cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
THE ADAPTIVE RADIATION OF THE PHENACODONTID CONDYLARTHS AND THE ORIGIN OF THE PERISSODACTYLA.

The mammalian order Condylarthra includes a heterogeneous assemblage of smallto medium-sized archaic omnivores and herbivores. Most families in the order flourished in the Paleocene and became extinct early in the Eocene. A few lineages, however, developed crucial adaptations which led to their emergence as new orders of mammals, one of which was the Perissodactyla. The origin of the Perissodactyla is better documented than that of any other order of mammals and provides an excellent opportunity to study the emergence of a major taxon. Dental evidence indicates that perissodactyls were derived from the condylarth family Phenacodontidae. To view in proper perspective the evolutionary changes which led to the origin of the Perissodactyla, it will be necessary to survey the adaptive radiation of the Phenacodontidae. The oldest true phenacodontid condylarth, Tetraclaenodon, first appears in faunas of middle Paleocene age, and by the beginning of the late Paleocene appears to have radiated into three main groups, represented respectively by Phenacodus, Ectocion, and an as yet unknown proto-perissodactyl. Forms transitional between Tetraclaenodon and Phenacodus (primitive species of Phenacodus), and between Tetraclaenodon and Ectocion (the genus Gidleyina) are known, but no intermediates between Tetraclaenodon and the most primitive known perissodactyl, the early Eocene genus Hyracotherium, have yet been found. However, Tetraclaenodon is the most advanced form which is still unspecialized enough to have given rise to Hyracotherium. (The occurrence of incipient mesostyles in a small number of Tetraclaenodon specimens does not preclude this possibility; the alternative hypothesis, that proto-perissodactyls and Tetraclaenodon were independently derived from a still more primitive common ancestor, requires an additional complicating factor-an independent acquisition of molar hypocones by perissodactyls and phenacodontids.) Thus, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, Tetraclaenodon may be considered directly ancestral to perissodactyls. The major morphological changes involved in the evolution of the Tetraclaenodon stock into Phenacodus, Ectocion, and Hyracotherium, fall into two functional categories, one concerned with mastication and the other with locomotion. MASTICATION Dentition
IMPS-18OVERCOMING TGFβ-MEDIATED SUPPRESSION OF NK CELL CYTOTOXICITY IN MEDULLOBLASTOMA.

Medulloblastoma is the most common pediatric central nervous system (CNS) malignancy, with generally favorable outcomes depending on the molecular subtype. However, current therapies have significant long-term neurologic morbidities, and recurrent/relapsed disease portends a dismal prognosis. Therefore, novel, innovative, and safe therapies are needed. Immune cell therapy is an appealing, targeted approach, and NK cells have shown activity against some adult CNS tumors. However, NK cell adoptive cell therapy may be susceptible to the immunosuppressive effects of TGFβ, either produced by the tumor or the surrounding microenvironment. We have developed a robust expansion platform that yields NK cells in sufficient numbers and cyotoxic potency for therapy. We now seek to overcome TGFβ-mediated suppression to enhance NK cell cytotoxicity for CNS tumors. We show that expanded NK cells are highly cytotoxic against medulloblastoma cell lines, but have diminished cytotoxicity toward medulloblastoma in the presence of soluble TGFβ. The decrease in cytotoxicity correlates with a decrease in NKG2D expression on the expanded NK cells, as has been described for freshly-obtained peripheral blood NK cells. However, we also show that NK cells can be expanded in the presence of TGFβ without affecting their proliferative rate, and that the presence of TGFβ alters the CD16 and KIR expression profile, while maintaining NKG2D levels. Furthermore, NK cells that are expanded in the presence of TGFβ are resistant to the immunosuppressive effects of additional TGFβ. We are also exploring genetic and pharmacologic approaches to generating TGFβ-resistance. Understanding the mechanisms of NK cell immunosuppression by medulloblastoma may lead to a better understanding of the disease, and improved pre-clinical models and clinical trials of NK cell adoptive therapy for medulloblastoma and other pediatric CNS malignancies.
Shedding Social Media Data’s Baggage

In my dealings with journalists, I often get involved in conversations about what traditional newsrooms still do well, even after so many downsizings. By far, the answer I receive most frequently i...
Cultivating leadership Dharma: Measuring the impact of regular mindfulness practice on creativity, resilience, tolerance for ambiguity, anxiety and stress

