cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Model-Free Prediction Principle

The problem of prediction is revisited with a view towards going beyond the typical nonparametric setting and reaching a fully model-free environment for predictive inference, i.e., point predictors and predictive intervals. A basic principle of Model-free prediction is laid out based on the notion of transforming a given setup into one that is easier to work with, namely i.i.d. or Gaussian. The Model-Free Prediction Principle is defined, and its applicability to different settings is outlined.
Research on External Governance of Closed Loop Supply Chain Based on Circular Economy

With the development of information technology,the enhanced consciousness of environmental protection and economic globalization,in many countries both government and enterprises realize the importance of promoting circular economy and closed-loop supply chain.This paper researches on the exterior governance of closed-loop supply chain.The conclusion is that government being the principal part of governance,its objective is to undertake closed-loop supply chain.The governing measures include supervising regulation and participating regulation for exterior governance.
Pathogenesis of AIDS--related Kaposi's sarcoma.

Our arsenals for fighting off bacteria are so powerful, and involve so many different defense mechanisms, that we are in more danger from them than the invaders. We live in the midst of explosive devices; we are mined.
Problems of the upper extremity in gymnastics.

The majority of upper extremity problems experienced by gymnasts are not considered injuries but are regarded as consequences of the sport. Treatment of these problems should include treatment of not only the injury but also the cause. This requires the cooperation of the gymnast, his or her coach, and a physician familiar with the demands placed upon the upper extremity in gymnastics. The level of a gymnast's capabilities must be recognized. Improper techniques must be corrected. Emphasis must be placed on rehabilitation for shoulder problems and strengthening exercises for the elbow and wrist in attempt to decrease the symptoms from repeated forced extension. In the words of Peter Kormann, an Olympic medalist in gymnastics, "All gymnasts work out and compete with ongoing problems in their upper extremities. These problems are only considered serious injuries when the gymnast can no longer compete."
Solid-State Reactions of Silver and Aluminum Associated with Silver Wire Bonds

In recent years, Ag alloy wire has attracted great interest as a novel bonding material to replace the conventional Au wire bonding. Ag wire has the advantages of great workability, high electrical conductivity and low growth rate of intermetallic compound at bonding interface. However, in literatures, studies on mechanisms of the growth of Ag-Al intermetallic compounds and their impact on bonding failure are rather limited. In this study, the growth behavior of the Ag-Al intermetallic compounds during the solid-state reactive diffusion in Ag/Al/Si bonding system was investigated. The Ag/Al/Si layered structure was prepared by using e-beam deposition technique and annealed at temperatures of 200-400°C for various times. Two types of intermetallic compound layers formed at the Ag/Al interface and were identified as Ag3Al and Ag2Al. The phase evolution of Ag3Al and Ag2Al was quantitatively analyzed by scanning electron microscope/energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDX) and by using the phase diagram of binary Ag-Al. After thermal aging at 400°C, cracks formed at the interface between the Ag2Al intermetallic compounds and Si substrates. The formation mechanisms of the Ag2Al and Ag3Al intermetallic compounds are proposed, and the growth kinetics of Ag-Al intermetallic compounds are discussed in this study.
Polish trade unions and social dumping debates between a rock and a hard place

This article examines the stances of Polish trade unions on EU enlargement, intra-EU labour mobility and EU service market liberalization. It shows that, despite the liberal rhetoric embraced by mainstream media and successive Polish governments, the country’s labour organizations did not lend their support to the logic of low-cost competitiveness. The article accounts for this stance by referring to the insider-outsider theorem. It argues that whereas transnationally mobile workers and self-employed individuals (the ‘outsiders’) could make use of short-term cost advantages, the domestic workforce (the ‘insiders’) benefited from the gradual improvement of employment conditions in Poland and their convergence with western standards. The desire to cater to the interests of the insiders made the unions reject social dumping and defend the west European social ‘archetype’ to which their countrymen aspired.
New World Courtships: Transatlantic Alternatives to Companionate Marriage, by Melissa M. Adams-Campbell: Hanover: Dartmouth College Press, 2015

In New World Courtships: Transatlantic Alternatives to Companionate Marriage, Adams-Campbell questions the use of a monolithic marriage plot in literary scholarship on women’s rights, the rise of t...
Endoscopic Evaluation of Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are the most common mesenchymal tumors arising from the gastrointestinal tract. GISTs can occur in any segment of the gastrointestinal tract from the distal esophagus to the anus, but they are most common in the stomach. The presence of c-KIT staining is a strong and universal marker of GISTs. Approximately 70 % patients with GISTs have some clinical symptoms, including gastrointestinal bleeding, manifested as melena, hematemesis, or bright red blood per rectum. Most GISTs are incidentally detected during endoscopic examinations. Endoscopic features are usually insufficient for the diagnosis of GISTs. Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) has become an important diagnostic tool for the evaluation of subepithelial lesions such as GISTs. EUS-guided sampling of GISTs is the preferred technique for histological diagnosis. The capability of endoscopic ultrasonography-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) for biopsy of GISTs is better than any other well-accepted method. The EUS-guided Tru-cut core biopsy technique provides a grossly visible sample of tissue, but it has some technical disadvantages. The curative treatment of GISTs is still complete surgical resection. However, optimal endoscopic treatment along with imatinib remains controversial. Advanced resection techniques by endoscopic devices, including endoscopic submucosal resection, endoscopic submucosal tunnel dissection, and endoscopic-laparoscopic combined approach, have been used in the treatment of GISTs.
Reproduction of Lake Trout Morphotypes at Isle Royale in Northern Lake Superior

