and future trends towards the characteristics and enablers of industry 4.0

Abstract Since the first Industrial Revolution the trends in manufacturing have evolved a lot, from mechanical production to the era of smart manufacturing via technologies like Cyber Physical Systems, Internet of Things, Big Data, Cyber Security, Cloud Computing, Additive Manufacturing, Advanced robots, Modelling and Simulation and Augmented Virtual Reality. These technologies are enabling Interoperability and integration of various processes and departments in an organization because of the attribute of real-time inter-connectivity. Due to high inter-connectivity advantages like shorter development time, mass customization and modularity, configurability can be brought into existence. This will not only change the dynamics of the production lines but also add to the profit ratio of an organization by controlling over inventory via virtualization and predictive manufacturing. Due to such attributes of the Industry 4.0 paradigm, understanding them in depth is necessary. Hence, this paper aims to review many such characteristics, enablers, and main drivers of the Industry 4.0 paradigm and ultimately provides insight on the future scopes of each of the main pillars of Industry 4.0.
Iterative Score from a Singulative Motif: Mountain Wolf Woman's Song of Herself

(1992). Iterative Score from a Singulative Motif: Mountain Wolf Woman's Song of Herself. a/b: Auto/Biography Studies: Vol. 7, Native American Identities and Autobiography, pp. 254-272.