cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Genetic Polymorphisms in Critical Care and Illness

pair substitution. In addition, polymorphisms within genes may also be caused by insertions or deletions of fragments of DNA or to the presence of a variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) of short, repetitive DNA sequences. Polymorphic sites can exist in coding and noncoding regions of the gene. They can have no effect, or they can infl uence the activity and/or level of the resulting protein, thereby affecting cell function. When present in the coding sequences of the gene, these variations can result in an alteration in the amino acid sequence of the protein that can affect the structure and function of the protein. When the polymorphic site exists in a noncoding region of the gene, it can affect the regulation of gene transcription, resulting in altered levels of protein product in the cell.
Particle size dependence of the magnetic and magneto-caloric properties of HoCrO3

Magnetic and magneto-caloric properties of polycrystalline powder samples of HoCrO3 with four different particle sizes are reported here. The samples were prepared by citrate method and were annealed at 700, 900, 1100, and 1300 °C to yield average particle sizes of 60 nm, 190 nm, 320 nm, and 425 nm, respectively, as determined by the analysis of X-ray diffraction patterns and images obtained by scanning electron microscopy. Additional structural characterization was done using Raman spectroscopy. Measurements of the magnetization of the samples were done from 5 K to 300 K in magnetic fields up to 70 kOe. Analysis of the temperature dependence of the paramagnetic susceptibility in terms of the modified Curie-Weiss law, including the Dzyaloshinsky-Moriya (DM) interaction, show small but systematic changes in the Neel temperature T N C r of Cr3+ ions, exchange constant J, and the DM interaction with variation in particle size. However, below T N C r the largest size-dependent effects are observed at 5 K, a...
Obstructive Uropathy because of a Large Rectus Sheath Haematoma: A Case Report of Combined Interventional Radiology and Surgical Approach

Introduction Rectus sheath haematomas associated with anticoagulation are often self limiting. When large, however, they can even extend into the pelvis and cause compression of adjacent organs such as the bladder. A combined endovascular and surgical approach can decrease the operative exposure necessary to treat this occurrence. Report A 42 year old morbidly obese African American female on warfarin treatment for pulmonary embolism presented outside the hospital with pneumonia. During her hospitalisation, she developed a spontaneous right rectus abdominis haematoma below the level of the umbilicus with active bleeding in the extraperitoneal space causing mass compression of the bladder. She developed acute renal failure and became anuric. Following endovascular embolisation of the inferior epigastric artery, surgical exploration was successfully performed to remove the haematoma and relieve the urinary obstruction. Diuresis resumed and renal function normalised without any further evidence of bleeding. Discussion A large rectus sheath haematoma that extends into the bladder causing renal obstruction can be treated by endovascular embolisation and surgical exploration to limit operative risks and exposure in morbidly obese patients.
Correction: Colloidal atomic layer deposition growth of PbS/CdS core/shell quantum dots

Correction for ‘Colloidal atomic layer deposition growth of PbS/CdS core/shell quantum dots’ by Michel Nasilowski et al., Chem. Commun., 2017, 53, 869–872.
Studies in allergy. II. Serum serotonin levels in nonallergic, pretreatment, and posttreatment allergic human beings and in normal and sensitized guinea pigs.

Abstract The sera of normal guinea pigs, sensitized guinea pigs, normal human beings, pretreatment allergic human beings, and posttreatment allergic human beings have been examined for serotonin levels. Significant differences exist in allergic human beings in the direction of increased serotonin levels. These differences are not changed by allergic hyposensitization with appropriate antigens. In the guinea pig serum levels of serotonin do not change with sensitization. The meaning of these findings is discussed with reference to recent work on the role of serotonin, histamine, and antigen-antibody complexes in allergy and anaphylaxis.
Given Names: A Neglected Social Variable

A review of the literature attempted to answer questions regarding the guidelines used in the assignment of names and the eventual impact which particular names have on the bearers. Connotative meaings were concluded to affect not only name choice but also self-preceptions, personality development, and behavior patterns in both children and adults. It was recommended that research beyond naturalistic observation be carried out in the areas of personality development, clinical and social psychology.
Advanced Mirror Technology Development (AMTD): Year Five Status

The Advanced Mirror Technology Development (AMTD) project is in Phase 2 of a multiyear effort initiated in Fiscal Year (FY) 2012, to mature the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of critical technologies required to enable 4-m-or-larger monolithic or segmented ultraviolet, optical, and infrared (UVOIR) space telescope primary-mirror assemblies for general astrophysics, ultra-high-contrast observations of exoplanets, and National Interest missions. Key accomplishments of 2016/17 include the completion of the Harris Corp approximately 150 Hz 1.5-meter Ultra-Low Expansion (ULE Registered trademark) mirror substrate using stacked core method to demonstrate lateral stability of the stacked core technology, as well as the characterization and validation by test of the mechanical and thermal performance of the 1.2-meter Zerodur (Registered trademark) mirror using the STOP model prediction and verification of CTE homogeneity.
Exploring image-based indicators of crime and economic well-being in sub-saharan Africa