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of regular mindfulness meditation practice on five personal qualities that an extensive literature review deems critical for successful leadership in an age of rapid organizational change and uncertainty. Design/methodology/approach In this eight-week study, the authors investigated whether a weekly, 45-minute mindfulness practice routine (n=20) would significantly improve five leadership qualities when compared with a weekly, three hour graduate level leadership course (n=21), which in contrast incorporated theoretical instruction, skills practice, and experiential learning. Both samples included organizational leaders throughout the Minneapolis/St Paul area. Findings Results of a pre-post survey confirmed that when compared with participants in the leadership course condition, participants in the mindfulness practice condition demonstrated a significant increase in promotional regulatory focus and a significant reduction in trait anxiety and stress. No significant changes were seen for resilience or tolerance for ambiguity. This study also uncovered significant inter-correlations between scores on trait anxiety and a number of variables, most notably promotional regulatory focus. Implications exist for numerous bodies of research concerning leadership, well-being and the leadership development programs they influence, which include leadership psychology, organization development, and mindfulness-based stress reduction. Originality/value This is the first study of its kind (to date) to investigate the impact of mindfulness practice on leadership qualities, which according to research, are critical to leadership performance.
The Tiny Ionospheric Photometer (TIP) on the Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate (COSMIC/FORMOSAT-3)

The Tiny Ionospheric Photometer (TIP) is an ultraviolet nadir-viewing photometer that flew aboard the Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate (COSMIC also known as FORMOSAT-3), which was launched on April 14, 2006. One TIP flew on each of the six COSMIC/FORMOSAT3 satellites; these compact instruments operated exclusively at nighttime and observed the O I 135.6 nm emission that is a signature of the decay of the F-region ionosphere and, as such, is a diagnostic of the ionospheric state. We describe the TIP instruments and their on-orbit operation. Additionally, some key science highlights of the mission are presented and discussed.
Increased circulating fibrocytes in asthmatic patients with severe OSA

Background: Circulating fibrocytes play an important role in airway remodeling of asthma, partly through up-regulation of endothelin A receptor (ET A R) to mediate connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) induced growth and differentiation. Asthmatics with severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) have accelerated decline in pulmonary function. We hypothesize asthmatics with severe OSA may have increased circulating fibrocytes and up-regulated ET A R expression. Methods: Circulating fibrocytes, identified by co-expression of CD34, CD45 and collagen I, from 13 asthmatic patients with severe OSA and 11 asthmatics without OSA were measured their proliferation and differentiation capacity. ET A R and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression on fibrocytes were determined by flowcytometry. Measurements and Main Results: Asthmatics with severe OSA had higher number and ET A R expression of circulating fibrocytes than asthmatics without OSA. The yearly decline in FEV1 correlated with the number of circulating fibrocytes (R 2 = 0.337). After being cultured, fibrocytes from asthmatics with OSA increased proliferation and differentiation than those from asthmatics without OSA. ET A R antagonist (BQ123) and anti-CTGF antibody significantly reduced fibrocytes from asthmatics with OSA differentiation into α-SMA + myofibroblasts. Conclusions: Circulating fibrocytes are increased in asthmatics with severe OSA, resulting in higher proliferation and differentiation through up-regulated ET A R expression. Circulating fibrocytes may contribute to airway remodeling in asthmatics with OSA.
Correction: Revealing instability and irreversibility in nonaqueous sodium–O2 battery chemistry

Correction for 'Revealing instability and irreversibility in nonaqueous sodium-O2 battery chemistry' by Sayed Youssef Sayed et al., Chem. Commun., 2016, 52, 9691-9694.
Observations of microscale internal gravity waves in very stable atmospheric boundary layers over an orchard canopy

Abstract Fifty-three episodes of internal gravity waves, with horizontal wavelengths ranging from 30 to 100 m, were identified in time-lapse animations of numerically filtered elastic backscatter lidar images collected during the Canopy Horizontal Array Turbulence Study (CHATS). The waves existed in and above a 10 m tall walnut orchard and are also present in time-series data of meteorological variables such as wind and temperature as measured by in situ sensors at multiple heights on a 30 m tower centrally located in the lidar scan area and inside the (1.6 km) 2 orchard. All of the episodes occurred at night in the presence of temperature inversions and light winds. Wave periods from time-series analysis of the in situ data range from 20 to 100 s. Sequences of lidar images reveal that the waves propagate in the direction of and at phase speeds less than that of the mean wind. The in situ data indicate the presence of a wind shear maximum and an inflection point at the top of the canopy. Gradient Richardson numbers near that altitude range between 0 and 0.20 indicating hydrodynamic instability. Range versus height lidar images from one case show the wave structures tilting downstream with altitude. In some cases, horizontal scans reveal that the gradient of aerosol backscatter tends to be larger on the upwind side of the crests. The environment and observations are consistent with the prevailing theory that the waves are the result of inflection point instability and the lidar data suggest that in 42% of the episodes the waves may have begun, or be on the verge of, breaking.
Viral and Bacterial Communities of Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States and is a primary cause of morbidity and mortality throughout the world. Colorectal cancer development has been linked to differences in colonic bacterial community composition. Viruses are another important component of the colonic microbial community, however they have yet to be studied in colorectal cancer despite their oncogenic potential. We evaluated the colorectal cancer virome (virus community) in stool using a cohort of 90 human subjects with either healthy, adenomatous (precancerous), or cancerous colons. We utilized 16S rRNA gene, whole shotgun metagenomic, and purified virus metagenomic sequencing methods to compare the colorectal cancer virome to the bacterial community. We identified no detectable difference in viral diversity (alpha or beta) between healthy, adenomatous, or cancerous colonic samples, but more sophisticated random forest models identified striking differences in the virome. The majority of the cancer-associated virome consisted of temperate bacteriophages, suggesting that the community was indirectly linked to colorectal cancer by modulating bacterial community structure and function. Our data suggest that the influential phages do not exclusively infect influential bacteria, but rather act through the community as a whole. These results provide foundational evidence that bacteriophage communities are associated with colorectal cancer and likely impact cancer progression by altering the bacterial host communities.
Signal representations in modern signal processing

