cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Precision X-ray transition radiation detection

Abstract X-ray transition radiation detectors (TRDs) have traditionally been used exclusively as threshold devices in particle physics experiments. This is the case primarily because the large fluctuations in the signals from singly charged particles preclude accurate measurements of particle energy. However, for heavy nuclei, where the charge of the measured particle is larger, the possibility of making these measurements improves dramatically. This is due to a Z 2 increase in the transition radiation yield and the resultant 1/ Z reduction in the relative signal distribution widths. By exploiting these changes, a class of transition radiation detector can be built which provides excellent energy resolution for heavier nuclei ( Z ≳3) over large ranges of particle energy. Such an instrument is an attractive option for the measurement of the energy spectra of cosmic ray nuclei at high energies. The flux of these particles is very small, so detectors with large exposure factors are required in order to make statistically significant measurements. Due to the purely electromagnetic nature of transition radiation, TRDs feature high area/mass ratios, and can provide the large geometric factors needed to make these measurements. Furthermore, unlike many cosmic ray detectors, TRDs can be fully calibrated at accelerator sites prior to deployment. In this paper, we discuss those TRDs designed to make high-resolution measurements of particle energies. We refer to this class of detector as precision TRDs, in contrast to the threshold devices found in accelerator experiments. We discuss some of the properties of these instruments, including the relevant design principles, and the physics which determines their performance. Additionally, we will look at a likely astrophysical application for precision TRDs, and discuss a possible design appropriate for this mission.
The Perioperative Nursing Data Set Benchmark Database

A dashboard method for benchmarking clinical, financial, operational, and institutional-initiative data elements of interest to the business management of a perioperative unit is described in this article. Definitions and sample reports are provided.
Conditional survival in advanced colorectal cancer and surgery.

Abstract Background Recent data show patients with advanced colorectal cancer (CRC) are surviving longer. What is unknown is how specific treatment modalities affect long-term survival. Conditional survival, or survival prognosis based on time already survived, is becoming an acceptable means of estimating prognosis for long-term survivors. We evaluated the impact of cancer-directed surgery on long-term survival in patients with advanced CRC. Methods We used Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results data to identify 64,956 patients with advanced (Stage IV) CRC diagnosed from 2000–2009. Conditional survival estimates by stage, age, and cancer-directed surgery were obtained based on Cox proportional hazards regression model of disease-specific survival. Results A total of 64,956 (20.1%) patients had advanced disease at the time of diagnosis. The proportion of those patients who underwent cancer-directed surgery was 65.1% ( n = 42,176). Cancer-directed surgery for patients with advanced stage disease was associated with a significant improvement in traditional survival estimates compared to patients who did not undergo surgery (hazard ratio = 2.22 [95% confidence interval, 2.17–2.27]). Conditional survival estimates show improvement in conditional 5-y disease-specific survival across all age groups, demonstrating sustained survival benefits for selected patients with advanced CRC. Conclusions Five-year disease-specific conditional survival improves dramatically over time for selected patients with advanced CRC who undergo cancer-directed surgery. This information is important in determining long-term prognosis and will help inform treatment planning for advanced CRC.
The Evolving Mexican Party System

Using a new dataset of roll-call votes from the Mexican Congress, we explore the transformation of that country's legislative party system. Analyzing ideal points, dimensionality, and party cohesion, We show how after the fall of the ruling PRI, the ideological space shifted from cleavages on questions of democratization to more standard left-right divisions. We further demonstrate how this evolution has affected governability and executive-legislative relations. Finally, we link these transformations to similar transformations in the Mexican electorate.
From Protest to Perry: How Litigation Shaped the LGBT Movement's Agenda

This Article empirically examines how litigation shapes the substantive agenda of a social movement. Critical scholars have argued that movement lawyers, as professionals and elites, tend to substitute their own priorities for those of their clients. Yet lawyers and litigation can also influence a movement's agenda through subtle, organizational dynamics rather than through the volitional, ethical choices made by movement lawyers. This Article reexamines critiques of civil rights lawyering through a case study of the movement for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender ("LGBT") rights. This case study draws on quantitative and qualitative analyses of original data from more than two decades of LGBT movement history. These analyses reveal that litigation garnered more news media coverage than other tactics and that the LGBT movement organizations that used litigation had a greater likelihood of survival than organizations that did not. These benefits made litigation the most visible and established of all the LGBT movement's tactics. In addition, LGBT protest organizations responded to the legal issues projected in the mainstream media to form their agendas, subtly redirecting those protest organizations away from their original priorities and toward legal goals. This Article makes a novel contribution to existing scholarship by exposing systemic processes that may privilege movement litigation relative to protest, elevating the issues being litigated to top movement priorities. Significant implications follow for theories of law and social change. The dominance of legal issues on the LGBT movement's agenda marginalized movement demands for cultural transformation or structural change in favor of assimilationist goals, such as the right to marry, that translate well into formal legal claims. Understanding the dynamics revealed here, which allow litigation to set a social movement's agenda, will help civil rights lawyers in the LGBT movement and beyond to provide more effective representation and to achieve more far-reaching social change.
Implications of elbow arthrodesis for individuals with paraplegia.

