cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The In Vitro Metabolism of Plasmodium Gallinaceum

Within the past few years the metabolism of malarial parasites has been studied in several laboratories. Christophers and Fulton' measured the respiration of Plasmodium knowlesi and Maier and Coggeshall2 have demonstrated the utilization of glucose and other substrates during respiration of the same organism. The latter workers also found that the rate of respiration was a function of the size of the parasite, i.e., it increased with the development of the parasite from merozoite to segmenter. Wendel,3 also working with P. knowlesi, has demonstrated that both the respiration and glycolysis of infected red blood cells are greater than those of unparasitized erythrocytes.4 Velick5 has reported that the respiratory quotient of P. cathemerium increases when nuclear division of the parasite occurs. In all these experiments the intact red cells containing the parasite were studied. However, Christophers and Fulton' have obtained P. knowlesi free from red cells by saponin cytolysis and report that such organisms also respire in the presence of glucose. The present report deals with the glucose metabolism of P. gallinaceum. This organism exhibits little synchronism, but has particular advantages in that its natural host, the chicken, is readily available and infections can be obtained which yield large amounts of parasitic material. The study of this organism is made difficult by its presence within the nucleated red blood cell of the host. It would be desirable to lyse the cell and then to study the parasite suspended in a medium of known composition. In view of our lack of any convenient way of doing this, we have been forced to study the organism together with the red cell, hoping by the use of proper controls to arrive at a picture of the activities of the organism itself. A large portion of our experiments, therefore, are concerned with parasitized red blood cells suspended in an inorganic medium containing glucose.
Structural and magnetic properties of large cobalt clusters

We use a real-space implementation of pseudopotentials within the density functional theory to investigate the structural and magnetic properties of cobalt clusters with up to 365 atoms. We find from structural optimization that hcp and icosahedral clusters are lower in energy than bcc and fcc clusters. The calculated magnetic moments generally decrease as a function of increasing cluster size. For clusters of several hundred atoms the bulk limit becomes apparent. However, the decrease is not monotonic. It depends on the details of the interior structure of the cluster and the corresponding surface geometry. By analyzing the detailed evolution of the local magnetic moment, we find the spin moment is bulklike in the cluster interior and increases in the vicinity of the surface and can be correlated with coordination. The calculated behavior accounts for the observed variations in the measured moments.
Reduced Diphosphopyridine Nucleotide Synergism of the Reduced Triphosphopyridine Nucleotide-Dependent Mixed-Function Oxidase System of Hepatic Microsomes: I. Effects of Activation and Inhibition of the Fatty Acyl Coenzyme A Desaturation System

Time first of the 2 electrons required for the N -demethylation of ethylmorphine by the microsomal mixed-function oxidase system of liver is thought to be donated by TPNH, whereas the second has been postulated to be derivable from either TPNH or DPNH and transported to the cytochrome P-450 system via cytochrome b 5 . DPNH is believed to support a larger pool of second electrons at cytochrome b 5 than can be supplied by TPNH, and this would explain the synergistic effect of DPNH on TPNH-dependent mixed-function oxidase reactions. This concept was strengthened by the current studies, which altered the pool of second electrons at cytochrome b 5 by manipulating the shunt of electrons from cytochrome b 5 to the microsomal fatty acyl-CoA desaturation system. When the activity of this shunt was inhibited with cyanide, DPNH synergism of ethylmorphine N -demethylation was increased from 30% (no cyanide) to 90% (0.1 or 0.5 mM cyanide). Cyanide had little or no effect on N -demethylation when TPNH was the sole source of electrons. When the activity of the desaturation system was stimulated by the addition of stearoyl-CoA, a natural substrate for the system, rates of N -demethylation declined when TPNH was the sole donor of electrons and when both TPNH and DPNH were present. Cyanide reversed the inhibitory effect of stearoyl-CoA. These results are interpreted to mean that second electrons, which are normally transported from DPNH through cytochrome b 5 to the cytochrome P-450 system, are dissipated in large part via cyanide-sensitive systems engaged in the oxidation of endogenous substrates; cyanide largely prevents this dissipation of second electrons, more of the electron pool at cytochrome b 5 is made available to the cytochrome P-450 system, and DPNH synergism is enhanced. Cyanide is without effect on the cytochrome P-450 system when TPNH is the sole source of electrons, because the steady-state concentration of reduced cytochrome b 5 that can be maintained by TPNH is below the level where a serious loss of electrons to endogenous systems via cytochrome b 5 can occur. Stearoyl-CoA increases the dissipation of electrons by serving as a substrate for the cyanide-sensitive desaturation system. It is postulated that stearoyl-CoA inhibits ethylmorphine N -demethylation because the desaturation system and the mixed-function oxidase system compete for electrons supplied by an unidentified electron transfer component, which accepts electrons from either DPNH or TPNH via cytochrome b 5 . These concepts were reinforced by studies in which rates of DPNH utilization were correlated with rates of ethylmorphine N -demethylation.
George L. Mosse and Walter Laqueur on the History of Fascism

