cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Towards automatic transfer of human skills for robotic assembly

Progress towards programming by demonstration for robotic assembly is presented, advocating the use of virtual impedance and virtual attractor trajectories as a means of encoding atomic behaviors. Switching among behaviors is invoked by recognition of events. Evidence is presented for associating these events with transients, such as impacts. The approach is shown to lead to robot skills that are fast, gentle and reliable.
Adapting the γ-H2AX Assay for Automated Processing in Human Lymphocytes. 1. Technological Aspects

Abstract The immunofluorescence-based detection of γ-H2AX is a reliable and sensitive method for quantitatively measuring DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) in irradiated samples. Since H2AX phosphorylation is highly linear with radiation dose, this well-established biomarker is in current use in radiation biodosimetry. At the Center for High-Throughput Minimally Invasive Radiation Biodosimetry, we have developed a fully automated high-throughput system, the RABIT (Rapid Automated Biodosimetry Tool), that can be used to measure γ-H2AX yields from fingerstick-derived samples of blood. The RABIT workstation has been designed to fully automate the γ-H2AX immunocytochemical protocol, from the isolation of human blood lymphocytes in heparin-coated PVC capillaries to the immunolabeling of γ-H2AX protein and image acquisition to determine fluorescence yield. High throughput is achieved through the use of purpose-built robotics, lymphocyte handling in 96-well filter-bottomed plates, and high-speed imaging. The goal ...
Low seroconversion with hepatitis B vaccination in peritoneal dialysis patients

OBJECTIVE To compare seroconversion using hepatitis B vaccine between hemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. DESIGN Data on PD patients vaccinated were collected retrospectively for the period 1992 to 1995. The data on HD patients were collected prospectively from 1991 to 1994. SETTING A university outpatient dialysis center. PARTICIPANTS All adult patients who received all four doses of hepatitis B vaccine while on dialysis were included (47 PD and 50 HD patients). INTERVENTION Recombinant hepatitis B vaccine (Engerix), 40 micrograms IM was administered at 0, 1, 2, and 6 months. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Seroconversion was measured after completion of the vaccination series. RESULTS 74% of the HD patients seroconverted compared to 53% of PD patients (p = 0.03). Older, heavier patients compared to all the other patients had a lower seroconversion rate in both the HD patients (55% vs. 78 %) and PD patients (38% vs. 59%) (p = 0.03). CONCLUSION The seroconversion rate to recombinant hepatitis B vaccine is lower in patients on PD than on HD for unclear reasons. Further studies are required to determine the etiology of this difference.
The COG database: a tool for genome-scale analysis of protein functions and evolution

Rational classification of proteins encoded in sequenced genomes is critical for making the genome sequences maximally useful for functional and evolutionary studies. The database of Clusters of Orthologous Groups of proteins (COGs) is an attempt on a phylogenetic classification of the proteins encoded in 21 complete genomes of bacteria, archaea and eukaryotes (http://www. ncbi.nlm. nih.gov/COG). The COGs were constructed by applying the criterion of consistency of genome-specific best hits to the results of an exhaustive comparison of all protein sequences from these genomes. The database comprises 2091 COGs that include 56-83% of the gene products from each of the complete bacterial and archaeal genomes and approximately 35% of those from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae genome. The COG database is accompanied by the COGNITOR program that is used to fit new proteins into the COGs and can be applied to functional and phylogenetic annotation of newly sequenced genomes.
Development and industrial application of a practical model for simulation of saturated deep bar induction machines

For the analysis of many operational problems associated with starting, load changes, generating operation and braking, as well as internal and external faults, the application of the simulation technique in many cases appears to be a fairly accurate and practical method. This report deals with the development of a practical simulation model that takes into account saturation in the main flux path and the leakage flux path with high current values, as well as the deep bar effect in the rotor. The suggested equivalent rotor circuit is developed for a deep bar rotor, but will apply to other bar shapes as well, after minor adjustment. A fairly simple procedure for determination of the elements in the rotor circuit based on available data for the motor, is developed. The accuracy of the resulting rotor circuit is calculated according to comparison with direct calculation on a larger motor, and for a smaller motor direct measurements have been carried out in the laboratory. The equivalent rotor circuit has proved to be valid over a wide range of frequency, particularly of importance for inverter operation. The present paper also demonstrates examples of industrial applications of the model in analyzing faults and operational problems. >
Mass Media Use and Voting Behavior: The Accuracy of Political Perceptions among First-Time and Experienced Voters

This path analysis of 1972 presidential voting data suggests that first-time - voters are more likely than experienced voters to respond to campaign stimuli and to learn about candidates and issues through the newspaper. In more experienced voters, accuracy of political perception is predicted better by stable characteristics such as education and a day-to-day interest in politics, and newspaper use appears to have little independent impact. Network news viewing is not correlated with accuracy.
Biomimetic synthesis of (±) panacene