A 38-year-old woman who had a recent injury resulting in T-3 Frankel Class C paraplegia and a comminuted fracture of the right elbow is described in this case report. The elbow required an arthrodesis, but the position in which the elbow should be fused was not initially known. To illustrate to the rehabilitation team and the patient the advantages and disadvantages of each of two elbow positions under consideration for the arthrodesis, the author recruited an individual with paraplegia to demonstrate some activities of daily living with two elbow splints that simulated the two positions of fusion being considered. The patient and the rehabilitation team concluded that the 30-degree flexion fusion offered more functional mobility than the 90-degree flexion fusion. At the completion of her initial rehabilitation, the patient was a full-time manual wheelchair user. She was independent in all self-care and transfers, including uneven transfers to heights of 22.9 cm (9 in) over and 45.7 (18 in) lower than the wheelchair seat. She drives a four-wheel-drive vehicle and is independent in stowing her wheelchair.
The Mistreatment of the Latin Genitive Case in Forming Names of Parasites

A number of cases of specific names of animals of various groups, formed with an incorrect genitive ending, or without a genitive ending when one might better have been used, are cited; correct forms are given, and the whole subject is discussed. An addition to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature is recommended and a plea made for more care in forming names. The decline of classicism in recent years has brought us to the point where a zoologist, at least in the United States, can complete university training without having to know the meaning and use of the genitive case in Latin. It is therefore of small wonder that the application of Article ll.g.i.3 and 4 of the Code, covering 2 of the 4 kinds of permissible specific names, is far from con-
SIMPL: A DSL for Automatic Specialization of Inference Algorithms.

Inference algorithms in probabilistic programming languages (PPLs) can be thought of as interpreters, since an inference algorithm traverses a model given evidence to answer a query. As with interpreters, we can improve the efficiency of inference algorithms by compiling them once the model, evidence and query are known. We present SIMPL, a domain specific language for inference algorithms, which uses this idea in order to automatically specialize annotated inference algorithms. Due to the approach of specialization, unlike a traditional compiler, with SIMPL new inference algorithms can be added easily, and still be optimized using domain-specific information. We evaluate SIMPL and show that partial evaluation gives a 2-6x speedup, caching provides an additional 1-1.5x speedup, and generating C code yields an additional 13-20x speedup, for an overall speedup of 30-150x for several inference algorithms and models.
Monitoring system of SMES converter and its visualization design

The visualized monitoring system of SMES(Superconducting Magnets Energy Storage) converter with man-machine interactive function is designed based on MCU and DSP.MCU C8051F020 is used as its main processor to realize the parameter display and MMI on LCD terminal and DSP TMS320F2812 is used to realize real-time data acquisition,data processing and converter power module control.Its work principle,hardware interfacing circuit and software program design are studied.The operating parameters are displayed on LCD terminal in real-time and used to verdict the operating state of converter and the control command is processed by DSP to control the operating state of converter.Experimental results show that the designed system realizes the real-time and reliable operating state monitoring of SMES converter system.
Application of Wavelet Neural Network to Power Harmonic Detection

Harmonic detection technology is one of the key technologies determining the development of active power filter (APF).It is difficult to detect the real-time harmonic accurately because of the features of power network harmonic,such as inherent nonlinear,random,distribution,non-stationary and the complexity of impact factors,so the study of the harmonic's detection methods is very important for power system.A harmonic detection method based on wavelet neural network combining wavelet with neural network is proposed,and the wavelet neural network.The simulation results show that this method can detect the power network harmonic accurately and realtime.
Unexpected Increases in Fecundity of Ceriodaphnia dubia Exposed to Reused Rice Irrigation Water

Steady increases in agricultural irrigation raise concerns about environmental impacts. Rice producing regions face declining irrigation groundwater and have started reusing irrigation water as a substitute. The goal of this project was to determine if reused irrigation water is potentially toxic compared to conventional well irrigation water. Reused and well water samples, collected from three Arkansas rice farms at field inlets and outlets on three dates corresponding to fertilizer/chemical applications or crop management, were used in acute 48-h (Pimephales promelas) and chronic (Ceriodaphnia dubia) toxicity evaluations. Acute toxicity tests indicated no effects on P. promelas. Fecundity of C. dubia was significantly increased in the reused water inlet and in both the reused and well water rice field outlets compared to well water inlets and laboratory reference water. This study suggests that, compared to well water, reused rice irrigation water has reduced potential for significant negative environmental impact on biota in receiving waters.
Development of new G media for culture of Flavobacterium columnare and comparison with other media.