The history and analysis of fascism has been a major theme of the first half century of the Journal of Contemporary History, and was a key interest of its founding co-editors, George L. Mosse and W...
Recovering the Broken-Hearted: The Ultimate (and Uncertain) Goal of Mechanical Circulatory Support

Myocardial recovery induced by chronic unloading and reverse remodeling with durable left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) remains an elusive clinical prospect. Numerous studies describe evidence for structural and cellular improvements with chronic LVAD support, but most fail to include convincing
Breast Cancer Screening in the Precision Medicine Era: Risk-Based Screening in a Population-Based Trial

Ongoing controversy over the optimal approach to breast cancer screening has led to discordant professional society recommendations, particularly in women age 40 to 49 years. One potential solution is risk-based screening, where decisions around the starting age, stopping age, frequency, and modality of screening are based on individual risk to maximize the early detection of aggressive cancers and minimize the harms of screening through optimal resource utilization. We present a novel approach to risk-based screening that integrates clinical risk factors, breast density, a polygenic risk score representing the cumulative effects of genetic variants, and sequencing for moderate- and high-penetrance germline mutations. We demonstrate how thresholds of absolute risk estimates generated by our prediction tools can be used to stratify women into different screening strategies (biennial mammography, annual mammography, annual mammography with adjunctive magnetic resonance imaging, defer screening at this time) while informing the starting age of screening for women age 40 to 49 years. Our risk thresholds and corresponding screening strategies are based on current evidence but need to be tested in clinical trials. The Women Informed to Screen Depending On Measures of risk (WISDOM) Study, a pragmatic, preference-tolerant randomized controlled trial of annual vs personalized screening, will study our proposed approach. WISDOM will evaluate the efficacy, safety, and acceptability of risk-based screening beginning in the fall of 2016. The adaptive design of this trial allows continued refinement of our risk thresholds as the trial progresses, and we discuss areas where we anticipate emerging evidence will impact our approach.
Effects Of Hypocretin/Orexin on the Thalamocortical Activating System

Hypocretin can excite the thalamocortical arousal pathway at two levels. It can selectively depolarize neurons in the midline-intralaminar nuclei of the thalamus, but it can also directly excite their axon terminals within prefrontal cortex. Since these two regions appear to receive projections from different populations of hypocretin neurons, further understanding of what governs hypocretin release in these two areas will yield greater insight into thalamocortical involvement in arousal and attention.
Empathetic trappings: Revisiting the nineteenth century in Octavia Butler's Kindred

Octavia Butler's 1979 novel, Kindred, is a postmodern slave narrative that redefines the previous literary constructions of slavery in the United States. Through its rejection of the nineteenth cen...
Phosphorus- and Nitrogen-Based Manure and Compost Applications Corn Production and Soil Phosphorus

Manure or compost application based on N needs of corn (Zea mays L.) may result in soil accumulation of P, other ions, and salt because the manure or compost N/P ratio is usually smaller than the corn N/P uptake ratio. This study was conducted from 1992 to 1996 to evaluate effects of P- and N-based manure and compost application on corn yield, N and P uptake, soil P level, and weed biomass. Composted and noncomposted beef cattle (Bos taurus) feedlot manures were applied to supply N or P needs of corn for either a 1- or 2-yr period. Phosphorus-based manure or compost treatments also received additional fertilizer N as needed. Fertilized and unfertilized checks were also included, Manure or compost application increased corn grain yield in all 4 yr as compared with the unfertilized cheek. Annual or biennial manure or compost application resulted in corn grain yields similar to those of the fertilizer treatment. Phosphorus-based manure or compost application resulted in similar grain yields to those for N-based treatments but had significantly less soil available P level after 4 yr of application. Biennial manure or compost application resulted in corn yield similar to that for annual application but increased available P in the soil. Estimated N availability was 40% for manure and 15% for compost in the first year and was 18% for manure and 8% for compost in the second year after application. Weed biomass was more influenced by nutrient availability than any weed seed introduced by manure or compost application. When application rate is based on correct N or P availability, manure and compost can produce corn grain yields that are equal to or greater than that for fertilizer application. Annual P-based manure or compost application is the most effective method of using these resources when soil P buildup is a concern.
PRESERVATION AND REVITALISATION OF THE ENDANGERED GĨKŨYŨ FLUTE

Based on observations, interviews, and recordings collected in Kenya in May-June 2015, this article presents a summary of the search for a nearly “extinct” musical instrument and the need for advocacy research. The mũtũrĩrũ, originally an oblique bark flute of the Agĩkũyũ of Kenya, is also made from more durable bamboo and plastic. Initial investigations suggested that the flute was no longer played due to urbanization, modernization of farming techniques, and the loss of certain rituals and dances. Discovery of several elders who still play mũtũrĩrũ and the process of watching them build and play bark, bamboo, and spider web mũtũrĩrũs is narrated. The challenges of preserving a tradition when the cultural context for performance no longer exists and potential opportunities for a re-introduction of the mũtũrĩrũ to contemporary Kenyan culture through intentional curriculum, traditional performances and advocacy in Kenyan cultural centers are discussed.
Spontane Skleraperforation bei zirkumskripter Sklerodermie (en coup de sabre)