Abstract (±) Panacene 1a and (±) 1-epibromopanacene 1b have been synthesized by a biomimetic brominative cyclization of hydroxyenyne 4 .
A mammalian oocyte-specific linker histone gene H1oo: homology with the genes for the oocyte-specific cleavage stage histone (cs-H1) of sea urchin and the B4/H1M histone of the frog

Oocytes and early embryos of multiple (non-mammalian) species lack the somatic form of the linker histone H1. To the best of our knowledge, a mammalian oocyte-specific linker (H1) histone(s) has not, as yet, been reported. We have uncovered the cDNA in question in the course of a differential screening (suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH)) project. Elucidation of the full-length sequence of this novel 1.2 kb cDNA led to the identification of a 912 bp open reading frame. The latter encoded a novel 34 kDa linker histone protein comprised of 304 amino acids, tentatively named H1oo. Amino acid BLAST analysis revealed that H1oo displayed the highest sequence homology to the oocyte-specific B4 histone of the frog, the respective central globular (putative DNA binding) domains displaying 54% identity. Substantial homology to the cs-H1 protein of the sea urchin oocyte was also apparent. While most oocytic mRNAs corresponding to somatic linker histones are not polyadenylated (and remain untranslated), the mRNAs of (non-mammalian) oocyte-specific linker histones and of mammalian H1oo, are polyadenylated, a process driven by the consensus signal sequence, AAUAAA, detected in the 3'-untranslated region of the H1oo cDNA. Our data suggest that the mouse oocyte-specific linker histone H1oo (1) constitutes a novel mammalian homolog of the oocyte-specific linker histone B4 of the frog and of the cs-H1 linker histone of the sea urchin; (2) is expressed as early as the GV (PI) stage oocyte, persisting into the MII stage oocyte, the oocytic polar bodies, and the two-cell embryo, extinction becoming apparent at the four- to eight-cell embryonic stage; and (3) may play a key role in the control of gene expression during oogenesis and early embryogenesis, presumably through the perturbation of chromatin structure.
A technique to deskew differential PCB traces

A technique for deskewing a pair of terminated, differential PCB traces has been developed and fabricated in 0.25 /spl mu/m CMOS technology. The deskewing system utilizes a delay-locked-loop with a digital counter-controlled delay line to match the delay through the positive and negative traces. Time domain reflectometry is used to measure the delay from the terminating resistor to the transmitting chip. The core circuitry occupies 588 /spl mu/m/spl times/235 /spl mu/m. Simulation results indicate that skews of over 1 ns can be eliminated using this technique.
The Postmodern Moments of F. A. Hayek'S Economics

Postmodernism is often characterized, among other things, as the belief in the unattainability of objective truth and as a rejection of teleological and reductionist, or essentialist, forms of thought. For instance, in his provocative book The Rhetoric of Economics (1985), Donald McCloskey sketches the implications for economic methodology of Richard Rorty's (1979) rejection of the modernist quest for Truth, as represented by various rationalist and empiricist epistemologies. McCloskey describes modernist methodology as displaying a desire to predict and control, a search for objective–;which often means measurable–;knowledge, and an attempt to develop a value-free inquiry, among other characteristics (McCloskey, 1985, pp. 7-8). This “methodological correctness,” McCloske suggests, is discredited by the postmodern dissatisfaction with traditional epistemology. Thus, in place of the modernist belief in a rule-guided path to truth, he advocates a “free market” approach to knowledge, in which participants in the variety of theoretical conversations agree to be earnest and listen politely to one another.
Nuclear Movement Regulated by Cdc42, MRCK, Myosin, and Actin Flow Establishes MTOC Polarization in Migrating Cells

The microtubule-organizing center (MTOC) is reoriented between the nucleus and the leading edge in many migrating cells and contributes to directional migration. Models suggest that the MTOC is moved to its position during reorientation. By direct imaging of wound-edge fibroblasts after triggering MTOC reorientation with soluble factors, we found instead that the nucleus moved away from the leading edge to reorient the MTOC, while the MTOC remained stationary. Rearward nuclear movement was coupled with actin retrograde flow and was regulated by a pathway involving Cdc42, MRCK, myosin, and actin. Nuclear movement was unaffected by the inhibition of dynein, Par6, or PKCζ, yet these components were essential for MTOC reorientation, as they maintained the MTOC at the cell centroid. These results show that nuclear repositioning is an initial polarizing event in migrating cells and that the positions of the nucleus and the MTOC are established by separate regulatory pathways.
Apex Investment Partners (A): April 1995 and Apex Investment Partners (B): May 1995