Abstract Each component of existing agar and broth media was compared based on observations of Flavobacterium columnare growth. Newly formulated G media resulted in the fastest proliferation of F. columnare cells in broth and yielded fully developed colonies on inoculated agar. In the formulation of the G media, consideration was given to factors such as Sodium chloride and antibiotics, which affect bacterial growth. Ingredients were added or subtracted from existing media, with the resulting formulation of 3 broths (Gb1, Gb2, Gb3) and 3 agars (Ga1, Ga2, Ga3). F. columnare culture on G agar media could be confirmed within 24 h for disease diagnostics. Because of the rapid growth of the bacterium, colony counts were performed after 24 h, avoiding the merging of adjacent colonies at 48 h. In G broth, the absorbance reached 0.3–0.5 within 24 h, indicating ≥ 3 × 108 CFU/ml in broth. In addition, no clumps formed in G broth, which ensured a uniform distribution of F. columnare cells compared to existing broths. The G media are superior for F. columnare culture because of the rapid uniform growth of the bacterium compared to existing media. Statement of relevance The newly developed G media significantly support faster growth of F. columnare in broth and on agar surface than that with the existing media. The formulations of the broth media are focused on the elimination of bacterial cell clumping and quick cell proliferation, and to maximize the colony development of F. columnare cultured on agar surface when the antibiotic of neomycin presented. The ingredients and their concentrations were thoroughly investigated and the reasons that new media are better than existing media are explained and discussed.
Locating memory in an age of dislocation

From the outset, I must admit the sheer impossibility of surveying the vast landscape of memory studies, even if I were to narrow down my scope to “culture” and “difference.” It seems much less dau...
Inhibition of protein synthesis by the β‐subunit of spectrin

The 220 kDa β-subunit of erythroid cell spectrin is a potent inhibitor of protein synthesis in lysates from rabbit reticulocytes. On the basis of weight of protein added to a lysate reaction mixture, it has about half the inhibitory activity of highly purified heme-regulated eIF-2α kinase. Inhibition appears to be at the level of peptide initiation but does not involve a kinase that phosphorylates eIF-2 on its α-subunit.
Pubovaginal sling procedure for the management of urinary incontinence after urethral trauma in women.

AbstractTraumatic urethral injury in women occurs less frequently than in men and urinary incontinence is a serious potential complication in women. Two female patients are described in whom posttraumatic urinary incontinence resulted from either direct trauma to the urethra or from injury to the innervation of the urethra. Both patients were treated successfully with the pubovaginal sling procedure that directly compresses an incompetent proximal urethra. (J. Urol., 138: 527–528, 1987)
Renal Biopsies Under Ultrasound Guidance: 100 Consecutive Biopsies in Children

Abstract To examine the number of renal biopsies in correlation with the pattern of referrals as well as the major categories of renal diseases for the procedure peculiar to children, the data of 100 consecutive percutaneous renal biopsies using disposable biopsy needles under ultrasound guidance in 99 children were reviewed. To examine the risks and accuracy of the procedure the estimated depth of the kidney by ultrasound, the actual biopsy depth, the success rate and the complications were evaluated. With rare exception, 1 core of renal tissue was obtained per single needle insertion; 109 needle insertions yielded 108 cores. Of the specimens 92 per cent contained more than 10 glomeruli. Gross hematuria with the first voiding post-biopsy occurred in 12 per cent of the cases but persisted beyond 24 hours in only 1 per cent. No long-term complications were observed.
Recommendations to the public for prevention of atherosclerosis from six western countries-their applications to children.

In considering the recommendations for the prevention of atherosclerosis, developed primarily for adults, for application to the younger members of society, specifically those in the first two decades of life, five major facts must be kept in mind. The first of these is that the recommendations must have all the hallmarks necessary for creditability.
TEM Characterization of Biological and Inorganic Nanocomposites

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is a microscopy technique that employs a beam of high-energy electrons to transmit through a specimen of nanometer thickness. Information on the various aspects of a specimen, including but not limited to materials size, shape, crystallinity, composition, and elemental mapping, can be collected during the interaction of the electron beam with the specimen. This chapter presents an overview of the recent applications of TEM in characterizing biological and inorganic nanocomposites.
Aldersonian Functionalism: An Enduring Theory in Marketing

In the thirty years since the publication of his two major works, Wroe Alderson’s writing has served as a durable theoretical resource for marketing practitioners and authors in marketing and other behavioral sciences. We contend that Alderson’s theory is the most comprehensive general theory that exists in the marketing literature. In this paper we offer a brief synopsis of some examples of Alderson’s major contributions to marketing theory, then present a list of recent articles that cite Alderson with a summary of the primary subject of each paper. Finally, we offer a formal examination of Alderson’s theory using well-known metatheoretical criteria.This review of recent literature shows the breadth of Alderson’s influence in the behavioral sciences. The results of our study reinforce the significance of Alderson’s work and dispute the superficial stylistic criticisms often directed toward this seminal contribution to the literature. We conclude that a thorough understanding of Alderson’s contribution t...
Classifying readmissions to a cardiac intensive care unit