The last decade of John Cozzens's tenure at the NSF witnessed the advent of theory and methods at the heart of modern data science. These advances include (but are not limited to) compressed sensing, sparse coding, inference methods robust to outliers and missing data, and convex optimization tools that facilitate a host of novel inference methods. This paper describes how these methods evolved from classical basis representations of signals to alternative, flexible representations of signal structure. These new representations facilitate more accurate and robust inference in many contexts, and research at the intersection of signal processing, machine learning, and optimization make it possible to learn new representations from complex sensor data. This paper explores several key representations that have emerged in the past decade and their impact on the signal processing community.
LAYING DOWN THE LAW ON LOCKHEED: HOW AN AVIATION AND DEFENSE GIANT INSPIRED THE PROMULGATION OF THE FOREIGN CORRUPT PRACTICES ACT OF 1977

This paper examines the events that led to the passage of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 (FCPA 1977, or simply, the Act). Central to the narrative are the actions undertaken by Lockheed Corporation, the politico-economic context in which it operated, the international scandals that resulted from its practices, and the landmark law that resulted from these events. The paper concludes with an analysis of dramatic changes in the subsequent enforcement of FCPA 1977, and a consideration of the efficacy of this reform as viewed from various lenses provided by economics, law, philosophy, and political science.
Understanding product cost vs. performance through an in-depth system Monte Carlo analysis

The manner in which an optical system is toleranced and compensated greatly affects the cost to build it. By having a detailed understanding of different tolerance and compensation methods, the end user can decide on the balance of cost and performance. A detailed phased approach Monte Carlo analysis can be used to demonstrate the tradeoffs between cost and performance. In complex high performance optical systems, performance is fine-tuned by making adjustments to the optical systems after they are initially built. This process enables the overall best system performance, without the need for fabricating components to stringent tolerance levels that often can be outside of a fabricator’s manufacturing capabilities. A good performance simulation of as built performance can interrogate different steps of the fabrication and build process. Such a simulation may aid the evaluation of whether the measured parameters are within the acceptable range of system performance at that stage of the build process. Finding errors before an optical system progresses further into the build process saves both time and money. Having the appropriate tolerances and compensation strategy tied to a specific performance level will optimize the overall product cost.
Laban: A guide figure between dance/movement therapy and drama therapy

Abstract The field of Creative Arts Therapies stands to benefit from ongoing support and collaboration between practices that comprise the disciplines. Both dance/movement therapy (DMT) and drama therapy (DT) draw upon a creative, action-oriented, and embodied approach to psychotherapy; however, a review of the literature indicates minimal collaboration on theory and research between the two. Through an in-depth review of the literature and a supporting case study, a theoretical model is constructed proposing that Laban Movement Analysis (LMA) and Role Theory and role method may be a natural point of intersection, enriching each discipline and presenting implications for creative arts therapies praxis.
Nanowires of Geobacter sulfurreducens require redox cofactors to reduce metals in pore spaces too small for cell passage

Members of the Geobacteraceae family are ubiquitous metal reducers that utilize conductive “nanowires” to reduce Mn(IV) and Fe(III) oxides in anaerobic sediments. However, it is not currently known if and to what extent the Mn(IV) and Fe(III) oxides in soil grains and low permeability sediments that are sequestered in pore spaces too small for cell passage can be reduced by long-range extracellular electron transport via Geobacter nanowires, and what mechanisms control this reduction. We developed a microfluidic reactor that physically separates Geobacter sulfurreducens from the Mn(IV) mineral birnessite by a 1.4 μm thick wall containing <200 nm pores. Using optical microscopy and Raman spectroscopy, we show that birnessite can be reduced up to 15 μm away from cell bodies, similar to the reported length of Geobacter nanowires. Reduction across the nanoporous wall required reducing conditions, provided by Escherichia coli, and an exogenous supply of riboflavin. Our results discount electron shuttling by di...
Baroclinic Instability in the Presence of Convection

