cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Heat sterilization of ash (Fraxinus spp.) firewood: Heat-treating options, temperature monitoring and thermal verification

Abstract Because of the potential risk associated with moving emerald ash borer (EAB)-infested firewood, the interstate movement of all hardwood firewood in the USA is currently restricted under the Federal quarantine. Communities and firewood producers are now faced with decisions on how to treat their firewood for interstate commerce. The new US Federal regulations for heat sterilization of ash firewood require holding a core temperature of 71°C for 75 min, which is higher than current international standard for heat treating solid wood packaging materials (ISPM 15). A study funded by the US Forest Service Wood Education and Resource Center examined the efficacy of different heat-treatment schemes for meeting the new regulations and developed empirical models for estimating heating times under various heating conditions. This paper addresses some practical issues of the heat-treatment process in terms of meeting the current heating standard for EAB, monitoring temperature changes during heating process ...
Unsteady aerodynamic modeling for arbitrary motions

Results indicating that unsteady aerodynamic loads derived under the assumption of simple harmonic motions executed by airfoil or wing can be extended to arbitrary motions are summarized. The generalized Theodorsen (1953) function referable to loads due to simple harmonic oscillations of a wing section in incompressible flow, the Laplace inversion integral for unsteady aerodynamic loads, calculations of root loci of aeroelastic loads, and analysis of generalized compressible transient airloads are discussed.
Compiler support for floating-point computation

Predictability is a basic requirement for compilers of floating-point code—it must be possible to determine the exact floating-point operations that will be executed for a particular source-level construction. Experience shows that many compilers fail to provide predictability, either because of an inadequate understanding of its importance or from an attempt to produce locally better code. Predictability can be attained through careful attention to code generation and a knowledge of the common pitfalls. Most language standards do not completely define the precision of floating-point operations, and so a good compiler must also make a good choice in assigning precisions of subexpression computation. Choosing the widest precision that will be used in the expression usually gives the best trade-off between efficiency and accuracy. Finally, certain optimizations are particularly useful for floating-point and should be included in a compiler aimed at scientific computation. But predictability is more important than efficiency; obtaining incorrect answers fast helps no one.
Taking Free Will Skepticism Seriously

An apparently increasing number of philosophers take free will skepticism to pose a serious challenge to some of our practices. This must seem odd to many—why should anyone think that free will skepticism is relevant for our practices, when nobody seems to think that other canonical forms of philosophical skepticism (for example, skepticism about induction or other minds) are relevant for our practices? Part of the explanation may be epistemic, but here I focus on a metaethical explanation. Free will skepticism is special because it is compatible with ‘basic moral reasons’—moral reasons acknowledged by all mainstream ethicists—and other minds and induction skepticism are not. One example is our reason not to intentionally harm others. Practical seriousness about other minds and induction skepticism undermines this reason, but practical seriousness about free will skepticism only undermines a potential overrider of this reason, that is, the reason of retribution.
The foraging mode controversy: both continuous variation and clustering of foraging movements occur

Ambush and active foraging are held to be discrete foraging modes having important theoretical consequences and evolutionary correlates, but foraging variables (number of movements per minute (MPM) and per cent time spent moving (PTM)) vary continuously. Whether foraging movements are unimodally or bimodally distributed is controversial. Foraging modes have been crucial for understanding taxonomic, morphological, ecological, and behavioural diversification of lizards. Extensive data for them are used to examine the modality-continuity controversy. MPM and PTM are lognormally distributed, confirming continuity and unimodality. By separating species into groups of ambush and active foragers, bivariate cluster analysis supports the view that lizards fall into active and ambush modes that may reflect adaptive peaks of joint MPM and PTM values. Phylogenetic analysis is needed to test relationships between variables. Although it has greatly advanced understanding of relationships between foraging and other variables, a two-mode paradigm is too simplistic. Modes defined solely by MPM and PTM may obscure differences in speed and search methods. Overlap between clusters might occur in nearly unstudied major taxa that forage differently. On the MPM×PTM plane connections among ambush, active, and saltatory (start-stop) foraging are apparent, suggesting that saltatory foragers may occur in lizards. Controversies about continuity, bimodality, and dichotomy of modes are resolved. Clusters represent common combinations of unimodally distributed MPM and PTM occupying limited regions of foraging space. Some species fall outside traditional modes, but examination of correlations between clusters and other variables remains a viable approach.
Concepts Essential Elements of Theories

One approach to building nursing knowledge is the identification of relevant concepts that describe the structure of the discipline. The development and validation of concepts in nursing build scientific knowl edge of the discipline. Concepts are essential elements of theories. The ories provide an approach to describe, explain, and predict phenomena to strengthen the scientific basis of nursing. Concepts are the categories of a theory that serve as guides for making observations in the empirical world. The focus of this article is the nature and function of concepts. A process for developing concepts is presented and one of the critical concepts in the author's theory of goal attainment, transactions, is used to demonstrate the process of concept development through research. '
Changes in the Values of Arms Race Parameters