Research has associated intensive care unit (ICU) readmissions with increased risk of morbidity and mortality. Readmitted patients are also exposed to complications as they are transferred between hospital units. Moreover, due to their unexpected nature, readmissions increase ICU costs and the complexity of managing ICUs. Existing studies on ICU readmissions have mainly used logistic regression for identifying patients who are more likely to be readmitted. However, such studies do not account for the imbalanced nature of the data where the class of interest (readmitted patients) is the minority group. This paper empirically compares three approaches for handling the imbalanced ICU readmissions data: misclassification cost ratio, synthetic minority oversampling technique (SMOTE), and random under-sampling. We used three classification techniques for identifying patients who are more likely to be readmitted to the ICU within the same hospital stay: support vector machines, C5.0, and logistic regression. We evaluated the classification performance of the three methods using recall, specificity, accuracy, F-measure, G-mean, confusion entropy, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. Our results showed that SMOTE is the best approach for addressing the imbalanced nature of the data. The sensitivity analysis identified prolonged ventilation, renal failure, and pneumonia as the top three predictors of ICU readmissions. Our findings can be used to develop a decision support tool to help ICU clinicians and administrators in identifying patients who are more likely to be readmitted and hence provide the patients with the appropriate care to minimize their risk of readmission.
Urban underground infrastructure mapping and assessment

This paper outlines and discusses a few associated details of a smart cities approach to the mapping and condition assessment of urban underground infrastructure. Underground utilities are critical infrastructure for all modern cities. They carry drinking water, storm water, sewage, natural gas, electric power, telecommunications, steam, etc. In most cities, the underground infrastructure reflects the growth and history of the city. Many components are aging, in unknown locations with congested configurations, and in unknown condition. The technique uses sensing and information technology to determine the state of infrastructure and provide it in an appropriate, timely and secure format for managers, planners and users. The sensors include ground penetrating radar and buried sensors for persistent sensing of localized conditions. Signal processing and pattern recognition techniques convert the data in information-laden databases for use in analytics, graphical presentations, metering and planning. The presented data are from construction of the St. Paul St. CCTA Bus Station Project in Burlington, VT; utility replacement sites in Winooski, VT; and laboratory tests of smart phone position registration and magnetic signaling. The soil conditions encountered are favorable for GPR sensing and make it possible to locate buried pipes and soil layers. The present state of the art is that the data collection and processing procedures are manual and somewhat tedious, but that solutions for automating these procedures appear to be viable. Magnetic signaling with moving permanent magnets has the potential for sending lowfrequency telemetry signals through soils that are largely impenetrable by other electromagnetic waves.
Biogenic silica accumulation varies across tussock tundra plant functional type

Summary 1.Silica (SiO2) accumulation by terrestrial vegetation is an important component of the biological silica cycle because it improves overall plant fitness and influences export rates of silica from terrestrial to marine systems. However, most research on silica in plants has focused on agricultural and forested ecosystems, and knowledge of terrestrial silica cycling in the Arctic, as well as the potential impacts of climate change on the silica cycle is severely lacking. 2.We quantified biogenic silica (BSi) accumulation in above and belowground portions of three moist acidic tundra (MAT) sites spanning a 300 km latitudinal gradient in central and northern Alaska, USA. We also examined plant silica accumulation across three main tundra types found in the Arctic (MAT, moist non-acidic tundra (MNT), and wet sedge tundra (WST)). 3.BSi concentrations in live Eriophorum vaginatum, a tussock-forming sedge that is the foundation species of tussock tundra, were not significantly (p<0.05) different across the three main sites. Concentrations of BSi in live aboveground tissue were highest in the graminoid species (0.55 ± 0.07% BSi in sedges from WST, and 0.27 ± 0.01% in E. vaginatum across the three MAT sites). Both inter-tussock tundra species and shrubs contained substantially lower BSi concentrations than E. vaginatum. 4.Our results have implications for how shifts in vegetation cover associated with climatic warming may alter silica storage in tussock tundra vegetation. Our calculations suggest that shrub expansion via warming will increase BSi storage in Arctic land plants due to the higher biomass associated with shrub tundra, whereas conversion of tussock tundra to WST via permafrost thaw would produce the opposite effect in the terrestrial plant BSi pool. Such changes in the size of the terrestrial vegetation silica reservoir could have direct consequences for the rates and timing of silica delivery to receiving waters in the Arctic. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Hormonal Signaling Cascade during an Early-Adult Critical Period Required for Courtship Memory Retention in Drosophila

Summary Formation and expression of memories are critical for context-dependent decision making. In Drosophila , a courting male rejected by a mated female subsequently courts less avidly when paired with a virgin female, a behavioral modification attributed to "courtship memory." Here we show the critical role of hormonal state for maintenance of courtship memory. Ecdysis-triggering hormone (ETH) is essential for courtship memory through regulation of juvenile hormone (JH) levels in adult males. Reduction of JH levels via silencing of ETH signaling genes impairs short-term courtship memory, a phenotype rescuable by the JH analog methoprene. JH-deficit-induced memory impairment involves rapid decay rather than failure of memory acquisition. A critical period governs memory performance during the first 3 days of adulthood. Using sex-peptide-expressing "pseudo-mated" trainers, we find that robust courtship memory elicited in the absence of aversive chemical mating cues also is dependent on ETH-JH signaling. Finally, we find that JH acts through dopaminergic neurons and conclude that an ETH-JH-dopamine signaling cascade is required during a critical period for promotion of social-context-dependent memory.
Electrical Stimulation, Endorphins, and the Practice of Clinical Psychology

