cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dermatan Sulfate Proteoglycans from the Mineralized Matrix of the Avian Eggshell

The eggshell of the chicken is a useful model to study matrix components which affect biomineralization. As an extension of our previous immunohistochemical work which suggested the presence of dermatan sulfate proteoglycans in the mineralized region of the eggshell, a study was undertaken to characterize these molecules biochemically. After demineralization with HCl and extraction with 4 M guanidinium chloride containing protease inhibitors, the extract was partitioned by anion exchange chromatography. Step elution with 0.25 M and 1.0 M sodium chloride resulted in the generation of two fractions, both of which contain chondroitinase-sensitive proteoglycans with molecular weights estimated at 200,000 by gel electrophoresis. The proteoglycans in each fraction have core proteins with molecular weights of approximately 120,000 and glycosaminoglycans with average molecular weights of 22,000. Based on differential sensitivity to chondroitinase ABC and AC II, these glycosaminoglycans contain a small proportion ...
Intermittent ureterovesical junction obstruction in children

While intermittent ureteropelvic junction obstruction is well recognized clinically, intermittent obstruction at the ureterovesical junction has not been previously described. We herein present a case report of intermittent ureterovesical junction obstruction, characterized by intermittent hydroureteronephrosis on ultrasonography and symptoms of flank/abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting.
A single Xpert MTB/RIF test of sputum for diagnosis of tuberculosis and multidrug resistance shows high sensitivity and specificity and reduces diagnosis and treatment delays

Commentary on: CC Boehme, MP Nicol, P Nabeta, et al.. Feasibility, diagnostic accuracy, and effectiveness of decentralised use of the Xpert MTB/RIF test for diagnosis of tuberculosis and multidrug resistance: a multicentre implementation study. Lancet2011;377:1495–505.
Electron Transport Mechanisms in Nickel Schottky Barrier Contacts to Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon

Dark J-V characteristics of Ni Schottky diodes on a-Si:H films of various thicknesses were measured as a function of device temperature. Room-temperature photoconductivity and sub-bandgap absorption v. wavelength measurements of the intrinsic layers were also performed. Detailed numerical modelling was employed to determine the nature, density and energy distribution of sub- bandgap states. Best-fit modelling of photoconductivity, sub-bandgap absorption and dark JR-VR indicates that Nc=Nv=2.5x1020 cm-3, vR=2x106 cm/s, μn=33 cm2/V-s and μp=0.15 cm2/V-s for these films. It is found that a joint thermionic emission-drift/diffusion mechanism, as envisaged by Crowell and Sze, appears to be the most accurate picture of electron transport in Schottky diodes on intrinsic a-Si:H films.
Stability and instability of the energy dependent diffusion system in reactor dynamics

The purpose of this paper is to give a systematic analysis for the linear energy dependent diffusion system in reactor dynamics, taking into consideration of delayed neutrons. This analysis includes the existence of a unique positive solution for the time dependent system, the asymptotic behaviour of the solution as t ∞, the stability and instability of steady-state solutions, and the existence and uniqueness of a steady-state solution for the time-independent system. Using the notion of upper and lower solution, we establish some threshold conditions for insuring the asymptotic behaviour of the solution and the stability and the instability of any given unperturbed solution, including steady-state solution. In fact, these conditions characterize the stability and the instability property of the solution, and yield a bifurcation result in terms of either the size of the diffusion domain or the physical parameters of the diffusion medium. We also discuss the case without the effect of delayed neutrons.
Approximate Bisimulations for Nonlinear Dynamical Systems

The notion of exact bisimulation equivalence for nondeterministic discrete systems has recently resulted in notions of exact bisimulation equivalence for continuous and hybrid systems. In this paper, we establish the more robust notion of approximate bisimulation equivalence for nondeterministic nonlinear systems. This is achieved by requiring that a distance between system observations starts and remains, close, in the presence of nondeterministic system evolution. We show that approximate bisimulation relations can be characterized using a class of functions called bisimulation functions. For nondeterministic nonlinear systems, we show that conditions for the existence of bisimulation functions can be expressed in terms of Lyapunov-like inequalities, which for deterministic systems can be computed using recent sum-of-squares techniques. Our framework is illustrated on a safety verification example.
Efficient minimization of XML tree pattern queries

Efficient query optimization is critical to the performance of query processing in a database system. The same is true for XML databases and queries. XML queries naturally carry a tree-shaped search pattern which usually contains redundancies. Efficient minimization of the tree patterns of XML queries forms an integral and important part of XML query optimization. This short paper sketchily presents the algorithms we developed for XML tree pattern query minimization that outperform previous approaches.
Stable breakdown characteristics of 600 V LDMOS by extended P-bottom region

A new LDMOS promising stable hard breakdown characteristics by releasing the crowded electric field at the gate oxide edge is proposed. Extending P-bottom into the n-drift region can stabilize the breakdown characteristics of LDMOS. The numerical calculations and experimental results have shown that a stable breakdown voltage of over 600 V can be obtained when enclosed P-bottom width to P-well is 10 /spl mu/m and a P-top dose of 1/spl times/10/sup 12/ cm/sup -2/ is used.
Maximizing the output rate of multi-way join queries over streaming information sources