The functional relationship among the armaments of states has been the principal focus of most arms race research. The other factors which might affect armaments and which are captured in the param...
Effect of Cranial Tibial Closing Wedge Angle on Tibial Subluxation: An Ex Vivo Study

Objective To evaluate the effect of cranial tibial wedge osteotomy (CTWO) angle on cranial tibial subluxation (CTS) and postoperative tibial plateau angle (TPA). Study design Ex vivo biomechanical study. Sample population Canine pelvic limbs (n=6). Methods TPA determined from a lateral radiographic projection. CTS under 30% body weight load was measured from radiographs in the intact limb and after transection of the cranial cruciate ligament. A CTWO equal to TPA+10 degrees was performed at the distal extent of the tibial crest, and was stabilized with a custom designed hinge plate and external skeletal fixator. TPA and CTS in the loaded limb was determined from radiographs at 4 CTWO angles: TPA-5 degrees, TPA, TPA+5 degrees, and TPA+7.5 degrees. Comparison of CTS between the intact limb and the 4 CTWO angle groups was performed using 1-way repeated-measures ANOVA and a Dunnett multiple comparison test (significance at P Results CTS was significantly greater than that of the intact limb in the TPA-5 degrees and TPA groups. CTS was not significantly different from the intact limb in the TPA+5 degrees or TPA+7.5 degrees groups with corresponding TPAs of 5.9 degrees and 3.8 degrees, respectively. Conclusion Using this model, CTS was neutralized at a TPA of approximately 4-6 degrees with a CTWO angle between TPA+5 degrees and TPA+7.5 degrees. Clinical relevance A CTWO angle between TPA+5 degrees and TPA+7.5 degrees is necessary to neutralize CTS and achieve a postoperative TPA of 4-6 degrees if the CTWO is performed at the distal extent of the tibial crest and the caudal cortices are aligned.
Applications to Spectroscopy

This chapter is concerned with determining the spectrum of an optical field by observing the photoelectrons detected by a photodetector in a finite period of time.
Radiographic and arthroscopic findings in the equine stifle

The radiographic and arthroscopic findings in the equine stifle were compared. Survey radiography, contrast arthrography, and arthroscopy were performed on both stifles of 10 horses. Nine of the horses were euthanatized to evaluate the effects of the techniques on the joints. Techniques for double-contrast arthrography and arthroscopy were developed, and the findings were compared. Survey radiography identified only osseous structures. Double-contrast arthrography of the femoropatellar joint demonstrated articular surfaces of the trochlea, patella, and joint capsule. Those of the femorotibial joint defined the medial meniscus but not the lateral meniscus. On arthroscopy of the femoropatellar joint, intra-articular structures could be readily visualized. In the femorotibial sacs, structures were more difficult to identify. Gross examination of the stifle joint at necropsy revealed no overt effects of arthroscopy.
Mining expert play to guide Monte Carlo search in the opening moves of go

We propose a method to guide a Monte Carlo search in the initial moves of the game of Go. Our method matches the current state of a Go board against clusters of board configurations that are derived from a large number of games played by experts. The main advantage of this method is that it does not require an exact match of the current board, and hence is effective for a longer sequence of moves compared to traditional opening books. We apply this method to two different open-source Go-playing programs. Our experiments show that this method, through its filtering or biasing the choice of a next move to a small subset of possible moves, improves play effectively in the initial moves of a game.
Fast spatially varying object motion blur estimation

Object motion results in spatially varying image blur. We propose an efficient method to recover a dense estimation of blur kernel. Proposed method takes advantage of the sparse representation of double discrete wavelet transform (DDWT) to simplify the wavelet analysis of blurry image. Our optimal solution includes separating the estimation of blur direction and length by investigating the cross-correlation; and exploiting mean absolute summation (MAS) function for noise-robust estimation. We demonstrate by experiments the considerable improvement in speed and handling noise.
Intelectuales públicos judíos en la Argentina, siglo XXI

La dictadura militar argentina de las decadas de 1970 y 1980 promovio la persecucion de la comunidad judia. Desde 1983, nuevamente en democracia, muchos judios argentinos participaron activamente en politica y en debatesculturales e intelectuales publicos. Las voces mas notorias, que son analizadas en este articulo, fueron las de Ricardo Forster, Alejandro Horowicz y Horacio Verbitsky.
A Global Exploratory Analysis of Men Participating in Gender-Based Violence Prevention