Recent studies have demonstrated an alternative to drug treatment for patients presenting with anxiety disorders. This new technique involves electrical stimulation of the peripheral nervous system to induce chemical changes in the brain that can support and promote healing. This method was developed in part from studies of ancient Chinese acupuncture, but it is noninvasive and does not require needles, and it does not depend on prescientific rituals or metaphysical theories. Endorphins, natural neuropeptides active in basal brain structures, act upon anxiolytic μ receptors. Solid evidence from fMRI and neurochemical studies show that a simple office procedure involving electrical stimulation can stimulate the expression of endorphins in the brain. Patients have demonstrated symptom relief from this simple adjunctive treatment with a concomitant reduction in dependency on psychotropic medications.
Linaclotide inhibits colonic and urinary bladder hypersensitivity in adult female rats following unpredictable neonatal stress.

BACKGROUND Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and bladder pain syndrome (BPS) are female-predominant, chronic functional pain disorders that are associated with early life stress (ELS) and therapeutic options for such patients remain limited. Linaclotide, a guanylate cyclase-C (GC-C) agonist, relieves abdominal pain and bowel symptoms in adult patients suffering from IBS with constipation. Here, we test the hypothesis that linaclotide will reverse colon and bladder hyperalgesia in a female-specific rodent model of adverse early life experience. METHODS Neonatal rats were exposed to an odor-attachment learning paradigm of early life stress (ELS). In adulthood, the effect of linaclotide (3 μg kg-1 d-1 , p.o.) on colonic and bladder sensitivity was assessed via quantification of the visceromotor response to colorectal distension and the frequency of withdrawal responses to the application of von Frey hairs to the suprapubic region. In another cohort of rats, the effect of linaclotide on ELS-induced colonic and bladder permeability was investigated via measurements of transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER). KEY RESULTS Rats exposed to unpredictable ELS exhibited colonic and bladder hypersensitivity that was significantly reduced by linaclotide compared to vehicle-treated controls. Colonic and bladder tissue isolated from adult rats exposed to unpredictable ELS exhibited a decrease in colonic and bladder TEER that was reversed by linaclotide. CONCLUSIONS AND INFERENCES Our results demonstrate that neonatal rats exposed to unpredictable ELS develop increased sensitivity and permeability of the colon and bladder in adulthood through a mechanism involving activation of peripheral GC-C signaling.
An Object-Oriented Event Calculus

Despite the rising popularity and usefulness of events, or implicit invocation, in software design, the availability of general-purpose event mechanisms are rare. Further, most event mechanisms available for software design are implemented as libraries or sets of macros that are constrained by the language in which they are used; making such mechanisms inconvenient to use as well as error-prone. Event mechanisms that are a part of a programming language can do away with such constraints; thus making events easier to use. However, there are few languages that offer built-in events and even fewer languages have a built-in general-purpose event mechanism. In order to promote the study of implicit invocation in programming languages, this thesis presents a formal programming language foundation for events. This thesis expands the, object-based, impς-calculus to create a calculus for objects and events, the %$ςcalculus. The %$ς-calculus has a formal syntax, semantics, and a sound type system that is useful for defining practical programming languages that include built-in events. This, along with the ability of the calculus to easily simulate many different event mechanisms make it a good start toward a formal understanding of implicit invocation.
Unified vs. tailored analogies: effects on conceptual knowledge acquisition

You have to learn to walk before you can run. Or do you? This simple metaphor for acquiring new knowledge and skills has been implemented in countless pedagogies, but may not be completely true. For instance, in ACT-R [Anderson, 1993] all knowledge starts in declarative form and productions (for carrying out procedures) are formed through an analogy process. Likewise, in SMART [Shute, 1995], the underlying learning theory posits a unidirectional link from symbolic knowledge (SK) acquisition (i.e., knowing basic, abstract curriculum elements), to procedural skill (PS) acquisition (i.e., the application of that knowledge). Conceptual knowledge (CK) is the deeper-level understanding about relationships among SK items as well as the rationale for choosing among different procedures (i.e., the "why" of the material).
Development of High Creep Strength and Corrosion-Resistant Stainless Steels

Type 347 stainless steel foils are commonly used in primary surface recuperators of gas turbines at gas inlet temperatures up to 600 C. At higher temperatures, accelerated attack due to water vapor in the exhaust gas limits performance. Therefore, new low-cost alternative alloys are being developed with sufficient creep and corrosion resistance at 700 C. The laboratory creep and corrosion performance of an initial attempt at a Fe-20Cr-20Ni-base alloy are presented. The addition of 4Mn in this alloy was successful in preventing accelerated attack at 650-700 C; however, it significantly increased the overall oxidation rate and this likely will lead to a long-term durability problem for thin sections of this material.
Current Concepts of the Mechanism of Action of Carbonic Anhydrase

The central role of CO2 in life on this planet seems self-evident, even when one considers only two of its many roles; as the carbon source in the dark reactions of photosynthesis, and as the major buffer regulating extracellular pH in animals. Carbon dioxide plays the latter role despite the fact that it dissolves in water and hydrates to form a relatively strong acid, H2CO3 (pKa = 3.77).
Functional MRS with J-edited lactate in human motor cortex at 4 T.

