cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Role of Stress Activated Protein Kinases in Promoting Fanconi Anemia Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cell Dysfunction

The underlying molecular mechanisms that promote bone marrow failure in Fanconi anemia (FA) are incompletely understood. Evidence from our lab and others suggest that enhanced oxidant and TNF-α mediated apoptosis of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells is a major contributing factor. Previously, we showed that enhanced apoptosis of FA type C deficient ( Fancc − / −) progenitors involves aberrant activation of the stress kinase, p38MAPK. Given the importance of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) in the stress response, we hypothesized that enhanced TNF-α-induced apoptosis in Fancc − / − cells would also involve altered JNK activation. The aims of the current study were to determine whether Fancc − / − cells exhibit altered JNK activation and to examine whether inhibition of JNK and/or p38MAPK kinase would enhance Fancc − / − hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) repopulating ability. In Fancc − / − murine embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs), TNF-α induced a 2-fold increase in JNK in vitro kinase activity compared to WT (n=4, p Fancc − / − MEFs from TNF-α induced apoptosis. Importantly, TNF-α induced apoptosis of Fancc − / − ckit+ low-density bone marrow cells was also restored to WT levels by culturing with a JNK inhibitor (n=3, p Fancc − / − colony formation in the presence of TNF-α (n=3, p Fancc − / − MEFs and hematopoietic progenitors to TNF-α induced apoptosis involves JNK activation. Based on these data and previous studies demonstrating a role for p38MAPK in enhanced Fancc − / − progenitor apoptosis, competitive repopulation assays were conducted to examine whether culturing Fancc − / − cells with JNK and/or p38MAPK inhibitors would enhance HSC reconstituting function. Surprisingly, in two separate experiments Fancc − / − donor cells cultured with the JNK inhibitor had levels of donor chimerism that were equivalent to Fancc − / − donor cells cultured with the vehicle control. In contrast, culturing Fancc − / − cells with a p38MAPK inhibitor (SB203580) significantly increased repopulating ability compared to Fancc − / − cells cultured with vehicle control in two separate transplants (total n=12–14 recipients/transplant group, p Fancc − / − reconstituting cells under conditions of stress.
Are single entry communities and cul-de-sacs a barrier to active transport to school in 11 elementary schools in Las Vegas, NV metropolitan area?

Abstract Single entry communities (SECs) and cul-de-sacs minimize route choices and increase trip distance. Las Vegas' built environment facilitates the examination of these variables and active transport to school (ATS) rates. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of SECs and cul-de-sacs on ATS rates in Las Vegas, NV elementary children. Parental-reported data was collected from 11 elementary schools on ATS rates (n = 1217). SECs and cul-de-sacs were quantified for each school zone. Logistic regression models were used to predict ATS. 23.9% of students reported ATS all of the time and 31.4% some of the time. SECs per school zone ranged from 0 to 25 (mean = 11.9). Cul-de-sacs ranged from 12 to 315 (mean = 138.3). Some ATS use was predicted by distance from school (p ≤ 0.001;OR = 0.61), parental education (high school: p = 0.004;OR = 0.53, some college: p = 0.001;OR = 0.50, 4 year degree: p = 0.004;OR = 0.52) and cul-de-sacs (p ≤ 0.001;OR = 0.99). A separate model using distance from school (p ≤ 0.001;OR = 0.61), parental education (high school: p = 0.002;OR = 0.51, some college: p ≤ 0.001;OR = 0.45, 4 year degree: p ≤ 0.001;OR = 0.45) and SECs (p ≤ 0.001;OR = 0.96) predicted some ATS. All ATS use was predicted by distance from school (p ≤ 0.001;OR = 0.58), parental education (Grades 9–11: p = 0.05;OR = 0.61, high school: p ≤ 0.001;OR = 0.45, some college: p ≤ 0.001;OR = 0.41, 4 year degree: p ≤ 0.001;OR = 0.38) and SECs (p ≤ 0.001;OR = 0.97). A separate model using distance from school (p ≤ 0.001;OR = 0.58), parental education (Grades 9–11: p = 0.041;OR = 0.59, high school: p ≤ 0.001;OR = 0.47, some college: p ≤ 0.001;OR = 0.44, 4 year degree: p ≤ 0.001;OR = 0.43) and cul-de-sacs (p ≤ 0.001;OR = 0.99) predicted all ATS. Current findings reveal that both SECs and cul-de-sacs were predictors of ATS beyond distance. Students with more SECs and cul-de-sacs in their school zone were less likely to utilize ATS.
Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair With MitraClip for Symptomatic Functional Mitral Valve Regurgitation.