Organizations addressing gender-based violence (GBV) increasingly include men as partners in prevention efforts. However, little is known about men who get involved in those efforts and what specific actions they take. We present analyses of data from an international sample of men involved in gender-based prevention work that aimed to describe (a) the nature of participants' involvement in prevention efforts, in both formal programming and in their daily lives; (b) characteristics of engaged men, including gender and bystander-related attitudes and beliefs, and social networks; and (c) factors that sustain men's involvement in GBV movements over time. Comparisons across global regions for these variables were also conducted. A total of 379 male-identified participants above 18 who had attended a GBV event in the past year completed an online survey (available in English, French, and Spanish). Respondents represented all continents except Antarctica, although North America was over-represented in the sample. Overall, respondents scored well above North American norms for men on support for gender equality and recognition of male privilege, and this was true across all geographic regions. Men in all regions reported moderate support from friends and somewhat less support from male relatives for their involvement in GBV prevention. Respondents in all regions reported high levels of active bystander and violence-preventive behavior. The most commonly reported motivations for involvement in GBV prevention included concern for related social justice issues, exposure to the issue of violence through work, hearing a moving story, or disclosures about domestic or sexual violence. Results were mainly similar across regions, but when regional differences emerge, they tended to be contrasts between the global north and global south, highlighting the importance of cross-fertilization across regions and a willingness to adapt critical learnings in new geographic settings.
Should Perioperative Antibiotics Be Prescribed Prophylactically for Uncomplicated Single Implant Surgeries

Type of Case: A 32-year-old female presents missing tooth #5 and requesting replacement with a dental implant. She has an unremarkable medical history. The tooth #5 site is a healed ridge with adequate bone to support an implant without additional augmentation.Clinical Approach #1 (CMR and TMJ): This approach involves routine implant surgery with placement of a healing abutment. Preoperative management includes 2 g amoxicillin 1 hour prior to the procedure and postoperative pain medication. The rationale for use of an antibiotic is to decrease the risk of infection and implant failure and to reduce peri-implant inflammation during early healing. The desired effect of the antibiotic is to minimize or eliminate the negative effects of bacteria in the wound site and on the implant surface during healing. This clinical approach is recommended to protect the investment of resources and time by the patient and dental team for optimal treatment outcomes.Clinical Approach #2 (AWB, BGC, and KJE): This approach inv...
Evaluating Psychosocial Mechanisms Underlying STEM Persistence in Undergraduates: Evidence of Impact from a Six-Day Pre-College Engagement STEM Academy Program.

A cohort of diverse freshman entering a large urban research university showed increased science identity and sense of belonging to STEM and to the university after a short cocurricular STEM Academ...
La soglia di tolleranza. Coltivazione del tabacco, tumori e gestione del rischio in Alta Valle del Tevere

L’Alta Valle del Tevere, oltre ad essere una delle zone d’Europa a piu alta concentrazione di coltivazioni di tabacco, e anche una delle zone in cui l’incidenza e la mortalita per tumore allo stomaco sono costantemente e abbondantemente superiori alla media regionale e nazionale. Molti cittadini attribuiscono questa doppia caratteristica dell’area alla presunta nocivita dei prodotti chimici utilizzati per la coltivazione del tabacco. Questo articolo si concentra su genealogia, gestione politica e conseguenze sociali di tale “rumore di fondo”. Nel considerare le scelte imprenditoriali, insieme alle politiche sanitarie delle istituzioni territoriali, particolare attenzione e rivolta a quegli elementi che hanno determinato, e determinano ancora, l’economia morale della soglia di tolleranza rispetto al supposto nesso fra coltivazione del tabacco e incidenza oncologica.
Tumor B7-H1 regulates cancer stem cell generation and virulence

Cancer stem cells (CSC) resist chemotherapy and radiation, leading to treatment failures and reduced patient survival. Thus, CSC are clinically relevant therapy targets. B7-H1 is an immune checkpoint molecule and a target for αB7-H1 immunotherapy. We generated control (native B7-H1 + ) and B7-H1 lo B16 melanoma lines by shRNA. B16*ctrl cultures were 4.2% CSCs (CD44 + CD133 + CD24 + ) vs. 0.19% in B16*B7-H1 lo . CSC from B16*B7-H1 lo cultures formed fewer and smaller ( lo CSC. B7-H1 expression was 2-fold higher on CSC vs. non-CSC. αB7-H1 reduced CSC numbers in B16*B7-H1 lo cultures (~4-fold) but not control cultures. PD-1 expression was 2-fold higher in B16*B7-H1 lo non-CSC vs B16*ctrl non-CSC. PD-1 was 5-fold higher in B7-H1 lo CSC vs. B7-H1 lo non-CSC, but equal in B16*ctrl CSC vs. non-CSC, suggesting PD-1 regulation by B7-H1. αPD-1 reduced CSC only in B7-H1*ctrl cultures (18.9% to 2.4%). 0.1 ng/ml IFN-γ for 48 hours reduced total cell counts in control vs. B7-H1 lo cultures (by 55% and 65%, respectively). Strikingly, IFN-γ increased B7-H1 lo CSC numbers 9.5-fold vs. 5.6-fold for control CSC. In parallel work, we tested ID8agg ovarian cancer cells. CSC (CD24 + CD44 + ) were 12.2% vs. 2.2% in ID8*ctrl vs. ID8agg*B7-H1 lo culture. B7-H1 and PD-1 expression was similar to B16. RNA-seq of total ID8agg cells showed significantly lower expression of CSC associated genes c-Kit, Lin28A and CD24 in B7-H1 lo cells. Classic CSC genes were too low to read. B7-H1 is a candidate CSC regulator. It affects CSC PD-1 expression and alters αB7-H1, αPD-1 and IFN-γ effects differentially in CSC vs non-CSC suggesting novel pathogenic mechanisms.
Improving maize growth processes in the community land model: Implementation and evaluation