Recently there has been a growing interest in join query evaluation for scenarios in which inputs arrive at highly variable and unpredictable rates. In such scenarios, the focus shifts from completing the computation as soon as possible to producing a prefix of the output as soon as possible. To handle this shift in focus, most solutions to date rely upon some combination of streaming binary operators and "on-the-fly" execution plan reorganization. In contrast, we consider the alternative of extending existing symmetric binary join operators to handle more than two inputs. Toward this end, we have completed a prototype implementation of a multi-way join operator, which we term the "MJoin" operator, and explored its performance. Our results show that in many instances the MJoin produces outputs sooner than any tree of binary operators. Additionally, since MJoins are completely symmetric with respect to their inputs, they can reduce the need for expensive runtime plan reorganization. This suggests that supporting multiway joins in a single, symmetric, streaming operator may be a useful addition to systems that support queries over input streams from remote sites.
The Critical Role of Anchor Paper Selection in Writing Assessment.

Scoring rubrics are routinely used to evaluate the quality of writing samples produced for writing performance assessments, with anchor papers chosen to represent score points defined in the rubric. Although the careful selection of anchor papers is associated with best practices for scoring, little research has been conducted on the role of anchor paper selection in writing assessment. This study examined the consequences of differential selection of anchor papers to represent a common scoring rubric. A set of writing samples was scored under two conditions—one using anchors selected from within grade and one using anchors selected from across three grade levels. Observed ratings were analyzed using three- and four-facet Rasch (one-parameter logistic) models. Ratings differed in magnitude and rank-order, with the difference presumed to be due to the anchor paper conditions and not a difference in overall severity between the rater groups. Results shed light on potential threats to validity within convent...
Effect of nutrient availability on the uptake of PCB congener 2,2′,6,6′-tetrachlorobiphenyl by a diatom (Stephanodiscus minutulus) and transfer to a zooplankton (Daphnia pulicaria)

Abstract The objective of this study was to examine the importance of nutrient status of a diatom ( Stephanodiscus minutulus ) to the uptake of PCB congener #54 (2,2′,6,6′-tetrachlorobiphenyl) and the subsequent transfer of PCB to a pelagic grazing zooplankton ( Daphnia pulicaria ). The algae, which were grown under different nutrient treatments, were then fed to a zooplankton to examine the subsequent food chain transfer of PCB. Algal cultures were grown for at least 2 weeks in a steady state condition in (1) non-limiting, (2) low-Si, (3) low-N or (4) low-P media. Steady state algal cultures were dosed with 0.2 μg L −1 PCB and were sampled for PCB uptake after 24 h. D. pulicaria were allowed to graze on these same cultures for 48 h before being analyzed for PCB body burdens. Low-Si (68% or 0.135 μg L −1 of PCB) and low-P cultures (62%) had significantly higher percentage uptake of total PCB than the non-limiting (55%) or low-N (52%) treatments. When these values were divided by biochemical or elemental parameters, PCB per lipids (μg μg −1 ) had one of the lowest coefficients of variation (CV) across the four treatments, indicating their importance in PCB uptake. When equal biovolumes of the four different treatment cultures were fed to zooplankton, both the low-N (13.9 ng PCB mg wet weight −1 ) and the low-P (9.6 ng PCB mg wet weight −1 ) grazing D. pulicaria had significantly higher PCB per wet weight than the low-Si (5.6 ng PCB mg wet weight −1 ) and non-limited (2.6 ng PCB mg wet weight −1 ) grazing D. pulicaria . There were no significant differences between algal nutrient treatments in PCB per wet weight of zooplankton grazing on clean algal food in PCB contaminated media. This study indicates that uptake of PCB by phytoplankton can be significantly altered by nutrient availability which subsequently affects transfer to zooplankton, potentially through such responses as grazing rate and lipid assimilation.
The Emerson Lake Body: A Link between the Landers and Hector Mine Earthquakes, Southern California, as Inferred from Gravity and Magnetic Anomalies

Gravity and magnetic data indicate a mafic crustal heterogeneity that lies between the Hector Mine 16 October 1999 ( M w 7.1) and Landers 28 June 1992 ( M w 7.3) epicenters. The aftershocks and ruptures of these two events avoided the interior of the body. Two- and three-dimensional modeling of the potential-field anomalies shows that the source, here named the Emerson Lake body (ELB), extends to a depth of approximately 15 km. The source of the gravity and magnetic anomaly is most likely Jurassic diorite because exposures of these rocks coincide with both gravity and magnetic highs west of Emerson Lake. Seismic tomography also shows higher velocities within the region of the ELB. We propose that the ELB was an important influence on the rupture geometry of the Landers and Hector Mine ruptures and that the ELB may have played a role in transferring of stress from the Landers earthquake to the Hector Mine hypocenter. Seismicity before the Landers earthquake also tended to avoid the ELB, suggesting that the ELB affects how strain is distributed in this part of the Mojave Desert. Thus, faults within the body should have limited rupture sizes and lower seismic hazard than faults bounding or outside this mafic crustal heterogeneity.
A Retrospective Study of Serum Levels and Electrocardiographic Effects of Nortriptyline in Children and Adolescents