SUBJECT AREAS: Venture capital, valuation. CASE SETTING: 1995, telecommunications industry. The case examines a venture capital organization's assessment of a potential investment in a high-technology firm, as well as the subsequent negotiations over the valuation and terms of the investment. AccessLine Technologies, the provider of a patented telecommunications service, has previously financed itself through operating cash flow and a private placement syndicated by the investment bank Morgan Stanley. Apex Investment Partners is a relatively young venture organization, which has raised two funds totaling $70 million. Many of the difficulties in the negotiations stem from the reluctance of AccessLine's management and the Morgan Stanley bankers to accept more onerous terms or a lower valuation than were in the syndicated private placement. The second case concentrates on the efforts by one of the Apex partners to break the deadlock over valuation by structuring the investment as a package of equity and warrants. The case serves several purposes. At the most basic level, it documents the approaches to investment assessment and deal structuring used in the venture capital industry. (I use the (A) case as the introduction to the module on investments in my course, "Venture Capital and Private Equity.") More generally, it seeks to illustrate: -- the differences between venture capitalists and other investors in private firms. -- the differences between various venture capital investors, and how this affects the investment process. -- the economic rationales for the proposed covenants whose inclusion in the preferred stock agreement is being disputed. -- the impact that the sequence of financing choices has on the evolution of entrepreneurial firms. The case also presents instructors with the opportunity tocontrast the valuation approaches often employed by private equity investors with the those typically taught in finance courses (specifically discounted cash flow and option pricing analyses). The ability of the more academic approaches to add value in these settings--as well as the limitations of these approaches--are highlighted.
Anna Nicole Smith and the Right to Control Disposition of the Dead

The death of Anna Nicole Smith has highlighted an ancient legal issue -- who decides the place and method of disposal of the bodies of the dead. From antiquity, the law was ordinarily careful to honor the written or oral directions of the deceased. If a decedent did not express a preference, then burial was determined by the surviving spouse, and if there were none by the next of kin. In the Smith case, a dispute arose between her mother and the guardian of her infant daughter over where she would be buried. A Florida court ultimately effectively ignored their arguments and chose the place where Smith clearly orally had said she wanted to be buried. The abstracted article concluded that Kentucky would reach a like result, as there the express wishes of the decedent, testamentary or otherwise, control disposition of a body. Attorneys should encourage their clients to state, preferably in writing but at least orally, their choice for burial arrangements.
How Are Child Restricted and Repetitive Behaviors Associated with Caregiver Stress Over Time? A Parallel Process Multilevel Growth Model

The impact of raising a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is frequently accompanied by elevated caregiver stress. Examining the variables that predict these elevated rates will help us understand how caregiver stress is impacted by and impacts child behaviors. This study explored how restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs) contributed concurrently and longitudinally to caregiver stress in a large sample of preschoolers with ASD using parallel process multilevel growth models. Results indicated that initial rates of and change in RRBs predicted fluctuations in caregiver stress over time. When caregivers reported increased child RRBs, this was mirrored by increases in caregiver stress. Our data support the importance of targeted treatments for RRBs as change in this domain may lead to improvements in caregiver wellbeing.
Transglutaminases and their regulation: implications for polyamine metabolism.

Transglutaminases are a group of enzymes that catalyze the posttranslational modification of protein-bound glutamine residues. It appears that the major physiological role of these enzymes is to crosslink proteins by promoting the formation of isopeptide bonds between protein-bound glutamine and lysine residues. These enzymes also catalyze the covalent conjugation of polyamines to proteins and this latter activity has led to speculation about their involvement in the biology of polyamine action. In this report we would like to present a brief review of the theoretical and experimental evidence for considering transglutaminases as components in polyamine metabolism.
Knowing documents

Drawing upon scholarship on legal drafting, current document assembly technology, and aspects of the Standard Generalized Markup Language, this article discusses the forms of knowledge at play in the creation of legal documents. It also examines the notion of self-describing documents and their potential role in new modes of expressing and delivering knowledge pertinent to legal drafting.
Phonon Anomaly at Tc In (Y/Er)Ba2Cu3O7–δ

Ion channeling in single crystals of (Y/Er)Ba2Cu3O7–δ reveal an abrupt change (~0.01A) at the superconducting transition temperature (Tc) in displacements of the Cu and O atoms perpendicular to the [001] direction. This anomalous change in atomic displacements shifts directly with stoichiometry-induced changes in Tc. Blocking patterns indicate no large structural changes across Tc.
Still Writing in Rhythm Youth Poets at Work

In this article, the author uses a “humanizing research” framework to analyze longitudinal data collected over the course of 10 years during a multi-sited ethnography of youth poets in a poetry col...
Target-state dependence of cross sections for reactions on statically deformed nuclei

As part of an effort to understand how neutron-induced reactions on excited states in deformed nuclei differ from those on ground states, we have carried out coupled-channels calculations of the angle-integrated cross sections on the ground and excited states of several actinide nuclei with differing $K$ values for the ground-state band (${}^{233}$U, $K=\frac{5}{2}$; ${}^{235}$U, $K=\frac{7}{2}$; ${}^{238}$U, $K=0$; and ${}^{239}$Pu, $K=\frac{1}{2}$). Of particular interest is the compound-nucleus formation cross section. We find that the ratio of the excited- to ground-state compound-formation cross sections is very close to unity in all cases (within $\ensuremath{\approx}\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}$0.1$%$) over the range studied (1 keV to 20 MeV). This result requires that sufficient levels be coupled to ensure convergence (approximately 14 levels for odd-$A$ nuclei). These results are close to the predictions of the adiabatic model for scattering from statically deformed nuclei. This model yields compound-formation cross sections, as well as total cross sections, that are independent of both the $K$ value of the band and the spin of the target state within the band. Our calculations show that the actual cross sections are surprisingly close to the adiabatic limit, even at very low incident energies. We find similar results for statically deformed rare-earth and $s$-$d$ shell nuclei.
Random walk on a leash: a simple single-molecule diffusion model for surface-tethered redox molecules with flexible linkers.