Crime and economic well-being are important factors to consider when assessing the stability of a region. Gaining insight into these factors can be expensive and perilous, depending on the accessibility of the country and the cooperation of the government. However, the abundance of satellite imagery provides an avenue to analyze crime and economic indicators. Using social science theory, we examine the ability of physical structures and surroundings to indicate societal issues. Draper's previous studies explored the ability of satellite image features to access indicators of governance and economic well-being in Afghanistan and Sub-Saharan Africa. Such research has provided promising insight into identifying feature sets from satellite imagery that are useful in predicting the economic and political landscape of the country. Past work also described an automated technique to quantify the amount of built-up areas in a village. In this research, we extend the quantification to multiple types of built-up areas. This quantification adds another layer of description to our library of spatial characteristics. We then use these new feature sets to deepen and enhance the understanding of indicators of crime and economic-well-being. We use survey data to access the improvement of the predictive power using the additional feature sets.
Immunologic and Hematologic Deficiencies of the Hypopituitary Dwarf Mouse

The immunodeficiency syndrome of the dwarf mouse has provided a model for studying the relationship between the endocrine and the lymphoid systems. Two autosomal recessive dwarf mutants, the Snell-Bagg (SB) dwarf (genetic symbol dw) and the Ames dwarf (genetic symbol df), have been extensively studied. Dwarf mice are indistinguishable from normal siblings during the first week of postnatal life. Thereafter, dwarf mice show reduced body size, juvenile hair growth patterns, and low muscular activity. Both types of dwarf mice exhibit morphologically and physiologically similar characteristics but they derive from entirely different genetic backgrounds.
Safe and Effective Treatment of Seborrheic Dermatitis

Seborrheic dermatitis is a common chronic inflammatory skin disorder that can vary in presentation from mild dandruff to dense, diffuse, adherent scale. The disorder occurs throughout the world without racial or geographic predominance; it is more common in males than females. Its precise etiology remains unknown, but the condition is strongly associated with lipophilic Malassezia yeasts found among the normal skin flora and represents a cofactor linked to several risk factors, including T-cell depression, increased sebum levels, and activation of the alternative complement pathway. The goal of treatment is symptom control, with an emphasis on the importance of maintaining patient adherence to therapy to achieve low rates of recurrence. Available therapies include corticosteroids, antifungal agents, immunomodulators, and medicated keratolytic shampoos. Although corticosteroids are associated with recurrence, they sometimes may be recommended in combination with antifungal agents. Antifungal therapy is considered primary, but some agents are more effective than others because of their favorable pharmacokinetic profiles, high rates of absorption, anti-inflammatory and antipruritic properties, and vehicle.
Prevention of Sudden Death: Role of Antiarrhythmic Therapy

Currently it is estimated there are about 600,000 cardiac deaths per year in the United States1. Of these 400,000 are relatively sudden, i.e. unexpected and rapid, amounting to 1,200 per day and therefore almost 1 per minute. Half of these “sudden” deaths occur within one hour from the onset of symptoms and many of these are truly sudden, i.e. instantaneous. This is notably a “disease” of men with up to 4 times the incidence in women. Indeed, in young and middle-aged men it is the leading cause of death - amounting to about 1/3 of deaths.
Function of Calcium-Calmodulin in Chloroplasts

Chloroplasts contain a large amount of calcium, up to 25 mM, but only 0.5 mM may be unbound.1,2 Much of this calcium is in the thylakoid lumen while the stroma has a low calcium content.2 Calcium pumps in chloroplast membranes and H+/Ca++ antiports have been described2 which can energize the accumulation of calcium in the chloroplast. Calcium uptake is also stimulated by light.3 It is now clear that this calcium is important in chloroplast function.
Densification and coarsening during solid state sintering of ceramics: A review of the models. II - Grain growth

Two processes occur simultaneously during the sintering of a ceramic powder compact: densification and coarsening (or grain growth). Both processes have as their driving force the reduction of the excess free surface energy of the powder particles. Several different mechanisms of atom transport, operating concurrently or consecutively, may be responsible for the two processes. Algebraic, geometric and topological models have been proposed and refined in attempts to determine the mechanism, or mechanisms, responsible for densification under defined processing conditions. These efforts have met with varying degrees of success. Recently, it has become apparent that more attention must be paid to the coarsening processes during sintering. The models for both densification and coarsening during solid state sintering are reviewed with particular emphasis on their applicability to engineering ceramics.
Importance of food engineering for innovating food quality