Abstract While functional MRI (fMRI) localizes regions of brain activation, functional MRS (fMRS) provides insights into metabolic underpinnings. Previous fMRS studies detected task-induced lactate increase using short echo-time non-edited 1H-MRS protocols, where lactate changes depended on accurate exclusion of overlapping lactate and lipid/macromolecule signals. Because long echo-time J-difference 1H-MRS detection of lactate is less susceptible to this shortcoming, we posited if J-edited fMRS protocol could reliably detect metabolic changes in the human motor cortex during a finger-tapping paradigm in relation to a reliable measure of basal lactate. Our J-edited fMRS protocol at 4T was guided by an fMRI pre-scan to determine the 1H-MRS voxel placement in the motor cortex. Because lactate and β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) follow similar J-evolution profiles we observed both metabolites in all spectra, but only lactate showed reproducible task-induced modulation by 0.07 mM from a basal value of 0.82 mM. These J-edited fMRS results demonstrate good sensitivity and specificity for task-induced lactate modulation, suggesting that J-edited fMRS studies can be used to investigate the metabolic underpinning of human cognition by measuring lactate dynamics associated with activation and deactivation fMRI paradigms across brain regions at magnetic field lower than 7T.
Banning open carry of unloaded handguns decreases firearm-related fatalities and hospital utilization.

Background Since 1967, in California it has been illegal to openly carry a loaded firearm in public except when engaged in hunting or law enforcement. However, beginning January 1, 2012, public open carry of unloaded handguns also became illegal. Fatal and non-fatal (NF) firearm injuries were examined before and after adoption of the 2012 ban to quantify the effect of the new law on public health. Methods State-level data were obtained directly from California and nine other US state inpatient and emergency department (ED) discharge databases, and the Centers for Disease Control Web-Based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System. Case numbers of firearm fatalities, NF hospitalizations, NF ED visits, and state-level population estimates were extracted. Each incident was classified as unintentional, self-inflicted, or assault. Crude incidence rates were calculated. The strength of gun laws was quantified using the Brady grade. There were no changes to open carry in these nine states during the study. Using a difference-in-difference technique, the rate trends 3 years preban and postban were compared. Results The 2012 open carry ban resulted in a significantly lower incident rate of both firearm-related fatalities and NF hospitalizations (p Discussion Open carry ban decreases fatalities and healthcare utilization even in a state with baseline strict gun laws. The most significant impact is from decreasing firearm-related fatal and NF assaults. Level of evidence III, epidemiology.
Plant–herbivore coevolution and plant speciation

More than five decades ago, Ehrlich and Raven proposed a revolutionary idea-that the evolution of novel plant defense could spur adaptive radiation in plants. Despite motivating much work on plant-herbivore coevolution and defense theory, Ehrlich and Raven never proposed a mechanism for their "escape and radiate" model. Recent intriguing mechanisms proposed by Marquis et al. include sympatric divergence, pleiotropic effects of plant defense traits on reproductive isolation, and strong postzygotic isolation, but these may not be general features of herbivore-mediated speciation. An alternate view is that herbivores may impose strong divergent selection on defenses in allopatric plant populations, with plant-herbivore coevolution driving local adaptation resulting in plant speciation. Building on these ideas, we propose three scenarios that consider the role of herbivores in plant speciation. These include (1) vicariance, subsequent coevolution within populations and adaptive divergence between geographically isolated populations, (2) colonization of a new habitat lacking effective herbivores followed by loss of defense and then re-evolution and coevolution of defense in response to novel herbivores, and (3) evolution of a new defense followed by range expansion, vicariance, and coevolution. We discuss the general role of coevolution in plant speciation and consider outstanding issues related to understanding: (1) the mechanisms behind cospeciation of plants and insects, (2) geographic variation in defense phenotypes, (3) how defensive traits and geography map on plant phylogenies, and (4) the role of herbivores in driving character displacement in defense phenotypes of related species in sympatry.
The perceived causes of research misconduct among faculty members in the natural, social, and applied sciences

ABSTRACTLittle research has investigated the conditions that lead to research misconduct. To develop effective intervention/prevention strategies, this void must be filled. This study administered ...
BIOSYNTHESIS AND PROCESSING OF GLYCOPROTEINS

