cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Anisotropic Quantum Hall Liquid States with No Translational Invariance in the Lowest Landau Level

Strongly correlated two-dimensional electron systems in a high perpendicular magnetic field have displayed remarkable new physics leading to the discovery of phenomena such as the integer and the fractional quantum Hall effect, to mention a few. Laughlin’s theoretical model and the composite fermion’s (CFs) approach provide a good description of the liquid electronic phases in the lowest Landau level (LLL) at relatively large filling factors. Other electronic phases at smaller filling factors of the LLL likely represent electronic Wigner solid states. It is believed that no other phases with intermediate order stabilize at the liquid–solid transition region. The current study deals with filling factor 1/6 in the LLL, a state which is very close to the critical filling factor where the liquid–solid transition takes place. With the assumption that the underlying signs of crystalline order are starting to appear at this transitional regime, we focus our attention and study the properties of a hybrid electronic phase that lacks translational invariance. To describe such a state, we consider a wave function that lies entirely in the LLL but, unlike a typical quantum Hall liquid phase, does not possess translational invariance. Although inspired by Laughlin’s approach, the wave function we introduce differs from Laughlin’s or CFs wave functions that describe translationally invariant uniform electronic phases. We perform quantum Monte Carlo simulations in a standard disk geometry to gain a better understanding of the properties of this wave function that may be considered as a precursor to the more conventional Wigner crystal phase.
Lyndon Johnson: Campaign Innovator?

Because most of the discussion of the second volume of Robert Caro's (1990) biography of Lyndon Johnson has focused either on his charge that Johnson's victory over Coke Stevenson in the 1948 Texas Senate election was gained through fraud or on the accuracy of the extremely negative picture of Johnson as compared to the heroic portrait of Stevenson, other important issues have been overlooked. In his introduction, Caro writes that he has devoted so much attention to the 1948 campaign because it “was the new politics against the old. Johnson was the new politics: electronic politics, technological politics, media politics.” These new techniques included “scientific polling, techniques of organization and of media manipulation,” whose effectiveness was demonstrated “so convincingly that thereafter all politicians who could afford them adopted them” (xxxii–xxxiii). Even though the image of Lyndon Johnson as a pioneer in the development of campaign technology is at odds with what has previously been written about him, most reviewers largely accepted Caro's assertion at face value.
Epidemiology of 1764 Animal Bitten Cases in Xinjin County,2008

Objective To understand the epidemiological characteristics of animal bitten cases and provide scientific evidence for rabies prevention and control.MethodsThe data of 1 764 animal bitten cases were collected from the rabies clinic of Xinjin CDC in 2008 to conduct retrospective analysis on population distribution and time distribution of exposure cases,animals involved and injury degree.ResultsAll 1 764 cases,the youngest was 1years old and the oldest was 88 years old,received rabies vaccination.The children less than 10 years old accounted for 20.63%.The male cases amounted to 924 and the female cases amounted to 840.The exposures mainly occurred during March-August(63.54%).Dog and cat bites accounted for 98.92%.The bites on lower extremity accounted for 60.37%,and on upper extremity accounted for 29.71%.MethodsVaccination against rabies in time after exposure and administration of immune globulin are important measures to prevent rabies.
Analysis on occupational health service and hearing impairment among noise exposed workers in Zhenjiang City

[Objective]To analyze the occupational health service and hearing impairment among noise exposed workers,put forward the recommendations for improving the service level. [Methods]The data were collected through the detection of noise intensity,investigation of noise exposed workers,and hearing test,to analyze the impact of noise on workers' hearing.[Results] A total of 1 080 noise exposed workers were investigated,including 991(91.8%) male workers(91.8%) and 89(8.2%) female workers.The hearing impairment was observed in 364 workers with the incidence rate of 33.70%,and there was a dose-response relationship between the incidence rate of hearing impairment and the cumulative noise exposure(CNE). 96.1% of workers obtained the occupational health knowledge by training. The major hazard factors were noise and dust. The awareness rate of hazard factors among workers in the large enterprise was higher than that in the medium and small-sized enterprises. Over 90% of workers have enjoyed the different occupational health services.[Conclusion]The workers in the factories and mines have enjoyed the better occupational health services in Zhenjiang City,but it should be further improved. The noise-hazard is serious in noise exposure enterprises.
The vulnerability and resilience of a city's water footprint: The case of Flagstaff, Arizona, USA

Research has yet to operationalize water footprint information for urban water policy and planning to reduce vulnerability and increase resilience to water scarcity. Using a county-level database of the U.S. hydro-economy, NWED, we spatially mapped and analyzed the Water Footprint of Flagstaff, Arizona, a small city. Virtual water inflow and outflow networks were developed using the flow of commodities into and out of the city. The power law distribution of virtual water trade volume between Flagstaff and its county trading partners broke at a spatial distance of roughly 2000 km. Most large trading partners are within this geographical distance, and this distance is an objective definition for Flagstaff's zone of indirect hydro-economic influence—that is, its water resource hinterland. Metrics were developed to measure Flagstaff's reliance on virtual water resources, versus direct use of local physical water resources. Flagstaff's reliance on external water supplies via virtual water trade increases both its hydro-economic resilience and vulnerability to water scarcity. These methods empower city managers to operationalize the city's Water Footprint information to reduce vulnerability, increase resilience, and optimally balance the allocation of local physical water supplies with the outsourcing of some water uses via the virtual water supply chain.
Surface Radiative Exchange in the Presence of Conduction and Convection