Baroclinic mixed-layer instabilities have recently been recognized as an important source of submesoscale energy in deep winter mixed layers. While the focus has so far been on the balanced dynamics of these instabilities, they occur in and depend on an environment shaped by atmospherically forced small-scale turbulence. In this study, idealized numerical simulations are presented that allow the development of both baroclinic instability and convective small-scale turbulence, with simple control over the relative strength. If the convection is only weakly forced, baroclinic instability restratifies the layer and shuts off convection, as expected. With increased forcing, however, it is found that baroclinic instabilities are remarkably resilient to the presence of convection. Even if the instability is too weak to restratify the layer and shut off convection, the instability still grows in the convecting environment and generates baroclinic eddies and fronts. This suggests that despite the vigorous atmospherically forced small-scale turbulence in winter mixed layers, baroclinic instabilities can persistently grow, generate balanced submesoscale turbulence, and modify the bulk properties of the upper ocean.
Comparison of light-off performance of Pt-Pd/γ-Al2O3 dual layer and dual brick diesel oxidation catalysts

Abstract A global kinetic model is used to study the light-off behavior of a mixture of CO and HCs ( C 2 H 4 , C 7 H 8 , C 6 H 14 & C 2 H 6 ) on Pt, Pd and combined catalysts. The light-off curves are clustered around 550 K on Pt whereas species light-off temperatures range from 400–600 K on Pd. The self poisoning of CO is more pronounced on Pt than on Pd. As long chain HCs such as hexane have a better light-off performance on Pt than on Pd, it is beneficial to use dual layer or dual brick catalysts for optimising HC conversion on a C1 basis. Dual brick catalyst with Pd upstream showed superior performance compared to the configuration with Pd downstream. Pt in 50% of washcoat and Pd in the remaining 50% of washcoat has a better overall light-off performance than other fractions of Pt, Pd. It is found that the light-off behavior of all the species is nearly same for both dual layer and dual brick configurations at low space velocities. However, the strong diffusional limitations in the washcoat at high space velocities result in improved light-off performance of dual layer configuration. The more practical C1 basis conversion, which is the weighted average conversion of HCs, is investigated for different configurations. It is also shown that the exotherm generated by the oxidation of CO can be used to improve the C 1 basis conversion of HCs.
Biosystematics a modern tool for identification of South Indian species of Ipomoea linn.

Systematics must be perceived as a science that can hold its own image in the current information era, rather than as an old fashioned stamp collecting exercise and this perception must be presented to both the general and public. To build up a natural system of classification of plants, it is necessary to compare one form with another, such parts like stem, leaf, root, flower, fruits and seeds. These superficial examinations are helpful to a certain extent in identifying and classifying the plants. The phenotype of each and every taxon is unique and this uniqueness itself is a clear identifying feature for a taxon. To a certain extent cytological, palynological, anatomical features seen to go in hand with the external morphological features.
Terahertz Light Fingerprints Biomolecular Dynamics

20 years ago Grischkowsky and coworkers began a revolution in the terahertz (THz) optical range [1]. Zhang and others extended this new field so that measurements unimagined previously became accessible in table top systems [2]. An immediate effort began to determine intramolecular dynamics of biomacromolecules such as RNA's and proteins. This talk will discuss how THz polarization techniques can be used to both fingerprint specific biomolecules and reveal their biologically important changes. I will also discuss challenges that must be addressed to fully realize THz light's impact on the biomedical community.
A comparative analysis of MANET routing protocols through simulation

In this paper we investigate the performance of various mobile ad hoc network routing protocols. We use AODV and DSDV as our baseline as these are two of the most commonly used protocols in reactive and proactive routing, respectively. We compare these with the performance of an ant colony optimization implementation AntHocNet. This protocol works as a hybrid protocol, using both reactive and proactive elements. We implement the simulations across a variety of scenarios using the NS2 network simulator and present our findings.
Chromosomal Instability: A New Paradigm for Estrogen-induced Oncogenesis

Human sporadic breast cancer (BC) comprises >90% of all BC cases whereas familial BC is less than 10% (1). Despite its likely multifactorial origin, there is now pervasive evidence fi-om epidemiological and animal studies, developed over the past several decades, that the causation of human sporadic BC primarily involves female sex hormones, particularly estrogens (Es) (1-8). This view is consistent with long standing epidemiological data relating extended exposure to Es and elevated BC risk, such as early first menarche, late age at menopause, nulliparity, late age at fill-term pregnancy, and absence of lactation (5,6). These BC risk factors are all related to pre-menopausal women. Moreover, all ofthe wellestablished BC risk factors are associated with elevated circulating E levels. Even lesser risk factors such as, obesity and alcohol ingestion are known to significantly increase serum E concentrations in women (9, 10). These earlier studies are buttressed by results of the recent Breast Cancer Prevention Trial in which tamoxifen (TAM) treatment markedly reduced (44-55%) BC risk in women considered at increased risk for the disease (1 1). Since it is evident that Es are crucial to our understanding of sporadic BC etiology, it is surprising that so little is known about the involvement of Es in oncogenic processes in target tissues such as the breast, other than its ability to elicit cell proliferation. Our laboratory has utilized two seemingly disparate animal models in which malignant tumors are induced solely by Es in the absence of any other exogenous intervening carcinogenic or promotional agent (12-15). Based on our recent findings, it has been concluded that the early detection of chromosomal instability (CIN) and aneuploidy, in early lesions and primary neoplasms in both systems, is a hallmark characteristic of E-induced oncogenesis.
Melting and Solidification in Metals Processing