Transcatheter edge-to-edge mitral valve repair (TMVr) with MitraClip has proved to be safe and effective for high-risk surgical patients with severe symptomatic degenerative mitral regurgitation. There is paucity of data regarding its use in functional mitral regurgitation (FMR). The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of MitraClip in patients with symptomatic moderate or severe FMR and a high surgical risk. Medical libraries were systematically searched for studies assessing the use of MitraClip for patients with symptomatic moderate or severe FMR and a high surgical risk. Studies reporting safety and efficacy outcomes at 12 months were included in the analysis. A total of 12 studies including 1,695 patients (age 73 [interquartile range [IQR] 70.5 to 74], 69.8% men, left ventricular ejection fraction 32.5% [IQR 29.5 to 36], New York Heart Association class II to IV) who underwent TMVr with MitraClip were included in the analysis. Acute procedural success was 89% (IQR 85.5 to 92). Ischemic cardiomyopathy was the most common cause of left ventricular dysfunction. Over 2/3 of patients had known coronary artery disease, 35% a previous myocardial infarction, and 38.5% had a previous cardiac surgery. Survival to hospital discharge was 98% (IQR 97 to 100) and 30-day survival 97% (IQR 96 to 98). Overall survival at 12 months was 82% (IQR 77 to 87). Mitral valve re-intervention at 12 months was infrequent (3%; IQR 2 to 6.5). In conclusion, our pooled analysis suggests that TMVr with MitraClip is feasible, safe, and carries a low rate of mitral valve re-intervention at 12 months in patients with symptomatic moderate or severe FMR and a high surgical risk.
Chronic hypoxia alters maternal uterine and fetal hemodynamics in the full-term pregnant guinea pig

Placental hypoxia is associated with maternal hypertension, placental insufficiency, and fetal growth restriction. In the pregnant guinea pig, prenatal hypoxia during early gestation inhibits cytot...
Preschool Children with Behavioral Problems: Observation in Instructional and Free Play Contexts:

Task-related and social behaviors of teacher-identified preschool children at risk for behavior problems were examined in two school settings, a structured instructional context and an unstructured...
Variable Effects of Dietary Selenium in Mice That Spontaneously Develop a Spectrum of Thyroid Autoantibodies

Selenium (Se) is a critical element in thyroid function, and variable dietary Se intake influences immunity. Consequently, dietary Se could influence development of thyroid autoimmunity and provide an adjunct to treat autoimmune thyroid dysfunction. Nonobese diabetic (NOD).H2h4 mice spontaneously develop autoantibodies to thyroglobulin (Tg) and thyroid peroxidase (TPO). This mouse strain expressing a human thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor (TSHR) A-subunit transgene in the thyroid also develops pathogenic TSHR autoantibodies. In this report, we investigated whether dietary Se influences these immune processes. Male and female wild-type and transgenic NOD.H2h4 mice were maintained on normal-, low-, or high-Se (0.1, 0, or 1.0 mg/kg) rodent diets. After 4 months, Se serum levels were extremely low or significantly increased on 0 or 1.0 mg/kg Se, respectively. Varying Se intake affected Tg antibody (TgAb) levels after 2 (but not 4) months; conversely, TPO antibody (TPOAb) levels were altered by dietary Se after 4 (but not 2) months. These data correspond to the earlier development of TgAb than TPOAb in NOD.H2h4 mice. In males, TgAb levels were enhanced by high Se and in females by low Se intake. Se intake had no effect on pathogenic TSHR autoantibodies in TSHR transgenic NOD.H2h4 females. In conclusion, in susceptible NOD.H2h4 mice, we found no evidence that a higher dietary Se intake ameliorates thyroid autoimmunity by reducing autoantibodies to Tg, TPO, or the TSHR. Instead, our finding that low dietary Se potentiates the development of autoantibodies to Tg and TPO in females is consistent with reports in humans of an increased prevalence of autoimmune thyroiditis in low-Se regions.
cT2N0 esophageal cancer remains a difficult diagnosis

Esophageal cancer treatment is based on the extent of disease. Early stage clinical T1N0 tumors are treated either endoscopically or with surgical resection primarily.
Analyzing the Polluter Pays Principle Through Law and Economics

This essay is divided into several parts. Part II outlines the basic concept of the polluter pays principle and its economic rationale. Part II then critiques the important conceptual and practical weaknesses of the polluter pays principle. Part III analyzes Ronald Coase’s and Guido Calabresi’s systems for dealing with pollution and nuisance problems. Part IV analyzes the workability of the Coase and Calabresi models and discusses whether those paradigms may be reconciled with the polluter pays principle. Finally, Part V suggests an alternative environmental regulation scheme based on economic considerations that are radically different from current mainstream economic models.
Responses in primary astrocytes and C6-glioma cells to ammonium chloride and dibutyryl cyclic-AMP.

Elevated brain ammonia levels are a major factor in the genesis of hepatic encephalopathy (HE). The mechanism of ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) neurotoxicity involves interruption of oxidative metabolism. This leads to decreased levels of ATP concentration and subsequent glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) degradation of astrocytes and fibrous C6-glioma cells. Our study investigates NH4Cl toxicity by evaluating changes in ATP concentration and mitochondrial function as well as by evaluating alterations in GFAP expression. NH4Cl induced decreases in ATP were detected after 15 minutes in C6-glioma cells and 24 hours in both cell types. Mitochondrial function, assessed by MTT (2–4,5-dimethylthiazol A-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay, was impaired in both cell types at 24 hours following NH4Cl treatment. GFAP was also significantly decreased in both cell types. Morphologic and metabolic toxicities were greater in C6-glioma cells. The data clearly indicate that NH4Cl interrupts oxidative metabolism. The greater toxicity seen in C6-glioma cells may be due to their greater dependence on oxidative metabolism. Lastly, the decrease in GFAP is probably a consequence of diminished ATP.
The effect of 5-hydroxytryptamine and arterial blood withdrawal on cerebral microcirculation in the cat, arterial permeability in the rabbit.

