cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Long-wavelength geopotential fields study of East Asia from satellite data

Kutina et al.proposed the existence of a large fracture zone extending from northern China across the Yellow sea,Korean peninsula,East Sea (a.k.a.,Sea of Japan) and on to Honshu Island,Japan,which they called the ‘Forty-North Fracture Zone’.We investigated this proposed large tectonic feature from making large-scale regional gravity and magnetic anomaly maps by using GRACE and CHAMP satellite potential field data.The regional study area extended from 24° to 56° north latitude and 90°E to 150°E and the detailed area from 32°N to 42°N and 122°E to 132°E.Recently,Taylor et al.constructed the magnetic anomaly maps directly from CHAMP track data collected between June and December,2005 after removing the coregenerated and external fields from the measurements and then reduced these data to the pole to seek any tectonic features.They also produced a mathematical model using available geologic and geophysical information for their interpretation.In this study,we augmented a gravity anomaly field map from the GRACE data measured during a month of October,2003.The measured potential differences data were converted to vertical gravity anomaly values using Gauss-Legendre quadrature method,and long wavelengths over 1100 km of the anomalies were removed by subtracting the latest EGM96 field to compare with the magnetic data.A curious latitudinal structure was found in both gravity and magnetic anomaly fields that showed an inverse correlation.A forward modeling was performed from using a spherical prism model and the wavenumber correlation analysis between these two anomaly fields was made to delineate the common features over the study area,and these results were discussed in relation to the existence of the ‘Forty-North Fracture Zone’ in the East Asian region.
Analysis of loss mechanisms in InGaN solar cells using a semi-analytical model

InGaN semiconductors are promising candidates for high-efficiency next-generation thin film solar cells. In this work, we study the photovoltaic performance of single-junction and two-junction InGaN solar cells using a semi-analytical model. We analyze the major loss mechanisms in InGaN solar cell including transmission loss, thermalization loss, spatial relaxation loss, and recombination loss. We find that transmission loss plays a major role for InGaN solar cells due to the large bandgaps of III-nitride materials. Among the recombination losses, Shockley-Read-Hall recombination loss is the dominant process. Compared to other III-V photovoltaic materials, we discovered that the emittance of InGaN solar cells is strongly impacted by Urbach tail energy. For two- and multi-junction InGaN solar cells, we discover that the current matching condition results in a limited range of top-junction bandgaps. This theoretical work provides detailed guidance for the design of high-performance InGaN solar cells.
Medical Malpractice – Medicolegal Perspectives: Negligence, Duty of Care

Any discussion of medical negligence usually begins with two questions: (1) Does the potential defendant possess a duty to exercise reasonable care? and (2) What is the potential defendant’s standard of care? In the context of medical negligence these two questions are particularly important and can generate heated discussion. Yet, in medical negligence cases these two questions can also be simplified and relatively easy to understand and answer. This chapter will discuss the significance of each of these questions and provide the framework within which to answer both of these questions.
Assessing Landscape Vulnerability to Wildfire in the USA

Wildfire is an ever present, natural process shaping landscapes. Having the ability to accurately measure and predict wildfire occurrence and impacts to ecosystem goods and services, both retrospectively and prospectively, is critical for adaptive management of landscapes. Landscape vulnerability is a concept widely utilized in the ecosystem management literature that has not been explicitly defined, particularly with regard to wildfire. Vulnerability more broadly is defined by three primary components: exposure to the stressor, sensitivity to a range of stressor variability, and resilience following exposure. In this synthesis, we define vulnerability in the context of wildfire. We first identify the components of a guiding framework for a vulnerability assessment with respect to wildfire. We then address retrospective assessments of wildfire vulnerability and the data that have been developed and utilized to complete these assessments. Finally, we review the modeling efforts that allow for predictive and probabilistic assessment of future vulnerability. Throughout the synthesis, we highlight gaps in the research, data availability, and models used to complete vulnerability assessments.
Modal Activity-Based Stochastic Model for Estimating Vehicle Trajectories from Sparse Mobile Sensor Data

Probe vehicles that measure position and speed have emerged as a promising tool for traffic data collection and performance measurement, but the sampling rates of most probe vehicle sensor data available today are low (ranging from 10 to 60 s per sample), and the data coverage is limited. Therefore, it is challenging to accurately estimate the vehicle dynamic states in both space and time based on these sparse mobile sensor data. In this paper, a stochastic model is proposed to estimate the second-by-second vehicle speed trajectories by examining all possible sequences of modal activities (i.e., acceleration, deceleration, cruising, and idling) between consecutive data points from sparse position and speed measurements. The likelihood of occurrence of each sequential pattern is first quantified by mode-specific a priori distributions. The vehicle dynamic state probability is then formulated as the product of probabilities for multiple independent events. Therefore, a detailed vehicle speed trajectory can be reconstructed using the optimal modal activity sequence, which maximizes the likelihood. The proposed model is calibrated and validated using the Next-Generation SIMulation dataset. The results show the substantial improvements on the accuracy of estimated vehicle trajectories compared with a baseline method based on linear interpolation. The proposed model is applied to a large-scale vehicle activity dataset to demonstrate the estimation of hourly traffic delay variation.
International reserves and global interest rates