Melting and solidification phenomena processes play an important role in many metals processing operations. The melting of steel scrap in the basic oxygen furnace (BOF) the melting of copper anodes in an Asarco furnace, ingot solidification, and continuous casting of steel, copper, and aluminum may be quoted as examples.
Medical equipment management program standards—ANSI/AAMI EQ56 and ANSI/AAMI EQ89

Abstract American National Standards Institute (ANSI)/Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) EQ56:2013 (Recommended Practice for a Medical Equipment Management Program) and ANSI/AAMI EQ89:2015 (Guidance for the Use of Medical Equipment Maintenance Strategies and Procedures) are two consensus standards that have been developed by the AAMI Medical Equipment Management Committee to assist healthcare organizations in meeting accreditation requirements associated with their medical equipment management programs. These requirements are enforced by The Joint Commission (TJC) and other accreditation agencies, such as Hospital Facilities Accreditation Program (HFAP) and Det Norske Veritas (DNV). They are derived from Conditions of Participation requirements published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). This chapter describes the general contents of EQ56 and EQ89. It describes the different sections that are found in each document and the rationale for some of the requirements found in each. Also discussed is how the current revision of EQ56 differs from prior editions.
Late-life cognitive decline is associated with hippocampal volume, above and beyond its associations with traditional neuropathologic indices

Introduction Reduced hippocampal volume is associated with late-life cognitive decline, but prior studies have not determined whether this association persists after accounting for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other neuropathologies. Methods Participants were 531 deceased older adults from community-based cohort studies of aging who had undergone annual cognitive evaluations. At death, brain tissue underwent neuropathologic examination and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Linear mixed models examined whether hippocampal volume measured via MRI accounted for variation in decline rate of global cognition and five cognitive domains, above and beyond neuropathologic indices. Results Demographics and indices of AD, cerebrovascular disease, Lewy body disease, hippocampal sclerosis, TDP-43, and atherosclerosis accounted for 42.6% of the variation in global cognitive decline. Hippocampal volume accounted for an additional 5.4% of this variation and made similar contributions in four of the five cognitive domains. Discussion Hippocampal volume is associated with late-life cognitive decline, above and beyond contributions from common neuropathologic indices.
Insecticidal bark bands for reduction of defoliation by elm leaf beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae).

Abstract An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of carbaryl (Sevin XLR +) applied to elm bark for prevention of defoliation by elm leaf beetle, Xanthogaleruca luteola (Muller). T...
A Dynamical Systems Approach to Bifurcation and Instability of Constitutive Relations for Brittle Damage Materials

A methodology based on stability theory of dynamical systems is proposed to study the stability of the constitutive relations for brittle damage materials. The bifurcation conditions and the subsequent stability issues of the equilibrium paths are examined in the framework of bifurcation and stability theories of nonlinear dynamical systems. This framework also demonstrates that stability is not only a constitutive property, it also depends on the imposed traction and displacement boundary conditions. Moreover, the loss of uniqueness and stability of the primary equilibrium path does not necessarily imply failure in the dynamical sense since there may exist a stable secondary equilibrium path. Stability criteria for both stress-controlled and displacement-controlled conditions are formulated and an equivalent stability condition for the corresponding statical system is also presented.
The α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonist, GTS-21, attenuates hyperoxia-induced acute inflammatory lung injury by alleviating the accumulation of HMGB1 in the airways and the circulation.

Oxygen therapy, using supraphysiological concentrations of oxygen (hyperoxia), is routinely administered to patients who require respiratory support including mechanical ventilation (MV). However, prolonged exposure to hyperoxia results in acute lung injury (ALI) and accumulation of high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) in the airways. We previously showed that airway HMGB1 mediates hyperoxia-induced lung injury in a mouse model of ALI. Cholinergic signaling through the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR) attenuates several inflammatory conditions. The aim of this study was to determine whether 3–(2,4 dimethoxy-benzylidene)-anabaseine dihydrochloride, GTS-21, an α7nAChR partial agonist, inhibits hyperoxia-induced HMGB1 accumulation in the airways and circulation, and consequently attenuates inflammatory lung injury. Mice were exposed to hyperoxia (≥99% O2) for 3 days and treated concurrently with GTS-21 (0.04, 0.4 and 4 mg/kg, i.p.) or the control vehicle, saline. The systemic administration of GTS-21 (4 mg/kg) significantly decreased levels of HMGB1 in the airways and the serum. Moreover, GTS-21 (4 mg/kg) significantly reduced hyperoxia-induced acute inflammatory lung injury, as indicated by the decreased total protein content in the airways, reduced infiltration of inflammatory monocytes/macrophages and neutrophils into the lung tissue and airways, and improved lung injury histopathology. Our results indicate that GTS-21 can attenuate hyperoxia-induced ALI by inhibiting extracellular HMGB1-mediated inflammatory responses. This suggests that the α7nAChR represents a potential pharmacological target for the treatment regimen of oxidative inflammatory lung injury in patients receiving oxygen therapy.
A Pilot Serosurvey for Selected Pathogens in Feral Donkeys ( Equus asinus)