AbstractThe reproductive biology of male and female lean, siscowet, redfin, and humper Lake Trout Salvelinus namaycush was assessed by measuring the gonadosomatic index (GSI) and by histological analysis of the gonads over 2 years from spring to fall at sites surrounding Isle Royale National Park, Lake Superior. Whole livers, otoliths, and ovaries were also collected to measure hepatosomatic index (HSI), age, and fecundity. In general, GSIs increased from spring to summer in male and female siscowets, leans, redfins, and humpers, and this was accompanied by a large increase in the number of vitellogenic (>2.0 mm) follicles in females. Postspawned ovaries and regressing testes were predominant in all morphotypes by October but were also observed in September, indicating that some spawning occurred at least by September. Further, preovulatory siscowet females (GSIs > 10) and siscowet males with fully mature and even regressing testes were observed in the spring and summer, indicating that spawning occurs at...
CRISPR/Cas9 Gene Drive: Growing Pains for a New Technology.

In this commentary, Floyd Reed discusses [Unckless et al. (2017)][1], “[Evolution of resistance against CRISPR/Cas9 gene drive][2],” which was published in the February issue of GENETICS. The challenge in genetic pest management of designing gene drive systems that push desired genetic
Is successful resection following neoadjuvant radiation therapy for borderline resectable pancreatic cancer dependent on improved tumor-vessel relationships?

4057 Background: Margin-negative (R0) surgical resection is the only potentially curative therapy for pancreatic cancer. For patients deemed borderline resectable (BL), neoadjuvant chemoradiotherap...
Between the Interior and the Artifactual: Reading the Ci Space

This article ventures a new approach to capture the subtlety of the shi / ci distinctions by reading and comparing the representation of space in shi and ci , an approach that avoids traditional Chinese impressionism, on the one hand, and superficial Western formalism, on the other. The author focuses on two basic loci of "private" space as represented in shi and ci , the boudoir and garden—one sexualized, forbidden, and private, and the other natural, culturally sanctioned, and constructed, but also private in certain ways regarding ownership. These two major categories alone, though not sufficient to cover the entire spectrum of the ci space, could provide a meaningful framework to show how the generic qualities of ci are most sharply and immediately distinguished as effects of a lyrical construction of certain "private" space.
On becoming a geometry teacher: a longitudinal case study of one teacher learning to teach proof

xi CHAPTER 1 : INTRODUCTION 1 Research Questions 7 Overview of the Study 8 CHAPTER 2 : LITERATURE REVIEW 10 New Teacher Induction 11 The Induction Phase 11 Knowledge for Teaching 13 Curriculum in School Mathematics 18 Interactions between Beliefs, Curriculum, and Practice 20 Curriculum Adaptation 22 Curricular Knowledge, Curriculum Vision, and Curriculum Trust 23 The Role of Tasks in Mathematics Classrooms 25 Proof in the Geometry Curriculum 27 Mathematical Proof 30 Overview of the Categories of Study 30 “Doing Proof” in School Mathematics 32 Classroom Discourse 38 Classroom Talk in Mathematics Classrooms 40 Discourse Moves 42 Summary 52 CHAPTER 3 : METHOD AND PROCEDURES 54 Theoretical Perspectives 54 Ethnography 54 Discourse Analysis 56 Pairing Ethnography with Discourse Analysis 57 Guiding Questions 58 Context of the Study 58 Gaining Access to the Site 58
From Faces to Prosocial Behavior: Cues, Tools, and Mechanisms:

In this review, we ask how looking at people’s faces can influence prosocial behaviors toward them. Components of this process have been studied in two disparate literatures: one focused on the perception of faces and judgments based on them, using both psychological and neuroscience approaches, and a second focused on actual social behaviors as studied in behavioral economics and decision science. Bridging these disciplines requires a mechanistic account of how processing of particular face attributes or features influences social judgments and behaviors. We review these two lines of research and suggest that combining some of their methodological tools may reveal the bridging mechanistic explanations.
Parenting and Emerging Adult Internalizing Problems: Regional Differences Suggest Southern Parenting Factor