Abstract In this paper we study the relationship between foreign currency international reserve holdings and global interest rates. To guide empirical work we solve a simple, small open-economy model with money, where the central bank manages international reserves to smooth inflation over time. This model shows that changes in interest rates are positively related to the target level of reserves. As a consequence interest rate hikes increase reserve transfers, defined as the change in international reserves net of the interest earned on reserves. Using quarterly data for 75 countries between 2000 and 2013, we document a positive relationship between interest-rate changes and reserve transfers as a share of GDP, that is consistent with the model.
Efficient False Positive Reduction in Computer-Aided Detection Using Convolutional Neural Networks and Random View Aggregation

In clinical practice and medical imaging research , automated computer-aided detection (CADe) is an important tool. While many methods can achieve high sensitivities, they typically suffer from high false positives (FP) per patient. In this study, we describe a two-stage coarse-to-fine approach using CADe candidate generation systems that operate at high sensitivity rates (close to \(100\%\) recall). In a second stage, we reduce false positive numbers using state-of-the-art machine learning methods, namely deep convolutional neural networks (ConvNet). The ConvNets are trained to differentiate hard false positives from true-positives utilizing a set of 2D (two-dimensional) or 2.5D re-sampled views comprising random translations, rotations, and multi-scale observations around a candidate’s center coordinate. During the test phase, we apply the ConvNets on unseen patient data and aggregate all probability scores for lesions (or pathology). We found that this second stage is a highly selective classifier that is able to reject difficult false positives while retaining good sensitivity rates. The method was evaluated on three data sets (sclerotic metastases, lymph nodes, colonic polyps) with varying numbers patients (59, 176, and 1,186, respectively). Experiments show that the method is able to generalize to different applications and increasing data set sizes. Marked improvements are observed in all cases: sensitivities increased from 57 to 70%, from 43 to 77% and from 58 to 75% for sclerotic metastases, lymph nodes and colonic polyps, respectively, at low FP rates per patient (3 FPs/patient).
Low Rates of Gastrointestinal and Non-Gastrointestinal Complications for Screening or Surveillance Colonoscopies in a Population-Based Study.

Abstract Background The full spectrum of serious non-gastrointestinal (non-GI) post-colonoscopy complications has not been well characterized. We analyzed rates of and factors associated with adverse post-colonoscopy GI and non-GI events (cardiovascular, pulmonary, or infectious) attributable to screening or surveillance colonoscopy (S-colo) and non-screening or non-surveillance colonoscopy (NS-colo). Methods We performed a population-based study of colonoscopy complications using databases from California hospital-owned and nonhospital-owned ambulatory facilities, emergency departments, and hospitals from January 1, 2005 through December 31, 2011. We identified patients who underwent S-colo (1.58 million), NS-colo (1.22 million), or low-risk comparator procedures (joint injection, aspiration, lithotripsy; arthroscopy, carpal tunnel, or cataract; 2.02 million) in California's Ambulatory Services Databases. We identified patients who developed adverse events within 30 days, and factors associated with these events, through patient-level linkage to California's Emergency Department and Inpatient Databases. Results After S-colo, the numbers of lower GI bleeding, perforation, myocardial infarction, and ischemic stroke per 10,000-persons were 5.3 (95% CI, 4.8–5.9), 2.9 (95% CI, 2.5–3.3), 2.5 (95% CI, 2.1–2.9), and 4.7 (95%CI, 4.1–5.2) without biopsy or intervention; with biopsy or intervention, numbers per 10,000-persons were 36.4 (95% CI, 35.1–37.6), 6.3 (95% CI, 5.8–6.8), 4.2 (95% CI, 3.8–4.7), and 9.1 (95% CI, 8.5–9.7). Rates of dysrhythmia were higher. After NS-colo, event rates were substantially higher. Most serious complications led to hospitalization, and most GI complications occurred within 14 days of colonoscopy. Ranges of adjusted odds ratios for serious GI complications, myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, and serious pulmonary events after S-colo vs comparator procedures were 2.18 (95% CI, 2.02–2.36) to 5.13 (95% CI, 4.81–5.47), 0.67 (95% CI, 0.56–0.81) to 0.99 (95% CI, 0.83–1.19), 0.66 (95% CI, 0.59–0.75) to 1.13 (95% CI, 0.99–1.29), and 0.64 (95% CI, 0.61–0.68) to 1.05 (95% CI, 0.98–1.11). Biopsy or intervention, comorbidity, Black race, low income, public insurance, and NS-colo were associated with post-colonoscopy adverse events. Conclusions In a population-based study in California, we found that following S-colo, rates of serious GI adverse events were low but clinically relevant, and that rates of myocardial infarction, stroke, and serious pulmonary events were no higher than after low-risk comparator procedures. Rates of myocardial infarction are similar, but rates of stroke are higher, than those reported for the general population.
On the Development of Shell Buckling Knockdown Factors for Stiffened Metallic Launch Vehicle Cylinders