Bei einem 55jahrigen Patienten mit Sklerodermie „en coup de sabre“ kam es zu spontaner Filterkissenbildung, anhaltender Bulbushypotonie und ausgepragter Aderhautfaltenbildung, die den Fistelverschlus durch lamellare Keratoplastik notwendig machten. Befunde und Verlauf wahrend der vierjahrigen Nachbeobachtung werden beschrieben.
Free-Standing β-Ga 2 O 3 Thin Diaphragms

Free-standing, very thin, single-crystal β-gallium oxide (β-Ga2O3) diaphragms have been constructed and their dynamical mechanical properties characterized by noncontact, noninvasive optical measurements harnessing the multimode nanomechanical resonances of these suspended nanostructures. We synthesized single-crystal β-Ga2O3 using low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) on a 3C-SiC epilayer grown on Si substrate at temperature of 950°C for 1.5 h. The synthesized single-crystal nanoflakes had widths of ∼ 2 μm to 30 μm and thicknesses of ∼ 20 nm to 140 nm, from which we fabricated free-standing circular drumhead β-Ga2O3 diaphragms with thicknesses of ∼ 23 nm to 73 nm and diameters of ∼ 3.2 μm and ∼ 5.2 μm using a dry stamp-transfer technique. Based on measurements of multiple flexural-mode mechanical resonances using ultrasensitive laser interferometric detection and performing thermal annealing at 250°C for 1.5 h, we quantified the effects of annealing and adsorption of atmospheric gas molecules on the resonant characteristics of the diaphragms. Furthermore, we studied the effects of structural nonidealities on these free-standing β-Ga2O3 nanoscale diaphragms. We present extensive characterization of the mechanical and optical properties of free-standing β-Ga2O3 diaphragms, paving the way for realization of resonant transducers using such nanomechanical structures for use in applications including gas sensing and ultraviolet radiation detection.
Product, Substrate, and Alternative Substrate Inhibition

The study of initial rate kinetics in the presence of product has proven to be a boon to the field of enzyme kinetics. Quite probably, no other single experimental protocol has received greater attention since its inception than product inhibition kinetics. Unfortunately, certain complicating factors, such as abortive ternary complex formation and substrate inhibition, have tended to limit the usefulness of this technique. Nevertheless, kinetic investigations in the presence of product remain a formidable tool available to the kineticist interested in making a choice of mechanism from among the usual possibilities. Furthermore, a good deal of insight may be obtained from such experiments regarding the binding of substrates and products at the active site and, in certain cases, at allosteric sites.
Developing Teacher Literacy in Appalachian Contexts: Or How I Went South and Learned a New Way of Being in the World.

To become literate when we move from one part of the country to another with significant cultural differences, our first task is to learn the new culture so we can more effectively work with our colleagues and our students. When I moved from Bay City, MI, to Morehead, KY, there were many customs I needed to learn. Fortunately, what I learned helped me to cherish both my new colleagues and students.
INITIAL VALUE PROBLEMS IN λφ4 FIELD THEORY IN A BACKGROUND GRAVITATIONAL FIELD

We derive the time evolution equations appropriate to initial value problems in λ(φαφα)2 field theory at large N interacting with a classical background spatially flat R.W. metric. We determine from physical considerations the renormalization of the mass, the self coupling and the coupling to the scalar curvature. A simple method is given to arrive at finite differential equations suitable for numerical integration forward in time. We find that for the equations to be finite, the ultraviolet properties of the initial state are constrained by the requirement that the initial state contains a finite average number of particles and/or correlated pairs per unit volume.
Economic Impacts of Carbon Charges on U.S. Agriculture

We evaluate the farm sector impacts that would result from implementing a system of carbon based charges on energy intensive inputs. Our emphasis is on production costs, crop acreage, commodity prices, input use, farm income, and farm welfare. The charges considered – $14, $100, and$200 per metric ton of carbon – were developed from the literature and areconsistent with reducing U.S. GHG emissions to a 1990 minus 7% level by 2010 underdifferent levels of carbon trading and developing country participation. Impacts are relatively modest for a charge of $14 per mt. Relative to baseline conditions, producer and consumer surplus decline 0.02 and 0.03 percent, respectively. Across crop and livestock commodities, price increases and production declines are all less than 1.0%. As the carbon charge increases, farm sector impacts become more pronounced and determination of whether the aggregate effect is significant or not becomes more subjective.
Stability Analysis of Agricultural Off-Road Vehicles