Although the effects of parenting styles have received much consideration in the research literature, less attention has been given to outcomes in emerging adults. Also, regional differences among areas of the United States may influence parents to use varying degrees of parenting practices such as affection and discipline. The current study investigated the differences in parenting in two geographically close yet distinct regions of the United States and the associated psychological outcomes in emerging adults. The sample was derived from two datasets: one consisting of participants predominantly from Southern states and one predominantly from Florida. The participants reported on maternal and paternal perceived parenting styles and discipline tactics as well as their own internalizing problems. Most notably, authoritative style of both parents shared a direct relationship with authoritarian style in the Southern sample, whereas this was an inverse relationship in the Florida sample. Maternal authoritarian parenting shared a negative relationship with internalizing symptoms in the Mississippi sample, whereas this relationship was positive in the Florida sample. Additionally, paternal permissive parenting shared a negative relationship with internalizing symptoms in the Florida sample, whereas no relationship was found in the Mississippi sample. For both samples, paternal, not maternal, corporal punishment and maternal, not paternal, psychological aggression were related positively to emerging adult internalizing problems. Overall, it was found that both parenting characteristics as well as associated outcomes differed by region, suggesting the need for increased awareness and sensitivity to these differences.
Genetic Influence on Brain Catecholamines: High Brain Noradrenaline in Salt-Sensitive Rats

1. Rats genetically sensitive to salt-induced hypertension showed higher levels of plasma noradrenaline and adrenaline than rats genetically resistant to hypertension. 2. The hypertension-sensitive rats had higher hypothalamic noradrenaline and lower adrenaline than resistant rats. 3. In response to a high salt diet brain-stem noradrenaline increased in sensitive rats and resistant rats exhibited a decrease on the same diet.
Genetic predisposition to bevacizumab-induced hypertension

Abstract Objective Bevacizumab, a monoclonal antibody to VEGF, has shown efficacy in ovarian, cervical and endometrial cancer in addition to several other solid tumors. Serious side effects include hypertension, proteinuria, bowel perforation, and thrombosis. We tested the hypothesis that genetic variation in hypertension-associated genes is associated with bevacizumab-induced hypertension (BIH). Methods Patients with solid tumors treated with bevacizumab in combination with other therapy were identified from six clinical trials. Haplotype-tagging (ht) SNPs for 10 candidate genes associated with hypertension were identified through the International Hapmap Project. Germline DNA was genotyped for 103 htSNPs using mass spectrometry. Bevacizumab toxicities were identified from clinical trial reports. Haplotypes were reconstructed from diploid genotyping data and frequencies were compared using standard two-sided statistical tests. Results The study included 114 patients with breast, lung, ovarian, or other cancers, of whom 38 developed BIH. WNK1 , KLKB1 , and GRK4 were found to contain single loci associated with BIH. Haplotype analysis of WNK1 , KLKB1 , and GRK4 identified risk haplotypes in each gene associated with grade 3/4 BIH. A composite risk model was created based on these haplotypes. Patients with the highest risk score were the most likely to develop grade 3/4 BIH (OR=6.45; P =0.005; 95%CI, 1.86–22.39). Conclusions We concluded that genetic variation in WNK1 , KLKB1 , and GRK4 may be associated with BIH. These genes are biologically plausible mediators due to their role in blood pressure control, regulating sodium homeostasis and vascular tone. This preliminary risk model performed better than population-based risk models and when further validated may help risk-stratify patients for BIH prior to initiating therapy.
Melissa A. Goldthwaite, ed. Food, Feminisms, Rhetorics. Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press, 2017. 280 pages. $40.00 paperback.

To teach food as a written art form is to teach a part of what it means to be human. Through the record of food traditions, culture and history are transmitted as well as transformed—practices of s...
Crop Water Use and Crop Coefficients of Maize in the Great Plains

AbstractMaize water use was measured by water balance in a 6-year field trial in the west-central Great Plains of the United States. Seasonal water use of the 102-day maturity class variety varied ...
Good Order and Workable Arrangements: Lon Fuller's Critique of Legal Positivism

Lon Fuller engaged in a lifelong crusade against legal positivism. His target was broadly conceived and included three dimensions of positivism: analytical (the relation between fact and value), methodological (the adequacy of science to understand human society), and governmental (the purpose of legal ordering in civic life). This essay - written for the Cambridge Companion to Legal Positivism - explores these three dimensions, using new materials available in the Harvard Law School archives and my access to Fuller's personal library, to elaborate Fuller's concerns about positivism and to illuminate the alternative conceptions of law and society that he favored.
Calmodulin binding to Drosophila NinaC required for termination of phototransduction

The ninaC locus encodes two unconventional myosins, p132 and p174, consisting of fused protein kinase and myosin head domains expressed in Drosophila photoreceptor cells. NinaC are the major calmodulin-binding proteins in the retina and the NinaC-calmodulin interaction is required for the normal subcellular localization of calmodulin as well as for normal photo-transduction. In the current report, we present evidence for two calmodulin-binding sites in NinaC, C1 and C2, which have different in vitro binding properties. C1 was found to be common to both p132 and p174 while C2 was unique to p174. To address the requirements for calmodulin binding at each site in vivo, we generated transgenic flies expressing ninaC genes deleted for either C1 or C2. We found that the spatial localization of calmodulin depended on binding to both C1 and C2. Furthermore, mutation of either site resulted in a defective photoresponse. A prolonged depolarization afterpotential (PDA) was elicited at lower light intensities than necessary to produce a PDA in wild-type flies. These results suggest that calmodulin binding to both C1 and C2 is required in vivo for termination of phototransduction.
̇QOOH-mediated reactions in cyclohexene oxidation