From the 1920s to the early 1970s, many shell buckling experiments were conducted in an effort to understand the complex buckling behavior exhibited by thin-walled cylindrical shells, to provide data to correlate with new shell stability theories, and provide design guidelines. Typically, the experiments yielded buckling loads that were substantially lower than the corresponding analytical predictions, which were based on simplified linear bifurcation analyses of geometrically perfect shells with nominal dimensions and idealized boundary conditions. The seminal works by von Karman and Tsien, by Donnell and Wan, and by Koiter identified small deviations from the idealized geometry of a shell, known as initial geometric imperfections, as a primary source of the discrepancy between corresponding analytical predictions and experimental results. However, the computational tools and capabilities at that time could not perform the nonlinear analyses needed to assess the effects of these imperfections on the buckling behavior of thin-walled shells. Thus, buckling design allowables were determined by establishing lower bounds to test data. Specifically, empirical design factors, that have become known as knockdown factors, were determined and were to be used in conjunction with linear bifurcation analyses for simply supported shells; that is, these empirical factors were used to "knock down" the value of the unconservative simplified analytical prediction. This approach to shell buckling design has proved satisfactory for most design purposes and remains prominent in industry practice, as evidenced by the extensive use of the NASA space vehicle design criteria and recommendations. Unfortunately, the current design guidelines have not been updated since they were first published in the late 1960s and may not be able to take full advantage of modern materials, precision manufacturing processes, and new structural concepts.
Case 8-2018: A 55-Year-Old Woman with Shock and Labile Blood Pressure

A Woman with Shock and Labile Blood Pressure A 55-year-old woman presented with cardiogenic shock. Echocardiography revealed a left ventricular ejection fraction of 15% and apical ballooning; angiography revealed normal coronary arteries. She had episodes of hypotension and hypertension. A diagnosis was made.
Abstract 1624: Myocardial Fibrosis is associated with Reduced Longitudinal Strain Pattern in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Despite Preserved Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction: A Multi-modality Imaging Study

Background: There is a high prevalence of myocardial fibrosis in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) patients, despite preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Association of myocardial fibrosis and longitudinal strain (LS) in such patients is not well understood. Methods: We studied 46 consecutive HCM patients (mean age 43±14 years, 30 men) who had transthoracic echocardiography (TTE, GE Medical, USA) and delayed hyper-enhancement magnetic resonance imaging (DHE-MRI, Siemens 1.5 T scanner, Germany), 20 minutes after injection of 0.2 mmol/kg of Gadolinium. Speckle tracking TTE was used to assess LS in LV (segmental and global) (EchoPac, GE Medical, USA). Fibrosis was determined semi-automatically on DHE-MR images, in a 12-segment short-axis model (apex, mid and base) of LV using custom software (Siemens Research) & defined as intensity >2 standard deviation above viable myocardium. Results: Global end-systolic LS correlated with number of fibrotic segments (r = 0.50, p = 0.0004; Figure) and total myocardial fibrosis % (r = 0.43, p = 0.001). Association of fibrosis and regional LS is shown in Table. In a multivariate analysis, predictors of lower segmental LS were presence of fibrosis and basal segment location (both p Conclusion: Myocardial fibrosis is associated with depressed global and regional LS in HCM patients, despite preserved global LVEF.
Scapular Free Flap

This 15-year-old girl was referred to us with a history of previously diagnosed ulcerative colitis and weight loss. She had been on sulfasalazine and prednisone, and at the time we were consulted she was admitted with multifocal osteomyelitis of the left leg associated with open wounds. The ulcerative colitis had been diagnosed 2 years prior to admission and had been quiescent for approximately 1 year. There were two foci of osteomyelitis diagnosed on bone scan with positive cultures for Staphylococcus. These were located in the proximal medial tibia and the lateral malleolus. Debridement of these two wounds was performed by the orthopedic service, and the patient was presented to us with open wounds involving exposed bone and history of osteomyelitis (Figure 13.1).
Abstract WP89: A Functional Outcome Model for a Telestroke-guided Tissue Plasminogen Activator Treatment of Stroke Patients

Background: The success of telestroke systems as a means to extend stroke-care expertise into rural and underserved areas has been reported. Evidence of clinical outcomes associated with the use of...
Alkenones as renewable phase change materials

Abstract Unique algal lipids known as alkenones were evaluated as potential phase change materials (PCMs). Alkenones were isolated and purified from commercial Isochrysis algal biomass and their thermal properties evaluated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). Alkenone crystallinity appears to impact latent heat of fusion (ΔHfus), however both the ΔHfus and melting temperature (∼65 °C) of two different alkenone compositions obtained from separate commercial Isochrysis suppliers were nearly identical. Compared to a synthetic bis-fatty acid PCM, alkenones showed improved thermal stability by TGA and comparable ΔHfus (up to 275 J/g) by DSC. Overall the results demonstrate competitive properties for alkenones to other renewable and non-renewable PCMs such that alkenones represent a promising and potentially superior alternative for various ‘green’ PCM technologies.
Comparison of various models for piezoelectric receivers in wireless acoustic power transfer