Abstract Earth system models (ESMs) are essential tools to study the impacts of historical and future climate on regional and global food production, as well as to assess the effectiveness of possible adaptations and their potential feedback to climate. Several current ESMs have the capabilities to simulate crop growth. However, some critical crop growth processes (e.g. flowering and other reproductive processes) and their responses to environmental extremes (e.g. heat stress) are not yet represented in most of these models. In this paper, an improved maize growth model was implemented in the Community Land Model version 4.5 (CLM4.5) by modifying the maize planting scheme, incorporating the phenology scheme adopted from the APSIM model (Agricultural Production Systems sIMulator), adding a new carbon allocation scheme into CLM4.5, and improving the estimation of canopy structure parameters including leaf area index (LAI) and canopy height. Unique features of the new model (CLM-APSIM) include more detailed phenology stages, an explicit implementation of the impacts of various abiotic environmental stresses (including nitrogen, water, temperature and heat stresses) on maize phenology and carbon allocation, as well as an explicit simulation of grain number. Evaluation of results at 7 AmeriFlux sites located in the US Corn Belt show that the CLM-APSIM model performs better than the original CLM4.5 in simulating phenology (LAI and canopy height), surface fluxes including gross primary production (GPP), net ecosystem exchange (NEE), latent heat (LH), and sensible heat (SH), and especially in simulating the biomass partition and maize yield. The CLM-APSIM model corrects a serious deficiency in CLM4.5-related to CLM4.5’s underestimation of aboveground biomass (i.e. overestimation of belowground biomass) and overestimation of Harvest Index, which lead to a reasonable yield estimation with wrong mechanisms. Moreover, 13-year simulation results from 2001 to 2013 at the three Mead sites (US-Ne1, Ne2 and Ne3) show that the CLM-APSIM model can more accurately reproduce maize yield responses to growing season climate (temperature and precipitation) than the original CLM4.5 when benchmarked with the site-based observations and USDA county-level survey statistics. The CLM-APSIM model is thus more suitable than its predecessor models in terms of simulating abiotic environmental stresses on maize yield. This new model provides an improved tool to attribute maize yield change to various processes under historical and future climate, as well as to assess and design effective climate adaptation strategies for sustainable agricultural production.
Rapid fabrication of multifunctional microcapillary for four-dimensional single cell manipulation

We report a novel manufacturing approach to fabricate liquid metal-based, multifunctional microcapillary pipettes able to provide electrodes with high electrical conductivity for high frequency electrical stimulation and measurement. Four-dimensional single cell manipulation has been realized by applying multi-frequency, multi-amplitude, and multi-phase electrical signals to the microelectrodes near the pipette tip to create a 3D dielectrophoretic trap and 1D electrorotation simultaneously. Functions such as single cell trapping, transferring, patterning, and rotation have been accomplished. Cell viability and multi-day proliferation characterization has confirmed the biocompatibility of this approach. This is a simple, low cost, and fast fabrication approach that requires no cleanroom and photolithography to manufacture 3D microelectrodes and microchannels accessible to a wide user base for broad applications.
Factors that encourage generalization from extinction to test reduce resurgence of an extinguished operant response

Two experiments investigated methods that reduce the resurgence of an extinguished behavior (R1) that occurs when reinforcement for an alternative behavior (R2) is discontinued. In Experiment 1, R1 was first trained and then extinguished while R2 was reinforced during a 5- or 25-session treatment phase. For half the rats, sessions in which R2 was reinforced alternated with sessions in which R2 was extinguished. Controls received the same number of treatment sessions, but R2 was never extinguished. When reinforcement for R2 was discontinued, R1 resurged in the controls. However, the alternating groups showed reduced resurgence, and the magnitude of the resurgences observed during their R2 extinction sessions decreased systematically over Phase 2. In Experiment 2, R1 was first reinforced with one outcome (O1). The rats then had two types of double-alternating treatment sessions. In one type, R1 was extinguished and R2 produced O2. In the other, R1 was unavailable and R2 produced O3. R1 resurgence was weakened when O2, but not O3, was delivered freely during testing. Together, the results suggest that methods that encourage generalization between R1 extinction and resurgence testing weaken the resurgence effect. They are not consistent with an account of resurgence proposed by Shahan and Craig (2017).
The United States of America: Perspectives on Faculty Governance, 1992–2007