Abstract Multiplexed photoionization mass spectrometry (MPIMS) is utilized to examine reaction mechanisms of QOOH radicals derived from cyclohexene, a primary intermediate in low-temperature oxidation of cyclohexane, in order to assess the influence of a single C=C bond in a cyclic hydrocarbon on reactions relevant to chain-branching. The experiments were conducted using Cl-initiated oxidation at 10 Torr and from 500 to 700 K; [O2]0 remained fixed at 3 ⋅1016 cm–3. To complement the experiments, ab initio calculations of single point energies on the potential energy surfaces (PES) of cyclohex-1-en-3-peroxy and cyclohex-1-en-4-peroxy were conducted at the CBS-QB3 level of theory. In total, single point energies for 32 pathways were calculated across four surfaces, accounting for axial/equatorial conformers of ROȮ. The combined experimental and computational results confirm that cyclohexene – a primary intermediate of cyclohexane oxidation – undergoes complex QOOH-mediated chemistry. The main results from the experiments and calculations include: (i) Ketohydroperoxide formation is identified by exact mass measurements (m/z 128.047, C6H8O3). Notably, the measured photoionization spectra are nearly identical to those of analogous species formed in n-butane and cyclohexane oxidation. Single point energy calculations reveal that, relative to the equivalent pathway in cyclohexane oxidation, resonance-stabilization in the γ-QOOH radical cyclohex-1-en-3-yl-5-hydroperoxy decreases the barrier for ROȮ → QOOH isomerization by 8.3 kcal/mol, yet increases the barrier for unimolecular QOOH decomposition by a similar amount. The net effect is facilitation of QOOH + O2 reactions and subsequent ketohydroperoxide formation, evident by the observation of C6H8O3 despite [O2] of only ∼1016 cm–3, approximately 102 lower than in prior measurements in n-butane and cyclohexane oxidation. The same effect also occurs for resonance-stabilized β-QOOH. (ii) Co-products from chain-propagating ȮH-formation via QOOH decomposition were measured directly, including 3,4-epoxycyclohex-1-ene and 4,5-epoxycyclohex-1-ene. Evidence for QOOH ring-opening to hexa-3,5-dienal is also observed experimentally and supported by adiabatic ionization energy calculations. Other products from ring-opening reactions were identified, including ethene, formaldehyde, 1,3-butadiene, acrolein, and 3-butenal, and potential reaction mechanisms are postulated.
EFFECTS OF SMOKING ON OXY- AND CARBOXYHEMOGLOBIN (0 2 Hb%, COHb%) IN THE PREGNANT EWE AND FETUS

Smoking during pregnancy leads to lower birthweights in infants, possibly due to displacement of oxygen from maternal and fetal hemoglobin by carbon monoxide. We measured maternal and fetal O2Hb% and COHb% saturation in 4 pregnant ewes after a single smoke using reference tobacco (T), marijuana (M), or marijuana placebo (p) cigarettes. Femoral artery catheters were implanted into ewes and fetuses at 130 days gestation. At 133-140 days, fetal and maternal O2Hb% and COHb% saturations were determined before, during, and for 24 hr after a continuous 10 min exposure to T, M, or P delivered to the standing ewe through an open-ended tracheal T-tube. The sequence of exposure to T (n=4), M (n=3), and P (n=3) was randomized with >48 hr recovery between exposures. Data (mean±SD) were analyzed by ANOVA and, if p <0.05, a multiple comparison procedure was performed. After the 10 min. smoke, maternal O2Hb% dropped from 94±1 to < 92 ± 1 for 2 hr. Maternal COHb% rose from 2.0 ± 0.5 to a peak of 6.3 ± 2 at 15 min, and slowly returned to baseline by 6 hours. Fetal COHb% dropped from 41 ± 11 to 32 ± 11 and remained depressed for 1 hr after the smoke, thus representing an approximate 20% drop in O2 carrying capacity. Fetal COHb% rose steadily from 4.8 ± 0.5 and did not peak until 3-6 hr after the smoke at 6.1 ± 1. All three smoke-types caused decreases in maternal and fetal O2Hb%. T appeared to raise COHb higher than M or P. We conclude that smoking decreases O2 content in the fetus and speculate that multiple exposures would prolong this O2 deficit. The fetus eliminates carbon monoxide much more slowly than the ewe.
Incidence and Outcomes of Pituitary Microadenomas in Children with Short Stature/Growth Hormone Deficiency.