Piezoelectric transduction has lately been employed in wireless acoustic power transfer (APT) for powering electronic components that cannot be accessed easily, such as deep-implanted medical devices. Typically, the axial (or thickness) vibration mode of piezoelectric materials is used to generate acoustic waves that propagate through a medium, which are then converted back into electricity and delivered to an electrical load at the receiver end. The piezoelectric receiver can have various aspect ratios (length/diameter) in a given APT application. This work aims to develop and compare various models, such as the classical theory, Rayleigh’s theory, and Bishop’s theory, as well as finite-element model simulations, for different aspect ratios with an emphasis on those with comparable dimensions. Following analytical modeling and numerical simulation efforts, both in air and fluid loaded impedance frequency response functions are compared to report the valid aspect ratio ranges of the respective theories and their limitations, along with comparisons against experiments.
A 56Gb/s Long Reach Fully Adaptive Wireline PAM-4 Transceiver in 7nm FinFET

This 56Gb/s PAM-4 transceiver leverages the high logic density provided by the 7nm FinFET technology through rigorous application of digital design styles: An All-Digital PLL and SST transmitter are combined with a 28GS/s 8b ADC and DSP receiver, with the analog signal processing limited to a two stage front-end. The receiver achieves a raw 1e-7 BER with a-33dB insertion loss channel while consuming 500mW, including the 20-tap FFE and 1-tap DFE equipped DSP section.
Patient-Related Risk Factors for Worsened Abdominal Well-Being after Autologous Breast Reconstruction.

BACKGROUND Patient-reported lower satisfaction with the abdomen preoperatively is a strong predictor of undergoing DIEP flap surgery. The authors evaluated physical well-being of the abdomen before and after flap-based breast reconstruction to determine potential predictors for decreased postoperative abdominal well-being. METHODS The authors retrospectively analyzed an institutional breast reconstruction registry, selecting patients who underwent abdominally based autologous flap breast reconstruction from 2010 to 2015. The authors' primary outcome was the Physical Well-being of the Abdomen domain from the BREAST-Q, measured preoperatively and at 6- and 12-month follow-up visits after final reconstruction. The authors classified two patient groups: those who experienced a clinically important worsening of Physical Well-being of the Abdomen score and those who did not. The authors used the chi-square test, t test, and Wilcoxon rank sum test, and multivariable logistic regression to identify potential predictors. RESULTS Of 142 women identified, 74 (52 percent) experienced clinically important worsening of physical well-being of the abdomen, whereas 68 (48 percent) did not. The first group experienced a 25-point (95 percent CI, 22 to 28) decrease and the latter an 8-point (95 percent CI, 5 to 10) decrease in score compared to baseline. Multivariable analysis showed an association between higher baseline score and race, with higher odds of decreased score at the 12-month follow-up. A higher baseline RAND-36 general health score, bilateral reconstruction, and a lower body mass index demonstrated a trend for clinically important worsening of physical well-being of the abdomen. CONCLUSIONS More than half of flap-based breast reconstruction patients experienced clinically important worsening of abdominal well-being after final breast reconstruction. Clinicians may use these findings to identify patients at higher risk of worsened postoperative abdominal well-being. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Risk, III.
Elevated neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio is associated with poor long-term survival and graft failure after lung transplantation.

Abstract Purpose We aimed to assess the prognostic value of Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) on long-term outcomes and graft dysfunction after lung transplantation. Methods We retrospectively reviewed all patients receiving a lung transplant at our institution from 2011 to 2014. The primary exposure was elevated NLR at the time of transplant, defined by NLR>4. The primary outcomes were graft failure and three-year all-cause mortality. Multivariate logistic regression and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis were used to analyze outcomes. Results 95 patients were included. 40 patients (42%) had an elevated NLR. Elevated NLR was associated with graft failure (OR: 4.7 [1.2–18.8], p = 0.02), and three-year mortality (OR: 5.4 [1.3–23.2], p = 0.03) on multivariate logistic regression. Patients with elevated NLR demonstrated significantly lower survival on Kaplan-Meier analysis (50% versus 74%, p = 0.02). The c-statistic for our multivariate model was 0.91. Conclusion Elevated neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio is associated with poor long-term survival and graft failure after lung transplantation.
Supine (Back) Sleep Position

Supine (back) sleeping has been shown to decrease the incidence of SIDS and SUID (sleep-related infant deaths). Despite recommendations to place infants in the supine position for sleep, parents sometimes choose the non-supine position for their infants. This choice can be related to parental attitudes about supine sleep for their infants, perception about social norms, and whether they have control over which position their infants are placed to sleep. Health-care providers can get more infants in the supine position to sleep by consistently recommending and modeling the supine sleep position and by addressing parental concerns.
Within-Person Variation in Nutrient Intakes across Populations and Settings: Implications for the Use of External Estimates in Modeling Usual Nutrient Intake Distributions.