Studies dealing with the effect of 5-HT on cerebral cortical microcirculation of cats and on permeability of femoral arteries to RISA of rabbits are presented. The effect of 5-HT on cerebral cortical microcirculation was compared to that of arterial blood withdrawal and blood reinfusion. The effect of topical administratior of 5-HT was also studied. Cortical microcirculation was observed by transillumination using a microtransilluminator. Motion pictures were taken at a speed of 400 frames/sec. and a magnification of 3000X. Permeability was investigated using arterial RISA uptake in vessels perfused in vitro, with continuous recording of perfusion pressure.
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Trades

SoTL’s existence rests on individual and collective desire, and subsequent engagement, of faculty to improve student learning and the contexts in which teaching and learning occur. This includes systematically assessing and evaluating the impact of our own teaching on students’ learning. The former and the latter form the crux of the collective consciousness that is SoTL. A part of this engagement is becoming more reflexive; awareness of one’s responsibility toward others is part of this reflexivity. This essay peruses the works of SoTL colleagues across the globe and relates how these works individually and collectively reflect the nature and characteristics of SoTL. These works exemplify educators, in diverse parts of the world, engaging in introspection and program evaluation, as they inquire into the best ways to help students learn in general and specific content areas; how to help students develop habits of the mind, lifelong learning skills, professional dispositions, and the like. While paths to SoTL inquiries may diverge, the focus is always on improving student learning.
Parallel Sampling-Pipeline for Indefinite Stream of Heterogeneous Graphs using OpenCL for FPGAs

In the field of data science, a huge amount of data, generally represented as graphs, needs to be processed and analyzed. It is of utmost importance that this data be processed swiftly and efficiently to save time and energy. The volume and velocity of data, along with irregular access patterns in graph data structures, pose challenges in terms of analysis and processing. Further, a big chunk of time and energy is spent on analyzing these graphs on large compute clusters and/or data-centers. Filtering and refining of data using graph sampling techniques are one of the most effective ways to speed up the analysis. Efficient accelerators, such as FPGAs, have proven to significantly lower the energy cost of running an algorithm. To this end, we present the design and implementation of a parallel graph sampling technique, for a large number of input graphs streaming into a FPGA. A parallel approach using OpenCL for FPGAs was adopted to come up with a solution that is both time- and energy-efficient. We introduce a novel graph data structure, suitable for streaming graphs on FPGAs, that allows time- and memory-efficient representation of graphs. Our experiments show that our proposed technique is 3x faster and 2x more energy efficient as compared to serial CPU version of the algorithm.
Demonstration of improved image resolution for larger focal spot sizes by decreasing anode angles in clinical settings

Image-guided neuro-endovascular interventional studies often require a high resolution image quality which requires the use of small focal-spot sizes. There is always a tradeoff while choosing focal-spot sizes. The use of small- focal-spots gives better spatial resolution but limits x-ray tube output and tube loading. The use of larger- focal-spots provides better heat dissipation capacity and higher x-ray output but gives rise to geometric blurring hence loss of spatial resolution. A method has been proposed which incorporates the use of the line-focus principle that can achieve a smaller projected focal-spot while keeping the actual focal-spot size as the medium focal-spot. Here the gantry is tilted to reduce the effective anode angle, hence the central axis is tilted producing a smaller projected focal-spot. This was tested by acquiring images of a Pipeline stent in the right jugular vein and a guidewire of a rabbit using a high-resolution CMOSbased fluoroscopic detector with 75um pixels. Also the gantry was tilted in the anode-cathode direction shifting the central axis to the anode side of the beam and the rabbit was aligned with the new perpendicular ray. Acquired images, for small focal-spot, medium focal-spot, and 7-degree tilted medium focal-spot were compared. While small focal-spot images demonstrated superior resolution, and both tilted and untilted medium focal spot images demonstrated lower noise due to the increased tube output the tilted medium focal spot images exhibited improved resolution. Line profiles and quantitative measures of generalized relative object detectability confirmed the advantage of the tilted medium focalspot method above all.
Culture Policy Regimes in China

Culture policy regimes in China have gone through remarkable changes in the past few decades as a reflection of the political, economic, and social transformation of the country. This article reviews the major changes in China's culture policy regimes and elaborates the underlying driving forces of change. It addresses the issue of intellectual property rights and reveals that the complex administrative apparatus prohibits the enforcement of patent and copyright laws. It discusses the rapid development of cultural industries as a strategy for the government to enhance China's global image and promote economic growth. Despite the trend of privatization and increased autonomy of cultural professionals, this article demonstrates that the Chinese state still maintains effective control of cultural production, and therefore largely constrains creative freedom in the society.
Practical Wisdom: The Integration of Eastern and Western Perspectives of Virtue Ethics

In this paper, we integrate Eastern and Western perspectives of virtue ethics to answer the question, How can practical wisdom transfer across cultural boundaries in a world of increasing interconn...
A test of homogeneity of distributions when observations are subject to measurement errors.