Background/aims Patients with short stature (SS)/growth hormone deficiency (GHD) and precocious puberty (PP) undergo brain MRI to evaluate for structural brain abnormalities or pituitary lesions, and pituitary microadenomas are a common finding. Theoretically, a mass effect from these lesions could cause GHD and growth hormone treatment could cause them to enlarge, but they should not cause PP, at least in females. Methods We investigated if pituitary microadenomas cause GHD by comparing their incidence in patients with SS/GHD to that in females with PP. We performed a retrospective chart review of patients with these disorders who had a brain MRI between 2000 and 2013. Results The incidence of microadenoma was high in both groups, 18.5% for SS (n = 346) and 21.1% for PP females (n = 194), but did not differ between groups (p = 0.46). In patients with microadenomas, repeat imaging showed resolution in 58% (SS, n = 33) and 67% (PP females, n = 21). Importantly, none of the lesions grew, even in patients treated with growth hormone. Conclusions Pituitary microadenomas are common in children with GHD/SS and PP, but it does not appear that they are a cause of GHD. They appear to be of limited clinical significance and should not be considered a contraindication to growth hormone therapy.
Imperatives under coordination

Imperatives in conjoined sentences have presented a puzzle for theories which associate directive force with all imperatives. For example, in a conjunction like Ignore your homework and you’ll fail the class, the first, imperative conjunct may describe an undesirable action, which is incompatible with normal imperative directive force. Despite this apparent counterexample, this paper presents new empirical evidence of directive force in all conjoined imperatives. Even cases with undesirable imperative actions still direct the addressee to perform a related action (such as not ignoring their homework). Under this new analysis, directive force sometimes applies to the entire Imperative-and-Declarative conjunction, rather than narrowly to the first, imperative clause. Robust diagnostics are deployed to delineate the precise class of conditional Imperative-and-Declarative conjunctions, distinguishing such cases from those whose first clauses do not actually include an imperative. Additional diagnostics separate conjunctions whose imperative force applies narrowly to the first conjunct from those where it applies to the entire conjunction. Finally, the analysis of this construction motivates a simplified theory of imperatives more generally.
Fundamentality, Explanation, and the Unity of Science

The four key attributes of a fundamental explanatory structure are: irreducibility, generality, commensurability, and fertility. Because reductionism ultimately fails as an explanation of all things, a mutually commensurable set of fundamental ideas is required, as opposed to a single fundamental Theory of Everything. However, the unity of science is insured by the commensurable interrelationships between these fundamental (and thus irreducible) explanatory structures.
Thioarsenite Detection and Implications for Arsenic Transport in Groundwater

Arsenic toxicity and mobility in groundwater depend on its aqueous speciation. Uncertainty about the methods used for measuring arsenic speciation in sulfate-reducing environments hampers transport...
The Potential Impact of Plastic Surgery Expertise on Body Contouring Procedure Outcomes.

BACKGROUND With the increasing demand for body contouring procedures in the United States over the past 2 decades, more surgeons with diverse specialty training are performing these procedures. However, little is known regarding the comparative outcomes of these patients. OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to compare outcomes of body contouring procedures based on the specialty training of the surgeon. METHODS Data from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (2005-2015) were reviewed for all body contouring procedures. Patients were stratified by surgeon training (plastic surgery [PS] vs general surgery [GS]). Descriptive statistics and regression analyses were used to evaluate differences in outcomes. RESULTS A total of 11,658 patients were included; 9502 PS cases and 2156 GS cases. Most were women (90.4%), aged 40 to 59 (52.7%) and white (79.5%). Compared with PS patients, GS patients were more likely to be obese (61.4% vs 40.6%), smokers (13.6% vs 9.8%), and with ASA classification ≥3 (35.3% vs 18.6%) (all P < 0.001). Abdominal contouring procedures were the most common (76%) cases. Multivariate regression revealed that compared with PS cases, those performed by GS practitioners were associated with increased wound and infectious complications (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.81; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.44-2.27), reoperation (aOR, 1.85; 95% CI, 1.31-2.62), and predicted mean length of stay (1.12 days; 95% CI, 0.64-1.60 days). CONCLUSIONS The variable outcomes in body contouring procedures performed by PS compared with GS practitioners may imply procedural-algorithmic differences between the subspecialties, leading to the noted outcome differential. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 2
Organic resistance: the struggle over industrial farming in Postwar France

Vinas Bivar’s beautifully written fascinating book opens in 1945, when French agriculture still employed 36% of the active adult population, as compared with 5.5 in Great Britain, 16 in the USA and...
Where Do the Children Play

Where Do the Children Play? As a cardiology fellow and a surgery resident are redeployed to address the Covid-19 pandemic, one person close to them is bearing an unacknowledged burden of the crisis...
Pinniped Ontogeny as a Window into the Comparative Physiology and Genomics of Hypoxia Tolerance

Diving physiology has received considerable scientific attention as it is a central element of the extreme phenotype of marine mammals. Many scientific discoveries have illuminated physiological mechanisms supporting diving, such as massive, internally bound oxygen stores and dramatic cardiovascular regulation. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms that support the diving phenotype remain mostly unexplored as logistic and legal restrictions limit the extent of scientific manipulation possible. With next-generation sequencing (NGS) tools becoming more widespread and cost-effective, there are new opportunities to explore the diving phenotype. Genomic investigations come with their own challenges, particularly those including cross-species comparisons. Studying the regulatory pathways that underlie diving mammal ontogeny could provide a window into the comparative physiology of hypoxia tolerance. Specifically, in pinnipeds, which shift from terrestrial pups to elite diving adults, there is potential to characterize the transcriptional, epigenetic, and posttranslational differences between contrasting phenotypes while leveraging a common genome. Here we review the current literature detailing the maturation of the diving phenotype in pinnipeds, which has primarily been explored via biomarkers of metabolic capability including antioxidants, muscle fiber typing, and key aerobic and anaerobic metabolic enzymes. We also discuss how NGS tools have been leveraged to study phenotypic shifts within species through ontogeny, and how this approach may be applied to investigate the biochemical and physiological mechanisms that develop as pups become elite diving adults. We conclude with a specific example of the Antarctic Weddell seal by overlapping protein biomarkers with gene regulatory microRNA datasets.
The Impact of Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs on Older Adult Trauma Patients With Hip Fractures.