Vehicle rollovers cause many agricultural work-related fatalities each year. Tractors, off-road utility vehicles (ORUVs), zero turn radius (ZTR) mowers, and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) can all become involved in fatal rollovers. The rollover tendency of these vehicles was evaluated using static lateral and longitudinal stability angles. Center of gravity locations were measured with the lift axle method, and lateral and longitudinal stability angles were calculated for four ATVs, five ORUVs, four ZTR mowers, and four lawn tractors. Stability angles were calculated for loaded and unloaded vehicle conditions. Loading vehicles with ballast and operators can substantially decrease lateral and longitudinal stability angles. Stability angles for these vehicles and for five full-size agricultural tractors were compared. All loaded and unloaded, lateral and longitudinal stability angles determined met the appropriate ANSI requirements.
Safe Multiquadcopter System Continuum Deformation Over Moving Frames

This paper proposes a new scalable model for coordination of multiple quadcopter systems by treating collective motion as continuum deformation over a moving frame. The quadcopters are considered as particles in a 2-D deformable body evolving in a 3-D motion space. The 2-D continuum reference frame (CRF) can arbitrarily translate and rotate in a 3-D motion space for maneuverability. Furthermore, a quadcopter team can significantly deform over the CRF presenting risk of interagent collisions. The formulation is therefore proven in this paper to guarantee interagent collision avoidance and quadcopter containment. Quadcopter team deformation is guided by $N_L\geq 3$ leader quadcopters initially placed at the vertices of a convex polygon denoted as a leading convex polygon. The CRF is then assigned based on independent leader quadcopters’ 3-D positions defined by a homogeneous deformation, which, in turn, dictates follower motions. A local communication protocol is defined for the followers to acquire the desired continuum deformation. By formal characterization of the leading convex polygon deformation, both interagent collision avoidance and quadcopter containment are guaranteed in a large-scale continuum deformation coordination. A quadcopter team with 40 agents is simulated to illustrate a large-scale collective descent defined by continuum deformation coordination over a reference frame moving in the longitudinal plane.
Multiscale computational model of Achilles tendon wound healing: Untangling the effects of repair and loading

Mechanical stimulation of the healing tendon is thought to regulate scar anisotropy and strength and is relatively easy to modulate through physical therapy. However, in vivo studies of various loading protocols in animal models have produced mixed results. To integrate and better understand the available data, we developed a multiscale model of rat Achilles tendon healing that incorporates the effect of changes in the mechanical environment on fibroblast behavior, collagen deposition, and scar formation. We modified an OpenSim model of the rat right hindlimb to estimate physiologic strains in the lateral/medial gastrocnemius and soleus musculo-tendon units during loading and unloading conditions. We used the tendon strains as inputs to a thermodynamic model of stress fiber dynamics that predicts fibroblast alignment, and to determine local collagen synthesis rates according to a response curve derived from in vitro studies. We then used an agent-based model (ABM) of scar formation to integrate these cell-level responses and predict tissue-level collagen alignment and content. We compared our model predictions to experimental data from ten different studies. We found that a single set of cellular response curves can explain features of observed tendon healing across a wide array of reported experiments in rats–including the paradoxical finding that repairing transected tendon reverses the effect of loading on alignment–without fitting model parameters to any data from those experiments. The key to these successful predictions was simulating the specific loading and surgical protocols to predict tissue-level strains, which then guided cellular behaviors according to response curves based on in vitro experiments. Our model results provide a potential explanation for the highly variable responses to mechanical loading reported in the tendon healing literature and may be useful in guiding the design of future experiments and interventions.
SAS: Modeling and Analysis of Spectrum Activity Surveillance in Wireless Overlay Networks

Spectrum monitoring, run-time usage acquisition, and regulation enforcement, in general can be referred to as spectrum activity surveillance (SAS). It is essential to dynamic spectrum access with a two-fold impact: it is a primitive mechanism to continuously scan spectrum usage for system optimization purposes; it is also a prime widget to obtain spectrum footprints of legitimate users, and record misuse by unauthorized or malicious users. Seemingly trivial, large-scale SAS in wireless overlay networks is actually an open yet challenging problem. This is because on one hand, such a system is time and energy-sensitive and hence unlikely (or not necessary) to implement in practice, due to constraints of radio spectrum license and system deployment. On the other hand, it is not clear how to characterize the efficacy and performance of spectrum monitoring strategies in surveillance over a large geographical region, and detection of spectrum culprits, that is, unauthorized spectrum occupants. To address such a challenge, we consider SAS in a 3-dimensional space that is composed of spectrum, time, and geographical region, and then formulate monitoring strategies as graph walks by accounting for the locality of spectrum activities. In particular, our approach transforms the SAS problem from a globally collective activity to a set of localized, distributed actions, and strategy objectives from qualitative attributes to quantitative measures. We find that randomized strategies with m monitors can achieve a sweep-coverage over a space of n assignment points in $\Theta\left(\frac{n}{m} \ln n\right)$ time, and detect an oblivious or adversarial spectrum culprit in $\Theta\left(\frac{n}{m}\right)$ time for SAS systems.
The Coates-Wiles Theorem Revisited