This analysis compares the US faculty role in academic governance as reflected in the 1992 Carnegie International Survey of the Academic Profession and in the 2007 follow-up, the Changing Academic Profession (CAP) survey. In addition, it places US faculty responses in the context of those of academic staff in five developed countries. The results suggest that American faculty remain preeminent in their influence on faculty appointments and promotion and on some aspects of curriculum, while their role is more limited in the areas of administrator selection and budget. Faculty in research universities, in particular, have ceded influence to academic deans – as, to some extent, have senior executives. US faculty appear overall to be less influential than their Canadian, German, and Japanese colleagues. And while academic managerialism may be more decentralized in the USA than elsewhere, it is no less extensive.
Space-Related Technology: Its Commercial Use

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on space-related technology and its commercial use. The primary objective is based on identification of examples present and probable future commercial contributions of the nation's missile or space programs, and determining the circumstances surrounding the origin of these contributions. Six distinct, though not mutually exclusive, types of contribution were noted as stimulation of basic and applied research; new or improved processes and techniques; product improvement; materials and equipment availability; new products; and cost reduction. Primarily due to identification difficulties, these examples do not include all the transfers which have taken place, nor can they be considered statistically representative of what has occurred. The nature of the transfer process is such that quantitative measurement of the economic impact of missile/space contribution to the commercial economy is infeasible at this time. Finally, there are certain barriers and stimuli which inhibit or accelerate the process of applying missile or space technology commercially. These can be identified but their effect and interaction are not well understood. More factual knowledge on the workings of these barriers and stimuli should be of great value to those in industry and government who seek to apply fruits of missile or space R & D to the commercial economy.
Real-Time Optimization in the Automated Manufacturing Research Facility

A major manufacturing researchfacility has been established at the National Institute of Standards and Technology1. The Automated Manufacturing Research Facility has been designed to address the standards and measurement needs for the factory of the future. A five-layer hierarchical planning/control architecture is under development to manage production and support activities. A three layer architecture is being developed to manage the data requirements of the modules within that hierarchy. Each of these architectures contain functions that require the solution to one or more optimization problems. This chapter describes the production planning/control and the data management architectures, the optimization problems contained within those architectures, and the work underway to address some of those problems.
The Technological Humanity of John Dewey

John Dewey’s theory of inquiry, or instrumentalism, was conceived in response to certain orthodox philosophies. Dewey claims the knowledge we attain from inquiry is a tool for further inquiry. As such, philosophy is inquiry into the cultural conditions of how instruments are derived. John Dewey’s philosophy as a history of technology, as well as a tool for critiquing culture, is evidenced by his theory of inquiry. He finds artificial distinctions, as instruments to inquiry, to become necessary components to experience in several philosophies. Likewise, inquiries into the conditions of education, utilizing artificial models, corrupt the full potential within experience. Such inquiries, such as recent education reformations as motivated by a culture of efficiency, becomes ever more distant from the actual conditions in schools and the pressing concerns of the students, teachers, parents. This paper argues John Dewey, as the philosopher with an unfaltering faith in the potential for growth of every person, considers control of the environment to be the human interaction within inquiry. As will be presented, technē is direction via instruments and erōs is authenticity to one’s self. Therefore, the realization of conditions proper for flourishing of one and all becomes the standard of action. The purpose in Dewey’s conceptualizing his theory of instrumentalism to eliminate the obstacles to inquiry present in his culture can be similarly utilized to clarify the impositions from our culture hindering the inquiry into the proper conditions for education. The product of controlling the transformation of the conditions of education with erōs and technē is the creating and imagining of democratic solutions.
Using social psychological theory to understand choice of a pSTEM academic major

AbstractVarious social psychological factors have been proposed as influencing the likelihood of pursuing a pSTEM (physical science, technology, engineering, and math) academic major, but no work examines these simultaneously to ask which make independent contributions in explaining pSTEM gender disparities. Three hundred and fifty-two undergraduates in USA completed survey items comprising nine factors identified from previous research. Mean gender differences were evident on six of these: Males more strongly endorsed Gender Determinism (the belief that differences between the genders are real, meaningful, and largely biologically driven), and STEM-specific gender stereotypes (that men are better at math and science), and were more likely to report having an influential pSTEM role model in high school; females more strongly endorsed the importance of felt belonging in their academic major, communality goals, and stigma concerns regarding gender. As a set, the factors accounted for a significant proportio...
Friendship, Robots, and Social Media: False Friends and Second Selves

Various emerging technologies, from social robotics to social media, appeal to our desire for social interactions, while avoiding some of the risks and costs of face-to-face human interaction. But can they offer us real friendship? In this book, Alexis Elder outlines a theory of friendship drawing on Aristotle and contemporary work on social ontology, and then uses it to evaluate the real value of social robotics and emerging social technologies. In the first part of the book Elder develops a robust and rigorous ontology of friendship: what it is, how it functions, what harms it, and how it relates to familiar ethical and philosophical questions about character, value, and well-being. In Part II she applies this ontology to emerging trends in social robotics and human-robot interaction, including robotic companions for lonely seniors, therapeutic robots used to teach social skills to children on the autism spectrum, and companionate robots currently being developed for consumer markets. Elder articulates the moral hazards presented by these robots, while at the same time acknowledging their real and measurable benefits. In the final section she shifts her focus to connections between real people, especially those enabled by social media. Arguing against critics who have charged that these new communication technologies are weakening our social connections, Elder explores ways in which text messaging, video chats, Facebook, and Snapchat are enabling us to develop, sustain, and enrich our friendship in new and meaningful ways.
A national and local media perspective on responsibility for and solutions to storm-related power outages in the northeastern United States