Abstract Background Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use is frequently recommended for multimodal analgesia to reduce opioid use. We hypothesized that increased NSAID utilization will decrease opioid requirements without leading to significant complications in older adult trauma patients undergoing hip fracture repair. Methods An observational cross-sectional cohort study of 190,057 adult trauma patients over a 6-y period (2008-2014) in the national Premier Healthcare Database was performed. Patients aged 65 or older undergoing femur repair and hip arthroplasty following fractures due to falls were analyzed. Primary outcome was opioid use, and secondary outcomes included transfusion requirements, length of stay (LOS), and organ system dysfunction. Continuous outcomes were analyzed using mixed-effect linear regression models to assess the effect of NSAIDs on the day of surgery. Fixed effects were included for patient and hospital characteristics, comorbidities, co-treatments, and surgery. Random intercepts for each hospital were included to control for clustering. Categorical outcomes were similarly analyzed using mixed-effect logistic regression models. Results NSAIDs decreased opioids prescribed (12.01 versus 11.43 morphine milligram equivalents) (odds ratio [OR], −0.23; confidence interval [CI] = −0.41, −0.06) without overall increased bleeding (40.83% versus 43.18%; OR, 1.02; CI = 0.99, 1.05). NSAIDs were associated with reduced LOS (5.61 versus 5.96 d; CI = −0.24, −0.12), intensive care unit admissions (9.73% versus 10.59%; OR, 0.91; CI = 0.86, 0.96), and pulmonary complications (OR, 0.88; CI = 0.83, 0.93). Additionally, there was a 21% prescribing variability based solely on hospital. Conclusions NSAIDs were associated with decreased opioid requirements, hospital LOS, and intensive care unit admissions in older adult trauma patients without overall increase in bleeding. NSAIDs should be considered in multimodal pain regimens, moreover, given prescribing variability guidelines are needed. Level of Evidence Level III, Prognostic.
A Comparative Study of Monopole and Microstrip Antennas for On-body Propagations Using a Dynamic Body Phantom Model

Human body motions can have a significant impact on on-body electromagnetic (EM) wave propagations and affect wireless body area network (WBAN) applications. A dynamic human body phantom model is used to study the effects of human body motion on on-body antenna performance. A monopole and microstrip antenna are placed on the human body phantom model and on human volunteers and antenna transmission $(\vert \pmb{S}_{\mathbf{21}}\vert)$ and reflection coefficients $(\vert \pmb{S}_{\mathbf{11}}\vert)$ are analyzed, showing similarity between the phantom model and human measurement and allowing for comparison of monopole and microstrip antenna performance during motion.
Distributed User Association in B5G Networks Using Early Acceptance Matching Game

We study distributed user association in 5G and beyond millimeter-wave enabled heterogeneous networks using matching theory. We propose a novel and efficient distributed matching game, called early acceptance (EA), which allows users to apply for association with their ranked-preference base station in a distributed fashion and get accepted as soon as they are in the base station’s preference list with available quota. Several variants of the EA matching game with preference list updating and reapplying are compared with the original and stability-optimal deferred acceptance (DA) matching game, which implements a waiting list at each base station and delays user association until the game finishes. We show that matching stability needs not lead to optimal performance in other metrics such as throughput. Analysis and simulations show that compared to DA, the proposed EA matching games achieve higher network throughput while exhibiting a significantly faster association process. Furthermore, the EA games either playing once or multiple times can reach closely the network utility of a centralized user association while having much lower complexity.
Estimating the energy expenditure of endotherms at the species level

The ability to account with precision for the quantitative variation in the basal rate of metabolism (BMR) at the species level is explored in four groups of endotherms: arvicoline rodents, ducks, ...
Osmotic Pressure and Swelling Behavior of Ionic Microcapsules

Ionic microcapsules are hollow shells of hydrogel, typically 10 1000 nm in radius, composed of cross-linked polymer networks that become charged and swollen in a good solvent. The ability of microcapsules to swell/deswell in response to changes in external stimuli (e.g., temperature, pH, ionic strength) suits them to applications, such as drug delivery, biosensing, and catalysis. Equilibrium swelling behavior of ionic microcapsules is determined by a balance of electrostatic and elastic forces. The electrostatic component of the osmotic pressure of a microcapsule -- the difference in pressure between the inside and outside of the particle -- plays a vital role in determining swelling behavior. Within the spherical cell model, we derive exact expressions for the radial pressure profile and for the electrostatic and gel components of the osmotic pressure of a microcapsule, which we compute via Poisson-Boltzmann theory and molecular dynamics simulation. For the gel component, we use the Flory-Rehner theory of polymer networks. By combining the electrostatic and gel components of the osmotic pressure, we compute the equilibrium size of ionic microcapsules as a function of particle concentration, shell thickness, and valence. We predict concentration-driven deswelling at relatively low concentrations at which steric interactions between particles are weak, and demonstrate that this response can be attributed to crowding-induced redistribution of counterions. Our approach may help to guide the design and applications of smart, stimuli-responsive colloidal particles.
Rise of the main meniscus in rectangular capillaries: Experiments and modeling