We develop a random walk model to simulate the Brownian motion and the electrochemical response of a single molecule confined to an electrode surface via a flexible molecular tether. We use our simple model, which requires no prior knowledge of the physics of the molecular tether, to predict and better understand the voltammetric response of surface-confined redox molecules when motion of the redox molecule becomes important. The single molecule is confined to a hemispherical volume with a maximum radius determined by the flexible molecular tether (5–20 nm) and is allowed to undergo true three-dimensional diffusion. Distance- and potential-dependent electron transfer probabilities are evaluated throughout the simulations to generate cyclic voltammograms of the model system. We find that at sufficiently slow cyclic voltammetric scan rates the electrochemical reaction behaves like an adsorbed redox molecule with no mass transfer limitation; thus, the peak current is proportional to the scan rate. Conversely...
System Commissioning Test Program of ±800 kV UHVDC Transmission Project From Tianshan to Zhongzhou

The ±800 k V UHVDC power transmission project from Tianshan located in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in China to Zhongzhou located in Central China(abbr. TZ UHVDC project) is the first UHVDC power transmission system with the transmission capacity up to8 000 MW and the transmission distance up to 2 191.5 km in the world. Up to now the commissioning test for TZ UHVDC project is the first time to inspect the equipment performance of the primary equipment with the highest engineering transmission capacity in the world and it is also the first time to validate the control and protection functions for the totally domestically manufactured UHVDC transmission equipment,besides, it is also the first time to carry out the system commissioning for UHVDC transmission project under such a condition that in its sending power grid the capability to outwards transmit the electric power generated by renewable energy sources is weak. Based on these distinctive properties,the contents of commissioning test scheme for TZ UHVDC project are researched, including the purpose of the commissioning test, the conditions of AC and DC systems, the contents of the commissioning and operation schedules, the AC and DC signals to be measured during the commissioning, the acceptance standard and the measures to ensure the security during the commissioning. Using the reference of testing and operation experiences of such ±800 k V UHVDC power transmission systems as the UHVDC power transmission project from Xiangjiaba to Shanghai and the UHVDC power transmission project from Jinping to Sunan, several tests related to the control system as well as the test of DC magnetic biasing are added and the control of bus voltage at rectifier side is analyzed and researched, thus the test items of the commissioning test are determined and the system commissioning scheme are drafted. Results of engineering commissioning test show that the proposed system commissioning scheme can meet the demands of technical specifications, and it is ensured for the TZ UHVDC project to be put into operation successfully on schedule.
Glucocorticoids in prevention of respiratory distress syndrome

Low doses of the synthetic steroid betamethasone can be effective in preventing neonatal RDS. Administration during the 48 hours immediately before delivery of infants between the 26th and 34th weeks of gestation is optimally effective. The article provides guidelines for this approach, describes its hazards, and discusses possible ways by which glucocorticoids prevent neonatal RDS.
The challenge of thermal management

While academic research has made great advances over the last few decades in specific thermal management technologies, the transfer of ideas from the lab to products in industry has been less successful because of impedance at a variety of interfaces, real and virtual. To some extent, going from specific component-level advances to system-level implementation is challenged by the lack of more intimate knowledge among researchers of the product buildup, and where relevant, the supply chain as well. On the one hand, concerns related to intellectual property and confidentiality have hampered information-sharing and prevented clear, quantitative and comprehensive problem definition. But on the other, academics have often not invested the time and effort to imbed themselves into industry groups and learn about the packaging and manufacturing challenges, and marketing and competitive pressures. Much real engineering - and even science - must go into addressing these challenges, but the problems involved are not clean or well-defined and are certainly not demarcated by discipline. They must instead be teased out with patience. Arguably, this interface impedance between academic research and industrial practice has been less pronounced on the electrical engineering side of the house. Perhaps it is finally time for thermal management to not be treated as the perpetual afterthought by this industry - this will need inspired leadership in our leading companies, and also strategic stewardship by the thermal community.
Cone Beam CT in Dentistry: Responsibilities of Dental Practitioner

Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) was first introduced in the imaging of dental and maxillofacial region in 1997 and has been a major advancement in the imaging technologies available to the dental profession. It is now being widely used to obtain three dimensional information in complex cases such as impacted teeth, implant placement, temporomandibular joint disorders, complex endodontic cases, cleft palate, orthodontic and orthognathic surgery and evaluation of bony pathosis
Differentiation of macrophages with cigarette smoke extract alters bacterial phagocytosis

Background: Defective macrophage phagocytosis of bacterial spp . is a pathophysiological feature of COPD and may increase susceptibility to colonisation and infective exacerbation. These, in turn, lead to accelerated lung function decline and associated mortality. Oxidative stress is important in COPD pathogenesis and may be responsible for this macrophage dysfunction. Hence, the role of chronic reactive oxygen species (ROS) exposure during monocyte derived macrophage (MDM) differentiation was investigated. Methods: PBMC isolated from non-smoking volunteers were differentiated over 12d with GM-CSF. Cigarette smoke extract (CSE) or (ROS generating) hypoxanthine/xanthine oxidase (HX/XO) were frequently added during differentiation. ROS production was confirmed by dichlorodihydrofluorescein (DCF). MDM were incubated for 4h with fluorescently labelled inert beads, heat-killed Haemophilus influenzae ( HI ) or Streptococcus pneumoniae ( SP ) and phagocytosis measured using fluorometry or flow cytometry. Cell viability was measured via MTT assay or live/dead fluorophore. Results: Both CSE and HX/XO generated ROS over the time-course. CSE differentiated MDM demonstrated reduced phagocytosis of both HI (control 2.30±0.40 vs. CSE 1.40±0.21 RFUx10 3 [n=10, p SP (control 5.50±0.43 vs. CSE 3.71±0.46 [p HI - control 51.3±4.9 vs. CSE 36.2±9.0 % viable cells [n=4] and SP - control 51.1±4.6 vs. CSE 32.2±4.5). In contrast, HX/XO had no significant effect on phagocytosis. Conclusion: Oxidative stress alone does not drive defective phagocytosis in MDM but cigarette smoke extract reduced these responses.
The low-lying electronic states of MgO

Abstract The low-lying singlet and triplet states of MgO have been studied using a SA-CASCF/IC-MRCI approach using the aug-cc-pV5Z basis set. The spectroscopic constants ( r e , ω e , and T e ) are in good agreement with the available experimental data. The computed lifetime for the B state is in excellent agreement with two of the three experimental results. The d state lifetime is in good agreement with experiment, while the computed D state lifetime is about twice as long as experiment.
A modeling and simulation platform for evaluating optimization methods in container terminals

Container terminals are expanding and increasing by the year, due to the enormous demand on world trade and cargo exchange in the last couple of decades. Port authorities are seeking different methods to assess and analyze these expansions, without putting themselves at risk; correspondingly they resort to simulation and optimization methods to evaluate and consider future expansions and developments. In this research, a discrete-event simulation model for a modern container terminal will be developed; then the developed simulation model will be utilized to study and analyze critical optimization issues that are usually encountered in container terminals.
Improving oral chemotherapy documentation in a breast medical oncology outpatient practice.

71Background: The safe administration of oral chemotherapy is a challenging yet important process to ensure patient safety. Comprehensive initial and subsequent documentation especially regarding dosage and toxicities in the plan of care for patients receiving oral chemotherapy can be instrumental in improving patient safety by ensuring comprehensive health information is available to all health team members. Methods: We are undertaking a rapid cycle improvement project to improve initial and subsequent documentation of new oral chemotherapy care plans by increasing our compliance with the number of components of an oral chemotherapy care plan (as outlined by QOPI’s 13 standards). We performed a baseline chart audit to confirm our current low level of compliance. We then created a process to use smart phrases that include necessary QOPI elements for progress notes upon new prescription of oral chemotherapy as well as smart phrases for subsequent patient initiated telephone encounters regarding oral chemot...
Population Genetics and Natural Selection in Rheumatic Disease

Human genetic diversity is the result of population genetic forces. This genetic variation influences disease risk and contributes to health disparities. Natural selection is an important influence on human genetic variation. Because immune and inflammatory function genes are enriched for signals of positive selection, the prevalence of rheumatic disease-risk alleles seen in different populations is partially the result of differing selective pressures (eg, due to pathogens). This review summarizes the genetic regions associated with susceptibility to different rheumatic diseases and concomitant evidence for natural selection, including known agents of selection exerting selective pressure in these regions.
Texture and design of green chip seal using recycled crumb rubber aggregate