Major storms in the northeastern United States in 2011 and 2012 caused widespread power outages, bringing attention to the vulnerability of utility infrastructure as a result of extreme weather and...
Abstract TMP36: miR-17-92 Cluster Enriched MSC Exosomes Promote Myelination and Axonal Extension Which Contribute to Increased Emg Conduction and Functional Recovery After Stroke in Rats

Introduction: MiR-17-92 cluster enriched exosomes derived from multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) increase neural plasticity and functional recovery after stroke. Here, we investigate the...
MALAT1 Long Non-Coding RNA and Breast Cancer

Non-coding RNAs are becoming major players in disease pathogenesis such as cancer. Metastasis Associated Lung Adenocarcinoma Transcript 1 (MALAT1) is a nuclear enriched long non-coding RNA that is generally overexpressed in patient tumors and metastases. Overexpression of MALAT1 has been shown to be positively correlated with tumor progression and metastasis in a large number of tumor types including breast tumors. Surprisingly, a recent report by Kim et al shows a metastasis suppressive role for Malat1. Here, we discuss these results in the context of a large body of published literature that support a pro-tumorigenic role for MALAT1 in order to gain potential insights into the basis of these observed differences.
Generating Training Data for Denoising Real RGB Images via Camera Pipeline Simulation

Image reconstruction techniques such as denoising often need to be applied to the RGB output of cameras and cellphones. Unfortunately, the commonly used additive white noise (AWGN) models do not accurately reproduce the noise and the degradation encountered on these inputs. This is particularly important for learning-based techniques, because the mismatch between training and real world data will hurt their generalization. This paper aims to accurately simulate the degradation and noise transformation performed by camera pipelines. This allows us to generate realistic degradation in RGB images that can be used to train machine learning models. We use our simulation to study the importance of noise modeling for learning-based denoising. Our study shows that a realistic noise model is required for learning to denoise real JPEG images. A neural network trained on realistic noise outperforms the one trained with AWGN by 3 dB. An ablation study of our pipeline shows that simulating denoising and demosaicking is important to this improvement and that realistic demosaicking algorithms, which have been rarely considered, is needed. We believe this simulation will also be useful for other image reconstruction tasks, and we will distribute our code publicly.
Nakayama automorphism and rigidity of dual reflection group coactions

Abstract We study homological properties and rigidity of group coactions on Artin–Schelter regular algebras.
Cytomegalic Inclusion Disease

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a ubiquitous DNA virus that is kept in check by our immune system. It is a member of the herpes family. Congenital infection is thought to result from maternal infection across the placenta or as the fetus passes through the birth canal. The infant usually has retinitis or choroiditis. The retinitis is a progressive one with extensive necrosis and hemorrhage. The vitritis that accompanies this disease is moderate, often mild in view of the extensive amount of retinal destruction.
In Situ Visualization of Solvent Swelling Dynamics in Block Copolymer Films with Atomic Force Microscopy

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging was used to study the in situ swelling of terraced poly(styrene-block-methyl methacrylate) (PS-b-PMMA) thin films under cyclohexane, a selective solvent for PS...
Reproducibility test of radiomics using network analysis and Wasserstein K-means algorithm

ABSTRACT Purpose To construct robust and validated radiomic predictive models, the development of a reliable method that can identify reproducible radiomic features robust to varying image acquisition methods and other scanner parameters should be preceded with rigorous validation. Due to the property of high correlation present between radiomic features, we hypothesize that reproducible radiomic features across different datasets that are obtained from different image acquisition settings preserve some level of connectivity between features in the form of a network. Methods We propose a regularized partial correlation network to identify robust and reproducible radiomic features. This approach was tested on two radiomic feature sets generated with two different reconstruction methods from a cohort of 47 lung cancer patients. The commonality of the resulting two networks was assessed. A largest common network component from the two networks was tested on phantom data consisting of 5 cancer samples. We further propose a novel K-means algorithm coupled with the optimal mass transport (OMT) theory to cluster samples. This approach following the regularized partial correlation analysis was tested on computed tomography (CT) scans from 77 head and neck cancer patients that were downloaded from The Cancer Imaging Archive (TCIA) and validated on CT scans from 83 head and neck cancer patients treated at our institution. Results Common radiomic features were found in relatively large network components between the resulting two partial correlation networks from a cohort of 47 lung cancer patients. The similarity of network components in terms of the common number of radiomic features was statistically significant. For phantom data, the Wasserstein distance on a largest common network component from the lung cancer data was much smaller than the Wasserstein distance on the same network using random radiomic features, implying the reliability of those radiomic features present in the network. Further analysis using the proposed Wasserstein K-means algorithm on TCIA head and neck cancer data showed that the resulting clusters separate tumor subsites and this was validated on our institution data. Conclusions We showed that a network-based analysis enables identifying reproducible radiomic features. This was validated using phantom data and external data via the Wasserstein distance metric and the proposed Wasserstein K-means method.
Impact of Leadership Roles on Female Students’ Selfefficacy in Collaborative Engineering Tasks