In the previous few chapters we have considered only the analysis of radiative exchange in enclosures with specified wall temperatures or fluxes, i.e., we have neglected interaction with other modes of heat transfer. In practical systems, of course, it is nearly always the case that radiation from a boundary is affected by conduction into the solid and/or by convection from the surface. Then, two or three modes of heat transfer must be accounted for simultaneously. The interaction may be quite simple, or it may be rather involved. For example, heat loss from an isothermal surface of known temperature, adjacent to a radiatively nonparticipating medium, may occur by convection as well as radiation; however, convective and radiative heat fluxes are independent of one another, can be calculated independently, and may simply be added. If boundary conditions are more complex (i.e., surface temperatures are not specified), then radiation enters the remaining conduction/convection problem as a nonlinear boundary condition.
Reliability Assessment of Energy Monitoring Service for a Futuristic Smart City

With the growing popularity of the service oriented computing paradigm, reliable cloud service delivery has assumed prime importance. This, in turn, demands appropriate techniques for reliability assessment of cloud services. In this paper, we present a model for reliability assessment of cloud services in a smart city infrastructure hosted as cloud service. Subsequently we provide the detailed methodology for obtaining cloud services reliability using Markov Model, Graph Theory and Queuing Theory. It has been assumed that critical infrastructures of a smart city including energy, water, gas, transportation, public health and safety, irrigation, communication networks are provided as services hosted on cloud infrastructures.
Bio-inspired polarization imaging sensor for label-free applications

I will present our latest efforts on developing a bio-inspired polarization sensor by integrating metallic nanowires with low noise CCD imaging sensors. These sensors are used for in-vivo label-free neural recordings from the locust antenna lobe.
Listening and understanding

Abstract The activities involved in mediating reinforcement for a speaker's behavior constitute only one phase of a listener's reaction to verbal stimulation. Other phases include listening and understanding what a speaker has said. It is argued that the relative subtlety of these activities is reason for their careful scrutiny, not their complete neglect. Listening is conceptualized as a functional relation obtaining between the responding of an organism and the stimulating of an object. A current instance of listening is regarded as a point in the evolution of similar instances, whereby one's history of perceptual activity may be regarded as existing in one's current interbehavior. Understanding reactions are similarly analyzed; however, they are considerably more complex than listening reactions due to the preponderance of implicit responding involved in reactions of this type. Implicit responding occurs by way of substitute stimulation, and an analysis of the serviceability of verbal stimuli in this regard is made. Understanding is conceptualized as seeing, hearing, or otherwise reacting to actual things in the presence of their “names” alone. The value of an inferential analysis of listening and understanding is also discussed, with the conclusion that unless some attempt is made to elaborate on the nature and operation of these activities, the more apparent reinforcement mediational activities of a listener are merely asserted without an explanation for their occurrence.
Finite Difference Approach to Transport of Intensity

A finite difference method is proposed for solving the transport of intensity equation (TIE). Simulation shows that the proposed numerical method is able to reconstruct the phase with good accuracy as compared with FFT-based TIE methods.
Vaccination and the evolution of seasonal influenza

Although vaccines against seasonal influenza are designed to protect against currently circulating strains, they may also affect the emergence of antigenically divergent strains and thereby change the rate of antigenic evolution. Such evolutionary effects could change the benefits that vaccines confer to vaccinated individuals and the host population (i.e. private and social benefits). To investigate vaccinations potential evolutionary impacts, we simulated the dynamics of an influenza-like pathogen in an annually vaccinated host population. On average, vaccination decreased the cumulative amount of antigenic evolution of the viral population and the incidence of disease. Vaccination at a 5% random annual vaccination rate (48% cumulative vaccine coverage after 20 years) decreased cumulative evolution by 56% and incidence by 76%. To understand how the evolutionary effects of vaccination might affect its private and social benefits over multiple seasons, we fit linear panel models to simulated infection and vaccination histories. Including the evolutionary effects of vaccination lowered the private benefits by 14% but increased the social benefits by 30% (at a 5% annual vaccination rate) compared to when evolutionary effects were ignored. Thus, in the long term, vaccines' private benefits may be lower and social benefits may be greater than predicted by current measurements of vaccine impact, which do not capture long-term evolutionary effects. These results suggest that conventional vaccines against seasonal influenza could greatly reduce the burden of disease by slowing antigenic evolution like universal vaccines. Furthermore, vaccination's evolutionary effects compound a collective action problem, highlighting the importance on social policies concerning vaccination.
The Effect of Proximal Functionality on the Allylic Azide Equilibrium