Abstract Objective We retrospectively evaluated a large pediatric population treated with nortriptyline (NT) in an outpatient psychopharmacology clinic to assess pharmacokinetic and electrocardiographic (EKG) effects. Methods: A systematic search revealed 82 children and adolescents treated naturalistically with NT. All patients with available EKGs and serum NT levels were included in the series with the exception of those receiving concomitant antipsychotic agents. Forty-three percent of subjects were receiving medications in addition to NT. Results Patients received an average (±SE) NT dose of 2.0 ± 0.1 mg/kg yielding mean serum NT levels of 105.5 ± 7.4 ng/mL. There was a linear relationship of NT dose (mg/kg) to serum NT levels ( r = 0.50, p ps 100 beats per minute), and prolongation of the EKG QRS (>100 msec) and QTc (>440 msec) intervals. Conclusions; These findings suggest: (1) NT has a predictable dose to level relationship, (2) the effect of NT on the EKG in this age group is mild and similar to that reported with other tricyclic antidepressants, and (3) there are few age-specific differences in NT-induced EKG changes. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry , 1993, 32, 2:270–277.
Diode-pumped cryogenic Yb3+:YLF laser of 100-watt output power with high beam quality

A cryogenically cooled Yb:YLF laser with 224-W output power at 995 nm, linearly polarized along the c-axis, has been demonstrated, and laser oscillation has also been obtained polarized along the a-axis. The beam quality had an M 2 ~ 1.1 at 60-W output and M 2 ~ 2.6 at 180-W output for c-axis polarization. This level of average power is approximately two orders of magnitude higher than demonstrated previously in cryogenic Yb:YLF. A cryogenic Yb:YLF mode-locked oscillator is under development, which will be used to as the input to a Yb:YLF amplifier to generate a short pulses at high average power.
Cardiac Chimerism as a Mechanism for Self-Repair Does It Happen and If So to What Degree?

Cardiac regeneration is an area that has gained considerable attention lately, especially with the finding that immature muscle cells and/or autologous stem cells can regenerate function in a previously injured heart.1,2,3⇓⇓ However, this fertile field remains unsettled enough that each piece of new data should be rigorously scrutinized. Toward that end, a controversy has arisen recently concerning the potential for cardiovascular self-repair evidenced by chimerism in an allografted human heart. Several investigators have allografted female hearts into human male recipients and examined the heart at the time of explantation for the presence of Y chromosome–positive cells either in the coronary vasculature or within cardiomyocytes.4–7⇓⇓⇓ Conflicting results have been obtained. The report by Glaser et al4 in this issue of Circulation presents one side of the controversy, namely that regeneration is possible to a certain degree in the coronary vasculature but fails to occur within cardiomyocytes.4 In contrast, the recent report by Quaini et al5 claimed not only that vascular regeneration occurs, but also that repair of up to 30% of the donor myocardium takes place within 1 month of transplantation. See p 17 The notion of progenitor cell–based vascular repair arises naturally from our understanding of vascular biology, where endothelial and smooth muscle cell turnover and replacement are clinically accepted. In fact, the use of endothelial progenitor cells to repair damaged vasculature is an exciting new area of investigation.8 In contrast, the controversy over myocardial chimerism and repair is one that requires a paradigm shift from the accepted dogma of a myocardium that is incapable of self-repair to one in which host-derived stem cells can be recruited to, engraft within, and regenerate significant portions of human heart. If the data supporting this paradigm shift are accurate, they represent the …
Quickest detection of hidden Markov models

Page's test is optimal in quickly detecting distributional changes among independent observations. In this paper we propose a similar procedure for the quickest detection of dependent signals which can be conveniently modeled as hidden Markov models. Considering Page's test as a repeated sequential probability ratio test, we use Wald's approximation, with modification regarding the threshold overshoot, to predict the performance of the test, namely the average run length (ARL), between false alarms T. Using the asymptotic convergence property of the test statistic, we are also able to predict the ARL to detection D. The analysis shows that T is asymptotically exponential in D, as in the i.i.d. case. The results are supported by numerical examples.
The Identity and Distribution of Species of Phytoseius Ribaga (Acarina: Phytoseiidae) in Canada,

Mites of the genus Phytoseius Ribaga largely inhabit plants and are at least partly predacious, feeding on tetranychid, eriophyid, and other mites. They probably also feed on pollen, honeydew, and plant juices, as do other phytoseiids that have been studied (Chant 1959; Dosse 1961; McMurty and Scriven 1964). They are not usually found in soil or humus but occur on many kinds of low growing plants as well as coniferous and deciduous trees. They have been collected on all continents and from the arctic to the tropics.
Effects of a gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist and altrenogest on luteinizing hormone concentration and ovulation in the mare