When the observed data are contaminated with errors, the standard two-sample testing approaches that ignore measurement errors may produce misleading results, including a higher type-I error rate than the nominal level. To tackle this inconsistency, a nonparametric test is proposed for testing equality of two distributions when the observed contaminated data follow the classical additive measurement error model. The proposed test takes into account the presence of errors in the observed data, and the test statistic is defined in terms of the (deconvoluted) characteristic functions of the latent variables. Proposed method is applicable to a wide range of scenarios as no parametric restrictions are imposed either on the distribution of the underlying latent variables or on the distribution of the measurement errors. Asymptotic null distribution of the test statistic is derived, which is given by an integral of a squared Gaussian process with a complicated covariance structure. For data-based calibration of the test, a new nonparametric Bootstrap method is developed under the two-sample measurement error framework and its validity is established. Finite sample performance of the proposed test is investigated through simulation studies, and the results show superior performance of the proposed method than the standard tests that exhibit inconsistent behavior. Finally, the proposed method was applied to real data sets from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. An R package MEtest is available through CRAN.
Impact of Maternal Demographic and Socioeconomic Factors on the Association Between Particulate Matter and Adverse Birth Outcomes: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Numerous studies conducted in the United States found associations between prenatal exposure to particulate matter (PM) and adverse birth outcomes, and some studies identified vulnerable populations, including certain racial/ethnic groups and people with low-socioeconomic status. However, their findings are not always consistent. In this review, we compared the risk of adverse birth outcomes due to PM exposures among subpopulations and investigated whether any particular population is more vulnerable. We selected U.S. studies examining associations between PM exposure during pregnancy and birth outcomes that included results for effect modification by race/ethnicity and/or maternal education. We summarized the findings for various sizes of PM and birth outcomes. Meta-analysis was conducted to quantify vulnerable race/ethnicity for the association between fine PM (PM2.5) and birthweight. In total, 19 studies were assessed, and PM-related risks of adverse birth outcomes, particularly those related to fetal growth, likely differ across subpopulations. A meta-analysis from five studies showed that a 10 μg/m3 increase of PM2.5 during the full-gestation reduced birthweight by 21.9 g (95% confidence interval 11.7, 32.0), 15.7 g (10.1, 21.4), 9.3 g (2.7, 15.8), and 5.8 g (− 9.0, 20.7) for Black, White, Hispanic, and Asian mothers, respectively. Our review indicated that Black mothers and mothers with low educational attainment are more vulnerable subpopulations. More investigation is needed for effect modification by other maternal factors, such as household income. Characterizing and quantifying vulnerable subpopulations are essential for addressing environmental justice since it can help regulatory agencies allocate resources and design policy interventions.
Characterization of High Harmonic Beam Profiles and Wavefronts with Ptychographic Imaging

We use multi-modal ptychography to obtain harmonic-resolved beam profiles and wavefronts without grating dispersion. These beams can be back-propagated to the source to characterize the generation process.
Percolated Ionic Aggregate Morphologies and Decoupled Ion Transport in Precise Sulfonated Polymers Synthesized by Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization

We describe a set of precise single-ion conducting polymers that form self-assembled percolated ionic aggregates in glassy polymer matrices and have decoupled transport of metal cations. These prec...
Nearly Perfect Fluidity in the Dilute Fermi Gas: An Update

In this contribution we summarize recent results on the transport properties of strongly correlated dilute Fermi gases. We discuss the hydrodynamic equations in the normal phase and present new results on the structure of second order terms in the gradient expansion. We also discuss predictions from kinetic theory, and show how these predictions can be tested using experimental data on elliptic flow. We summarize current constraints on the shear viscosity to entropy density ratio $\eta/s$.
Opioid Prescribing Patterns After Head and Neck Surgery.

ObjectivePostoperative prescription narcotics increase access to opioids and associated abuse among patients, family, and acquaintances. Judicious opioid stewardship is required. Best practice ques...
Effects on Inflation of Loanable Funds and M1

This chapter tests the relationship of inflation to changes in M1 and loanable funds in Phillips curve inflation models. M1 was found significantly related to inflation, but not loanable funds or either of its two components, even though we show changes in LF are positively and significantly related to changes in M1. The lack of relationship appears to be an econometric problem related to adding variances, not a substantive finding. Evidence indicated M1 growth was most consistently driven by changes in the exogenous part (FR purchases) of LF, but less systematically to growth in the endogenous part.
Effect of Washington State and Colorado's cannabis legalization on death by suicides.