This exploratory study aims to investigate how leadership roles can influence young female students’ selfefficacy in collaborative engineering tasks though a design-based research intervention. A pilot study was conducted. The initial findings suggested that leadership roles can not necessarily improve female students ’self-efficacy in collaborative engineering tasks but do improve their engagement. In the future, a mixed methods study will be conducted in order to explore what factors and how these factors will influence female students’technological self-efficacy in collaborative engineering tasks.
An Introduction to American Indian Land Tenure: Mapping the Legal Landscape

This Article provides an introduction to land-related legal issues facing tribal governments and Indigenous peoples in the United States and is intended to encourage deeper and more widespread engagement on these important topics. Forced property law reforms have been used throughout history as this country’s primary tool for implementing its colonial objectives, and today unique property rules continue to apply in Indian country with complex effects—and, often without significant public or scholarly attention. This Article seeks to help close this attention gap by providing an accessible introduction to important American Indian land tenure topics, including both the lessons of historic uses of property law in federal Indian policy and more modern reservation land tenure dynamics. Additional topics include the complex relationship between property and sovereignty in Indian country, the many and varied efforts to resolve historic land and Aboriginal title claims in the United States, and a brief survey of other important land-related legal rights, including the federal duty to consult, the federal trust responsibility, off-reservation use rights, and special protections for certain places of particular importance.
The Index Finger Metacarpal Tubercle

Purpose The region of the index finger metacarpophalangeal joint is a common source of hand pain with variable, well-known etiologies. We have identified the tubercle at the dorsoradial neck of the index finger metacarpal as a distinct and specific site of pain in a subset of patients who presented with a chief report of index finger pain. Although experienced hand surgeons may recognize this clinical entity, we found no previous description within the literature. Methods After institutional review board approval, we performed a retrospective review of all patients presenting to a single surgeon practice with severe pain at the dorsoradial tubercle of the index finger metacarpal unattributable to known etiologies. Patients underwent initial management of steroid injection followed by surgical excision if conservative measures failed. Results Steroid injection was administered as initial management in 9 of 10 afflicted hands. Five of these hands experienced complete resolution of pain at 4 weeks after injection whereas 4 developed recurrence at an average of 3 months after injection. Among patients with recurrence, one patient opted for a second injection that led to pain resolution 4 weeks later, whereas the remaining 3 hands had surgical excision. All patients who underwent surgical excision reported minimal discomfort and marked improvement in pain after surgery. Conclusions We identified the tubercle at the dorsoradial neck of the index finger metacarpal as a distinct and specific site of pain in a subset of patients. We postulate that the pathophysiology of pain at the prominent index finger metacarpal tubercle may be related to a subacute radial collateral ligament injury. Steroid injection to the tubercle is a reasonable initial treatment option and satisfactory results may also be obtained with surgical excision. Type of study/level of evidence Therapeutic IV.
Response of soil fertility to 25 years of experimental acidification in a temperate hardwood forest.

The effects of enhanced acid deposition from the atmosphere, and associated elevated inputs of N, are widely evident, especially for forests where excess N has led to a variety of deleterious effects. These include declines in biodiversity, a response that will likely require considerable time for recovery. The purpose of this study was to determine responses of plant nutrient availability in surface mineral soil to 25 yr of experimental acidification and N addition in a central Appalachian hardwood forest ecosystem. We hypothesized that chronic additions of (NH4 )2 SO4 will increase mineral N, decrease soil pH, P, and base cations, increase micronutrients (Mn2+ and Fe2+ ), and increase levels of Al3+ . Results supported these predictions, although Mn2+ did not vary significantly. Earlier work on these plots found no response of any of the extractable nutrients to 3 yr of treatment, yet after 25 yr, our results suggest that impacts are apparent in the top 5 cm of the A horizon. We surmise that impacts in these soils may have lagged behind the onset of acidification treatments or that several years of treatment were required to overcome preexisting differences in soil ions. Generally, current findings confirm that (NH4 )2 SO4 treatments have lowered the pH, enhanced levels of exchangeable Al3+ , and increased stream-water exports of NO3 - and base cations-a process that further acidifies soil. The combination of these changes in surface soils, with their high proportion of fine roots, may contribute to the reduced growth and competitiveness of some hardwood species at the acidified site.
A Classic for a Reason: The Doctor (1991)