Food engineering plays a significant role in food production to achieve a high quality. Increasingly discriminating consumer taste has resulted in pressures to improve the flavor quality of food products at ever higher stages: from simple combinations of basic taste components; to the "flavor" stage, at which basic taste sensations and flavors are combined; to the stage of "combined taste," which incorporates food textures; to the still higher stage of integrated taste, in which cultural and psychological factors play a role. These trends have created demand for food products that offer superior characteristics at the highest stages of food quality. Food production at such levels will require approaches based on new food engineering. As pointed out by Dr. Toshimasa Yano, Emeritus Professor at the University of Tokyo, food production faces numerous challenges: 1) the unpredictability of physical properties of raw materials; 2) an over-dependence on sensory tests and insufficiency of subjectivity in quality evaluations; 3) the simultaneous occurrence of numerous changes during food processing. This paper will seek to address the role of food engineering in improving quality in food production processes. The examples used to illustrate these issues will include the following: 1) a quantitative evaluation of the kneaded state of bread dough; 2) quantitative identification of factors influencing the intensity of retort sterilization; and 3) quantitative determination of flavor component dissipation during spray-drying.
Influence of infill properties on flexural rigidity of 3D-printed structural members

This paper characterises the flexural properties of relatively slender structural members (beams) manufactured using a FDM-based 3D printer. The primary goal is to assess the influence of infill pr...
CAUTION: on the many, unpredictable iterations of a yellow border sign ideograph and migrant/queer world-making

ABSTRACTIn the late 1980s and early 1990s, artist John Hood collaborated with California’s Department of Transportation to erect yellow “CAUTION” signs to warn drivers against migrants running across the San Diego freeways. This essay marries migrant/queer world-making theories and ideographic analysis to describe how artists imagined new, often contradictory, worlds to resist modernist notions of citizenship, gender, sex, family, and humanity through (re)drawn iterations of the sign. I show an overlapping and reflexive interplay between what the iterations visually represent and the ways that migrants/queers, including my familia, perform what the images mean in the realm of the material, everyday.
Weight trends in a multiethnic cohort of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia survivors: A longitudinal analysis

Background As survival rates for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) continue to improve, there is growing concern over the chronic health conditions that survivors face. Given that survivors of childhood ALL are at increased risk of cardiovascular complications and obesity, we sought to characterize BMI trends from diagnosis through early survivorship in a multi-ethnic, contemporary cohort of childhood ALL patients and determine if early weight change was predictive of long-term weight status. Methods The study population consisted of ALL patients aged 2–15 years at diagnosis who were treated with chemotherapy alone at Texas Children’s Hospital. Each patient had BMI z-scores collected at diagnosis, 30-days post-diagnosis, and annually for five years. Linear regression models were estimated to evaluate the association between: 1) BMI z-score change in the first 30 days and BMI z-scores at five-years post-diagnosis; and 2) BMI z-score change in the first year post-diagnosis and BMI z-scores at five-years post-diagnosis. Results This retrospective cohort study included longitudinal data from 121 eligible patients. The mean BMI z-scores for the population increased significantly (p-value<0.001) from baseline (mean = 0.25) to 30 days post-diagnosis (mean = 1.17) before plateauing after one year post-diagnosis (mean = 0.99). Baseline BMI z-scores were statistically significant predictors to five year BMI z-scores (p <0.001). Independent of baseline BMI z-score and other clinical factors, the BMI z-score at one year post-diagnosis was significantly associated with BMI z-score at five-years post-diagnosis (β = 0.63, p <0.001), while BMI z-score at 30 days post-diagnosis was not (β = 0.10, p = 0.23). Conclusion Our results suggest that weight gain within the first year after diagnosis is more strongly associated with long-term BMI than early weight gain (within 30 days). If confirmed, this information may help identify a window of time during therapy when ALL patients would benefit most from weight management directed interventions.
Pouch Neoplasia Following IPAA in Patients with Underlying Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

Patients undergoing restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis for underlying inflammatory bowel disease are at a low risk for developing low-grade dysplasia (LGD), high-grade dysplasia (HGD), or even adenocarcinoma in the pouch. However, those with a precolectomy colitis-associated neoplasia are at a high risk for pouch neoplasia. Patients with pouch adenocarcinoma have poor prognosis. A combined clinical, endoscopic, and histologic examination plays an essential role in diagnosis and management. Surveillance pouchoscopy is recommended for patients with a preoperative colitis-associated neoplasia.
Anisotropy of the effective toughness of layered media

This continues the study of the effective toughness of layered materials started in Hossain et al. (2014) and Hsueh et al. (2018), with a focus on anisotropy. We use the phase-field model and the surfing boundary condition to propagate a crack macroscopically at various angles to the layers. We study two idealized situations, the first where the elastic modulus is uniform while the toughness alternates and a second where the toughness is uniform and the elastic modulus alternates. We find that in the first case of toughness heterogeneity the effective toughness displays ‘anomalous isotropy’ in that it is independent of the propagation direction and equal to that of the tougher material except when the crack propagation is parallel to the layers. In the second case of elastic heterogeneity, we find the behavior more anisotropic and consistent with the toughening effects of stress fluctuation and need for crack renucleation at the compliant-to-stiff interface. In both cases, the effective toughness is not convex in the sense of interfacial energy or Wulff shape reflecting the fact that crack propagation follows a critical path. Further, in both cases the crack path is not straight and consistent with a maximal dissipation principle. Finally, the effective toughness depends on the contrast and pinning, rather than on the extent of crack fluctuation.
A Novel Hybrid Finite Element-Spectral Boundary Integral Scheme for Modeling Earthquake Cycles: Application to Rate and State Faults With Low-Velocity Zones