Abstract The objective of Experiment 1 was to determine a dose and frequency of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist administration to effectively suppress serum luteinizing hormone (LH) concentration and to delay ovulation when administered to mares. The objectives of Experiment 2 were 1) to determine the effects of subcutaneous or intravenous administration of a GnRH antagonist or oral altrenogest on serum LH concentration in the estrual mare; and 2) to determine the effectiveness of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in inducing ovulation in mares with suppressed LH concentrations. In Experiment 1, mares ( N = 20) were randomly assigned and treated with either 5% mannitol (control, single subcutaneous injection, 1 mL, at time 0; n = 5); low-dose GnRH antagonist (single subcutaneous injection, 0.01 mg/kg, at time 0; n = 5); frequent low-dose GnRH antagonist (subcutaneous injections, 0.01 mg/kg, at 0, 6, 18, and 24 hours; n = 5); or high-dose GnRH antagonist (single subcutaneous injection, 0.04 mg/kg, at time 0; n = 5). Both the frequent low-dose and high-dose GnRH antagonist treatments resulted in significantly lower LH concentrations compared with controls at 90, 102, and 114 hours after treatment ( P P P
Shared Language and Moral Sensibility in Resolving Clinical Ethics Conflicts

Autumn Fiester's “Neglected Ends: Clinical Ethics Consultation and the Prospects for Closure” (2015) demonstrates how a focus on recommendations in clinical ethics consultations (CECs) can fail to ...
A Changing View Representation and Effects of the Portrayal of Women of Color in Mainstream Women's Magazines

This research involved a content analysis of mainstream women's magazines in 1999 and 2004 and an experiment designed to examine the effect of counterstereotypical portrayals on readers. White women were overrepresented while Latina and Black women were underrepresented in mainstream women's magazine articles in 2004 compared to U.S. Census data, although not as much as in 1999. Representation of women of color as professionals also increased. The experiment found that exposure to articles featuring counterstereotypical depictions of women of color tended to elevate the occupational expectations of women of color among White readers but not people of color. The theoretical implications are discussed in light of subgrouping and exemplification.
A discrimination algorithm and the effect of resolution

The discrimination stage of the Lincoln Laboratory multistage target detection algorithm for synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data is examined. This second stage of the multistage algorithm is intended to separate targets and man-made objects from naturally occurring clutter. Results for this algorithm are compared for 1-ft-resolution SAR data that have been processed using the polarimetric whitening filter (PWF) against results using 1-m-resolution SAR data that have been processed in a similar manner. Theoretical expressions are derived. They are shown to accurately predict the performance of the discrimination algorithm. The features used in the discrimination algorithm are described. The feature sets are different for the high- and low-resolution data sets. The finer resolution data are found to provide better performance, i.e., more than an order of magnitude reduction in false alarm rate for the same probability of detection. >
New Clingfish (Gobiesocidae) from Isla Grande, Colombia

Abstract A new species is described from the Pacific coast of Colombia. It differs from its congeners by having a shorter disc and a greater number of vertebrae. This brings the number of species in the genus Tomicodon to 15, 13 of them in the eastern Pacific and two in the western Atlantic.
Montana logging machine rates

Montana’s logging industry has changed significantly over the past two decades. Increased operating costs and subsequent diminishing returns, combined with a shifting paradigm in regards to active forest management have had significant impacts on the economic and demographic make-up of the industry. One way to address these changes and mitigate the associated challenges of continued viability is through analysis of the factors and constraints impacting routine operational costs. To provide a resource for comparison between commonly-utilized logging equipment, the hourly owning and operating costs of select mechanical, ground-based machines were calculated using the machine rate method from data supplied by western Montana equipment dealers. The results were compared to historical cost data, and reasons for increased logging expense were studied and discussed. Inflation-adjusted operating costs for ground-based equipment appear to be 32–86% higher than 20 years ago. Reasons include increases in equipment p...
Public Good Experiment with Context: Applications to Farm Marketing Problems

The public good experiment has been used as both a teaching and research tool. In almost all instances it has been designed without reference to a specific public good or real-world application. This is done so participants' feelings or experiences involving the public good do not affect their behavior. In a teaching environment, however, the addition of context can further student understanding of the public good experiment and its applications to real-world issues. This paper shows how two farm marketing problems can be illustrated through the use of the public good experiment by adding context. The experiment also incorporates the idea of a communication period with students encouraged to find a solution to free riding as a lesson in the difficulties inherent with collusive agreements.
Fuel Reformation and Hydrogen Generation with Direct Droplet Impingement Reactors: Parametric Study and Design Considerations for Portable Methanol Steam Reformers