Abstract In the U.S., death by suicide is a leading cause of death and was the 2nd leading cause of death for ages 15-to-34 in 2018. Though incomplete, much of the scientific literature has found associations between cannabis use and death by suicide. Several states and the District of Columbia have legalized cannabis for general adult use. We sought to evaluate whether cannabis legalization has impacted suicide rates in Washington State and Colorado, two early adopters. We used a quasi-experimental research design with annual, state-level deaths by suicide to evaluate the legalization of cannabis in Washington State and Colorado. We used synthetic control models to construct policy counterfactuals as our primary method of estimating the effect of legalization, stratified by age, gender, and race/ethnicity. Overall death by suicide rates were not impacted in either state. However, when stratified by age categories, deaths by suicide increased 17.9% among 15–24-year-olds in Washington State, or an additional 2.13 deaths per 100,000 population (p-value ≤0.001). Other age groups did not show similar associations. An ad hoc analysis revealed, when divided into legal and illegal consumption age, 15–20-year olds had an increase in death by suicides of 21.2% (p-value = 0.026) and 21–24-year olds had an increase in death by suicides of 18.6% (p-value ≤0.001) in Washington State. The effect of legalized cannabis on deaths by suicide appears to be heterogeneous. Deaths by suicide among 15–24-year-olds saw significant increases post-implementation in Washington State but not in Colorado.
Subdural spinal metastases detected on CT myelography: A case report and brief review.

Abstract Spinal metastases are most commonly osseous and may extend to the epidural space. Less commonly, spinal metastases can be subdural, leptomeningeal, or intramedullary. Among these, subdural metastases are the most rare, with few reported cases. While these lesions are now almost exclusively detected on MRI, they can rarely be apparent on other modalities. It is important to recognize subdural metastases on any modality, because they have a significant impact on patient prognosis and treatment. We report a case of renal cell carcinoma in a 68-year-old male initially presenting with subdural metastases detected on CT myelography, with subsequent confirmation by MRI. The case illustrates, to our knowledge, the first example of subdural metastatic disease seen on CT myelography.
Increasing Biosimilar Utilization at a Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center and Associated Cost Savings: Show Me the Money.

Background Tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibitors (anti-TNFs) are a primary treatment for inflammatory bowel disease. Pharmaceutical expenditures and usage of specialty drugs are increasing. In the United States, biosimilars continue to be underutilized, despite opportunities for health care cost savings. Through quality improvement (QI) methodology, we aimed to increase biosimilar utilization among eligible patients initiating intravenous (IV) anti-TNF therapy and describe patient outcomes and associated cost savings. Methods Beginning in July 2019, all patients initiating IV anti-TNF therapy were identified and tracked. Using the Institute of Healthcare Improvement Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle, a four-stage problem-solving model used for carrying out change, we trialed interventions to increase biosimilar utilization, including provider, staff, and family education, and utilization of a clinical pharmacist and insurance specialist. Statistical process control charts were used to show improvement over time. Patients' clinical outcome and cost savings were reviewed. Results Using QI methodology, we increased biosimilar utilization from a baseline of 1% in June 2019 to 96% by February 2021, with sustained improvement. The originator (infliximab) was the insurance company's preferred product for 20 patients (20%). Patient outcomes (IV anti-TNF levels, absence of antidrug antibodies, and physician global assessment) between biosimilars and originators were similar. Estimated cost savings over the project duration were nearly $381,000 (average sales price) and $651,000 (wholesale acquisition cost). Conclusions Through QI methodology, we increased biosimilar utilization from 1% to 96% with sustained improvement, without compromising patient outcomes or safety. Estimated cost savings were substantial. Similar methodology could be implemented at other institutions to increase biosimilar utilization and potentially decrease health care costs.
Why Does Mediterranean Vegetation Seem So Diverse

Worldwide patterns of biodiversity have been catalogued and mapped at least since the 1990s, based partly on studies from much earlier. For plant biodiversity, construed most easily as species richness, theories on controlling factors have also been summarized and analyzed by numerous authors, with particular emphasis on relationships between plant species richness and ecosystem function in general, especially primary productivity. A less studied aspect of plant diversity and vegetation structure involves the basic ecological plant types and their morphological characters that make up the vegetation – and may also be related to function. In the absence of complete data worldwide, models are required for global coverage. The purpose of this study is to use an existing model of the climatic limits of major plant growth forms to predict potential geographic patterns of richness in basic plant forms and form characters, in order to understand why Mediterranean-type regions, and southern Italy in particular, appear so rich. Highest levels of total richness in potential plant forms and pheno-physiognomic characters are predicted for tropical and some subtropical regions, but richness in coexisting main structural elements is suggested to be high in the more open vegetation of regions with Mediterranean-type climates, perhaps the Mediterranean region proper. With global warming some of this structural richness may be lost.
Low von Willebrand Factor in Children and Adolescents: A Review.

Importance Recent studies have documented increased bleeding symptoms and related complications in patients with low von Willebrand factor (VWF), highlighting the clinical significance of this entity. Because children and adolescents with VWF deficiencies often present to primary care physicians with bleeding symptoms, physicians need to be aware of this condition for early detection. Observations Studies have found that children and adolescents with low VWF (VWF levels of 30-50 IU/dL) can present with clinically significant bleeding, including mucosal, menstrual, postsurgical, and posttraumatic bleeding, leading to complications such as anemia, iron deficiency, transfusion, hospitalization, and poor quality of life. Detecting and promptly managing low VWF in children and adolescents with bleeding are essential because failure to do so can lead to significant morbidity in adulthood, especially among female patients, including continued heavy menstrual bleeding; postpartum hemorrhage; related gynecologic complications, such as hemorrhagic ovarian cysts; and surgical interventions for heavy menstrual bleeding, including hysterectomy. This narrative review summarizes the observations of several studies that have shed light on the pathophysiologic mechanisms of low VWF and bleeding in these patients and the available diagnostic modalities and treatment options. Conclusions and relevance Studies in children and adolescents have provided important insights into the clinical phenotype, complications, pathophysiologic mechanisms, evaluation, and management of low VWF, now recognized as an important clinicopathologic entity, as presented in this review. As gatekeepers, primary care physicians play an important role in guiding patients with this recently recognized clinicopathologic entity toward appropriate specialty care and providing continued comanagement to prevent future complications as the patients enter adulthood.
A non-contrastive cue in spontaneous imitation: Comparing mono- and bilingual imitators