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on biosynthesis and processing of glycoproteins. Considerable progress has been achieved providing a clearer understanding of the mode of biosynthesis and assembly of glycosylamine-linked carbohydrate side chains of glycoproteins. The carbohydrate moiety is linked to the polypeptide chain by way of a glycosylamine linkage utilizing the amide nitrogen of an Asn residue in the protein and the linkage region invariably consists of trisaccharide Man-β1, 4-GlcNAc-β1, 4-GlcNac-β-Asn. Beyond the invariant trisaccharide linkage region of the sidechain, two or more branch structures usually occur, each of which contains Man, GlcNAc, Gal, and one of the sialic acids. In biosynthesis of the carbohydrate sidechains of this type, two separate groups of enzymes participate in its biosynthesis, assembly, and attachment to the polypeptide chain. A group of glycosyltransferases, primarily localized in the Golgi apparatus appears to be solely responsible for the sequential addition of peripheral carbohydrate residues of the oligosaccharide side chain, including the NeuNAc-Gal-GlcNAc trisaccharide at the reducing termini of completed chains and fucose residues that may be located in terminal nonreducing positions elsewhere in the oligosaccharide.
Structure–property correlations in phase-pure B-doped Q-carbon high-temperature superconductor with a record Tc = 55 K

Here, we report the detailed structure-property correlations in phase-pure B-doped Q-carbon high-temperature superconductor having a superconducting transition temperature (Tc) of 55 K. This superconducting phase is a result of nanosecond laser melting and subsequent quenching of a highly super undercooled state of molten B-doped C. The temperature-dependent resistivity in different magnetic fields and magnetic susceptibility measurements indicate a type-II Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer superconductivity in B-doped Q-carbon thin films. The magnetic measurements indicate that the upper and lower critical fields follow Hc2(0)[1 - (T/Tc)1.77] and Hc1(0)[1 - (T/Tc)1.19] temperature dependence, respectively. The structure-property characterization of B-doped Q-carbon indicates a high density of electronic states near the Fermi-level and large electron-phonon coupling. These factors are responsible for s-wave bulk type superconductivity with enhanced Tc in B-doped Q-carbon. The time-dependent magnetic moment measurements indicate that B-doped Q-carbon thin films follow the Anderson-Kim logarithmic decay model having high values of pinning potential at low temperatures. The crossover from the two-dimensional to the three-dimensional nature of Cooper pair transport at T/Tc = 1.02 also indicates a high value of electron-phonon coupling which is also calculated using the McMillan formula. The superconducting region in B-doped Q-carbon is enclosed by Tc = 55.0 K, Jc = 5.0 × 108 A cm-2, and Hc2 = 9.75 T superconducting parameters. The high values of critical current density and pinning potential also indicate that B-doped Q-carbon can be used for persistent mode of operation in MRI and NMR applications. The Cooper pairs which are responsible for the high-temperature superconductivity are formed when B exists in the sp3 sites of C. The electron energy loss spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy indicate a 75% sp3 bonded C and 70% sp3 bonded B in the superconducting phase of B-doped Q-carbon which has 27 at% B and rest C. The dimensional fluctuation and magnetic relaxation measurements in B-doped Q-carbon indicate its practical applications in frictionless motors and high-speed electronics. This discovery of high-temperature superconductivity in strongly-bonded and light-weight materials using non-equilibrium synthesis will provide the pathway to achieve room-temperature superconductivity.
The “Quiet Goldschmidt” — A Mechanochemical, Thermoanalytical, and Spectroscopic Study of Selected Steps of the Aluminothermic Reaction.

The aluminothermic reaction 2Al + α-Fe2O3 (Goldschmidt reaction) is investigated by powder XRD, ESR and Moessbauer spectroscopy, magnetic susceptibility measurements, and thermal analysis.
Use of real-world registry data: a hernia mesh example

Clinical performance of hernia mesh devices is poorly understood due to a lack of relevant clinical trial and real-world data (RWD). Registries offer a means to capture longitudinal data in real-world practice. This report highlights the need for data quality, completeness, and appropriate analysis methodology for more accurate and informed interpretation of RWE of medical devices. Hernia mesh registry data were used to cross-tabulate the 30-day infection rate of patients who received one of four mesh types. Initial data review suggested lower infection rate for permanent mesh versus absorbable mesh. Additional registry RWD were factored into the analysis, providing more context in the interpretation of the results. High-quality registries can be used to generate real-world evidence (RWE) to support surveillance and other regulatory decisions.
Radiographic and Clinical Outcomes Following Robotic-Assisted Lateral Unicompartmental Knee Arthroplasty