In a companion article (Varady and FedorovInd. Eng. Chem. Res. 2011, DOI: 10.1021/ie200563e), the concept of a direct droplet impingement reactor (DDIR) was introduced as a promising approach to liquid fuel reformation for distributed hydrogen generation. Considering the overall device as an array of unit cells enabled simplified modeling of the device on a unit-cell basis. In this study, the unit-cell model is utilized to study the effects of the important reactor operating parameters for the specific case of methanol steam reforming. The performance of the baseline DDIR is compared to the ideal limit of an isothermal plug-flow reactor (PFR). The effects of DDIR shape, size, heat input and location, and droplet initial conditions were varied from the baseline design to identify possible performance improvements. It was found that the selectivity displays a distinct maximum at a Peclet number (Pe) of ∼3 because of the interplay between back-diffusion of the products and thermal resistance of the catalyst ...
Parkinson's disease: where do we stand?

Although a cure has not been found, certain drugs can relieve symptoms and may actually slow disease progression.
Affine Translation Surfaces in Minkowski 3D-Space

Special surfaces in the Minkowski space were studied on the basis of the invariant theory and theory of differential equation.Some categories were presented by changing the partial differential equation into the ordinary differential equation to simplify the solving process.Affine translation Weingarten surfaces were studied under the pseudo orthogonal frame.The first and second fundamental forms,Gaussian curvature and mean curvature of the surfaces were obtained according to the basic principles of differential geometry.The classification theorems of those translation surfaces were given mainly by using the linear and square relationships between the Gaussian curvature and the mean curvature.
Surveillance of malaria among mobile population in Beiliu city,Guangxi in 1995-2011

Objective To understand the epidemiological characteristics of malaria among mobile population in Beiliu city and formulate control strategies for eliminating malaria.Methods The data concerning malaria surveillance among mobiole population in Beiliu city in 1995-2011 were collected and analyzed.Results The positive rate of blood examination of mobile population was 0.08%.The main sources of malaria infection were from the provinces of Hainan,Guangdong and Yunnan.Most of the infection occurred from March to September and most of the cases were the youth and those in prime of life accounted for 72%.And number of male cases were more than that of female ones.Conclusion In future,Monitoring of mobile population,timely detection of malaria cases and treatment of malaria infectioins are the effective measures for eliminating malaria.
Local therapy for breast cancer in the molecular era: relevant or relic?

This article reviews the current status of local therapy for breast cancer and the likely impact of evolving molecular data on the present paradigm.
Machines in the Communist Future

Because Marx’s philosophy is absolutely unique, it is not always easy to situate it properly in the history of philosophy. When treating the issue of technology in Marx’s texts, one must remember not only the legacies of Feuerbach and Hegel, of the socialist Utopians and the political economists, but also the contest between Enlightenment and Romantic attitudes toward nature and technology. These can be linked back still further to a reversal of values that, if incomplete, is nonetheless traceable to the transition between the classical and the modern world. Hans Blumenberg (1983) addresses this reversal of values in his Legitimacy of the Modern Age.
Fragrances and work-related asthma-California surveillance data, 1993-2012.

ABSTRACTObjective: Fragrance chemicals are used in a large array of products. Workers may be exposed to these chemicals in the workplace directly when used as air fresheners, or indirectly in personal care products used by coworkers or others. This study characterizes work-related asthma (WRA) cases associated with fragrance exposures in California workplaces from 1993 through 2012. Methods: We used the California Work-Related Asthma Prevention Program's surveillance database to identify individuals with physician-diagnosed WRA associated with the use of air fresheners and scented personal care products (perfumes, colognes, etc.). Cases were classified using previously published, standardized surveillance methods. Results: Perfume was the ninth most common exposure identified from 1993 through 2012. A total of 270 WRA cases associated with fragrance exposure were reported during this period, representing 3.8% of all confirmed cases. These 270 cases included 242 associated with perfume or cologne, 32 assoc...
Reproductive and metabolic state differences in olfactory responses to amino acids in a mouth brooding African cichlid fish.

ABSTRACT Olfaction mediates many crucial life-history behaviors such as prey detection, predator avoidance, migration and reproduction. Olfactory function can also be modulated by an animal9s internal physiological and metabolic states. While this is relatively well studied in mammals, little is known about how internal state impacts olfaction in fishes, the largest and most diverse group of vertebrates. Here we apply electro-olfactograms (EOGs) in the African cichlid fish Astatotilapia burtoni to test the hypothesis that olfactory responses to food-related cues (i.e. l-amino acids; alanine and arginine) vary with metabolic, social and reproductive state. Dominant males (reproductively active, reduced feeding) had greater EOG magnitudes in response to amino acids at the same tested concentration than subordinate males (reproductively suppressed, greater feeding and growth rates). Mouth brooding females, which are in a period of starvation while they brood fry in their mouths, had greater EOG magnitudes in response to amino acids at the same tested concentration than both recovering and gravid females that are feeding. Discriminant function analysis on EOG magnitudes also grouped the male (subordinate) and female (recovering, gravid) phenotypes with higher food intake together and distinguished them from brooding females and dominant males. The slope of the initial negative phase of the EOG also showed intra-sexual differences in both sexes. Our results demonstrate that the relationship between olfaction and metabolic state observed in other taxa is conserved to fishes. For the first time, we provide evidence for intra-sexual plasticity in the olfactory response to amino acids that is influenced by fish reproductive, social and metabolic state.
Bulk Protein Solution: Freeze–Thaw Process, Storage and Shipping Considerations