Recent removal and relocation of feral donkeys from vast public lands to more concentrated holding pens, training facilities, and offsite adoption locations raises several health and welfare concerns. Very little is known regarding the common equid pathogens that are circulating within the feral donkey population in and around Death Valley National Park, California, USA. The aim of this study was to utilize serologic assays to assess previous exposure of these donkeys to equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1), equine influenza (EIV), West Nile virus (WNV), and Borrelia burgdorferi (the causative agent of Lyme disease). The results of this study indicate that this feral equid population is mostly naive and likely susceptible to these common equid pathogens upon removal from the wild.
Robotics Application of a Method for Analytically Computing Infinitesimal Phase Response Curves

This work explores a method for analytically computing the infinitesimal phase response curves (iPRCs) of a synthetic nervous system (SNS) for a hybrid exoskeleton. Phase changes, in response to perturbations, revealed by the iPRCs, could assist in tuning the strength and locations of sensory pathways. We model the SNS exoskeleton controller in a reduced form using a state-space representation that interfaces neural and motor dynamics. The neural dynamics are modeled after non-spiking neurons configured as a central pattern generator (CPG), while the motor dynamics model a power unit for the hip joint of the exoskeleton. Within the dynamics are piecewise functions and hard boundaries (i.e. “sliding conditions”), which cause discontinuities in the vector field at their boundaries. The analytical methods for computing the iPRCs used in this work apply the adjoint equation method with jump conditions that are able to account for these discontinuities. To show the accuracy and speed provided by these methods, we compare the analytical and brute-force solutions.
Criteria determination of analytic hierarchy process using a topic model

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to develop a technology-based model for identifying various criteria in a decision-making situation. We used topic modeling to discover critical criteria and their corresponding weights in the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). Approximately 100,000 hotel reviews and 100,000 restaurant reviews were scraped from TripAdvisor.com for criteria determination. Next, an AHP model with criteria and 12 hotels/restaurants as alternatives were compared and ranked. The results compared favorably with more than 1000 reviews of these hotels/restaurants in TripAdvisor.com, thus validating the methodology.
LAMPOON techniques to prevent or manage left ventricular outflow tract obstruction in transcatheter mitral valve replacement

Transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR) is a therapeutic option for patients with severe mitral disease who are deemed inoperable due to their overall surgical risk. The close relationships between the left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) and the anterior mitral valve leaflet can lead to LVOT obstruction, a common complication with high mortality. Predicting and preventing LVOT obstruction is therefore essential, prior to TMVR. Laceration of the Anterior Mitral leaflet to Prevent Outflow ObtructioN (LAMPOON) is a transcatheter electrosurgical technique to split the anterior mitral valve leaflet immediately prior to TMVR. The technique has been studied in a prospective clinical trial and has evolved with many iterations for specific anatomies. In this review, we discuss the different LAMPOON techniques to prevent and treat LVOT obstruction.
The pathophysiology and management of diuretic resistance in patients with heart failure.

The objectives of the study are to investigate the causes of diuretic resistance in patients with advanced congestive heart failure (CHF), since diuretics are the cornerstone of treatment of these ...
Novel Graft Technique for Lumbopelvic Reconstruction After Sacral Tumor Resection: A Case Report.

Case Reconstruction after sacral tumor resection carries a high risk of nonunion and requires a slow return to weight-bearing. A bilateral iliac-crest graft, mobilized on a muscular pedicle, was used to graft and fuse the spine and pelvis after resection of a massive sacral schwannoma. Long-term follow-up and three-dimensional computed tomography imaging demonstrate rapid incorporation and solid fusion, with hypertrophy of the graft struts and excellent return to function. Conclusion This novel graft technique provides structural autograft bone that bridges the iliolumbar resection gap, providing a vascularized autograft that incorporates rapidly and reliably.
Control of innate immune response by biomaterial surface topography, energy, and stiffness

As the focus of implantable biomaterials has shifted from bioinert implants to bioactive designs, recent research has highlighted the complex interactions between cell physiologic systems and material properties, particularly physical cues. From the cells known to interact with implanted biomaterials, the response of the immune system has been a critical target of study recently. Here, we review studies characterizing the response of innate immune cells to various material cues, particularly of those at the surface of implanted materials.The innate immune system consists of cell types with various roles in inflammation. Neutrophils and macrophages serve both phagocytic and signaling roles, especially early in the inflammatory phase of biomaterial implantation. These cell types ultimately dictate the outcome of implants as chronic inflammation, fibrosis, or integration. Other cell types like dendritic cells, mast cells, natural killer cells, and innate lymphoid cells may also serve an immunomodulatory role in the biomaterial context. This review highlights recent advances in our understanding of the role of innate immunity in the response to implantable biomaterials as well as key mechanobiological findings in innate immune cells underpinning these advances. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: This review highlights recent advances in the understanding of the role of innate immunity in the response to implantable biomaterials, especially in neutrophils and macrophages, as well as key mechanobiological findings in innate immune cells underpinning these advances. Here we discuss how physicochemical properties of biomaterials control innate immune cell behavior.
"Love Them to Death": Dutch and Italian Experiences of (Assisted) Suicide, and the Urgent Need for Human Solidarity.