This report describes an investigation into the effect that proximal functionality has on the allylic azide equilibrium. We report 16 allylic azides with varied functionality from three subclasses. We observe a correlation of % branched azide to the pKa of the OR group. We also observe that RN-H azides have a higher % branched azide relative the corresponding RN-Bn compound. These two effects combine to describe the observed equilibrium for the known compound hydroxy-crotyl azide. DFT calculations support several stereoelectronic effects that contribute to the relative energetics.
Morbidity and Mortality Conference for Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Background—Morbidity and mortality conference is a common educational and quality improvement activity performed in cardiac catheterization laboratories, but best practices for case selection and f...
A Comprehensive Evaluation of the Parameters that Affect the Performance of In-Situ Gelation System

Abstract This study investigates the effects of different parameters on the in-situ gelation of a polyacrylamide/chromium(VI)/thiourea solution using numerical modeling. The effects of polymer rheology, water salinity of the system on polymer viscosity and polymer adsorption, presence of divalent cations (hardness), injection schemes, wettability of the formation, cation exchange capacity (CEC), mobility ratio, and dip angle of the reservoir were investigated by a 3D model using UTGEL simulator. The injection pattern was one quarter of five-spot with eight layers. The model had two thief zones that were located in the middle of the model. The permeability of the thief zones was 1,500 md, with a permeability contrast (heterogeneity) of 15/1. The ratio of vertical to horizontal permeability was 0.01. The results showed that regardless the salinity of the brine, considering both shear-thinning and shear-thickening behavior (i.e., UVM model) always yielded better results than assuming shear-thinning behavior only. The results also showed that the higher the salinity of the system, the lower the recovery factor. Thus, low salinity post-treatment water improved the results, especially when the initial salinity of the system was too high. Moreover, the presence of divalent cations (hardness) affected the efficiency of gel treatment; therefore, low-salinity chase water floods improved the recovery. In addition, if the pore volume of the post-treatment water was not high, the optimum injection scheme would be the injection of the polymer solution before the gel treatment. However, if the pore volume of the post-treatment water was high, the ultimate oil recovery would not affected by the injection scheme and the treatment using only the gel would be the most viable scheme. In addition, damage in the low-permeability layer adjacent to the thief zone was significant for oil-wet conditions compared to water-wet conditions. Furthermore, the presence of the clays in the formation (i.e., increasing the cation exchange capacity) lowers the amount of the crosslinkers that are available for polymer to form gel due to the removal of the crosslinkers from the gelant solution. Therefore, no gel will form with a high value of CEC. Increasing the mobility ratio will lower the efficiency of gel treatment; thus, injection of the polymer solution after the gel treatment was the best option. The dip angle from the injector to the producer assisted the gel placement, which resulted in high oil recovery. Finally, the effect of the skin factor should be taken into consideration in designing the gel treatment, especially at high injection rate.
Reproductive Rights and Modern Film: Five Women, Six Movies and the Politics of Abortion

This paper considers the portrayal of reproductive rights on modern film by examining the fundamental messages and depiction of heroines and lead characters in the feature films Vera Drake (2004) Palindromes (2004), Juno (2007), Revolutionary Road (2008), and Citizen Ruth (1996), as well as the documentary 12th and Delaware (2010). What do the characters of Vera, Aviva, Juno, Ruth and April reveal about attitudes toward, and the state of reproductive rights? Is abortion viewed as moral or ethical or neither? What are the cultural, social and political milieu, as well as specific human circumstances and sexual politics, that surround, constrain or empower the women in these films? Is their portrayal positive, negative, or nuanced and complex? Should abortion be part of women’s reproductive rights, and thus, a civil right, and if not, what are the physical, psychological and legal consequences for women? Finally, what, if anything, do these portrayals reveal about Americans' attitudes toward reproductive rights, abortion, and the women faced with difficult choices, health risks, and dire economic circumstances?
General Perspectives on Protozoan Ecology

In the preceding chapters, some comparative data on ecology were presented for each of the major groups of protozoa. An integrative overview of major principles is included here as a summative perspective. Protozoa serve a significant role in the maintenance of energy flow and conservation of nutrients within many ecosystems. Their rapid rate of growth, relatively efficient use of resources compared to larger forms of life, and their role as prey for other organisms makes them a significant link in the food webs of aquatic and terrestrial environments. Moreover, the capacity of many species to encyst or otherwise form resting stages, combined with the foregoing physiological characteristics of protozoa, makes them significant conservators of carbon and mineral nutrients essential to the stability and productivity of plant and animal communities.
Herbivory and the Evolution of Nongeniculate Coralline Algae (Rhodophyta, Corallinales) in the North Atlantic and North Pacific