We present a novel hybrid finite element (FE) - spectral boundary integral (SBI) scheme that enables efficient simulation of earthquake cycles. This combined FE-SBI approach captures the benefits of finite elements in modelling problems with nonlinearities, as well as the computational superiority of SBI. The domain truncation enabled by this scheme allows us to utilize high-resolution finite elements discretization to capture inhomogeneities or complexities that may exist in a narrow region surrounding the fault. Combined with an adaptive time stepping algorithm, this framework opens new opportunities for modeling earthquake cycles with high-resolution fault zone physics. In this initial study, we consider a two dimensional (2-D) anti-plane model with a vertical strike-slip fault governed by rate and state friction in the quasi-dynamic limit under the radiation damping approximation. The proposed approach is first verified using the benchmark problem BP-1 from the Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC) sequence of earthquake and aseismic slip (SEAS) community verification effort. The computational framework is then utilized to model the earthquake sequence and aseismic slip of a fault embedded within a low-velocity fault zone (LVFZ) with different widths and compliance levels. Our results indicate that sufficiently compliant LVFZs contribute to the emergence of sub-surface events that fail to penetrate to the free surface and may experience earthquake clusters with nonuniform inter-seismic time. Furthermore, the LVFZ leads to slip rate amplification relative to the homogeneous elastic case. We discuss the implications of our results for understanding earthquake complexity as an interplay of fault friction and bulk heterogeneities.
Proximate Mechanisms of Host Plant Location by a Specialist Phytophagous Insect, the Grape Berry Moth, Paralobesia Viteana

There are contrasting hypotheses regarding the role of plant volatiles in host plant location. We used the grape berry moth (GBM; Paralobesia viteana)-grape plant (Vitis spp.) complex as a model for studying the proximate mechanisms of long distance olfactory-mediated, host-plant location and selection by a specialist phytophagous insect. We used flight tunnel assays to observe GBM female in-flight responses to host (V. riparia) and non-host (apple, Malus domestica; and gray dogwood, Cornus racimosa,) odor sources in the form of plant shoots, extracts of shoots, and synthetic blends. Gas chromatography-electroantennographic detection and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analyses were used to identify antennal-active volatile compounds. All antennal-active compounds found in grape shoots were also present in dogwood and apple shoots. Female GBM flew upwind to host and non-host extracts and synthetic blends at similar levels, suggesting discrimination is not occurring at long distance from the plant. Further, females did not land on sources releasing plant extracts and synthetic blends, suggesting not all landing cues were present. Additionally, mated and unmated moths displayed similar levels of upwind flight responses to all odor sources, supporting the idea that plant volatiles are not functioning solely as ovipositional cues. The results of this study support a hypothesis that GBM females are using volatile blends to locate a favorable habitat rather than a specific host plant, and that discrimination is occurring within the habitat, or even post-landing.
Planning for carnivore recolonization by mapping sex-specific landscape connectivity

Abstract Identifying and preserving landscape connectivity as well as planning for conflict mitigation are key for facilitating species persistence, especially in increasingly human-dominated landscapes outside of protected areas. Black bears (Ursus americanus) have lost more than a third of their former range throughout North America, but are currently recovering and recolonizing numerous human-modified landscapes. Based on previously developed sex-specific landscape suitability models, we characterized landscape use and connectivity for a recolonizing population. Since female and male carnivores differ in traits such as body size, reproductive strategies, risk aversion, and movement, we developed sex-specific models to assess intra-specific differences. Core areas (patches larger than the median annual range for each sex) represented 53–58% of their predicted suitable range, suggesting a considerable amount of habitat fragmentation. Typical linkages were 31 km for females and 37 km for males, similar to commonly documented dispersal distances for black bears. Due to having more numerous and smaller core areas being connected, female linkages occupied a larger area and had a 26% overlap with male linkages, while males overlapped 65% with females. Independent verified black bear sightings overlapped 40–50% with our predicted female and male areas, and sightings of females with offspring overlapped >90% with our predicted female areas. Anthropogenic barriers with high restoration potential were 2–4 times more numerous than natural barriers. Land cover composition within linkages was similar for both sexes, with the highest proportion of agriculture (mostly pastures and grasses) in the center of the linkage network. Core areas for both sexes extended well beyond protected areas, suggesting that private landowners will play a key role in the maintenance of high quality habitat and linkages for black bears in Missouri. Successful conservation will depend on land management that preserves a variety of high-quality habitat patches and corridors, while identifying areas of potential habitat restoration, as well as targeting management in areas with anticipated increases in bear abundance and conflict.
Luciferase Immunoprecipitation Systems immunoassay is a sensitive, rapid method to detect allergen component-specific IgE