Abstract This study tests the hypothesis that imitators of different native languages imitate the same targets in distinct ways predicted by their native phonology, by investigating the role of a non-contrastive phonetic property in spontaneous imitation of English voiceless stops by English monolingual and Seoul Korean-English bilingual imitators. The primarily contrastive phonetic property for English voiceless stops is voice onset time (VOT), with the fundamental frequency (f0) of the post-stop vowel being non-contrastive but still informative for the voicing contrast. On the other hand, in Seoul Korean, stop VOT is a non-primary cue, but it is necessary to maintain the full three-way laryngeal contrast in the language. Post-stop f0 is the primary cue for the Seoul Korean aspirated stops. Seoul Korean speakers have been reported to imitate aspirated stops with longer VOT by raising their post-stop f0 ( Kwon, 2019 ). In this study, English monolingual speakers and Seoul Korean-English bilingual speakers heard and shadowed model speech containing English voiceless stops manipulated by either raising post-stop f0 or lengthening VOT. Their imitation was assessed with two acoustic measurements, stop VOT and post-onset f0, of the voiceless stops, before and after the imitators heard the model speech with the two manipulations. A separate discrimination test confirmed that both manipulations were reliably perceived by both the monolingual and the bilingual imitators. English monolingual speakers' imitation data suggest that their shadowing productions reflect the phonological significance of the two phonetic properties, and only the imitative changes induced by a contrastive cue last beyond the immediate shadowing targets. In addition, Seoul Korean-English bilingual speakers, when performing the spontaneous imitation tasks in English, do not draw on their native (Seoul Korean) phonology. Implications of these findings on the role of phonology in the spontaneous imitation of bilingual and monolingual speakers are discussed.
High Temperature Cuprate Superconductors

When Bednorz and Muller discovered the superconductivity in a compound La-Ba-Cu-O in 1986, it was considered as a breakthrough in the research of the superconductivity. This leads to the discovery of the other cuprate superconductors, and immediately the transition temperature of the synthesized materials reached to the liquid nitrogen temperature. Today the maximum transition temperature of the cuprate superconductors changes from 35 K for La\(_{2-x}\)Sr\(_x\)CuO\(_4\) to 138 K for Hg\(_{1-x}\)Tl\(_x\)Ba\(_2\)Ca\(_2\)Cu\(_3\)O\(_y\) (the highest record under normal pressure, which extends to \(\sim \)160 K at high pressure) [1].
Factors contributing to front-side compatibility: a comparison of crash test results

The occupants of passenger vehicles struck in the side by another vehicle are more likely to be fatally injured than are occupants of the striking vehicle. The risk of fatality in a side struck car is higher still when the striking vehicle is a pickup or utility vehicle rather than a passenger car of the same mass. This suggests there are other factors inherent to pickup and utility vehicle design in addition to mass that contribute to this increased risk. In this paper, results are presented from a series of six 90-degree front-to-side crash tests conducted with both vehicles moving. The side-struck vehicle, a Mercury Grand Marquis with a BioSID (biofidelic side impact dummy) in the driver position, was moving at 24 km/h (15 mi/h) in all tests. The striking vehicles, moving at 48 km/h (30 mi/h) in all tests, included a passenger car, a baseline pickup with greater front-end stiffness than the car but of comparable mass and ride height, a pickup with increased mass, a pickup with increased ride height, a pickup with increased mass and ride height, and a pickup with increased mass, ride height, and stiffness. The effects of these variations in striking vehicle characteristics were evaluated in terms of the struck and striking vehicles' deformation patterns and accelerations, as well as dummy injury measures and kinematics. Results from these six tests show that increasing the mass and ride height of the striking vehicles produced deeper deformation of the struck vehicle and increased the likelihood of injury, as measured by the BioSID. In addition, the increased hood height of the striking pickups, compared with the striking car, resulted in driver head contacts with the hood as an additional potential source of injury. Increasing the front-end stiffness of the striking vehicles, which was varied by selecting vehicles with different stiffness characteristics, also resulted in deeper deformation of the struck vehicle, but effects on dummy injury measures were inconsistent. These findings suggest that variations in vehicle front-end geometry and associated localized stiffness differences, which could not be separated from overall stiffness in this study, critically affect the outcomes for occupants of the struck vehicle.
Fast LIDAR localization using multiresolution Gaussian mixture maps