A comparison of the crustose coralline (Corallinales, Rhodophyta) floras of the Boreal eastern North Pacific (Prince William Sound, Alaska to Pt. Conception, California) and Subarctic western North Atlantic (Cape Cod, Massachusetts to the Strait of Belle Isle, Newfoundland) provides an excellent means of comparison for identifying specific adaptations to herbivory. The floras of both regions have about the same number of genera (5) and abundant species (5–7) but no species are common to both regions and a few genera are found in only one region. Only chitons, limpets and sea urchins have species known to be capable of grazing corallines in these regions. The diversity of these coralline-grazers is greater in the Pacific Northwest (13 spp. total, 8 important) compared to the North Atlantic (4 spp. total, 2 important). Only the sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis, is found in both regions.
Weak enhanced resonant Faraday rotation in pure cobalt plasmonic lattices: Thickness dependent Faraday rotation studies

Abstract The thickness dependent magneto-optical Faraday rotation in Co ferromagnetic thin films and perforated periodic Co nano-hole arrays were investigated. It was observed that the optical response and Faraday rotation of Co nano-hole arrays were strongly dependent on the thickness of the film, and the Faraday rotation reached the maximum amplitude at an optimal thickness value of 30–50 nm, which contrasted with the Co thin films where the Faraday rotation increased with the film thickness. In addition, the Faraday rotation spectra of Co nano-hole arrays showed a weak resonantly enhanced peak at the anti-resonance modes (or Wood’s anomalies) on the transmission spectra, which correspond to the enhanced local electric field at the film and surrounding medium interfaces. All experimental results were confirmed by the finite-difference time domain calculations.
Modeling and Mitigating the Coremelt Attack

This paper studies the Coremelt attack, a link-flooding Distributed Denial of Service attack that exhausts the bandwidth at a core network link using low-intensity traffic flows between subverted machines. A dynamical system model is formulated for analyzing the effect of Coremelt attack on a single-link Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) network and developing mitigation methods. For the case with a limited number of subverted sources, a modified TCP algorithm is developed for the attackers to achieve a desired congestion level. A mitigation method is proposed to improve the link usage of legitimate users when the link is under attack. The network performance under different attack and mitigation scenarios is illustrated through simulation results.
Trading Off Robustness and Performance in Receding Horizon Control with Uncertain Energy Resources

Increased utilization of residential and small commercial distributed energy resources (DERs) has led DER aggregators to develop concepts such as the virtual power plants (VPP). VPPs aggregate the energy resources and dispatch them akin to a conventional power plant or grid-scale battery to provide flexibility to the system operator. Since the level of flexibility from aggregated DERs is uncertain and time varying, the VPPs' dispatch can be challenging. To improve the system operation, flexible VPPs can be formulated probabilistically and can be realized with chance-constrained model predictive control (CCMPC). This can be solved using scenario-based methodology, which provides a-priori probabilistic guarantees on constraint satisfaction. This paper focuses on understanding the robustness and performance trade offs in receding horizon control with uncertain energy resources. The CCMPC dispatches robustly the uncertain VPPs and conventional generators while taking into account economically optimal, secure reference trajectory for generating assets. Closed-loop performance is with respect to minimizing the deviation of conventional generators from their reference trajectory. To evaluate the trade off between robustness and system performance with uncertain energy resources, a simulation-based analysis is carried out on the modified IEEE 30-bus system.
Mechanical model of bio-inspired composites with sutural tessellation

Abstract Architectured composites with sutural tessellations across all length scales are found in the armor systems of many fauna and flora species in nature. These composites are typically composed of relatively stiff building blocks articulated via compliant wavy suture seam, showing a remarkable jigsaw-puzzle-like sutural tessellation. Inspired by these interesting natural architecture materials, bio-inspired designs of composite plates with hexagonal, diamond and rectangular building blocks and triangular suture tessellations were developed. Generalized closed-form analytical expressions for the effective stiffnesses along major axes of symmetry of these designs were derived and finite element (FE) simulations were performed to verify the analytical solution. Suture tessellation was shown to be essential in determining the mechanical properties of the composite plates. The influences of suture waviness, suture dominancy, the shape of the building blocks and the stiffness ratio of the suture tessellation were evaluated. The results provide design guidelines for widely tuning the mechanical properties of the biomimetic composite plates via tailoring suture tessellation.
The Partisan Republic: Democracy, Exclusion, and the Fall of the Founders' Constitution, 1780s–1830s

The Partisan Republic is the first book to unite a top down and bottom up account of constitutional change in the Founding era. The book focuses on the decline of the Founding generation's elitist vision of the Constitution and the rise of a more 'democratic' vision premised on the exclusion of women and non-whites. It incorporates recent scholarship on topics ranging from judicial review to popular constitutionalism to place judicial initiatives like Marbury vs Madison in a broader, socio-legal context. The book recognizes the role of constitutional outsiders as agents in shaping the law, making figures such as the Whiskey Rebels, Judith Sargent Murray, and James Forten part of a cast of characters that has traditionally been limited to white, male elites such as James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Marshall. Finally, it shows how the 'democratic' political party came to supplant the Supreme Court as the nation's pre-eminent constitutional institution.
A Signed Generalization of the Bernoulli–Laplace Diffusion Model