Abstract Current assays to detect allergen-specific IgE have constraints related to obtaining pure, conformationally active allergen, variability in allergen extracts, sample volume required, and turnaround time. The luciferase immunoprecipitation systems (LIPS) immunoassay is a fast, sensitive assay created using recombinant antigens that requires a low specimen volume. These assays can also be easily modified to detect multiple antigens and antibody isotypes. Here, we demonstrate the use of LIPS assays as an innovative method to quantitatively measure allergen component-specific IgE in small sample volumes. Sera from healthy volunteers, helminth-infected adults, and peanut-allergic children were screened for IgE to cat using ImmunoCAP. These samples were also measured for IgE against Fel d 1 using LIPS. LIPS signal correlated to cat IgE levels with rS = 0.6204, p 0.5 kU/L, with the ability to differentiate cat IgE – individuals from cat IgE+ individuals with 85% sensitivity and 76% specificity. Given their rapidity, efficiency, sensitivity, and quantitation over a broad dynamic range, LIPS immunoassays can be a robust and flexible tool with potential uses in allergy research, diagnostics, and treatment.
”Not African Enough?” Global Dynamics and Local Contestations over Dress Practice and Fashion Design in Zambia

Africa has been placed on the global fashion map by print and electronic media, movies like the Black Panther , and international and local fashion weeks that are attracting attention to its creative talents. Embedded in histories of regional and international trade, colonialism, and globalization, fashion in Africa today is diverse and multidirectional, responding to and interacting with transglobal inspirations. Even then, how to tell this history is a matter of fraught debate that continues to invoke worn-out dichotomies such as African/Western and traditional/modern. Issues about cultural appropriation and authenticity continue to arise. Two recent examples serve as illustration: The book, Not African Enough? (2017), featuring clothes in minimalistic styles created by Kenyan designers intent on stepping beyond the confines of what the world, and Africans, are told it means to dress African, and the description of garments made from print fabrics that are worn widely across most of the continent as ”not African” due to the origin of their manufacturing process in Europe in the mid- to late 1800s. Views like these prevent us from identifying the inventive autonomy in today’s outpouring of dress and fashion creations as African. Because the meanings of dress always are context dependent, the usages of both of these dress styles play out together rather than in opposition to one another. Such processes unfold across Africa, including in countries like Zambia, the focus of this article. Examining the changing place of African print fabric in fashion design and everyday dress practice involving imported secondhand clothing, I explore how changing historical connections, political and economic forces along with global interconnections are shaping how women dress in Zambia.
Abstract 4603: Detection of pancreatic cancer using rapid dielectrophoresis based recovery of tumor derived extra cellular vesicles and exosomes from plasma

Tumor derived extracellular vesicles, including exosomes, carry cancer related proteins on their outer surfaces making them a valuable source of tumor biomarkers in blood. However, these vesicles are difficult to recover from plasma and this prevents them from being widely used for clinical diagnostic tests. Here we present a technique that uses high conductance dielectrophoresis to rapidly recover these vesicles from plasma allowing for immunofluorescence detection of cancer related biomarkers. We demonstrate this technique can be used to detect biomarkers that successfully distinguish patients with pancreatic cancer from those with benign pancreatic disease, such as pancreatitis, as well as healthy individuals. What makes dielectrophoresis different from other vesicle recovery techniques is that it takes advantage of the large contrast in the dielectric properties between the vesicles and the surrounding plasma. The dielectrophoretic force preferentially draws vesicles to an electrode array at the bottom of a microfluidic chip where they are held in place allowing a fluidic wash to remove the bulk plasma. The vesicles are concentrated at the electrode edge thereby increasing the signal to noise ratio of the fluorescent immunostaining signal and placing the particles in known locations allowing for automated detection and quantification of biomarker levels. This technique takes 30 min to complete, requires 30-50 µl of plasma, and can be highly automated to reduce labor effort making it a promising technology for future translation into the clinical laboratory setting and enabling the use of extracellular vesicles and exosomes for diagnostic applications. Citation Format: Augusta Modestino, Jesus Bueno Alvarez, Michael Heller, Stuart Ibsen. Detection of pancreatic cancer using rapid dielectrophoresis based recovery of tumor derived extra cellular vesicles and exosomes from plasma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 4603.
Fabrication of Aptamer‐Modified Paper Electrochemical Devices for On‐site Biosensing