Protein drug substance is typically frozen to enable manufacturing flexibility through prolonging the shelf life of drug substance and providing better biochemical stability. The process of freezing and thawing of bulk protein solutions poses several challenges. It is important to understand the process and define mitigation strategies to address these challenges. Just not the process but the choice of storage container can have an impact on stability and downstream operation of formulation during drug product process. Therefore, understanding the options currently available in terms of drug substance storage containers and how to balance the need based on specific scenarios is critical. Storage temperature is as important as the container the drug substance is stored at. Furthermore, shipping drug substance in frozen state requires thorough understanding of logistics and dependence of shipping temperature on stability. This chapter fundamentally looks at the freezing and thawing process, discusses phenomenon of cryoconcentration in various containers and mitigation strategies, consequence of not choosing appropriate storage temperature, and provides considerations for storage and shipping of drug substance.
Immunobiology of the Trophoblast:Mechanisms by Which Placental Tissues Evade Maternal Recognition and Rejection

The ability of women to gestate a fetus that is immunologically foreign has been the subject of intense study since the early 1950s. Indeed, an often-cited review of this problem was published in the 1960s by BILLINGHAM (1964), a colleague of Sir Peter Medawar. To this day the precise mechanisms supporting this phenomenon are still undefined, although several possibilities exist. The complexity of this problem is underpinned by the possibility that an immunobiological endeavor such as pregnancy probably does not, nor should not, rely on any one specific immune mechanism for success. It is well established that many pregnant women do not reject their embryos; what remains controversial, however, is to what extent an aberrant immune response to the pregnancy is responsible for those instances in which the fetus is lost. In fact, it is an assumption for us to discuss this problem as though it is
From Rationality and Consistency to Bayesian Probability

The presentation by Jaynes of Bayesian probability theory, among other things, served to unify and strengthen the earlier work of Cox and Polya. While the above approach to probability theory is well-known to many proponents of maximum-entropy and Bayesian methods, it deserves to be more widely promulgated and studied. This paper is a tutorial introduction to the Cox-Polya-Jaynes consistency and rationality requirements as the basis of Bayesian probability theory.
A Concise History of Russia: The Golden Age of Russian Culture

The development of Russian society in the reform era profoundly affected Russian culture, both by changing the institutional environment of culture and by calling forth new intellectual and artistic impulses. For almost all spheres of thought and creation, the period was the first great age of Russian culture, and the first one to bring that culture an audience beyond its boundaries. By the 1880s Russia had become part of the world, not just as a major political power but as a major contributor to the arts and even to science. Science in the age of reform Science had not flourished in the years of Nicholas I. While the universities did provide high-level instruction, the professors were often foreigners and facilities were small and inadequate. Lobachevskii's new geometry was the work of an isolated provincial professor whose calculations needed only his own genius and a pencil and paper. After the Crimean War, the government realized that the scientific level of the country needed to be raised, and the Ministry of Education provided for the expansion of science departments in the universities as part of a general upgrading of higher education. Equally or more important were the initiatives of the Ministry of Finance, especially its reorganization of the Technological Institute in St. Petersburg. A modern engineering school was crucial to the industrialization program, but the reformed curriculum had one unexpected result of worldwide significance. The young Dmitrii Mendeleev set out to provide a new, up-to-date chemistry course, and in the process found the existing textbooks unsatisfactory. He started to create his own, and in the process of looking for a way to explain the relationships among the various elements in nature, realized that they fit a certain pattern. The idea of a regularity was not absolutely new, but Mendeleev went further: he saw that there were gaps in the pattern and in 1869 he predicted that new elements would be found to exist that filled in these gaps. Soon scientists abroad found his prediction to be correct, and Mendeleev became Russia's foremost scientist. His fame endured on the walls of science classrooms ever after in the form of charts of the periodic table of the elements that came from Mendeleev's discovery.
The adolescent: Athletics and development

An appreciation of adolescent growth and development is essential to the understanding of problems faced by the adolescent athlete. Early adolescence (ages 10-15 years) can be characterized as the body period. Physical growth is genetically determined and can be influenced by disease, injury, and nutrition. Early maturers are subject to adult expectations which may lead to either failure or excessive acclaim. Middle adolescence (ages 15-18 years) is the sexuality period, with special emphasis on gender identity. Friendships are critical, and athletics can be a focal point for showing love and affection without social fear. Late adolescence (ages 18-22 years) is the separation period. Young people with athletic skills leave home to face greater athletic and academic pressure and competition in college. Adjustment to this final adolescent period is achieved through learning to lose as well as win with grace and dignity.
Silicone-based creams for the protection of concrete surfaces

Wacker-Chemie has succeeded in developing an entirely new concept for water-repellent impregnating materials. The products, in the form of creams, have replaced the traditional low-viscosity silane solutions in specific applications where they can be applied, free from drips, by brushing or spray. Since the creams give films of a thickness unattainable previously, a depth of penetration into the concrete, not thought possible before, is achieved. Consequently a significant improvement in the surface protection ensues.
Mesenchymal molecular subtype is an independent predictor of severe postoperative complications after primary debulking surgery for advanced ovarian cancer.