This paper is an attempt to understand the theorem of Coates and Wiles [1] from a more analytic viewpoint. The reader familiar with [1] will recognize here all the key ingredients of their beautiful proof. However, the viewpoint here provides many simplifications and some new supplements to their result. In particular, we allow the inclusion of second degree primes in the method. The evaluation of the critical conductor is based upon a discriminant calculation which is proved via Kronecker’s limit formula (Lemma 1 below). Indeed, many of the key results in this paper are based on Kronecker’s limit formula. One of the most exciting implications of this approach is the possibility of treating curves without complex multiplication by similar means. This paper provides some justification for this claim.
The Capacity to Manage Finances

Dementia progresses slowly, where an exact demarcation of when someone loses their ability to manage their finances is hard to determine. Delirium, which may occur independently or with co-occurring dementia, typically has a waxing and waning of cognitive ability. Therefore, when someone is delirious, there may be lucid intervals where one may argue that the individual has capacity, but moments later, the person’s consciousness may deteriorate. Evaluating monetary decision-making capacity can prove useful as it can be used to gauge whether one is at significant risk for financial exploitation. This chapter will focus on the relationship between financial decision-making and aging. How cognitive impairment may influence financial and testamentary capacity is included. A review of scales that can be used in the setting of financial capacity evaluations is also provided to help guide evaluators. Furthermore, in the setting of assessing an older individual’s capacity to manage financial decisions, this chapter provides a discussion on the importance of including an evaluation to assess an older individual’s ability to thwart undue influence.
Is Return To Play At 6 Months After Latarjet Safe? A Multicenter Orthopaedic Outcomes Network (MOON) Shoulder Group Cohort Study:

Objectives:The Latarjet procedure is the becoming increasingly popular for the treatment of young athletes with recurrent instability. Earlier return to play protocols have been trialed with the th...
Treatment modality and outcomes in larynx cancer patients: A sex-based evaluation.

BACKGROUND To evaluate the differences in treatment modality and outcomes between male and female patients with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in the United States. METHODS Data were extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Database for patients with laryngeal SCC (2004-2013). Overall survival (OS), disease specific survival (DSS), and multivariate analyses were conducted. RESULTS Among women, supraglottic cancers were the most prevalent (61.2%); whereas the majority of men developed glottic cancers (64.2%; P < .001). Women with T4 disease were more likely to undergo primary radiation (56.8% vs 45.3%; P < .001) and less likely to undergo open surgery were than men (37.1% vs 48.2%; P < .001). Women had significantly better OS in glottic and supraglottic cancers, and comparable survival in subglottic cancer. Sex remained an independent prognostic factor for both DSS and OS. CONCLUSION Sex is an independent prognostic factor for DSS and OS in patients with laryngeal SCC.
A multi-laboratory investigation of drug background levels

Identifying and quantifying the drug background in operational environments such as forensic laboratories is an emerging body of research. Knowing these levels is crucial to addressing issues like occupational exposure risk - due to the emergence of potent novel psychoactive substances and synthetic opioids - and data integrity - due to improvements in instrument sensitivity. The work presented here builds upon a prior study to provide a broader representation of the average drug background levels found on surfaces in forensic laboratories. Over 700 samples from 20 laboratories were collected, extracted, and analyzed quantitatively using LC-MS/MS, and qualitatively using TD-DART-MS. Quantitative analysis by LC-MS/MS included a panel of 18 drugs while the non-targeted qualitative analysis by TD-DART-MS screened for over three hundred drugs and excipients. The study focused primarily on surfaces within the drug unit and evidence receiving area of the laboratories, but also investigated other operational units (crime scene, drug interdiction, latent prints, and toxicology) as well as report writing. Background levels were highest within the drug unit of the laboratory, though detectable (tens of nanograms) levels were observed in nearly all sampled areas. The data from this expanded study plays a critical role in addressing laboratory concerns such as establishing drug identification reporting limits for new instrumentation and establishing new workflow or cleaning protocols while also providing a more comprehensive dataset for general environmental background studies.
Population Pharmacokinetics of Danofloxacin After Single Intramuscular Dose Administration in California Brown Pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis californicus)

The pharmacokinetics of danofloxacin was investigated in rehabilitated California brown pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis californicus) after a single intramuscular injection at a dose of 15 mg/kg body weight. The concentration of the drug in plasma was assayed by high-pressure liquid chromatography. A sparse-sampling design was used to reduce the number of samples (1–4 venipunctures) obtained from 24 brown pelicans. A population pharmacokinetic analysis with nonlinear mixed-effects modeling was used to accommodate the sparse-sampling strategy. The nonlinear mixed-effects modeling approach measured both fixed effects (typical values for the population) and random effects (between-subject variability) for this population. A 1-compartment model best represented the concentration-versus-time data after injection. After injection, the elimination half-life, peak concentration, area under the curve, and volume of distribution were 2.76 hours, 2.5 µg/mL, 13.75 µg/h/mL, and 4.35 L/kg, respectively. Rate of absorption was highly variable among the birds. The intramuscular injection of danofloxacin in pelicans at this dose produced plasma concentrations that meet therapeutic targets for bacteria with a minimum inhibitory concentration of ≤0.25 µg/mL. This dose can be used for future studies to evaluate the efficacy of danofloxacin for treating susceptible bacteria.
Open and Endoscopic Skull Base Approaches