We bound the rate of convergence to stationarity for a signed generalization of the Bernoulli–Laplace diffusion model; this signed generalization is a Markov chain on the homogeneous space (\({\mathbb{Z}}\)2≀Sn)/(Sr×Sn−r). Specifically, for r not too far from n/2, we determine that, to first order in n, \(\tfrac{1}{4}\)n log n steps are both necessary and sufficient for total variation distance to become small. Moreover, for r not too far from n/2, we show that our signed generalization also exhibits the “cutoff phenomenon.”
Bootstrap Confidence Intervals in Nonparametric Regression Without an Additive Model

The problem of confidence interval construction in nonparametric regression via the bootstrap is revisited. When an additive model holds true, the usual residual bootstrap is available but it often leads to confidence interval under-coverage; the case is made that this under-coverage can be partially corrected using predictive—as opposed to fitted—residuals for resampling. Furthermore, it has been unclear to date if a bootstrap approach is feasible in the absence of an additive model. The main thrust of this paper is to show how the transformation approach put forth by Politis (Test 22(2):183–221, 2013) in the related setting of prediction intervals can be found useful in order to construct bootstrap confidence intervals without an additive model.
Alcohol Biomarkers: Clinical Issues and Analytical Methods

Abstract Alcohol biomarkers can be broadly classified as direct and indirect alcohol biomarkers. Direct biomarkers are minor alcohol metabolites such as ethyl sulfate and ethyl glucuronide as well as acetaldehyde, the first alcohol metabolite, aldehyde-protein adduct, phosphatidylethanol, and fatty acid ethyl esters. Indirect biomarkers are various liver enzymes such as alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) which are formed due to toxic effects of alcohol to the liver in heavy drinkers. However, GGT elevation is considered as more sensitive marker of alcohol abuse although various other causes may elevate serum GGT levels without elevation of AST and ALT. In addition, mean corpuscular volume, carbohydrate-deficient transferrin, beta-hexosaminidase, total serum sialic acid, and 5-hydroxtryptophaol are indirect alcohol biomarkers. There are many applications of alcohol biomarkers in clinical settings including primary care, criminal justice, drug/alcohol rehabilitation program, workplace drug/alcohol testing, and monitoring pregnant women for potential alcohol use. No amount of alcohol is safe during pregnancy due to possibility of fetal alcohol syndrome.
Neighborhood Context and the Risk for Developmental Disabilities in Early Childhood.

The effects of place on human health and development have been extensively studied in recent years in the adult and adolescent populations, but minimal research has addressed neighborhood effects in early childhood. This analysis of the National Survey of Children’s Health 2011/2012 cross-sectional survey examined relationships between risk for developmental disability in early childhood and neighborhood characteristics in a nationally-representative sample of children ages 0–5 years. Parents reported on their child’s development using a well-validated parent report screening tool for developmental problems (the Parent’s Evaluation of Developmental Status tool), and neighborhood and family characteristics. Multinomial logistic regression analyses were conducted for each of three neighborhood variables: physical disorder, safety, and isolation. After controlling for parental and child characteristics, the three neighborhood variables were each significantly associated with moderate (but not severe) risk versus low to no risk for developmental disabilities. When all neighborhood characteristics were included simultaneously in the same model, only physical disorder remained statistically significant [OR 1.44 (95% CI 1.09–1.91)], though modestly attenuated. These results suggest that neighborhoods may have effects on early childhood development, after controlling for individual child, parental, and family characteristics.
FOSTERING DEMENTIA-FRIENDLY COMMUNITIES AND SUPPORTING CAREGIVERS THROUGH THE GWEP PROGRAMS

As the number of people affected by dementia increases, it is essential that caregivers are provided resources and communities educated on how to engage and support people living with dementia. Supporting caregivers and providing education about dementia-friendly communities are key components of the Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Programs. This symposium will provide examples of GWEP projects which foster dementia-friendly communities and support caregivers. Additionally, recent and current legislation targeting dementia and caregivers will be presented.
Timbre, Genre, and Polystylism in Sonic the Hedgehog 3

In the soundtrack for the Sega Genesis game Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (1994), the genres represented include calypso, funk, carnival, new wave, prog rock, and more. Soundtracks for video games frequently shift genres this way, to create aesthetic themes for different levels or characters. Turning toward an account of the game’s soundtrack as a unified and continuous work, I posit that the music of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 might be understood as analogous to a series of “samples” within a polystylistic whole, following Leydon (2010). Leydon notes that instrumentation “bears the bulk of the semiotic burden” in communicating genre, but stops short of detailing how different instrumental timbres themselves might signify these genres. In my close analysis of two specific levels from Sonic the Hedgehog 3, I detail how timbre, as a musical parameter separate from instrumentation, can evoke specific intertextual and extramusical associations. In doing this, I will show how study of timbre might inform and enhance analyses of genre, both within video game music and more broadly.
Naming Mount Barcroft.