The depletion of natural resources forces the construction industry to explore using cleaner recycled material as replacements of virgin construction materials. A new eco-friendly chip seal pavement, in which the mineral aggregate was replaced by crumb rubber obtained from scrap tires, was investigated in this study. A total of 142 chip seal specimens were prepared and tested to investigate the impact of using recycled rubber aggregate on the chip seal's micro and macro texture and their impacts on the skid resistance. The microtexture of the new proposed recycled aggregate was examined using a high-resolution 3D digital microscope. The macrotexture of the new chip seal pavement was examined using image processing and sand patch methods. The skid resistance of the new chip seal under both ambient and elevated temperatures was then explored. Two types of emulsions, two types of asphalt cement binders, two types of mineral aggregate as well as two types of recycled crumb rubber were involved in the examined test matrix. This study concluded that the crumb rubber can be used in the chip seal as partial or full replacement of mineral aggregates. Using crumb rubber has a significant impact on improving both macrotexture and microtexture of chip seal. In addition, the low thermal conductivity of crumb rubber helped the chip seal resist elevated temperature without significant loss in skid resistance. A 3D geometrical model was then proposed to simulate the aggregate embedment so it can be used to design the required binder application rate that provides adequate embedment depth and skid resistance.
Hidden Mao: Gu Yuan and Communist Woodcut

In 1952 the All-China Federation of Literary and Arts Circles dispatched a group of artists and writers to the front of the Korean War, the conflict between North and South Korea. Among the group visiting Korea was the artist Gu Yuan, then a member of the national committee of the federation. Gu Yuan made a number of sketches and drawings in the battlefield and designed several woodprints based on these drawings after returning to Beijing.
Simulating Biomagnification to Illustrate Trophic Pyramids in the Middle School Classroom

Biomagnification influences the movement of environmental contaminants and relates to food chains and the transfer of matter in ecosystems, concepts that are found in the Next Generation Science Standards. Consequently, we developed a hands-on, discussion-based activity for the middle school science classroom to demonstrate biomagnification and connect it to food webs and trophic pyramids. Each student represents an aquatic organism, and together students simulate the consumption and excretion processes in an aquatic food chain. This simulation demonstrates how certain environmental contaminants accumulate within organisms and ultimately become concentrated in predators at the top of the food chain.
Promise of chemokine network‐targeted nanoparticles in combination nucleic acid therapies of metastatic cancer

Chemokines and chemokine receptors play key roles in cancer progression and metastasis. Although multiple chemokines and chemokine receptors have been investigated, inhibition of CXCR4 emerged as one of the most promising approaches in combination cancer therapy, especially when focused on the metastatic disease. Small RNA molecules, such as small interfering RNA (siRNA) and microRNA (miRNA), represent new class of therapeutics for cancer treatment through RNA interference-mediated gene silencing. However, the clinical applicability of siRNA and miRNA is severely limited by the lack of effective delivery systems. There is a significant therapeutic potential for CXCR4-targeted nanomedicines in combination with the delivery of siRNA and miRNA in cancer. Recently developed CXCR4-targeted polymeric drugs and nanomedicines, including cyclam- and chloroquine-based polymeric CXCR4 antagonists are introduced here and their ability to deliver functional siRNA and miRNA is discussed. This article is categorized under: Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Oncologic Disease Nanotechnology Approaches to Biology > Nanoscale Systems in Biology.
Versatile stem cells, young and old. A review.

Both embryonic and somatic stem cells have been studied in recent years with particular regard to their differentiation potential. In vitro studies allow a considerable amplification of such cells in culture as well as the induction of commitment in different directions under proper stimulating factors. Moreover, a surprising versatility has been discovered,which makes possible a `reprogramming' of stem cells into a lineage pathway which may be completely different from the expected direction: for instance, a production of brain cells from blood progenitors has been obtained. It is thus possible to envisage methods of producing in culture sufficient amounts of stem cells, committed to a certain pathway, which can be transplanted in vivo to replace damaged tissues and organs.
Optimal Crural Closure Techniques for Repair of Large Hiatal Hernias

Since the advent of laparoscopic anti-reflux surgery (LARS) in 1991, this approach rapidly became more acceptable not only for surgeons but also for the medical community. As a consequence the number of referrals for surgery increased considerably. Numerous reports in the literature have shown that minimally invasive surgery for reflux disease offers excellent results in 85% to 95% of patients, with short hospital stay, decreased postoperative discomfort, and early return to regular activities. Over the years the increasing experience gathered with this procedure has made the technique available even for the most technically challenging operations, such as large hiatal hernias. Despite the encouraging low morbidity and mortality rates, the reported rates of anatomical failure have been from 12% to 42%.
The Dynamic Assessment of Narratives: A Bilingual Study.

This study applied the dynamic assessment (DA) of narratives in a bilingual Spanish- and English-speaking early elementary population. We examined transfer and change in narrative performance within and across languages after mediated learning experience (MLE) in Spanish or English. Sixty-eight bilingual children were randomized to two groups: Spanish ( n = 24) or English mediation ( n = 25), while a control group ( n = 19) participated in regular academic activities. The MLE Spanish and English groups participated in mediated learning focusing on storytelling ability, and children’s modifiability was rated. Pre- to posttest narrative macro- and microstructure change was measured for all children. Both MLE groups demonstrated significant gains in macrostructure compared to the no-treatment control group. Children’s stories were stronger in Spanish overall. Children in both MLE groups demonstrated transfer of narrative macrostructure across both languages regardless of the language of the MLE. When the language of MLE matched language of story production, children did not make greater posttest gains than when unmatched. Finally, MLE in English had a small effect on children’s modifiability ratings. For English-language learners, DA may be a valid method to assess children’s modifiability, language learning, and transfer of skills across languages in an academically relevant task.
Semantic Niches or a Logic for Historians