Surgical approaches to the skull base have been evolving at an incredible rate in the past 30 years. The advent of the endoscope has multiplied the available approaches while reducing morbidity. Otolaryngologists and neurosurgeons performing these operations must stay updated in recent trends and techniques to determine the best options for patients. Twenty years have passed since the adoption of the endoscope in skull base surgery but new techniques are still being introduced on an annual basis. Most notably are the “cross court” techniques utilizing the contralateral transmaxillary (CTM) approach and transorbital neuroendoscopic surgery (TONES). Both approaches allow the surgeon increased angulation and access to lateral structures limited by the endonasal approach. Surgeons must understand the patient factors, pathology, and available resources as well as the armamentarium of approaches to the skull base to offer the best option for individual patients.
Optimum Strategy of Reference Emitter Placement for Dual-Satellite TDOA and FDOA Localization

An optimum strategy of reference emitter placement for dual-satellite time difference of arrival (TDOA) and frequency difference of arrival (FDOA) localization based on particle swarm optimization is proposed to improve localization accuracy. Firstly Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLR) of dual-satellite TDOA and FDOA localization system with ephemeris error and system error is derived. Then, the optimum strategy of reference emitter placement is transformed to multidimensional constraint optimization problem by using CRLB as the criterion for performance of dual-satellite TDOA and FDOA localization system. Finally, optimum strategy of reference emitter placement is obtained by using particle swarm optimization (PSO) to solve the target function. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed method can derive optimum strategy of reference emitter placement validly. Besides, when the optimum strategy of reference emitter placement is applied, only two reference emitters are demanded to eliminate the effect of ephemeris error and system error on localization accuracy.
q-Polymatroids and Their Relation to Rank-Metric Codes.

It is well known that linear rank-metric codes give rise to $q$-polymatroids. Analogously to classical matroid theory one may ask whether a given $q$-polymatroid is representable by a rank-metric code. We provide a partial answer by presenting examples of $q$-matroids that are not representable by ${\mathbb F}_{q^m}$-linear rank-metric codes. We then go on and introduce deletion and contraction for $q$-polymatroids and show that they are mutually dual and that they correspond to puncturing and shortening of rank-metric codes. Finally, we introduce a closure operator along with the notion of flats and show that the generalized rank weights of a rank-metric code are fully determined by the flats of the associated $q$-polymatroid.
Study on Anti-Aging Zn-Mg-WC Nanocomposites for Bioresorbable Cardiovascular Stents: Microstructure, Mechanical Properties, Fatigue, and in vitro Corrosion

Zinc (Zn) and Zn-based alloys have been extensively studied as innovative materials for bioresorbable stents (BRS) in the last decade due to their favorable biodegradability and biocompatibility. However, most Zn alloys lack the necessary combination of adequate strength, ductility and corrosion rate needed for such clinical applications. Additionally, due to the low melting temperature of Zn, Zn-based alloys are also thermally unstable and undergo microstructural changes over time at ambient and physiological temperatures, which negatively impacts the mechanical properties during storage, implantation, and service. In this study, tungsten carbide (WC) nanoparticles were successfully incorporated into Zn alloyed with 0.5 wt.% magnesium (Mg). The resulting Zn-0.5Mg-WC nanocomposite’s microstructure, mechanical properties, in vitro corrosion rate and aging behavior were evaluated. SEM and TEM microstructural analysis showed that Mg2Zn11 precipitates with a granular morphology formed at the Zn/WC nanoparticle interface. This microstructure resulted in a combination of enhanced strength and ductility, and the Zn-0.5Mg-WC nanocomposite was able to survive at least 10 million cycles of tensile loading. Due to the granular precipitate morphology, the loss of ductility caused by aging was not observed over a 90-day study. Furthermore, the Zn-0.5Mg-WC nanocomposite had an in vitro corrosion rate comparable to pure Zn, which is ideal for BRS applications. Stent prototypes were fabricated using this composition and were successfully deployed during bench testing without fracture. This study shows that the Zn-0.5Mg-WC nanocomposite is a promising material for BRS applications.
On Dense Branching Phase Separation

Recently Deutscher and Lareahl discovered a new mode of phase separation in thin films of Al/Ge alloys. They observe the growth of circular “colonies” whose densely packed appearance has been called “dense branching morphology”? The colonies consist of a highly branched starlike “island” of polycrystalline Ge inside a “lake” of monocrystalline Al which is only slightly larger than the Ge island. Thus the Al forms a thin but essentially uninterrupted rim around the Ge peninsulas. The whole colony is embedded in the amorphous phase having an overall composition of 40% Al and 60% Ge. As these colonies grow into the metastable amorphous surrounding they preserve their more or less circular shape.
TH‐CD‐207‐09: Retrospective 4D‐MRI with a Novel Image‐Based Surrogate: A Sagittal‐Coronal‐Diaphragm Point of Intersection (SCD‐PoI) Motion Tracking Method