Background: The University of California White Mountain Research Center is located on Mount Barcroft, a 13,040-ft (3975-m) peak on the California White Mountain range. This report describes how the...
“I’m a Teacher, I’m Gonna Always Protect You”: Understanding Black Educators’ Protection of Black Children:

Many Black educators in the United States demonstrate a political clarity about white supremacy and the racialized harm it cultivates in and out of schools. We highlight the perspectives of some of...
Gamma knife surgery for the treatment of brain metastases

Objective The goal of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of gamma knife surgery (GKS)in the treatment of intracranial metastatic lesions and analyze prognostic factors that predict survival.Method 407 patients with brain metastases underwent gamma knife surgery.Follow up studies were available in 344 patients with 756 treated lesions.The mean seize of the tumors was(8.2±5.1)cm3.The maximum and margin doses used were(27.1±4.9)Gy and(15.4±2.0)Gy,respectively.Results After a mean of(17.7±9.8)months follow-up evaluation,imaging studies showed that the tumors disappeared in 140,shrank in 331,remained unchanged in 222,and grew in 63.The mean survival was(12.1±6.0)months after GKS.Survival was better in patients with younger age(＜65yrs),single brain metastasis and a Karnofsky performance SCale(KPS)≥70.Each has statistical significance(P＜0.01).Conclusions GKS is effective for metastatic brain tumors,which is safe and provides a high local tumor control rate.The better prognostic predictors for longer survival were younger age(＜65yrs),absence of extracranial worse disease,a good KPS score(≥70).fewer numbers of metastases and original lesion fully controlled. Key words: Radiosurgery; Neoplasm metastasis,brain; Gamma knife surgery; Efficacy; Prognosis
What Online Content is 'Illegal' in Russia: An Empirical Look at Court Practices

In the last five years, since the introduction of a new regulatory framework for the control of online content, the Russian government has blocked tens of thousands of websites. This blocking has become a major censorship vehicle for the state. As existing literature on internet censorship in Russia relies mostly on individual cases, we still do not fully understand the trends in the control of online content based on aggregate enforcement data. As the first step in this direction, this study empirically investigates one aspect of Russia’s internet control system: blocking online content based on court decisions. Our analysis of relevant court practices identifies the top three content categories on which prosecutors and courts have focused and the significant increase in prosecutors’ appetite to block increasing content categories. We conclude that the actual enforcement of the Blacklist law went far beyond its original intent, which was to protect children from online exploitation and harm.
Partial: A Software Tool for the Development of Ada Programs

This paper describes a software tool, PARTIAL, that monitors a sequence of stepwise refinements. This tool is designed to collect information about properties of the stepwise refinement of pseudocode, where the pseudocode can be based upon any target language. The particular language selected to illustrate the system here is Ada.
Outdoor air pollution exposure and inter-relation of global cognitive performance and emotional distress in older women

Abstract The interrelationships among long-term ambient air pollution exposure, emotional distress and cognitive decline in older adulthood remain unclear. Long-term exposure may impact cognitive performance and subsequently impact emotional health. Conversely, exposure may initially be associated with emotional distress followed by declines in cognitive performance. Here we tested the inter-relationship between global cognitive ability, emotional distress, and exposure to PM2.5 (particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter
The importance of microlipophagy in liver.

Cytoplasmic lipid droplets (LDs) store energy in the form of esterified fatty acids. Mobilization of those fatty acids can occur through cytosolic lipases that traffic to droplets, through lipophagy, or likely through LD contact sites with other organelles. Lipophagy, the degradation of LDs by lysosomes, has two forms: macrolipophagy, involving formation of autophagosomes, trapping LDs, that then fuse with lysosomes; and microlipophagy, in which LDs are directly engulfed by lysosomes. Macrolipophagy has been well described in liver, an organ in which LDs often accumulate in obesity and other disease states. The manuscript by Schulze et al. (1) in PNAS clearly shows that microlipophagy, a process well described in yeast, is a significant pathway in isolated hepatocytes and in liver in vivo. It is not difficult to imagine this is the tip of the iceberg and that the importance of microautophagic events in mammalian cells has been underappreciated until now. LDs are composed of a neutral lipid core surrounded by a phospholipid monoleaflet into which are embedded proteins (2). The bulk of neutral lipids is usually triacyglycerols and steryl esters but may include acylceramides, retinyl esters, and other bioactive lipids. The LD surface is home to perilipins, which protect against adventitious lipolysis, and many enzymes of lipid metabolism. The surface also provides storage for histones, proteins of the innate immune system, and serves as a scaffold for the assembly of viral pathogens. While LD are valuable, they are not always benign (3). Overextended adipose tissue invites inflammation. Fatty liver disease affects a growing fraction of the population of industrialized countries, as adipose stores become saturated upon chronic overeating. Foam cells develop and accumulate during atherogenesis as macrophages feast on available external lipid, filling up their cytoplasm with LDs. Mobilization of fatty acids from LDs can quickly occur by cytosolic lipases that … [↵][1]1Email: Joel.Goodman{at}UTSouthwestern.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Validation of Commonly Used Antimicrobial Interventions on Bob Veal Carcasses for Reducing Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Surrogate Populations.