Historians deal partly, even mostly, with what people said. They primarily ask not whether what people said was true, but whether it is true that they said it. They want to know how people were understood by their listeners, by their contemporaries, by the succeeding generations, including our own. And what responses, verbal or other, their utterances have received. They try to place people’s utterances in a suitable speaker-listener relation within the setting of place and moment. It is required that historians tell us not just the words used by the speaker but also how these words were received and understood. If so, historical reports which deal with verbal activities, must state that a speaker using a form of speech said to someone that so and so. There is a semantic relation between the speaker, the listener, the form, and what is said. How an utterance was heard, understood and reported is historically more important than how it was actually uttered or intended by the speaker. The speaker seldom reports his own speech and, if so, unreliably. Someone else reports his utterance. A major preoccupation of historians is to establish the reporter’s credentials The utterance may be perceived as a statement, a hypothesis, a question, a command, a reproach, a denial, a lie, or as in some other possible mode of saying. The mode of the utterance may be given by the way the speaker said it. Sometimes, the reporter adds his own impression of the mode. If a person A utters a form α to a listener B and if his utterance is in a mode m, then a reporter C may tell us about it in his own mode n. Thus I suggest as a general schema for communication:
Heterogeneity of cultured melanocyte elongation and proliferation factor in bilateral diffuse uveal melanocytic proliferation.

Abstract A patient with bilateral diffuse uveal melanocytic proliferation (BDUMP) associated with endometrial cancer was treated with plasmapheresis, but failed therapy with progressive serous retinal detachment. We collected plasma before and after plasmapheresis therapy. Our goal was to determine if the cultured melanocyte elongation and proliferation (CMEP) factor and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) was present in the IgG enriched fraction and understand why our patient failed plasmapheresis therapy. Melanocytes were cultured for 3–5 days in the presence of control medium, unfractionated pre-plasmapheresis BDUMP medium, IgG enriched or IgG depleted BDUMP medium, or unfractionated post-plasmapheresis BDUMP medium. Subretinal fluid was collected from patients with BDUMP and control retinal detachments and analyzed by electropheresis with immunoblotting. Medium with unfractionated BDUMP plasma stimulated melanocyte growth 1.4–1.5 fold compared to control medium on days 3–5 (p
Targeted and Persistent 8-Oxoguanine Base Damage at Telomeres Promotes Telomere Loss and Crisis

Telomeres are essential for genome stability. Oxidative stress caused by excess reactive oxygen species (ROS) accelerates telomere shortening. Although telomeres are hypersensitive to ROS-mediated 8-oxoguanine (8-oxoG) formation, the biological effect of this common lesion at telomeres is poorly understood because ROS have pleiotropic effects. Here we developed a chemoptogenetic tool that selectively produces 8-oxoG only at telomeres. Acute telomeric 8-oxoG formation increased telomere fragility in cells lacking OGG1, the enzyme that removes 8-oxoG, but did not compromise cell survival. However, chronic telomeric 8-oxoG induction over time shortens telomeres and impairs cell growth. Accumulation of telomeric 8-oxoG in chronically exposed OGG1-deficient cells triggers replication stress, as evidenced by mitotic DNA synthesis at telomeres, and significantly increases telomere losses. These losses generate chromosome fusions, leading to chromatin bridges and micronucleus formation upon cell division. By confining base damage to the telomeres, we show that telomeric 8-oxoG accumulation directly drives telomere crisis.
Design Tradeoffs in the Development of a Wearable Soft Exoskeleton for Upper Limb Mobility Disorders

This paper investigates the tradeoffs between design variables important for the development of a mobility support soft exoskeleton for horizontal shoulder adduction. The soft exoskeleton utilizes discreet shape memory alloy (SMA) spring actuators to generate the required torque to move the arm segment, while preserving the qualities of a soft, wearable garment solution. A pilot benchtop test involving varying power input, actuator anchor position, actuator orientation, and added weight, was investigated to evaluate their effects against the degree of motion the soft exoskeleton allows. The results show that the power input, actuator anchor position, and simulated limb weight each affect the ultimate horizontal adduction angle the exoskeleton is able to induce. Further, the project highlights a crucial point in regard to the tradeoffs between functionality and wearability: when actuator orientation was investigated, we found a decrement in functionality (as measured by maximum achievable horizontal adduction angle) when the actuators were constrained close to the body. This shows that when aiming to improve the hypothetical system’s wearability/usability, the effective torque that can be generated is reduced. Together these findings demonstrate important design considerations while developing a wearable, soft exoskeleton system that is capable of effectively supporting movement of the body while maintaining the comfort and discreetness of a regular garment.
Not All Recovery Experiences are Equal: A Meta-Analysis of Recovery