Abstract Objective To evaluate the contribution of molecular subtype to 30-day postoperative complications and 90-day mortality after primary debulking surgery (PDS) in advanced stage high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC). Methods Patients with stages III–IV HGSOC undergoing PDS from 1994 to 2011 with available molecular subtyping were included. Residual disease (RD) status was categorized as 0, 0.1–0.5, 0.6–1.0, or >1 cm. Surgical complexity scores were calculated as high, intermediate, or low as previously published. Postoperative complications were graded according to the modified Accordion classification 0–4 scale; severe was defined as grade ≥3. Molecular subtypes were derived from Agilent 4 × 44k tumor mRNA expression profiles and categorized as mesenchymal (MES) or non-mesenchymal (non-MES). Logistic regression modeling was used to assess associations. Results Of 329 patients, 68.7% were stage IIIC, 80.5% had RD ≤1 cm, 28.0% had MES subtype, and 19.5% had a grade 3–4 complication; 90-day mortality was 5.8%. In univariate analysis, patients with MES subtype were more likely to have severe complications compared to non-MES (31.5 vs. 14.8%; OR 2.66, 95% CI 1.51–4.69; p Conclusions MES subtype is an independent predictor of severe postoperative morbidity and adds to the potential use of pre-operative molecular testing in planning primary treatment of patients with advanced ovarian cancer.
Brace Yourselves: Outcomes of Ponseti Casting and Foot Abduction Orthosis Bracing in Idiopathic Congenital Talipes Equinovarus.

Background:Foot abduction orthoses (FAO) are believed to decrease recurrence following treatment of congenital talipes equinovarus (CTEV) as described by Ponseti. The purpose of this project is to examine the outcomes of FAO bracing following treatment by the Ponseti method in a cohort of idiopathic
Mental health and HIV/AIDS: The need for an integrated response

: Tremendous biomedical advancements in HIV prevention and treatment have led to aspirational efforts to end the HIV epidemic. However, this goal will not be achieved without addressing the significant mental health and substance use problems among people living with HIV (PLWH) and people vulnerable to acquiring HIV. These problems exacerbate the many social and economic barriers to accessing adequate and sustained healthcare, and are among the most challenging barriers to achieving the end of the HIV epidemic. Rates of mental health problems are higher among both people vulnerable to acquiring HIV and PLWH, compared with the general population. Mental health impairments increase risk for HIV acquisition and for negative health outcomes among PLWH at each step in the HIV care continuum. We have the necessary screening tools and efficacious treatments to treat mental health problems among people living with and at risk for HIV. However, we need to prioritize mental health treatment with appropriate resources to address the current mental health screening and treatment gaps. Integration of mental health screening and care into all HIV testing and treatment settings would not only strengthen HIV prevention and care outcomes, but it would additionally improve global access to mental healthcare.
Rectal cancer in the young: analysis of contributing factors and surgical outcomes

Background: Rectal cancer (RC) among young patients (≤50 years) is on the rise. The factors associated with development of RC are established however; factors leading to early RC remain unclear. The aim of this study was to assess factors associated with RC among young patients Methods: National estimates for patients with RC were abstracted from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database [2010–2012]. Patients were divided into two groups: young (≤50 years) and old (>50 years). Demographic, comorbidities, procedures performed, and hospital outcomes were collected. Regression analysis was performed to compare both groups. Results: A total of 68,699 patients with RC were included. Incidence of RC among young patients increased significantly over the study period (2.4% vs . 3.4%; P=0.04). Majority of young patients with RC were white females. Bleeding was the most common presentation among young patients (P=0.03). Younger patients were more likely to have a family history of RC (P=0.01) and were more likely to undergo elective surgery (P=0.04) and laparoscopic surgery (P=0.02) compared to the older patients. Younger patients with RC were also more likely to use alcohol (P=0.03), be obese (P=0.02) compared to elder patients. There was no difference in the other co-morbidities between the two groups. After controlling for all factors in a regression model, younger patients had a lower complication rate (P=0.01), hospital LOS (P=0.02), and mortality rate (P=0.04). Conclusions: RC in younger patients appears as a different disease with different outcomes. There appears to be multifactorial and environmental factors contributing to this trend. Race and gender also play a role in the incidence of RC in the young. Identifying these risk factors will lead to a more robust intervention plan to help improve care among younger patients with RC.
Importance of time-ordered non-uniform sampling of multi-dimensional NMR spectra of Aβ 1–42 peptide under aggregating conditions