ABSTRACT Ruminants are natural reservoirs of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), and the STEC can be easily transferred to carcasses during the conversion of animals to meat. Three experiments were conducted to validate the efficacy of lactic acid (LA; 4%), peroxyacetic acid (PAA; 300 ppm), and hot water (HW; 80°C) for their individual or combined abilities to reduce STEC surrogates on bob veal carcasses pre- and postchill and through fabrication. In experiment 1, hot carcasses (n = 9) were inoculated with a five-strain cocktail (ca. 8 log CFU/mL) containing rifampin-resistant surrogate E. coli (BAA-1427, BAA-1428, BAA-1429, BAA-1430, and BAA-1431) and then treated with HW, LA, or PAA. Carcasses were then chilled (0 ± 1°C; 24 h) and split in half, and each side was treated with either LA or PAA. In experiment 2, hot carcasses (n = 3) were inoculated and chilled (24 h). After 24 h, the carcasses were split, and each side was treated with either LA or PAA. For experiment 3, carcasses (n = 3) were chilled for 24 h, split, inoculated, and treated with either LA or PAA. After chilling, carcasses from all three experiments were fabricated to subprimals and the cut surfaces were sampled to determine the translocation of bacteria. Experiment 1 showed that LA+LA was the most effective (P ≤ 0.05) treatment for reducing surrogate E. coli on veal. In experiments 2 and 3, LA and PAA were similar (P > 0.05) in their abilities to reduce E. coli on chilled veal carcasses. In experiments 1 and 2, all antimicrobial treatments resulted in undetectable levels (<0.2 log CFU/cm2) of surrogate E. coli on cut surfaces after fabrication, whereas low levels (1.7 and 1.0 log CFU/cm2 for LA and PAA, respectively) were observed in experiment 3. Of the antimicrobial interventions utilized, LA was more effective for reducing STEC surrogate populations on veal carcasses, pre- and/or postchill. HIGHLIGHTS
Pre-breeding beef heifer management and season affect mid to late gestation uteroplacental hemodynamics

In a well-managed beef herd, heifers should represent the most valuable genetics in the herd and be an improvement on the previous generation of females. Recent economic conditions have brought forth a trend in which heifers are developed in “low input” management scenarios where they typically achieve 50-55% of projected mature body weight at breeding as opposed to the more traditional 65-70%. Seasonal differences in calf performance and heifer reproductive efficiency have also been observed. The uterine environment during gestation is known to have lifelong epigenetic effects on offspring. This is often achieved by imposing suboptimal conditions or nutrition prior to breeding or during gestation, and the effects may be translated to the developing calf by altered patterns of uteroplacental blood flow. Thus, it was hypothesized that low input heifer development protocols resulting in light weight heifers at breeding may cause decreased uteroplacental blood flow during pregnancy compared to traditionally developed females even when nutrition during gestation is equivalent. Furthermore, it was posited that calving season may also alter uteroplacental hemodynamics. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of heifer development practices and season on uteroplacental hemodynamics during mid to late gestation of nulliparous beef females.
Designing motors for manufacturing in the United States

Although many motor manufacturers have exported their manufacturing capabilities to foreign countries, most American companies still do the bulk of their design in the United States. There are reasons for the "design here-manufacture there" approach. Otherwise, why not do it all there? Obviously the advantage to foreign manufacture is labor costs. The advantage of designing products in America is more a matter of design control, and the synergy that exists between design and manufacturing functions. Both motor design and manufacture can be feasible in the US by adhering to practical design approaches.
In vitro sensitization to transplantation antigens. VII. Enhanced graft-vs-host activity of in vitro allosensitized lymphoid cells.

Abstract We have previously demonstrated that C57BL/6J lymphoid cells sensitized in vitro to C3H/He transplantation antigens, present on macrophage monolayers, can transfer an accelerated C3H allograft response to recipient C57 mice. The present report indicates that C57 lymphoid cells sensitized to C3H alloantigens, present on macrophage monolayers, can also mediate a graft-versus-host (GVH) reaction in (C3H × C57) F 1 newborn mice. This GVH reaction is of greater magnitude than that produced by noncultured C57 cells. The magnitude of the augmented GVH reaction produced by cultured C57 cells is dependent on the source of lymphoid cells: lymph node, spleen, and bone marrow cells are consistently more active than cultured thymus cells—the reduced capability of cultured thymus cells to mediate the GVH reaction parallels their reduced ability to transfer allograft immunity. To test whether monolayers, other than macrophages, can sensitize lymphoid cells in vitro we incubated C57 lymphoid cells on C3H-derived L cells. Lymph node cells incubated with L cells demonstrate an increased GVH reaction in newborn mice. The in vitro sensitization of spleen and bone marrow cells on L cells is less consistent. Thymus cannot be sensitized by L cells. Monolayers of L cells are therefore not as efficient a sensitizing source as macrophages.
Recognition of Neonates by Facial-Visual Characteristics