Electrochemical aptamer-based (E-AB) sensors offer a powerful and general means for analyte detection in complex samples for various applications. Paper-based E-AB sensors could enable portable, low-cost, and rapid detection of a broad range of targets, but it has proven challenging to fabricate suitable three-electrode systems on paper. Here, we demonstrate a simple, economic, and environmentally-friendly strategy for fabricating aptamer-modified paper electrochemical devices (PEDs) via ambient vacuum filtration. The electrode material, shape, size, and thickness of the three-electrode PED system can be fully customized. We developed aptamer-modified PEDs that enable sensitive and specific detection of small molecules in minimally processed biosamples. The sensitivity and stability of the PEDs is comparable to E-AB sensors based on commercial gold electrodes. We believe our fabrication strategy can lead to the development of high performance PEDs that enable on-site detection of a variety of analytes, simplifying the development of portable sensors for real-world applications.
A challenging case of catatonia during pregnancy

Abstract Co-occurring pregnancy and catatonia is a challenging combination to treat as the first line treatment for catatonia, benzodiazepines, have been shown to have negative effects on a fetus. ECT is another recommended treatment in this patient population but was not available on admission. The patient was treated with risperidone and lorazepam, which was deemed ineffective, and memantine was started. Shortly after, ECT became available and in combination with memantine, catatonia was treated effectively.
The Algebra of $$ {{\mathbf{SL}}_3}\left( \mathbb{C} \right) $$ Conformal Blocks

We construct and study a family of toric degenerations of the Cox ring of the moduli of quasi-parabolic principal SL3( $$ \mathbb{C} $$ ) bundles on a smooth, marked curve (C, $$ \vec{p} $$ ): Elements of this algebra have a well known interpretation as conformal blocks, from the Wess-Zumino-Witten model of conformal field theory. For the genus 0; 1 cases we find the level of conformal blocks necessary to generate the algebra. In the genus 0 case we also find bounds on the degrees of relations required to present the algebra. As a consequence we obtain a toric degeneration for the projective coordinate ring of an effective divisor on the moduli $$ {{\mathcal{M}}_{{C,\vec{p}}}}\left( {\mathrm{S}{{\mathrm{L}}_3}\left( \mathbb{C} \right)} \right) $$ of quasi-parabolic principal SL3( $$ \mathbb{C} $$ ) bundles on (C, $$ \vec{p} $$ ). Along the way we recover positive polyhedral rules for counting conformal blocks.
Determining Near Point of Convergence: Exploring a Component of the Vestibular/Ocular Motor Screen Comparing Varied Target Sizes

# Background Near point of convergence (NPC), a component of the Vestibular Ocular Motor Screening (VOMS) assessment, may be helpful in diagnosing concussion. The VOMS uses a standardized approach to measure NPC; however, methods of screening for NPC are not standardized. # Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine whether four different methods of measuring NPC yielded different estimates. # Study Design Descriptive within-subjects laboratory study. # Level of Evidence Level 3. # Methods Healthy recreational athletes participated in a comparison of 4 commonly used methods of measuring NPC: a 12-point font target, the VOMS (14-point font target), the tip of a black pen, and the Bernell Vergel^TM^ device (9-point font target). The order of the presentation of the 4 targets was randomized. # Results Seventy-five participants (59 females, 16 males; mean \[SD\] age=21.0 [6.12] years) completed 3 trials. The mean (SD) of the 900 NPC measurements was 7.11 (3.67) cm. Measurements for all targets had excellent reliability (r=0.94 to 0.98). In a comparative analysis, participant age was associated with NPC (*p*<0.01) and was covaried. The NPCs derived from both the 12-point and 14-point font targets were smaller than NPCs from the tip of the black pen and the 9-point font device (*p*<0.01). Measurements between the tip of the black pen and the 9-point font device (*p*=0.25) and between the 12-point and 14-point font targets (*p*=0.84) did not differ. # Conclusions The method used to measure NPC as a screening test for concussion should be standardized because the estimate differs depending on the technique chosen. The current study supports previous findings that the type of target used to measure NPC should be standardized for concussion assessment. # Clinical Relevance Screening of NPC should be standardized for concussion assessment to improve the reliability of NPC testing.
650-V 4H-SiC Planar Inversion-Channel Power JBSFETs With 55-nm Gate Oxide: Relative Performance of Three Cell Types

Planar 650-V 4H-silicon carbide (SiC), inversion-channel, 55-nm gate oxide junction barrier Schottky field effect transistors (JBSFETs) with three types of cells are compared in this article for the first time. Devices with linear, hexagonal, and octagonal layouts were fabricated in a commercial foundry. The JBS diode was integrated within each cell type. The Schottky contact width for the JBS diode was adjusted to optimize third-quadrant ON-state voltage drop to below 2.5 V for each cell type to ensure by-passing the body diode while maintaining good blocking characteristics in the first quadrant. The hexagonal cell case was the only one whose breakdown voltage (560 V) fell below the 650-V rating. The highest breakdown voltage (710 V) was observed with the octagonal cell layout with a low leakage current of 10 nA at 600 V. The lowest specific ON-resistance was observed for the hexagonal cell design. However, its gate–drain charge was twice that of the conventional linear cell design and four times that of the octagonal cell design. The data from this work demonstrate that the best overall performance for the 650-V SiC, inversion-channel, 55-nm gate oxide junction barrier Schottky field effect transistors is achieved by using the octagonal cell design.
Laboratory reflectance spectra of clay minerals mixed with Mars analog materials: Toward enabling quantitative clay abundances from Mars spectra