Purpose: The unreliable stability of internal respiratory surrogates and inconvenience of external respiratory surrogates for current retrospective 4D-MRI techniques largely affects the image quality of 4D-MRI. This study aims at developing image-based surrogate, a sagittal-coronal-diaphragm point of intersection (SCD-PoI) motion tracking method for retrospective 4D-MRI reconstruction.Methods/materials: As a pre-estimate of respiratory motion pattern, single-slice sagittal cines (FIESTA) were acquired at a location near the dome of the diaphragm. Subsequently, multi-slice coronal cines (FIESTA) were acquired and used for 4D-MRI reconstruction with phase sorting. Diaphragm motion trajectories were measured from the point of intersection between sagittal MRI cine plane, coronal MRI cine plain and the diaphragm dome surface. This point is defined as sagittal-coronal-diaphragm point of intersection (SCD-PoI). We pre-estimate respiraotyr motion by tracking SCD-PoI on sagitall cine. Then coronal images were then re-binned to different phased bins according to SCD-PoI motion tracking on coronal cine. This 4D-MRI technique was evaluated on a 4D Digital Extended Cardiac-Torso (XCAT) human phantom with a hypothesized moving tumor, six healthy voluneteers and two cancer patients under an IRB-approved study. Region of interest (ROI: tumor for XCAT and patients, dome of left kidney for healthy volunteers) trajectories on 4D-MRI were measured and compared with the reference (input respiratory curve for XCAT and ROI trajectories extracted from reference single-slice MRI cine (FIESTA) for human subjects). Superior-inferior (SI) mean absolute amplitude difference (D) and cross-correlation coefficient (CC) were calculated. Results: 4D-MRI on XCAT demonstrated highly accurate motion information with a low D (1.13mm) and a high CC (0.98) in the SI direction. Minimal artifacts were observed in human participants’ 4D-MRI, and images were adequate to reveal the respiratory motion of organs and tumor (D=1.08±1.03mm; CC=0.96). Conclusion: A novel 4D-MRI technique with image-based respiratory surrogate has been developed and tested on a digital phantom and human subjects.
The Aryan Jesus: Christian Theologians and the Bible in Nazi Germany – By Susannah Heschel

The author of this book focuses on the seemingly obscure Institute for the Study and Eradication of Jewish Influence on German Church Life, the scholarly arm of the pro‐Nazi German Christian Moveme...
Book Review: Ron Shaham, The Expert Witness in Islamic Courts: Medicine and Crafts in the Service of Law (the University of Chicago Press, 2010)

Professor Shaham’s book, “The Expert Witness in Islamic Courts: Medicine and Crafts in the Service of Law” is the first comprehensive study of expert witnessing in Islamic law written in English. In this short book, Shaham explains the role of the expert witness and scientific evidence in both premodern Islamic courts and modern Egyptian courts. The book is divided into two parts. In part one, Shaham focuses on the premodern Ottoman courts and describes the traditional role of the eye-witness, the different sorts of expert witnesses that were recognized in premodern courts, and the role of women as special expert witnesses. In part two, he explores the use of scientific and expert witnesses in modern Egyptian courts with special emphasis on the of DNA evidence. Although much of the work is descriptive rather than comparative, it will create a basis for further study that will be of use to scholars in several disciples. Despite the difficulties inherent in working with Islamic law, in this work Professor Shaham pulls together a general framework employed by Islamic courts in dealing with expert witnesses in the pre-modern period. He argues that the courts did have a regularized application of these rules. He also makes a compelling argument that Islamic legal systems are not so different from civil law and common law systems as to frustrate attempts at useful comparison. He demonstrates that all legal systems grapple with similar concerns and goals regarding the need to bring specialized knowledge before courts while, at the same time, placing limits on the influence of expert testimony. By using both historical and modern court records to determine the roles that expert witnesses actually played in cases and analyzing the phenomena with sensitivity to both gender issues and cultural norms, Shaham places his study in the realm of law as cultural phenomenon and social practice.
The Berkeley School's cultural-historical Geography: a precursor to Environmental History's emergence

No decorrer das ultimas tres decadas, a historia ambiental se tornou um subcampo reconhecido com seus proprios classicos, um grande numero de monografias notaveis, um fluxo continuo de artigos publicados e mais do que mil pesquisadores ativos em varios continentes, incluindo uma comunidade crescente na America Latina. Um olhar para alem dos limites disciplinares da historia mostra que ha tambem outras tradicoes que se enquadram perfeitamente na tematica. A geografia historico-cultural da Escola de Berkeley sob a egide de Carl Sauer talvez seja uma dessas perspectivas alternativas conhecidas. Muitos estudos de Sauer, seus alunos e colaboradores podem ser considerados pesquisas em historia ambiental; muitas delas se baseiam em materias sobre a America Latina. Neste artigo, procuramos tracar o desenvolvimento dessa corrente alternativa para a historia ambiental que se iniciou com a tese de doutoramento de Carl Sauer em 1915 e se consolidou nos anos 50, tendo sua continuidade no presente atraves dos trabalhos de diversos geografos.
Rapid release of 45Ca from an occluded state of the Na,K-pump.