A series of experiments investigated the salience of newborn infants9 facial-visual features for recognition and sex identification. Within 33 hours post-partum, mothers recognized photographs of their own offspring when presented with those of unrelated neonates. Furthermore, adult subjects were able to match photographs of unfamiliar mothers and their infants, and determine the sex of neonates, at a greater than chance level of accuracy. Although recognizable facial features are presumably genetically determined, maternal recognition of offspring probably results from brief exposure and familiarization as well as physical resemblance between the infant and other familiar family members, including the mother herself.
Barbara J. Crandall-Stotler and Raymond E. Stotler – A Tribute

As a team, Dr. Barbara Jean Crandall-Stotler (Fig. 1) and Dr. Raymond Eugene Stotler (Fig. 2) are recognized among the bryological community as distinguished scholars, educators, and leaders in promoting the discipline of bryology. Together, their expertise, contributions and innovative ideas span the foundations of bryological research to include morphogenesis, cytology, cell biology, population biology, phylogeny, systematics, plant nomenclature, and botanical documentation. Barbara Crandall-Stotler’s work with lower cryptogams began in 1961, her sophomore year at Keuka College in her home state of New York, when Dr. Raymond Hollensen mentored her in 3 Corresponding author e-mail: sbegan@wcupa.edu DOI: 10.1639/0007-2745-114.1.1 Figure 1. Barbara Crandall-Stotler.
ENDOTHELIAL CELL INJURY UNDER HIGH FREQUENCY VIBRATION IN THE RAT- TAIL MODEL

Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) consists of vascular, sensorineural and musculoskeletal disorders and affects around 1.75.8% of industrial workers. In this study, a rat-tail vibration injury model is used to assess early vascular damage due to HAVS, manifested in the form of endothelial cell vacuolation and oxidative injury. Tails were vibrated at two frequencies 125Hz and 250Hz for 4hr/day for 1 and 5 days (49m/s 2 ). Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) staining was done to assess gross changes in artery sections and toluidine blue stain was done for vacuole counting. Immunohistochemical (IHC) methods were used to detect Nitrotyrosine, a potent biomarker of cell inflammation and oxidative stress. The vacuole count in Endothelial Cells (ECs) was not statistically significant after 1 and 5 days for any frequency. However IHC images showed significant oxidative damage in Endothelial Cells (ECs) with considerable oxidative damage being induced as early as 1 day for both 125Hz and 250Hz frequencies, with more EC damage induced by 250Hz frequency after 5 days. These findings indicate that higher frequency vibrations can cause severe oxidative damage to EC.
Gross Negligence, Inherent Risks, Assumption of Risks: Using Waivers to Protect Fitness Clubs

The plaintiff suffered a serious knee injury during a kickboxing class, while being assisted by an instructor at a sports club. The plaintiff filed suit against the club, alleging personal injury caused by negligence on the part of the instructor.
Slit inhibition of retinal axon growth and its role in retinal axon pathfinding and innervation patterns in the diencephalon.

We have analyzed the role of the Slit family of repellent axon guidance molecules in the patterning of the axonal projections of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) within the embryonic rat diencephalon and whether the slits can account for a repellent activity for retinal axons released by hypothalamus and epithalamus. At the time RGC axons extend over the diencephalon, slit1 and slit2 are expressed in hypothalamus and epithalamus but not in the lateral part of dorsal thalamus, a retinal target. slit3 expression is low or undetectable. The Slit receptors robo2 , and to a limited extent robo1 , are expressed in the RGC layer, as are slit1 and slit2 . In collagen gels, axon outgrowth from rat retinal explants is biased away from slit2 -transfected 293T cells, and the number and length of axons are decreased on the explant side facing the cells. In addition, in the presence of Slit2, overall axon outgrowth is decreased, and bundles of retinal axons are more tightly fasciculated. This action of Slit2 as a growth inhibitor of retinal axons and the expression patterns of slit1 and slit2 correlate with the fasciculation and innervation patterns of RGC axons within the diencephalon and implicate the Slits as components of the axon repellent activity associated with the hypothalamus and epithalamus. Our findings suggest that in vivo the Slits control RGC axon pathfinding and targeting within the diencephalon by regulating their fasciculation, preventing them or their branches from invading nontarget tissues, and steering them toward their most distal target, the superior colliculus.
Determination of Intracellular Magnesium by an Automatic Titration Procedure

Our experiences with the automatic titration method of quantitating serum calcium and magnesium are presented. In addition, modifications of the original procedure to allow determination of intraerythrocyte concentrations of magnesium are described. It appears that adoption of a separate magnesium standard in addition to the calcium standard, plus certain other minor modifications designed to minimize the variables inherent in the procedure, provides a significant increase in accuracy and reproducibility of results. Values for intraerythrocyte magnesium concentration in 9 normal dogs were found to range from 4.69 to 5.77 mg./100 ml. Values for 4 dogs that received long-term administration of chlorothiazide also fell within this normal range.