Abstract Quantitative estimates of clay minerals on the martian surface, via remote sensing observations, provide constraints on activity, timing, duration, and extent of aqueous processes and the geochemical environment in martian history. We describe an analytical study to begin enabling quantitative estimates of phyllosilicates when mixed with martian analog materials. We characterize the chemistry, mineralogy, particle size distribution, and reflectance spectra of the end-member materials: saponite, montmorillonite, pyroxene, and palagonitic soil. Reflectance spectra were obtained for physical mixtures of saponite and montmorillonite with pyroxene, and saponite with palagonitic soil. We analyzed the diagnostic phyllosilicate spectral signatures in the 2.2–2.4 μm wavelength region in detail for the mixtures. This involved fitting the observed ∼2.3 or ∼2.2 μm band depth, associated with the presence of saponite and montmorillonite, respectively, as a function of the abundance of these materials in the mixtures. Based upon the band depth of the spectral features we find that 3–5 wt.% of the clay minerals in the mixture with pyroxene can be recognized and at 25 wt.% their presence is indisputable in the mixtures. When the saponite is mixed with the lower albedo palagonitic soil, its presence is clearly distinguishable via the 1.4 and 2.3 μm features at 25 wt.% abundance. These relationships, between abundance and band depth, provide an ability to quantitatively address the amount of these materials in mixtures. The trends described here provide guidance for estimating the presence of phyllosilicates in matrices on the martian surface.
Programmable conductance switching and negative differential resistance in nanoscale organic films

Thin (12-nm) self-assembled films of the insulating molecule 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid (MUA) were contacted by gold electrodes in a sandwich structure. Current-voltage scans of the resulting devices revealed symmetric negative differential resistance (NDR) with peaks at ±3 V and large peak current densities of up to 10 4 A/cm 2 . Devices could be programmed reversibly into nonvolatile high- and low-conductance states by applying 1-ms voltage pulses of 4 V and 10 V, respectively; this conductance could be probed non-destructively with voltages below 2.5 V. A conductance ratio of 10 3 between the high- and low-conductance states was measured. The NDR is attributed to the dynamic alteration of the device conductivity as the voltage is scanned. Devices fabricated with one gold and one aluminum electrode displayed NDR only for positive bias on the gold electrode, which supports a model in which the observed programming and NDR is due to the movement of gold in the film leading to the formation and destruction of conductive pathways through the insulating layer.
YOUTUBE, TWITTER AND THE OCCUPY MOVEMENT: Connecting content and circulation practices

Videos stored on YouTube served as a valuable set of communicative resources for publics interested in the Occupy movement. This article explores this loosely bound media ecology, focusing on how and what types of video content are shared and circulated across both YouTube and Twitter. Developing a novel data-collection methodology, a population of videos posted to YouTube with Occupy-related metadata or circulated on Twitter alongside Occupy-related keywords during the month of November 2011 was assembled. In addition to harvesting metadata related to view count and video ratings on YouTube and the number of times a video was tweeted, a probability sample of 1100 videos was hand coded, with an emphasis on classifying video genre and type, borrowed sources of content, and production quality. The novelty of the data set and the techniques adapted for analysing it allow one to take an important step beyond cataloging Occupy-related videos to examine whether and how videos are circulated on Twitter. A variet...
Depth-dependent sampling to identify short-circuit pathways to public-supply wells in multiple aquifer settings in the United States

Depth-dependent water-quality and borehole flow data were used to determine where and how contamination enters public-supply wells (PSWs) at study sites in different principal aquifers of the United States. At each of three study sites, depth-dependent samples and wellbore flow data were collected from multiple depths in selected PSWs under pumping conditions. The chemistry of these depth-dependent samples, along with samples of the surface discharge from the PSWs, was compared to that of adjacent nested monitoring wells. The results of depth-dependent analyses from sites in Modesto (California), York (Nebraska), and Tampa (Florida) are summarized and compared. Although the exact mechanisms for transport of contaminants to the PSWs varied among these hydrogeologic settings, in all three settings the presence of wells or boreholes or natural preferential flow paths allowed water and contaminants to bypass substantial portions of the aquifer and to reach PSWs or depths in the aquifer more quickly than would have occurred in the absence of these short-circuiting flow paths. The chemistry and flow data from multiple depths was essential to developing an understanding of the dominant flow paths of contaminants to PSW in all three settings. This knowledge contributes to developing effective strategies for monitoring and protection.
Secure commerce on the Internet

Introduction: Background and History of the Internet. Internet Commerce: TCP/IP and the Internet. World Wide Web. Commerce on the Web. Internet Security: Security Breaches. Security Issues and Concepts. Internet Security. Firewalls. Secure Commerce: Model of Secure Commerce. User Certification. Web Security. Online Banking. Secure Payments. Secure Commerce. Glossary of Internet Terms.
Hole-drilling strain-gage method of measuring residual stresses