Recovery from work and stress is thought to be crucial for sustaining employee well-being and job performance capabilities, thus recovery research has proliferated in the past two decades. We meta-...
Similarity Based Methodology for Industrial Signal Recovery

The tremendous amount of data generated in the industry provides a massive opportunity to mine that data for decisions, such as prediction of outgoing product quality, process monitoring, etc. In addition, unlike computer and social networks, in the industrial data, the information is not directly observable and is embedded in the signals emitted during the corresponding processes, etc. However, in many cases and for many reasons these sensor signatures are not properly received at the very source causing missing segments in the signal sets. On the other hand, in many manufacturing facilities, large amounts of historical records of past sensor readings are available and can be used to enhance and reinforce the signal recovery process. In this paper, we propose the so-called match matrix methodology which uses signal similarity metrics to regenerate the missing segments in a signal from historical signal records. Three different incomplete signal set situations are simulated using a large dataset from a modern semiconductor manufacturing fab. The proposed method is validated utilizing the dataset and the results demonstrated a high fidelity in signal recovery in the all three cases.
Automated detection of the head-twitch response using wavelet scalograms and a deep convolutional neural network

Hallucinogens induce the head-twitch response (HTR), a rapid reciprocal head movement, in mice. Although head twitches are usually identified by direct observation, they can also be assessed using a head-mounted magnet and a magnetometer. Procedures have been developed to automate the analysis of magnetometer recordings by detecting events that match the frequency, duration, and amplitude of the HTR. However, there is considerable variability in the features of head twitches, and behaviors such as jumping have similar characteristics, reducing the reliability of these methods. We have developed an automated method that can detect head twitches unambiguously, without relying on features in the amplitude-time domain. To detect the behavior, events are transformed into a visual representation in the time-frequency domain (a scalogram), deep features are extracted using the pretrained convolutional neural network (CNN) ResNet-50, and then the images are classified using a Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithm. These procedures were used to analyze recordings from 237 mice containing 11,312 HTR. After transformation to scalograms, the multistage CNN-SVM approach detected 11,244 (99.4%) of the HTR. The procedures were insensitive to other behaviors, including jumping and seizures. Deep learning based on scalograms can be used to automate HTR detection with robust sensitivity and reliability.
The effect of natural/human-made hazards on business establishments and their supply chains

Abstract This paper examines the impact of natural and human-made hazards on payroll, GDP, employment, and establishment survival/creation in the year of hazard occurrence in the U.S. economy and more specifically in the U.S. manufacturing/goods producing industry. Many of the papers that examine economic impacts of hazards consider upstream impacts of supply chain disruption. Measures of downstream impacts are often limited, particularly in measuring the short-term impacts. This paper examines how manufacturers and other establishments are impacted, at the industry and total economy level, by a disruption in supplies of goods with low substitutability, which is often referred to as the ripple effect. In this paper, eight models are developed to explore supply chain vulnerability, at the industry-level, to hazard events across geographic areas of the U.S. during the 2005 to 2016 time period. The most severe impacts are due to hazards in the manufacturing/goods industry supply chain, where payroll, GDP, and employment declined 2.9%, 3.9%, and 8.6%, respectively. For all establishments, payroll and employment declined 5.3% and 3.0%, respectively. The results further suggest that the compound effect of hazards through the supply chain possibly exceeds that of the local hazard (i.e., direct impact). This can create an incentive misalignment. The establishment that invests in mitigation efforts and experiences the hazard locally does not directly experience the majority of the net benefit. The findings also suggest there is a need to better understand the short-term downstream impacts from all hazards, especially at the aggregated national level.
Who gets ahead in authoritarian parliaments? The case of the Russian state duma

Scholarly attention to authoritarian legislatures is steadily growing, and recent research suggests that there is substantial lawmaking activity and deliberation within these bodies. Does such acti...
Salvage Radiation Treatment for Primary Refractory Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma After Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell Therapy: A Case Report.

Background Treatment of refractory/relapsing diffuse large B cell (R/R DLBCL) lymphoma remains a challenge. Radiation therapy (RT) has versatile roles in R/R DLBCL treatment: it can be used in the peri-transplant setting for transplant-eligible candidates, or as a salvage or palliation therapy depending on the extent of the disease in transplant-ineligible patients. The introduction of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has changed the landscape of R/R DLBCL. RT has been used as a bridging therapy to CAR T-cell therapy in order to control disease progression during its manufacturing period. However, optimal RT and CAR T-cell therapy integration is still unknown. Salvage strategies for R/R DLBCL post-CAR T-cell therapy have been little studied. Case report Here, we present a case of primary refractory DLBCL with residual disease post-CAR T-cell therapy successfully treated with salvage RT. Conclusion Radiotherapy could be an effective salvage strategy for R/R DLBCL post-CAR T-cell therapy. Exact mechanisms await exploring.