Much advancement has been made in the treatment of knee arthritis. A special area of interest has been the treatment of medial unicompartmental disease. However, patients with isolated lateral compartment arthritis represent a significant subset of the population. Lateral unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) is performed much less frequently than in the medial compartment and is known to be more technically demanding and less reproducible. Robotic-assisted arthroplasty provides a tool to improve component placement and reproducibility. The purpose of this study is to retrospectively review radiographic and clinical outcomes following robotic-assisted lateral UKA. We retrospectively reviewed 22 patients who underwent robotic-assisted lateral UKA by a single surgeon. Indications consisted of isolated lateral compartment arthritis with correctable valgus deformity and an intact anterior cruciate ligament. Eighteen patients met all inclusion criteria, resulting in 20 lateral UKA. Radiographic and clinical outcomes were evaluated and we found that robotic assistance during lateral UKA provided accurate and reproducible results. Native alignment of the tibia and femur were well maintained in the coronal and sagittal planes, and no overcorrection occurred. The standard deviation of tibial components was 1.8°, indicating strong accuracy and reproducibility. Operative times were increased, but this did not lead to intraoperative complications or slowed progression of postoperative rehabilitation. Robotic-assisted lateral UKA provides a tool for accurate and reproducible component placement with excellent short-term clinical outcomes.
Pharmacological and fasting-induced activation of SIRT1/LXRα signaling alleviates diabetes-induced retinopathy

Summary In diabetes, the retina, a tissue with unique metabolic needs, demonstrates dysregulation of the intricate balance between nutrient availability and utilization. This results in cholesterol accumulation, pro-inflammatory and pro-apoptotic changes, and consequently neurovascular damage. Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), a nutrient sensing deacetylase, is downregulated in the diabetic retina. In this study, the effect of SIRT1 stimulation by fasting or by pharmacological activation using SRT1720, was evaluated on retinal cholesterol metabolism, inflammation and neurovascular damage. SIRT1 activation, in retinal endothelial cells (REC) and neuronal retinal progenitor cells (R28), led to Liver X Receptor alpha (LXRα) deacetylation and subsequent increased activity, as measured by increased ATP-binding cassette transporter (ABC) A1 and G1 mRNA expression. In turn, increased cholesterol export resulted in decreased REC cholesterol levels. SIRT1 activation also led to decreased inflammation. SIRT1 activation, in vivo, prevented diabetes-induced inflammation and vascular and neural degeneration. Diabetes-induced visual function impairment, as measured by electroretinogram and optokinetic response, was significantly improved as a result of SIRT1 activation. Taken together, activation of SIRT1 signaling is an effective therapeutic strategy that provides a mechanistic link between the advantageous effects associated with fasting regimes and prevention of diabetic retinopathy (DR).
Machine learning defect properties in Cd-based chalcogenides

Impurity energy levels in the band gap can have serious consequences for a semiconductor’s performance as a photovoltaic absorber. Data-driven approaches can help accelerate the prediction of point defect properties in common semiconductors, and thus lead to the identification of potential deep lying impurity states. In this work, we use density functional theory (DFT) to compute defect formation energies and charge transition levels of hundreds of impurities in CdX chalcogenide compounds, where X = Te, Se or S. We apply machine learning techniques on the DFT data and develop on-demand predictive models for the formation energy and relevant transition levels of any impurity atom in any site. The trained ML models are general and accurate enough to predict the properties of any possible point defects in any Cd-based chalcogenide, as we prove by testing on a few selected defects in mixed chalcogen compounds CdTe 0.5 Se 0.5 and CdSe 0.5 S 0.5 . The ML framework used in this work can be extended to any class of semiconductors.
Evaluation of a neural network-based photon beam profile deconvolution method

PURPOSE The authors have previously shown the feasibility of using an artificial neural network (ANN) to eliminate the volume average effect (VAE) of scanning ionization chambers (ICs). The purpose of this work was to evaluate the method when applied to beams of different energies (6 and 10 MV) and modalities [flattened (FF) vs unflattened (FFF)], measured with ICs of various sizes. METHODS The three-layer ANN extracted data from transverse photon beam profiles using a sliding window, and output deconvolved value corresponding to the location at the center of the window. Beam profiles of seven fields ranging from 2 × 2 to 10 × 10 cm2 at four depths (1.5, 5, 10 and 20 cm) were measured with three ICs (CC04, CC13, and FC65-P) and an EDGE diode detector for 6 MV FF and FFF. Similar data for the 10 MV FF beam was also collected with CC13 and EDGE. The EDGE-measured profiles were used as reference data to train and test the ANNs. Separate ANNs were trained by using the data of each beam energy and modality. Combined ANNs were also trained by combining data of different beam energies and/or modalities. The ANN's performance was quantified and compared by evaluating the penumbra width difference (PWD) between the deconvolved and reference profiles. RESULTS Excellent agreement between the deconvolved and reference profiles was achieved with both separate and combined ANNs for all studied ICs, beam energies, beam modalities, and geometries. After deconvolution, the average PWD decreased from 1-3 mm to under 0.15 mm with separate ANNs and to under 0.20 mm with combined ANN. CONCLUSIONS The ANN-based deconvolution method can be effectively applied to beams of different energies and modalities measured with ICs of various sizes. Separate ANNs yielded marginally better results than combined ANNs. An IC-specific, combined ANN can provide clinically acceptable results as long as the training data includes data of each beam energy and modality.