The hole-drilling strain-gage method of measuring residual stresses in elastic materials can be termed semidestructive if holes of very small diameters are used. The method permits the magnitudes and principal directions of residual stresses at the hole location to be determined. This is accomplished by means of an emirpically determined relation between the magnitudes and directions of the principal stresses and the strain relaxation about the hole as the hole is drilled. This relation was obtained for a nondimensional model of the hole-gage assembly in order to make the results independent of hole size. A generalization was postulated to extend the use of this calibrated solution to the measurement of residual stresses in all elastic, isotropic materials.
Early development of a somatosensory fovea: a head start in the cortical space race?

Star-nosed moles have 11 mechanosensory appendages surrounding each nostril, and primary afferents from a single appendage—the tactile fovea—are greatly over-represented in somatosensory cortex. It was found that the foveal appendage led development in the periphery, had the greatest innervated surface area in embryos, and developed mature nerve terminals and epidermal sensory organs first; also, in developing cortex, markers for metabolic activity (cytochrome oxidase) appeared first in the fovea representation. This developmental sequence may provide the fovea with an advantage in a competition for cortical space, and account for the much larger areas of cortex devoted to foveal afferents.
‘Holding up Half of the Sky’? A Sociocultural Comparison of Gender-Role Portrayals in Chinese and US Advertising

Considering advertising as a social actor and cultural artefact, this article analyses the gender roles portrayed in a total of 667 Chinese and US television commercials from 1996. Results show tha...
Moderate to vigorous physical activity interactions with genetic variants and body mass index in a large US ethnically diverse cohort.

Summary What is already known about this subject Genome-Wide Association Studies have successfully identified numerous genetic loci that influence body mass index in European-descent middle-aged adults. Adolescence is a high-risk period for the development of adult obesity and severe obesity. Physical activity is one of the most promising behavioural candidates for preventing and reducing weight gain, particularly among youth. What this study adds An examination of the joint association between 41 of the well-established obesity susceptibility single-nucleotide polymorphisms with <5 vs. ≥5 bouts of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) per week in relation to body mass index (BMI)-for-age Z-score in a nationally representative sample of European American, African–American and Hispanic American adolescents. Three nominally significant interactions (P < 0.05) varied by race/ethnicity. Overall, the estimated effect of the risk allele on BMI-for-age Z-score was greater in individuals with <5 than those with ≥5 bouts MVPA per week. Background Little is known about the interaction between genetic and behavioural factors during lifecycle risk periods for obesity and how associations vary across race/ethnicity. Objective The objective of this study was to examine joint associations of adiposity-related single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) with body mass index (BMI) in a diverse adolescent cohort. Methods Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (n = 8113: Wave II 1996; ages 12–21, Wave III; ages 18–27), we assessed interactions of 41 well-established SNPs and MVPA with BMI-for-age Z-scores in European Americans (EA; n = 5077), African–Americans (AA; n = 1736) and Hispanic Americans (HA; n = 1300). Results Of 97 assessed, we found nominally significant SNP–MVPA interactions on BMI-for-age Z-score in EA at GNPDA2 and FTO and in HA at LZTR2/SEC16B. In EA, the estimated effect of the FTO risk allele on BMI-for-age Z-score was lower (β = −0.13; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.08, 0.18) in individuals with ≥5 vs. <5 (β = 0.24; CI: 0.16, 0.32) bouts of MVPA per week (P for interaction 0.02). Race/ethnicity-pooled meta-analysis showed nominally significant interactions for SNPs at TFAP2B, POC5 and LYPLAL1. Conclusions High MVPA may attenuate underlying genetic risk for obesity during adolescence, a high-risk period for adult obesity.
Distinguishing left or right temporal lobe epilepsy from controls using fractional anisotropy asymmetry analysis

This paper presents an automatic fractional anisotropy (FA) asymmetry analysis and applies it to determine the FA asymmetry (FAA) changes associated with the sides of seizure origin of patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). All the control and patient images are first normalized onto the JHU-DTI-MNI atlas using a simultaneous deformable DTI registration algorithm, and the FA images are warped accordingly. Then, the tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) algorithm is employed to quantify the FA on white matter (WM) skeletons, which are divided into different sections by overlapping with the 102 WM regions defined by the atlas. The FAA values, i.e., the relative differences of each WM skeleton section pair, are calculated. Statistical analysis is then performed to identify the regions that significantly contributed to the group differences between control and left/right TLE, as well as between left and right TLE. The results indicate that FAA correlates with the side of seizure origin, and those of certain regions are significantly different between normal controls and left or right TLE. The quantitative results can be useful for pre-surgical evaluation of TLE patients and for better understanding of the relationship between fiber tracts with the site of origin of TLE, EEG tests, the syndromes and neural psychological responses.