Although the order of the time steps in which the non-uniform sampling (NUS) schedule is implemented when acquiring multi-dimensional NMR spectra is of limited importance when sample conditions remain unchanged over the course of the experiment, it is shown to have major impact when samples are unstable. In the latter case, time-ordering of the NUS data points by the normalized radial length yields a reduction of sampling artifacts, regardless of the spectral reconstruction algorithm. The disadvantage of time-ordered NUS sampling is that halting the experiment prior to its completion will result in lower spectral resolution, rather than a sparser data matrix. Alternatively, digitally correcting for sample decay prior to reconstruction of randomly ordered NUS data points can mitigate reconstruction artifacts, at the cost of somewhat lower sensitivity. Application of these sampling schemes to the Alzheimer's amyloid beta (Aβ1-42) peptide at an elevated concentration, low temperature, and 3 kbar of pressure, where approximately 75% of the peptide reverts to an NMR-invisible state during the collection of a 3D 15N-separated NOESY spectrum, highlights the improvement in artifact suppression and reveals weak medium-range NOE contacts in several regions, including the C-terminal region of the peptide.
Multimodal Learning for Identifying Opportunities for Empathetic Responses

Embodied interactive agents possessing emotional intelligence and empathy can create natural and engaging social interactions. Providing appropriate responses by interactive virtual agents requires the ability to perceive users’ emotional states. In this paper, we study and analyze behavioral cues that indicate an opportunity to provide an empathetic response. Emotional tone in language in addition to facial expressions are strong indicators of dramatic sentiment in conversation that warrant an empathetic response. To automatically recognize such instances, we develop a multimodal deep neural network for identifying opportunities when the agent should express positive or negative empathetic responses. We train and evaluate our model using audio, video and language from human-agent interactions in a wizard-of-Oz setting, using the wizard’s empathetic responses and annotations collected on Amazon Mechanical Turk as ground-truth labels. Our model outperforms a text-based baseline achieving F1-score of 0.71 on a three-class classification. We further investigate the results and evaluate the capability of such a model to be deployed for real-world human-agent interactions.
Nonlinearity + Networks: A 2020 Vision

I briefly survey several fascinating topics in networks and nonlinearity. I highlight a few methods and ideas, including several of personal interest, that I anticipate to be especially important during the next several years. These topics include temporal networks (in which a network’s entities and/or their interactions change in time), stochastic and deterministic dynamical processes on networks, adaptive networks (in which a dynamical process on a network is coupled to dynamics of network structure), and network structure and dynamics that include “higher-order” interactions (which involve three or more entities in a network). I draw examples from a variety of scenarios, including contagion dynamics, opinion models, waves, and coupled oscillators.
Urbanization and climate change jointly shift land surface phenology in the northern mid-latitude large cities

Abstract: Land surface phenology (LSP) has been widely used as the “footprint” of urbanization and global climate change. Shifts of LSP have cascading effects on food production, carbon sequestration, water consumption, biodiversity, and public health. Previous studies mainly focused on investigating the effects of urbanization on the spatial patterns of LSP by comparing phenological metrics, e.g. start of season (SOS) and end of season (EOS), between urban center and the surrounding rural regions. However, it remains unclear how urbanization-induced land cover conversions and climate change jointly influence the temporal variations of SOS and EOS within the urban ecosystem. To fill this knowledge gap, we utilized daily two-band enhanced vegetation index, daily meteorological record, and annual land cover dataset to investigate the respective impacts of urbanization and climate change on temporal shifts of LSP between the post- and the pre-urbanization periods over 196 large cities in the northern mid-latitudes. We found 51% of the cities experienced an advanced SOS with an average of −6.39 ± 5.82 days after urbanization has occurred, while the remaining 49% of the cities had a delayed SOS with an average of 7.56 ± 5.63 days. We also found a later EOS at 53% of the cities and an earlier EOS at 47% of the cities with an average of 8.43 ± 7.59 and −5.57 ± 4.99 days between the post- and pre-urbanization periods, respectively. Multiple linear regression analysis indicates that climate variables (i.e. temperature, precipitation, and insolation) play dominant roles in regulating the temporal shifts of LSP. Furthermore, the earlier SOS and later EOS were significantly correlated with the amplitude of urbanization (i.e. increase of impervious surface area) in cities after controlling for effects of climate factors. These patterns were generally consistent across eight climate zones. Our findings provide critical information in modeling natural and anthropogenic effects on urban ecosystem, with important benefits for urban sustainability and biodiversity conservation.
IMPACT OF FRAILTY ON CLINICAL OUTCOMES AFTER EVT FOR FEMOROPOPLITEAL LESIONS

Recent studies have reported that frailty is related to mortality in patients with peripheral artery disease. However, the impact of frailty on clinical outcomes after EVT remains unclear. This study was an observational study examining consecutive patients performing EVT for de novo