Medical educators have been teaching with The Doctor (1991) since it was released in the George H. W. Bush (Bush 41) era.
A DREAMer’s transnational pursuit for higher education and the impenetrable wall of neoliberalism

More than half a million young people who have spent a significant portion of their childhood in the United States now live in Mexico. Although family reunification is the prevailing reason for an individual to return to Mexico, a growing population of returnees return to access higher education opportunities. Using qualitative methods, the author provides a case study of an engaged student and immigrant activist living in North Carolina who, upon realizing he was able to attend neither a 4-year university nor the local 2-year community college, asserted his agency by returning to his home state of Veracruz, Mexico, in pursuit of a university education. This paper examines the political and educational barriers that precipitated his return to Mexico, as well as the challenges faced when re-acculturating to his birth country. Highlighted throughout the findings are the ways in which neoliberalism has constructed an inequitable and alienating transnational space for immigrant youth.
Accelerating the coal transition

Abstract The cost of wind, solar, and most recently battery storage has fallen dramatically over the last decade, providing the economic rationale for their widespread adoption to help mitigate climate change. This, coupled with the low cost of natural gas, has provided a key challenge in the power sector: how to economically and equitably decommission ∼2000 GW of installed coal capacity? Although a significant part of the existing coal capacity is older, inefficient, and unprofitable, there are complex technical, social and economic challenges that remain. This Comment provides a general framework for the key technical, policy, regulatory, and economic areas that need to be addressed.
Function and Expression of Bile Salt Export Pump in Suspension Human Hepatocytes.

The mechanistic understanding of bile salt disposition is not well established in suspension human hepatocytes (SHH) because of the limited information on the expression and function of bile salt export protein (BSEP) in this system. We investigated the transport function of BSEP in SHH using a method involving in situ biosynthesis of bile salts from their precursor bile acids, cholic acid (CA) and chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA). Our data indicated that glycine- and taurine-conjugated CA and CDCA were generated efficiently and transported out of hepatocytes in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. We also observed that the membrane protein abundance of BSEP was similar between SHH and sandwich-cultured human hepatocytes. Furthermore, known cholestatic agents significantly inhibited G-CA and G-CDCA efflux in SHH. Interestingly, cyclosporine A, troglitazone, itraconazole, loratadine, and lovastatin inhibited G-CA efflux more potently than G-CDCA efflux (3- to 5-fold). Because of these significant differential effects on G-CA and G-CDCA efflux inhibition, we determined the IC50 values of troglitazone for G-CA (9.9 µM) and for G-CDCA (43.1 µM) efflux. The observed discrepancy in the IC50 was attributed to the fact that troglitazone also inhibits organic anion transporting polypeptides and Na+/taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide in addition to BSEP. The hepatocyte uptake study suggested that both active uptake and passive diffusion contribute to the liver uptake of CA, whereas CDCA primarily undergoes passive diffusion into the liver. In summary, these data demonstrated the expression and function of BSEP and its major role in transport of bile salts in cryopreserved SHH. Significance Statement BSEP transport function and protein abundance was evident in SHH in the present study. The membrane abundance of BSEP protein was similar between SHH and sandwich-cultured human hepatocytes. The study also illustrated the major role of BSEP relative to basolateral MRP3 and MRP4 in transport of bile salts in SHH. Understanding of BSEP function in SHH may bolster the utility of this platform in mechanistic understanding of bile salt disposition and potentially in the assessment of drugs for BSEP inhibition.
Conclusion and Future Directions

Rare categories are of key importance in many real applications: although the occurrence of such examples is rare, their impact is significant. Applications of rare category analysis include: financial fraud detection, Medicare fraud detection, network intrusion detection, astronomy, spam image detection and health care.
Abstract WMP98: Post-Stroke Depression Predictors Among Intracerebral Hemorrhage Survivors

Introduction: Post-stroke depression (PSD) in ischemic stroke is well-documented in the literature, but much less in intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). We aimed to evaluate the clinical predictors of ...
Désastre civilisateur : « L’Art de vaincre sans avoir raison »

In his internationally renowned Ambiguous Adventure, the Senegalese author Cheikh Hamidou Kane recounts the Europeans’ “unruly art of conquest” in causing a “civilizing disaster.” How were the Dial...
Understanding the course of COVID-19-induced pneumomediastinum.

ABSTRACT: Since its discovery, COVID-19 has infected nearly 112 million people and caused about 2.5 millions deaths worldwide. Our understanding of the clinical presentation and complications of COVID-19 is still evolving. Bilateral pulmonary ground-glass opacities on imaging have become characteristic in the diagnosis of COVID-19, but pneumomediastinum has now also been reported in some patients with COVID-19. Reports on the overall prognosis for these patients are conflicting and little information exists regarding long-term complications. This article describes the clinical course of a patient who did not need mechanical ventilation but developed spontaneous pneumomediastinum.