Legal cases involving "assisted suicide" and euthanasia have dramatically increased over the past decades. European news is filled with hard cases involving people whose experiences of pain and suffering are used to advance the cause of further decriminalization. Another kind of case, however, is gaining public attention and revealing the fallacious narrative of death as a human right. These are cases of people who live where such practices are already legal, but who may have preferred life over death were the practice criminally sanctioned. A suicide case from the Netherlands will be the starting point for a broader reflection on the existence of a "right to die," and on the soundness of an alternative "duty to care." Creating a parallel between a Dutch case of "death by starvation" and a recent Italian constitutional judgment (which led to a partial decriminalization-or exemption from punishment-of some forms of assisted suicide) the author aims to show that: a) there is inevitably an international dimension to the problem, b) laws shape human behavior, and they do so internationally. What once was prohibited, and later decriminalized, has gradually become tolerated, welcomed, and is now entertained as a human right. A right to die, however, contradicts the very basis of our common living. After presenting the facts of a suicide recently committed by a Dutch teenager, the author will focus on Netherland's norms regarding assisted suicide and euthanasia, and the specific medical guidelines that apply to the so-called "choice to stop eating and drinking so as to hasten the end of life (SED)." In the third chapter, the author will underscore the importance of intent, and address the radical difference that exists between an act of suicide and the choice to refuse treatment. The author then analyzes the relevant criminal provisions in Italian legislation, which prohibit euthanasia and assisted suicide, with a particular focus on the recent decision n. 242/2019, issued by the Italian Constitutional Court. This judgment relaxed the existing ban on assisted suicide and thereby compromised Italy's absolute protection of life by adopting an overly broad understanding of individual autonomy. In the final chapter, the author defends the idea that only where autonomy is combined with solidarity individual liberties are justly ordered, and human rights effectively protected. This solidarity, implicit in norms such as "Bad Samaritan Laws" that impose legal duties to rescue, is not mere altruism, but a form of self-love, as it creates the beneficial conditions of harmony and friendliness among citizens.
“Thanks for Telling Me”: The Impact of Disclosing Sex Secrets on Romantic Relationships

This research investigated the relationship consequences of disclosing sexual secrets to a romantic partner. Analyses of data from a 39-item Internet questionnaire completed by 195 undergraduate students showed that revealing sex secrets to a romantic partner was associated with either neutral or positive relationship outcomes. Disclosure of sexual secrets almost never (< 5%) resulted in relationship dissolution and over a third of the sample reported that they appreciated the honest disclosure. In addition, keeping sex secrets was related to lower relationship satisfaction such that each additional sex secret being kept from a romantic partner was associated with a one-half point loss of satisfaction (on a 5-point relationship satisfaction scale). This decrease persisted when controlling for sex and race. Mediation analyses found support for the notion that the type of romantic relationship an individual is in explains part of the association between keeping secrets and relationship satisfaction. Implications and future research considerations are suggested.
Effectiveness of daily subjective wellness measurements via mobile applications in predicting perceived exertion and training load

This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of presession subjective wellness, measured by a mobile application, in predicting the rating of perceived exertion (RPE) and training load for collegi...
Pavlov and the concept of association

I. P. Pavlov was profoundly influenced during his youth by the writings of D. I. Pisarev and I. M. Sechenov. Sechenov explained the voluntary act in terms of the formation of associations among sensory impressions and motor responses. Apparently under Pisarev’s influence, Pavlov studied the physiology of the circulatory and digestive systems. In explaining the formation of the conditional reflex (CR), Pavlov rejected the Wundtian, anthropomorphic conceptualization of CR as suggested by A. T. Snarskii. However, using the objective CR method, the Pavlovians experimentally investigated the formation in the cortex of neural connections, which were equated with associations.
Particulate Air Pollution and CNS Health

A rich epidemiological literature base supports the association between exposures to inhaled particulate matter and decrements in cardiopulmonary health, particularly in susceptible individuals. Focus has recently been turned to the central nervous system (CNS) as a possible target for adverse effects and the mechanisms that may underlie these effects. This chapter reviews particle deposition in the respiratory tract following inhalation exposure and the fate of those particles, with an emphasis on the translocation of poorly-soluble ultrafine or nanoscale particles (<100 nm) to the brain. The consequences of accumulation in the CNS are then discussed based on evidence from animal studies of inflammatory and behavioral changes following controlled laboratory exposures. Lastly, findings of changes in human cognition and behavior following ambient particulate exposures are discussed.
Static Optimal Visibility Problems