Abstract 45Ca is bound to the occluded state of the Na,K-pump, apparently at K+ sites. Only one 45Ca ion is bound in place of two K+ ions, with an affinity approximately 0.08 mM; K+ competes with an apparent affinity approximately 0.04 mM. 45Ca is released rapidly from Na,K-ATPase in the presence of ATP or ADP, presumably to the intracellular medium. The rate constant of 45Ca release with ATP is greater than 100 s-1 at 20 degrees C, more than twice as fast as the rate of release of 42K from the occluded state. Phosphorylation of Na,K-ATPase with MgPi, which would lead to release of occluded K+ or Rb+ to the extracellular face of the membrane, stabilizes occluded 45Ca. 45Ca release is slower immediately after exposure to MgPi than after a rinse in the absence of Pi indicating that in the former circumstance the rate of 45Ca release is limited by dephosphorylation; 45Ca release is even slower after exposure to Mg2+ arsenate, consistent with dearsenylation being slower than dephosphorylation. When limited by dephosphorylation, the rate of 45Ca release is dependent on the species of monovalent cation present, increasing in the order N-methylglucamine less than Cs+ less than Li+ less than Na+ less than Rb+ less than K+. When the 45Ca occluded state is exposed to K + Mg + Pi and then to Na+ + Mg2+ + ATP, the exposure to K+ is "remembered," indicating simultaneous occlusion of 45Ca and K+. The apparent affinity for K+ in formation of this state is 10-50 mM, and the rate of release of K+ is approximately 2 s-1. Ca2+ has effects on the release of 86Rb from the occluded state: With ATP, Ca2+ acts like Mg2+ by stimulating 86Rb release at low concentrations and inhibiting at high concentrations; with MgPi, Ca2+ inhibits 86Rb release, presumably by preventing phosphorylation. Thus, Ca2+ has two actions on the Na,K-pump as studied here: one as a Mg2+ congener, and another as a K+ congener at transport sites. In the latter role Ca2+ is unusual in that it appears to be able to bind to the transport sites from the intracellular face of the pump and to become occluded, but unable to be released from extracellular sites.
Are all regions of folded proteins that undergo ligand‐dependent order–disorder transitions targets for allosteric peptide mimetics?

Classic views of protein functions were based entirely on well organized, “properly folded” protein structures. In contrast, many proteins are now recognized to be intrinsically disordered (1). Between the extremes of well organized folded proteins and those that are completely disordered, many folded proteins have small regions that undergo order/disorder transitions due to some external stimulus. The group of proteins considered in this work is those that are overall well folded that also have small regions that experience order/disorder transitions in response to ligand binding. Although such order/disorder regions often contain sites for covalent modification (2, 3), there are also many ligand-dependent order/disorder transitions that are not associated with known covalent modification sites. Using the example of human liver pyruvate kinase (below), we propose that peptides that mimic these regions of a protein that undergo order/disorder transitions in response to ligand binding can be used as a starting point for the development of allosteric drugs. This use of peptide mimetics remains distinct from the common use of peptide mimetics to block protein-protein interactions.
Tracklet descriptors for action modeling and video analysis

We present spatio-temporal feature descriptors that can be inferred from video and used as building blocks in action recognition systems. They capture the evolution of "elementary action elements" under a set of assumptions on the image-formation model and are designed to be insensitive to nuisance variability (absolute position, contrast), while retaining discriminative statistics due to the fine-scale motion and the local shape in compact regions of the image. Despite their simplicity, these descriptors, used in conjunction with basic classifiers, attain state of the art performance in the recognition of actions in benchmark datasets.
Exploration of anxiety sensitivity and distress tolerance as vulnerability factors for hoarding behaviors.

Background The phenomenon of compulsive hoarding, characterized by the acquisition of and failure to discard a large number of possessions, is increasingly recognized as a significant public health burden. Despite the magnitude of the impairment associated with this condition, empirical research is still in the nascent stages and many facets of the phenomenology, underlying vulnerability and risk factors for hoarding, are as of yet unknown.
The GSRC's Role in Meeting Tomorrow's Design Challenges

In the late 1990s, the US Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) established a joint research program with the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) through the Semiconductor Research Corp. (SRC), known as the Focus Center Research Program. One of these FCRP centers is the Gigascale Systems Research Center (GSRC), whose focus is on the systems architecture and design aspects of electronics technology. The research of the GSRC is of great value to the US Department of Defense, since design remains an important challenge for DoD systems. This partnership is an excellent example of government and industry collaboration on precompetitive research of common interest and benefit.