Determining the proportion of a population at risk of inadequate or excessive nutrient intake is a crucial step in planning and managing nutrition intervention programs. Multiple days of 24-h dietary intake data per subject allow for adjustment of modeled usual nutrient intake distributions for the proportion of total variance in intake attributable to within-individual variation (WIV:total). When only single-day dietary data are available, an external adjustment factor can be used; however, WIV:total may vary by population, and use of incorrect WIV:total ratios may influence the accuracy of prevalence estimates and subsequent program impacts. WIV:total values were compiled from publications and from reanalyses of existing datasets to describe variation in WIV:total across populations and settings. The potential impact of variation in external WIV:total on estimates of prevalence of inadequacy was assessed through simulation analyses using the National Cancer Institute 1-d method. WIV:total values were extracted from 40 publications from 24 countries, and additional values were calculated from 15 datasets from 12 nations. Wide variation in WIV:total (from 0.02 to 1.00) was observed in publications and reanalyses. Few patterns by population characteristics were apparent, but WIV:total varied by age in children ( 1 y) and between rural and urban settings. Simulation analyses indicated that estimates of the prevalence of inadequate intake are sensitive to the selected ratio in some cases. Selection of an external WIV:total estimate should consider comparability between the reference and primary studies with regard to population characteristics, study design, and statistical methods. Given wide variation in observed ratios with few discernible patterns, the collection of ≥2 days of intake data in at least a representative subsample in population dietary studies is strongly encouraged. In the case of single-day dietary studies, sensitivity analyses are recommended to determine the robustness of prevalence estimates to changes in the variance ratio.
Biological role and clinical relevance of extracellular vesicles as key mediators of cell communication in cancer

Abstract Cells of multicellular organisms constantly communicate with each other during development as well as in adult life to regulate body homeostasis and physiology. The sender cells may either signal to themselves or to specific recipient ones, thus influencing many cell processes such as metabolism, division, differentiation and migration. Cell-to-cell communication is extremely relevant in cancer. Tumor cells communicate among them and with several non tumoral cell types, such as stromal, endothelial, immune and epithelial cells, located both in the tumor microenvironment and at distance. The resultant is to sustain or adverse tumor growth and invasion. A great breakthrough in the comprehension of how cells communicate was achieved with the identification of extracellular vesicles (EVs). EVs are lipid membrane encapsulated structures able to transport and deliver in the cells a great variety of molecules, including proteins, metabolites, nucleic acids, lipids and even entire organelles. Most cells, from unicellular prokaryotes to complex multicellular organisms, are able to vesiculate. EVs are very heterogenous in size, content, function and biochemical/biophysical properties. Cancer cells have been shown to release increasing amount of EVs, with a different content respect to normal counterparts and able to elicit several functional responses in target cells. In this chapter we will present the main aspects of EV-based cancer cell communication, highlighting how EVs have been emerging as an extremely powerful tool to better understand tumor biology as well as for clinical applications in neoplastic diseases.
Robotic posterior capsule polishing by optical coherence tomography image guidance.

Background In cataract surgery, polishing of the posterior capsule (PC) can lead to improved surgical outcomes but is currently avoided due to its high-risk nature. This work developed a robotic system capable of performing PC polishing on ex vivo pig eyes using optical coherence tomography (OCT) guidance. Methods The lenses of five ex vivo pig eyes were extracted and a thin layer of glue deposited onto the PC. Transpupillary OCT scans of the anterior segment were used to generate a PC-polishing trajectory. During polishing, OCT B-scans tracked the tool tip and were displayed to the operator. Results Complete removal of the glue was accomplished in all five trials with no PC rupture reported. Conclusions The feasibility of using a robotic system guided by OCT to perform PC polishing on a biological model was demonstrated. Contributions include modelling of the PC anatomy, intraoperative OCT visualization, and automated tool-tip motion with scheduled aspiration pressures.
Sport- and Gender-Based Differences in Head Impact Exposure and Mechanism in High School Sports.

Background:Repeated head impacts sustained by athletes have been linked to short-term neurophysiologic deficits; thus, there is growing concern about the number of head impacts sustained in sports....
Fertility and Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy diagnosed in women worldwide. As the average age of child-bearing increases, more women will not have started or completed their families at the time of a breast cancer diagnosis. The scope of this review is to present current practices for fertility preservation, evidence for such practices, and future directions for fertility counseling and treatment for women with breast cancer. In the face of multimodality treatment for breast cancer including surgery, gonadotoxic chemotherapies, and radiation, women who desire to become biological mothers face complex decisions, including the pursuit of fertility preservation prior to treatment which may be dictated by age, ovarian reserve, and the choice of systemic therapy. Several considerations impact the decision to pursue fertility preservation, and practices are continually advancing. This discussion is aimed at improving access and information on fertility preservation methods in breast cancer patients.
A Case of Neurosarcoid Presenting as Multiple Intraparenchymal Hemorrhages

This report explores the case of a 49-year-old African American male with a six-month history of multifocal neurological deficits who presented to an outside hospital after a generalized seizure. P...
TransEuropa y lenguas en movimiento: Identidad en construcción