This paper reports on a fast multiresolution scan matcher for vehicle localization in urban environments for self-driving cars. State-of-the-art approaches to vehicle localization rely on observing road surface reflectivity with a three-dimensional (3D) light detection and ranging (LIDAR) scanner to achieve centimeter-level accuracy. However, these approaches can often fail when faced with adverse weather conditions that obscure the view of the road paint (e.g., puddles and snowdrifts) or poor road surface texture. We propose a new scan matching algorithm that leverages Gaussian mixture maps to exploit the structure in the environment; these maps are a collection of Gaussian mixtures over the z-height distribution. We achieve real-time performance by developing a novel branch-and-bound, multiresolution approach that makes use of rasterized lookup tables of these Gaussian mixtures. Results are shown on two datasets that are 3.0 km: a standard trajectory and another under adverse weather conditions.
Low dissolved DMSP concentrations in seawater revealed by small‐volume gravity filtration and dialysis sampling

A variety of filtration and passive dialysis protocols were tested with seawater for determination of the dissolved concentrations of dimethylsulfoniopropionate ( DMSPd), a compound originating in the cytosol of many marine phytoplankton. Commonly used sampling procedures, such as in-line filtration, syringe pressure filtration, and gravity filtration of relatively large-volume samples ( 5-50 mL) through glass fiber filters, caused release of DMSPd from particulate material as evidenced by increasing DMSPd concentrations with volume filtered. Exposure of filters to air at the end of filtration caused particularly severe DMSPd release. Dialysis bags or Slide-A-Lyzer dialysis cassettes equilibrated with seawater DMSPd within 4 h, even in polar waters ( -1.8 degrees C), and appeared to give accurate DMSPd concentrations in some circumstances. However, incubation of seawater in laboratory containers ( e. g., glass jars) during dialysis sometimes caused artifactual release of DMSPd. We therefore adopted a small-volume gravity drip filtration ( SVDF) procedure, the essential elements of which were: ( i) collection of 20 to 50 mL seawater directly from the primary sample container ( e. g., Niskin bottle) into a dry, all-plastic filtration tower; ( ii) use of a 47-mm-diameter Whatman GF/F filter; ( iii) rapid (< 3 min) filtration by gravity ( hydrostatic) pressure; ( iv) collection of only the first 3.5 mL filtrate for DMSPd analysis; and ( v) never exposing the filtered plankton to air. The SVDF procedure appeared to yield the same low DMSPd concentrations as dialysis samplers incubated in the ocean water column. Using the SVDF procedure, DMSPd was found to be < 2.8 nM over a broad range of ocean water types and particulate DMSP concentrations. The maximum DMSPd concentration observed in our study ( 2.8 nM) was far lower than the reported worldwide average DMSPd concentration of 16.9 nM, raising the possibility that past data collections may have been influenced by filtration artifacts.
Irish Revivalism: Critical Trends and New Directions

Irish Revivalism is one of the most influential and most often misunderstood movements in the late 19th century. Though a form of cultural nationalism and often regarded as a form of anti-colonial resistance, it has long been criticized for complicity with various forms of academic and political discourse connected with the British imperial state. It has also been criticized for the role played by Anglo-Irish Literary Revivalists like W. B. Yeats, J. M. Synge and Lady Augusta Gregory. Finally, Irish Revivalism has long been understood as possessing a naive and nostalgic view of the past, one that hides a desire to restore and preserve a pristine pre-colonial Celtic culture. All of these criticisms have some merit if applied to individual works. However, a critical examination of Revivalist discourse at large reveals a much more complex historical imagination, one that seeks, through a dialectical logic of misrecognition to correct historical misrepresentations and to use the past in a critical, tactical fashion, to forge an Irish nation and national identity. This is as true of Anglo-Irish as it is of Gaelo-Catholic Revivalists, for both groups were trying, in very different ways, to correct historical misrepresentations of the Irish people and to achieve national independence.
Interpretation and Applications of Mössbauer Fraction Experiments

The Mossbauer fraction of gamma rays emitted or absorbed by a nucleus bound in a crystal, without a change in the quantum state of the lattice, is given by [1, 2] $$f = [\left| {\langle i} \right|{e^{ik \cdot r}}{\left| {i > } \right|^2}]T$$ (1) a thermal average over initial lattice states <il, where k is the wave vector of the emitted gamma ray (\(\left| K \right| = k = 2\pi /\lambda = {\mathchar'26\mkern-10mu\lambda ^{ - 1}};\lambda \) is the gamma-ray wavelength) and r is the position vector of the radiating nucleus.
Towards More Complete Models of TCP Latency and Throughput

Recently, several researchers have developed equations for modeling TCP behaviors, such as the expected throughput or latency, based on Markov chains derived from TCP with additional simplifying assumptions. In this paper, we suggest new directions for Markov chain analyses of TCP. Our first contribution is to closely examine not just the expectation but the entire cumulative distribution function of transfer times under various models. Particularly for short or medium transfers, the distribution is likely to be more useful than the expectation in terms of measuring end-user satisfaction. We find that the shapes of TCP cumulative distribution functions are remarkably robust to small changes in the model. Our results suggest that simplifying Markov analyses can be extended to yield approximations for the entire distribution as well as for the expectation. Our second contribution is to consider correction procedures to enhance these models. A correction procedure is a rule of thumb that allows equations from one model to be used in other situations. As an example, several analyses use a Drop-Tail loss model. We determine correction procedures for the deviation between this model and other natural loss models based on simulations. The existence of a simple correction procedure in this instance suggests that the high-level behavior of TCP is robust against changes in the loss model.
Note on the Relations Between Viscous and Structural Damping Coefficients

The use of the structural damping factor g in vibration problems implies tha t the damped free vibration frequency of the structure increases with damping. Relations are derived comparing the natural frequencies and logarithmic decrements for viscous and structural damping. For low values of damping (up to g — 0.20), the two concepts give nearly the same results when g is taken as twice the critical viscous damping ratio.
The anthranilate synthetase-anthranilate 5-phosphoribosylpyrophosphate phosphoribosyltransferase aggregate. Purification of the aggregate and regulatory properties of anthranilate synthetase.