The rise of the main meniscus in rectangular capillaries is important in interpreting the phenomenon of fluid flow in porous media. Despite many experimental studies reported in the literature, there is no universal model for the rise of the main meniscus in either rectangular or square capillaries. In this work, we present an extensive experimental study and modeling of the rise of the main meniscus in both square and rectangular capillaries. Experimental work was carried out using three different liquids (water, ethanol, and hexadecane) in borosilicate glass and plastic (polystyrene) capillaries to investigate the effect of the contact angle and capillary size on the equilibrium main meniscus height. A universal model (an extended two-wall model) based on the Laplace equation was developed to predict the equilibrium height of the main meniscus in rectangular capillaries. Results have shown that, in a wide range of capillary sizes and contact angles, the predicted equilibrium heights of the main meniscus are in good agreement with the experimentally measured values.
Genes and addiction.

Drug addiction, like all psychiatric disorders, is defined solely in behavioural terms. For example, addiction can be considered a loss of control over drug-taking, or compulsive drug-seeking and -taking despite horrendous consequences. Abnormal behaviours are a consequence of aberrant brain function, which means that it is a tangible goal to identify the biological underpinnings of addiction. The genetic basis of addiction encompasses two broad areas of enquiry. One of these is the identification of genetic variation in humans that partly determines susceptibility to addiction. The other is the use of animal models to investigate the role of specific genes in mediating the development of addiction. Whereas recent advances in this latter effort are heartening, a major challenge remains: to understand how the many genes implicated in rodent models interact to yield as complex a phenotype as addiction.
Bid Evaluation and Selection in the MAGNET Automated Contracting System

We present an approach to the bid-evaluation problem in a system for multi-agent contract negotiation, called MAGNET. The MAGNET market infrastructure provides support for a variety of types of transactions, from simple buying and selling of goods and services to complex multi-agent contract negotiations. In the latter case, MAGNET is designed to negotiate contracts based on temporal and precedence constraints, and includes facilities for dealing with time-based contingencies. One responsibility of a customer agent in the MAGNET system is to select an optimal bid combination. We present an efficient anytime algorithm for a customer agent to select bids submitted by supplier agents in response to a call for bids. Bids might include combinations of subtasks and might include discounts for combinations. In an experimental study we explore the behavior of the algorithm based on the interactions of factors such as bid prices, number of bids, and number of subtasks. The results of experiments we present show that the algorithm is extremely efficient even for large number of bids.
An interfacial damage model for titanium matrix composites

Abstract A micromechanical model for the prediction of the inelastic response of unidirectional, titanium matrix composites in the presence of fiber/matrix interfacial damage resulting from inplane normal and axial shear loading is presented. The model incorporates matrix viscoplasticity, interfacial damage and a variable volume fraction of damaged material in the generalized method of cells to predict the inelastic response. The variable volume fraction of damaged material accounts for the fact that fiber/matrix interface damage occurs in a probabilistic manner. Results are given for loading and unloading response of unidirectional SCS-6/Ti-15-3 titanium matrix composite subjected to transverse normal and axial shear loading. It is shown that proper selection of the variable volume fraction of damaged material during loading recovers the overall effective inelastic loading and unloading response as measured in the laboratory.
In the name of love

By defining ideas precisely, as science does, fiction would deny its readers freedom of interpretation.
USAB where did we come from? [IEEE activities]

The article discusses the impact of the IEEE Board proposed constitutional amendment to "permit" the IEEE to become involved in the economic welfare of the membership. This was supported by the IEEE Board and the local leadership of the Institute and passed with an all time record of 82% of the votes cast in favor, and an all time record of voter turnout. The USAB, with a very limited budget started working on all the problems at once! It received input from all of the local leaders and activists. It established committees on: age discrimination; pensions; legal defense fund; patent rights of the employed engineer; outreach to inform members of the USAB and its activities; and worked closely with the CSIT on the Bart case.
A model of poetic comprehension

This article introduces an account of aesthetic comprehension and experience together with an implemented miniature which generates analogical interpretations from a semi-automatic parse of Wordsworth's "Lines Written in Early Spring". In our account, a poem serves as an analogy teaching machine by using formal structure to cue the formation of novel analogies. This account builds on an analogical model of comprehension previously applied to large corpora of newspaper summaries. In the miniature, an automatic grammatical and semantic analysis of the text is augmented with information about rhyme and rhythm. These formal cues allow the system to determine analogies which it would not otherwise consider. The article describes the comprehension framework, the annotated piece, and the matcher's performance on the piece. It closes with a discussion of possible objections to aspects of the thesis or experiment and suggested directions for future work.
The role of access in explaining state abortion rates