At a moment when free circulation within the European Union is hampered by particularisms and populisms, and the European project seems increasingly endangered by the non-European «other» inside and outside its geopolitical confines, this essay investigates Europeanness shaped by the joint action of travel and translation, as forms of transit and border crossing promoting exchange and difference. Focusing on Christine Brooke-Rose and Diego Marani, the essay explores the act of «carrying across» common to geographic dislocation and linguistic transfer as an agent of transformation able to regenerate the European power of symbolization through linguistic and cultural grafts. The two authors undermine eurocentrism from within by presenting language and identity as unstable spaces of multiple interactions. Their practice of spatial and cultural transfer situates Europeanness between national singularity and the levelling indistinction of globalism, redefining geographic and linguistic boundaries as lines of contact and estrangement that foreground identity’s intrinsic alterity.
Going with, then against the flow: evidence against the optomotor hypothesis of fish rheotaxis

Movement through an environment provides sighted organisms with dynamic visual cues known as optic flow. In flying insects, optic flow is important for collision avoidance, flight speed control and landing manoeuvres. The function of optic flow is much less understood in other taxa, particularly in fish. Despite a lack of quantitative studies, optomotor responses (OMRs) to optic flow are presumed to be nearly ubiquitously important for rheotaxis (orientation to currents), a widespread behaviour that confers a number of benefits, including energy conservation. Here we show that while very young larval zebrafish, Danio rerio, exhibit positive OMRs (swim in the direction of optic flow), thereby minimizing optic flow on the retina, older larvae and adults exhibit negative OMRs that increase optic flow. While the reason for this reversal remains unclear, negative OMRs are inconsistent with optically driven positive rheotaxis (orienting upstream). Furthermore, when optic flow cues are placed in conflict with nonvisual (mechanical) cues generated by water currents, adult fish largely ignore the optic flow cues relying instead on nonvisual cues. These results challenge a century-old belief that optic flow and the resulting OMRs are a dominant sensorimotor mechanism in rheotaxis, highlighting the importance of future work on life history changes in OMRs and the possible modulatory influence of learned, multisensory expectations.
School Social Work in the United States: Current Evidence and Future Directions

This paper surveys the historical and school institutional factors that shape current workforce, programmatic, and practice trends related to school social work in America. A key strand developed throughout is that the field of practice appears to be at a crossroads. It is suggested that this field of practice may be enhanced by placing the central focus on schools as organisations and school-community relations as key targets of intervention.
Binding specificities of cellular retinol-binding protein and cellular retinol-binding protein, type II.

Abstract Cellular retinol-binding protein (CRBP) and cellular retinol-binding protein, type ii (CRBP(II] are cytoplasmic proteins that bind trans-retinol as an endogenous ligand. These proteins are structurally similar having greater than 50% sequence homology. Employing fluorescence, absorbance, and competition studies, the ability of pure preparations of CRBP(II) and CRBP to bind various members of the vitamin A family has been examined. In addition to trans-retinol, CRBP(II) was able to form high affinity complexes (K'd less than 5 X 10(-8) M) with 13-cis-retinol, 3-dehydroretinol, and all-trans-retinaldehyde. CRBP bound those retinol isomers with similar affinities, but did not bind trans-retinaldehyde. Neither protein bound retinoic acid nor 9-cis- and 11-cis-retinol. The spectra of 13-cis-retinol and 3-dehydroretinol, when bound, were shifted and displayed fine structure compared to their spectra in organic solution. However, the lambda max and fluorescent yield of a particular ligand were different when bound to CRBP(II) versus CRBP. It appears that CRBP(II) and CRBP bind trans-retinol, 13-cis-retinol, and 3-dehydroretinol in a planar configuration. However, the binding sites of CRBP(II) and CRBP are clearly distinct based on the observed spectral differences of the bound ligands and the observations that only CRBP(II) could bind trans-retinaldehyde. The ability of CRBP(II) to bind trans-retinaldehyde suggests a physiological role for the protein in accepting retinaldehyde generated from the cleavage of beta-carotene in the absorptive cell.
A micromachined Kelvin probe for surface potential measurements in microfluidic channels and solid-state applications

This paper reports on a micromachined Kelvin probe structure with integrated scanning tip and dither actuation mechanism. It is fabricated by a modified micro electro-discharge machining process which allows electrical isolation within the micromachined structure using epoxy plugs. The device is used to measure changes in the external surface potential of a parylene microfluidic channel as a function of varying pH of liquid inside the channel. A contact potential difference of /spl ap/6 V is measured for a change in pH from 4 to 8 within the channel. The device is also used to map embedded charge in a thin SiO/sub 2/ layer on a Si substrate, showing it to be suitable for monitoring microelectronics manufacturing processes.
Effects of High Thermal Neutron Fluences on Type 6061 Aluminum