Abstract Relatively stable, highly purified preparations of the anthranilate synthetase-anthranilate 5-phosphoribosylpyrophosphate phosphoribosyltransferase aggregate have been obtained from Salmonella tryphimurium. A molecular weight of approximately 285,000 was estimated for the enzyme aggregate by sucrose gradient centrifugation. Anthranilate synthetase activity was completely inhibited by 10 µm tryptophan under appropriate conditions. Inhibition by tryptophan was competitive with chorismate and noncompetitive with glutamine and showed positive cooperativity. Anthranilate synthetase activity was almost completely insensitive to inhibition by tryptophan in the presence of 5.0 mm Mg2+, suggesting distinct substrate and inhibitor sites. Mg2+ was required for enzymatic activity. Inhibition of enzyme activity was obtained by low concentrations of anthranilate, indicating possible regulatory significance. This inhibition was partially overcome by excess Mg2+, suggesting that inhibition was due, at least in part, to interaction of anthranilate with the tryptophan regulatory site. Positive cooperativity obtained for anthranilate was similar to that obtained for tryptophan. In the presence of anthranilate or tryptophan positive cooperativity for chorismate was observed. For the NH3-dependent anthranilate synthetase activity of the anthranilate synthetase-anthranilate 5-phosphoribosylpyrophosphate phosphoribosyltransferase aggregate, negative cooperativity for NH3 was indicated by the shapes of plots of initial velocity against (NH4)2SO4 concentration and Lineweaver-Burk plots and the values for related kinetic constants. Initial velocity experiments were consistent with a sequential mechanism.
Distribution, Movements and Growth of Young Sandbar Sharks, Carcharhinus Plumbeus, in the Nursery Grounds of Delaware Bay

During the spring and summer months of 1995, 1996 and 1997, gillnet and longline surveys were conducted in conjunction with tag and recapture experiments to outline spatial and seasonal distribution of young sandbar sharks, Carcharhinus plumbeus, in Delaware Bay for essential fish habitat mapping, to assess abundance of young sandbar sharks, and to quantify growth during the summer nursery season. Sandbar sharks (n = 943) ranging from 40 to 120 cm fork length (48 to 130 cm total length) were captured; yearly totals were 199, 314 and 430 in 1995, 1996 and 1997, respectively. Individuals were captured between June and October in water temperatures ranging from 15.4° to 28.5°C and salinities ranging from 22.8 to 30.3 ppt. Presence of neonates and catch per unit effort data indicate that pupping begins in late June near the southwestern coast of the Bay. Juveniles were present from early June through September and their spatial distribution in the Bay appeared uniform. Of 782 sandbar sharks tagged and released during the three years, 50 were recaptured. Mean distance from tag to recapture location and mean days-at-liberty of sandbar sharks recaptured in Delaware Bay during the year of tagging were 10 km and 18 days, respectively. Some sharks were recaptured as far as 957 km from the release location. Length distributions show young-of-the-year sandbar sharks grow about 2–3 cm in length during the nursery season.
Virtual humans with secrets: learning to detect verbal cues to deception

Virtual humans are animated, lifelike characters capable of free-speech and nonverbal interaction with human users In this paper, we describe the development of two virtual human characters for teaching the skill of deception detection An accompanying tutoring system provides solicited hints on what to ask during an interview and unsolicited feedback that identifies properties of truthful and deceptive statements uttered by the characters We present the results of an experiment comparing use of virtual humans with tutoring against a no-interaction (baseline) condition and a didactic condition The didactic group viewed a slide show consisting of recorded videos along with descriptions of properties of deception and truth-telling Results revealed that both groups significantly outperformed the no-interaction control group in a binary decision task to identify truth or deception in video statements No significant differences were found between the training conditions.
Mathematical Foundations of Decision Support Systems

Many computer applications may be considered to be clinical decision support systems. Programs that perform Medline searches or check drug interactions do support decisions, but they are not “clinical decision support systems” in the usual sense. What we usually mean by a clinical decision support system (CDSS) is a program that supports a reasoning task carried out behind the scenes and based on clinical data. For example, a program that accepts thyroid panel results and generates a list of possible diagnoses is what we usually recognize as a diagnostic decision support system, a particular type of CDSS. General purpose programs that accept clinical findings and generate diagnoses are typical diagnostic decision support systems. These programs employ numerical and logical techniques to convert clinical input into the kind of information that a physician might use in performing a diagnostic reasoning task. How these numerical techniques work is the subject of this chapter.