Having introduced in Chap. 2 the notions of total and partial visibility of an object from point-observers attached to a given observation platform, we can now proceed to formulate various optimal visibility problems. In this chapter, we shall focus our attention on static optimal visibility problems in which the observers are stationary with respect to the object under observation. To fix ideas and reveal some of the intrinsic difficulties of these problems, we shall begin with the simplest case of a single point-observer. Then, static optimal visibility problems involving multiple point-observers will be discussed.
Wax Method of Determining Windshield Defroster Performance

THIS PAPER DESCRIBES A PROCEDURE FOR DETERMINING DEFROSTER PERFORMANCE USING WAX. THE APPROACH IS A USEFUL TOOL FOR ESTABLISHING BREAKTHROUGH POINTS, AND DEVELOPING BALANCED DEFROSTER AIR DISTRIBUTION PATTERNS PRIOR TO COLD ROOM TESTING. SINCE IT CAN BE CONDUCTED AT ROOM TEMPERATURE, THE WAX METHOD IS CONSIDERABLY MORE CONVENIENT AND CAN BE EXECUTED WITH GREATER FREQUENCY THAN IN A COLD ROOM. ALTHOUGH THE WAX PROCEDURE IS A GOOD BAROMETER OF THE RELATIVE EFFECTIVENESS OF DIFFERENT DEFROSTER SYSTEMS, AND DOES PROVIDE VALUABLE PRELIMINARY STUDIES, IT DOES NOT DUPLICATE COLD ROOM CONDITIONS. THE TEST METHOD DESCRIBED, THEREFORE, IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR, NOR CAN IT BE USED IN PLACE OF, ACTUAL COLD ROOM TESTING. THE PAPER PROVIDES INFORMATION ON THE TEST FACILITY, TEST EQUIPMENT, TEST PREPARATION, WAX MIXTURE AND APPLICATION, AND CONDUCTING THE TEST.
GAAP Codification: An Ontological Perspective

The 2009 adoption of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) codification initiative made a significant step in the consolidation and ease of use of standards applied to accounting practices. In 2008, FASB and the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) created a proposal for a presentation standard and collaborated upon a revision to the conceptual framework. While these steps can improve the functioning of accounting and related information technology systems, there are still ever increasing costs (e.g., complexity) to the body of knowledge. An accounting ontology may enable accounting professionals/academics to address accounting knowledge management issues. This study’s objective is to identify/analyze the potential benefits of applying an accounting ontology framework to the GAAP financial statement proposal, codification initiative and conceptual framework project.
A low-voltage low-noise digital buffer system

A novel low-voltage CMOS digital buffer is proposed. The primary characteristic of this digital buffer is the low voltage operation (V/sub DD/ between one and two transistor threshold voltages (V(/sub T//sup B/)), with a typical V/sub DD/ = 1.5V/sub T/). While operating at this reduced power supply, low noise and high overall performances are achieved.
Control design considerations for voltage regulator modules

Fast response to load current switching is the most important requirement for voltage regulator modules (VRM). This paper addresses several aspects of VRM control design in order to meet this requirement. A comparison between voltage-mode control and peak-current control is presented first to highlight the advantages of voltage-mode control in terms of transient response to load variations. A simple mathematical model is then presented to facilitate sequential design of the power stage and the controller. The concept of critical inductance is examined and the proposed model is shown to provide a more reliable basis for the inductor design. The analyses are supported by numerical simulation as well as experimental results from a 100 W, 3.3 V-output half-bridge converters.
System integrity and track accuracy methodology for traffic information service-broadcast (TIS-B)

Safe Flight 21 (SF 21) is a joint effort by the government and industry to improve the safety, efficiency, and capacity of the National Airspace System (NAS). SF 21 is exploring the use of automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B), broadcast services, and related enabling technologies to provide common, real-time traffic information to both air traffic controllers and flight crews. One of the deliverables based on R. L. Bourgeois and F. R. Castella (2003) for The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL) under the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Contract DTFA01-02-C-00046 is a report defining computations for the system quality and integrity parameters; navigation accuracy category (NAC), navigation integrity category (NIC), and surveillance integrity level (SIL) for the traffic information service-broadcast (TIS-B) capability being proposed for the NAS. The ADS-B system messages contain fields (NAC, NIC, and SIL) to report the quality of the aircraft position and velocity estimates. For the ADS-B system the values for these fields are derived from the global positioning system (GPS) using information about the GPS constellation, available satellites, etc. The computations are then mapped into the quantized values to be transmitted. The TIS-B system forms target position and velocity estimates from radar reports. The algorithms used within the GPS system to compute the NIC and SIL values are not directly applicable to the TIS-B system. This report presents a methodology to compute the integrity parameters for the TIS-B target report messages.