The control rod drive follower tubes of the High Flux Beam Reactor are contructed from precipitation-hardened 6061-T6 aluminum alloy and they operate in the high thermal neutron flux regions of the core. It is shown that large thermal neutron fluences up to {approximately}4 {times} 10{sup 23} n/cm{sup 2} at 333K cause large increases in tensile strength and relatively modest decreases in tensile elongation while significantly reducing the notch impact toughness at room temperature. These changes are attributed to the development of a fine distribution of precipitates of amorphous silicon of which about 8% is produced radiogenically. A proposed role of thermal-to-fast flux ratio is discussed.
Feline Hypercalcaemia: Establishing a diagnosis

Hypercalcaemia can be a challenging problem in cats, as the clinical manifestations are often nonspecific and numerous underlying causes must be considered. Determining the reason for hypercalcaemia is essential for effective patient management, and a logical approach helps guide diagnostic decision making. This article reviews the common causes of feline hypercalcaemia and discusses the tests which are routinely performed in these cases.
Characterization of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) produced by CO disproportionation on Co-Mo catalysts

The disproportionation of CO over Co−Mo/SiO2 catalysts with low Co/Mo ratios results in a high selectivity to single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) when the reaction is conducted between 700 and 950 °C in a flow of pure CO at a total pressure between 1 and 5 atm. A detailed characterization involving Raman spectroscopy, temperature-programmed oxidation (TPO), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) shows that the product of this process has a high concentration of SWNTs. Depending on the temperature of operation, the selectivity and nanotube diameter can be varied.
Management of cutaneous lupus erythematosus

Abstract Therapy of cutaneous lupus erythematosus is both an art and a science. The interplay of cosmetic and systemic factors must be understood and managed by the physician, who must, following recognition and diagnosis of the problem, discuss prognosis and life-style modification with the patient. Extensive reassurance usually is necessary. This all requires adequate and appropriate study. Patient education is an important on-going process. Finally, therapeutic modalities are administered, and frequently modified, to control the disease.
Fluoxetine and aripiprazole treatment following prenatal immune activation exert longstanding effects on rat locomotor response.

Abstract Aim Studies characterizing treatment interventions in a naturalistic setting suggest that antidepressant and antipsychotic medications may be equally effective in improving clinical outcome in individuals at high risk for first-episode psychosis. Of interest, both beneficial as well as potentially adverse effects have been observed following fluoxetine treatment in a mouse prenatal immune activation model of relevance to psychosis prevention. We sought to extend those findings by examining the effects of fluoxetine, as well as the antipsychotic medication aripiprazole, in a rat prenatal immune activation model. Methods Pregnant Sprague–Dawley rats were injected with poly I:C or saline on gestational day 14. Offspring of poly I:C and saline-treated dams received fluoxetine (10.0 mg/kg/d), aripiprazole (0.66 mg/kg/d), or vehicle from postnatal days 35 to 70. Locomotor responses to novelty, saline injection, and amphetamine (1 and 5 mg/kg) were determined at three months, i.e., 21 days following drug discontinuation. Results Both fluoxetine and aripiprazole had beneficial effects on behavioral response to amphetamine (1 mg/kg) at 3 months, ameliorating the impact of prenatal immune activation on offspring of poly I:C-treated dams. Significantly, both drugs also exerted effects in offspring of control (saline-treated) dams on locomotor response to injection. Conclusions Fluoxetine and aripiprazole pretreatment of poly I:C offspring from postnatal days 35 to 70 stabilized response to amphetamine exposure persisting through 3 months of age, similar to earlier findings in mice that fluoxetine treatment following prenatal immune activation prevented altered locomotor response to amphetamine. The current data also confirm earlier findings of potential adverse behavioral effects in offspring of control dams following treatment with fluoxetine and antipsychotic medications, highlighting the potential for both therapeutic as well as safety concerns with exposure to preventive pharmacological treatments over the course of adolescent development. Further study is needed to determine clinical and epidemiological consequences of these pre-clinical findings.
Identifying delays to mechanical thrombectomy for acute stroke: onset to door and door to clot times

Outcomes from endovascular therapy for acute stroke are time dependent. Delays in the administration of this therapy have not been extensively studied and no performance benchmarks have been established. There are limited data on the complex factors that can affect these delays. In this review, we discuss the existing literature on the delays involved in endovascular therapy and have presented them as prehospital and inhospital factors. Some of these factors are common to intravenous thrombolysis; in addition, there are some that are unique to endovascular therapy. These include the awareness of the first responders, emergency medical services, interhospital transfer and triage systems, activation of the endovascular team, complex imaging decisions, and intraprocedural delays. A thorough understanding of these delays can help identify areas of improvement which may affect clinical outcomes.
Fast noninvasive eye-tracking and eye-gaze determination for biomedical and remote monitoring applications

Eyetracking is one of the latest technologies that has shown potential in several areas including human-computer interaction for people with and without disabilities, and for noninvasive monitoring, detection, and even diagnosis of physiological and neurological problems in individuals. Current non-invasive eyetracking methods achieve a 30 Hz rate with possibly low accuracy in gaze estimation, that is insufficient for many applications. We propose a new non-invasive visual eyetracking system that is capable of operating at speeds as high as 6-12 KHz. A new CCD video camera and hardware architecture is used, and a novel fast image processing algorithm leverages specific features of the input CCD camera to yield a real-time eyetracking system. A field programmable gate array (FPGA) is used to control the CCD camera and execute the image processing operations. Initial results show the excellent performance of our system under severe head motion and low contrast conditions.
A model for failure of a chicken embryo to survive incubation