The likelihood of having an abortion in the U.S.A. is strongly dependent upon where a woman lives. Abortion rates vary markedly from state to state, and these variations have been increasing, especially in recent years. Path analysis shows the causal structure of public demand and access variables that determined state abortion rates in 1991 and 1992. Access variables, including the restrictiveness of state laws regulating abortion, state funding of abortions for poor women and the availability of hospital abortions, affect abortion rates directly. Greater accessibility leads to higher abortion rates. Public demand variables affect abortion rates both directly and indirectly through access conditions. The number of women at risk of unintended pregnancies leads to higher abortion rates directly and indirectly through its effects on medical access. Per capita income, percent Catholic, and percent of the population born outside the state affect abortion rates indirectly through the access variables. High per capita income leads directly to greater availability of hospital abortions, higher levels of state funding of abortions for poor women, less restrictive state abortion laws, and indirectly to higher abortion rates. States with large non-native populations have less restrictive abortion laws and higher abortion rates. The presence of a large Catholic population reduces the number of hospitals offering abortion services and leads indirectly to lower abortion rates. The interaction of public demand and access at the state level creates geographically varying environments in which abortion decisions are made.
Immune deviation following pulse cyclophosphamide/methylprednisolone treatment of multiple sclerosis: increased interleukin-4 production and associated eosinophilia.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is postulated to be a Th1-type cell-mediated autoimmune disease. Thus therapies that decrease T cell interferon (IFN)-γ production or increase interleukin (IL)-4 production would be expected to have an ameliorating effect on MS. Some progressive MS patients receiving pulse cyclophosphamide therapy developed peripheral blood eosinophilia. We investigated whether cyclophosphamide-treated patients had immune deviation toward Th2 responses. We measured cytokine production in patients receiving either monthly intravenous methylprednisolone (MP), intravenous cyclophosphamide plus methylprednisolone (CY/MP), methotrexate, IFN-β1b, in untreated MS patients, and in healthy controls. Minimal IL-4 was secreted in untreated patients (129 ± 62 pg/ml), methotrexate-treated patients (99 ± 79 pg/ml), and healthy controls (50 ± 13 pg/ml). A marked increase in IL-4 was observed in CY/MP patients (1,503 ± 291 pg/ml). Patients treated with MP (418 ± 160 pg/ml) or IFN-β1b (425 ± 167 pg/ml) showed small increases. Eosinophilia in CY/MP-treated patients (6.0 ± 0.7%) correlated with increased IL-4. IL-10 production was also increased in CY/MP-treated patients. Both CY/MP- and MP-treated groups had decreased production of IFN-γ compared with untreated MS. These findings demonstrate pronounced immune deviation favoring Th2-type responses after pulse cyclophosphamide therapy.
Emotions and Ethics in Buddhist History: The Sinhala Thūpavamsa and the Work of Virtue

While literature is often thought to be a product of culture, the writing of history in medieval Sri Lanka was based on the assumption that texts themselves can produce changes in culture by making people into virtuous devotees. A study of the Sinhala Thūpavamsa, a Theravāda Buddhist chronicle written in Sinhala around the thirteenth century, provides new material with which to examine the ways historical narratives can be crafted to manipulate and transform the readers and listeners of a text. In this instance, the text gives rise to emotions that are productive of a moral subjectivity in those who encounter its narrative. By making persons feel that the Buddha and other virtuous agents in the past have performed deeds to benefit those in the present, the text causes devotees to view themselves as having been aided by others. The Sinhala Thūpavamsa works to constitute its readers and listeners as the moral subjects of another's acts and thus obligates them to respond accordingly. More generally, religious histories can be complex literary works that offer the scholar much more than simply descriptions of past events. The Sinhala Thūpavamsa claims for itself the aesthetic capacity to effect certain emotional and ethical responses in an audience. These efforts to compose historical narratives appear designed to instill a heightened sense of oneself as a beneficiary of history who in turn is obliged to engage in the virtuous work of ritualised devotional practices.
BaTiO3 thin film capacitors deposited by r.f. magnetron sputtering

Abstract Barium titanate, BaTiO3, thin film capacitors were deposited by r.f. magnetron sputtering using a perpendicular arrangement of the substrate with respect to the target. Capacitors with a single-layer amorphous or polycrystal structure, a bilayer structure of amorphous/polycrystal, and a trilayer structure of amorphous/graded polycrystal/polycrystal were extensively investigated. Comparatively, the single-layer amorphous BaTiO3 capacitor demonstrated the highest breakdown voltage (as high as 2.5 × 106Vcm-1) but lowest dielectric constant of around 16. The single-layer polycrystal BaTiO3 capacitor displayed a much higher dielectric constant of above 300 but also revealed high leakage current which in turn reduced the breakdown voltage. By combining the advantages of the amorphous and polycrystal BaTiO3 films, bilayer and trilayer capacitors were produced, yielding superior electrical properties. An optimum thickness for the amorphous layer minimizes the reduction in effective dielectric constant while providing a low d.c. conductivity of 7.0 × 10 -11 Ω -1 cm -1 at a bias of 4 V and a high breakdown voltage of 1.9 x 106Vcm-1.