Proper assessment of factors contributing to failure of an egg to hatch, i.e., infertility and embryonic mortality, is important in poultry production. A model consisting of the sum of two cumulative logistic distributions was proposed previously to describe the distribution for time of mortality during incubation; model parameters, including probabilities of infertility and mortality, were estimated by the method of least squares. The objective of this paper was to improve the previous model and method of estimation by evaluating alternative distributions and methods; we propose four recommendations. First, probabilities of infertility and mortality should be estimated as observed proportions rather than as model parameters. Second, parameters of the distribution for time of mortality should be estimated using a diphasic Weibull distribution rather than a diphasic logistic distribution. Third, parameters of the distribution for time of mortality should be estimated using noncumulative proportions rather than cumulative proportions. Fourth, parameters of the distribution for time of mortality should be estimated by maximum likelihood rather than by least squares. The minimum Hellinger distance, however, is a good alternative to maximum likelihood to estimate distribution parameters if the distribution of mortality is not known exactly or if the data contain outliers.
Nickel Ohmic Contacts to N-Implanted (0001) 4H-SiC

Samples for transmission line model (TLM) and Hall measurements were fabricated on (0001) 4H-SiC implanted with nitrogen at 1 × 1018 cm−3, 4 × 1018 cm−3, 1 × 1019 cm−3, 4 × 1019 cm−3, and 1 × 1020 cm−3. Following high-temperature activation, the activation percentage dropped from ~90% to ~20%, and the Hall mobility decreased from ~100 cm2/V · s to ~20 cm2/V · s as the implant concentration increased from 1 × 1018 cm−3 to 1 × 1020 cm−3. The specific contact resistance as a function of Hall concentration is compared with published data for Ni contacts to epitaxial layers. The specific contact resistance as a function of activation temperature was also studied for two fixed implant concentrations of 5 × 1018 cm−3 and 1 × 1020 cm−3.
Cannabinoid type 2 receptor stimulation attenuates brain edema by reducing cerebral leukocyte infiltration following subarachnoid hemorrhage in rats.

Abstract Early brain injury (EBI), following subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), comprises blood–brain barrier (BBB) disruption and consequent edema formation. Peripheral leukocytes can infiltrate the injured brain, thereby aggravating BBB leakage and neuroinflammation. Thus, anti-inflammatory pharmacotherapies may ameliorate EBI and provide neuroprotection after SAH. Cannabinoid type 2 receptor (CB2R) agonism has been shown to reduce neuroinflammation; however, the precise protective mechanisms remain to be elucidated. This study aimed to evaluate whether the selective CB2R agonist, JWH133 can ameliorate EBI by reducing brain-infiltrated leukocytes after SAH. Adult male Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly assigned to the following groups: sham-operated, SAH with vehicle, SAH with JWH133 (1.0 mg/kg), or SAH with a co-administration of JWH133 and selective CB2R antagonist SR144528 (3.0 mg/kg). SAH was induced by endovascular perforation, and JWH133 was administered 1 h after surgery. Neurological deficits, brain water content, Evans blue dye extravasation, and Western blot assays were evaluated at 24 h after surgery. JWH133 improved neurological scores and reduced brain water content; however, SR144528 reversed these treatment effects. JWH133 reduced Evans blue dye extravasation after SAH. Furthermore, JWH133 treatment significantly increased TGF-β1 expression and prevented an SAH-induced increase in E-selectin and myeloperoxidase. Lastly, SAH resulted in a decreased expression of the tight junction protein zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1); however, JWH133 treatment increased the ZO-1 expression. We suggest that CB2R stimulation attenuates neurological outcome and brain edema, by suppressing leukocyte infiltration into the brain through TGF-β1 up-regulation and E-selectin reduction, resulting in protection of the BBB after SAH.
Authentication in GPS-directed mobile clouds

Mobile clouds fuse cloud computing and mobile computing with wireless networking in everyday life. Many applications of mobile clouds deploy GPS (Global Positioning System) to find locations and to synchronize clocks. Though security starts to draw scrutiny from academy, industry, and government, authentication in GPS-directed mobile clouds has not been brought to the table. Authentication of GPS acts as the first responder against security breaches. This paper, among the first, examines the vulnerabilities in GPS-directed mobile clouds. By systematic analysis, an attack model is devised to demonstrate the existing threats and to predict futuristic attack tactics. The paper proposes a novel defense approach, namely vertical-horizontal design of authentication. Vertical-horizontal design extends cross-layer design of cloud and device stacks (vertical) with interface design between sections of the system (horizontal). The solutions will be validated with event-driven simulation that complements incidental dangers and legal/regulation restrictions associated in experimenting with GPS-dependent systems.